Lets get a discussion going about 17.5 racing vs Mod racing. Is staying in 17.5 sand bagging? Should we get rid of stock? Come say hi: / jasonsnyder01 / jasonsnyder01
Digging through older Videos, and I found this Gem!! WELL PUT!!! I'm a really Old Fart in the Hobby. Started in 86! "Stock" was NOTHING like it is these days! 😵 It was a bit of a "Run what you brung" type of thing - and everyone either had, or was given, a 27 Turn Brushed Motor, with a locked Endbell. Even THAT got out of hand, with exotic materials, "special" lubricants, different Tire Dressings....... The Guys with more experience (and money), started measuring their Battery Cells, and started soldering together Matched Packs (before they were available to anyone). Then there was "special Battery Cycling", which could get an extra volt out of the pack.... Then there were the Guys who figured out how to "tweak" the Motors (GUILTY!). Some of us would remove the Comm Shaft, put one end in a Vise, and Skewed the Poles! On Brushed, Skewed Poles gave more Torque on the bottom end, to power out of turns quicker - and also gave a little more runtime out of the ARCHAIC NiCd Batteries!!! I remember the time when I was SURE that NiMH Batteries were going to be the end-all-be-all in the RC World. 😱 We were all that shortsided back then. AS YOU SAID - "Stock" will NEVER be a Level, Stock playing field - until enough People Jump up and DEMAND Change!! One of the comments here, "Make it all Box Stock Cars, Like NASCAR". Sure, they'll STILL be Tweaking here and there..... But if everyone was required to run with ZERO Upgrades, and ONE type of Motor, maybe, Racing - at least at the Club Level, MIGHT actually start having the FUN that they were promised when many of them started. Maybe? As for all that "Everyone's a Winner" CRAP from about 1995 to 2005..... That's another LONG, hard, politically charged HOT TOPIC!! Sadly, all we can do is Wait. Wait for all those Kids and Young Adults to FINALLY grow past that.... Needless to say, I couldn't be MORE against it!! I don't even know if you read comments from Videos this Old... But if you do, there's my $2.84. (I passed 2 cents, Paragraphs ago!!) 😜 Love your Channel Man! Keep it up. Carmine 💥 ⛽
I read it and enjoyed every word of it I'm 42 and so i was a teen in the 90's and Rc was big I loved it and still do I put it down for a long time but now I'm back and jumping head first into the short course world so we'll see how it goes and it was nice to here from an old guy like me with the same thoughts as me hope your still in good health and ripping the track or the yard up God bless.....
I race stock and mod. For me, it is not about skill level when it comes to stock vs. mod. It is about the driving line. Where a mod can triple or quad, a stock motor most likely cannot. This means that, for the same track layout, you get to drive it in two different ways. That makes the track more interesting and forces you to think more about different driving lines, and how to get the most out of each line. There are fast drivers in both classes, and you will not be wanting for competition in either class at large enough races. People who worry about the skill level aspect are thinking about the wrong thing. Regardless of what you run, you should expect to learn something each time. The knowledge you gain is much more valuable than winning a club race trophy.
Thank you this was the information I was looking for I appreciate his video but I was more looking for a definition of what the classes are requirements and or limitations
Thanks for the video. This was the first one I've come across and it was fantastic. I'm a 43yr old ex-racer that is thinking of getting back into it and wasn't sure where I should start. It's people like you that grow this community. Thanks for your time and work. We may share the track one day seeing I'm in Northern California myself.
Holy $hit dude I have been subscribed to you for a while now. I just watched a bunch of your older racing tips and car review videos. Your videos are really good. I'm not just being nice. I thoroughly enjoy watching your videos. I have not enjoyed RC videos that much since ultimate RC. Thanks man!
