Regionals for Micro's

[Matisse]

Originally Posted by sldmodels

Matisse - anyone can drive fast, not everyone can drive quick. Based on your posting, we might as well just run an oval.

thanks sarah, i musta missed that memo re: less haste more speed.


But, by my post i am not advocating oval racing, far from it as i race regularly at the smallest club space wise in the uk, WORM (i challenge anyone to have less space then we do), but, at a national, when points are on the line, people are nervous and triggers fingers become heavier, fact.
the rules worked @ microx,if the feeling is after the nationals thats the rules aren't working, then there can be another vote on it, until then lets make the best of it.

[MHeadling]

Getting back on track, if there are some meetings in the SE or some regional events I'm up for it when the Carisma comes out!

[Projectzip]

As current Chairman of LBMCC we took a year out of Micro National due to the guy organizing it basically having to do everything single handed, say for a few helpers. And most of the racers left the building before the trophies had hit there hands! I appreciate people have got traveling to do but we all have homes to go to.
I for one didn't want to run the race as all I got last time was complaint after complaint as I sat at that computer all day doing timing when I dont even race the class.

I honestly think micros are getting out of hand there supposed to be micros when do they stop becoming micros? longer chassis wider track!. 1/14th - 1/16th - 1/18th what was wrong with the blaze? and the micro t. People wanted 1/10th handling rather than learn what was there. I got out of micro racing when it was just the Blaze and Micro Ts on the shelf and have stated several times how the bubble burst once before and it would again.
Darren at DMS was very instrumental in getting Micro Racing going the first time round im not sure if his track out back still exists but after a period of highs the lows followed and micro t racing went the way of the dodo.
(I FORGOT THE ASSOCIATED BUGGY)
Dont even get me started on costs of parts but when titanium pivot balls cost £11.99 a pair its getting a little pricey!
Thats why many parents at lbmcc have encouraged the kids to sell up they simply cant afford to keep them running.

Well thats my tuppence worth.

Im off to race my Tamiya Mini

[sldmodels]

That really knarked me at Dudley last year, people just upping and leaving as soon as they're finals had been run. If we all just stay an extra 20-30 mins after the last final and help out, then we'll be done, rather than the usual few ending up having to stick around for hours afterwards.

[Projectzip]

Originally Posted by sldmodels

That really knarked me at Dudley last year, people just upping and leaving as soon as they're finals had been run. If we all just stay an extra 20-30 mins after the last final and help out, then we'll be done, rather than the usual few ending up having to stick around for hours afterwards.

Always the way! Tonight will be the same 98% of the club is local within 10 minutes of traveling time we have to be out by 10pm but lil junior must be home in bed by 10. Dry that Bull out and you can fertilize my lawn!
Myself and couple of other members live 30 mins to an hour away.
Thats life grin 'n' bear it and smack em all in the face before I pop my clogs!

and yes im feeling rather agressive today!

[Mark Stiles]

Matisse - nice post, I like your style!

Cris - I don't know about anyone else, but my posts above are most certainly not an attack at you or anyone in particular. The rules are decided by the majority - it's a democratic process. However, what I am questioning are the motives behind the original poroposals and peoples reasons for voting in a particular way. I always vote for what I feel is best for the section - not necessarily where my personal interests lie.

As for the trophy presentation - it gets my back up a bit when people dont stay. It was a bit of a joke at the Micro X - only about a dozen people saw Phil presented with his trophy! We can't make people stay if they haven't won anything, but there must be a way to encourage them to do so!


A very well known and respected figure in the industry asked me for a copy of the 2010/11 micro rules today. I asked him why he wanted them (in case there was another new car or product in the pipeline!), but his response was, and I quote;

"nah, just to see what is going on and what classes are running outside of their scale because they are better that way!"

[rich67]

Originally Posted by sldmodels

That really knarked me at Dudley last year, people just upping and leaving as soon as they're finals had been run. If we all just stay an extra 20-30 mins after the last final and help out, then we'll be done, rather than the usual few ending up having to stick around for hours afterwards.

This happens at clubs up and down the country every week, and has done for many years.

[sldmodels]

Oh I know that. A local club to me (that I havent' been to for ages), again, it's the usual few, plus even some that don't even race, and SHOULDN'T actually help for health reasons anyway.

Some people are just selfish narwats, but if more people help setup, more people help packup, we can get more racing done, but some are just too stupid or too lazy to realise this.

[Darren Boyle]

As far as getting people to stay and help pack away etc, try what we do at our club....

When they book in, racers hand in their BRCA card, once all the racing is finished, we put all the cards into a tin, 50p from each entry goes towards a sweepstake, which is then drawn using the BRCA cards from the tin. Track goes in away in just a few minutes and you can identify anyone who sneaks off early becuase you still have hold of their BRCA card..

Of course we have some exceptions, very young children, those who travel long distances to race with us, those who get up silly early for work the next day etc, these people just come up and collect thier card before they leave, but we do ask them to make an extra effort with all of the setting up tasks.

