41 replies to this topic

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

QUOTE (Pappy @ May 9 2009, 08:27 AM) ..................Retro is not going to save slot racing whether you include Flexi GT or not.




My example would be Chicago.



Something like 8 million in population and about 40 commercial slot racers from the three tracks. About 3/4 of them being around age 60. Oh wait we have a new track opening in Kankakee so we can add about 10 more racers.

Personally, I think club racing will always be around in some form. It might be 1/32 plasticar or commercial type slot cars, but the majority of commercial raceways will be gone.

I can't argue with your figures. And I can't say that Columbus is much better. For a hobby that has so much to offer and should have broad appeal the numbers are terrible. BUT retro is the best thing to come around in decades. Retro anything is HOT right now. Look at automobile design, fashions, movies etc. Retro racing has even corrected some of the problems that caused many former racers to quit and brought them back.

I don't think it is fair to say that Retro will never save slot racing. Anything that raises interest will certainly help. Retro will not single handedly save it but is the ABSOLUTE BEST tool we have had in decades to start some kind of recovery. When is the last time you heard this much "buzz" about any other type of slot racing? Having the attitude that it won't help insures that outcome.

BTW...I just noticed the Dilbert quote in your sig. I love it.....I need to steal that

[Ralph Thorne]

Just lend them a car, Lee.

I must admit it worked for me. The first scratch built car I ever ran was lent to me from Pappy. Now I can't stop playing with them.

[Richie]

What got me involved, is seeing all the excitement on this board... People sharing information, people extra willing to help build etc... I started with the JK spec car, retro appeals to me a lot now, because chassis setup and tuning to squeeze every last .001 out of the car is my passion but its not for everyone. Its a personal challenge to me, so I ask people questions, then I try things out, and most of all, its FUN doing this. Retro isn't for everyone, but we have to find a way to get everyone to atleast try it Thats the key, we have to do something to get involvement, but we must keep in mind, its enthusiasm, that gets people involved. Then its their choice, I think the real obstacle is, this is a hobby/sport that requires a lot of attention to detail, and mechanical work... We as a society don't encourage those very much any more.... just a thought, how do we over come that real objective? btw.. did I mention that i LOVE retros now after only 1 race

[Pappy]

Interesting statement. Curious what you base that on.

This line was posted by Mike ....Retro will not single handedly save it

Mike, looks like we agree on something. Retro is the greatest thing to come along in quite awhile, but only for a very small percentage of the population and a small percentage of slot racers in general. Rob pretty much said it all. If you lend a guy a car and he likes it he will start racing Retro without a Flexi class. If Flexi is so great why hasn't it saved all the other forms of slot racing.

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

This line was posted by Mike ....Retro will not single handedly save it

Mike, looks like we agree on something. Retro is the greatest thing to come along in quite awhile, but only for a very small percentage of the population and a small percentage of slot racers in general. Rob pretty much said it all. If you lend a guy a car and he likes it he will start racing Retro without a Flexi class. If Flexi is so great why hasn't it saved all the other forms of slot racing.

But it has. Without the stamped steel RTR cars slot racing would have been long gone. Take a look at all the $$ spent on slot racing and you will find that the vast majority is for the RTR stuff. Ask the major manufacturers..I have. Retro is the FIRST thing in along time that has put money in raceways pockets other than flexi.

[Pappy]

Mike, Flexi is a great class and I enjoy racing them, just not at a Retro race. But I don't think flexi's saved HO, 1/32nd, drag racing or wing cars. And Retro is not saving raceways either, yet. Most raceways don't even run retro except for a monthly race and that's only a couple of times a year.

[Pappy]

People leave before the flexie race and ya have no turn attendents? Run the support class first, let the new guys race and go home if they dont have F1 or Can Am cars. How to ya get the new guys intersted if ya make them hang till "dark" to race.

Lee, you need to think about what you said here. I think we need to take this one step further and have a race for the wing car guys, HO guys, 1/32nd guys, Eurosport guys and drag racers. Just put pre 70 bodies on all of them and call them Retro. So for a raceway to host a Retro race they will be required to have glue zones for the wing cars, an HO track, some sort of home set track with magna traction and a drag strip. No need to limit the new guys we bring in to flexi car racers only.

