SAVING TRUCK RACING

[Justingt5]

Trawling the web and found this article. An interesting read, I agree with most of it and do feel the class needs to me more combined to make up the numbers, and more bashers could transition to racing much more easily than they would probably think?

I dont understand how Short Course racing hasnt exploded in this country as a class for racing. There is probably a very similiar amount of SC trucks sold as there are buggies in this country; the only difference is that SC drivers are bashing and not racing......could this be that they are not made to feel like real racers at clubs which run buggies? (not the case for me and my fellow truckers at SRCMCC for sure although its clear that its taken less seriously, however this is the spirit of the class isnt it)

Why not send 2wd and 4wd out together and classify results based on the class much like they do in a Rally.

http://www.rccaraction.com/blog/2014...entity-crisis/

[Crazy L]

This has been my argument for years. Drivers here in the UK just don't "get" trucks. There's a kind of snobbery, if you will, towards any kind of truck. Some people at my local track bought them, as did I, to "have a laugh with", but while I bring mine along specifically to race, no one else has and I end in a heat with juniors.

The excuse is the same everytime too, "if I had known you were bringing yours, I would've brought mine along".

The trouble is also, it's all a bit half arsed. Sure, trucks are welcome, and that's great, or we wouldn't see any track time, but they're not encouraged.

I think our culture is partly to blame for that. The US has trucks, we had the mini, consequently, we have mardave ministocks. There are no doubt more people running mardave ministocks here than trucks I can assure you, and quite frankly, I can't think of anything worse.

I like trucks, not everyone does, which is fair enough, but it gets hammered home I think that trucks are second rate so everyone goes with the majority, a la buggy, cos that's where it's at.

[Mark A]

Crazy L it's the mind set most racers have I've found.
The other problem is tyres for astro even Schumacher will not mold less than 50 sets, I raced mine at the weekend in with truggy,s and finished third overall so they are still race able .
We tried to encourage the class in to the short course nationals , only 2 booked in.
When I first started racing just over 10 years ago we used to have a full meeting of trucks with a support class of buggy,s.

[AfroP]

I think Short course will pick up in the UK or at least have a bit of a life injection when the Schumacher SCT gets released.
At least thats what I'm hoping for.

[alex97]

having driven on they are horrible to drive in wet on astro and the shells make them very hard to jump at any speed. It would be nice for them to become more popular but I think that they are better to drive on a dirt track or a very bumpy off road track.

[team n.o.m.a.d]

Im a fan of sc trucks they are robust and tricky to drive .meetings i have raced at have been relaxed so made it very enjoyanble and you dont need the latest gear to be competative. Ive run a blitz from day one and still got it.its been a great truck and still competative. Ive heard the new schumacher one coming out and also kyosho rb6 sct may have to invest.sct nationals have been great thanx to all those who have made it happen over the past as for not many booking in people tend to leave it last minute.com and jus turn up. Long live sct racing

[Slider SCT]

It's the same with 1/8 truggies,I love racing my truggy but have to travel to race it.My local track, Storm Valley,will run truggies if there's enough to make a heat but you can very rarely get enough to run so I ended up buying an 1/8 buggy.
Sct,is similar I was running 1/10 4wd buggy and they opened up a heat for trucks,just watching, it seemed like loads of fun,so I got one :-) but now it's a struggle to fill a heat for sct 's
I think in both cases they're seen more as bashers/play things which is a shame

[A.R.C Raceway]

Do not understand peoples arguement that they are slow and clumbersome. 4wd sc is faster than 4wd buggy. Its why they look on the edge. After all its a 10th scale vehicle with 8th scale wheels running 8th electrics......

[Lee24h]

I not going to speak for short course however 2wd stadium trucks should be run at buggy nationals as they are 2wd buggies with extended bits but still open wheel if top people run trucks like lee martin and people trucks would sky rocket in popularity because at the end of the day many (not all) buggy drivers are like sheep and follow whatever top drivers run so use that
Please some one offer the top 10 buggy drivers a truck drive please

[Adam F]

Originally Posted by A.R.C Raceway

Do not understand peoples arguement that they are slow and clumbersome. 4wd sc is faster than 4wd buggy. Its why they look on the edge. After all its a 10th scale vehicle with 8th scale wheels running 8th electrics......

Really? I've never been to a meeting where the sc times were quicker than the 4wds ever...

[Si Coe]

Originally Posted by Lee24h

I not going to speak for short course however 2wd stadium trucks should be run at buggy nationals as they are 2wd buggies with extended bits but still open wheel if top people run trucks like lee martin and people trucks would sky rocket in popularity because at the end of the day many (not all) buggy drivers are like sheep and follow whatever top drivers run so use that
Please some one offer the top 10 buggy drivers a truck drive please

The problem with trucks is exactly that they are quite like buggys. There isn't really enough to completely separate them, so people stick with the more popular buggy class.
What is needed is something that clearly makes truck racing different - which might be different racing rules rather than hardware. Just something to make it more than 'just another class'.

[Justingt5]

I agree that truggies should run with the buggies.

