I was down at my local outdoor off road track last weekend, speaking with a few of the other drivers. We were on the subject of race fees and a couple of the guys were saying how expensive they are. The subject quickly moved onto how much money the tracks make. I haven’t personally owned a race track, however I did run a bashing and drifting club.

I have had a couple small businesses over the years and worked at the Prince’s Trust as a enterprise executive for new businesses. It also helps knowing a few track owners well enough to get an idea of takings and running costs.

Do R/C Tracks Make Money – Yes they make money, an R/C club is a business. Most tracks turnover just enough money to keep them running. There are start-up and running costs involved which many drivers do not take into account.

R/C tracks come in all sorts of shapes & sizes, cater for different classes and have varying numbers of members. We need to look at R/C tracks like businesses in order to fully understand how much money they make. For a business to make “profit” – the total amount of income must be greater than the total amount of outgoing costs. This is much easier to explain when selling physical goods. If you purchase a pen for $0.50 and sell it for $2 you have made a profit of $1.50.

The following are purely examples based on experience, through talking with track owners and researching cost of materials. I will not mention any track names, unless they are happy for me to do so.

Off-road Outdoor Track Example.

For this example lets go with a European style track which uses Artificial Turf as the surface. Unfortunately this track is out in the middle of nowhere and mains electricity is not an option, a generator will be the alternative. We will have a small outdoor unit for race control, inside the computer, printer, timing decoder, score board and PA system.

The drivers stand will be positioned to over looks the entire track. The stand will need a roof for when the weather is bad. At the front we have a pitting area. On the back we have a car cleaning area with a compressor.

We estimate this track to take 4 weeks to build. For 1 of the 4 weeks we need to hire a digger to build the jumps and move artificial turf around it weighs approximately 2 tones per roll! (filled with sand). Build a following through social media, means we are able to ask for help to build the track from potential members.

Start-up costs (estimate):

• Land (2 acres) = $500 deposit, then $500 per month (state dependent).
• Mini Excavator 1 week = $700
• Artificial Turf = $15,000 (10,000 square foot coverage, artificial turf is very expensive! $1-2 per square foot)
• Piping = $650 (Approx 12,000 feet, 4″ corrugated drain tile is almost half the price of 6″)
• 40 foot container = $2,500 (used)
• MyLaps RC4 Decoder Box  = $3,000
• Timing Loop = $190
• Monitor = $40 second hand
• Computer = $100 (You won’t need anything special, just used for timing equipment)
• Printer = $50
• Generator = $500 (anything 4,000 watts and above is recommended)
• Compressor (optional) = $80 (2 gallon compressor will be enough something like a Campbell Hausfeld)
• PA system = $90 (something like the Pyle KTPMSA20HM from amazon would be fine to start with.)
• Materials = $1800 (drivers stand, roof, stairs and outdoor wooden unit)
• Security (heavy duty padlocks) =$320 – you could spend less but I trust the Squire SS65 to secure my motorbike.
• Dumpster Rental (6 yard) =$600
• Tools (shovels, gloves, drills, screw drivers etc) = $250

Total = $26,370

Sourcing items second hand would reduce the costs significantly, items like artificial turf and piping. Artificial turf needs to be sand filled. This reduces wear and tear and adds weight to keep the turf in place. Its worth having a contingency plan to accommodate unexpected costs like this. The other benefit of sourcing artificial turf second hand is it will already be sand filled.

Now the track is built, we need to market to build up a list of potential members. Opening times are every weekend Saturday & Sunday for practice 3 weeks of the month. We will run a club series for winter and summer, on the 1st Sunday of each month. Building a relationship with other tracks and race organizers will help with promotion.

Artificial turf wears out with heavy use small holes appear. The piping degrades over time too, and leaks could appear in the roof. Little areas like these should hopefully be covered by a maintenance budget which we will save each month.

Estimated monthly running costs:

• Rent =$500 (will vary depending on state and type of land).
• Gas for generator = $80
• Maintenance budget = $100
• Marketing = $80 (leaflets, social media campaigns etc)
• Trophy/plaques for winners = $30
• Timing software = $29.99
• Other costs = $50 (transport to track, paper, printer ink etc)

Total =$869.99

Estimated monthly income:

• 6 non-members attending 7 practice days ($12 each) = $504
• 5 members attending 7 practice days ($10 each) = $350
• 2 new membership  subscriptions ($40 each) = $80
• 1 race series 40 participants ($12 each) = $480

Total = $1,414

Profit – $544.01

These figures are just examples, profit would largely depend on rent fees and the amount of members we have attending. We spent $26,370 to build the track at the current profit margins it would take 4 years to break even.

We could increase profit by hosting more events and looking for additional income streams.

On-road Track Example.

This time we are going to look at the rough costs of building an indoor track. To save money as much as possible, we are going to build this track in a portable way. The idea being that it can be laid down and taken away each race night. This will keep the cost of rent down and also means it is easy for us to change the track design.

This venue will be in a large sports hall, located in a University or School. The track on one side of the hall and the pitting area on the other. We will have a small stage or bench area for the drivers stand. The track surface will be carpet (Fastrak 2) and will cater for on-road and off road cars. This time electricity is included in the rent, we also have use of storage for the carpet and track materials.

Tables are provided by the venue for the pitting area, and parking is available on-site. The plan is to run events every Saturday from 9am till 6pm and have at least 1 race event per month.

Start-up costs (estimate):

• Building rent = $1,440 ($40 per hour, 36 hours a month.)
• Carpet = $9,520 (7 rolls 100ft x 12ft each. This is carpet specifically designed for race tracks, you could source Oztie carpet locally which may be cheaper, or build a smaller track.)
• Piping for edges = $2,649.99 (It is possible to build this yourself from PVC piping, this estimate is from Team CRC. A package deal which includes a range of corners and straight pieces.)
• MyLaps RC4 Decoder Box = $3,000
• Timing Loop = $190
• Monitor = $40 (used)
• Computer = $100
• Printer = $50
• PA system = $90 (something like the Pyle KTPMSA20HM from amazon would be fine to start with.)

Total = $17,079

There are areas we could save money, the carpet and the piping. A word of warning cheap carpet or domestic carpet is not really fit for the a race track surface. It wears out quicker and creates more fluff. This gets tangled up in the cars wheels and drive train. As for piping you could take the DIY option and use PVC piping. It will be harder to calculate the costs, with all the parts needed.

Estimated monthly running costs:

• Rent =$1,440
• Maintenance budget = $50
• Trophy/plaques for winners = $30
• Other costs (transport to track, paper, printer ink etc) = $50

Total = $1,570

Estimated monthly income:

• 16 non-members attending 3 practice days ($12 each) = $576
• 25 members attending 3 practice days ($10 each) = $750
• 4 new membership  subscriptions ($40 each) = $160
• 1 race series 50 participants ($12 each) = $600

Total =$2,086

Profit =$516

This track cost $17,079 to build, it will take just under 3 years to break even, based on the above projections. Every month after this is profit. To break-even faster, we could use more marketing and collaborate with other tracks. Catering for both off-road and on-road electric cars, increases our membership potential. This i simple to do, using removable ramps which can be put down and taken away.

Income Opportunities.

The main income stream is from members attending race events and practice days. You will often find that tracks will have a membership program lets say $40 for the year. Once a member has paid the membership fee they will get a discount on race and practice fees. With memberships you get more money up front, this can help with maintenance costs and builds loyalty with members.

There are some other opportunities track owners can take to increase revenue:

• Banner placement – It is often free to place banners at tracks, however you could leverage this as an income opportunity. Banners are effectively advertising. You could charge a small amount lets say $5, and charge more for prime locations like behind the presentation stand or in the pits area.
• Tutorials – I have noticed some professional drivers doing this, charging a group of people to learn the skills of racing. You could organize beginner lessons or more advanced ones. Perhaps share some of the income to bring in some top level drivers.
• Charity events – This does not directly increase your income. However when you organize an event to raise money for charity it often interests more people. This in turn brings more potential members to your track. It also demonstrates you are supporting your local community.
• Car rentals – You could rent out cars, or equipment to members and non members. This should work well for beginners, letting them get a feel for driving around a track. If the risk of damages seems too high, then you could rent out equipment such as batteries, ESC’s etc.
• Food & Drink – A quick solution to increase income. Be sure to check your local food & hygiene laws. Or arrange for a food van to operate from your track and take a small percentage of the profits.
• Commission on local provisions – The idea is to speak with local hotels and restaurants, present possible businesses to them from referrals when you have a race weekend. For each person you refer to them, in return they give you a small percentage. Like a finders fee. This will work better with independent small businesses.
• Raffle – When the prizes are good raffles are very effective.

Member Incentives.

Members enjoy discounts, deals and a feeling like they belong to something. Keeping things interesting encourages loyalty and return customers. Here are some incentives which should help retain members.

• Track changes – If you incorporate a design into your track that allows you to change things up. It will keep it fresh and exciting. Use a social media group to let drivers vote on the next design, this will keep engagement levels up.
• Discounts for members – Very common to get discounts on race fees, but what about discount on food & drink for members?
• On-site car cleaning facilities – I have two off road tracks local to me, I visit one more frequently than the other. The reason is simple the free use of a compressor.
• On-site electricity – If you can provide drivers with the ability to use mains electricity, its another feature you can offer. If you run a generator, then it may be wise to think of the costs involved.
• Live timing – More tracks should have live timing available. It’s inexpensive really, buy a splitter, attach a couple of monitors to your computer and your in business. You don’t need expensive timing boards or wireless software. It makes sense to put the monitors in a waterproof enclosure though!

Conclusion.

As you can see from the examples this isn’t the type of business to make you a millionaire. You can look at it from an entrepreneurial point of view, incorporating lots of different income streams. However it’s still a passion business, track owners pour in countless hours of work which is really difficult to put a price on. Look at the cost of the cars & equipment, then look at race fees. Lets be honest they are fairly cheap in comparison.

Factor in the cost to build and run a track, you can quickly see owners are not in it for the money. Support your local track as much as you can, hobby shops have faded away due to on-line retail. Lets keep the tracks going!

If you were reading this article because you want to build your own track, send me an email or drop a comment below. I will promote you as much as I can. I wish you all the best!

The post Do R/C Tracks Make Money? – A Look In The Cash Tin appeared first on Racingrccar.com - a resource for racing rc cars.

When it comes to gift giving knowing what to pick for an RC racer can be very difficult. We are a different breed to an RC enthusiast. How so – well an RC enthusiast is someone who has fun with remote control cars outside of a race track. The better term is probably “basher” I wrote an article on the difference between a basher and a racer.  I wouldn’t say a racer is a step up in any way shape or form. At the end of the day we are still playing with remote control cars.

As an RC racer it’s difficult to explain to my family what I want for a gift on a special occasion. If I say something to do with remote control cars, I can guarantee it won’t be something I want or need. In this article I am going to cover the things that might just be on point if you have an RC racer in your circle of friends or family.

Firstly it’s not anyones fault there is so much out there in the RC industry for bashers, racers and people in-between. I am sure at some point you have received a gift you were not that happy about (probably socks like me, although now i’m older socks are good too).

Why is it difficult?