Great content, when i was a kid racing bmx once you have one enough races u moved up to the next level, beginer- novice-expert and the track made note of the wins
Just found your channel and it's great ! Love the way you explain stuff and very informative you make it make sense keep up good work subbed for life Cheers
great video man keep up the good work i used to race with mayfield at srs and i always run 13.5 which was the stock class back when i raced and i loved it
I raced locally here in Corpus Christi Texas and I completely agree with you on it's about having fun. I liked the 1/8 buggy class and had a blast with friends, new and old yet I stopped racing sold my off-road cars and got a RWD drifter and I'm hooked. The fact is I'm not trying to go race at world or anything like that, I setup a course in a parking garage and friends come out and just have fun. To me it reminds me of my first rc as a kid playing in front of re house with friends. There's no competition just friends hanging out, talking trash, and enjoying the moments. I love the hobby and will never take it seriously but I will always be right there ready to charge a battery and laugh till it's time to call it a day. Thank you for all that you do keeping the hobby going. JR.
Great vid. I just started watching your vids and I am enjoying them very much. I agree with you on the level class. I used to race a little years ago and I want to get back into it now. My problem is that Im not that good and I feel bad when I get in the way of the good drivers. I would love to have a class for people with the same level as myself. I think it would be much more fun knowing if I make a mistake its not going to effect the guy or girl that is winning the race or has a chance of winning the race. Keep up the good work. Take care.
Excellent video. One of the best I have heard to date. I think you are absolutely correct. Everyone places to much emphasis on what the pro's are running. Get your setup and do your thing. Learning is all the fun. I also think that stock is promoting modifications more than it is promoting tuning and ability. There is no substitute for proper tuning. Well said sir, well said.
Where is the clapping hands emoji when I need it! Great video and you nailed it on the head. Coming from a guy that has had that stupid mentality in the past and I had to take a year off because I stopped having fun. Now I'm having fun again and this is exactly why. I'm going with the right mentality.
Hey Jason, great points man, I’m subscribed and u always on point. The 17.5 class is fun and it will humble even the best drivers, I race that class, mod, 13.5 4x4 buggy, stadium and 1/8 buggy. Many times I just run the 17.5 class because it’s where the most people are and it really helps me. You have great points on all levels.
every time I go to hot rod hobbies to spend money I hope to see you there so I can shake your hand! I've been into rc most my life and never got into off road racing! I've been racing boats and bashing cars and crawling but I'm building a T5m and B5m for stock class slowly because I'm not rich, but I learn a lot from you and thank you for your help!
This was actually very helpful for me. A 13 year who had tried the track once and wants to race novice with a stock brushless slash 2wd. I want a b5 but I have no idea which class to build it for or even what electronics to use. Jason did a great job on helping me out with that. I plan on trying mod buggy
+RC Buggies No one buys a spec car to race, at least not many would. There are too many motor/esc/battery brands out there. Ruling to one brand would monopolize the market to one manufacturer, driving cost up. ROAR does a good job certifying the specs of each brand. If you race stock, stick to ROAR approved parts (the list is on ROAR website). I went with Turnigy ROAR approved shorty 4.2 batteries, Turnigy Tackstar 17.5 ROAR approved, and HobbyWing Justock ROAR approved. These brands won't break the bank, yet very reliable. Agreed that this should be fun, not beefing up your car so much that someone getting into the hobby cannot win with their low budget car.
Jimmy Nguyen Oh no no no. I'm fine with different brands of motors, I'm just saying there should be no upgrades to the kit. Raw kit and drivers choice of stock electronics
+RC Buggies has a great idea. Heck, I'm low 40's but have entertained the idea of getting into local club racing. Practice is no doubt crucial to get better. And as Shortcourse mentioned or rather his buddy did, but they have A, B, and C mains to help group up the racers skill/luck. But, seeing how "Stock" isn't what it should be anymore, get rid of that terminology and just make a "Spec" class. With rcbuggies explanation of no upgrades to the kit, whether it's a RTR or true kit, no upgrades to any kit form. So you'd have a "Spec" class then everything else would be "Mod". And of course have the same category of Mains. Those people who look at themselves as "Novices", like I would, we would then fit into that "Spec" class as well. They should just implement a new standard, no one except the aftermarket suppliers would suffer, but even then, it'll weed out the true "mod" racers, and money will still be spent. Heck, could even get the companies who make RTR competitive vehicles that much more of an enticing option for new comers into the hobby if those manufacturers churn out some higher performance rides with value in mind at the same time. For example Jason's review of the RB6 RTR. I have it based on his review as well, thanks Jason. Curious to see how or if "Stock" and "Mod" classes morph.
