poor show

Duncan · #1 07-09-2014

So it is a very nice sunday and my son who is nearly five as he like to tell me wants to go racing with me. As he has never raced before i chose a track that was in a field and would not be very busy so there was plenty of room for him to ride his bike if he got board . this track has a gap of 1/2 hour between rounds so i thought this would be a good opportunity to let him have a go when i can help him and not feel rushed. he had a go for ten minuets and had a wail of a time , i then went to book in for my race and i asked if it was ok between rounds that he could do some practice laps. The response was as he does not have a BRCA card NO he can't do any practice laps. This took my head off and i took back my money and left with my son in tears. now i understand this person was probably right but at least i could of been told as you have come all this way have a go but next time please get his membership sorted.
How is the sport going to attract new kids with this attitude.

fletcher · #2 07-09-2014

I understand your point totally. But what if your son hit someone trackside? There's no cover and its the club that is going to get a huge fine. I work in a model shop and if I recommend a customer to start racing I tell them to get a brcs licence before they go as they may not be able to race. Ita not fair to blame these sort of people for making it difficult for new comers. When they are looking out for there club.

Dazzler · #3 07-09-2014

As I understand it, non BRCA members who have not raced before are allowed to race at an event without joining the BRCA for a maximum of 3 club meetings. So your son should have been fine.. It's a shame both you as a BRCA member having received a BRCA handbook and race control were not up on the BRCA rules.

See page 20 of the handbook.

http://www.brca.org/sites/www.brca.o...2014%20(1).pdf

Ritchie T · #4 07-09-2014

Aren't you covered for 3 races before you have to join? Or did they do away with that?

mattr · #5 07-09-2014

Driving around between heats = Not racing = Not covered = World of pain for the club if there is an incident involving the nearly 5 year old.

mattr · #6 07-09-2014

TBH I'm not even sure if he'd be allowed to just drive around as a brca member unless he was entered in the event

tdach · #7 07-09-2014

I think I would have done the same. Every club I've been to let's you race for 3 meetings without a license. And encouraging new kids/people into the hobby seems to be a big priority. I assume you weren't planning on leaving him unsupervised, and most transmitters/ esc's can have the throttle settings turned down if the club was concerned about him driving a fast car around.
I understand insurance issue in this time of over-hyped health and safety but surely there's a point of common sense and a safe way for your son to play with what is basically a toy car in between rounds could have been found.
I agree, poor show.

racingdwarf · #8 07-09-2014

Thats daft ,Just use some common sense! I have had this at the club I run.1st off we promote the hobby, if we don't the hobby dies, what the club should have done is ask if you can stay on the rostrum with your son and a friendly club member would have been on hand to put the car back on track…probably many times

. this way the club gets new members, and so does the BRCA. As has been said a new racer can make a start before they get there licence.

beale · #9 07-09-2014

Exactly 3 events before you must become a member, no one at my club would dream of putting off any potential new drivers, my son has just turned 4 and doesn't listen to a word I say so I sit him on my lap and am ready to divert any wrong turns plus the end points Are turned down to minimum to move.
He knows he is not allowed to race till he can get around the track without my help (that doesn't mean no crashing)

SlowOne · #10 07-09-2014

As said in an earlier post, it's a shame that officials who as so certain about things didn't know the rules - three events for new members is clearly stated in General Rule 2.

What's wrong here is people hiding behind H&S and rules in order to avoid assessing risks. It has become easier for people not to do things than to assess the risk, make a reasonable decision and then act accordingly. A bit of snow outside a stadium - let's cancel the event and so on.

Safety is the concern. If the throttle is turned down and Dad is supervising, then risks have been assessed and mitigated. What reason could one have to prevent the lad having a drive? Apparently it was easier to ignore the hard bits and simply tell the guy to bugger off.

The sport survives because of the volunteers who give up their time and money to organise events so we can all race. Nonetheless, club committee members should also know the rules and promote the sport.

After all, knowing the rules is what makes sure they know which risks to assess and what liability they have. Imagine not knowing the rules, making a decision the other way and then finding themselves on the end of a law suit?!! And, promoting the sport is what keeps their clubs alive. Think on...

rdr · #11 07-09-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duncan

So it is a very nice sunday and my son who is nearly five as he like to tell me wants to go racing with me. As he has never raced before i chose a track that was in a field and would not be very busy so there was plenty of room for him to ride his bike if he got board . this track has a gap of 1/2 hour between rounds so i thought this would be a good opportunity to let him have a go when i can help him and not feel rushed. he had a go for ten minuets and had a wail of a time , i then went to book in for my race and i asked if it was ok between rounds that he could do some practice laps. The response was as he does not have a BRCA card NO he can't do any practice laps. This took my head off and i took back my money and left with my son in tears. now i understand this person was probably right but at least i could of been told as you have come all this way have a go but next time please get his membership sorted.
How is the sport going to attract new kids with this attitude.

