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Post by yellowshark on Jan 5, 2010 23:37:12 GMT
How are we outdoor racers going to get practice in for the new season if racing keeps getting moved indoors? That will lose us 3 Sundays before the 1st round of the RRC and 4 Sundays before the 1st round of the STCC.
Its not like we just carry on, we need races to get the cars tuned to the new weight
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Post by mattsedgley on Jan 6, 2010 0:34:21 GMT
What's up Pete?
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Post by darrenoakley on Jan 6, 2010 8:03:54 GMT
How are we outdoor racers going to get practice in for the new season if racing keeps getting moved indoors? That will lose us 3 Sundays before the 1st round of the RRC and 4 Sundays before the 1st round of the STCC. Its not like we just carry on, we need races to get the cars tuned to the new weight The way i see it is its better to race indoors than not at all. Dont really have much choice if the weather's bad. |
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Post by lesbaldry on Jan 6, 2010 8:11:44 GMT
How are we outdoor racers going to get practice in for the new season if racing keeps getting moved indoors? That will lose us 3 Sundays before the 1st round of the RRC and 4 Sundays before the 1st round of the STCC. Its not like we just carry on, we need races to get the cars tuned to the new weight Simple'z.....firstly Turn up when we are outdoors! ::)lol... For a start drop a spring weight and shock oil by 5/10wt and adjust the car to the days conditions   ....Its not difficult,most of us and even Matt ;D sussed the change's needed after just one or two runs for our bumpy little track.....As for gearing,stick to your known FDR,the car will be a bit quicker all round and the motor will run cooler! |
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Post by oldtimeracer on Jan 6, 2010 8:46:14 GMT
There have been a few of us that have turned up on Sundays when the weather is not good but never enough to actually race.
Besides that if the track is damp and icy there is little chance of getting any kind of meaningful set up for later in the year.
Just need to be racing to keep your thumbs in gear. Indoors is fine for that.
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Post by Reality Racer on Jan 6, 2010 10:44:15 GMT
I need to get a good outdoor setup for my Photon.
Planning on going up the track this afternoon if anyone wants to join me.
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Post by Reuben on Jan 6, 2010 10:45:15 GMT
The reason for it is that Sunday indoor is 100% racing and attracts more racers than we ever get outdoors. eg. last few outdoor sundays we have never had more than 8 drivers per meeting, Sunday we had 43 entries! If we were to gamble outdoor every sunday (weather permitting), it could criple the club financially towards the early part of the year and put us in a position where we are unable to improve reasources or maintain the track. basically we had more racers Sunday than we did the whole of december outdoors! so for the majority its obviously a good idea. All though i agree about slcc practice. I am keen to keep practicing at RC racing and improve before the SLCC. Which is why I have been there cold and damp, even in the worst non-grippy conditions you learn a lot from the car and throttle control is KEY to good laps! plus the play racing done really helps learn defensive tactics and attacking tactics when the car is on the edge of its grip. I started practicing for SLCC september |
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Post by darrenoakley on Jan 6, 2010 11:35:19 GMT
I need to get a good outdoor setup for my Photon. Planning on going up the track this afternoon if anyone wants to join me. I will meet you there Terry. Have them Muchmore snow chains I ordered come in yet ? ;D |
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Post by lesbaldry on Jan 6, 2010 11:42:36 GMT
Besides that if the track is damp and icy there is little chance of getting any kind of meaningful set up for later in the year. Just need to be racing to keep your thumbs in gear. Indoors is fine for that. Spot on!!! ;D |
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Post by yellowshark on Jan 6, 2010 22:03:57 GMT
Couple of things really Matt. The first is just the general principle that the club provides Sundays for Asphalt drivers. This is confirmed on the clubs web site, “The club races outdoors at Bashley in the New Forest on Sundays” and that is what we pay our membership for. I am not sure that starting to take away Sundays is a fair thing to do as it stops us doing what we want to do, are members of the club for and have paid for, to race on asphalt. One can always argue about the weather but we raced at Bashley on 20th December and could have raced there on Sunday, although I will admit it was damned cold! I am not sure I fully understand Reuben’s point. To the best of my knowledge this has never happened before and club has not gone broke. When we first joined