I miss the stock sct classes and people, when sct really hit the scene back in 2009ish. I raced a stock class Traxxas slash, we just raced for fun, and fun only....
I used to qualify last in the C main at my local track in spec slash. That was maybe two years ago when I was 11 years old. Now I am competing with other drivers at that same track for first in both spec slash and Stock/Stadium truck. I have always had fun with the hobby and I hope to continue to further in my years as a driver.
And the same your buddy was saying some of my best memories are not from winning but battling for 3 and 4 for almost the whole race. Each of us making one the inside or quick unexpected outside line on each other. My dad and I were at the track and me and him were battling for 3rd and 4th and on the last lap I made an inside move on him and the announcer was sitting there and screaming MATT WITH INSIDE MOVE ON JOE!! Oh I love this hobby. Lol
I am a 54 year old rookie, just building my first racer (B5M).. I am glad there is a stock class to start out in. My eyesight and hand/eye coordination are not getting any better. I hope there is a stock class for awhile at least. I expect to be competitive, and expect to have a blast, win, lose or draw.
I’m 37 and have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m building two different vehicles to compete with and I’m also building 2 for my daughter. Almost ready to hit the track and practice my heart out.
@@agoodballet I'm 54, my racing buddy (for 15 yrs now) is 44, and we still get setup and driving advice from our top guys. We manage to win a race or a main once in a while (my buddy more than myself), but we always have FUN, that's the secret. and we've both made improvements over the last couple years. Don't worry about the "idk what I'm doing" part yet, this stuff is highly addictive and before long you'll be registered on *rctech* forums reading, talking, and "researching" anything related to: 1), your particular vehicle, and 2), setup options for track conditions (especially tire treads and compounds. Then you'll be buying stuff you think will make you faster (it usually doesn't), or at the least buying stuff for increased durability. Now THAT imo is smart money considering you have to finish a race to win it. There's also the "bling" buying of stuff like anodized goodies just because they're so dern pretty! RC guys (especially racers) are worse than a woman in a shoe store! 😅 (side note)...get your wife to go now and then, it makes the race bill seem somewhat justified! 😅 In a few short years you'll have the equivalent of a bachelor's degree in all things RC. Have fun!
This sounds like to me that there is to much of a mix of kids and adults. Since a lot of kids now a days have never been taught morals, (sportsmanship) and told no, it just sounds like there is a bunch of children throwing a tantrum and getting away with it, instead of what used to happen, and we all know what that was if your older. I used to race an RC 10 stock buggy back in the late 80's with my pop and buddy. Some places I would win and was the better driver, other places, I did not have the money to compete, but it was always about the experience and having fun. Who goes into this hobby thinking they are gonna be a rock and roll star, that is not what it is about. A few years ago I picked up a SC5M kit and put it together, what a blast! I also rebuilt a graphite tub RC 10 with all the best hopups I could get. I never got a chance to race it before my previous racing time past, but I am going to at least once. Do I think I'm gonna win? Heck no! But it will be absolutely be awesome to see that car on track, and i'm gonna have a blast doing it. I also can't wait to put the truck on track. Regardless of that, it sounds like things have gotten way to conveluted. There was always a amatuer class and a pro class back then, and it sounds like that needs to be happening. Maybe also be broke up by kids and adults. This is a hobby, have fun! Thanks for the Video.
As of the time that this video was published, I had been about 16 years out of the hobby - My most competitive period was the early 90's, when 10th scale on-road pan car racing was at its peak (I still have the same RC10L that I used to race with). After about a year, Ijust started running Mod because it was cheaper than running stock (keep in mind that this was in the era of brushed motors)! Series directors tried to curtail the issue by handing out a spec motort at big events, but you still had guys with the special bushing break-in polishing compounds, and motor zappers to zap teh magnets. Then there were the special throwaway low-resistance brushes, not to mention the comm polishers that allowed you to keep the commutator looking breand new run after run. Quite frankly, you had to spend a fortune if you wanted to try to compete at the same level as some of these "Pro" Stock class drivers. I even competed in a ROAR Regional here in Florida where the Stock TQ fell only a half a second short of completing as many laps as the MOD TQ!!! Perhaps with the advent of apps like LiveTime where they can keep track of a Driver's history no matter where they go, perhaps a seeding system for Major events might work... Or at least something where If they place in A Mains at Major events, they could automatically get seeded into an Open class. If Stock speeds today are anything like they were back in the 90's, I'm sure those guys would still do half decent in an Open class running Stock/Spec motors.
