Some Mistakes to Avoid in RC Racing

[@NeilLB7]

I would add…never let racers with more money, more pit equipment, more tire sets, and better looking cars discourage you. When I was 14 I raced in 2WD stock at a local indoor carpet track (late 80’s, early 90’s). I spent every dime I had just to be there with an Ultima against about 80 other racers in my class. I raced and raced and raced. And practiced every chance I got. I did manage to place 2nd in A-Main against 30-40 year old men with every advantage imaginable…except heart. I didn’t let anything discourage me. I just wanted to win. And I always considered my 2nd place finish in such a large group of people a great accomplishment I’ll never forget. One of the happiest days of my life.

[@P4P.458]

Currently starting out in rc racing and I have a $160 jetwood 1/16 scale and when I got there seeing all these amazing setups that men old enough to be my grandfather, it’s very easy to get discouraged and I almost did I almost left after a few practice laps and running straight into a super nice built car I was so embarrassed but people came up and talked to me, it’s really some great people at the rc track

[@AlejandroRamirez-vl8mr]

I'm a pretty good club racer with a hacked out maxed out with stock parts 2008 2wd Slash. Last race I went against a 2wd TLR in a tight dirt track, my open diff was no match. I ended up focusing on trying to catch the Losi while making every mistake imaginable vs focusing on driving and kicking dirt on the other guys with better 2wd Slashes in my class who I beat on regularly. There might come a time when you're simply outclassed, and you'll have to settle and do your best in your position.

[@joshvandall8725]

The Bob Ross of toy car racing = love it.

[@shawncartwright338]

This dude is the damn Bob Ross of RC! Great stuff, man. Keep it coming!

[@MrGumbedamit]

People don't know who that guy is..

[@RoachRC]

Yeah they do. He's too good a guy for people not to know.

[@RCRacingLegends]

I don't think I can express just how enjoyable your videos are to watch. Concise, great cinematography, very informative, and extremely entertaining. It's a crime you don't have more subs at this point, but there's no doubt that will change soon. Great job on this video. Keep 'em coming!

[@AV-RC]

Love your videos! Have to admit I use your tips and also use your voice over to relax as I’m working on a car myself

[@Holmanrc]

This is some of the best rc content on yt. Thanks Roach.

[@BikeGuyFPV]

Having a four year background in racing and flying FPV quadcoters, this is all very true. No matter how much practice you put in on or off the track, you will be nervous. But, there is the type of nervous where you 'have' to be out front versus you're nervous and stick to the strategy and run your own race. Another thing that wasn't mentioned in the video was spare parts. Screws might come loose, stuff might fall off or even break off. If possible keep some spare hardware etc on hand. Better to have the tools to get it fixed versus you break or loose something and that costs you the entire event. Lastly, and I say this to anyone who is first getting into quadcopter flying or racing. -If you're not having fun, then you're not doing it right. Yes, it's easy to get sucked into the competition and emotions. But if you can take a step back and realize this is for fun, then that is more important in my book versus seeing how many trophies etc you have on your shelf. That's just the bonus you get when you do have fun.

[@davidsteinkamp6012]

Hi, thanks for the insight, I am just starting to get into this hobby as my wife and I are looking upon empty nesting soon… Starting with a Hosim x07 and going from there.

[@airingcupboard]

Great video. I really like how accessible your content is and how grounded it is.

[@ericpine4844]

I didn't sauce my on road tires the fist time out on a carpet track. I went down a rabbit hole of changes and I am finally back to mostly kit settings with a great driving car with traction compound added before the run. I suppose a list of what to tune in order would be great for beginners. I'm impressed at what 50cst up or down in shock oil can do on a touring car.. My car turns quick and rolls a lot.. Next for me is higher roll center and thicker sway bars to get rid of the high traction on tight turns.

[@MJWCBW]

Roach is back finally 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@RoachRC]

Finals are annoying

[@sebastianberg4139]

I am a new driver in Sweden an I find this videos really really entertaining and helpful. I really appreciate you and your hard work thank you😃

[@MrGumbedamit]

Best video to date. Extremely Informative..

[@tylerfleming7330]

As you said, never give up on a race. In the points series I'm currently running (actually leading going into the final round next week) I've had 2 round where I had bad starts, but kept pushing and gained 3 points on the final lap between the two rounds. Those 3 points are the difference between my current 1 point lead and 3rd place going into the finals.

[@ScottGraham]

Fantastic advice and nice work on your videos!!