I have to say from what I have read its defo more of a mindset thing that is holding it back, i've never come across anyone that says trucks are useless and should not be raced?

A couple of guys at our club had a go with the trucks in practice and the smiles did the talking.... We just need to unite and work together to convert a select few "shepherds" from the buggy world and problem solved, as mentioned the sheep will follow LOL.

We must make it our mission to all become ambassadors for Trucks and convert as many bashers and buggy racers to come and join us!!

Get those bashers out on the 1st round of the nationals and get on some dirt action!!!

[Gavin Collingwood]

Unfortunately boys you cannot force people to want to race them, certain classes become popular and then become less popular. I remember in the late nineties and early 2000's touring car racing was booming in the north and 2wd was really struggling. Then tc just died out and off road became the 'in thing' again especially when mid motors came in. My point being these fashions come and go and people jump on the bandwagon. But the UK as a whole don't do trucks like our hill billy truck loving yank friends.......that'll never change.

[WHITTLER555]

Running the Short Course Nationals on the same weekends as the tenth off road Nationals seems strange to me? I was ready to do a number of SC Nationals but can't because I also want to do tenth off road?

I explained on another thread that the most likely racers of SC would be tenth off road drivers due to the similar running gear but they didn't seem to mind that the Nationals clashed?

[Frecklychimp]

Originally Posted by WHITTLER555

Running the Short Course Nationals on the same weekends as the tenth off road Nationals seems strange to me? I was ready to do a number of SC Nationals but can't because I also want to do tenth off road?

I explained on another thread that the most likely racers of SC would be tenth off road drivers due to the similar running gear but they didn't seem to mind that the Nationals clashed?

Hasn't made a difference in past few years to drivers entered.

There are more drivers out there not running Nationals on these weekends than running them

[Checa]

Originally Posted by Frecklychimp

Hasn't made a difference in past few years to drivers entered.

There are more drivers out there not running Nationals on these weekends than running them

[Justingt5]

Originally Posted by Frecklychimp

Hasn't made a difference in past few years to drivers entered.

There are more drivers out there not running Nationals on these weekends than running them

This is my point, also there a ton of bashers who would have a blast at a proper organised meeting. We just need to find them LOL

I am going to have a drive over to Duston Mill RC group which is basically a proper outdoor track for bashers, mostly 5th scale buggy and SC but from the pics of FB there are a fair amount of 10th SC truckers that hang out there, so will see if I can entice a few more entries

[AfroP]

The "National" tag may also deter drivers from attending, thinking that its only for the top/elite/best drivers.

I'm not going to go to the 1/10th buggy nats, because A)i'm not high enough F rated, and B)I know i'm not going to be able to compete with Neil Cragg,Greg Williams, Craig Colinson or Lee Martin

perhaps SC bashers out there feel the same about SC/Truck nationals

[Frecklychimp]

I agree with the fact that the 'National' tag would come across that way, in reality it purely means that the championship travels around the country!

I think the championship could definitely do with more/better promotion through the associated media and shops network.

It's a very accessible class, there are a majority of racers that have supported the championship that don't race buggys or only at club level, there are a fair few drivers that have come into the hobby through the championship by being encouraged by the clubs that host the meetings.

What doesn't help is the keyboard warriors that have never tried racing the trucks or just don't have an interest in them that blurt out rubbish like they are slow, don't handle or jump or it's just a demolition derby with full contact smashing into each other... reality is that SCT racing is the cleanest racing i've done, much friendlier relaxed atmosphere and non of the BS politics or snobbery.

No they don't handle exactly like a buggy... because they are a big truck! but you only race them against other big trucks so it's irrelevant and there is the same scope for competition, it's a different challenge and a fun one too!

The class is perfect for beginners to the hobby since they are pretty easy to drive when set up (like any r/c car), bigger footprint so stable (when set up right) and they are tougher than a buggy with enclosed wheels, you can get away more with silly things like riding hoses with the bigger wheels or little grip rolls since they are more likely to roll over onto wheels again!

Stadium trucks is a declining class in USA so it's not just a UK hate for trucks, they are awesome to race but it's just getting enough fans together to kick it off... opportunity is there with SCT nationals open for the class to run, it was great to see a full heat of them at Broxtowe last year but those lads didn't attend the other meetings.

Great stuff Justin, spread the word if you know some guys to approach, the more the merrier, youngsters are welcome and you don't need experience, F gradings or expensive branded electrics/stickers/t-shirts to enter, the guys that support the championship will always help out the beginners with advice getting into the hobby

[spyro]

Originally Posted by AfroP

The "National" tag may also deter drivers from attending, thinking that its only for the top/elite/best drivers.

I'm not going to go to the 1/10th buggy nats, because A)i'm not high enough F rated, and B)I know i'm not going to be able to compete with Neil Cragg,Greg Williams, Craig Colinson or Lee Martin

perhaps SC bashers out there feel the same about SC/Truck nationals

An interesting thread this.

One thing we do at the SC National meetings is to seed the heats by ability as carefully as we can so bashers who want to have a go are whole heartedly welcomed.