I really want to get back into racing but...

[Hanibel75]

I just don't like the way that the new "offroad" tracks are conditioned. Hard pack, blue line, yuck.

I have been looking at the tire selections and ground clearance setups posted by local drivers. They are closer to my TC3 setup sheets than my RC10.

I saw some recommendations to run slicks, SLICKS on a dirt course. WTF!!! And traction compound on an offroad track. Try that when I raced and your tires would just pack with dirt

More than half the battle when i raced was finding the right combination of tires and handling so you could play in the loose stuff. It was something I was good at. I didn't have to have the fastest car, I was just set up to play outside the racing line when it counted.

Just makes me want to pack all my stuff back up.

[kaiser]

i hear ya man, i miss the loamy loose tracks too.

todays tracks are a challenge though, it's more about setup then just tires now.
it takes a while to get the car right. back in the day if you figured out tires and springs you'd be good to go.
nowadays you need the right everything to be competitive.

[RC10th]

Both have their pros and cons.

I tend to like the grooved tracks as your car stays much cleaner, lap times are more consistant and driving a dialed car on a gripped up track is a feeling like no other.

Cars today are way to complicated, I liked the days when set up options were limited.

[Hanibel75]

Both have their pros and cons.

I tend to like the grooved tracks as your car stays much cleaner, lap times are more consistant and driving a dialed car on a gripped up track is a feeling like no other.

Cars today are way to complicated, I liked the days when set up options were limited.

I think that is why I like the loose real dirt tracks. It requires the driver to run a clean line or know how to deal with getting into the loose stuff. I think it also kept the top speed down. You couldn't run full out unless you were really good. Run to hot into a corner, get into the loose stuff and you were toast.
I ran the other way. I set up for the loose stuff. I would run my own line and almost always had a passing line.

And there were no mega jumps. Just standard triples or a good table top.

But I guess that is the nature of competitive racing. Who can go the fastest, the highest, the farthest.

[kaiser]

new tracks still have a line and it's still loose if you get out of it.

our local track just laid down a new layout and they got rid of all the monster jumps. i'm pretty stoked about it.
track flows so nice now, still has jumps, just not killers.

practice was interesting the other night as the track was dry and it was a challenge to get the mid motor to hook up.

[sschering]

We took the kids GT to the track on Sunday for some practice with the new 17.5 brushless setup along with my SC10 and it's new brushless setup..

Before the motor swap with the brushed motors the track was about like I remembered from when I raced 20 years ago big jumps or not the car was't going airborne all that much and was easy to control.

Now with the Brushless setup they turned into rocket ships.. (for me anyway) It's clearing doubles and triples like mad and flying on the straights.
It's easy to get way out of line quickly.

I guess the whole reason tires and setup are so important now is these things fly down the track.

I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll need a bashing set of tires and a track set..

[scr8p]

I've been threatening to get back into racing for years. Dirt oval though, I could really care less about off-road racing. But with the amount of time and money it takes to be competitive, and my lack of time and money , it just hasn't happened. Also, driving 2+ hours to get to a track isn't going to happen anymore. That got old 15 years ago.

Last year a new track was built about an hour away, and they are starting a new EDM class based on a traxxas slash. Not that I really want anything traxxas, but it seems like it will be a good fit for me. Basically a spec class with minimal mods that can be done to the chassis. Everyone runs the same body, same tire/wheels, same brushless esc/motor combo, same lipo battery. You even have to run the stock white shock springs, but you can run any oil you want. It's seems like it will be a fun class and I won't have to spend a fortune to do it. We'll see if it happens though.

[RC104ever]

I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I've never raced and I have at least four tracks all no more than an hour away with the closest only 20 mins.

But there just seems like there's a lot etiquette and stuff to know. I don't have anyone to mentor me plus my car isn't anywhere near ready to race because I just don't have the patience to set it up properly.

The only thing I did was practice at my local track and I found it hard because you can't just go all out in reality you have to be a lot more finesse in turns and careful with throttle. In other words, you gotta drive and not just bash.

[alien3t]

I never got to race these outdoor loose tracks as a kid. and all i ever new nearby were indoor not as packed as now. When M&m was open, yeah slicks were best. but you would use the tires that were to worn for So Cal race. so you got more use out of tires than normal. Lots more adjustments. my t5m is no where near as low as my onroad cars. still around 20mm or so of height. maybe 25. for set up. usually box stock has worked on ym new cars. making minimal adjustments i cant see so whell since my driving isnt consistant enough. But power wise im pretty on par. and i dont have the most expensive stuff. Times, cars and things change. Either way i love to get to the track no matter what since didnt get to growing up. and last year is the most track time i have had over the last 14. if not 20 years. its still fun to me. PLus the track is like 2 miles away. need ot go more. but projects. Local track, doesnt have a lot fo jumps or turns, pretty high bite. clay. but minimal jumps right now but very very fast. alots of side by side racing in any class.

[Hcp22]

Last year a new track was built about an hour away, and they are starting a new EDM class based on a traxxas slash. Not that I really want anything traxxas, but it seems like it will be a good fit for me. Basically a spec class with minimal mods that can be done to the chassis. Everyone runs the same body, same tire/wheels, same brushless esc/motor combo, same lipo battery. You even have to run the stock white shock springs, but you can run any oil you want. It's seems like it will be a fun class and I won't have to spend a fortune to do it. We'll see if it happens though.

That’s good thing, an entry level class that won’t cost the kids/parents a fortune!

[slotcarrod]

Last year a new track was built about an hour away, and they are starting a new EDM class based on a traxxas slash. Not that I really want anything traxxas, but it seems like it will be a good fit for me. Basically a spec class with minimal mods that can be done to the chassis. Everyone runs the same body, same tire/wheels, same brushless esc/motor combo, same lipo battery. You even have to run the stock white shock springs, but you can run any oil you want. It's seems like it will be a fun class and I won't have to spend a fortune to do it. We'll see if it happens though.

That’s good thing, an entry level class that won’t cost the kids/parents a fortune!

Spec classes are always the most fun. Not over the top speed or cost. Everyone seems to be on the same level and I say "seems" because there are alway ways of getting a little more speed out of a spec car! For the most part, my all time favourite classes were box stock Slash and Tamiya Mini. The cars are slower and easy to drive, close racing with lots of setting up for passes, lot's of giggling on the drivers stand.

[kaiser]

tamiya mini is awesome, too bad all the onroad tracks disappeared around here.

[ChisaiKuso]

This thread makes me miss the old days.

[JK Racing]

I 'grew up' on loose dirt tracks. Tossing the car sideways through the corners (and it was dirt oval!) and powering out to a quick time. Loved it. Still love racing, but it is 100% different now. There is a nice loose dirt (top soil) track about an hour away that I have raced a couple times, but the 1/10th electric turnout is very low. The gold pan RC10 showed the much more modern mid-motor high power cars whats up...Tossed on a set of ribs up front and some old bowties with dead foam. Worked awesome. Took 1st in 2wd mod using a stock 17.5 motor...by several laps. The race director had raced back with the RC10 was the car to have, I pulled over and let them take it around for a few laps - during the race - and still won.

I miss the loose dirt stuff, but also like having to drive perfect lines and have a good set up, right tires, ballistic motor and batteries just to keep up with the modern guys.