plz no carpet/astro turff.I run all my 1/10 on dirt tracks from day one..My 1/10 kits have never touched carpet

They will keep going away. This can't be fixed right now. The bashing scene has taken over and it's expensive as hell to race. Only .0000009 people actually race in the rc world. You talk about cheap 😂 it's definitely not cheap.

The economics of keeping an indoor track open isnt viable for most owners of the buildings. Not enough income, increasing expenses thru property tax, utilities, liability insurance etc.

Great tips. But the main reason tracks are dropping off and new ones can't be reformed. Is Lawyers. People sue to easily and a track now has to have liability insurance which is expensive and city government parks and such don't want to expose thier government in such lawsuits .

Yessss

Indoor high bite carpet/glued clay racing has killed Indoor racing. Make 10th scale great again and go back to watered/lomy dirt!

Maybe the answer is in marketing the hobby better?? Just thinking out loud here... If we start working with local Motocross tracks to build 1/10 or 1/8 dirt tracks as a "Club Track", at their facility. That could offer multiple solutions, introduce the hobby to other racers(siblings and children), because a racer has to race, helps bring that track additional revenue, and gives rc a new breadth of options for tracks....The same could be done with the Oval racers at local dirt tracks. maybe this has been tried... either way, as a new racer in the hobby, I hope we find a way to maintain tracks and keep racing.

As an American living in Europe, it's unfortunate to see how many tracks in the US are a business. Almost every track here is a non-profit club with land from the city, and it's rare for one to close. We pay just over $100 each per year to be a member and everyone is supposed to work X number of hours to help maintain the track. It works, if you want it to.

Very interesting points. I'm quite new to the world of RCs having purchased a 2wd basher about 3 months ago. The community and competitive side of RCs is compelling. I started looking at options to get more of that in my life. In my area, the RC crawler community is huge and growing. It is affordable to get started with micros and work up (if you want). There is no track to own, crawling happens nearly anywhere with some rocks. I threw a pile of junk together in the back yard to practice on. Honestly, I am not really into rock crawling. I am into the welcoming community and enjoyable competition. I've built several trucks and have found that the building side is more fun than I thought it would be. Reaching for something more exciting than crawlers, I've been looking into getting started with 2WD buggy as our area still has an indoor clay track. It isn't exactly close, but I could make it work. Quite honestly, I am still very much on the fence deciding to join in or not. I'm not even sure I want to visit the track. It feels like this sport is just not for new people. There is no class that I would call the "you don't know what you are doing, and that is okay - come have fun anyway" class. Right now the entry is "you better know what you are doing, have a pile of cash, and have at least some clue about what is going on so you don't piss us off" class (my impression based on social media posts from our local track). Speaking from a total newbie perspective, this situation may not improve without a major paradigm shift in thinking at multiple levels. Perhaps new guys like myself will re-invent RC racing with fewer rules, more fun, and lower overall prices. Does someone like me need all the RC racing infrastructure to work with our city to setup a dirt oval and get some dudes together with cheap bashers and have hours of competitive fun? I'm not sure we do. It creates a silo, and I can see how that would be less ideal, but I also see few other options. The serious racer guys are much less likely to come down to our level, it seems, and join us for a good bash. Your point about dads and sons is spot on. I got my son a Typhon Grom for Christmas (can't wait for him to open it, he is going to be stoked). He is 10 years old and has been driving RCs with me nearly every day (he is better than I am). Where do I take him to race in January with snow on the ground? I'm certain our local track owner will turn me out on my ear if I so much as grace his doorstop with a cheap car like that. It seems like that is the issue. What are the chances he is going to dig up the fancy ultra-awesome clay track and replace it with a kick-ass basher course every 10 year old (and the 10 year old in each of us) will flip after seeing - just dying to run their new car on? If that place existed, we would go out of our way to be there! Since that hasn't happened, and seems extremely unlikely, how many more guys are just going to give up and go to the local park instead (snow or no snow)? I don't really know much, so thank you for tolerating my uniformed remarks. I just see an opportunity for RC racers to read stories like mine and look into what is really going on. I'd love to join in, but I don't see a spot for my son and I right now. I don't see anyone making room. If I can't find one, I guess I'll make my own.

Nice paint colors dude, great video. In BC Canada we mostly have clubs, no one can afford real-estate here, so clubs for the win.

We have an oval track in North Texas that is doing great and we do have the younger generation getting involved. The track is outdoor and in the peoples yard on their land. He cut the infield out of the oval track the last 2 days to incorporate a 1/10th scale short course to expand to the demand of that market. Oval will stick go on and continue to grow but this move is monumental with Indy closing. We are fortunate to also have an 1/8th scale outdoor track just north of the border in Ardmore, Ok. We also have a very nice covered track just South of Waco towards Austin and they put on some great events. The economy is not good and doesnt lend itself to a vast amount of disposable income and it does cost money to play with toy cars. Mark Santa Maria was very close on his dollar figures. I own land and can financially put a track together at least covered but indoor completely would be ideal. However the numbers Mark tallied up would not make good financial sense to use my land for a track. Its worth more as just dirt and grazing foliage that a giant building that Im not sure would ever get paid for.

