Todays Driving standards and the 'Xbox Generation'

mark-rc · #1 14-12-2014

OK, so today I had a good days racing turn into a bad day, due to the driving standards at my local club race meeting. I was so cheesed off that I felt the need to say something, as I feel the problem is not just 'up north' of the country! And I'm wondering if it's like this in other parts of the UK?

Now maybe I'm old school, and I drive with a sense of fair play, If I tag someone and put them on there lid or off the track, I wait and give them the position back! even if it's at my cost of a position! After racing competitively for well over 25 years, I have been around long enough to see how the hobby has changed, both positively and negatively. Car's and equipment are better and faster! But over the passed few years, I have noticed something that is a worry to me, that the current crop of driver's and even more so the young drivers 'the xbox generation', are missing something from racing that makes racing RC Cars 'FUN', while some are gifted with the ability to drive a car around the track at a very fast pace, 'from what I have noticed' they nearly all are missing the ability to overtake cleanly and hold back until the opportunity to overtake happens! They have no sense of fair play, only a 'win at all cost' attitude! Now, while we all want to win our races, there is 'or used to be' a skill or art to racing! I remember watching 'and racing in' races where drivers would drive around the track 'to the best of there abilities' bumper to bumper, the skill was in putting the car in front under enough pressure that they would make a mistake, and you would do a clean over take! And if you were the car in front, the skill was trying to drive a defensive line, but if you tagged the car in front, more often than not you were told to give the place back, and in most cases you would give it back automatically out of a sense of fairness. But these day's it's more like, 'If I hit the car in front and gain the position then that's all the matters!' I need to win!. And what's so upsetting, is there seems to be nothing being done as regards to driving standards. I see to many times the parents of a kid going off there heads at someone for tagging there kid's car, yet when there kid does the same thing they stand there and say nothing! I've race at many club's all over, and it seems to now be a common theme of 'bad driving standards' at almost every club you go to! While we all want and need young up and coming drivers, for the sake of the hobby, surely every club 'and parent' should be doing there bit to instill into these drivers/kid's, that racing is not just about getting your car around the track as fast as you can, but also doing it in the 'Right' manner! We all put a lot of time and money in to our hobby, and I feel it's unfair that so many racers go home from a race meeting, fed up and cheesed off, because there car got used as a battering ram!

chrispattinson · #2 14-12-2014

Your post is well put, and captured the real essence and fun of racing .... The art of race craft. The degredation of this is not something I agree is evident at races I've seen.
Racers I race against are more than courteous, and while racecraft is still being learned by the youngns with our help, I do see respect for the rules, respect for the lessons we are trying to reach them, and in general, as respectful racing as can be expected from them.
Some great examples of this at Benfield today in the seniors through to juniors aged from 4.
Sorry you were a victim though of a win at all costs driver ... Its a bitter taste. However, I was recently on the receiving end of very courteous and sportsman like behaviour from someone waiting after an incident, and being on the receiving end of that was a highlight of the race meeting.

mark-rc · #3 14-12-2014

Hi Chris, you comment of 'I was recently on the receiving end of very courteous and sportsman like behaviour from someone waiting after an incident, and being on the receiving end of that was a highlight of the race meeting', add's to my point, your totally correct, in that part of what make the hobby 'fun' is not just about when you win, but also even if something happens, so long as there is 'Fairness' from both drivers involved in the incident, you still go home with a sense of enjoyment!

Sadly, at nearly all the 'local' club's I race at, one of the things you hear on a regular basis is 'the driving standards are disgraceful'

quincey · #4 14-12-2014

I too have been on the recieving end of bad driving..but mine was from better drivers,I've had drivers who we're lapping me take me off the track because I didn't get out the way fast enough..I know I may never win an A final but it really does ruin your day when some idiot who should know better rams you off the track!...like I know their under pressure to win but I'm also racing for places....luckily enough I just race for fun now...

Jedward · #5 14-12-2014

I don't race myself, never have, but I have two sons aged 8 & 11 from the Xbox generation who do. Like alot of kids they are impatient and naturally want to go fast and win, but I'm constantly telling them to go slower to go faster, let faster drivers past and be patient when overtaking. They are works-in-progress but we are getting there. I am not the only Dad either who encourages their budding Neil Cragg to do the right thing.

