53 replies to this topic

[Phil Smith]

If you're into brushless drag slot car racing, please check it out!
 
Brushless Drag Slot Car Racing

[Bags]

Any relationship to you, Phil Smith?

[Phil Smith]

I know him.

[Phil Smith]

Why don't you join, Tom?

[Bags]

I’m not a Facebook guy, bro... I’ll watch from here... better that way.
 
If they need me, I can be reached at BrushlessSlotCar@gmail.com.

[Phil Smith]

The new 'Brushless Drag Slot Car Racing' Facebook page (OK not all that new anymore) is up to 39 members! Little posting activity though. Little here as well. And the same at the other brushless Facebook forum.

 

I thought brushless would develop a niche following. For whatever reason that doesn't seem to be happening.

[Bags]

The new 'Brushless Drag Slot Car Racing' Facebook page (OK not all that new anymore) is up to 39 members! Little posting activity though. Little here as well. And the same at the other brushless Facebook forum.

 

I thought brushless would develop a niche following. For whatever reason that doesn't seem to be happening.

I have heard that track owners don’t want the brushless stuff in the building let alone on their tracks!

 

They can’t make money on it they say…..is it because the motors don’t wear out or they are tooo consistent?

 

Maybe just scared of something new?  Just a fad that will “ go away “ if we don’t pay it any attention or give it a fair shake.

[jimht]

This particular track owner has no problem with brushless motors.

 

They provide a tremendous cost reduction over racing with cobalt motors...and right now the racers of cobalt motors are not exactly plentiful.

 

It should be much easier to find 10 people that will buy a $200 motor/esc combo than to find one person that will buy 10 cobalt motors.   

[bbr]

My understanding is most of cobalt stuff is had from motor builders.
Why turn away guys that will still pay for track time n buy tires?
Don't see this bias anywhere else in the world.

[Bill from NH]

Some trackowners don't like eBay cars either.

[Phil Smith]

I haven't heard of any track owners banning them. Which tracks won't allow them?

[Bags]

This particular track owner has no problem with brushless motors.

 

They provide a tremendous cost reduction over racing with cobalt motors...and right now the racers of cobalt motors are not exactly plentiful.

 

It should be much easier to find 10 people that will buy a $200 motor/esc combo than to find one person that will buy 10 cobalt motors.   

Jim how many brushless cars are on your tracks? Just wondering.
 

For $200 you can buy 3 brushless setups and still have change left over 

[Phil Smith]

Well a track owner just joined the Facebook group. So much for the track owner collusion conspiracy.

 

Come join us, Tom. We need your expertise. We'll make you a moderator. Martin (who is super good guy) helps form time to time, but I don't think he really likes to post. Unfortunately.

[Bags]

Well a track owner just joined the Facebook group. So much for the track owner collusion conspiracy.

 

Come join us, Tom. We need your expertise. We'll make you a moderator. Martin (who is super good guy) helps form time to time, but I don't think he really likes to post. Unfortunately.

Mr. Smith I own a drag strip too, I don’t have a problem with the brushless powered cars running on it.

 

There are members of the blog that own tracks and don’t like the brushless technology, I’ll let them post how they feel about it if they want too.

 

The “ collusion conspiracy “ is real. Why isn’t there anyone actually racing brushless powered cars on any tracks in the USA on a regular basis?

 

Looks like the UK and the rest of Europe don’t have a problem with racing them.

[MSwiss]

A-Mr. Smith I own a drag strip too, I dont have a problem with the brushless powered cars running on it.
 
There are members of the blog that own tracks and dont like the brushless technology, Ill let them post how they feel about it if they want too.
 
B-The collusion conspiracy is real. Why isnt there anyone actually racing brushless powered cars on any tracks in the USA on a regular basis?
 
C-Looks like the UK and the rest of Europe dont have a problem with racing them.

Tom,
I've stayed out of brushless talk for months, and would of liked to of kept it that way, but your above disinformation post is just so outrageous, I just can't.

Answering the above statements.

A-owning a drag strip and running a commercial raceway are 2 different things.

Is your drag strip in a commercial location, where you are "open" 3-6 days a week, and anyone can walk in and pay you to use your drag strip.