[@garykohl3292]

Great video as always. Keep it up

[@NaughtyGoatFarm]

Thanks for this video. If you haven't already a video about correct marshalling and also courtesy towards marshalls would be good to see.

[@jeremycravens6973]

Your very good at what you do! Your videos come across smart, educational, and classy! Well done! I subbed!

[@PopalongRC]

Great info Thanks for sharing

[@RcOffroad9513]

Not getting out of faster drivers way, especially as a new racers. Also getting too upset over uncontrollable issues is a big one since we are all competing. Great video. Record a race, those are the videos I like to to see. Watch people improve... or not? Lol

[@massid3774]

Here in Australia we get to run 13.5 for stock

[@ayano7629]

Loved the vid! 💙 you deserve more subs!

[@rcchronicles25]

Great video, thank you 👍

[@Friskee62]

I see racers yelling at the track marshals for not being quick enough to 'right' their cars or trucks after crashing. Just remember , WHO crashed...

[@RoachRC]

Yup...

[@fredboylstein8930]

Keep them coming. Great job!

[@tyshiddejuremanbey1313]

Thank you for share your story!!!

[@ZosAos]

People appreciate different aspects of hobbies. Some may enjoy and value the process of working on the setup more than improving their placement in races. For them it can be more about just being involved.

[@KaizenOz]

Great video 👍 looking forward to getting into this hobby

[@KaizenOz]

1 year later had my first race 🥰

[@smallgaragebigdreams6032]

Is this the hobbytown Columbus track ? I was there last weekend on the new layout?

[@davidwood8284]

Hey man, thanks for your videos, very informative. As someone new (just picked up my first car in 25 years a used b6.1), your tips are awesome. I race currently in model SAIL boats IOM (international 1 meter) and let me tell you that angry folks are not exclusive to the cars 🚗 lol. I have seen grown humans act like complete idiots and toss their $300 futaba radio in the drink or want to lay hands on someone after a fowl and boat sinks, Off to Davy Jones Locker lol. Starboard!! Anyways I am excited about the cars and they sure fit into the car better than a 6’ mast. :)

[@ayske1]

I nearly half smirked towards your comment about taking it too serious. I do read some comments in RC groups and I think even the culture or demographics plays a part that sets a good tone. I think at times people take this hobby too seriously and it shows itself when people are giving their 2c and cutting others down. This may also put people off in the hobby..

[@szeglowskip2]

While I don’t race YET, I do have a tip that’s not because of my mistake but rather a friend that used to race and is trying to get back into it. We both have brushed 4wd traxxas slash short course trucks. Where I’m trying to get used to the way the vehicle drives ( steering angle, suspension, grip, and throttle response) my friend is throwing money at his car left and right, buying every weight reducing and chassis part you can imagine. He’s also upgraded his gearing and diffs. So my tip is, try to get good with your car the way it is, and as your experience goes up, upgrade parts. There’s no reason to drop $500+ into your setup before you’ve even taken it to a track. You might find you like it stock more than fully decked out.

[@RoachRC]

That's a very good mindset to have. No amount of hop-ups are gonna make you a better driver

[@dirtyfingersninja]

great tips!!

[@TOKOLOCORC]

Great video and tips on racing!!

[@RoachRC]

Thanks sis😊

[@ciscothelight]

Great Video!!

[@VestedUTuber]