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Sadly it sounds like it's the 'big kids' who are letting themselves and the hobby down, and some of them take it way too seriously for what it is, a money-no-object attitude and tearing a strip off their kid when they don't perform as expected!
We are lucky to have Benfield buggy club near us and they have the right attitude with regards to the kids.

cmgreen · #6 14-12-2014

I have seen this all over the country, some times it's an genuine accident some times it's not. Shame but I dunno what we can do about it except have a ref watching every heat/final?

beale · #7 14-12-2014

It is a very difficult subject, I agree if you cause a crash you should 'offer' the position back at least. We have a small local club where this works and we try to Instill this on the newbies be it young or old. We have taken active approaches in slowing drivers down and with 2 young drivers it was a necessity it's taken a year but 1 has grasped it and the other is almost there.
I have a 4 year old with me now at every meeting but he knows he can't race until he can get around the track without crashing (Mardave wound down as slow as you can for it to still move) he is getting the throttle business but steering is a struggle cos his hands are so small, we practice at home around cones.
Our club members all act as refs and give constructive criticism to bad drivers after each race and even test run their cars to check its not mechanical, non of us are perfect but if we can all improve together racing is cheaper and more fun!!

Richard Lowe · #8 15-12-2014

In my experience unsportsmanlike driving can go right the way up the ranks to 10th national A finals, you learn after a while who you can actually race and who you have to be aggressive with. Generally the leading battle is ok, but if you're towards the back where the ref tends not to watch it's basically anything goes

Quote:

Originally Posted by quincey

I too have been on the recieving end of bad driving..but mine was from better drivers,I've had drivers who we're lapping me take me off the track because I didn't get out the way fast enough..I know I may never win an A final but it really does ruin your day when some idiot who should know better rams you off the track!...like I know their under pressure to win but I'm also racing for places....luckily enough I just race for fun now...

I had issues similar to this at the last West Bridgford meeting I went to, it's not always as easy as people think to get round slower cars when there's a large speed difference, from the faster drivers perspective they're already at the maximum of what the car can do. With the exception of driving down the straights the car is either turning or braking on it's limits and sometimes to ask it to do even more with little or no warning as the slower car unpredictably changes line or slams on the brakes is too much to ask of it.

Ashlandchris · #9 16-12-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard Lowe

I had issues similar to this at the last West Bridgford meeting I went to, it's not always as easy as people think to get round slower cars when there's a large speed difference, from the faster drivers perspective they're already at the maximum of what the car can do. With the exception of driving down the straights the car is either turning or braking on it's limits and sometimes to ask it to do even more with little or no warning as the slower car unpredictably changes line or slams on the brakes is too much to ask of it.

But this then is a double edged sword. I recently came back to RC after a 30yr lay off and I know I am not as quick a driver as many (all?) of the others on the track. I am concentrating on consistently getting round the track before turning the wick up a bit, and I am constantly aware of other quicker cars coming up to lap me. I always try to move over, or take an outside line to allow them to get through, but there have been a few instances where someone has ploughed into me followed by the cry from the rostrum "oh, for ***** sake, why don't you learn to drive".
I always apologise (even though I'm not certain it is my fault), but am not entirely sure what the alternative is. I don't want to "race" someone if I'm being lapped, but equally there isn't always an obvious "racing line" to avoid when being overtaken.
I know this is a bit off thread as the OP was about wheel to wheel racing and not lapping, but I just thought I'd add my comments.

corsair · #10 17-12-2014

I don't think it is just the "xbox generation". The "nintendo and sega" generation are guilty of this too..

SlowOne · #11 17-12-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by corsair

I don't think it is just the "xbox generation". The "nintendo and sega" generation are guilty of this too..

Some of us from the 'Saga' generation aren't blameless either!

qatmix · #12 17-12-2014

Its simply what you are taught. My son is only 11 and he has better race craft than a lot of 'grown ups'

At my local club everyone gets a gentle reminder if they are not playing ball. If not we stick them in the beginners heat

SlowOne · #13 17-12-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by qatmix

Its simply what you are taught. My son is only 11 and he has better race craft than a lot of 'grown ups'

At my local club everyone gets a gentle reminder if they are not playing ball. If not we stick them in the beginners heat

What, so they can show the beginners how it's done? A punishment requiring a re-think perhaps...?

jrenton · #14 17-12-2014

You cannot blame the kids. My son is 12 and has an xBox, Wii and Nintendo DS and is a much more courteous driver than I am at 41

Ritchie T · #15 17-12-2014

The guy being lapped shouldnt affect the pace of the guy coming past at all really, so id disagree they should both slow down, obviously sometimes in awkward places you may have to buy generally...

qatmix · #16 19-12-2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by SlowOne

What, so they can show the beginners how it's done? A punishment requiring a re-think perhaps...?

Let me explain it a little more

The beginners are all taught good driving standards at our club. They learn that if you do not show good race craft that you stay in that heat, no matter how fast you are. If a driver in a higher heat persistently shows that they are not driving fairly they go back into a lower heat.

Its a clear message, its fair and it doesn't let anyone be too big for their boots. That is probably why the club has been successful for a long time (30+ years) with a great atmosphere, a large range of drivers young and old and good overall driving standards.