Name and shame Duncan, how are newcomers coming into this hobby going to see if they like it other than trying it out.

Si Coe · #12 07-09-2014

Personally I'd have to take a pretty pragmatic approach at our club. We are in a public park, and whilst I admit you should have BRCA membership to use our track (ie the bit inside the safety fencing) there is exactly nothing I can do to stop you running outside on the field - which is far more dangerous!
I've seen it happen before when we had someone who is not a club member that none of us knew careening around our pitting area with an HPI Baja.

Jim Spencer · #13 07-09-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdr

Name and shame Duncan, how are newcomers coming into this hobby going to see if they like it other than trying it out.

Hi

Erm No, don't..
Educate them instead?

Point them gently in the direction of this thread to make sure it doesn't happen again?

The person at the club got it wrong - but we've all got something wrong haven't we?

Anyway
The above folk all have it right - it's '3 visits' to a club, to try the sport.
- or any other event for that matter, it also works for public "Have a Go's" too, right up to the large events (at major public Venue's) we take the demo fleets to.

Anybody has any queries you can always drop me a note

treasurer@brca.org

rdr · #14 07-09-2014

Erm YES........

If the "person at the club" didn't see the dissappointment on the boys face, maybe the crying might have given it away. Unless of course, the possible power trip of being a club official hadn't been clouding his judgment.

If this "person" can sit back and see a child so devastated and not think anything of it, then i doubt a bit of "educating" will make a slight bit of difference.

MEMBER@BRCA.cheesed off

Peakey · #15 07-09-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdr

Name and shame Duncan, how are newcomers coming into this hobby going to see if they like it other than trying it out.

+1 on that name and shame

so we can have a good old fashioned lynching

Jim Spencer · #16 08-09-2014

And add another Club to the list of the ones closing through having nobody to run it..

Been a sad year on that score, one near me has loads of racers, plenty of money and has shut - Nobody willing to run it caused by a few very vocal people on the web giving them loads of grief.
Chatted to several others this year too..
And it's a major problem in our Association (and lots of others I talk to too)
"Why would you volunteer to do anything and then just slagged off all over the Internet?"
Was a word for word response to a question the other day..

Be carefull - or be willing to do it yourself.

Moss Models · #17 08-09-2014

To be honest there is so much wrong with this sport when it comes to attracting youngsters.

I fail to understand why we don't do more to attract young people to what is essentially toy car racing. From attitudes to entry fees more needs to be done.

Tayter · #18 08-09-2014

I agree with what moss Models says above, i have raced for nearly 4 years with my son who is now just turned 13. Only very recently at Bury Metro have we had reduced(infact free for being a member) race fees. This was discussed on the nitro forum and TBH reduced fees isnt the main put off for me or him , it is the attitude of the people he races against.

I have seen kids reduced to tears, fathers nearly fighting and all the swear words you can think of. This is much more apparent at the bigger meetings when some people seem to leave their senses at home and become idiots on the rostrum. Remember we were all pretty awful when we started and we make and still make mistakes, to be sworn at and made scared to race is disgusting and the people involved should be ashamed of themselves. Do any clubs have club equipment to loan kids wanting to try the sport out I have never seen one that does (sorry to those that do).

As for keyboard warriors it is riduculous the amount of flack some people have had to take for what? Organising a venue or race event for us all to show up and hopefully have fun at. In my opinion dont critise on an open forum take the organiser to one side and tell him to his face what is bothering you because if you dont, we may not have any venues to go to soon.

Rick-J · #19 08-09-2014

I came back to racing after a 17 year break. I planned to race at my local off road club. I had BRCA membership and went along with a friend also starting back to have a practice on a Saturday before we raced the following week to at least test the car and get up to speed a bit. When we turned up we were spoke to very rudely. They told me I could not practice as I was not a club member. I explained I was new to the club and a returning racer who would join but wanted just a quick run. I know the club have rules but they way they dealt with me and my friend and how unhelpful they were was shocking. We were turned away with no help encouragement or common sense. I never joined the club after that and only race there if it is part of a regional after the way they treated us I race at other clubs even though they a further away. Clubs need to be friendly and encourage new drivers or they will close.

Coastal · #20 08-09-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Spencer

And add another Club to the list of the ones closing through having nobody to run it..

Been a sad year on that score, one near me has loads of racers, plenty of money and has shut - Nobody willing to run it caused by a few very vocal people on the web giving them loads of grief.
Chatted to several others this year too..
And it's a major problem in our Association (and lots of others I talk to too)
"Why would you volunteer to do anything and then just slagged off all over the Internet?"
Was a word for word response to a question the other day..

Be carefull - or be willing to do it yourself.

So true - running a club can be soul destroying, people need to think before posting/moaning - many don't realise how much time and effort club officials put in to keep clubs running.