Then we should run the wing car guys first since they are the top guys, then they can go home. Then while the track is being cleaned we can run the drag race, and they can go home. When that's over we run the Eurosport and then they can leave. Next we can race the 1/32nd cars since they are larger than the HO cars, and they can leave. Then we run the HO cars and they are free to go home. I sure wouldn't want all these guys to have to wait around all day while we race Retro at a Retro race.

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

Mike, Flexi is a great class and I enjoy racing them, just not at a Retro race. But I don't think flexi's saved HO, 1/32nd, drag racing or wing cars. And Retro is not saving raceways either, yet. Most raceways don't even run retro except for a monthly race and that's only a couple of times a year.

We could debate this forever. Let's just agree to disagree. But your comment about saving HO etc begs a reply. HO racing is primarily done at home and Flexis can't save it. In most parts of the country 1/32 is growing. Drag racing dosen't need saved. And wing cars have such a high cost in $$$ and tech skills that most people can't (won't) participate. BUT...Flexis HAVE helped keep open the raceways where they play with their Mega dollar cars.

As far as retro not saving raceways yet.....you have to promote it to benefit from it. As the old saying goes.....You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

[Pappy]

Let's just agree to disagree.

I agree or disagree.

I'm going to draw up a race format in a day or two and run it past my advisory board. It should be finalized before next weekend. For those of you who don't know, I don't draw up the format by myself. I have an advisory board with many decades of slot car experience in all phases of the industry who help me. So if there is anything about the format you don't like it's probably their fault.

[Vannerlee]

Butch,

I did think about my post where the flexie racers run first. Treating new people to the sport as second class citizens will not generate a crop of new racers in any class. HO, 1/32, wing, drags etc.

Cars that are close to Ready to Race that a person can purchase/borrow make it much easier to enter and give them exposure to that type of racing.

You build with new people in any hobby. Old foke tend to die off.

Lee

[Pappy]

Old foke tend to die off.

Not me, I'm going to be here to haunt you forever.

My attitude is, if they don't want to participate in the whole Retro experience then they probably aren't going to get involved anyway. We've had this at a number of our races, they race Flexi GT and that's the last time we see them. Again, there are always people willing to lend out cars for these new people to race. That's how we got the Ohio Valley Series up and running.

[Jacob Shiplet]

I am for the flexi series, but I am about as Rookie as it gets. I bought an old can-am car from someone on the board to get me going. I have talked to Mike quite a bit recently about what I need to get going. I mean a good retro controller(from what ive read on here and talking to others) is north of $200. Thats a far cry from the $53 for a turbo which you can use with some success as a flexi driver. I plan on dropping the money for a good controller, dont get me wrong, but I also know what it takes to be competitive from when I did this in my younger days. I personally am not sure I would borrow a car from someone at the track, I would feel bad if I damaged something on it(body, axles, motor, etc). I would of course buy the parts to fix it, but the other person would still have to fix it. Not that I wouldnt be willing to help, but I wouldnt let anyone try and fix my own car, so I would understand if they wouldnt let me fix theirs. I cant fix my own car for crap right now, but I am willing to learn. The people I have talked to so far are VERY nice and have offered to help me out at every turn, but I dont want to be a burden either. I would love to see someone build a car from scratch, or several people, so that I know what I am doing. I dont want to buy a $70 kit to only destroy it you know. I know there are some growing pains, but sometimes spending $500+ to buy a controller and 2 cars(which is probably the minimum you would need incase you break something). I know people are going to say just buy 1 to start with, you dont need an expensive controller, ect. No one wants to come in last, everyone wants a fair shot right? I think if someone can walk in off the street, with a flexi chassis ready to go for say $80 and a $50 controller, not have to buy tires every week. If they have a good time THEY WILL SWITCH OVER. If they have a mediocre time, it will take some time on whether they want to buy in or not. If they arent having a good time, they are out and done, or they can just come and have a good time on their own. Personally, if you guys have alot of money in your can-am/F1 car, would you want a rookie out there? But seriously, if I could watch someone build a car, I would be much happier about getting involved, dont get me wrong, im jumping in head first, but it would be a great help.