Great Video. I have to agree with you on sorting guys out by skill level. I race Stock Buggy and at my track it is very popular. I also believe that RC is just a hobby and that we should just have fun doing it.
i am new to the rc car hobby and i'm watching videos to see what this hobby can provide and even though i'm more of a basher and off road driver (just like my rc to do jumps and drifts on concreet or dirt ) i've found this video interesting and in my opinion (remember i'm a newbie that just like to see the car fly and drift) a hobby must be a hobby in the way that if you don't make a living out of it just take all the fun you can doing it bc like for me it cost me money and time and i just want to have as much fun as possible out of it otherwise i'll do something else and if one day i'm going to go racing i'll just go and expect to have a good laugh and be "i did what i can", i don't say winning mans nothing to me i just say it is just a bonus for me (of course if you live out of it or if you find your fun in being first and can afford it (i legit don't know if it is possible or not and i'm curious to know if profetional rc racers can live out of it or not) it is normal to aim for the 1st place and do everything you can to achieve it)
excellent point about getting back to the point--having fun. I've just gotten into this, and I guess I'm lucky that I don't expect to win--hell, I'm still looking for my first A-main (which is gonna be awesome!). My club runs an open (run what you brung) novice class which is a lot of fun to watch...but a bit of a bash fest. I find I do better racing, losing to , and learning from the faster guys in pro-2.
You just took the wind out of my sail, Just Kidding, me being in my 50’s and just starting into this sport I can put a lot of money towards a car but as you said a person, like myself who currently does not have the needed skills, will probably be fixing a high end car more then racing one. Don’t get me wrong, next month I know I’ll be staying up with and racing the best of the best😂🤣😂. All joking aside just like full size cars this debate is old and ongoing. When it comes down to it, skill is earned and not just in driving but in vehicle set up Etc. My take on it is this sport is about having fun. I hope to become competitive at some point but if not I’ll enjoy those around me and be the best I can be. Thanks for your in-site!
That rolling speed bump 3 laps back might be me when I get on the track for the first time...and that's just practice. :p I have no plans to race for some time.
I agree with you about competitive racing. I can't comment on rc but my most enjoyable motorcycle race I finished 13th out of 21 riders. It wasn't my best finish but it was the race that taught me good race craft. We have people with no skill that spend 30k on a bike and expect to go quick. 9 times out of 10 the bikes on the market for sale within the year. People don't seem to want to spend the years progressing nower days.
IMO, it also depends what is going on at your local track. Mod drivers are thin on the ground at my club, so stock is very popular. Totally agree that the focus should always be on fun, and also in welcoming new people into the hobby.
Being one of those guys who has watched the evolution of radio control racing over the past 30 years, I have heard this similar discussion many times. In the past, the motor made a big difference between Stock or Mod classes and you had to have a good handle on throttle control to run in the Modified class. Personally, I have always been a bit "lead fingered" and not as good driving with all that power so I preferred the Expert stock class. We had a Novice Stock class as well and once you started to dominate the Novice class, you were moved up into Expert or Modified if you wanted to, but, you could not race Novice anymore. So, what you said about ranking drivers made sense. I have also seen guys spend a fortune on their cars in the aftermarket and not be able to compete with the 10 year old and his ratty old B3. Now we have the brushless ESC's and motors as well as radio systems with a near infinite adjust ability to get more power out of the batteries and top speed into the car. A line or even several need to be drawn in the sand so we can race and have a good time. I'm not a big fan of rules but if they help the hobby, I am all for them.
You were on the right track when referring to motocross. When i started racing moto I started in the D class and once i won 5 races got bumped to C class. a few years later won 5 more in the C class got bumped to B class and that is ware I stayed, I hit my plateau. other guys i raced with have since moved to A or others have stayed in C. To get the system started you can let people chose which class they want to be in because like you said, everyone wants to win and you will just shoot your self in the foot if you pick a class that's beyond your skill level. You can only move up a class not back. This could be done at a local club level with a simple computer system or even in a notebook, or like AMA motocross on a national level when you race at a sanctioned track you have to have a AMA card that they scan and it keeps track of that riders record. Create a national club, charge a membership fee, get tracks to become sanctioned... simple right lol.