Here is the low down on an RC racer I can only go by my own experience. This will differ depending on time spent as a racer and skill level. We race RC cars for fun, however take it very seriously. An RC racer is likely someone who spends time taking apart and rebuilding a car perhaps 3 times a month. Because it just has to be set-up perfectly for the next race.

• We know what we like – we have our favorite brands for tires, wheels, fuel etc. If you know the favorite brands you are only one step closer. Now you need to know the compound for tires, the compound for inserts, the percentage rating of fuel the list goes on.
• Some of us are sponsored drivers – chances are you know about this. Sponsorship deals mean we are loyal to the brands we are sponsored by. Any other brand just won’t do and likely breaks the terms in contract agreements.
• Non RC people just don’t get it – this applies to any person involved with remote control cars. The conversations go something like this. FRIEND: What did you do at the weekend? ME: I raced my remote control car, came 2nd in b final and 9th in the A final. Would of got a better result but, my shock gave way and dumped oil everywhere. FRIEND: oh right thats cool. It’s just one of those sports unless you are involved you won’t understand the terminology.

With that said, below are a list of gifts which any RC racer would be grateful for. They are broad enough to not upset sponsors and you know it will be a meaningful gift that is appreciated.

1: VRC pro or DLC.

VRC-PRO is a fully fledge RC racing simulator which is as life like as it can possibly be. It comes with 95+ racing tracks of which most are based on real world tracks. 13 classes of RC cars, if the racer you know owns this many or even close. Pop a comment down below I have to know them!

Set-ups, track conditions, car customizations, strong community – you name it will be on the simulator. It’s marketed as the best RC simulator in the world and it’s not hard to see why.

The simulator is now available on steam, with DLC (extra tracks, cars etc) packages being released on a regular basis. I recently wrote a review on the sims features.

2: A quality set-up station.

A well set-up car is vital part to finishing a race. To win you must first finish. When the settings of an RC car are dialed in it makes driving the car so much easier and enjoyable.

To test different set-up changes you need reliable tools, which provide accurate readings. My personal favorite set-up station is Hudy, I have the 1/8th & 1/10th version. Hudy is known in the RC industry for high quality products and has been developing RC products for the last 27 years.

I use the set-up station for camber, camber rise, steering throw and steering symmetry. You can use gauges to measure camber, these measure from the outside edge of the tire. Tires wear down and rims get deformed over time. These change the readings, and often give you different readings each time. You attach a set-up station to the hubs on an RC car which in-turn gives more accurate readings.

3: A quality tool set.

We like to change things on RC cars, if its not a set-up option it’s a strip down in preparation for the next race. Even if you cheat with an electric screwdriver a good quality set of tools that will last is a must. Be warned high quality RC tools are not cheap for what they are. Anything from Hudy, EDS, Arrowmax & MIP will be of high quality.

I prefer the Arrowmax tool sets, I purchased my 21 pcs tool set with bag in 2015 and have used it rigorously for all my RC cars. It’s sadly not available anymore. However they do have the same tool set in the honeycomb design. This is unique to Arrowmax and features an interesting honeycomb design in the handle. The honeycomb 21 pcs tool set is $271.92 from Arrowmax.

Tools included in the set:

• Allen wrenches 1.5mm, 2mm, 2.5mm & 3mm
• Ball driver hex wrenches 2mm, 2.5mm & 3mm
• Flat head screwdrivers 3mm & 5.8mm
• Phillips head screwdrivers 3mm & 5.8mm
• Nut drivers 5mm, 5.5mm & 7mm
• Body reamer
• Arm reamers 3mm & 4mm
• Turnbuckle wrenches 3mm, 5mm & 5mm
• Multi use shock tool
•  Carry case.

4: 12 month subscription to an RC magazine.

RC racing is what we look forward to at the weekend. Sometimes the weekend can seem like a very long way away. There are a few big names in the Magazine scene, like RC Car Action & RC Racer. Both are very good magazines and deserve a mention, but my personal favorite is Velocity RC magazine. The reason for me is one of the staff members “Jeff Eveleigh” was the man who created XXX Main in 1998. If you don’t know what that is, to some it up I would say its extreme RC videos.

Adam Drake – a well respected and known professional RC racer, is also part of the team at Velocity.

Velocity RC magazine is very well priced at $9.99 for 12 months.

5: RC USB Game Adapter.

Image credit: VRC-World

VRC Pro is not the only RC simulator. There is another one which I am currently testing and will write a full review about soon called RC Simulator 2. This was released on steam in October 2015, and has been developed by Devotid. It goes much further than simulating RC cars you have boats, quad-copters, planes and much more.

To fully enjoy RC simulators you really need to control the sim with your real transmitter. VRC Pro and RC Simulation 2 both support USB adapters. You simply plug the servo cables into your receiver and plug the USB into your computer. Choose the USB joypad option in either simulator and away you go, it really is that simple. These USB adapters are available on amazon for $19.99.

6: Action photos at the track.

Hire a photographer for the day to attend the race track and capture some action shots. Action shots look amazing, and even better when a professional photographer takes the pictures.

I’m sure you won’t need to advise them on the areas of the track to take pictures. Here is a few things you could mention a mid air shot, close up on a corner, overtaking another car, finish line, start line with flag blurred and even shots close up in the pits. Once you get the best picture have it framed to add that extra touch.

7: Custom made RC Apparel.

A t-shirt, hoody or hat with their favorite brands and the racers name or nick name is a great way to make anyone look the part. If the racer you know is sponsored it’s a must that you include the manufactures that sponsor them. You may have to do some digging to find out what the brands/manufacturers are, but it will be worth it.

8: Rotary Tool.

You would be surprised at the amount of uses you can get from a rotary tool. Cutting body-shells, trimming tires, sanding rough edges or cutting metal, this tool is very handy to have. A battery powered one is better, it’s the kind of tool you may urgently need at the track. Not all tracks provide electricity.

9: Quality Reliable Lipo Charger.

Charging Lipo batteries fast at the track is very important. You often don’t have much time on a race day, the last thing you want is a dead battery. Charging batteries fast is ideal, but it’s far more important to have a reliable charger. One that will not over charge the battery and will last you for many years.

There is an abundance of Lipo chargers on the market all offering different features & functionality. I have used the Turnigy Reaktor 10A 250w for the past 4.5 years. I will be honest, it’s not a fancy looking charger with a touch screen. It doesn’t have that many features either, but what it can do (charge batteries correctly) it does very well. I have not had a reason to purchase another charger.

It balance chargers 1-6 sell Lipo batteries up to 10amps – this means all of the batteries currently available on the market for RC cars, (at time of writing) will be charged in under an hour, most will be around the 25-40 minute mark. You can test the IR (internal resistance) of your batteries. This is one of the factors which determines how healthy the battery is.

10: Sometimes It’s The Little Things That Count.

These are little things I wouldn’t call a whole present on their own. It’s items like this that can be very helpful when you need them.

• Lipo charging bag – Lipo batteries can be dangerous, these little protective bags are a must to reduce the risk of damage, should the unfortunate happen.
• Pit mat – keeps everything in one place, some have little indentations which keep tools and screws in place.
• Magnetic screw tray –  fantastic for keeping all your screws together. If they fall off the table and your outside then it’s gone for good.
• Pit light – Can use a battery powered led desk lamp. One with a flexible arm is handy for moving the light into any desired position.
• Spare battery charging leads – doesn’t matter how many you have, when your in a rush it’s hard to find charging leads. This is like asking your partner where your keys are (they always know!).
• Ride height gauge – ride height is an important factor in car setup and is track dependent.
• Shock oil & Diff oil – most racers use quite abit of shock and diff oil over the course of a race season. Check the brands and weight they most commonly use, this is one of those items that comes in an abundance of choices.

Conclusion

Gift giving can sometimes be very difficult. Most importantly when your trying to find a gift that will be appreciated. It’s all too easy to just pick anything. You likely found this article because you were putting in some effort to find the ideal gift. Hopefully this article has helped give you some good ideas. Feedback is always welcome, feel free to leave a comment below.

The post Gift Ideas For R/C Racers – What We Really Want! appeared first on Racingrccar.com - a resource for racing rc cars.

I have had a love of remote control cars since I was 8 years old, my mum brought me a toy R/C car from the local retail store for my birthday and since then I have been hooked. As I got older I became more involved in the hobby. I moved onto hobby grade cars like the Tamiya Lunchbox & Baja Champ.

I got into racing remote control cars when I was 21. Racing R/C cars is allot of fun, you build, tune & compete with other drivers to win races. The deeper you go the more you learn. The racing side of remote control cars is huge! there are magazines, sponsored drivers, simulators, club races, national events and even world events. Think along the lines of Nascar or Formula 1, but on a miniature scale and you get the idea.

So is remote control car racing a sport? – If we take the definition of sport from dictionary.com then R/C car racing is not a sport “an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.”

Allot goes into the preparation for racing in order to win. R/C racing has all the same elements as full scale racing. Searching Google for anyone else who may have covered this topic before. Brought me to ABC News who featured an article on Mackay R/C track in Queensland Australia.

The track suffered over $9,000 worth of damages after Cyclone Debbie. The committee applied for funding from the Queensland government to help with repair costs. Their funding request was denied on the basis that the activity does not fall into the definition of a sport.

Here is a video of the 2017 IFMAR World Championships, for 2 wheel drive 1/10th electric off road buggies. A “hobby” which has world championships every year, sounds allot like a sport if you ask me.

R/C Tracks Are All Over The World.

Tracks cater for different types of R/C cars and cover a variety of surfaces. The two main types of R/C cars are Off-road and On-road. Off-road tracks have bumps, jumps and obstacles to catch you out. The common surfaces are dirt, clay, astro turf & carpet (indoor only).

Herts Off Road Track

Image credit: Herts Nitro Model Club

Keitune On-Road Track

Image credit: serpentjp on youtube.

The BRCA – (British Radio Control Car Association) is the governing body for the UK. They set the rules for each class of R/C car of which there are roughly 13 different classes. Every driver that races in the UK will need to be a member of the BRCA. This will then in turn cover them for insurance purposes should anything unfortunate happen.

The BRCA lists at the time of writing 224 different tracks. Lets just say each track has 100 members (a small number for some!) that equates to 22,400 R/C races just in the UK alone. I am very confident when I say that is an under estimation. There are no official figures released to check.

R/C Racing News And Media.

You only have to Google the phrase “R/C News” and thousands of websites will come up. All covering events, product releases, industry insights and more. You start to get a good understanding of how large the R/C racing industry is. My 3 personal favorites are:

RED RC

Red RC started in October 2006. They release daily news articles which cover product releases and event coverage. They also have 3 sister sites ETS – Euro Touring Series, EOS – Euro Off Road Series and ENS – Euro Nitro Series. These sites are each dedicated to covering a racing series spread across tracks in European countries.

LIVE RC

Live RC started in 2005 and was the brain child after a conversation between two friends Brandon Rohde & Doug Hay. The idea was to put live scoring of events over the Internet. Live RC now consists of a team of people and covers events with live streaming and scoring. I remember watching the 2015 Neo race on Live RC. Calling my friend who was at the event and talking about the battle between Ryan Cavalieri, Jared Tebo & David Ronnefalk. My friend was so confused, he thought I was at the event too!

