I think what a lot of us tend to forget is the guys who are running Pro class courses that someone just starting out would have a hard time with, had to start somewhere as well. A teacher isn't just gonna hand out A+ grades to their students because the students don't have the ambition to better themselves. I am new to comps and my very first one was with a stock LNC running with pro guys like Turbo and Dez. I was intimidated yes. Discouraged due to not doing well or finishing every course yes. Were the guys in the club downing me and making me feel less than anyone? NOT ONCE! That only made me strive to want to be better. As far as anyone thinking it takes $1000 in a rig to be competitive, that's BS. I watched first hand the #1 spot be taken with a nearly stock XR10. It's not about how much money you have. It's about how much time you are willing to put into your driving. If you are a good driver, but can't stand the fact that others are competitive, you are in the wrong place. It's a COMPETITION for a reason.
Nothing personal to the poster, but this comment is what keeps people from getting started in competitions. All of it. The hardass attitude, commitment, the do-or-die theme.. to you all it may be a "competition" but to newbs it's the weekend. Why should I give up sleeping in just to drive hours and not be taken seriously by this guy since I don't have a rc-branded tshirt and a matching tattoo? Or to drive hours and stand in the woods with a bunch of strangers from the internet? LOL nobody is. But judging from the 700 views of this thread.. there is a good f'in chance that I might anyway just as long as I don't think I'll look like a total twat doing so. I mean, what is the problem?? If this was business, look at this customer base.. 2100 registered members online and 19 THOUSAND people stopped by the site over the past 24 hours?!
So there is a 1.9, a 2.2, and a pro/comp/not-a-real-vehicle-of-any-kind class?
F that. I just want to run the course and see what it's all about and maybe eat a cold hot dog and drink a warm beer. (Even thought I'll probably want to compete once I'm there)(And why haven't I ever heard anyone mention hanging out, just "drivers meeting behind turn one at 6am)
Nobody starts going out on a 1:1 trail to compete. We start going to hang with the fellas, to drink beer until we pass out in a tent, to get away from the house for a bit and unwind.
Trying to turn a casual date into a marriage. This is a hobby, these are toy trucks. You want commitment? You've got the price of the rig I purchased.. that's about all anyone is ready to commit right now. So I've really got to feel some sort of potential comradery to spend what would otherwise be a casual day around the house.. "competing."
It does not mattter how well you drive or how bad you suck. iI had the same feeling when I started, I did not want to look like a idiot in front of my friends and fellow crawlers, but it turns out that I am a damb good driver and can pull some mean lines on the rocks. Also the guys that are comping are really good at helping a new guy out.... so dont let that get to you..
Hell yeah, there is a group "team svsc" out of york pa that has made me feel like they want me to show up. I know I'm going to try to get to whatever gtg or competition they have next.
"thumbsup"
I will tell you why I quit comping..
I was tired of the "Keeping up with the next guy" as far as the technology of the rigs, I could not afford a MOA and was driving the last of the "shafty's" in the area and you can not compete with a MOA that is tunned good so I quit..
Now I am all about the scale rigs... Way more fun and it is not about who's the best driver or who has the best rig.
My point is that you dont need to comp if you dont want to, but give it a try and you might meet some good friends, learn some good info and have a good time."thumbsup"
Amen. I quit racing real cars because it was so expensive to stay competitive. But the real root wasn't even the money, it was just he hamster wheel of faster faster more more better better that sucked the fun out of it. Then factor in how much fun I had doing other things instead of spending all the time and money at the track? And lord knows I can't stand listening to some asshat in a pit or a parking lot talk about car parts like a high school kid talks about the latest cell phone.
I initially bought a wraith to build an awesome 2.2 unstoppable beast. That was only two months ago but I'm getting into the scaler thing now that I'm ready to make friends within the hobby.. seems the "competition" isn't as hot and emphasis is placed more on having fun with the 1.9/scale stuff. And honestly, I have more fun running my scx10 around.
I hope I've positively contributed to this thread!
