Pondering on starting an rc racing club...

[m3lyc]

Hi guys, I was bored last night and looking at simple rc timing software and systems then I got to thinking... I would love to start a cheap RC Racing club at a local community hall. It is available for hire (don't know how much yet), has a stage which could be used as a rostrum and is a pretty nice size, ideal for an rc club. I was thinking of just buying PVC tubes and laying them down, possibly with some tape during race meets as obviously because the hall gets used on a regular basis, the circuit would have to disassembled after every meeting. When I say cheap, I mean it. To keep it fair, all entrants will have the same car with no modifications except for a personalized bodyshell and changed battery connectors. They can set it up using the setup options on the car however they like though, and the car won't cost more than

Edited June 21, 2013 by m3lyc

[mugen mark]

trouble is,most racers use the mrt timing,so you need enough transponders{if it aint mylaps mrt}to cover the racers in your area or the club wont grow.so till you got about 10 people,you cant even start,cause you need marshells to cover the track while the outhers race,if your serious then go to a club that running and see how they do things,and expect to get moaned at all the time,cause you dont get a lot of thanks running a club,but you get everybodys moans,

[PurcyP]

Is the floor a hard floor?

 

if so, not really driveable unless you wanna create your own wacky racer class

[mugen mark]

so you need carpet as well

[.AJ.]

Loads of buggy and tc clubs run on polished wood

[m3lyc]

trouble is,most racers use the mrt timing,so you need enough transponders{if it aint mylaps mrt}to cover the racers in your area or the club wont grow.so till you got about 10 people,you cant even start,cause you need marshells to cover the track while the outhers race,if your serious then go to a club that running and see how they do things,and expect to get moaned at all the time,cause you dont get a lot of thanks running a club,but you get everybodys moans,

No on road ones around here, all off road. Advantage of using I-Laps is you don't need a driver minimum, 2 people can race easily using the system. And given the size of the hall (it ain't huge) there will be a max of around 15 cars per race i think.

 

Lee.

[chewbacca]

Are you gonna have a secret venue and charge 10k a year membership?

[mugen mark]

you still need marshels,lee maybe only 1 or 2 depending on the size of the track,but till you got about 5 people a race night,i wouldnt pay out for the hall[unless you get it for free}best to see how much local interest there is,people may have the carpet and every else needed.if there no local tracks,you could be onto a winner

[Brett92]

if its a small hall u should use carismas small scale onroads, like these http://www.wheelspinmodels.co.uk/i/73545/ 

[m3lyc]

you still need marshels,lee maybe only 1 or 2 depending on the size of the track,but till you got about 5 people a race night,i wouldnt pay out for the hall[unless you get it for free}best to see how much local interest there is,people may have the carpet and every else needed.if there no local tracks,you could be onto a winner

I know lol. Perhaps I could generate interest via the LHS down the road. Not only that but they're willing to get anything in, including spares for cars. yes they're a bit expensive but should be good to support the club.

[snoopystorm]

carpet you can get relatively cheap in strips of 5m long X 1m wide here and also have a look at this item too. Community halls are normally on the cheapish side, one I have previously hired in Barry (South Wales) was

[m3lyc]

Yeah I know hall hire ain't gonna be too expensive and yeah already thinking about marks and such. I just hope they let me hire it! Lol.

 

Lee.

[mugen mark]

lms,sounds the way to go,

[mixmasterjay]

sounds like a plan lee  

[Si Coe]

Carpet is not essential, but a slippery floor is a no-no for a new club. Its just not fun for inexperienced drivers to run on. If the cars hook up OK on the wood floor (depends on the level of polishing) then thats fine, but spin outs means people not coming back.

 

As a race controller myself I want a minimum of 8 people to run a meeting - 4 cars in a heat and 2 heats. Heat 1 marshals heat 2 and vice versa. Anything less and its not a race meeting its a timed practice session. Maximum cars per heat depends on the track size but even on our large outdoor track never more than 12.

 

Timing is an issue. People want to use their AMB/Mylaps/MRT PT's and won't pay for anything else. Clubs that run I-laps or similar systems either mostly have members don't race elsewhere or loan out the PT's FOC.

 

Anything you want to know about running meetings etc feel free to PM. I've run everything from a dozen people at a club meet to 120 for a major event.

 

But one word of caution. In the last 5 years I've seen several new clubs start up in my area and close down again not long after. All the clubs still going are long established clubs with a core of loyal members - faces come and go over time but the soul remains the same. Its really really hard to establish a new club. I've seen experience people, people with LHS backing, people with full AMB timing gear, people with a decent permanent venue, basically people with everything going right fail to get the people in. It is not Field of Dreams - if you build it they still might not come!

[m3lyc]

Thanks for that fella! Like I said, because hall gets used for other things and by other people it would all have to be disassembled and transported etc (unless they let me store equipment there, I'd have to check) so carpet could be a problem. Would those rubber rug things do? And yeah I'm taking the fact it may not work into consideration so that's why I plan to do everything on the cheap. And yeah I'll be loaning i-laps transponders FOC.

 

Lee.

Edited June 21, 2013 by m3lyc

[barnetbasher]

Are you gonna have a secret venue and charge 10k a year membership?

and become an Anne Summers model who "prefers girls" hehe (hairy chubby bloke from moss side)