The Responsibility Of RC Racers

[@JV-RC]

This is what the RC community needs. Thank you Roach for posting this.

[@DirtConcept]

Great video Roach. Honestly, a lot of this boils down to the track and track owners/operators. I won’t go into details on step 1 as this is a big marketing topic: Get the newbies to the track. Once they are there, if the product and vibe is good, then the new racers come back for more. If the product and vibe is not good, then focus on cleaning up the house. Tenured racers need to focus on volunteering their time to make their preferring racing facility the best it can be. Second, focus on trying to help a newbie have as smooth of a first race day experience as possible. The buddy system can work well in many cases. One experienced racer helps one new racer. Third, and very important: Do NOT charge entry fees to new racers. Do not require transponders. Make it as easy as possible for newbies to participate!! Lastly, take photos of the new racers, their car on the track. This is key to making it a memorable experience for the new racers. I help run one of the fastest growing tracks in the country, and 💯 stand behind this statement. This method is proven and it works very well! 🏁

[@Hungrybird474]

That’s excellent 👍

[@xWORLDxCHAMPIONx]

More people need to see this video. RIP Indy RC World

[@Gavs_rc_hobbies]

One of the things I tell new racers, is not to worry about trying to beat other racers, rather focus first on getting their skills upand then start dicing with the other racers.

[@Lewis-kf2pj]

I used to race their slightly bigger brothers when I was a younger chap (1/1 size 😀), my biggest opponent and the person that caused me the most grief, was ME! If one can focus on beating oneself, the rest is mere window dressing, as the old saying goes. Though when a fellow can control and beat his own times, that’s when to expand horizons. Let that natural racer’s hunger kick in a bit more and see how y’go. If you can win a battle against yourself, you’re well in front. So, basically what you said, I was just concurring in a rambling fashion :) :) Cracking comment!

[@mouseFPV]

Either that, or find another new racer to make your friendly rival.

[@koditheilgaard3471]

My dude, thanks for bringing it back to reality. First and foremost we are a community and you're videos bring a refreshing look at the hobby and remind us its a community of people with a common interest (albeit different budgets); we just happen to really want to race each other. Thanks for continuing to contribute to such a niche category on the internet. I look forward to all your videos and I appreciate that you make them approachable for the beginner racer. We were all there once and sometimes we forget that. Keep up the good work!

[@normanboeck5444]

One of the big things that helped me out was the steering assist that I put on my first 2wd sct losi build. It helped me from getting discouraged when I first started and as I improved I could dial it back. Tires are huge as well. See what the fast guys are running but don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of tires and compounds and foams.

[@charliedeakman4]

Great video and love the message of trying to make peoples 1st experiences in the hobby fun. At the end of the day people want to be included and making the effort to help them is what everyone who wants rc to thrive should be doing. Keep up the awesome videos and hope to meet you at a track.

[@Usul]

Thank you for making this video. I'm one of the new guys - do not own a car - never even been to a track. That's how new I am. Getting into this activity seems like an almost impossible task. The local track has a bunch of confusing lingo on their website about what is scheduled when - I don't understand it. I don't even know when to show up. I tried to watch a video the local track posted, but it was so filled with jargon I didn't understand. It was a waste of time. I like that people like you are at least pointing out that new people need a ton of help. What I've picked up on so far: 1) You need a car. That's obvious. I just have NO CLUE which one, how much I should budget for, what a good starter one would be, or anything really. Team Associated? Sure - maybe they are good. I have no clue. Which one. There are a ton of them. Seems like each area has their own unique focus, so how do I learn the basics? 2) You need knowledge of racing. That's why I'm here on KZbin searching up videos about RC racing. I'm looking for the "gentle introduction" to RC racing. It is hard to find that information. 3) It requires real skill. Running my basher around (just got it a few months ago) has already taught me there is a great deal of skill required to setup a car and successfully complete circuits around a track. I hear stories about guys who got started at 3 years old or something, and I wonder if you just have to be born into this hobby to enjoy it. Been running the basher every day to try and improve my ability. I honestly have to ask - Do I start with a Typhon Grom and just learn to drive with it before trying a real race car? In other words, is racing just too advanced a hobby for a total beginner? Maybe I am frustrated because it requires some base level of knowledge I just do not have yet. 4) It requires a significant amount of time. This is a killer. I've got a job. When is the local track open for 'free play?' Business hours. What about the weekends? Those are apparently race days. Not sure anyone wants a total newbie walking around asking stupid questions on race day. I wouldn't even know what I was looking at. It seems to me local track owners could be doing a ton more to help new people enter the sport (at least locally)...The impression I'm left with is they don't want that. They got their friends and their track, the bills get paid, and they seem content to leave bar to entry very high. Despite that coldness, I'm still interested in cracking this nut! It is helpful KZbinrs who have taught me nearly everything I know about RC cars - so thank you so much for sharing basic knowledge. I hope more people will do the same.

