# Idea! Growing the hobby.



## Gary (May 21, 2004)

The discussions here over the last couple of days may have brought back up an old idea that we talked about when the 2CRT first started. How to grow the hobby. How to bring back some of the other types of racing like 1/10th scale electric, spec class racing or just bashing around in general.

First question. What are people looking for? I bet 99% of those who buy RC cars will never toss that car down on a track. But how long before running up and down the street gets to be boring? Who likes running alone? But now, if you put 4-5 of these bashers together, you now have racing!!!

Myself and probably most who post here on the other hand, are hardcore racers. We can talk about this later.

Second question. Where can these guys meet at? As far as I know, there is no organized bashing. If there was, yall think that after awhile they might become hard core racers also?

Third question. What if we had a place, with full permission, a very large parking lot big enough to have Carnivals on?

We have that place. Its called Track21 on Highway 6. Thats where HAMDRL runs now. We have actually set up the full dragstrip with timing system, pa systems and everything. The location is great for exposure and we have alot of room!

Heres my idea. In the beginning just get some small dishes like the ones you put a coffee cup on and use those for corner dots. Some sidewalk chalk to draw out the layout, and you have an instant track. 

Ok, what classes can we run?

Whatever! From the kids with their XMods, to whatever the hardcore guys want. If we want offroad, we just build some jumps like CV did for HIRCR.

XMods, Mini Zs, 18th scale touring cars, 18th scale offroaders, Vendettas, 12th scale pan cars, Rally cars, 1/10th scale electric both onroad and offroad, 10th scale nitro, 1/8th scale, 1/4 scale, whatever they want!

Maybe even my vintage RC10T 

As time goes by, we can get something organized class wise. Let those running decide what they want to do. Theres enough room that we can have 4 different tracks going.

What do yall think?


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

I could of went into alot more detail to what I am thinking, like freestyle RC etc, but I wanted yalls imagination to kick in. When we run the drag cars there, people driving down the very busy Highway 6 pull in and watch us run. Weve had some pretty big crowds before. No entry fee btw.

Edit: Oval would be cool!

http://www.hobbytron.com/Associated-RC10L4-Oval-Kit.html

http://www.rdent.com/sprint/sprint.html


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## PD2 (Jul 1, 2005)

Technically, this is exactly how R/C racing got started. In fact, speaking of the 1/8 scalers the originals where not run in tracks that you did jumps and what not - they were run in open, flat areas that had rocky terrain and grass clumps - not dirt jumps with massive air. So its interesting where we are today - cool where we are today, but things evolve as Court said in the other thread.

But yeah, talk about going back to grass roots R/C - parking lot racing was what many did and it drew a good crowd.

Gary, I'm even thinking of the Legends when you said oval! $100 kit that is setup like a 1/12 car. I think this has a great potential of working too. Heck, maybe even have some loaner setups so that the kids can at least check it out before they decide what they want.

And the race what you brung concept is great! Many will laugh, but I'll never forget when CJTamu and I first met - he invited me out to M&M to run what I had. At the time, what I had was a Traxxas Rustler! The ultimate racing machine! HAHAHA!! But you know what, CJ never bashed me over it or laughed at me, but instead worked with me on what I had. Eventually I got a Team Losi Spec-T truck and before I knew it CJ had negotiated my first XXX-NT with Shane and Froggy. But, had it not started there I would have probably never went any further than that with racing or getting involved at all. It's gotta start where the (as mentioned before) consumer can afford and NOT where the racing is today.

Yes, people will make choices and decisions to sacrifice to buy the more expensive gear just so they can race or because that is all there is to choose from if the want to race. It's a choice we all make. But for a kid, a VAST majority of parents can't make that justification. And for a person that is new to the hobby, most cannot justify taking a car payment or even a house payment and buying a toy car to race on the weekend in their free time.

I think you are on to a great idea and for that matter, it does not conflict with anything else in the hobby right now. Mini and Micro stays independent. 1/8 scale stays where it is. And this could run and serve the rest. All with the common goal that can unite all of us - suport and grow the hobby for today and the future!

Great idea bro!
PD2


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

It's definitly not a new idea. Weve been talking about it for years but we never had a place to run before.


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## PD2 (Jul 1, 2005)

Gary said:


> It's definitly not a new idea. Weve been talking about it for years but we never had a place to run before.


Totally agree....heck, at one time I had registered a domain name for BasherPark.com with the same idea....run what you brung fun!