NEO BUGGY

Neo Buggy was started in 2003 by Philip Mortstedt who originally set-up as a hobby. The main focus being off road news. Over the years the website grew in popularity and Philip started the Neo Race. This yearly event has become one of the largest indoor off road events in the world. The race has run consecutively from Harper Adams University in England. 2018 brings the Neo Race to the Redovan Track In Spain.

These three news sites and many more like them cover most of the regional and national events worldwide. News sites is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to media. There are 3 magazines that come to mind which cover the R/C car industry. None of them focus primarily just on the racing scene, although all 3 do feature articles from events and tips from professional team drivers.

R/C Sponsorship.

It’s difficult to not think of R/C racing as a sport when sponsorships are involved. They are many different types of sponsorships most of which will include discount rates on product purchases. In return for drivers who professionally support the brands, can consistently win races and offer support to new comers.

Sponsorship opportunities have become more popular over the last decade. If your focus is to get a sponsorship to make money. Then you are thinking about it the wrong way. Very few and I mean very few people are paid to race remote control cars. Those that do get paid are the best in the world, and travel all over the world to compete with the best. I covered the topic of sponsorship recently in more detail.

Racing Simulators For R/C Racing.

2011 saw the release of VRC-PRO a R/C racing simulator which had been in development since 2005. This today is by far the most advanced simulator on the market. In addition to the simulator there are USB adapters that allow you to connect a receiver to your PC.

This allows you to use the simulator with a transmitter just like a real R/C car. The simulator has 13 different classes of cars and over 95 tracks to choose from. The tracks are designed from real world tracks and feature all the bumps, jumps and corners as the real world tracks.

VRC – Pro was released on the steam network in 2015. This is the same year another racing simulator was released. RC Simulation which has later been updated to RC Simulation 2. This simulator doesn’t have as many tracks to choose from.

What it does have is a range of other R/C models built into it. You can choose between cars, boats, planes and more. There is also a track builder, you are able to create your own track. At first glance the physics feel very realistic, the choice of cars and default tracks is great. You are able to use the same USB adapter you can with VRC to control the simulated models. I am still currently testing RC Simulation 2 in preparation for a review – stay tuned.

Parts of an R/C Car.

Professional hobby grade R/C cars come in kit form. This means you have an instructional manual and a several parts bags. You need to build the car from scratch, every screw and every part. This may sound daunting at first, but it pays off later on. You will know how to take it apart when damages happen or parts wear out. It’s also very rewarding racing the car you built from scratch.

The rest of the parts to R/C cars are pretty much the same. The main difference will be the power source you use.

• Servos – these are motorized leavers which control steering or engine throttle and brakes. For electric cars you only need 1 servo for the steering.
• Transmitter & Receiver – often sold together, the transmitter is your controller. These come in 2 different varieties a wheel transmitter and a stick transmitter. The receiver is a little device you place inside the car. You then plug your servos into the receiver and control them with the transmitter.
• ESC – an electronic speed controller is only used in electric cars. It controls the speed of the motor and uses the motor for braking. ESC’s come with many tuning options to suit different driving styles. ESC’s connect to the receiver just like servos.
• Power source – for electric cars you have an electric motor that connects to the ESC. Nitro cars use nitro engines that run on nitro methane fuel. The third power source is gas powered, which is very different to nitro. These are the same types of engines you will find in lawn mowers or chainsaws and run on a mix of 2 stoke oil and regular gas.
• Paint – most kits come with a clear body shell, this will allow you to paint the car any color you wish. You can also have these professionally painted.
• Tires, Inserts & Glue – tire compound and tread pattern make a huge difference in how R/C cars handle. Inserts are used as a tuning factor and come in various compounds. These change how soft or hard the tire is and tire glue is used to keep the tire on the wheel.

The Gear & Tools.

Ever took your full size car to the garage and had wheel balancing? – Well you guessed it you can even go as far as balancing wheels for remote control cars too! – it really does get that in-depth.

Muchmore Wheel Balancer

Setting up an R/C car perfectly is pretty darn close to setting up a real full scale race car.

• Set-up stations – these help you setup camber, camber rise, steering throw & symmetry.
• Shocks – different viscosity oils, pistons, shafts & springs all play a role in tuning.
• Differentials – different viscosity oils is the main tuning option. On some cars you can fix the differential if needed (drifting cars).
• Tools – hex driver set, rotary tool, vernier caliper, pliers, cutters, body scissors, body reamer, turnbuckle spanner and nut drivers are amongst the most common.
• Set-up tools – ride height gauge, camber gauge, ruler, set-up board & wheel balancer.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, for a more detailed list have a look at What tools do I need to race RC Cars?

Conclusion.

All comments, suggestions and remarks are welcome – feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you didn’t know much about the R/C racing world, hopefully this article has given you a good perspective of how popular and involving this “hobby” is. It may not be declared as an official sport but lets be honest it is pretty darn close!

The post Is Remote Control Car Racing A Sport? appeared first on Racingrccar.com - a resource for racing rc cars.

When I was starting out racing I made lots of mistakes and I decided to learn the hard way. Each time I see newcomers, I often see them making some of the same mistakes I did.

RC cars are just fun! – lets be honest, call it what you want hobby grade or toy car it doesn’t matter. When you decide to take your hobby one step further and look into racing R/C cars. It gets serious and fun (seriously fun!). It’s like a hobby with-in a hobby. Lots of new information starts flooding in that you didn’t even think of before. You purchase all the gear and your just excited to go out on the track.

Here are 10 mistakes new drivers often make, some I have made myself. Others have been from newcomers I have met over the years. Hopefully this article will help you avoid these common mistakes.

1. Not having a properly setup car.
2. Not walking the track.
3. Not thinking about a fixed driving point.
4. Wrong tire choice.
5. No spare parts backup.
6. Pushing too hard.
7. Turning settings up to the max.
8. Awareness of faster drivers.
9. Giving up too soon.
10. Not asking for help.

Correctly set-up car.

This doesn’t mean you have to understand all the setup options on an RC car. What I am talking about here is getting the basics in place.

• End points – a large number of new drivers commonly forget to set end points up correctly. There is a tell tale sign when your end points are not set up. Your servo will keep trying to turn the wheels after full lock. On a throttle servo, you want your carburetor to fully open and no-more.
• Antenna – if your laughing at this one then just bare with me. Some antennas only function from the top part. If you want to keep things neat and tidy by placing the antenna inside the box. It may mean you loose signal at the far end of the track. Be careful of damages also a broken antenna can drop signal quality considerably.
• Oils – fresh oil and the correct oil is very important in the shocks and the differentials. If you are not sure what oil to put in, go with the manufactures recommended starting setup. You will find this in your instruction manual or on the manufacturers website.
• Gear mesh – both electric and nitro cars require the right amount of meshing. This is the gap between the pinion/clutch and spur/main gear. Check, re-check and then check again. Place a piece of paper between the gears you want it to slide through no problem.
• Ride height – this is set by adjusting your suspension preload, ensure the left and right side of your car are set the same. You can have small differences between the front and back. Measuring your suspension preload vernier caliper and you ride height with a ruler will help.

Walking the track.

The amount of people that sit chatting in the pits and forget to do this is astonishing. Take your race friends with you and spend some time just walking round and inspecting the track. You will get a great idea for any hidden dips, bumps or obstacles. Inspect all areas of the track. That corner you thought was very small and tight from the rostrum, may actually be quite large as you walk around.

You may see areas were you could go faster, or where you will actually need to go slower than you thought. Trust me, walk round the track before you race on it. It will pay you back later on. Those of you that have walked the track before, its still worth your time, things change over time.

Fixed driving point.

It’s actually harder than you think to stay in one set position and drive a car round a track. Your perspective of the track will change depending on where you stand. Next time you go to the track, try standing in a different spot on the rostrum. We all have our favorite spots, that one area we feel best suits us.

Sometimes you may not be able to stand in your favorite spot. Race directors call starting positions out for finals one by one. As each driver is called out they go in the qualifying position on the rostrum. That spot you have been standing in all day during the qualifying rounds, may be gone when it comes to your final.

Wrong tire choice.

Tires are one of if not the most important tuning factor, when it comes to racing. You can spend hours fine tuning your suspension, ride height, camber and droop. None of these make as much difference to your lap times as choosing the wrong set of tires. Most new drivers will turn up at the track with the any type of tire, and spend all day fighting to control the car.

Spend a little time doing research, you don’t have to spend much time at all. Speak to your local track owner or ask the drivers, what the recommended tire is. In the beginning this may not seem all that important. Choose the right tire for the track and you will have an an advantage over those who didn’t.

Spare parts backup.

The truth is, accidents happen crashes and wear & tear is no different in racing. When you have chosen the car you want to race, buy a few of the common parts. Things like screws, nuts, drive shafts, lower suspension arms, gears & turnbuckle links. It’s really not good when a part malfunctions and you don’t have a spare. Race days can end quickly, even from a simple thing like a screw falling out.

Pushing too hard.

What I mean by this is when I see drivers hammer the accelerator, brake hard, turn sharp and then hit the accelerator as hard as possible out of the corner. Aggressive driving styles are common among drivers, in the beginning you will be better of if you do things smoother. Take your time to learn the track, I get that you want to go as fast as possible, we all do!

You will save more time in the beginning by diving slower and learning the track. Than you will just focusing on going as fast as possible. Just try it, next time your at the track accelerate, brake and turn less aggressively. You will notice your car is far more stable, you will have less weight transfer and less body roll in the corners.

Set to the max!

There are so many tweaks and tuning options on an RC car is actually quite astonishing. As you spend more time on the track you will want to find ways to go faster. We all do, so your not on your own. There are however some areas, which can do more harm than good when you set them to the highest possible setting.

• High response servos. – All servos have a torque and speed rating. High voltage servos will respond quicker with a higher voltage supply. A fast steering response can actually cause you to constantly over correct. The fastest way round a track is the straightest line. If you have a high voltage servo, try dropping it down to 6.0v.
• ESC Throttle punch. – Throttle punch controls how quickly an electric car will accelerate. More punch means more acceleration, so why is that bad thing? – When your punch is set too high for the track your wheels will spend more time spinning. Than they will providing forward momentum.
• Brake strength. – When you set your brakes too strong, you loose time. It also puts undue stress on your drive train. It’s possible to front flip your car on high traction tracks.
• Engine turning. – Tuning your engine to run as lean as possible is high risk. You run the risk of blowing your engine up at any point. Just like with electric cars and throttle punch you could also be spending more time spinning your wheels. An engine which is a little rich will last far longer that one that is too lean.
• Dual rate. – Dual rate controls how far your servo moves in each direction. If your steering response is a little too quick you can use the D/R to slow it down.

Awareness of other drivers – race craft.

When your starting out this can be very hard to do. It’s not just beginners that need to be aware of other drivers, its all drivers full stop. When your racing it can be hard to tell who is behind you or in-front. Sometimes race directors will call your car number out to make you aware of a faster driver approaching.

• Faster driver approaching – its quite obvious to tell when a faster driver is approaching. They should not however ram you out the way. When a faster driver is coming up behind, try to move just a car length away from the racing line. If you move too far away you could, diminish your own position.
• Clean over takes – when it’s time for you to overtake another driver hang behind them, putting the pressure on. Till you spot the opportunity to overtake. If it is a driver in a lower race position than you. They should move off the racing line as you approach. When you overtake try to pass as cleanly as possible.