[@smoothwookienookie5912]

Your last paragraph is spot on. It's a gatekept and overly trivialized hobby, same as many others. I'm sticking to bashing and showing my friends and family the fun of it. Anything racing related has just been dealing with ego and condescension from 45 year olds. I'm over it

[@Usul]

@@smoothwookienookie5912, I get that. Any non-diverse competitive community tends to be insular. There are loads of guys out there doing the exact same thing. My local shop has micro crawler stuff. That community has been awesome for the most part. Everyone I've met in person has been helpful and fun to be around. Each truck is unique, so there is a bunch of shop talk and compliments about people's builds. The low cost to entry and ease of setting up a little mini crawler makes it an all-ages kind of thing. It is still mostly dudes, but it sounds like it may be a more inviting community than racing. It seems to me there are more KZbin videos covering the basics for crawlers as well, which helps a ton. One of the guys at our local shop mentioned he raced at the local track for a few years and left due to the way he was treated. Maybe the micro crawler community is more special than I first realized. Perhaps that's the place for me to stick for now until I can get more experience driving a car in a giant circle without flipping over at every turn or hitting the wall constantly.

[@Subawoo123]

@@smoothwookienookie5912man that sounds awful and I’m so sorry that’s been both of your guy’s overall experiences, truly, but I can promise you that there are A TON of racers out there who are the exact opposite of that and want to help new guys learn. Some of the friendliest and most helpful people I’ve met in this hobby were at the race track. If you don’t mind me asking, what state are you located in? Here in Pennsylvania, at least in the western/midwestern section, they have a great community of some extremely talented drivers as well, quite a few sponsored/team drivers. I’m not here to say your experience was a lie or that you’re wrong, but instead to reconsider the possibilities. Track culture absolutely does make a difference like you said, and although just about every one will have at least 1 nut-job/a-hole, I’ve found the number of friendly/helpful people to greatly outnumber them in the end. This is my experience at least and I’ve been in this hobby close to 20 years, racing for about half of that. Regardless, I hope you have better luck in the future if you do decide to race again, and if not then have fun bashing! Nothing wrong with either, I have a couple crawlers myself and I love them just as much as I do my racing rigs. That’s one of the beauties of R/C, so many different ways to enjoy it! I just got into heli’s this year and wow what a learning curve that has been lol.

[@Usul]

@@Subawoo123, That is encouraging to hear. To clarify, no one has been mean or rude. Perhaps there are some amazing people at the local track. It sounds like there might be based on your experience. That isn't the issue. The problem I am having (and it sounds like I may not be alone) is the information available to make a decision is difficult to obtain. Do I want to go beyond looking up some videos and information? When I look at the track website or watch a video and it is filled with jargon I don't understand, what resource can help me close that knowledge gap and figure out if this is for me? The local track doesn't seem to offer a "you must be new here" class to help get people started. I don't need a class on how to set up a suspension or how to pick a good line. I'm sure that's important stuff (probably really important). As a beginner, I need a class on "how to drive in a circle and go over that big dirt pile without crashing." Or a class on "what does that word mean" for RC newbies. How about an occasional "Newbie Night" where new people can bring all our stupid RC questions and get some answers. When you are new at something, you need room to make a ton of mistakes and ask lots of questions. For example, if our local track posted a video that was aimed at total beginners with little to no prior RC experience what should it cover? Maybe they could tell me which cars they recommend beginners get for the local track, what to expect on the first visit to the track, some examples of what to ask other racers, and maybe some general track and racing basics (simple rules, etc.). I am watching these videos where it looks like everyone at the track knows what to do, seemingly by telepathy. It looks confusing, but clearly there is some reasoning behind it because everyone knows what is going on. What if the track website said: "Are you interested? Just show up! Entry is free until you finish your first race. We will even loan you a beginner car during your visit, and pair you with a mentor to help you get around the track until you can do it on your own." Something like that would definitely tip the scales of interest and lead to action. Hope that helps. I normally wouldn't offer so much info, but the video is about how to help new people so I'm giving an honest take of what I'm experiencing as a new person at this point in my journey. Maybe it will give some track owner out there a new idea or approach they can use. Honestly, though, I think if they wanted to improve this experience they would have done so years ago. That's why I am left with the impression that RC racing isn't really for new people - they may say it is - but they don't act like it.

[@marcthomas6307]

Great Job Roach. best thing about this is you lead by example. you have helped me in every way you say in the vid. i wouldnt be progressing without your help and our overall great group of local guys. thanks man!

[@bluegroovemodelsports9650]

Well said. Be kind and try to be inviting to new racers .