the club we had our first race in January and in February and March pretty much raced every weekend, outdoors. The 2nd point is very specific, and just adds salt to the wound. I think it has not been confirmed yet but the fixture listing lists 21st March as being indoors. To me this is grossly unfair as it is well into the outdoor season, we will already have had one round of the RRC and 4 rounds of outdoor championship meetings. To make matters worse it is the weekend before the STCC race which means we will not have a race meeting before the STCC (racing indoors don’t count!) unless we go up to Aldershot or Yately, which I guess we will have to do. But generally that negates any playing with setup changes because Bashley and Eastbourne are very similar in setup and I would rather we were racing with our club mates and paying our fees to the club. I didn't really want to go on on this Matt but you asked so you got  It may well be that not doing indoor stuff we are in a minority of one and have to lump it, but I think the principle was fair to raise. |
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Post by lesbaldry on Jan 7, 2010 8:31:01 GMT
Who's up for a meet this Sunday then??....Rumor has it theres a SLCC round in Siberia and I badly need to set up my car ;D Oh Pete come on chap,thats a bit of an unfair dig at the club!...Useing set up/practice as an excuse dont cut it with me. I have set up sheets for every track I have raced on,but I have yet to go to any of these tracks with my "known set up" and make it work well,the conditions and grip vary too much! To be honest and please dont take offence,if its practice with the new weight is worrying you ,dont its not a prob!!! besides when we all heard of the change most of us "turned up" got stuck in and practiced while we had good weather grip asap!!...You were a bit late in taking the advantage to try it,as were you with Brushless and even now you are struggling to "sort " FDRS..Practicing/set ups' for future comps in winter conditions is a waste of time.fact! With this new weight limit any thing learned about any track "set up wise/fdrs" will probably be wrong...How you can compare Eastbourn to Bashley beats me,Eastbourn is super smooth with very poor grip and Bashley is as bumpy as hell with good grip.....We will all be in the same boat with set up this season Pete and the club is doing its best to keep funds flowing in theses economic times....I say hats off to the committee your allowing me to race no mater what the conditions  thanks Guys |
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Post by darrenoakley on Jan 7, 2010 9:20:59 GMT
I agree with Les well said mate. This forum should be a nice place to be, a place to share tips and ask questions about our hobby not somewhere to have a go at the committee late at night.Stuff like this should be spoken about face to face not on the forum where everybody can see, as I would imagine the majority of the club actually don't feel like this.I also think the committee do a great job of arranging meetings to try and suit us all. And remember they are doing this in their own time for nothing. And yes I know a haven't been racing long but I do know there is better ways to get a point across. That's why I apologies for my blunt response. |
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Post by Dave Chamberlain on Jan 7, 2010 12:05:02 GMT
Just to clarify Pete, Our only "confirmed" remaining indoor Sunday is the 21st of Feb. The March date (if we have one) is still TBC, although it was provisionally booked with the hall for the 21st March which we've since been told is no longer available.. It was always the committee's intention to review the March booking in light of weather conditions closer to the time.. The decision to run the indoor Sunday's was made following the success & +ve feedback from the "Miller Mile" and after we had all missed a fair few Sundays racing with the exceptional wet weather we had on the run up to Christmas.. We are all racers and suffer itchy thumbs after missing a few meetings!! It is not our intention to run indoors at the slightest hint of cold or damp weather, but we felt giving all members a chance of 2 or 3 guaranteed meetings between Christmas and the start of spring was a good thing, and please don't forget Bashley is always available for all members to use for setup / practice when not in use for race meetings.. Unless a four wheel drive is required I fully intend to open Bashley booking in at 9am this Sunday and assuming we have a minimum of 8 drivers we will start the first race at 9:45 on the dot.. Although with a -15 deg C wind chill forecast I suggest any one thinking of comming down wears at least 2 pairs of socks!! |
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Post by Reality Racer on Jan 7, 2010 12:29:37 GMT
At the shop I encourage potential new drivers/club member to visit the club website and this forum to hopefully get them racing. If threads like this are what they are confronted with, I feel the club have little chance of attracting new members.