PD2


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## Long Pole (Jun 5, 2008)

Well I am on e of the new guys ya'll are talking about. I just bought a HPI E-Savage Monster Truck. This is my first real RC car. I plan on mostly using it for fun in the fields or just playing somewhere around the house but I will definitely check into going to the track and racing. If I get it in this week I'll probably come out to the track off Hwy 6 and see what all you guys have and hopefully have some fun.


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

Long Pole said:


> Well I am on e of the new guys ya'll are talking about. I just bought a HPI E-Savage Monster Truck. This is my first real RC car. I plan on mostly using it for fun in the fields or just playing somewhere around the house but I will definitely check into going to the track and racing. If I get it in this week I'll probably come out to the track off Hwy 6 and see what all you guys have and hopefully have some fun.


I was thinking about you when I was typing this.  Also, 2 co-workers of mine are interested too.


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## Long Pole (Jun 5, 2008)

Yeah I bought it today off of Ebay for a pretty good price, I believe. I'm excited and hopefully I can get used to it soon and bring it out for some fun.


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

Post a pic!


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## Donnie Hayden (Mar 7, 2005)

Great idea Gary. I am open to anything. Long as my son is having fun, I am happy. I had my 5 years to shine now it's his turn. I have seen quite a few of those drag cars and though how bad arse it would be to run one. I am one of the ones who would have to just come out there one day and check it out. One of main issues right now is living so far down south. It takes me a hour plus to get to any given track except southside which takes me about 20 mins. We are planning on moving towards the houston area after the holidays and I cant wait! 

LP, you will have fun with the e-maxx. I started me and my son out with a rustler and a stampede some years back.


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## Long Pole (Jun 5, 2008)

Should be here in a few days.
Here it is...


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## Donnie Hayden (Mar 7, 2005)

Sorry, I meant E-savage. I have owned a couple different nitro savage trucks and they were solid! Looks good man.


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## Long Pole (Jun 5, 2008)

Thanks a lot...I have heard they were pretty strong so we'll see. I'm sure I'll put it through tests as soon as it gets here. 

Are there any certain things I need to do to it that ya'll can think of before I start driving it?


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## cjtamu (Sep 22, 2004)

Only thing I see missing Gary is some dirt. Where's the dirt? I LIKES ME SOME DIRT WHEN I GO RACING! Ha ha ha ha ha.


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

Long Pole said:


> Should be here in a few days.
> Here it is...


I like!


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

cjtamu said:


> Only thing I see missing Gary is some dirt. Where's the dirt? I LIKES ME SOME DIRT WHEN I GO RACING! Ha ha ha ha ha.


Easy! We just strip the grass from your backyard, bring in a couple of dumptruck loads of dirt and WaLA! :slimer:

Or build an outlaw track somewhere in the Anthills...


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## Courtney Vaughan (Apr 11, 2007)

Idea:

If you're gonna do parking lot racing, all you need to really call it an offroad track is 1-2 good jumps so people can go "ooooohhhh, aaaaahhhh" when you catch some big air. I think if you set up a 1/10 track, basically like a scaled up version of the M&M 1/18 off road track with a ton of obstacles, you'll be breaking your cars left and right every time you land it wrong.

maybe just a whoops section, a table top, and a nice double.....I would think that's all you'd really need to make it fun. That plastic roofing that's shaped like ~~~~~~~ and some duct tape to tape it down is all you'd need for a whoops section, and some plywood jumps and landing ramps that you could move around.......should be less than $100 in supplies for that part. The rest could just be cheap cones or chalked off.


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## Guffinator (Aug 27, 2005)

Not to sound like the voice of gloom, but growing the hobby is a concept that I've been involved with and watched for almost 20 years. I've seen RC in Houston explode and die again. Currently we have several different venues available to us. 1/18 -off road and on, 1/12, 1/8 - off road and on, drag racing. On any given weekend you can find a place to race. I see new people showing up to race almost every weekend. I've put on shows in the middle of the Astrodome for Monster Jam and received 0 new racers. I've done shopping malls and strip mall shows, with minimal returns. The problem is not, and never has been a lack of facilities, as we have plenty of tracks available -- world class tracks at that! I don't believe it's price either because you can pick up a car for less then $200 and race and WIN.

The issue is that some people "get it" and some don't. My dad's neighbor for example. He spends literally thousands of dollars on baseball equipement for his 9 year old son. Batting cages and coaches, etc. However when he see's my dad's RC collection his attititude is, "You spend money on THAT?" You are either interested or not, and I think very few STAY interested like some of us old timers like Biff and BigMax who I've known for what....15 years or so?

I guess my thought is, that we just need to do what we have been doing for many years, support our local tracks. As long as our tracks are here (meaning being fed) then we'll have a place to enjoy our hobby, and bring in the new people that do decide to join in.