Shout out to Horizon Hobby for being the absolute best hobby shop in the world. Their customer support is top notch. They listen and understand the issues you may have and they take care of their customers. Just good down to earth people absolutely love those guys!! This is Detroit rc Wurks by the way on my sons youtube.
I race at OCRC as well and have been trying to figure out when to make the move to Mod. I raced for over ten years from 1983 to 1995 and was a top oval racer during that time. Last year I decided to try racing again and went with Off-road since OCRC was the closest track for me. It was a learning curve for me with how to set the car up and how to scrub and whip (I still need to work at being comfortable whipping). I'm surprised that being almost 50 years old, racing only oval when I was younger, and taking 20 years off that I worked my way up to being a competitive driver as quickly as I have. My thinking on moving from 17.5 to Mod would be in relation to my driving consistency and being comfortable driving the car, for me I feel my skill hasn't become automatic just yet where I don't have to think about what I'm doing. I would also like my lap times to be within a certain range and not vary too greatly and part of that is not making big mistakes. I've been told I'm ready for Mod, but I don't feel I'm ready to make that jump just yet. I know Mod would make some of the harder jumps a little easier, but I kind of enjoy the challenge of making sure I land right and carry my speed through the turns to properly make a jump. Those skills will go a long way to making me a better racer when I do move to Mod. Even when I was sponsored driver, I didn't expect to win every race, but I expected to always do my best and I worked hard at making sure my car was always in perfect race condition. In oval racing I wasn't always the fastest car, but I was the most consistent and I won a lot of races just by driving smart and not making mistakes. I always moved up to higher divisions when possible just to improve my driving. Towards the end of my sponsored career I felt I wasn't going to improve any further and announced retirement. My attitude is to drive the car to the best of my ability and to always improve my technique, car setup, and consistency. The biggest one is to have fun, I may or may not be a front runner, but I enjoy driving the car and hanging out with others that enjoy it too.
I was in the Air Force. I'm retired now after 24 years of service. But while active duty at Davis Mothan AFB in Tucson AZ. i bought my first RC10 and learned how to build and race. Only won a couple of races but I never went there to win. Was fun with meeting new people outside the Military. I remember this and please listen. One night I raced and came in 6th. I had the biggest smile on my face after the race. One of my racing buddies asked me why I was smiling after coming in 6th. I told him because the buggie i built by myself was just as fast...I did a good job on the build proud of myself and I'm with friends! Remember those days and still racing and still coming in 6th.... But still having fun in my 17.5/13.5 class.
Man u said this perfect!!! I could not said it better myself. I agree with u 100 perecent!! What is blinky. I ran stock with a jrx2 back in the 90s with a 7 cell nicad lol i ran a 27t in it lol the thing with people in my track is sure there is 17.5 and 10.5 but there is open class too. The novice it a demo derby. The thing is these people want to over power there shit and cant drive. I can run a slower motor and as lo.g as ur consistent u will beat them. Dont wreck and stay consistent is key
I think it's fine the way it is they should just have it a little bit more segregated in terms of separating the very fast start drivers into pro stock or something else or just force them out of stock into mod.
There is a guy here who will race one stock class, to guarantee himself a trophy. He only races mod when none of the super fast guys show up. If Phend shows up for 2wd mod buggy, that guy will race stock for a better podium spot LOL. It was so bad once..this guy lapped the entire field by one lap, had lap times consistent with the top three in mod and afterwards posts on his Facebook.."Yea, managed to secure the win in stock today". Really!? He's just making himself look bad..everyone knows he just wants a trophy.
+Chester Copperpot that is the product of this have to win in order to have fun mentality.. everyone now days feels they have to win, in order to have fun.. if not.. jump ship.. to another class.. create a new class all together.. its very bad in my area..all these new classes popping up. just splits everyone from a big class.. literally.. my track.. size.. the lap times between mod, and stock.. are so close.. you could run mod with a 17.5. now.. they are wanting to split off the 4wd class.. with a 13.5 4wd class.. just doesnt make sense to me..