So... "Stick with one brand that's locally supported" - Eh, yesn't. This is good advice for a beginner but it does create a feedback loop when people get more experience in the hobby but still keep following the rule religiously. Certain brands get supported locally because there's demand for them. There's demand for them because people run those brands. People run those brands because they're locally supported. So, while it's a good idea to start with an Associated, if you've got your eye on, say, a Schumacher, consider it for your second car. Also, sticking to local brands might lock you out of some good budget options. The Serpent SRX2 RTR is pretty much THE most affordable way to get into RC racing outside of some spec classes (seriously, the damn thing's almost as cheap as a brushed Bandit), but almost no LHSs in the US carry Serpent unless they're attached to an on-road track "If you're just starting out, always go for the stock class" H to the E to the Double L no. Stock is a money pit, you're pretty much forced to run things like cut gears, ceramic bearings, etc. to really be able to keep up, especially on carpet - sure, you can practice your way past being at a disadvantage with that, but that's going to take a LOT of time, effort, dedication and patience and it's about as easy to do as getting a Traxxas Bandit to handle well enough to be competitive - doable but really difficult. Starting out, running a lower-powered setup in mod (like a 9.5t) is going to be a lot easier on the wallet, because at that point you have enough power that those stock-specific hop-ups don't matter, but not so much power that the car becomes hard to drive. Plus other people running much more powerful setups are going to be more likely to make mistakes in mod classes by overshooting jumps or dive-bombing corners, giving you plenty of opportunities to learn how to wait for opportunities and how to capitalize on other peoples' mistakes, instead of just spending all your time trailing behind faster drivers most of the time. "Don't run more power than you can handle" I made this mistake starting out myself, but in a different way. I started with 1/10th scale nitro truck, and tried to run a JATO 2.5 with the stock engine. Worst idea ever. Granted, most of the guys who ran JATOs in that class at the track I was at ran that engine, and I also ran a bad tire choice (tried to run a clay tire on loam). The truck was undriveable as a result. Now that I've gotten a lot better at driving, though, I can get away with running hot motors and full-on racing engines. Although because I took a long hiatus for a while, I'll need to practice a bunch to get back in the groove. "Setup stuff" Yes, although I will say this - if the car's setup is really bad out of the box (like on the 8IGHT-X), practicing is going to be kinda pointless before the car has been at least brought into a ballpark setup. That being said, that's where baseline setup sheets come into play.

[@RConmyMind]

Well said! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@Aro800]

Love your videos. New to racing . Is a way to setup your car without a setup station. Can't get the buggy to go straight it vears to one side even with kit setup. ???

[@RoachRC]

That could be down to your steering trim

[@ninotocka]

Go SLOW. Slower than you think is competitive. Think ahead. Visualise your line 2-3 turns ahead. Don't look at others (unless they're about to smack you or vice versa). And that brought me from dead last to good enough to have fun chasing any other driver.

[@josehurtado9138]

good video!

[@dynasty4851]

Yeah, I forgot to hook up my front center drive shaft after the day before maintenance 🙃😅. Slapped that sucker on and just finished the race.

[@RoachRC]

As long as you can finish a race might as well. Never know what might happen

[@fewmer1584]

Good vibes Roach

[@ciscothelight]

'Its up to us to allow them to be fun'..Ill be quoting you for a while buddy

[@ripmax333]

@8:40 , No please not TOY cars! But RC MODEL cars, they are not toys. nice video btw and very good tips.

[@prod.twnt2153]

Not gonna get into racing but w video u got my sub

[@thercsniper1138]

Sage advice......

[@dillonpierce7869]

I feel like a big time noob even asking this but ur talking brushless motors right? Making me think the brushed 12 turn in my senton is actually trash.

[@RoachRC]

Lol no it's not. It's a great way to get started :). But yes I was talking about brushless systems

[@dillonpierce7869]

@@RoachRC just know from last time I was able to get out before my daily broke down last year was from guys running the track I was doing practice at and they had brushless and I couldn't keep up or match any jumps. And I kept wrecking. 🤣 Hadn't been there for like 15 years.

[@RoachRC]

@@dillonpierce7869 You don't really need to catch up yet. Having more power would help clearing jumps but not make you any faster if that makes any sense

[@dillonpierce7869]

@@RoachRC I got that but clearing jumps instead of hitting the back side of the second ramp nose down isn't helping either I gotta bunny hop.... I won't get anywhere against brushless guys with experience like that. Not worth my budget paying money if I don't break even is the biggest problem. And my truck isn't popular that arrma senton 4x4.

[@RoachRC]

@@dillonpierce7869 I will be honest with you, you will never break even in RC. Also there are cheap brushless options out there that will give you the punch you need. Other than that it's a question of tyres and suspension setups. What track surface are you on?

[@je2916]

Don't overspend on buying your first race vehicle. You may not like it.

[@ianhenwood9098]

Im the 100th persion to like the video

[@Gabrielgonzalez249]

Don't yell on the guys picking your car! you're not gaining any time and by doing so! You're only pean and gross with people coming to spend their weekend having fun, or worse on people not driving only there to help organise the event you're taking part

[@justinwhitacre5424]

Do I know this guy 🤣

[@RoachRC]

Probably not :)

[@justinwhitacre5424]

@@RoachRC does Reedy S+ 13.5 ring a bell??🤣🤣

[@RoachRC]

@@justinwhitacre5424 Hard to be sarcastic over text. Hi Again Justin

[@justinwhitacre5424]

@@RoachRC lol, I gotchu before. Just gotta keep em going and on their toes 🤣

[@RoachRC]

Lol