Racing in Hampshire/Southampton

[Superstar]

Hi guys,

You may remember me asking about Brighton a few months ago. I was then unsure about where I could be moving to. Now it look very certain I will be moving to Southampton in the near future.

I have seen TORCH. Looks a great track and venue. Edan park isnt too far away and also looks great. I was wondering how ever what else there was in the area? I am willing to travel. I know most of you are outdoors or nothing. I like racing outdoors but I do love to go club racing at a nice in door venue. I have recently been racing at York which is quite close to my present location on part carpet part gym floor, old skool and its awesome. Is there any indoor venues not too far away? What about model shops? I like to get my gear face to face, have a natter about cars at the same time, suppose its pretty old skool too. The bit about a shop is less important but any info on a good indoor venue would be great.

Just to make the point I am only interested in 1/10 off road.

Any info would be great

Cheers

[Dudders]

TORCH is right on your doorstep being in Southampton, Surrey and Hants is maybe 45mins away at GU14 8SN so a little extra in travel time. I know on the South Coast there are a few indoor Mini Stox clubs but these are Portsmouth side I think.

There is a club in Dorset I think maybe Chtristchurch but I dont have any details.

West Berks is indoors on a Wednesday Evening also at Newbury. You've a few choices within an hour

Maybe see you soon.

[eyeayen]

Just to put a little more onto Dudders above post.

TORCH is your best bet locally or Surrey and Hants as he said. There are no other off road clubs locally. The only other local clubs in Dorset ALL running touring cars, to my knowledge none of them are running buggies ( if this has changed please feel free to step in here... ). There is one other clubs at Three Cross about 25 miles from Southampton, South Coast RC. They race mainly 8th truggies but do race 10th trucks too but there aren't that many there. They're more into bashing than racing.

[Superstar]

Thanks for the replies.

I was really after an indoor venue for winter. I mean what does everyone else do for racing electric off road during the winter months? Or do they race other classes?

[Dudders]

We race OUTDOORS evenings and weekends with the occasional big indoor meeting Indoors come on Superstar, man up, your a northerner!!!!! Taplow and West Berks are indoors.

Clubs need supporting all year round and in all weathers, without running meetings, no racer equals no rent

[eyeayen]

Get some lazy goo to water proof your car http://rclazy.com/shop/lazy-things/lazy-goo/

Get a transmitter muff to keep your hands warm.

Buy some warm clothes. Race outdoors.

[hotrodchris]

We race at TORCH all year round unless it's really heavy rain, the track drains well so no issue with ponding which is the main issues with electric in the wet!
Come down on Sunday and see for yourself!

[Superstar]

LOL well us northerners must not be as tough as you think. I already have a transmitter muff and can water proof cars but just dont like the cold lol.

Im not moved yet but will deffo be down to TORC when I move, looks a cracking venue, can show you how its done

[hotrodchris]

We'll book the cold weather for you then!

Lol

[Briangb]

Well! My father was from the North, and my Mother is Australian. I therefore think I can handle both hot and cold extremes of weather. TORCH is a fantastic venue, run by a super crew. Yes, we do race outdoors all year. Just need to buy yourself a thermos flask. Don't worry about the cold as you are sure to get a 'warm' welcome. Chris is right. It drains amazingly well. Raced there last week after we had swept the water off. Great fun. Hope to see you there soon.

[Northern Monkey]

It'll be good to have another Sheffield lad at Torch those Southerners do attempt to gang up on me

[Superstar]

Thanks for the comments guys and the warm welcome (even though I havnt arrived yet) and really looking forward to coming down!

[HOTSHOT III]

Originally Posted by eyeayen

Just to put a little more onto Dudders above post.

TORCH is your best bet locally or Surrey and Hants as he said. There are no other off road clubs locally. The only other local clubs in Dorset ALL running touring cars, to my knowledge none of them are running buggies ( if this has changed please feel free to step in here... ). There is one other clubs at Three Cross about 25 miles from Southampton, South Coast RC. They race mainly 8th truggies but do race 10th trucks too but there aren't that many there. They're more into bashing than racing.

Not wishing to cause an argument or anything, but I race my Kyosho Lazer ZX-5 at South Coast RC and it's pretty competitive.

Track conditions change by the hour as the astro temperature rises and falls and TBH I never needed to bother with chassis and suspension setup until I raced here, but this is a difficult track to set a buggy up for and i've learned more about my cars racing here for 6 months than the rest of my racing experience put together. It's really bumpy and very challenging to drive a 10th buggy on what is really a 1/8th truggy circuit but when I get it right it's a great feeling to beat the lap times of some of the 1/8th guys!!!

Also I use an HPI Vorza in the 1/8th class myself and because the motor and battery(s) are in the same place on both cars, I find by and large if I can improve one of them by changing something, it usually improves the other car as well.

Eyeayen, you're right to say we're predominantly a 1/8th club but we have a thriving 1/10th class which could do with more 10th buggies as most people use Losi tens and suchlike. Anyone with a 1/10th buggy can come down and have a good day's racing, the club has some transponders to rent and we're always looking for more drivers to fill up the grid.

If you're only interested in racing 10th offroad TORCH is TBH a better club than SCRC but I just wanted to make the point that we're not a "bashing" club. I've watched some bashing vids on YouTube and there wasn't one driver in any of them who could actually control their car in the air or land it properly (i.e on its wheels), but here at SCRC it's all about the lap time. We race!

[Superstar]

HOTSHOT - Sounds cool mate and tbh same as up here I try and find as many places to race as I can so the more the merrier. I am predominantly interested in 1/10 because thats all I have ever done. Was a massive step for me moving from TC to off road as Id done just TC for about 10 years. BUT I do like the look for 1/8 electric, do you run them down at your club? Main reason I havnt bothered up here is because there isnt anyone who really does it.

[HOTSHOT III]

Originally Posted by Superstar

HOTSHOT - Sounds cool mate and tbh same as up here I try and find as many places to race as I can so the more the merrier. I am predominantly interested in 1/10 because thats all I have ever done. Was a massive step for me moving from TC to off road as Id done just TC for about 10 years. BUT I do like the look for 1/8 electric, do you run them down at your club? Main reason I havnt bothered up here is because there isnt anyone who really does it.

If you like 10th buggies you'll love 1/8th 'leccy off road. Most of us at SCRC run 1/8th brushless truggies but I went for the Vorza as it seemed to be the best value for money package, and it meant I could apply more of my budget to tyres, stockpiling spares etc.

It definitely sounds like it would be good for you to come down sometime, it's not unheard of for people to come and do a race day with their 1/10th car and reappear the next week with a 1/8th and like I say it's challenging to run both on the same track on the same day.

Check us out here:

http://www.southcoastrc.co.uk/

and you might want to join the forum:

http://www.southcoastrc.co.uk/forum/portal.php

if so send an email to paulames70@aol.com because like most online organisations, we get about 500 applications a week from internet con merchants trying to join (why would you want to join an R/C car club in England if you live in Outer Mongolia?) so if you email Paul he'll make sure your details don't get deleted. See you soon!

[hotrodchris]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

It'll be good to have another Sheffield lad at Torch those Southerners do attempt to gang up on me

Yeah but Sheffield doesn't count as Yorkshire Al, real Yorkshire men are from LEEDS!!!!!!!!!!!


Lol

[MrMagoo]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

It'll be good to have another Sheffield lad at Torch those Southerners do attempt to gang up on me

Well, we wouldn't if you didn't talk so funny.

[Northern Monkey]

Damned soft Southerners