Not me. If I don't win I go home, analyze my mistakes or failures, learn a lesson, and go try again next week! But I'm very well seasoned, grew up in a time when if you didn't win you didn't get a trophy or pizza party! You got told to do better next time and it was up to you how to do that. Now, I recall every mistake, look at lap-times, etc to find a SINGLE positive thing and push forward with that. It's the "Champions" mindset that I learned from of all people a tennis pro. Win or Learn, either way we move on! Most folks can't do this and quit. I pull up my pants and try again until I get it right :-)
@YexaC All of us before the millennial generation. I'm 53, been racing rc off and on 15 years. I have 3 (THREE) trophies to date. At my local track if ALL of our crazy fast guys show up (3 or 4 usually) at one time I'm probably not going to win the A-main. But... I'm capable of finishing up front in the B, and sometimes even win the B-main. When I do, that was MY RACE...and I take it for what it is...a win. You don't get a prize for winning the B-main but that's ok because I know I did my best to win THAT race and if I bump up then great, I'll do my best there too (might even win another one some day).
@@danielgrobe To be fair, winning _is_ fun, and it feels good to bring home a trophy or ribbon or whatever your local track hands out. But it's not the end-all be-all like some people think it is - it's just the icing on the cake, albeit a significantly thick icing. If someone legitimately can't have fun racing overengineered toy cars without bringing home a trophy, they outright need to find a different hobby because they're obviously not enjoying this one.
I run an open class offroad. Literally no restrictions, except for it has to be an electric offroad vehicle. There's guys using old Tamiya stadium trucks racing against a $1000+ TLR 22 3.0, but it's still fun.
+William Snyder, i ran my Tamiya F103 against the 1/5th Scale FGs at our track. Once one of the guys said to me "i 'll watch for your car when lapping". Well, i lapped him 4 times in 5mins and he never pulled over to let me pass... ;) That was back in '95 running a 17t brushed motor and 2000mAh NiCd.
Your Absolutely Right about everything you just said. I am 45 and I probably will never get to be pro. And that's alright with me. My driving skills are at their highest.
Hey Jason whats up? I got to hold your tires and wheels the other night from mack winters and f5 chassis. Thought it was pretty cool lol. They seem like great quality! Nice job!!. Im actually here to ask how you feel about hobbywing equipment over top brands like reedy, tekin, maclan etc....? Alot of people in the dirt oval scene are running all hobbywing or hobbywing esc and a Oklahoma local team power products motor. I was just curious on your thoughts because you are big in the hobby and know alot of top drivers in the world
At my home track we don't even have a stock class. It's all mod. Run what you want. We have guys that do reaaaaaally well and win with a 17.5 and 13.5 motors. It's all about the driver. I'm pretty new to this, but I have seen enough to know that.
New subscriber here, I have a question for you. Did you go to So Cal Raceway in Huntington Beach or have you worked there? You look familiar lol. Been out of the game for about 6 or 7 years looking to get back into RC. Either way I like your videos!
I'm sorry but age has nothing to do with it! It does not not matter how old you are, it's just down to how committed you are and how much you put in to how much you will get back from it. Don't ever give up.
I would recommend taking a page out of the book from Tennis. They have individual rankings and a system that allows for elite players to stay on the tour and for up and comers to get their shot. Also fans and racers could know who is top 10 in the world at any given time.
here un the uk we dont actually have a stock class. in gt12s we have stock and we found stock is a lot more expensive as everyone needs the newest, fastest escs motors and batteries available to get the edge when running the same speed motor as you said but the equipment also lasts longer in the buggies because instead of cranking the tining up and blowing the motor up you can just put a faster motor in and let it run cool, in open buggies the beginners naturally make a stock class with 13.5s with little timing to start off with then catch the back marker mod boys with experience later on. we get seeded on points for best 4 races of the season on computer and its pretty reliable at my home club until youve got a guy coming for a one off but they can be changed after practice if needed.