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

Courtney Vaughan said:


> Idea:
> 
> If you're gonna do parking lot racing, all you need to really call it an offroad track is 1-2 good jumps so people can go "ooooohhhh, aaaaahhhh" when you catch some big air. I think if you set up a 1/10 track, basically like a scaled up version of the M&M 1/18 off road track with a ton of obstacles, you'll be breaking your cars left and right every time you land it wrong.
> 
> maybe just a whoops section, a table top, and a nice double.....I would think that's all you'd really need to make it fun. That plastic roofing that's shaped like ~~~~~~~ and some duct tape to tape it down is all you'd need for a whoops section, and some plywood jumps and landing ramps that you could move around.......should be less than $100 in supplies for that part. The rest could just be cheap cones or chalked off.


Exactly!  And we dont need a timing system. Lets introduce people to RC, get the foot into the door so to speak. If they find that they want to move up to bigger and better things after awhile, they can check out the organized racing scene we currently have and then we have another hardcore racer. If what they want to race doesnt really exist, then lets let demand control the market. If demand is high enough, someone will realize the potential in market share and step up to the plate. Even if that means making the parking lot racing "Organized" to cover those wishes.


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## Courtney Vaughan (Apr 11, 2007)

Guffinator said:


> Not to sound like the voice of gloom, but growing the hobby is a concept that I've been involved with and watched for almost 20 years. I've seen RC in Houston explode and die again. Currently we have several different venues available to us. 1/18 -off road and on, 1/12, 1/8 - off road and on, drag racing. On any given weekend you can find a place to race. I see new people showing up to race almost every weekend. I've put on shows in the middle of the Astrodome for Monster Jam and received 0 new racers. I've done shopping malls and strip mall shows, with minimal returns. The problem is not, and never has been a lack of facilities, as we have plenty of tracks available -- world class tracks at that! I don't believe it's price either because you can pick up a car for less then $200 and race and WIN.
> 
> The issue is that some people "get it" and some don't. My dad's neighbor for example. He spends literally thousands of dollars on baseball equipement for his 9 year old son. Batting cages and coaches, etc. However when he see's my dad's RC collection his attititude is, "You spend money on THAT?" You are either interested or not, and I think very few STAY interested like some of us old timers like Biff and BigMax who I've known for what....15 years or so?
> 
> I guess my thought is, that we just need to do what we have been doing for many years, support our local tracks. As long as our tracks are here (meaning being fed) then we'll have a place to enjoy our hobby, and bring in the new people that do decide to join in.


That's not the voice of gloom, but rather the voice of the reality......lest we forget the economy is in the sh*tter!?!?!? I know people that have worked for the same company for 20 years and are getting let go and they can't find another job. You have to enter the factor that it is entirely possible that you can organize and promote until you're blue in the face, and the result might be nill, or minimal at best. Just be prepared to not be let down if it doesn't happen.


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

Guffinator said:


> Not to sound like the voice of gloom, but growing the hobby is a concept that I've been involved with and watched for almost 20 years. I've seen RC in Houston explode and die again. Currently we have several different venues available to us. 1/18 -off road and on, 1/12, 1/8 - off road and on, drag racing. On any given weekend you can find a place to race. I see new people showing up to race almost every weekend. I've put on shows in the middle of the Astrodome for Monster Jam and received 0 new racers. I've done shopping malls and strip mall shows, with minimal returns. The problem is not, and never has been a lack of facilities, as we have plenty of tracks available -- world class tracks at that! I don't believe it's price either because you can pick up a car for less then $200 and race and WIN.
> 
> The issue is that some people "get it" and some don't. My dad's neighbor for example. He spends literally thousands of dollars on baseball equipement for his 9 year old son. Batting cages and coaches, etc. However when he see's my dad's RC collection his attititude is, "You spend money on THAT?" You are either interested or not, and I think very few STAY interested like some of us old timers like Biff and BigMax who I've known for what....15 years or so?
> 
> I guess my thought is, that we just need to do what we have been doing for many years, support our local tracks. As long as our tracks are here (meaning being fed) then we'll have a place to enjoy our hobby, and bring in the new people that do decide to join in.


Chris, what made you come back to racing after several years of not racing? I could be wrong, but soon after you drove my Drag car at the park, you started racing again. Maybe that was just a coincidence, I dont know. But what was important is, you came back! 