[Pappy]

I personally am not sure I would borrow a car from someone at the track, I would feel bad if I damaged something on it(body, axles, motor, etc). I would of course buy the parts to fix it, but the other person would still have to fix it.

Jacob,

You aren't going to do anything to someone elses car that can't be fixed. Building, modifying and fixing the cars is half the fun. And at this point in your retro career you don't need a two hundred dollar controller. Just use your Turbo and you'll do fine.

[Foamy]

What classes are run at the March Meet @ Tom Thumb.
I have a victim. . .I mean a client that wants to race in it, so I need to know what to make.

[Rick]

I am for the flexi series, but I am about as Rookie as it gets. I bought an old can-am car from someone on the board to get me going. I have talked to Mike quite a bit recently about what I need to get going. I mean a good retro controller(from what ive read on here and talking to others) is north of $200. Thats a far cry from the $53 for a turbo which you can use with some success as a flexi driver. I plan on dropping the money for a good controller, dont get me wrong, but I also know what it takes to be competitive from when I did this in my younger days. I personally am not sure I would borrow a car from someone at the track, I would feel bad if I damaged something on it(body, axles, motor, etc). I would of course buy the parts to fix it, but the other person would still have to fix it. Not that I wouldnt be willing to help, but I wouldnt let anyone try and fix my own car, so I would understand if they wouldnt let me fix theirs. I cant fix my own car for crap right now, but I am willing to learn. The people I have talked to so far are VERY nice and have offered to help me out at every turn, but I dont want to be a burden either. I would love to see someone build a car from scratch, or several people, so that I know what I am doing. I dont want to buy a $70 kit to only destroy it you know. I know there are some growing pains, but sometimes spending $500+ to buy a controller and 2 cars(which is probably the minimum you would need incase you break something). I know people are going to say just buy 1 to start with, you dont need an expensive controller, ect. No one wants to come in last, everyone wants a fair shot right? I think if someone can walk in off the street, with a flexi chassis ready to go for say $80 and a $50 controller, not have to buy tires every week. If they have a good time THEY WILL SWITCH OVER. If they have a mediocre time, it will take some time on whether they want to buy in or not. If they arent having a good time, they are out and done, or they can just come and have a good time on their own. Personally, if you guys have alot of money in your can-am/F1 car, would you want a rookie out there? But seriously, if I could watch someone build a car, I would be much happier about getting involved, dont get me wrong, im jumping in head first, but it would be a great help.

Jacob, contact me and I can slick ya up with a real good retro roller, ready to add your motor and gear and race. Check out the Professor Motor adjstable entry controller, but a 2 or 3 ohm Turbo could work fine. We'll get you racing for less than a flexi car..............

[Pappy]

What classes are run at the March Meet @ Tom Thumb.

Dennis,

The March race in Columbus is the R4. The dates are set in stone March 11 thru the 14th. As of yet I haven't seen a confirmed post on what classes on what days. You might want to send Mike McMasters at Tom Thumb Hobbies a PM.

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

PLEASE NOTE !! A few of you have miss-understood the comment about moving my second OVRR race (also known as the R4 warm-up) a week ahead. It was originally scheduled for February 7th, 2010.

****THE FINAL DATE IS JANUARY 30th 2010****

Sorry for any confusion.

2009/2010 Ohio Valley Race Schedule

Sept. 19, 2009 - Tom Thumb Hobbies (Columbus, OH)

Oct. 10, 2009 - Roadster Raceway (Springfield, OH - Malcolm's house) This is a schedule change due to conflicting with the Sano

Nov. 14, 2009 - Fast Eddie's (Richmond, IN)

Dec. 12, 2009 - T/R's Motorplex (Miamisburg, OH)

Jan. 9, 2010 - T/R's Motorplex (Miamisburg, OH)

Jan. 30, 2010 - Tom Thumb Hobbies (Columbus, OH) This race has been moved up a week to accomodate our friends on the east coast with a scheduling problem
March 2010 - R4 at Tom Thumb Hobbies

April 17, 2010 - Fast Eddie's (Richmond, IN)