Then of course those who have snuck off early, you can catch red handed when they next come up to book in and they dont have their BRCA card (since it is still in the tin from the previuos week... simples)

As a rule, if we get approx 30-40 people racing, we tend to split the sweepstake up into several cash prizes mounting up to the £15/20, so there are several winners, increasing their chances with each going home with between £3 and £7

We did also try charging the extar 50p, then giving it back at the end to those who helped, this just did not work since for the sake of 50p most people still just left, however the incentive of a chance of winning one of 2 or 3 slighly larger cash prizes proved to work much better.......... (for us anyhow)

Then when it comes to getting people to stay back for trophy presentations, if it is at a meeting with a raffle, just present the trophies at the end of the racing and then draw the raffle straight after that, this tends to keep people behind to see if they have won anything, the event does not finish any later since the raffle would have only took up time earlier in the day anyhow...........

[sldmodels]

Interesting. I know at Stafford, once the track's put away, you book in and if you've helped, you get a pound back at the end of the night. Sometimes I help, sometimes I don't, I know I'm one of the people complaining about those who don't help, but I help when my health allows, and only rush off if Sam needs me urgently for something.

The club I mentioned earlier, has tried allsorts though. I just think some of the people there have a bad attitude, and then they wonder why numbers are really low, and the race fee has rocketed.

[RCAshers]

I think we have got a bit off track here I am still interested to hear from people and clubs that would be up for some kind of regional or South East Micro Cup series. Thanks Ashley

[rondoolaa]

we have a club in the south west and hopefully it wont be dying out here for a while..we get between 10 and 20 members every week turn up.......look on facebook for torbay micro racing club

and in the winter another club opens in torquay that races 1/18th, 1/16th/, 1/12th pan cars and 1/10th saloon and approx 40 to 50 turn up each meet to race at that event

on the subject of people staying behind at the end of the race meet to help out most of the guys at the club stay to put away the track but like all clubs you will get the odd few that won't...

doesnt bother me though, i'm just happy to be able to race in a great club

[sldmodels]

How many clubs in the south east actually race micros or would want to? I was down at West London club this weekend, and they we're telling me that their nearest decent indoor club was either Milton Keynes or Wycombe. Maybe we should start looking at running the "normal" nationals as it is now indoors, and having regional outdoor meets during the summer, possibly tagging onto the bigger scale weekends, that way we might also convert some of them to micro along the way.

[Chris-S]

Originally Posted by sldmodels

How many clubs in the south east actually race micros or would want to? I was down at West London club this weekend, and they we're telling me that their nearest decent indoor club was either Milton Keynes or Wycombe. Maybe we should start looking at running the "normal" nationals as it is now indoors, and having regional outdoor meets during the summer, possibly tagging onto the bigger scale weekends, that way we might also convert some of them to micro along the way.

New venue just outside of London: http://taplowrc.co.uk/
Had a few micro's go round, they coped fine with the 1/10th offroad track that was laid out. If there are 4 or more cars we can put a heat together.

[jim76]

I'm with Mark on the size of the cars and venues leading to people giving up. I used to race at Wycombe, and did the nationals a couple of years back, and i have to say Wycombe was the best round by far for me thanks to the dedicated indoor layout. It also provided a really nice technical track that wasn;t just about speed. I think it's sad that it has been ruled out of the national series now based on size. As has been said elsewhere in the thread, it is up to a driver to set up there car and drive according to the track, not design the tracks just to please the speed freaks. If people are crazy enough to run an 8.5 on a small track then they will probably do rubbish.

The cost is the main killer for me though. I bought in when the shark was about £130. But now the price is silly, especially when you have to lengthen it to compete. Factor in the brushless kit (with a 10th speedo because the mongoose is crap) and it rivals 10th offroad prices.
It boomed back in the day of the mini-t and Rc18. Cheap ready to run, equal paced racing, which made it a lot down to driver skill. Now the size changes are killing it and ruling out some manufacturers.
I just don't see what was wrong with the original shark.

shame, as i used to enjoy a blast indoors over winter.

[peetbee]

Originally Posted by jim76

It boomed back in the day of the mini-t and Rc18. Cheap ready to run, equal paced racing, which made it a lot down to driver skill. Now the size changes are killing it and ruling out some manufacturers.
I just don't see what was wrong with the original shark.

The rule changes to split the 18th and 16th cars was designed to bring everyone in tho and give the mini-t and rc18 a chance to compete with comparable cars.
Agree with the length of straight rule, but hey, I wasn't at the agm so can't complain!

[sldmodels]

Well I've just gotten myself an LRP Nexxt40 for the shark, which seems fine so far (not had a full testing of it), but it seems comparable with my SPX for the touring car, but at under £100 retail (God I love getting my own stuff at trade prices, but even then, it's still expensive!).