Like you, I have seen the racing scene go from 125 entries on a Saturday night, to tracks closing down and we know why! Thats something we cant control and if we try again, we are fools. What I am proposing to everyone is something very simple and very basic. Provide something for the bashers. Some sort of half arsed organization just a step above just running up and down the street with nobody to play with. Im a conservative, but here is my liberal side. If we dont gain any hard core racers with this effort, so what? I'm not so sure anymore that should be the goal. It should be an option IMO.


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## PD2 (Jul 1, 2005)

Gary said:


> .... What I am proposing to everyone is something very simple and very basic. Provide something for the bashers. Some sort of half arsed organization just a step above just running up and down the street with nobody to play with. Im a conservative, but here is my liberal side. If we dont gain any hard core racers with this effort, so what? I'm not so sure anymore that should be the goal. It should be an option IMO.


Actually, that option is here today via HARC, HIRCR, Drag Racing, and all the other venues around. So yes, if it means that they move on to something like that, GREAT! One more that sticks around and continues in the hobby. If all they care about is having fun at the parking lot track, GREAT! We got it covered!

It's all good in the neighborhood!

PD2


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

PD2 said:


> Actually, that option is here today via HARC, HIRCR, Drag Racing, and all the other venues around. So yes, if it means that they move on to something like that, GREAT! One more that sticks around and continues in the hobby. If all they care about is having fun at the parking lot track, GREAT! We got it covered!
> 
> It's all good in the neighborhood!
> 
> PD2


How do you eat an Elephant Paul? :work:


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## PD2 (Jul 1, 2005)

Gary said:


> How do you eat an Elephant Paul? :work:


One bite at a time and don't start with the arsce first! :tongue:

PD2


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

Another thing I'm trying to do is to create a new venue that I can run in. Between my work schedule and where I live, the only racing I can do is at HIRCR. And to do that I have to leave work a couple of hours early. And thats losing 2 hours of overtime. It doesnt cost me $10 to race, it costs me about $75. 

There might be other guys like me out there. Sundays are my best option.


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## sixshootertexan (Nov 27, 2006)

Here is something I've been kicking around in my head for monster trucks. Get 4 of these and some old beater bodies or go to the dollar store and find some EL Cheapo plastic cars. Make 2 obstacle courses mirroring each other and have some fun. This can be done in a parking lot or a emtpy field. The equipment can fit in just about any bodies trunk and can be setup fairly quickly.

Here is the RULE: Have fun.


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## PD2 (Jul 1, 2005)

sixshootertexan said:


> Here is something I've been kicking around in my head for monster trucks. Get 4 of these and some old beater bodies or go to the dollar store and find some EL Cheapo plastic cars. Make 2 obstacle courses mirroring each other and have some fun. This can be done in a parking lot or a emtpy field. The equipment can fit in just about any bodies trunk and can be setup fairly quickly.
> 
> Here is the RULE: Have fun.


Almost like a mini monster jam! I like it and people can quickly relate to it if they have been out to see the monster truck shows at the stadium/dome. GREAT idea too! And like you said, very easy to setup and run timed trials.

You could even have a freestyle event - I think Gary mentioned this. Maybe judge who won each event by audience applause for each driver?

Cool idea!!

PD2


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## Gary (May 21, 2004)

Exactly!  Like we did at the BRCC2. We had a long distantance jump contest. How about a halfpipe?


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## vwracing56 (Oct 5, 2007)

I can't wait! Sure glad I just got a t-maxx few weeks ago to go play little monster jam. When will this take place?


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## Long Pole (Jun 5, 2008)

I like the idea of the Monster Jam...I'd definitely be into doing some of that. There are a lot of possibilities out there for the average driver that doesn't require going to a track. 
I think meeting at a baseball field and having drag races from base to base or even races around the bases. Maybe throw a few obstacles in there. I know that's going to be the first place I take my truck when it gets here.


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## sixshootertexan (Nov 27, 2006)

Here is where I got the idea from.
http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/23640/n5svo1u8pcg7k4x


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## PD2 (Jul 1, 2005)

sixshootertexan said:


> Here is where I got the idea from.
> http://www.tabblo.com/studio/stories/shared/23640/n5svo1u8pcg7k4x


That is sweet! Actually, I saw something like this on one of the old segments of Inside RC on the Outdoor Channel. It was being shot up around Ill. or In. area, but they also did tractor pulls with the monster trucks! YES! They built custom sleds and would load the rigs up with weights from home exercise gear and see how much your truck could pull and how far. It was like a mini tractor pull jam!

There's all sorts of things that can be done here!

PD2


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## justinspeed79 (Mar 9, 2006)

I really like the idea of a monster truck jam type of event. My T-maxx is a tank, I could really do some damage to some lexan!:biggrin:


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