Here is a fantastic example of good race craft, in the Euro 2018/19, 1/10th scale modified truck 2nd leg A main. Very clean overtakes and slower drivers moving off the racing line, as race leaders approach.

Giving up too soon.

Anything can happen in racing and I mean anything! – It can get a little disheartening when you make a mistake and fall back by several places. Even worse when you collide with another racer and need help from a marshal. Don’t give up, seriously you just never know what will happen later in the race. There has been so many instances where drivers have pulled it back at the last minute.

Search Youtube for Ty Tessmann, and you will see for yourself. The guy never gives up, he is one of the best R/C drivers in the world and is a prime example of not giving up. When the going gets tough, he is one of those drivers that can stay in the game and make his back to the front.

Run your own race, just try to focus on your car. Imagine no one else is on the track with you. It’s just you out there putting in some practice day lap times. I like to use this technique in a race, it helps when things go wrong. When you focus just on your own car everything else will fall into place, it will help keep you calm.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

I have a few hobbies air rifle shooting, racing and climbing. What I have found in R/C it doesn’t matter what country you race in. You come across friendly and helpful people all the time. Don’t be worried about making yourself look silly. There is always someone who will be happy to help you.

Aside from asking for help, most will also be willing to help you with set-ups. I say most because the ones that are unable too are often still learning themselves.

Bonus tip – RC Simulator.

I recently published a review on VRC-Pro. If you are not familiar with VRC its an RC racing simulator, which gives you the most realistic experience possible for racing remote control cars. You can connect your transmitter with a USB adapter and control the cars. I wouldn’t say playing this simulator would make you a pro in real life, but it is great practice.

Any track time is valuable experience, VRC has 13 classes of cars and 95+ tracks to choose from. Most of the tracks are modeled after real tracks.

Conclusion.

Hopefully you now have a heads up, when you go to the track. Avoid these basic mistakes and you will save valuable time, time that can be better spent on the racing line. If you made a mistake or are aware of any other mistakes not mentioned here. Feel free to place them in the comment section below.

The post 10 Mistakes New R/C Drivers Make When Racing. appeared first on Racingrccar.com - a resource for racing rc cars.

Lipo (Lithium-polymer) batteries are huge in the RC industry. They have taken over from the old technology of Nimh (Nickel-metal hydride) and Nicad (Nickel-cadmium) batteries. They are superior in longevity and constant current but they do have there downsides.

The quick answer is yes, they can explode and catch fire. If you take the time to understand how they work you can pick up on what makes them safe. Safety is very important when it comes to any type of battery. Prevent the batteries from having punctures and keep a look out for any swelling.

The Internet has a whole host of Lipo battery explosions. Over the years Lipo batteries have been improved and developed to be safer. Back in 2017 it was reported that Mike Zimmerman (Professor & Engineer at Tufts University) was working on a new type of Lipo battery that holds more energy and will not explode.

Source: PBS – Nova

Lipo batteries are not just used in electric remote control cars. They come in all shapes and sizes, and fit into other aspects of the radio control industry. To name a few nitro cars (receiver battery), starter boxes, RC boats, RC aircraft and transmitters.

How does a Lipo battery explode?

A Lipo battery is capable of containing a huge amount of electrical energy in a tiny space. Lipo batteries can explode through the following means. You will notice that these causes are often through misuse or without due care and attention.

• Shortage – if the positive and negative side of a Lipo battery touch this will short out the battery. This could happen through human error. Connecting the negative and positive terminal the wrong way round into your ESC (electronic speed controller). Wear and tear as you connect and disconnect your battery. The connectors can become loose and touch each other. If you get a small nick in the battery cable this could also cause the battery to short out.
• Puncture – when a Lipo battery becomes punctured all the energy inside is released in an instant. When this happens the battery rapidly expands and white smoke pours out which can turn into fire. A puncture tends to happen during high impact crashes. Hard case Lipo batteries are safer for remote control cars. The hard plastic outer shell offers more protection.
• Over charging – You can’t charge Lipo batteries the same way as Nimh and Nicad batteries. You need to use a specific lipo battery charger. Make sure it’s a good reputable brand name the market is full of fakes. Each cell within a Lipo battery needs the voltage to be constantly monitored as it’s charging. Your Lipo charger should under no circumstances charge your battery at more than 4.2v per cell. When a Lipo battery is overcharged it will expand and continue to until it can no longer hold the energy and poof!
• Over discharging – Lipo batteries have a current rating labeled as “C”. When you have a high current application you can be asking for more energy than your battery can provide. You often get warning signs of over discharging before too much damage is done. The battery will start to swell or feel hot. Make sure you don’t let a Lipo battery go below 3.0v per cell, it’s very unlikely to have a battery explode from going below 3.0v per cell. However it will cause damage to the battery. It’s important that the device you connect your battery to is compatible with Lipo batteries. When a device is compatible it will automatically ensure the voltage does not go below 3.0v per cell.

What to do if your Lipo battery expands.

When a Lipo battery expands it’s a red flag telling you something is wrong. There are a whole host of techniques available on-line with different ideas, on how to save a swollen battery. Don’t do it it’s simply not worth the risk the more your battery becomes swollen the more unstable it is.

Lipo batteries do expand during operation. If your Lipo battery stays swollen after use and no longer fits in the battery housing. Unfortunately it needs to be correctly disposed of. You local hobby shop will be able to help you dispose of unwanted batteries.

How to correctly charge a Lipo battery.

Lipo safe bags are a fantastic aid in preventing damage to your home. I say “home” because while they will not prevent a battery from exploding, they will however contain a battery failure.

Using a genuine brand name charger will ensure your battery is correctly monitored during charging. There are 2 main ways to charge a Lipo battery. The first is a standard charge on this setting you connect your battery to the charger using the negative and positive wires (black and red). The charger will automatically detect the number of cells in your battery and start to charge. You can also fast charge lipo batteries on some chargers. In the instruction manual which came with your battery the manufacturer will state the maximum C rating for charging.

If you have a 6,000 mah Lipo battery and you charge it at 1 C you will be charging at 6 amps. If you charge at 2 C you will be charging at 12 amps. Some manufactures have very high maximum charge ratings, personally I don’t like to charge my Lipo batteries at more than 1 C.

The second method is balance charging. When you balance a Lipo battery it can take longer to charge. The difference is you connect the balance lead (usually a white plug) as well as the negative and positive terminals. As the battery is charging the charger will be monitoring each cell. Adding more or taking away current as the battery is being charged. It’s wise and widely recommended in the RC community the balance charge your Lipo batteries every so often.

How long does it take to charge a lipo battery?

This depends on the capacity of your Lipo battery and the rate at which you charge. Below is a table with 3 examples, you will notice you can charge different capacity batteries in the same amount of time. This is as long as your charger can cover the charging current needed.

Manufacturers will state the maximum charge rate of the charger in amps. For example the Turnigy Reaktor 250w charger is rated at 10 amps, and can charge 1 to 6 cell Lipo batteries. This means you can charge at a maximum of 10 amps.

These times are only achievable if the battery cells are not severely imbalanced. When cells are not correctly balanced the charger works harder. Charge is added to the battery and the cell that is higher is drained down a little to match the lower cell (as best as possible). This process continues until the charger reaches the best result.

A healthy battery can have the cells out by a few points of a volt example 4.20v – 4.17v. If the cells are out by more than 0.15v or 1 cell has significantly gone above 4.2v (example 4.35) then your battery is very unlikely to become balanced again.

Storing Lipo batteries safely.

Store Lipo batteries in Lipo safe bags. Batteries discharge very slowly over time, the longer you leave a lipo battery unused the more it will discharge. This brings me on to Lipo storage voltage. RC chargers have a storage charge setting. This will charge your Lipo battery to a rating of 3.8v per cell. Whilst I don’t believe you need to do this every time you come home from the race track. I like to leave my batteries with at least some charge in them and always more than 3.0v per cell.

The folks at Propwashed conducted a test on 3 different states of storing a Lipo battery. Full charge, storage charge & no charge. Granted they do use batteries designed for quad copters. Hard case Lipo batteries could have different results, perhaps I should do a similar test, let me know in the comments below. The results in their test show that at the 3 different states the batteries performed similar to one another. The battery stored at full charge performed the worst.

What are all the numbers on Lipo batteries?

There are several numbers on Lipo batteries it can get a little confusing trying to understand what they all mean.

Example A: 8,000 mah, 2S, Lipo battery.

Example B: 6,000 mah, 2S, Lipo battery.

• C rating – this tells you the maximum amount of current the battery can supply. My 8,000 mah battery has a 100 c discharge rating. This means the battery can supply 800 amps (8 x 100 = 800) enough current to start a full size car. My 6,000 mah battery has a discharge rating of 90c this battery can provide 540 amps.
• Mah rating – the mah is the capacity of the battery 1,000 mah = 1 amp. So my 8,000 mah battery is 8 amps and the 6,000 is 6 amps. The larger the capacity the longer run time you will get on your RC car.
• Cell count – this tells you the amount of cells inside the battery. You will find this on batteries as an “s” rating example 2s is a 2 cell battery. Don’t worry if your battery does not have this rating you can easily work it out with the voltage. Lipo cells are rated at 3.7 v per cell. (even though fully charged they will go up to 4.2v). So my 8,000 mah battery has 7.4v on the sticker, if we take 3.7 and multiply it by 2 we get 7.4 so this is a 2s battery. A 14.8v battery will be 4s 3.7 multiplied by 4 equals 14.8.
• Watt hours – this reading tells you how many watts per hour the battery can provide. To work this out we take the volts and multiply that by the amps. We can see that my 8,000 mah battery is 8 amps and we also know its a 7.4v battery. 7.4 multiplied by 8 gives us 59.2. This means the battery can provide 59.2 watts per hour.
• Voltage – very important to know the voltage of the battery. 1/8th scale racing has a restriction of 4s. You can be disqualified for using anything above this limit. We know that voltage can be used to work out cell count. So a 4s limit will be a 14.8v battery, In my case I will need 2 of the 8,000 mah batteries in series to reach 14.8v. It’s also important to know voltage for limits on your devices.

Other types of batteries used in rc cars.

Nicad – Nickel-Cadmium batteries operate in very low temperatures are 1.2v per cell and release energy at a constant rate till they die.

The main downside to Nicad batteries is the “memory issue”.  As an extreme example if your let a Nicad drop to 50%. Then charged it up to 100%, then let it drain down again. When it gets to 50% of its capacity it will forget it has 50% more capacity. To get the most out of a Nicad it’s best to fully discharge the battery before charging it up.

Nimh – Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries have been around for a long time in the RC car industry. If you had an RC car as a kid then it likely had a Nimh battery. Not as common today as Lipo batteries however these are still used by enthusiasts and sold in RC shops around the world.

These are 1.2v per cell the energy release slows down towards the end. You know when a Nimh battery is about to die. Your car will slow down and run slower as the battery depletes. A common size for RC cars is a 6 cell nimh battery which makes 7.2v.

Li-Fe – Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are a similar technology to Lipo batteries. These are rated at 3.6v per cell sometimes 3.7v. They require a special charger like Lipo batteries and shouldn’t be discharged below 3.0v per cell. Lipo chargers have a setting to charge LiFEPO4 batteries as well (this could be labeled as Li-fe). The most common use in RC cars is RX (receiver) packs in nitro cars.