[@Storyracing387]

Did you pull a Star Wars line??? "Enjoy the jazz..." that was awesome! 😂

[@skyekaptain8010]

I've found that most are standoffish,and don't have thick enough skin for typical joking and little normal jabs and horse play,and trying to get a bigger entry is next to a job.Any big event is a miracle and I'm glad to see them thriving.Even with free food,parts,and no expectations,it's a literal full time gig as an event planner/owner.

[@ohalrighthen4301]

The final comment - cost. It is the single biggest deterrent to many people showing interest in the hobby. When they make detailed enquiry on the actual cost of taking part.... I often feel compelled to tell them the truth because I've seen many new enthusiastic drivers quitting shortly after dipping their toes into the water because they weren't properly informed of the full cost to stay in the game of Stock Class racing. Having to fork out $AUD50 for a pair of rear tires that last 15-45min just to keep up with the rest is a very big pill to swallow, and a massive financial hit if you do what most people do - race 2WD & 4WD classes to keep your day full.

[@ron3839]

should have a control tyre/s which is relatively cheap and and as durable / hard as possible for stock class.

[@ohalrighthen4301]

@ron3839 I agree it's a way forward, but experience shows that the retailers /wholesalers then complain about unfair monopoly or unfair partiality to a sole supplier and as Australian RC market is small, we often struggle to get sufficient stock to keep everyone happy so idea was tried and eventually abandoned. A long-lasting control tyre (or regulated electronics combo) is a great idea but hasn't really worked most of the time.

[@DLAdventures2]

Great video Mr. Roach, really enjoyed it! You are very social and approachable at the track, you are doing great even it it is not natural for you.

[@Jamesuni]

Here in my part of NC, almost everyone was like this when I started out. They felt like friends and family I didn't know i had.

[@Storyracing387]

Great video dude! I agree with all of these points! Stuart and his son Donnie were the first people I met at Loganville. Super nice folks and I'm glad to call them racing family. Hopefully everyone feels like they have an rc family. Cade, you and are friends thanks to this amazing wonderful hobby. 🤘🙏🔥 Merry Christmas, happy New Year everyone! Can't wait to get back to the track!!!!

[@RoachRC]

Hopefully I get to see you again soon :]

[@Storyracing387]

@RoachRC you will buddy! 👍

[@davidm8584]

It's so refreshing to watch these videos from a voice that I can relate to. As a noob, I can't say that I'm hooked yet but i did find a local indoor track with a few friendly people and ended up buying a rally car kit to enter the stock class. It's a small indoor place but it's clean and they have cars i can rent for my kid if I want to bring her along. $20 gets her a rental for the day which is pretty smart of the owner when you think about it.

[@dynasty4851]

Well explained, dawg! Actually, I let a new racer use my tires that I wasn't using, and I know it worked for the track we was on. Facts at the end too!

[@farisprasetiawan2011]

Just started racing a couple months ago. Went to a couple tracks and I kept going to the track where the people were the most welcoming and helpful!!! Different tracks def have a different culture

[@teofeo333]

and there's always a 10 year old who can beat EVERYONE lol

[@deadhooligan306]

that’s right brother…keep pushing forward. always look forward to the insightful and informative videos. thank you for being a “real one” when it comes to the racing format of RC. 🫡 …also, on the fence about the Mayako and Tekno eBuggys. how would you go based on the buggy’s performance alone. excluding parts accessibility. 🤙🏼

[@RoachRC]

If I was to go off of the buggies alone and not part support, I'd go with the Mayako for my own personal driving style and skill level, though the Tekno is still very good.

[@Maximm_RC]

Great video! Spot on for sure! I wish more racers in my area were like this and not so arrogant and pushy..

[@bbringle]

Great video. One common thing I see is new people going "all in" and buying cars and trucks for multiple classes and cars leading to a quick burnout.

[@darkknight090]

i mean when i was in the hobby in my younger days racing a bolink chassis vs. associate chassis, i've always felt like the backmarker of the race track. Knowing i didn't have the fat wallet to get a real kit ( i eventually did years later), but I was having fun either way, I did tq and won a main one time with it. ;)

[@endosrc]

Another banger 😁

[@danatinnel3758]

I like the don’t go into sponsor speak. Tell them what works and that could be the most beneficial to their racing. In time they will discover what they want specifically

[@gees5563]

Im a new subscriber you have great content AWESOME VIDEO 👍. I want to learn how to race on tracks i mostly just bash and some 1/7 - 1/8 drag racing.

[@epoch1195]

This video should be called how to hold someone's hand. It's not anyone's "responsibility", sponsored or not, to help. If you have questions go seek out the answer. Some people at the track truly enjoy racing and aren't there to take care of other people. Those people probably aren't going to be as friendly as others. Keep showing up and talking to people and paying attention. You will learn

[@RoachRC]

You kinda missed the point here. This attitude you peddle leads to tracks closing down.