It sucks for indoor track but good for the outdoors track

Thunder Alley isn't closing because the business is failing. Their lease or property use agreement with the park district isn't being renewed.

Bummer for sure... I lived out in Ft Myers and ran all the Florida tracks coast to coast for years then droning became big. A couple tracks closed, and a track owner died. Finally got back into RC back here in Colorado hoping the hobby had picked up. Quite a bummer to hear.

I’m just getting back into r/c after almost 8 years away. None of the off-road tracks in my area are open anymore. There’s is one good indoor on-road carpet track just a little ways off from me, but I’m not into on-road. I’ve been considering building an outdoor off-road, 1/10 focused, but 1/8 friendly track on my property. I’m lucky that I have lots of land, and just off a major highway, so pretty straight shot from the larger towns just east of me. I can most likely get the dirt for free, build driver’s stand fairly cheap, get electrical hookups done. Do you think a track like this, without a lease, could actually turn a profit?

You can't fix it. The economy is horrible and the younger people just are not into it. It's just a hobby that's fading away slowly.

The club thing is the way to go for local groups.people are just to lazy today,they just want someone to do it for them....trust me,I tried to get a club started for a small segment of rc going,even got some floor space for us to meet and run.but no one would commit to anything long term and the owner of the floor space just moneyed it into oblivion.... As far as your statement on 10th scale buggies,I guess you don't know associated and kyosho produce a current rear motor buggy platform in production now. That's not the issue in my area...8th scale is king in my area..the only way to race annually is with 8th scale.the problem is its just to dangerous.....Bigger jumps and faster/powerful car equal hurt turn marshals.everybody around here just hands a kid a full race e buggy and sends them up the driver stand....no care over what happens on the track. I have a back yard track and I'm happy there....I raced 8th scale for 20 years...im done sitting around for 2 hours waiting on my 5 mins.

Pro Box Stock classes nation wide. I feel it will keep the newbies interested but at a lower cost to racers. Some people don't the cash at hand to hang with the Pros in the more expensive bigger scale classes.

From what I've seen, any track owner that's renting the building or property will eventually lose the track. Most of the ones I've seen go away are due to the landlord going in a different direction or selling the place, not because the track couldn't pay the rent. There's always some that lose turnout and can't make it but I think that's the minority. If track owners don't get something in a public park or purchase the land, they're not going to survive in the long run.

Yes I am on the hunt for low profile astro turf myself. The price is hard to negotiate with. The non profit club seems like the perfect way to go and by it being open to the public is part of the reason why I was able to get introduced to racing at St Louis DirtBurners

Well said. I believe if the economy gets better we will see an increase instead of decrease

Well said 🤘🏽

Going around a track and putting in laps is fun! I raced in the 90s and started parking lot racing in front of a Hobby Town with an RC10T oval setup. I hope that when I retire to make a backyard track to give back to the hobby. I live in Missouri too around Springfield.

Bottonm line is the market sucks and the economy is getting worse 😑

Very nice

Good video. I think quiet a bit about what makes the most sense when it comes to this. 1. Replace worn parts and buy spares of common wear / break items. 2. Buy new kits at the end of the year and keep your old ones with you at all times, for a full set of spares. 3. Have a practice buggy and a race buggy, this way the race buggy has much less wear in a season + you will always have a backup buggy / parts, if needed. 4. Sell old sliders at the end of the year and buy new kits + spares.

I can’t wait. I’m driving into work right now once I get on my break I’ll watch it.

Theo easy

How was the build? Experienced/competitive off road racer here. Want to try on road. Think I may grab one of these. Any build tips or special tools? I see the 8mm/9mm tool is needed I believe? Thx

Thanks Wes!!.. we definitely appreciate all the tips and tricks you share with us as well!!.. we’ll keep the circle going!! 👍🏽🚀

I have the Darkstar lightweight body on my msb1 and like it over the stock body.. haven't tried the JC option yet

you guys sauce pin tires? If we did that, we'd have way too much traction.

2 all day..!!

Badass! I'm actually finally building my t6.2 kit 😳😇😂. Just bought the version 5 engine. Now the pipe is on backorder 😞.

Where is this place at

Great course commentary. I love your guidance. Thanks bro

Your comment that you’re “No Pro” is the same tagline that Steve Culbert from NoPro RC utilizes and has utilized for years.

Can you use standard front and rear wheels or does the different front send mean you have to use the mugen wheels?

New to on road. Is that a 1s or 2s esc and what battery and tires do you use? I’ll be running I think 17.5 tc or 21.5

Rippin dude

Information wizard 🏁