Decrease in entries...

[JimZaremski]

Okay so nothing is wrong everything is good, it's just myself and a couple others that feel this way?

Got It

Good luck guys, I'm done.

Nobody's saying nothing is wrong. Please respond to what people are saying, not what you want to believe they are saying.

you keep claiming that "everyone knows" that too many classes are causing the drop in participation, even though plenty of us have offered alternative reasons. Races in D2 have had roughly the same classes on offer for years now and still we're losing racers, so you can't point to "too many classes" as a cause.

 

[Ronald Van Wagnen]

I just ran across this on facebook. Seems you guys are not alone !!

inactive ron

I have been racing competitively in RC for about 20 years at all levels from club to 100% nationally sponsored driver and have attended numerous ROAR Nationals and Regional events. That being said, I usually don't like to ***** about RC stuff. Times change, costs increase as technology advances...BUT the cost of going to a ROAR National is just getting stupid. So its $85 per class now. As a racer, what do I get for my $85/class? Just want to know. Seriously. So I pay my entry (between $170-255 for 2-3 classes); then I travel to and from the event (say its within a reasonable driving distance 10-14 hrs and I spend $200-300 in fuel, so sorry for those that have to fly to the event); hotel for the event (4-5 nights at about $75-125/night); food for the week (~$200) and considering the remaining Nats are all in FL...extra for water/Gatorade in the crazy heat so you don't dehydrate and pass out from heat exhaustion. lol. So we are at around $1100-1300 before we even consider tires/parts/etc. And that's for one person. I feel bad for fathers with sons or daughters that want to attend an event.

I know that all the travel/hotel stuff is just standard stuff that is out of the hands of ROAR, but that brings me back to the entry fees. Why do they need to be so high? What does ROAR need that amount for? Is it not enough that you need to have a full membership ($35/year) to race at a ROAR sanctioned event? And don't give me "most of the money goes to trophies"...really? Standard plaque-type trophies are pretty cheap to make. I know the track needs to make money, but I believe that the industry manufacturers usually provide money to sponsor the events. We should all be thankful to the manufacturers that spend thousands of dollars to sponsor all the national and regional level events (without them the sport would be in far worse shape). All I've been reading lately is how the nationals attendance level is so low. I believe the carpet on-road Nats had like 130 entries (divided among 7 classes), and mod 1/12 scale (a premier class) only had 10 entries...really? I wonder why the attendance is so low? huh. I'll save the argument about diluting the entries with the ridiculous number of classes at each event for another day (do we really need a 17.5, 13.5, and mod division in each class? or a sportsman, open, and pro division in nitro classes?). I just would like to know how our national organizing body justifies the cost of entry? I am open to an intelligent debate here (if you just want to bash/troll save us all a bunch of time and don't bother). Let the debate begin.

 

[Tom Foley]

Gotta be global warming and prep for the apocalypse ......oh it's just a hobby, I forgot .......

 

[dwilfong]

Yes Tom but a very controlled and regulated Hobby.

Remember the toy boat police are watching.

So you better watch your step.

Spent the day with my buddy Julian yesterday.

He has a bunch of boats and dose not race them any more.

He is a prime example of why many don't race any more.

Not going to go into it as it dose not matter at this point.

Nobody wants to beat a dead dog.

Keep up the good work.

There is no problem long as you ignore it.

 

[Ray Sametz]

Yes Tom but a very controlled and regulated Hobby.

Remember the toy boat police are watching.

So you better watch your step.

Spent the day with my buddy Julian yesterday.

He has a bunch of boats and dose not race them any more.

He is a prime example of why many don't race any more.

Not going to go into it as it dose not matter at this point.

Nobody wants to beat a dead dog.

Keep up the good work.

There is no problem long as you ignore it.

SORRY just blew a fuse. Total Bulls*it, TEAM ROADRUNNER is doing just fine. Wait, I'm getting out, wait I'm staying, wait I'm getting out, wait I'm staying, The only dead dog is your dribble!!!!!!!!

 

[dwilfong]

Are we still talking about the hobby of toy boating?

