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Old 03-09-2012
alanwheeldon alanwheeldon is offline
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Default Im the new guy! (sort of)

Hi guys!

Im thinking of starting racing back up again after a 12 year gap. My name is Alan Wheeldon, I used to race when you had to change motor brushes and try and get those old nicads to last a 5 minute race, those days look like they have been completely left in the past
I was doing quite well at one point finishing 3rd and then 2nd overall in the Radio Race Car Championship back in 1998 and 1999 until I found beer, women and big car racing, then for some reason I was always skint!

Anyway, I moved down to the West Midlands a few years ago and i now live in Wolverhampton and have been looking for somewhere to maybe start back up again. I went to the Nationals in Kiddy the other week to have a look around (its exactly the same as i remember it) bumped into a few old faces that i used to race with too which was a nice surprise

I see that there is an outdoor club in Telford which is also starting to get bigger but dont know much about it only where it is. Does anything happen indoors over winter or is it just the outdoor MAM which is local?

Anyway, just thought id say hi and get some advice on where i can start looking at. Quite fancy a SV2 to get me going although there does seem to be some good budget RTR kits out there now to get my foot back in the door
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Old 03-09-2012
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Antagl Antagl is offline
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Welcome back to racing.
You are right to say off road has changed, but in alot of ways for the better. You can practice for about 25 mins on one battery! And motors only need a clean and lub the bearings.
2 wd cars are nearly all mid motor giving better balance on higher grip tracks, and with the brushless system on them, they are very quick.
I don't race but my son does, and like yourself, came back to racing after 13 year gap. He adapted quckly so i'm sure you will.
The SV2 is agood car, and good value in my opinion. there is a good selection to choose from, depends on your budget.
You get a fair idea what's going on from this site, and if you look in the club sections you will see who is doing what and meetings indoor and out.
Dudley radio car club race indoor every Friday night, at the Coseley school in the school hall. If you looking to race indoor it's agood place to start with being very local to Wolverhampton. I'm pretty sure you will get plenty of encouragement from them. Also there is a club meeting on at kidderminster this coming Sunday if that appeals.
Hope that is some help to you. Good luck.
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Old 03-09-2012
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Welcome back to racing and welcome to the Mid West region.

I'm sure I remember the name from my time in the RRCi championships.

One thing I will say when buying stuff these days is that you should look at what motor you think you need and then drop a wind or two ... easy to lush after a 5.5 to put in your 2wd but unless you have a delicate thumb it'll be a bit of a shock from the brushed days.
An 8.5 should be more than enough in a 2wd, certainly over the winter when it's slippery and / or indoors on small tracks.

Hope to see you trackside soon.
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Old 03-09-2012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alanwheeldon View Post
I see that there is an outdoor club in Telford which is also starting to get bigger but dont know much about it only where it is. Does anything happen indoors over winter or is it just the outdoor MAM which is local?
there are a few of the Telford club on here, "CycloneTone" i think is the forumj handle of the guy who runs the telford club.

As for winter, there are a few meetings most notable is the MAM series, the Dez Chand Championship meeting & the Worksop winter series.. or of course you could do what i do & go 1:12th racing for the winter or perhaps look at Micro buggies if you want more variety.

Quote:
Originally Posted by alanwheeldon View Post
Anyway, just thought id say hi and get some advice on where i can start looking at. Quite fancy a SV2 to get me going although there does seem to be some good budget RTR kits out there now to get my foot back in the door
Take a look at the Ansmann cars. There are basically 2 options, they do the regular version (Mad-rat, Mad Monkey etc) then they also do pro versions (usually identified with X prefix e.g. X2, X2c, X4 etc), basically the exact same car but aimed towards serious racers rather than club racers & car park bashers although the regular cars are still very capable & would still get you into an a-final at a national level with the right mods & the right driver on the controls but the pro cars come with a clear shell rather than a pre-painted one & slightly stiffer wishbones & some other selected parts, stronger tie-rods with a nubbin on them so you can adjust them easier, bearings rather than bushings & fully adjustable metal shocks rather than plastic shocks you adjust by using c clip spacers.

Mid motor cars seems to be the more popular these days although there are some very capable rear motor cars still knocking about. Mid motor tend to be better in the corners as there is no pendulum effect at the rear & the car it seems is more stable in the air, hence why they are becoming popular.
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Old 04-09-2012
alanwheeldon alanwheeldon is offline
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Thanks for the info guys, ill be sure to have a look into it

Roger Mills, im sure your name is ringing a few bells too??

Are there any model shops local to me where I could go and see whats on the market these days? I may just buy second hand to see if I still like it but i think i will
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Old 04-09-2012
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alanwheeldon View Post
Are there any model shops local to me where I could go and see whats on the market these days? I may just buy second hand to see if I still like it but i think i will
here you go.. Model shops around Wolverhampton (click me)

Try clicking the ad links at the top under the page banner though, if only to keep Jimmy (Opple admin & all round nice guy) Happy & earn him some revenue as they are very proiminent places to buy from or find information online.
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Old 04-09-2012
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I did the RRCi series for many years, always stock class (DC Racing, Tenth Technology and ARS driver)

You'll love it. I am not personally aware of any "model racing shops" that support the racers in the Mid West region but the the Pitstop Drop Shop is always trackside and Dan is very friendly.

I personally always use JE Models (formally JE Spares) in Manchester and the staff there are all die hard racers and know their stuff. I'd recomend giving them a call and asking to speak to either Nick Caro or Stu Wood, both top gents who will put you on the right track.

Pop over to Kidderminster on Sunday and say hello, sure we can find a way of getting you out on track with a proper car (Kyosho that is)
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Old 05-09-2012
alanwheeldon alanwheeldon is offline
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Id love to come on Sunday and borrow someones car for a lap but i cant make that date unfortunatly. Maybe able to make the next one?

I did stock class and was sponsored by ARS as well Roger!
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Old 05-11-2013
alanwheeldon alanwheeldon is offline
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Ive finally got around to getting some kit so I will hopefully be meeting some of you soon

I now have:

DEX210
KO Esprit 3 (whitch has far too many functions! )
Speed Passion Pro ESC
Reedy 7.5t motor
Savox 1251 servo
2x Orion 5000mah 90C batteries
Bantam BC6 charger

I hope that is all i need? Got my first race at Telford on Sunday, really looking forward to it

Oh almost forgot, the only thing I dont have is a PT, what and where do i get one from?
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Old 05-11-2013
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For Pt's take a look here:
http://www.team-mrt.com/mrtwebshop/r9983-16186-0.html
or here http://www.bbksoftware.com
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Old 12-11-2013
alanwheeldon alanwheeldon is offline
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I managed to pick up a second hand PT on Sunday so thats that sorted now.

I had a fab day at Telford on my first race meeting, loved every minute of it. Qualified 6th overall and finished 8th in the final, was really happy with that result

Looking forward to more races now, i think im hooked again
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