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VRC Pro is a racing simulator designed specifically for the RC car industry. VRC Pro started development in 2005 and was released by Virtual Racing Industries Ltd after rigorous testing in September 2011. Upon release nearly 2000 users signed up, since then this simulator has grown to be the worlds best RC car racing simulator. It now has 180,000+ registered users, 95+ tracks and 13 classes of RC Cars. The majority of the race tracks are modeled after real world tracks. In 2015 Virtual Racing Industries released VRC Pro on steam. Now you can enjoy this racing simulator along with all your other games.

In my opinion I would say VRC Pro is the best RC racing simulator on the market. It’s much more than a game, it goes much deeper into setups and conditions than any other RC game has. You can change the conditions of the tracks, change setup options and race using your own transmitter.

Disclaimer: I have the “Lifetime All-Inclusive License”, from the VRC-World website. This license offers unlimited access to all the DLC content, all cars and tracks. When you purchase the game through steam it comes with a base of cars and tracks. Additional DLC content is available through steam.

Setup & installation.

To play VRC Pro you don’t need the latest and greatest PC on the market. The specifications are actually quite low considering all the physics at play. It runs just fine on my laptop which is a 5 year old Toshiba running windows 7.

System requirements taken from Steam game page.

You can download the game for FREE from the website. With the free version you currently get 10 free cars and 10 free tracks.

You can play VRC Pro using the keyboard on your computer, which works just fine and many racers do use keyboard or joypad.

To get the most realistic experience from the simulator. I highly recommend you purchase a VRC Pro USB adapter. These are available from Amazon, VRC directly and various other retail outlets.

This little adapter enables you to play VRC Pro with your own transmitter and receiver. Simply plug the connectors into your receiver just like you would with servo cables. Then plug it into your computer via the USB and you are away.

When you first start the game you will be in the pits area. From here you have the following options:

• Practice
• Time Trail
• Events
• Multiplayer
• Replay
• Car Setup
• Select tracks
• Select cars
• Accessories
• Accounts
• Options
• Credits
• Exit

Track, opponents & AI.

With more than 95 tracks available there is no shortage of choice. On-road, & off road options are plentiful, most of the tracks are designed based on real world tracks. The tracks are very detailed and feature all the bumps, jumps and corners of the real versions. You can try an off-road car out on an on-road track in practice mode, which is a nice touch.

When you are settled on your chosen track, you can adjust several track conditions:

1. Race Direction
2. Race Duration
3. Qualify Duration
4. Air Tempreture
5. Atmospheric pressure
6. Humidity

The AI is an option to turn on or off and you have 3 difficulty sections low, medium and high. You can then choose how many opponents you want to compete with. It’s not really AI in the traditional sense. Its recordings of other real world users who have set times around the track. This makes it more realistic, if they made a mistake you will see that on track as you race with them.

The downside to this is, if there are no recordings for the track or chosen difficulty rating then you won’t have any opponents. You can however host a multilayer session. You can then invite friends or complete strangers to race with you. Collisions is a feature you can turn on or off, for some this is a great little feature. When collisions are turned off everyone is like a ghost, you can’t be taken out!

Some top level events have the collisions turned off. It sounds a little more unrealistic but with collisions on, unexpected things can happen which throw you off. An unexpected crash anywhere could cost you the race as a result.

Car choices.

On the full unlimited license there are 13 classes of cars to choose from. You have 2 options for each class spec or fully modified. Spec allows you basic tuning options like steering strength, anti roll bars, fuel mixture, gearbox and brake settings. Modified allows you to change almost everything, you can in real life. You can also create multiple setups of the same car to suit different tracks.

Aside from tuning options, you can customize the cars chassis, body shell, esc/engine, wheels, tires, fuel, transponder and more.

Setup options.

You have more setup options available when your not on a track. However when you do go out on track. Simply drive into the pits you can and will will have a few options to make quick setup changes. One of my favorite features as in means you don’t need to close your current session.

The options available do depend on your car selection. Below is the options I had with the 1/8th scale Electric buggy in modified spec.

The community.

The on-line side of VRC is very in-depth. When you log into your account you are greeted with your profile, friends list, race stats and much more. You can see how many members are on-line, how many friends and how many people are playing the game.

• VRC News – announcements for game updates and company news.
• Events – under the events section you can look at whats upcoming. This includes start time, event name, the class, number of participants and when the event finishes.
• Series – these can be filtered by class. You get the same sort of information as the events listing with the addition of your current position for the series.
• Rankings – this is a list of the best VRC drivers for each class. Top 10 for overal classes and top 3 for each sub class.
• Forums & Community – the forum is very active. The community tab is an overview of whats happening latest topics, videos, pics etc.
• Tracks – the tracks tab gives you an overview of each track. This includes current events running and daily results. When you are logged into your account and click on a track, you get your stats for that track also.
• Components & Accessories – these are virtual items you can purchase. Components include things like bodyshells, engines batteries & wheels. Accessories include things like hauler bags, chargers, pit mats & tools.
• Clubs – create and manage your own club, or join existing clubs. You can filter clubs based on car class.
• Tips – section is similar to a knowledge base and is a selection of helpful topics from the forum.
• Replays, Photos & Videos – upload replays, photos and videos to share with the community.

Gameplay Verdict.

The graphics are pleasing to the eye. Whilst they are lacking in visuals if and its a big if you compare them to some of the latest games available. The tracks are as much like the real version as they can be in a virtual sense. Using your own transmitter gives you the best experience, this game really comes alive.

You can change the viewing angle to follow the car behind by pressing f2. To keep it as realistic as possible I recommend you stick with the default rostrum view. Plus and minus keys on your keyboard will adjust the zoom. The physics are remarkable, the car behaves as it would in real life over jumps, bumps and corners. In the follow mode you can actually see the suspension at work and the car rolling when you change direction.

If you make a mistake and land on your roof simply press the space bar and after a few seconds you will be back on track. You can’t really cut the track. If you do mistake or not your current lap time will not count. You will be reminded by a voice message a few seconds later. Saying “press the space bar or the lap will not be counted” – this can get a little frustrating at times.

Events are structured the same as you would see in real life. Qualifying rounds first (set the amount you want) followed by finals. As you race round, driver positions and lap-times are displayed in the top right hand corner.

There are no actual marshals and the spectators are nice 2d versions of people, think cardboard cutout. But this is a simulator, the purpose of a simulator is to simulate the sport in as life likeness as possible. In my opinion VRC Pro does a dam good job of achieving this. It’s recognized by industry professionals who use it as a training tool. For me personally when I get good times on a particular track it kind of transfers to real life. I say kind of because I haven’t had the opportunity to race on the same track with the same setup to compare.

This simulator is great for setup changes and seeing how they affect the car. For beginners the most important aspect. Is probably that you can try a wide range of cars without forking out the money to purchase them. Granted to get all the available cars you need to have the DLC or an unlimited license. For me it was worth the €199.95 at the time of purchase and still is today.

Image source: VRC-World & Game Screenshots

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RC racing is very competitive at all levels club, national & world class. Even if your moto at the track is to finish the race you still want to do batter than you did last time right? Natural ability can help you only so far. There will come a point when you are thinking how do I get better at this.

I have put together the following list of 9 tips I find have helped me the most. These are not your average tips talked about at the track and some may seem a little quirky. As with any sport practice makes perfect (only when you practice what works).

For these tips to make the most sense, I will assume the following:

• You own a hobby grade remote control car.
• Have raced RC cars or have spent time driving an RC car round a track.
• Want to improve your skills on the track.

1: Have a friend video you, driving round the track.

This is a fantastic way to analyze how you drive. You won’t need to publish it on Youtube and it doesn’t have to be the highest quality video out there. A smart phone will do just fine. Ask your friend to follow the car but ensure its not zoomed in too much. This trick also works during a race, in fact I would recommend you film a race and a practice session. The reason for both is a practice session can be very relaxing. I have got some of my best lap times during a practice session. When you are in the heat of a race it’s nerve racking and that plays a big role in how you drive.

So you have a couple videos now what?

Look at how you take corners.

• Do you follow the racing line? – The racing line is the straightest route around a corner.
• Do you brake too soon? – If you are on and off the brakes you will be loosing time. If you spend any time coasting up to or in a corner you will also be loosing time.
• Does your car look balanced? – If your cars wheels are coming off the ground as you are turning traction is being lost.

How do you handle traffic?

When you are overtaking another driver or a faster driver is coming up behind you. It’s import to look at how you handled that. Look closely at changes of direction, braking and acceleration. Any sudden changes can unbalance your car or throw you out of the “zone”.

2: Get in the “Zone”.

Have you ever been driving home from work and everything for a brief moment just flew by. You might of covered a few miles and then finally realized. Another driver might of just randomly pulled out in front of you and you took it in your stride, handled it like a boss. Stayed calm and you responded almost instinctively. This is what I like to call the Zone.

Its when everything just happens you feel like a natural expert. It could only last for a moment, but during that moment you had it in the bag! Now its all good and well me saying just get into the Zone. I may as well just tell you to be a great driver and end this article here.

 I asked permission from Joseph Quagraine of JQ Racing to create the following video (he said he was happy with it -not many people would be!) its my kind of humor.

Anyway, here are a few tips I have picked up that help me out.

• Run your own race – very hard to do but just try to focus on your car. Nothing else regardless of how intense the race is. Think of it like a practice day it’s just you out there on your own driving round. When you can focus just on your car and not look at other drivers you will have better control over your car.
• Reward yourself (silently) – this can be on any aspect of the race large or small. Land a good jump, take that corner in style or overtake like a professional, reward yourself. When I do something I think is cool I say to myself “that was epic”. Don’t make a huge fuss about it. Just a quick little thought before your onto the next area of the track.
• Plan ahead just not too far ahead– this is easier with more track time. Try to think about the next corner or obstacle. Do this the split second that you have completed a corner or an obstacle. Have the next one in your head ready, before it happens.

3: Make a setup change.

It’s worth having a basic setup to begin with start with the recommended setup from your chosen manufacturer. You could pick the same setup as a local or professional driver. It is better to start with a basic setup and learn from there. If you are not sure how to fill in a setp sheet I wrote an article explaining the different parts of a setup sheet.

Pick just one setup option like camber, ride height or shock oil. When you focus on one aspect of tuning it’s far easier to see its effects negative or positive. Once you start making changes pay close attention to the effect it had and write it down. Keep changing it until you feel it’s gone too far. Once you change an area it can affect another. As you go through the different areas one by one. You will get better at setup up your car.

4: Create a spread sheet to track achievements .

This is ironic for me, I don’t like spread sheets much. However I do find this very helpful and it works for me. You can create one similar or download mine for free (I don’t ask for emails). I like to include the event, setup sheet, finishing position best lap time, average lap time and the time between best and average. This sort of works like the video step except we can only see limited pieces of information.

From the best and average you can see the difference between the two. The higher the difference the more the section will be highlighted in red. You can also quickly see the report graph and get an idea for which result was the best.

This is by no means an exact science as there are variables like track condition and temperature which can effect performance. However it does help point you in the right direction. Over the course of a year you will have a catalog of information. Which you can look back on, it’s also useful to have this information available for any sponsorship opportunities which may come along.

