Radio Race Car Magazine!

Shaun 'TheSheep' Atkinson · #1 05-07-2010

Is it just me or is the magazine being taken over by Rock Crawling?

In the July edition there was a full 6 page spread on one crawler review, and numerous other pages scattered through the magazine Rock Crawling related. There was VERY little race reports or anything remotely interesting. The Schumacher Indoor Master Finale at Worksop got 3 pages

I'm not trying to give the Mag a bad name, honestly! but i would like to see a good balance of info for all classes.

CHEVY · #2 05-07-2010

i agree they tend to do a lot of right ups on the same things in one issue

what about other scales of models

showtime · #3 05-07-2010

what can be more "Race" or exciting than rock crawling?

oh yeah, anything

dale · #4 05-07-2010

Rock crawling is not racing.
Drifting is not racing.
Bashing around in the street is not racing.

Radio RACE Car should be about race cars and racing. It's been off track for years with too many reviews of toys.

slipknot666 · #5 05-07-2010

yea theres been four nationals now and i aint seen any race reports yet. and i agree anything that does go in like the worksop indoor masters only gets a couple of pages.

j

Beanie · #6 05-07-2010

Personally I prefer 'Racer' mag instead....good reviews and a good commitment to grass roots club racing....

Bungleaio · #7 05-07-2010

I don't buy any of the mags now, Jimmys reviews are far better and any of the product info was posted here weeks before the magazine gets printed.

RoyBoy · #8 05-07-2010

Probably because of a change of Editor. Dez Chand has left the magaazine and it is now been edited by 'Mad Pete'

MattADH · #9 05-07-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bungleaio

I don't buy any of the mags now, Jimmys reviews are far better and any of the product info was posted here weeks before the magazine gets printed.

Jimmy - please feel free to edit as you wish...

I am not wanting to get into a slanging match but at the magazine, we are not just catering for the 1:10 off-road racer, which is where this site focusses upon...

That said, I don't disagree with your opinion about the delay between print and other media so Racer has a website for the latest news and features, and then this allows the magazine to follow it up with in-depth coverage with more information that can be learnt over time.

For sure we would all like a magazine with only coverage of the class or classes that we are into but if that was the case, we would never learn about new ones or ideas that can cross over.

KRob · #10 05-07-2010

I used to do the national reports for RRC.
When Dez Chand was editor he liked crawlers and bikes but tried hard to do an even spread across a large range of classes - and there are LOTS of classes now... In my opinion he did a great job and really tried hard to appeal to all. I fully respect the job he did for RRC.
However I believe the management no longer wanted race reports to be part of the magazine. And Dez left recently.

So this is the new editors first full edition so I wouldn't judge too harshly yet, but I do think it is a marketing mistake to not have any BRCA reports in there. Maybe there are plans I am not aware of, but as the new editor has not contacted me I don't know.

Glad to be helping Matt now

Beanie · #11 05-07-2010

I would say that for magazines it must be pretty tough these days, with websites, etc. all throwing info about new products and things freely out there then it does mean they have to try to compete in a way or find a new slant on things. I personally think that Matt's angle on it is likely to be a good view, websites for quick snippets and then mags for in depth reviews and long term tests, race report round-ups, etc.

Some tried the new online magazine formats, IDM I believe it's termed but this blend of the two I'm not sure really works, personally speaking. It's neither the quick web based snippet we all enjoy, or the magazine that we all like to pick up and have a read through at a convenient moment.

frogger · #12 05-07-2010

I would also like to see a lot more race focus in the magazines and I'd be glad not to have to see or read about another rock crawler anytime soon but I understand that there is a market for them and I do want to be made aware of all things RC out there just in case it takes my fancy. I'd much rather get team driver's interviews, input on how their season is progressing, how their cars are doing, what they are doing to their cars during the season to improve them, etc. all with great pictures. Personally I don't consume printed magazines anymore and haven't for a while. I only read digital mags (laptop/iPad/iPod) and websites.

Jimmy, what we really need is an oOple iPhone/iPad app with regular updates such as race reports and reviews. Season standings, etc. I'd be very happy to pay for the content.