The club can’t afford to put off or lose members and I certainly can’t afford to lose the shop sales these new members generate in these hard times.
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Post by oldtimeracer on Jan 7, 2010 15:41:13 GMT
At least if we are racing indoors we are guaranteed to get some racing in. The problem with outdoors through the winter is that very very few people ever turn up which usually means no racing at all.
You cannot have it both ways when the weather is uncertain. Better to race indoors that not to race at all I say.
Yes we all want to race outdoors when we can but to do that you have to turn up!
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Post by mattsedgley on Jan 7, 2010 16:56:49 GMT
Pete I was considering my response to your post, and the thread has filled up. Obviously a lot of the membership that use the forum feel strongly about your post.
I feel the committee point of view has been covered well with Dave's post.
Personally,
I'm tired of turning up on a Sunday in the freezing cold to race with 4 - 5 people.. far too many people say they'll turn up and don't, It's frustrating when my other racing friends are at meetings of 40+ outdoors (even in cold weather at other clubs)
Given the choice between Racing outdoors with 4 - 5 or even not at all and racing Indoor I'll take indoors to support the club.
Since September I've raced at, Aldershot, Adur, Bashley Indoors, Bashley Outdoors, Maritime, Newbury and Chippenham, for this very reason.
I can only assume the "hypothetical" poll that I put up inspired your first post. - it was designed to gauge opinion before a now cancelled committee meeting.
The demographic of the club is changing, and we're evolving, and honestly it's a thankless task being on the committee of the club at times.
Presently the club funds are the best they've been for quite some time, however it's taken a lot of hard work and good will from many people to cut costs, and streamline our finances.
purely on a finance basis - the outdoor track costs, £50p/w plus petrol and sundries, and that will rise to almost £70 per week from march. based on 8 racers turning up we'd turn a £2 loss, and that's not factoring in for sundries, and petrol for the generator.
Indoors last Sunday in comparison made us well over £100 - which I'd like to highlight, made us more than our "Prestigious" SLCC meeting.
It's a shame you've not been able to make the AGMs for the last two years Pete, Perhaps some of your questions and the direction of our club could have been discussed further in a way which doesn't seem so negative too people from the outside.. all of the committee were voted in and make decisions in the best interests of the club at all times...
If we are to look at making the track better this year, and a possible re-surface, we need to take every opportunity to save money and even make money wherever we can.
Many thanks to those of you who do support the club throughout the entire year, it's much appreciated!
Thanks to all of those who publicly or silently show support for the club in so many ways, you are the people who make our club truly special
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Post by Simon Crabb on Jan 7, 2010 17:47:57 GMT
I'm astonished Pete.
How on earth can you complain about indoor meetings that are proving probably the most attended 'normal' club meetings ever?
In my opinion we don't pay membership fees to act like customers and demand a service that suits every one of us. We pay membership fees to support the club and ensure it's continuing success. It's not a business, it's a structure to allow us to socialise with toy cars!
I've just renewed my SHMCC membership and I reckon I'll only race there a handful of times in 2010, because I'm choosing to do a class that is outside the clubs normal scope. I could have very easily chosen to join an alternative club, but feel that I've put a lot into the club over the years, and choose to continue to support it, even if the racing it offers me doesn't fit with my current racing plans.
My own thanks go out to the committee, and all the other club members that make it what it is, keep it up!
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....Its not difficult,most of us and even Matt ;D sussed the change's needed after just one or two runs for our bumpy little track.....As for gearing,stick to your known FDR,the car will be a bit quicker all round and the motor will run cooler!
It may well be that not doing indoor stuff we are in a minority of one and have to lump it, but I think the principle was fair to raise.
thanks Guys