The time is recorded as MM:SS.00

5: Race at different tracks or mix things up.

Racing at different tracks will widen your skill range. Other tracks will have different obstacles, you may have to learn a new technique. If you stay on the same track you can pickup little mistakes that you may not realize. If you practice the wrong thing you will only improve your muscle memory at doing the little mistakes.

Not everyone will have the opportunity to attend different tracks. If that is the case then try mixing it up on a practice day ask permission to run the track in reverse. You could also try a different scale of car if it is allowed. A little trick I personally like to try is running my 1/8th scale electric buggy at 65% throttle. I do this for an extended period of time (only on practice days) until it feels normal.

When the speed is limited to 65% it feels very slow. I have to take every corner slower, each jump has to be timed better. Then when i turn it back up to 100% it feels strange. I feel like I have to learn to adjust quickly. It feels much faster and I have to readjust timings and the corners.

When I go slow round the track I take better lines than when I am pushing as hard as possible. When I turn the power back on those lines stick in my head, I end up taking the same lines at a much higher speed.

6: Create lap time goals and compete with a friend.

This really helped me improve my skills at my local track. My racing buddy set a fast lap time and I was determined to beat him. When I did I made sure he was the first person to know about it. He then went on track until he beat me, we kept doing this until the lap times became so close we called it a draw. Competing with a friend helps you to push yourself harder. When you do it on a practice day there are not risks of loosing a race.

When we race there isn’t much between us. The focus is to win the race, but if we don’t we are still happy if we beat each other. It’s exciting when you get close to your best lap time in a race. You end up creating another goal for yourself which lifts you up.

7: Practice with faster drivers.

You don’t have to find the most top rated professional to race with. Clubs have drivers of all skills levels. Pick someone who is a little better than you. When your on track with faster drivers you tend to push yourself harder in order to keep up. If they are too fast then this trick defeats the purpose. When they are a little better you have more chance of sticking with them.

This is all about learning something different. Do they take the jump the same as you?. Are they taking the corner differently? These are all things you need to be thinking about. Don’t be afraid to try new things or go a little faster into sections on the track. Once your on a level playing field you can add someone else into the mix who again is a little faster.

8: Have another racer, drive your car.

You can pick someone of the same skill level or higher. I would avoid going for someone that is a lower skill level. Not because you won’t learn anything because you might. But ideally you want someone who has track time in the bag. Someone you know understands the track and can tell you how the car feels.

Now the best part, while they are driving your car ask them questions like:

How does it feel? – just let them tell you as they drive, you are more likely to get an honest opinion.

Is the car stable? – they may have a different opinion to you or surprise you. Two heads are often better than one as they say.

Anything you would change and why? – it’s very important to get a reason why.

Now you have someone else’s view don’t go off changing everything on your car to what they said. What works for one person may not be the same for another. This could shed some light on a particular area you might not of thought about. The other bonus is you have a good reason to try their car out now.

When you drive someone else’s car you will get a different perspective. At first it may be difficult to control, as the setup will be different to yours. As you get better think about the same questions you asked them. Make notes if you need to, chances are you will learn something new.

9: Preparation is key!

Ensure you arrive at the track with your car in the best possible condition it can be.

• Clean – it doesn’t matter what track surface you race on you will need to clean you car at some point. I personally like to clean my car after each race. When your cleaning your car its during this time that you will notice any damages or worn parts. My local track has an air compressor which is brilliant for quickly blowing the dirt off. If your track has cleaning facilities don’t just rely on them. When you get home sit down and throughly clean your car.
• Oils – Your car will perform better on fresh shock oil and diff oil. You won’t have to change this every-time you race (some drivers do). However the more you do change them the better the performance will be.
• Screws – ensure all your screws are tightened up. The vibrations that travel through an RC car are enough to loosen some of the tightest screws. It takes a minute to go over all the screws and check them. You can loose allot more than a minute on race day if a screw falls out.
• Wheels & tires  – check for rips, tears and cracks in your wheels. You also want to check if your inserts have not bunched up into one area.

The post 9 sure fire ways to get better at RC racing! appeared first on Racingrccar.com - a resource for racing rc cars.

In short a setup sheet is a record of all the settings on your RC car. Once you have a set-up sheet filled in for a track you have a baseline record. If you change something for the better or worse you are able to see what the previous setting was. 

The higher the skill level the more useful a setup sheet is. When Professional racing drivers post their set-up sheets on-line it’s also useful for other up and coming drivers. Using someone else’s setup sheet is a good way to find a baseline. All drivers have different driving styles and what works for one may not work for another.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to be a professional in this field. In RC there is always something new to learn. Over the years I have picked up a few things through experience and this article is constructed to share them with you. If you believe something is wrong or missing please feel free to share them in the comments below.

In this guide I will be using the Tekno EB48.4 Set-up sheet. This is an electric 1/8th scale race spec RC car. Whilst it may look different to your cars specific setup sheet the principles remain the same.

Basic information.

A setup sheet takes into account not only the settings on your RC car but also the conditions of the track. Track conditions play a vital role in how your car will handle and the amount of traction available.

Date is an important factor, race tracks rarely remain the same through either wear and tear or modifications. A new feature added to a track could increase or decrease lap times. If the new feature is a significant change your new set-up sheet could be completely different. What some drivers see as a small track, others may see as a medium size. This is another reason why it is important to fill in your own setup sheet.

Steering Setup.

Bump Steer – is how much the wheels turn as the cars suspension is going up and down. Bump steer is generally a negative. If the car hits a bump or accelerates/decelerates it can change the direction of the car. You can alter bump steer by adding washes to your steering linkages.

Ackermann – is how your wheels are angled when you turn. As you turn left or right the inside wheel can turn more than the outside wheel. More ackermann increases the angle of the inside wheel. Please excuse the crude paint illustration below, graphics are not one of my strong points. Hopefully you get the idea, the left wheel is at a sharper angle than the right wheel.

Servo Saver – does exactly what it says on the tin! – Inside a servo saver is a spring which controls how tight the servo saver is. As your servo operates the steering the wheels get knocked and bashed about during operation. The initial impact will goes through the servo saver first. You can change how tight the spring is by the threaded adjuster at the bottom of the servo saver. Too tight and the servo saver won’t protect the servo properly. Too loose and your servo won’t be able to control your wheels properly. Your car can also rapidly change direction going over bumps.

Steering Stop – you can limit the amount your wheels turn by adding washes to your C hubs. More washes would equal less steering angle. Not all RC cars have this tuning option, you could also restrict the amount of steering by changing your D/R (Dual rate) on your transmitter.

Shock Settings.

Suspension changes have a huge effect of the handling of your car. Shock oils come in different thicknesses and are often measured in WT, CST & CPS. Do not mix and match brands as the viscosity varies between measurements. A general rule is the higher the number the thicker the oil. If you add thicker oil to your suspension the dampening effect will be stiffer and slower.

A piston inside your shock is what gives you the dampening effect. They have tiny holes in them which the oil passes through. You can add more holes or make the holes larger. These will effect how much oil can pass through the piston.

Springs are measured on their strength and the length. Manufactures usually color code the springs which makes it easier to identify them based on strength. Longer or heaver springs change the rate at which the suspension operates.

You can adjust the amount of rebound your shocks have when you are adding oil into your shocks. Push the shaft up to your desired position then put the shock bladder on top and screw the cap on. Lets say you pushed the shaft up 50% of the way put your bladder on and your shock cap. You will now have 50% rebound, as the shaft is compressed it will automatically come back out to 50% of the way.

Tekno use 3 different shock types STD (standard), EMUL (emulsion) & VENT (vented). These 3 shock systems operate in different ways. It’s worth making a note of the type of shock you have on your setup sheet. If your chosen manufacturer has multiple shock options.

Front and rear chassis options.

We have allot going on in this section.

• Shock positions – In the illustration we have 4 holes at the top of the shocks and 2 positions on the lower suspension arm labeled A & B. These mounting points are to adjust how close the shocks are to the car and the lean angle of the shocks. Without going into too much detail about fulcrums & angles here are the basics. The further in (closer to the car) the shock is the softer the shocks will be. As you move the shock out it becomes stiffer. You can also adjust the lean angle of the shock a more upright shock will handle bumps better but decrease stability. You can have different settings front to back, its recommended to keep left and right the same as each other.
• Drive shafts – UVD (universal drive shaft) and CVD (constant velocity drive shaft) perform the same job of transferring energy from the differential to the wheels. A CVD is more suited to high grip smooth tracks. UVD’s are more suited to rough tracks with lots of bumps.
• Turnbuckles – are the link between your shock tower and C hub. You can adjust camber, camber rise and chassis roll using the turn buckle. Its worth purchasing a turnbuckle spanner, its very difficult to adjust a turnbuckle with long nose pliers! Start with the manufacturers recommendation on lengths and see what works for you. There are so many variations of length and position, what works for me might be different for someone else.
• Offset – can be changed by he thickness of the wheel hex. More offset will move the wheels out from the car. A wider offset will increase the stance and stability in some circumstances, as with all changes what you gain in one area you could loose in another.
• Sweep – I have not looked into sweep much to understand its effects. Sweep is when you have your front lower suspension arms angled either in or out.
• Kickup – is also a setting at the front of the car. This is the angle of the lower suspension arms with the front edge raised. More kickup will result in the front of the car lifting more under acceleration. This will transfer more weight to the rear of the car. This helps with bumps and rough tracks. Less kickup makes the car more responsive which is better for smooth tracks.
• Anti squat is when the rear of the car resists the weight transfer under acceleration. If you raise the front edge of the rear suspension arms this will add more anti squat. Anti squat is only noticed under breaking and accelerating. More anti squat will increase stability when you accelerate but decrease stability when turning off power.
• Rear toe is the angle the rear wheels on the horizontal axis. When you have more toe in the wheels are pointing in towards the car. More rear toe in increases stability on acceleration but can make the car more likely to flip over when turning. To adjust the toe on the front of your car you adjust the length of your steering linkages. I like to have a little toe in on the rear and a little toe out on the front.

Suspension settings.

Ride height can easily be altered by adjusting the pre load on your suspension. You measure ride height when your car is resting. I like to drop my off road cars onto a smooth flat surface from approx 12 inches. Let the car settle a little then measure the ride height at the front and rear. Less ride height is better on smooth tracks and more is better for rough/bumpy tracks.

Too much ride height and the car will have a tendency to flip over when turning. Ride height can also be different front to back. You want to ensure there is not too much difference as it will make the car unpredictable.

Camber is adjusted via the turn buckles at the front and rear. If you look at your car at the front or rear head on. When your wheels are perfectly flat on the vertical axis you have 0 camber. If the top part of the wheel is angled towards the car this is negative camber. There is no real need to run positive camber. More negative camber will reduce the chances of your car flipping over.  Too much camber and you will loose forward traction.

Caster from what i understand is the angle of your c hub in relation to the rest of the car. To change the caster you usually need to change the C-hubs. I tend to follow the standard caster set by the manufactures on all tracks.

Sweep, Kick up, Anti Squat & Toe In/Out are discussed in the front and rear chassis options above. Enter your measurements in this section.