 

[JeremyEdge]

All nitro race being put on by the broward model boat club August 1st threw 3rd in sunny Ft Lauderdale Florida, 7 rounds of racing if you make it to the finals. Still some open spots for entry's. Come on down and test your boats ability and your drivability.

 

[JimZaremski]

IF THAT IS THE ANSWER WHAT CLASSES DO YOU CUT?

The one thing some seem to be missing is YOU DO NOT HAVE TO OFFER ALL THE CLASSES! Offer what WORKS in your given area and get the boats on the water!

the other thing is that many/most of us run more than one class. If you cut a class, you risk losing someone from multiple classes since they may not think attending is worth the bother anymore.

Nitro is struggling everywhere at local levels and sadly will continue to do so and the problem is two fold. First is the cost, those of you thinking it's not are lying to yourselves. Sure we current nitro racers find a way to make it happen because we are already deeply vested in it so we stomach the astronomical costs we now pay (priced a new nitro motor lately??). I've watched people in hobby shops buy FE powered cars and planes because they don't want to spend $5 for a glow plug and $30 for a gallon of 10% nitro. In the last couple seasons the new members we have seen in D12 are going gas or FE, there hasn't been any new nitro boaters which brings us to part two - today's plug and play society wants instant gratification, they want to either pull a cord or plug in a battery and go which is what gas and FE gives them.

Don I agree with most of what you say but I stand apart from you here. It's not so much that gas and FE are "plug and play," they're not. it's that nitro is just a hell of a lot more finicky. we got into this coming up from RTR hydroplanes (the Pro-Boat ones) and even starting out it was a PITA. Y'know, that whole "It ran great yesterday but today it dies once the prop touches the water." Not everyone has an experienced person to turn to. And searching online is sometimes pointless; if you have a problem, everyone will say you're doing it wrong but you'll get 100 wildly different answers as to what the right way is (just look at the gas guys arguing whether Zenoahs need 60 octane camp fuel or 100 octane leaded.) It's not until you can actually find people who know what they're doing that you'll get solid advice.

The "modeler" mindset is dying off and it's not just in boating, I had a long conversation a couple months ago with the owner of a very large and well established hobby shop and he told me the RTR FE and gas is what sells now no matter if it's a car, plane, boat or whatever. People are getting lazy and don't want to learn to build and tune anymore

having other priorities and interests is not "lazy."

 

[stan simpson iv]

All nitro race being put on by the broward model boat club August 1st threw 3rd in sunny Ft Lauderdale Florida, 7 rounds of racing if you make it to the finals. Still some open spots for entry's. Come on down and test your boats ability and your drivability.

The SIMPSON's will be there...

Sorry to crash thread,Jeremy can we enter more than 4 boats if there is room? 5 sounds good to me... if so post your answer on your thread.Thx

As you were...

P.S. There will be Global Warming influenced from the competition going on at the NITRO SHOOTOUT in Miami ,no doubt. I know all the big boy's from D-3 will be there.

 

[Brad Christy]

Guys,

The problem with FIXING the problem of too many classes is that the bell has already been rung, and it can't be un-rung. If I remember correctly, it took YEARS to get IMPBA to give the nitro twin guys their own class. There were 1.01 CI engines on the market for a decade before they could be run in a twin in competition. Some hilljack out there builds something he thinks is cool, a handful people see it and say "I think I'll build me one" and the following year, we have a new class for it.

I'm not going to start complaining about the leadership, because I don't have time to do their job, and I admire anyone willing to devote their time to it. That being said, I think our leadership has done all too well a job of "Giving them what they want." I remember when I got into this hobby, I had a few ideas. I was told by numerous people it was a waste of time because there was no class for it and I would not be able to race it. Instead of just creating a new class every time the membership asks for it, tell the leadership to build boats that fit to the current legal classes.

If things were the way they are today back when Bobby Coleman showed up with his twin .21 Sp40, we'd have a Twin Sp40 class the following year. There were ALOT of people who thought it was WAY cool. Instead, leadership did the right thing and told him it was not a legal boat. While I don't agree it was not a legal boat for the reasons given, at least they didn't create a new class.