I just got back into the hobby with my son after over 20years out of it. Back then the stock motors were non adjustable, unopened, and CHEAP! As I recall ROAR had the msrp capped at $27. Now you have the exact opposite so it’s like the Wild West. Yes back in the day there were a few cheats, but at the big races in stock you got hand out motors so it was fairly even. I have seen some cars at the track that are hard to tell from mod they are so fast. What happened to Limitations on the MSRP for all motors (modifieds were capped at $80). It makes it tough to get in the hobby as a new racer when once you get the car set up and driving down you then need expensive motors and walk a fine line on high amp charging/ discharging.
i started racing 5-6 years ago, and was told to go 17.5, i did. i liked it cause it was easy to drive (i did both on and offroad stock), most about it was setup your car right, the right gearing and timing for your car....and have fun. well fast forward to about 1 year ago, and you need to drop 2-300 dollars more into your car ....not to mention rampant cheating in stock classes, 13.5 stators stuffed into 17.5 cases, mod rotors in stock, over volting batteries, super charging/discharging batteries...screw it so i went mod. .....on the other hand it is great for the industry and hobbyshops, stock racers buy tons of stuff to be at the peak of whats possible...battery factories must love it, cause i see racers with new batteries every week or two, cause high amp charging and discharging does wear the batteries fast.
I think the answer to stock vs mod is a spec tire for stock. Level the playing field with the tires. All the go fast goodies will not help if the tires are not up to par. Use a spec tire that works well but not great for your track.
I usually only race stock, the thing i dont like is when ppl think that stock is for newbies, and its not at the tracks i go to there are always guys running stocking going just as or even faster than mod guys ( yes ik that's based on the track)
Just got into 2wd buggy racing. All of my buddies and I run 17.5 buggy. We run 17.5 buggy because of the closeness of the racing. My buddies are all better drivers than me, but 17.5 evens the playing field a bit and allows us all to have fun together. Personally, I like the 17.5 class, its a ton of fun and that is what I do RC for in the first place, not to win a trophy that I personally know has no bearing on my overall life, like it does for a pro driver.
I think they should do it like motox. A B C. Its simple. I just started the rc thing last year so my son and I could enjoy it in the winter and some summer. Im in Mn. but we really enjoy motox. I was tryn to figure out what motor to start out with. everyone told me either mod or stock. I ended up with both. It would have been nice just to have it simpler since Now I have 4 instead of 2 trks and buggies. My son is 10 and Im 45.we just like to hit the pratices and have fun racing during pratice. I love the b5m
I always looked at stock class like NASCAR or Formula 1 racing. In theory cars are all equal only the drivers make the difference but in reality like Jason pointed out we are all competitive and guys will go to extremes to get an edge. This makes stock way more expensive in the end than mod with all the hop up parts and such so as newer or developing driver your better off running mod until you can make A-mains then transition to stock. I would also suggest that you could reign in stock classes by running them as a claim race. For those that are unaware that means that at the end of a race any other driver running in that class can claim your car for certain dollar amount. So if you ran against Ryan Cavelarie in a stock buggy you could claim his car (minus body, transponder & RX) for $500 or what ever is pre determined. I agree with Jason on the new scoring systems as well. Just like technology has pushed the sport from brushed to brushless ect. This technology will eventually rank all drivers based on driver metrics and will allow driver to truely be seeded by skill level much like a golf handicap does. This will of course not stop guys from sandbagging or messing with the system but it will be much harder for them to do and will be easier to find out who those guys are.....just my opinion. Good luck to all.
Im interested in racing 2wd mod SC and 4x4 SC but havent raced before, but my older brother (I'm 16, he's 21) races 4x4 SC and stock 17.5 buggy. He just uses a $90 charger, two different 100c $60 batteries, a $80 killshot motor, a $60 trackstar esc, and has a $70 servo and a few sets of tires in his buggy. He is one of the best drivers I know for someone who only ran the buggy 5 times so far. He isnt overly competive. He gives the other guys a run for their money (he beats the guys with $1000 cars) and he just has fun. To put it simply, my brother makes the hobby look good. I'm the same way for the most part, except instead of a 4wd sc and a 2wd 17.5 buggy, I have a 4wd sc, a mod 5.5 2wd sc, and a 2000kv 1/8 truggy
I don't think we should separate from skill level. The faster guys have to work around slower guys in all motorsports. Thats racing, should be the same in RC. The fast guys have to work their way through slower traffic and still come out ahead, got to make them earn it. Elite class would be hard to get going tho. How many "elite" drivers would show up to a club race? Also, if it was a bigger race, got to give the young kid with talent a shot to make the A main, afterall, if someone breaks or has a bad run, he may win it. (not likely but it's possible) That's how racing works. Making an elite class would shut out the underdog. As for stock vs mod, it's a horse a piece, run what you like!!