Shaun 'TheSheep' Atkinson · #13 05-07-2010

Don't get me wrong, im not saying i just want to see 1/10th off road and nothing else. I would just like to see all classes get an equal amount of reports/info etc

I do like reading how other classes are growing and becoming more popular, but nearly half of July's edition was rock crawling. I understand how much work goes into the magazine and understand the delay to being printed. I was really looking forward to the Worksop Finale report, and when i discovered it only had 3 pages, i was a little dissapointed

This is the biggest winter series meeting in europe!

As someone said earlier, there's been 4 1/10th Nationals/Regionals now and not one report

if the management aren't wanting 'race' reports in the magazine then how is the magazine going to appeal to new-comers to the 'Racing' side of the sport instead of just encouraging bashing.

I was also surprised not to see a review on the CAT SX2 and Cougar SV yet!

DanB4 · #14 05-07-2010

The Cougar SV review will be in Racer within the next couple of issues (September issue I believe)

MattADH · #15 05-07-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by frogger

I'd much rather get team driver's interviews, input on how their season is progressing, how their cars are doing, what they are doing to their cars during the season to improve them, etc. all with great pictures. Personally I don't consume printed magazines anymore and haven't for a while. I only read digital mags (laptop/iPad/iPod) and websites.

If you picked up a copy of Racer magazine, you would see that we do have a driver profile in our 1:10 off-road National reports where we talk to a range of drivers (not just team ones I must add) to get their perspective on the event, how their season is going, etc.

dave-p · #16 05-07-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattADH

Jimmy - please feel free to edit as you wish...

I am not wanting to get into a slanging match but at the magazine, we are not just catering for the 1:10 off-road racer, which is where this site focusses upon...

That said, I don't disagree with your opinion about the delay between print and other media so Racer has a website for the latest news and features, and then this allows the magazine to follow it up with in-depth coverage with more information that can be learnt over time.

For sure we would all like a magazine with only coverage of the class or classes that we are into but if that was the case, we would never learn about new ones or ideas that can cross over.

perhaps a change of name might be the answer , there is a good deal of difference between racing rc cars and just playing around with them. the magazine name radio race car clearly implies the mag is for racing rc cars.

the only problem i can foresee is the one brought by the member starting the thread if you buy a mag with that title you would expect it to be about racing and not someone trying to put a truck on top of a great pile of stones.

Chrislong · #17 05-07-2010

If you are not happy or critical of the magazine you are reading, why not make contact with the editor, Matt Benfield if Racer mag - and contribute. Im not saying this as a dig, but it really is rewarding to write a small feature, provide a few photos and then see them in print a month or two later. It is also quite easy to do if you are handy with MS Word and have enthusiasm to do it.

Any events you go to, during booking in - ask race control to print out extra end of round sheets and final results for you to take home. Then watch a few finals with a notepad, no need to write loads, or about all races, just some. The event/club you are at will be grateful of the coverage too.

Afterall, the articles in magazines are mostly written by the users of those cars. Why not become contributor?

Darren Boyle · #18 05-07-2010

Just to clarify, I think this thread started out as a "constructive critiscm" of Radio Race Car magazine but after a few comments some people now think it is about RACER magazine (including some by the editor Matt himself) - two different mags altogether, not to be confused with each other......

MattADH · #19 05-07-2010

I would usually shy away from posting on threads like this for obvious reasons.

When posts refer to RC magazines (plural) or Racer is mentioned, I have to voice my opinion.

The magazine content reflects products in the marketplace and so there are times when it seems that one section has been ignored over others. I know that when Racer started out, the RTR market was small and limited - everything was focused around racing products - but in the last 13 years, this has developed. If ADH Publshing was to launch next month, I am unsure if Racer would be the title...

MattADH · #20 05-07-2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrislong

If you are not happy or critical of the magazine you are reading, why not make contact with the editor, Matt Benfield if Racer mag - and contribute. Im not saying this as a dig, but it really is rewarding to write a small feature, provide a few photos and then see them in print a month or two later. It is also quite easy to do if you are handy with MS Word and have enthusiasm to do it.

Any events you go to, during booking in - ask race control to print out extra end of round sheets and final results for you to take home. Then watch a few finals with a notepad, no need to write loads, or about all races, just some. The event/club you are at will be grateful of the coverage too.

Afterall, the articles in magazines are mostly written by the users of those cars. Why not become contributor?

I am sure that both UK magazines would appreciate this...