Just some thoughts.

Thanks. Brad.

Titan Racing Components

BlackJack Hydros

Model Machine And Precision LLC

 

[BigChuck]

Ray...You will need to Leave the FUSE ALONE.............Team Road Runner is doing just fine!! JUST not in BOATS!!!!! Yes you can still buy one from "The Boss", But the rest of us are OUT!!!

Everything you are reading here and more. But like WOLF say..no sense beating a dead horse. No one is listening.

 

[Piston1]

I am not out. I am ready for Huntsville and then Fall Nats.

 

[BigChuck]

And ..alone stands ONE!!

 

[Tim Kish]

Not a TEAM Member but Twin RoadRunner will be represented at the Can/Am race and fall Nats as well.

 

[Samuel Hagan JR]

We had a race in Madison IN last Friday that had more racers and more spectators then ever. I think people just need to remember it's about having fun.

 

[JimZaremski]

We had a race in Madison IN last Friday that had more racers and more spectators then ever. I think people just need to remember it's about having fun.

might help that it's a week before the Regatta

 

[HTV Boats]

In the 30+ years I have run model boats I have yet to see a decline in numbers. Restructure and evolution of classes is just part of changing times. If the powers that were had put a moratorium on any new classes 20-30 years back would we have the numbers nationally we do now? I think not. Certain areas have declined and others have grown.

The clubs choose what classes will work in their area. Having numerous classes does not stunt growth. More options for local clubs to group racers at their events. There are more classes in the rule book that aren't run anywhere than there are being run. If you don't have an organized national structure how will new people join. They and other groups have equipment built but no regulated class to run. Will they just build boats that may not interest them? Probably not, they will just fun run what they have. Closing the door to anyone who doesn't run what you do won't get us far. Most start with one favorite boat and build a variety once they get involved.

Some clubs that host large events can enforce a 5 boat minimum. Other small clubs struggle to get 3 boats sometimes and may benefit by combining classes. As an organization we need to have structure for the haves and have nots.

Mic

 

[Gale54]

So I have one of these back killing 25 pound why do we have this class gas scale boats. They are becoming very popular in my district and they are fun to run. But according to a few on here we should NOT be allowed such a class. Then because you have such a closed minded personal feeling about it you attack someone on here who did not have squat on it becoming a class. The class was invented originally by Roger Newton from Seattle many years ago. But some how it got turned into Thunderboat class first. (Oh by the way gas scale are the same size and weight as much as a T boat, but I see no complaints on that class.) Now with the work of some people out in the Seattle area it has become a class. So it was us the membership here in district 14 that asked for the IMPBA to make it a class. The class is growing quickly around here I think that says something. Just 4 years ago at Evansville something like 30 RTR's showed up to race and many of the people just starting in that NEW class have gone on to race bigger classes and yep more boats. As it was stated here earlier it is what is popular in your area is what you race.

My two cents on entries shrinking is the state of the world right now. You can not point at one thing and say "that is it, thats the problem". So we have to work harder as a group of enthusiasts to keep our hobby alive. Also I feel we should have one governing body we all fall under (yeah I know another can of worms) . Numbers people numbers is the game in all aspects.

 

[Andy Greene]

How is this thread 10 pages long ????

Lets ALL look in the mirror and say - ya know what, Im not gonna type ANY MORE REPLIES here-

IM GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT .

IF for some reason that does not make sense to you- go back to post #1 and re-read the ENTIRE thread till you get it.

The answer has been laid out over and over and over . The problem lies , where we make a problem.

Run what works in your area - promote it- promote races- become an ambassador of what your passionate about- push classes to grow them by helping new and old racers alike - promote your races- talk a little smack without going overboard- there are SOOOO many ways to achieve what we all desire without this thread going A SINGLE POST FURTHER-

Your call, are you part of the solution or do you reply ???

 

[P THOMAS]

We had a race in Madison IN last Friday that had more racers and more spectators then ever. I think people just need to remember it's about having fun.

might help that it's a week before the Regatta

Race was on Friday and It was part of the regatta this year many more spectators cause of that. Action on the river was just some testing Friday.