I know this is an older video but because of what the real root of the problem is i'm pretty confident the situation hasn't been resolved, Jason you kind of said the solution when you talked about taking cars right out of the box and racing them. at the risk of showing my age, back in the late 80's when i was racing a kyosho sponsored car the stock class was just that stock, you were allowed to replace the bushings with bearings, replace the manual speed control with an esc, change the steering servo and change wheels and tires to match the track condition and that was about it. the cars back then were entry level cars out of the box now days there are stock cars that cost $500+ right out of the box and have as many or more works parts on them then we did after we completely modified our cars so in a way now days you have the manufacturers actually running the sport with the cost of their cars. back in the day you could get a car into the stock class for around $200 including radio, for that kind of money rc racing could be just for fun but when someone has to spend $700-800 or more just to compete it's probably less for fun and more for a need to win to justify the expense...something to think about!!!
The only reason I don't like stock is because it takes too long to catchup... But I do think it's fair that if you put more $$ in your car it helps you win...
newbies should start in short course, progress to stadium truck then when you get the feel for it get a buggy. it's the most popular class and most competitive.
What is stock class is it 13.5 or 17.5 or are they bout but different classes and u mention mod and stock battery what size is a stock battery and mod at what voltage do they change. Thanks
I miss the old days where classes were split up by your skill like running beginner sportsman and expert. I loved the days where if you wanted to race stock only thing people changed were electronic and that was it. At my old track they made it so if you wanted to move up in skill level you had to win so many races in that class before you could move up. Novices was 27 turn only but any car you had then you could jump into what ever class your car was. I started out with a rc10b3 when I was in middle school in 2000 and only a few years after that the track died. I do have a 2 tracks near me now but one shop is full of disrespectful people and the only class that is good to run in is 1/8 buggy and the other track is a small indoor track and we really only run 1/12 and latrax rally cars in a "spec" class. Nice thing about the rally class is the car flips so much changing anything on the car doesn't really make it any faster so it's an all drivers class which is so much fun. If I ever get back into off-road I'm sticking with 17.5 but just staying with a stock car. I can't stand spending a ton of money on a car to just go a tiny bit faster.
20 some years ago when started the tracks were out side dry, dusty, slick tires hard as rocks fun as hell most drivers today could not drive no matter what motor they had that evens the field like to go back to real off road the tracks today is driving the cost up they can hold faster cars the car 20 yrs ago can not run with cars today this is why me and my friend do not race today we play in on my track i put in back yard .....yes it is old school dry and slick.
In the 80's I ran both stock and modified with stock motor. Local racing non professional and won a lot of races. Never had the fastest car but concentrated on driving smooth. What made me quit was I saw even back then the cost going up like crazy. I have raced dirt kart oval and Mini sprints. Racers are their own worst enemy that always want to go faster then the next guy and drive the costs up like crazy. Racers just don't have the restraint to keep it simple and keep costs down. And manufactures are their trying to outdo each other as well. It's impossible to keep the costs down.
There are numerous ways of dividing the classes and skill level however there will always be issues with any of the ways of doing things. Nothing will be perfect or great. Example: increase the minimum weight of stock buggies since the weight of kits are always noticeably heavier and the use of fixed timing motors/esc's however anybody can pick apart that example.
mod is far more expensive nowadays. mod is always applied to drift cars and buggies because it can provide larger amperes for slipping. Your RC rear wheels most likely slip (drift) at cornering, and the faster (higher rpm) it can, the higher oversteering angle it does. That is it at all.
I race mod and win the a main every now and again at a club racing track here in Indianapolis. I jumped straight into mod racing, and I'm 17. I'm assuming this is OK now that everybody that is good started out young.
