Its well documented that lots more r/c cars are sold, built and played with than we ever see at race tracks.  Part of that is people buying r/c cars just to mess around with but part of it is also about the way we organise and structure r/c racing….

I’d venture to suggest that the large majority of r/c purchasers would be blissfully unaware that organised racing even exists and for lots of those who do accidentally stumble into a club race meeting, we don’t structure things all that attractively.

The newcomer to r/c racing is likely to be confronted by a crowd of people using all kinds of jargon, sporting a bewildering array of supporting equipment they are told they simply “must” have to be competitive – and then probably will be faced with racing against people with years of experience who are yelling and screaming at them to “get out of my way”.

Maybe that’s an exaggeration to make the point, but imagine yourself as a new racer showing up with your RTR touring car or buggy.  The electric racer is likely to be thrust with his/her TT01 into 540 class with the career silver-can experts who so often populate and dominate that class. The nitro tourer newbie shows up with an RTR Holden Commodore and has to compete with a pro-tourer somehow fitted with an obscure motor that technically meets the “pullstart” specs.  Nitro offroad might seem at first glance to be different with its very egalitarian “single class” approach for 1/8 buggies or truggies – but look deeper and as the serious long-term racers start to switch classes and dominate nitro offroad, entry numbers are starting to plateau.

There are some bright spots but there are quite a few clubs, and lots of individual racers who pay lip-service to being welcoming to new racers, but continue to set rules and organise classes and events to suit themselves.

The answers aren’t easy.  We must however start with some concerted efforts to reclaim introductory classes as truly suitable for beginners and juniors.  Classes like 540, or nitro pullstart classes shouldn’t be the place for long term highly experienced and “geared up” racers.

Along with that, there has to be a deliberate effort to help racers transition out of the “novice” classes and into regular racing classes after a suitable intro period (6-12 months at the most).  This of course helps retain the newer racers, but also clears out the novice classes for the next batch.  Clubs who work hard at promotion and meet lots of new racers will do well, clubs who work hard at retaining those newcomers they do get to meet will do even better.

Racing rules for rookie classes need to be very relaxed.  A “run-what-ya-brung” approach is just about it – basic safety rules, and the broad ethics/rules of racing are enough.  These are not classes that should ever be seen in major sanctioned events, or even interclub races.  This is rookie/noobie/novice racing at its most raw and basic.  This is the way that most of the biggest “trends” in r/c car racing got started – a few basic rules and lots of fun together.

Racing R/C cars is a great sport. Its fun, clean, good for people of all demographics and backgrounds.  But if we are to survive, and to thrive, we need to be welcoming in every possible way to new racers.  Clubs need to think all the time about the future, racers need to become evangelists – promoting, welcoming  and “converting” those who visit and try out r/c racing.  I don’t think we’re doing it all that well at the moment…

This article first appeared in the “Another Country” Column in Racing Lines Magazine.  The article was published in Issue #125 in January 2007. Another Country appears each month in Racing Lines Magazine, available from good hobby shops and newsagents