Sway Bars are also known as anti roll bars. These link the left and right suspension arms together. Thicker sway bars make the car feel stiffer and resist body roll. You can have different thickness sway bars at the front and back. A thinner front sway bar and a thicker rear will increase steering. A thinner sway bar in the rear and thicker in the front will increase rear traction and smooth out the steering.

Droop is the amount of down travel on your suspension. If you lift your car up in the air slowly you will see the wheels remain on the ground as you pick the car up. Eventually the wheels will come off the ground also. The more droop you have the longer your wheels will stay on the ground. Droop also plays a factor in how much your car will roll in corners. More droop is recommended for rough and bumpy tracks. To adjust droop you usually have grub screws in the suspension arms. As you screw them in clockwise it will lift the arm up, which will lower the amount of droop you have.

Tires and Differentials.

Brand/tread – I personally like to use the same brand and tire tread all round. I sometimes like to use different compounds harder/softer but not very often. Events can sometimes have a control tire this is a set tire which is only allowed to be used at the event. Speak with your local track owner or club members on the recommended tire. This is a vital tuning point, more time can be gained by picking the correct tire than any other tuning option.

Compound – this is how hard or soft the tire is. The same tread pattern can perform differently in hard and soft compounds.

Insert – these go between the wheel and the tire. Just like tires these also come in different compounds.

Wheels – are built with different types of plastics. Some are more supple than others, a wheel which is more supple can be less prone to cracks from rough tracks or jumps. Wheels can also have an offset built into them. Some wheels may not fit your car properly due to offset.

Differential oil tuning – is off my favorite tuning options the viscosities are much higher than shock oil. You would not use shock oil in a differential and vise versa. Viscosities can also drastically change in scales and types of RC cars. The general rule I follow for off road racing is thicker or same as the center in the front and thinner oil in the rear. Something like 7k front, 7k center 5k rear or 753 is what I like to use for all types tracks. A thicker oil in the front will increase steering with power but decrease steering when your off the power. A thicker oil in the center increases acceleration. Thicker rear oil will cause the rear to spin out or loose traction on power.

Bodyshell, Wing & Wheel base.

Body shells are not for just looking shiny when you have it professionally painted. They play a role in aerodynamics. That’s about as far as my knowledge goes on body shells and aerodynamics. Some cars have after market body shells which can often have different features to stock.

Wings also play a role in aerodynamics. The tuning options can be limited by the manufacturer. A wing is used to create down force over the back of the car. This increases stability at speed and helps the car glide through the air on jumps. To much down force and the front will lift.

Wheelbase is how far apart your wheels are. A larger wheel base is better for rough tracks and adds stability. A shorter wheel base is better for maneuverability on tight tracks with sharp corners.

Electronics, Drivetrain  & Chassis Braces.

ESC’s (Electronic speed controllers) have a whole host of tuning options, for the purpose of the setup sheet its best to put down the make & model of your ESC. If you would like to learn more about ESC tuning options. I wrote and article on speed controller settings.

Battery enter the make and model in this section. If you have space you could also put down the “C” rating and “mah” rating. The C rating is how much current the battery can provide. The mah rating is the total capacity of the battery. Larger mah ratings will give you a longer run time but could be heavier. Larger C ratings will provide more punch.

Motor – you want to record the manufacturer here and the KV rating of the motor. A lower KV motor will provide more torque but less overall top speed. A good balance for 1/8th off road cars is 1900 – 2100kv.

Radio – fairly simple here put down the manufacturer of your radio system. I also like to put down how much D/R (dual rate) I am using. D/R is a setting on transmitters to control how far your wheels turn from left to right. I use it to protect my servo. The wheels will only turn so far before they stop. This is where I set my D/R so the servo will go no further. Setting it higher would only put unwanted stress on the servo.

Servo – apart from the name of the servo, you could also put in here the speed of your servo and the torque rating. I like to use Hitec HS-7950TH which has a speed of 0.13 seconds and a torque rating of 486 oz-in at 7.2v.

Drive trian (pinion size) – You can change how your car accelerates and the top speed simply by changing the pinion gear. A pinion gear with a higher tooth count will increase the top speed but decrease acceleration.

Chassis braces – a chassis brace is a support. However you can remove supports to tweak chassis flex. Be careful when you start removing chassis braces as you will also reduce the over strength of your car. Tekno state on their setup sheet “front brace is always recommended”.

Conclusion.

There is a lot of information to take in with setting up an RC car. It’s possible to spend many track days just tweaking one individual option. This is why manufactures start you off with a recommended baseline. Don’t be put off, when you start to understand how to setup your car it’s very rewarding.

Take a pen and some paper to the track with you. Try one thing at a time, I can’t stress enough how important this is. Make notes of how the changes effect your car to your driving style. Have fun on the track and the results will follow.

I would like to thank Matthew Wolter from Tekno RC for letting me use the Tekno Eb48.4 setup sheet in this article.

The post RC Car Setup sheet Explained. appeared first on Racingrccar.com - a resource for racing rc cars.

There is a strong likely hood that you have been interested in remote control cars since you were a kid. You most likely own or have owned a remote control car at some point in your life. Racing remote control cars is very exciting, demanding and rewarding. When I started racing, I jumped in at the deep end and felt a little out of my comfort zone. Over the years I have picked up the lingo and learned about the different aspects.

In my opinion racing RC cars is the best way to have fun with remote control cars. It’s a cheap form of motor racing that poses no risk to injury like most other forms of racing. For those of you thinking about getting into RC racing I have put together this list of 16 things I think all enthusiasts should know before you start.

1: Pick a popular local race class.

There are so many different classes of remote control cars to choose from, and sizes within each class. It can get a little daunting to begin with. For you to have the most enjoyment I would suggest you look for tracks local to you. Once you find a few tracks locally you will get a good idea for which is popular near you. Pop down to your local track and have a look at what the racers are using.

Its wise to go with a popular car used at your local track. You stand more chance of spare parts and support being available. It’s no fun purchasing a car and the nearest track is in the next state. Or you have to wait for weeks on end for replacement parts. Some tracks have shops on site.

The most popular classes worldwide are:

• 1/10th off road 2 wheel drive & 4 wheel dive electric.
• 1/10th on road nitro and electric.
• 1/8th off road nitro and electric.

2: Nitro cars – fuel percentages.

Nitro cars are fun! – the sound of the engine and the smoke out the exhaust. Gives them a more authentic feel than electric RC cars. When you start looking at the fuel options, you will notice different brands and percentages. In racing you tend to use higher percentage nitro fuels 20% – 25%.

In general 1/10th scale RC cars have smaller engines than 1/8th scale cars. With that said you also have different size engines for each class. The manufacturer often states the recommended % fuel in the instruction manual which came with your engine.

If you increase the percentage then your engine will run leaner. You will need to re-tune your engine to compensate for this. The opposite effect happens when you decrease the percentage. Your engine will run richer and you will need to re-tune to compensate. Your engine can also need re-tuning when you switch brands. It’s wise to stick with the same brand and percentage. Some manufacturers will state the brand of fuel they recommend. Don’t worry too much if that brand is not available locally. The important factor is the percentage rating.

3: Nitro Cars – engine basics.

• Glow plugs – 1/8th scale nitro engines most commonly use a “turbo glow plug” in race spec engines. These are shaped differently to a standard glow plug, the thread is also different.
• Exhaust pipe – Exhausts are sold separately in most cases (combo deals include exhausts). The reason for this is exhausts are used as a tuning option. Your engine can produce more low end, mid range or high end torque depending on the exhaust you use. In the beginning you won’t notice much of a difference.
• Tuning – Nitro engines have 2 main tuning points. When you make tuning adjustments make sure you make very small adjustments. We are talking 1/8th of a turn. Turning the screws clockwise will make the air-fuel mixture leaner. Turning the screws anti-clockwise will make the mixture richer. The high speed needle is to adjust how lean or rich the engine is at the top end of the rev range. The low speed needle is to adjust lean or rich settings at the low end of the rev range.
• Venturi – a venturi is an air restrictor that sits inside your carburetor. You attach your air filter over the venturi. You can adjust the performance of your engine with different size venturis.
• Engine starting procedure – Once you have fuel in the tank and a glow plug igniter attached your ready to start your engine. Most nitro engines designed for racing do not come with a pull starter. The only way to start a race spec engine is with a starter box. This is essentially a box with a rubber wheel. When you push your car down on the starter box the rubber wheel makes contact with your flywheel and turns your engine over. I wrote a more detailed article on how to pick the best starter box here.

4: Electric cars – Lipo batteries.

Lipo (lithium polymer) is the latest in battery technology. Before Lipo came along the most commonly used batteries where Nimh (Nickel-metal hydride) and Nicad (Nickel-cadmium battery).

Lipo batteries provide a longer run time (higher mah ratings) and more initial punch (higher discharge “C” ratings). More speed for longer is very good for the racing industry. The main downside to Lipo batteries is you cannot let them fully drain. You need to keep them above 3.0v per cell. With the older technology you could drain the battery till it was flat and then charge it all the way up.

Make sure your ESC (electronic speed controller) is compatible with lipo batteries. This will take care of the 3.0v per cell cut off. When it comes to charging lipo batteries you will need a lipo charger. This will constantly monitor the voltages as your battery is charging and automatically cut off at the correct voltage. Usually around but no higher than 4.2v per cell.

Racing restrictions – 1/10th electric cars are usually restricted to 2 cell batteries (2s). 1/8th electric cars are restricted to 4 cell batteries (4s).

5: Electric cars – motor & esc basics.

You can get brushed and brushless electric motors. Brushless is the more common electric motor used on race tracks. You can still get the odd class which will run brushed motors.

• Sensorless brushless motors. These motors will work with almost any type of brushless ESC (electronic speed controller). You connect the motor to the ESC using 3 wires normally in 3 different colors or labeled as A,B & C. You can change the direction of the motor by switching any 2 of the 3 wires around.
• Sensored brushless motors. Very similar to a sensorless brushless motors with 3 wires. The main difference is you have a sensor cable which tells the ESC exactly where the rotor position is. Sensored motors are smoother in acceleration and initial starting. Your ESC will need to be compatible with sensored brushless motors. These motors will also work in sensorless mode if you do not use the cable.
• Brushed electric motors. Considered old school these days. You connect the motor to your ESC using 2 wires normally black and red. Brushless ESC’s are not compatible with brushed motors. You need to maintain the brushes on an electric motor, without the brushes the motor will not rotate properly.

6: RC Car setup options.

Racing spec rc cars have so many tuning options available. If you think of F1 and all the tuning options they have shocks, differentials & tires. You won’t be far off the options available on an RC car.

Here is a list of some of the tuning options that spring to mind:

• Chassis tuning – differentials, camber, camber rise, droop, ride height, anti roll bars, ackermann, weight balance & steering symmetry.
• Suspension – shock shafts, bladders, shock oil & spring rate.
• ESC & Motor – drag break, punch rate, breaking force & initial force. More details on ESC options here.
• Nitro Engines – exhausts, fuel, venturi & air filters.
• Wheels & Tires – different compounds, inserts & tread pattern.

7: Track day format.

There are some differences to how a track day will work depending on the class you race. 1/10th scale tends to be indoor, each qualifying round lasts about 5 minutes. Finals are not much longer most tracks still run on the old rules set with weaker batteries (nimh and nicad). 1/8th scale is mostly outdoors each qualifying round will last approx 6 minutes with 2 minutes warm-up. The finals can last up to 1 hour with nitro and around 15-20 minutes with electric cars.