Or is it in your home or some other non- commercial location?

B-why isn't there anyone racing brushless cars on a regular basis?

Was that a serious statement?
As far as I can tell, there are probably 6-12 functioning brushless road course cars in the whole United States.

At the moment, there are too many machinations required to get one functioning on the track.

Once the situation becomes where a raceway, like myself, can email my distributor and order an XYZ RTR brushless car for $65 net and sell it to my customer for $100, I guarantee there will be regular racing.

C-last I heard, ISRA, the main International flat track slot racing org, where the majority of the members are in Europe, held some sort of vote and brushless is banned from their Championship races for the next 2-3 years.

IIRC, over concerns about the racing being driven too much on ESC tech advances, which are in their infancy, at the moment.

I personally don't care one way or the other, but the majority of European racers are against it at the moment.

I wouldn't be surprised to see that change once the technology has stabilized in the next few years.

You've portrayed me, and raceway owners in general, as enemies of brushless.

I personally have tested a car for a friend, and reported on my impressions on FB.

If other raceway owners have concerns, IMO, it's not about the motors lasting too long.

It's about all the related products only being sold on EBAY, or direct, say in the case of the Italian guy who has made an ESC.

Bottom line, please continue promoting brushless, but be aware I will respond when you make posts like your last one.

[jimht]

AS Mike indicates, right now the issue is availability of the esc. 

 

I don't feel like messing with the Talon because it is not plug and play for road course racing...it's pretty kludgy compared to the preproduction prototypes being tested.

 

I will certainly buy the Mack and/or the Model Drome as soon as they are in production...directly, as that is no different from the other stuff I buy that is not available through slot car distributors.

 

Drag racing, that's different, I don't have a drag strip so it's a non-starter.

Also, keep in mind that drag racers build multiple cars, race them all and the primary focus is on bracket racing, not speed or longevity but on consistency.

There's not much pressure to spend more money for an esc each each car, even if the brushless motors are cheap and consistent...the brushed motors are already cheap and consistent.

[Phil Smith]

None of any of that prevents someone from buying a Talon and a motor, modding it so it will work, slapping it in a car and going to a track to test/play around with it. Who in the US has done that? Martin, Tom and Mike Low have. Who else? And how many times have 2 or more people ever shown up at a track at the same time? Probably only Martin and Tom. Did they race with each other? Maybe, but I've never heard them mention it.

 

My point is people are not getting involved in this. Initially there was a lot of interest but very few people are actually giving it a go.

 

So the obstacle certainly isn't track owners, it's the lack of interest. Disappointingly.

[jimht]

Say what?

 

"So the obstacle certainly isn't track owners, it's the lack of interest. Disappointingly."

 

Uh, Mike and I just got through explaining why track owners are the issue, as far as road courses.

 

When we can present it as a finished product for racing, we will.

 

Right now, the current nature of the business, except for Retro, sort of, is not building or experimentation, but buy it and run/race it.

[Phil Smith]

So are you, Mike and other track owners banning people from playing/experimenting with brushless motor cars on your tracks?

[bbr]

Waiting for all the major racing org to restrict BL, lol.

No matter, I b still developing with BL

[Phil Smith]

There has to be some cars to ban. LOL!

[Phil Smith]

Mike, you need to change your last name from Low to Lol.

[bbr]

Lol. An immigration official interpretation of my grandfather's chinese name

[MSwiss]

So are you, Mike and other track owners banning people from playing/experimenting with brushless motor cars on your tracks?

I already mentioned I tested a car for a friend.

It was a Retro F1 car with an "inrunner" motor and a Talon ESC, modified as per a posted video.

It ran, but I would characterize it as a "work in progress", maybe because of using the inrunner.

[Tim Neja]

Bad mouthing current track owners is certainly NOT going to help you get support of brushless racing! Bottom line---it's PRE - mature to think brushless is the "new wave" of slot racing!! STOP whining and keep working on making them a VIABLE racing product! Once they are, you may get more support.  But this is not techology readily useable on current slot tracks at this time.  START A RACING CLASS at your local raceway--gather participants and racers.  PROMOTE your desire to have brushless racing become the next best thing!!