General WRCA / AGM thoughts...

[blue_pinky]

So, the thread about pricing has brought up a number of other good discussions. I thought maybe we could have a thread for more general discussion, and leave the pricing thread for pricing!

From what I've seen the WRCA region suffers from a lack of people/turnout, both in terms of organising and racing. We seem to have a few more people being vocal on the electric side at the moment, so maybe we should see what ideas everyone has?

Up to now the lower numbers have meant that the nitro and electric sections are both being run by a small group of people who have taken their own time try and do the best they can for both.

Those people have mostly come from the more popular nitro side, so naturally, some decisions have been made to better suit the more supported class, which I can totally understand!

For a time this has been a benefit to both sections on a number of levels, as we have at least had events and races and reasonable turnout's in total, but the trade off has been the inevitable compromises that are made by both classes to accomodate it...event schedules, race costs, marshalling, etc, etc.

It seems to me that with electric interest possibly rising a little this year, or at least a few more people having opinions that they are willing to voice that maybe the time has come to think about voicing them properly (via AGM!?!) and trying to remove those compromises the best we can.

With the nature of the tracks/facilities we have available in the region, the link between nitro and electric has to be there on some level though.

Without the nitro tracks we have in the area, the electric series could look more like a club series, so we still need their support! Am I right in thinking the only completely non nitro track in the series this year is Caldicot? And that's not even a permenant facility. I know Cobra could be another, but I don't know of any others?

So, after all this waffle...

Who is the Electric offroad head on the WRCA currently? It was Craig in 2009, but it's not this year as far I know?!?! I guess that's the person we should talk to about this stuff ultimately!

[blue_pinky]

So...

What about the possiblily of running nitro and electric on separate days? I think it might help with the logistics of noise curfew's and everyones expectations of a race day schedule, both on the nitro and electric front?

I don't think we need full national standard rules, with scrutineering, tx compounds, electrics rules, etc. Our turnout is too small and consequently the racing is not as close as the bigger regions. If it was bigger and we had more equally skilled drivers challenging for points it would be more important, but right now, I think we just need to keep the racing as open and accessible as we can and encourage as many people as we can to join in, but take on board the important safety aspects that we need.

I do think we should make sure each race day is run to good time, and to a consistent race format at every event. Maybe we could try and agree and provide a race schedule for all the clubs to try and adhere to, so we all get to know the format. Hopefully all the venues are able to support that?

At the first 2 rounds, although the clubs did their best at the time, and we have essentially run to a consistent format which has been ok, it's felt a little adhoc at times. A little more structure to that could help everyone, clubs included.

I also like Craigs idea on the other thread about running a separate electric meeting at the AGM, and then something combined to agree the calender for the year and anything else that is common ground. If it promoted a better AGM turnout for the good of the electric races the that must be a good thing!

At the end of the day it should all be about making the racing competitive, safe and most of all fun, lets make sure eveything we do has that as the goal!

Right I'll stop now!

[Dyna]

Some good points there Andy. I agree that doing Nitro/Electric together this year is a compromise, but tbh we electrics have to admit it wouldve been silly doing them on our own as the turnout isnt there... at the moment that is. What did we have at GNR ? 13 or so in 2wd ? less in 4wd ? As im sure we are all away money is important for clubs, atm it looks for 2010 it really is the only way with the present numbers.

On the other hand, ive literally just got back from an absolutely belting days racing at COBRA. 18 or 19 2wd drivers. A dozen or so 4wds. The meeting ran smoothly from the off. Booking in was quick and easy. Track was great. The PA was clear and you could hear it right at the end of the pits. The rounds ran absolutely on the dot when they were meant to. Results were posted immediately after the round. There were constant friendly reminders on the PA for marshalling and volunteer marshals for finals. No confusion at all. It ended pretty much when it was meant to. Driving standards were mostly good. I have to say, it has been my most enjoyable days racing this year. All for 5 quid !!! The best 2010 Regional meeting that wasnt...

My main point is, if COBRA can do it for a club day, why the hell cant we do that for all the Regionals ?? The COBRA entry today for electric was more than the GNR Regional. Now is this something to do with the fact that there were no Nitros or people just dont like doing Regionals...or they dont like paying a tenner when they can get a better days racing at a club for half the cost ?

My other thoughts were that we need to make the WRCA website more of a HUB for the WRCA clubs, update it a bit more often, get the forums going and us all actually USE it for the purpose its there for - a one-stop site for all the Welsh clubs rather than o0ple here, UK Micro there, COBRA there etc etc We as electric clubs and a Region, are far too splintered atm. We need to work together a wee bit more i think... And i mean Nitro as well.

Thread like this are good. I think once the date of the AGM is announced, we go back over these threads, take the best points and talk about them at the AGM and try to start moving forward again. I for one want to see the Welsh Region become a little more of a force than it is now... get more kids involved especially as without them we are going to struggle in the coming years.

There, thats a few more things to talk about

[DCM]

Thank you for your kind words from todays COBRA race day, we do try our hardest to keep it reasonably relaxed but to also get the racing in, it isn't easy, we do have to work at it, but I think it shows, that if you provide good fun racing, at a reasonable cost, people are more than willing to turn up, pay, and have fun. And a regional should be that, but on a larger scale, it is do-able.

Maybe the WRCA should have a word with Balders, and have a portal based website, so it isn't reliant on one person to keep the site up to date, clubs could contribute to.

[ant west 71]

COBRA, COBRA, COBRA. for a good days racing get yourself to cobra every sunday. very relaxed fun day. keep it up guys.