Both indoor and outdoor events will start the day with a drivers briefing. Pay attention to this as the race director will explain the rules and layout of the day.

Here is an article I wrote on what to expect at a track day.

8: Marshalling.

Unfortunately is not all about racing. At some point during a race event you will need to marshal on the track while other drivers race. Unless you have very helpful friends you can bring with you. You will normally marshal the round after or before yours. The marshal point you stand at will be the same as your race number.

You will find out your race number during the drivers briefing. Most tracks don’t have a budget to pay for marshals and that is why you marshal other racers. A marshal is your best friend when you crash on the track. They are the only people allowed to be out on the track during a race.

9: Track surfaces.

Depending on what is local to you. You may not have a choice on the track surface. If you are willing to travel or lucky enough to live in an area with different tracks. There are different surfaces to race your RC car(s) on. The common theme for Europe indoor tracks is carpet. For outdoor tracks they are usually astro turf. In America the indoor tracks are commonly carpet, clay or dirt and outdoor is mostly clay or dirt.

• Astroturf – great all year round surface easy to maintain 1/10th & 1/8th scale.
• Carpet – indoor tracks only and used for 1/10th & smaller scales.
• Dirt – very different to astro turf. requires more maintenance very difficult to race on when it’s raining.
• Clay – similar to dirt mostly found on indoor tracks.
• Tarmac/concrete – more common for on road cars although some dirt and astro tracks can feature tarmac/concrete sections.

10: Transponders.

A transponder is a small electronic device which carries a unique ID. You connect this to your cars receiver. As you go over the loop (pick up device under the finish line) it sends the unique ID to the decoder. The computer can then accurately record your lap time and position on the track. The same type of system is used at go kart tracks.

It’s best to mount your transponder so the signal is aimed down. I have attached my transponder in all areas and not usually had a problem. There is no evidence to say the front of the car is the best area. You may get 0.0001 of a second difference however the decoders don’t record at that level.

If you do not own your own transponder, speak with the race director and ask if they have hand outs. Some tracks lend out transponders. This is not very common as they are expensive devices. If you do not have a transponder in your car you will not know how you performed. Some race directors will not let you race without one.

11: Radio equipment.

In simple terms this consists of a transmitter, receiver, servos and transponder. 2.4ghz is the most used frequency, it was once 27 mhz and 40 mhz. With 2.4 ghz you bind the transmitter and receiver together. Just like when you sync xbox or Wii controllers. You don’t need to use a crystal. This frequency offers better range and signal strength.

There are 2 main types of transmitters for racing RC cars. Wheel transmitters use a finger trigger to operate forward and brake. They use a wheel to operate the steering. Stick transmitters have been around longer and as the name implies use sticks. You operate forward and reverse with the left stick and left/right directions with the left stick.

Wheel Transmitter

Sticks Transmitter

Receivers come in all sizes be sure to check the rx box dimensions. Some are waterproof, if yours is not you can put it inside a small balloon. You plug everything into your receiver, ESC, servos and transponder.

Servos are used for steering and in nitro cars to operate the throttle and breaks. They come in different speed & torque ratings. HV (high voltage) servos operate at 7.4v this is the voltage of a 2 cell (2s) lipo battery. The higher voltage provides quicker response times and more torque. I like to use the same servo for steering and throttle/breaks here is my favorite servo and why.

12: Body shells.

RC body shells are usually made out of Lexan and on race spec rc kits come clear. You can paint them yourself or have them professional painted to have any design you want. Be mindful when you start out that mistakes will happen and body shells take the brunt of most crashes.

13: Camping.

If your a keen camper than you will love this. Some people who travel long distances will camp the night before race day. Larger racing events are held over the weekend or several days. Camping and racing go hand in hand. Most RC tracks will let you camp on site or may have permission of a nearby field.

If you are not keen on camping and you want to attend tracks further away or events over several days. Check hotels and B&B’s local to the track. Large events like the Neo race will have recommendations on hotels and places to stay – If your lucky you may get a discount at the place you stay (no harm in asking).

14: Tools.

You will inevitably create a growing list of RC tools. You can’t really maintain your car or change a setup/tuning option without tools. When you buy your first race kit it will come as a box of bits. You will need to assemble every part by hand. Unless you decide to pay the shop or a someone to build it for you. I wrote a list of the most common tools I use.

15: National and worldwide championships.

Once you get involved in the racing scene. you soon quickly realize that it is bigger than you think. Speak to any of your non RC friends about racing rc cars. Do they look at you with a strange glare?. RC racing like any other form of motor-sport has club, regional, national and world tournaments.

There are paid professionals in this industry just like Nascar. Not as many mind you and they won’t be paid on the same scale as a Nascar professional. As you get more involved you start to notice more, there is a big following!

There are requirements to enter the larger races. Some you must qualify highly in order to be considered entry. Club level is always a good place to start learning and developing your skills. It’s not uncommon to see a high profile racer attending a club race. This is one of the few sports where you could find yourself racing against the best or having a coffee with them at lunch time.

16: Spare parts.

Last but not least. It’s no fun when you break something especially on a product you are invested in. The beauty with hobby grade RC cars is they are made up of vast amount of parts. 99.9% of the time when something breaks you can just order the replacement part and you will be back on track.

Crashes will happen, parts break or wear down over time. This is why its important to pick a popular brand which is raced locally. Not only will you have parts availability, but there will be people who can tell you the most common parts which break. You can build a backup of parts and have them ready for when the inevitable happens.

The post 16 things you need to know before racing rc cars. appeared first on Racingrccar.com - a resource for racing rc cars.

Introduction.

If your into RC car racing and have competed in club racing events. You may have seen around the pits that some drivers are “sponsored”.  If not the next time you attend an event at your local track ask around. The amount of sponsored drivers at club level has increased substantially since 2012.

To become a sponsored driver you need to be a helpful person. Not just a good driver and consistent winner (a huge factor). You must also be approachable. Support other drivers track side, share your setup sheets and document your findings. Add value and you will make the hobby a helpful place to be. 

There are very few sponsored drivers in the RC car industry who make a living from racing. Most RC sponsorships you will come across will be discounted rates on products. It’s very important that you understand the terms and conditions when you enter into a sponsorship agreement. Some sponsorships can require you to purchase a certain amount of products or attend a given list of events. Most sponsorship deals do not include travel & accommodation costs.

Sponsored for the right reasons.

The wholly grail of sponsorship, the free products, $$$ a career path!  Slow down a little, chances are you are reading this because you are looking to get your first sponsorship deal. There is a right way and a wrong way.

Before you go any further think why you got involved in this hobby.

• How did it feel when you first drove your car round a track?
• Remember when you attended your first race?
• When you built your first professional race kit?
• Collecting your trophy on your first win?

Most of these will result in a feeling of fun, it was exciting or nerve racking. It’s important you remember these. I have personally seen drivers obtain sponsorship deals just because they like the title. Only later to find out they are no longer having fun.

Sponsorship should be hard to obtain. Think of it like a business, a sponsored driver is essentially employed by the company to promote the products. It doesn’t matter on your level of sponsorship, you need to believe in the product.

If you attend racers of all levels (club, regional & national) and finish consistently at the top of the pack. Are an approachable person on and off the track. Genuinely believe in the products you race with. Document your set-ups, race reports and go out of your way to assist new comers. Then sponsorship maybe a good route for you to take.

Build a portfolio.

Pen and paper is your best friend here. Each time you attend the track race day or practice, record what happened. As your skill level naturally improves over time you will have a backlog of past experience to look back on. Take pictures off your setup sheets and results. Share them on social media or store them locally on your computer.

1. Set-up changes – when you try a new setup change document your findings. It doesn’t matter if it made it worse or better. Explain what happened and you will start to build an idea of what effects set-up changes have.
2. Results – create a spreadsheet of all your race results (take pictures of event result listings for proof).
3. Set up sheets – found the ideal setup for a track? – share your setup sheets on social media.
4. Race reports – even when you have had a bad day at the track writing a report could be helpful to another racer.
5. Trophies & plaques – may sound simple but I see people leave the track and not claim there trophies/plaques all the time. Top tip for the presentation pictures. When it comes to your turn to have your picture taken.  Ensure your holding the products your looking to get sponsored for.

Sponsorship opportunities.

The best opportunities for sponsorships are when you are approached by a company. That means that a company has spotted you as potential professional. They see the value you add on top of the results you achieve and think hey lets give this racer a chance.

The alternative is too seek out sponsorships for yourself, try these methods:

• Speak to your local track owner. They will personally be involved with various different types of people in the RC industry. Racers, manufacturers, news companies, distributors, shop owners etc.
• Where you purchase your kit. Lots of shops have sponsorship opportunities some actively advertise on there websites.
• Team drivers. Speak to the other team drivers at your local track. These already have sponsorship deals and their team maybe looking for new members.
• Win racers. This works better if your able to win at high profile events. You can be spotted as a club racer if you are in the right place at the right time. However you stand a better chance at high profile events.
• Share your race reports & setup sheets. This goes back to being helpful, share your findings with other racers.
• Approach manufacturers. I wouldn’t advise you to do this unless you have results to back you up. Send them your results, show them your using there products.
• Google sponsorship deals. To my amazement I tried this and found 3 companies who were actively advertising their sponsorship program.

Types of sponsorship.

The rare sponsorship deals, let me rephrase that “the very rare” sponsorship deals, are given to top level drivers. These are people like Ryan Mayfield, Ryan Lutz, and Ty Tessmann. They are fully sponsored drivers who are paid to race remote control cars. These are some of the best drivers, they fly all over the world to compete. When new comers think of sponsorship this is what often springs to mind. However there are various sponsorship deals, and new types are coming out all the time.

• Full sponsorship – paid to race & fully supported.
• Full support – free products from a manufacture, shop, track or distributor who covers engines, tyres, fuel etc.
• Results based – this is often a condition of a sponsorship deal. Some drivers can be paid based on results.
• Discounted rates – higher discounts usually come down to your experience level. These can start from 10% and go up to 75% or you could be offered free shipping on orders.

If you can get yourself a team drive these can include a range of products at discounted rates from one place.

Sponsorship application form.

These can vary from one to another. If you have followed the advice under the “build a portfolio” section, this shouldn’t be to difficult. If you just have an email address present yourself in a professional way. Start small by making yourself known at the race track. Help people in the pits and introduce yourself.

If you approach a company who does not attend the events you do, send them your race reports and ask questions. I’m not saying send them an email every-time you attend a track. We are not trying to be annoying here. Use common sense; if you create a report that provides high quality useful information, then share it. Build a relationship slowly don’t just randomly ask for a sponsorship.

Conclusion.

Remember RC racing is for fun, sponsorships can add to that or take it away. If you actively pursue a sponsorship opportunity do it for the right reasons. Getting your first sponsorship will be the hardest part. Only choose companies and products you are 100% committed too. When an RC sponsorship opportunity arises, (it will if you put your mind to it) take the time to understand the terms of the agreement.

Don’t agree with some points mentioned or think I have missed something in this article. Great! pop them in the comments below and we can discuss it.

The post How to become a sponsored RC driver – the correct way! appeared first on Racingrccar.com - a resource for racing rc cars.