HTV Boats
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2006
- Messages
- 2,512
I am happy with the the progress in D 12-13 and they do not need to change their rules. I also do not think you can tie the success of the program totally to one esc. I think the motor has more to do with it. I could easily make a case that the outboard tunnels are the biggest factor in this growth also. What I would like to see if now some compromise could even move things ahead in more areas. The other issue to me is the future price and availiabilty. The concept of of limited or spec to me is level competition and entry cost and availiability. The most successful limited/spec/sport/stock class so far is in 21 OB tunnels. And it didn't cross over to hydros,monos,sport hydro and on. FE is building its new foundation on a group of classes and the blocks are tied to one motor and possible esc combo. If you spend any time on OSE forum you see the sport runnning marketplace demanding more power and people just throwing 6S batteries into RTR boats. The manufacturers are going to respond to that monitary base and make changes. Then what do you just rubber stamp in the next newer better ESC or allow an open market choice.
The other thing I see is if you over build the limited classes your never going to get to P,Q and so on. Just for an example we get a race to expand P/limited tunnel and host a "P" tunnel class also. With a simple powerhead change he could now take one boat and be competative in both classes rather than stepping up with his inferior motor. Changing out a whole esc that is waterproofed in a good box is not practical and maybe a disaster so the esc limit hinders the first step in power growth here. He can take the same batteries,boat and harware and move up. Or just a guy with a limited rigger. If he could try a step up in motor in his present boat would he not be more likely to enter it in the full P class? I am not saying this will be the equal to a full P rigger but it will give people a chance to compete and build some other classes. I know this scares some more than anything as they think it will tear down everything done so far. In areas where you struggle to make classes and need step ups to exist you understand this. The larger established districs can afford to play hardball as they have too many classes already. I started in D-6 where we had a few core racers and maybe 40-50 boats at a big race. We had to be flexible to exist and if you would travel to our area we would make sure you could run. I am happy to say 25 years later that club has a new core group and still racing succesfully with not a lot of classes so my outlook comes from a different reality. With a step up son took a sport 21 tunnel with an OS max motor to the Internats 3 years ago and with a 2 bolt pipe change won a US-1 in the mod class. Two days later with the stock pipe he won the sport national championship with the same setup. Now I am not saying that stock OS with a pipe was faster than all the mod 21's but it had a chance with a pipe change and could be driven to win.
When I work within the tunnel guys to get them to buy and build FE boats it would sure be an easier sell if they had some equipment options to make easy changes as that is just the nature of the people who do this. Even in the fun runners want more power.
So if D-12/13 had just adopted a motor limitation that mirrored Namba and open esc would that really killed their present success? And conversly would the rest of the country be further ahead limiting both? I do comply to travel and in the scope of cost compared to fuel and motels that cost $500 to $1000 for an Internats is not an issue. But the newer racer that is just crossing a couple state lines and has a limited budget may not feel the same way. There are some good racers out there and I hate to see them not compete over economics which is what creating a spec class is al about.
Congrats on winning at SOWEGA,
Mic
The other thing I see is if you over build the limited classes your never going to get to P,Q and so on. Just for an example we get a race to expand P/limited tunnel and host a "P" tunnel class also. With a simple powerhead change he could now take one boat and be competative in both classes rather than stepping up with his inferior motor. Changing out a whole esc that is waterproofed in a good box is not practical and maybe a disaster so the esc limit hinders the first step in power growth here. He can take the same batteries,boat and harware and move up. Or just a guy with a limited rigger. If he could try a step up in motor in his present boat would he not be more likely to enter it in the full P class? I am not saying this will be the equal to a full P rigger but it will give people a chance to compete and build some other classes. I know this scares some more than anything as they think it will tear down everything done so far. In areas where you struggle to make classes and need step ups to exist you understand this. The larger established districs can afford to play hardball as they have too many classes already. I started in D-6 where we had a few core racers and maybe 40-50 boats at a big race. We had to be flexible to exist and if you would travel to our area we would make sure you could run. I am happy to say 25 years later that club has a new core group and still racing succesfully with not a lot of classes so my outlook comes from a different reality. With a step up son took a sport 21 tunnel with an OS max motor to the Internats 3 years ago and with a 2 bolt pipe change won a US-1 in the mod class. Two days later with the stock pipe he won the sport national championship with the same setup. Now I am not saying that stock OS with a pipe was faster than all the mod 21's but it had a chance with a pipe change and could be driven to win.
When I work within the tunnel guys to get them to buy and build FE boats it would sure be an easier sell if they had some equipment options to make easy changes as that is just the nature of the people who do this. Even in the fun runners want more power.
So if D-12/13 had just adopted a motor limitation that mirrored Namba and open esc would that really killed their present success? And conversly would the rest of the country be further ahead limiting both? I do comply to travel and in the scope of cost compared to fuel and motels that cost $500 to $1000 for an Internats is not an issue. But the newer racer that is just crossing a couple state lines and has a limited budget may not feel the same way. There are some good racers out there and I hate to see them not compete over economics which is what creating a spec class is al about.
Congrats on winning at SOWEGA,
Mic
I agree it is too big for a P Spec and too small for a Q.
