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Hi all,
not sure if this is exactly the place to put this question, but seems to fit. I'm just getting back into RC, and am shocked that I can't seem to find an offroad track anywhere near my house in Long Island (NY). I've found mentions of one (xxxxx) but the website doesn't work and I cant find anything current. Can anyone in the area point me the right direction?
Thanks,
Sten

Is Farmingdale near you? Long Island Raceway & Hobby is there.... not sure on their website as it wouldn't load for me ( www.raceway.com ), but I found this link to pictures: http://long-island.newsday.com/recreation/long-island-raceway-hobby-1.1516820#1
Good luck!

Thanks, yeah, that was the one that I had heard of, but the phone number I've found doesn't ever get picked up or even go to an answering system, and the website doesn't load, so I'm assuming it's either changed or gone.

Frustrating, as there aren't the empty fields/vacant lots, etc... on Long Island, like the ones I grew up with in Nevada. We just built our own tracks (and tried to stay out of the way of the BMX guys. - Redline bike + Marui Hunter = many small plastic parts! )

One of the local tracks in MA has a post about an event a couple weeks ago:
http://rcexcitement.handruin.com/index.php?topic=8669.0
It seems LIR doesn't have a webpage, but they may post up on rctech (there's a link buried in the thread at RCE above).

I don't know of any off road tracks around here at all. I'd like to find a couple guys to race Mini Coopers with in empty parking lots. That's easy and we can race anywhere we want.

Mini Coopers as in the Tamiya ones? Are they that much fun? I have an old TC4 touring car, which I kinda want to get out and use at some point. Where in NY are you located?

Yep, Tamiya Mini Coopers. I think they're a total blast. Not the fastest or best handling vehicles ever made, but they are super fun, nearly indestructible and a lot of fun to race.

I'm in Bushwick Brooklyn. Where are you at?

I'm in Floral Park, just outside of Queens.

I'll have to check out the mini coopers, do they have enough ground clearance to deal with the crappy roads/parking lots around here? That's what has really put my tourer on the shelf most of the time - I have actually been thinking of a rally car setup, or a lowered buggy with slicks. Something that would be fun onroad, but not keep smacking the chassis on rocks, etc...

They're fairly low. With their short wheelbase they hop around a bit. But, like I said they're super durable, borderline indestructible. I think they can handle rougher lots better than a TC. I remember racing my TC on the same lots as the Mini and having more troubles on the rough stuff because their chassis is so low and wide. The Mini chassis doesn't have as much surface area to scrape the ground with.

Are you near any subways? I'm right between the L and the JMZ lines.

I know there's at least one more Queens/Brooklynite on this board, I'm trying to remember his screen name. I just cleared out my inbox, I know I had an old message from him in there, d'oh!

Cool,
maybe I'll pick one up closer to summer - I'm thinking about an RC snowmobile right now

What do you use for motor/battery power for them?

I'm well past the end of the subway, east of the Cross Island.

I haven't had one in a few years, but I'm pretty sure we were running Tamiya Sport Tuned motors in them with the pinion one tooth more than wha came with the kit. That combo made them pretty quick. Obviously not as fast as a TC, but pretty quick for such a little car. Then just regular 3000mah Nimh packs. I haven't upgraded to Lipo yet. I've been thinking about picking one up myself just to have, but it would be fun to race in the parking lots now and then.

Hello guys,
I usually run nitro R/C @ Floyd Bennet Field 1/8 and 1/10 scale. Used to run the TC at 360 in Long Island before they closed. I had picked up a mini actually off a mbr here. I think they woudl be fun. Also may know 2 or more people who might travel down to join in the mini fun if we can plan something for warmer weather. Lets make it happen.

Sweet! I take it you guys both have cars? I saw Floyd Bennet Field for the first time last fall. I didn't go in far enough to see any car races, but I saw some rc airplanes above the trees. I don' think I'd be able to race out there because wherever we race I have to rely on the subway or my bike to get there, getting to Floyd Bennet would probably be close to 2 hours on my bike with all my equipment. I guess we've got plenty of time to scope out potential parking lot race tracks. Steve, where are you living?

I've been wanting to pick up a new Mini, this is the perfect excuse.

Yes you would need a car/truck to bring your equipment to the track. I am in Queens, about a 25 Minute drive on the Belt with no traffic .

I'm sure we can make something work. Will have to start looking around for appropriate car (like that's something new!)