[Jamie.T]

I really do agree with Steve in his post above. A new and improved WRCA website with up-to-date information would help massively along with a newer forum. There is nothing wrong with posting on oOple but not everybody goes on here, and the first place to look for info about the WRCA site should surely be its own webiste.

Recently i missed the first round of the WRCA series because the date wasn't on the WRCA website. I know it was on oOple, and i am a regualr member on here, but i went on to the WRCA site because i presumed that's where id find the official dates.

I now work from home as a web developer, and am hereby offering my services free of charge to aid in any way possible to a newer WRCA website to be constructed. I am doing this because i think in Wales we have the opportunity to have a great regional section. We have great clubs, and a lot of excellent active racers, just need to bring it all together.

I will try and attend the WRCA agm this year and help contribute further. But if the current WRCA webmaster wishes for me to aid in the website development, please p.m me.

Jamie........

[axeman]

Have Cobra paid there WRCA affiliation yet ?? and cleared there arrears from last year???

[Roy]

Originally Posted by axeman

Have Cobra paid there WRCA affiliation yet ?? and cleared there arrears from last year???

Surely as the "WRCA Racing God" you would know

If not I'm sure the WRCA Treasurer will be in contact with the Club

[DCM]

Nope, they have been informed... once or twice..

[peetbee]

One thing we've got to ask is what do the clubs need in terms of entries to make hosting a round viable? If one of the ideas is for nitro & electric to have seperate rounds, then would clubs want to host 2 WRCA events a year, even if the number of drivers were down on numbers from combined meetings?

This is bound to have an impact on the entry fees, race day formats & any other ideas we have for improving the WRCA events.

And just to give some ideas of numbers, I've done some rough calcs based on the results from the WRCA website, for the 1st 2 rounds this season.
64 different drivers took part in the 1st 2 rounds (with a fairly even split between electic and nitro). 14 of those drivers entered two classes, of which 9 did two electric classes, 3 did two nitro classes and 2 did one nitro and one electric class

In terms of Welsh clubs and the classes that they as a club run outdoors, I believe that the following list is correct:
Caldicot - 1/10 Electric only
Cobra - 1/10 Electric only
GNR - 1/8 nitro & 1/10 Electric
Talywain - 1/8 nitro only
Swansea - 1/8 nitro & 1/10 Electric
Saundersfoot - 1/8 nitro & 1/10 electric
Midwalesnitro - not holding a round but website says 1/8 nitro & 10 electric?
Carmarthen - no longer racing?
Any others???

With the website wouldn't the WRCA have a space on the new BRCA site? In terms of forum, this WRCA section on oOple has had more posts in the last day than the WRCA forum has had in a year!
In the interim why not decommision the WRCA forum and have the website direct people here?

We could add some stickies at the top for club info (with links to club sites), a link back to the WRCA site, regional info, etc.
Apologies for my ramblings!

[minimatto]

I totally agree about the website, so anyone who wishes to take control of it pm me and I will send you the server details and password.

Save me doing it.

[blue_pinky]

Balders and myself have on more than one occasion thought we'd like to help out with the website as well, Balders is a web developer, I do graphic design, and we've talked about putting together a joomla type content managed site so that more people are able to manage it, helping to take the load off just one person!

Maybe between a few of us we can sort it out!

Jamie, are you coming down to the Caldicot round? Maybe the 3 of us and Matt can all have a chat about it then?

[DCM]

Funnily, I pm'd Balders about that very subject earlier. Ideally, a portal with a forum feeding the portal would be the easiest, as once the site is set up, then it is only maintenance, the actual 'info' can be posted by the clubs and committee?

[Balders]

No problems, I have been busy pm'ing people already so will get a little team together of a few of us and come up with a few ideas around the site before putting them to popular vote.

[madcrazybonkers]

A new website is the way to go with more info for new comers or people returning after a long time away.

Had a little thought with all the chat about entry costs and run time, well have a read and see what everyone thinks good or bad.

5 min heats has been the norm since way before i started racing electric with small mah batts compared to what is being used today and still only running 5 min heats.
So what im thinking is with lipo's why not make it 7 min heats and 10 min finals or run as the nationals 3 leg finals as mentioned in another post.
But i like the thought of longer heats as 5 mins goes to quick lol who knows longer heats mite catch on.

[DCM]

currently, with the low numbers, we could increase heat timing, as runng 360s + 2mins split we are nowhere near the hour minimum you need per round, although I am not entirely convinced with the 3 leg finals, unless you mean everyone, but we don't have the time.

[dorris]

So what im thinking is with lipo's why not make it 7 min heats

I have tried 7 min heats but it threw up a few problems. The established racers with newish gear and LiPo cells had no problems but it was the newbies and juniors that struggled to make the time. We would start with 7 or 8 drivers at the start of the heat but by 7 mins there would only be 2 or 3 left.

10 min finals or run as the nationals 3 leg finals as mentioned in another post.

There are time constraints and battery charging that could make this difficult to achieve as well.

In theory it is a great idea but in practice I feel there would be a number of problems.

[Dyna]

I agree that the longer heat times might be an issue with batteries & charging and possibly over heating on a hot day - it would be interesting to see what people thought of it who attended the o0ple race where i think they they ran longer heats ( Craig, Griff & Dave i know attended ) but at least one region are doing 3 leg finals in their regionals as i said in another post - Scotland for example.

If the electrics were to run seperately from Nitros in the future i think that would be an excellent justification for a £10.00 entry and give the meeting a 'bigger' feel.

[peetbee]

I believe that the date has been set for the AGM now - 7th November down in Swansea.
AGM in the morning with racing in the afternoon!

[axeman]

Put me and Reg down!!!!