[@epoch1195]

@@RoachRC No I understand your point. If you don't hold someone's hand then tracks close down. Ridiculous way to think. It will always be about money. If you have an established group of racers show up every club/big race you do and lets say 5 new drivers trickle in every month. Then my attitude doesn't affect anything. RC is to expensive plain and simple. Even in your video you're like "don't tell people the cost". If people can't afford to upgrade then no matter what you did, the outcome will always be the same. People that quit racing early is because they want quick answers on how to go fast and you can spend all the money you won't but it wont happen like that. Any racing will be that way on any scale.

[@CorbinWolber]

​@RoachRC I agre we should help the new drivers learn from our help we aren't required but if we don't it dies

[@johnmiller4553]

GREAT VIDEO 🤙🤙🤙🤙. NEW SUBSCRIBER 😁🤙🤙

[@RazorRC]

well said

[@dirtlyf6540]

The Traxxas Slash part made me laugh. My track is dirt outdoors in a smallish desert town 90% of the short course class is Slash. Most everything else is rear motor ready to runs. Today's track snobbery must be a high grip mid motor thing 😂. I race 3 classes not one of my cars has over $400 in it including tires:

[@DonC-xk5in]

It's Inevitable that cost will turn more potential racers away.

[@davidm8584]

Another great video coaching rc chums on social skills and the mental side of things. Any plans for Roach RC T-shirts?

[@RoachRC]

It'll be for 10k

[@BetriebAnin]

My home track, the first and only one I’ve ever been to, is shutting down this January, and I think it’s partly because we’re not welcoming enough to new people. If everyone here saw this video and took some notes, I bet this wouldn’t be happening. Racers, sponsored ones especially, focus too much on making money for themselves instead of growing the community. This industry isn’t profitable for anyone except the manufacturers. Tracks are going under almost weekly it seems, and it’s largely due to the small crowds they gather. Getting someone into the hobby or just helping them out does potentially make competition for yourself, and you may have to sacrifice your top secret setups, but it also keeps the place you race alive. Caring about others can benefit you too.

[@Lewis-kf2pj]

P.S. the jazz is always enjoyed, it just fits. :)

[@SkunkCity_RC]

great video

[@Lewis-kf2pj]

It’s a great travesty and bordering on criminal that you’ve got so few subscribers. By the way, don’t get me wrong here ~9K subscribed people is still a massive achievement and one you should be very proud of!! Anyway, so long as you are still enjoying making the videos, keep up the great work!

[@danatinnel3758]

Also I like the don’t tell them how much you spent. I tell them how much the initial cost of charger a kit and a good radio that way they can at least start. and remember that Marketplace is full of decent kits that are great for a first time racer

[@nikolaszikakis1046]

Since we are talking for honesty (its been mentioned in the video many times), When u see someone bring a traxxas on track and WANTS to go racing, just be honest and tell them that it won’t work 😂

[@teofeo333]

only if you're racing another traxxas lol

[@smoothwookienookie5912]

Lol I wanted to get into racing RC's, still kinda would. However, nearly every single hobby shop owner and/or rc enthusiast I talked to along the way was nothing but ominous and condescending about the seriousness of it. Go to a shop and ask a noob question, get treated like an idiot. "Maybe try a Walmart RC and see if you like that first". Talked to someone at the local track and was nothing but ego and elitism. It's insane. They are toy cars. Regardless of the seriousness of competition, this hobby, along with many others, is endlessly gatekept and trivialized to a point where newbies don't even want to get started because the seriousness and barrier for entry is overinflated by longstanding members. Every RC Facebook group I'm in has noob questions. And literally HALF of the answers are just RC vets talking down to the person who asked. The other half actually try to help and actively combat those a-holes. And that's my point, there's awesome people in this hobby, no doubt. But, when you have so many "vets" treating it like a sacred religion you inevitably just push the newly interested away.

[@teofeo333]

and whatever you do, for gods sakes DO NOT tell them about ROAR🤣

[@bluegroovemodelsports9650]

First comment

[@Stewpkiddable]

always fire. keep up the great content. bashers and crawlers are here to!!

[@RoryHollarTURTLERCRACING]

Vary wise advice. I learned never really tell people the true amount of money you spend on your cars, especially younger kids . A lot of them don’t realize it takes time a little bit at a time.40$ 20$ there 100$ there . I don’t think none of us just went out drop 2 g on a toy lmbo but they think we did . Growth…! Outstanding video…😎🦾🔥

[@teofeo333]

Absolutely! I found that most people did what I did. Get a used rig, then get used to the race, break, repair aspect. A first time build can be intimidating and frustrating for the nube.