Petition/poll ~ Keep bodiless rigs in Sportsman!!!!

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by Manning

A bodied rig won pro shafty/sportsman at Crawlapalooza.

I'm not that passionate about this, as I can see both sides. My shafty has a body, and my MOA is a moonbuggy. However, I don't want these rigs going down a similar path as slot cars and rc stadium trucks that look nothing like the racers that inspired them.

But that is why there are scalers. You want real world looks, build a scaler. You want all out performance, build a comp rig.

Besides, comp rigs haven't looked like their real world counterparts in quite some time...

To me, crawlers and RCC has always been about having a freedom to do things that you can't do in other forms of rc racing. This sport has progressed in leaps and bound in just the few years I've been here. This new ruling is a step backwards in that progress, and a slap in the face to those who embrace the freedom of ingenuity and creativity that we are (or were) allowed.

To say that a bodiless chassis is intimidating is bogus. There are no grounds for such a comment. Anyone new to the game will be intimidated, even if we all drove box stock trucks.

A rule such as this is truly mind boggling and disappointing. I feel there is something deeper going on here than simply making the class more accessible...

[Szczerba]

Doesn't bother me either way. Just another rule to me. We have plenty of them. I didn't vote. Need a "I don't care either way" option.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by Szczerba

Need a "I don't care either way" option.

Sorry about that. Kinda hard to get passionate about not caring.

[Manning]

Just playing devil's advocate here......If you want freedom to do what you want, build a super class rig, not a sporty. Sporty limits you to 2 wheel steering, no dig, gotta have driveshafts, only one motor...... No such limitations in super.

I'm just saying that there's something about having a body on a rig that makes it look a tiny bit more "real" than a bodiless rig that looks alien. After all how many people know what Brent Bradshaw's unlimited WEROCK rig looks like?

I would like to hear the "official" rationale for this decision, if it is indeed factual.

[Szczerba]

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

Sorry about that. Kinda hard to get passionate about not caring.

I voted but my vote is too custom for this thread.

The same can be said about any part that has a regulation on it. Just change the class you want to run in. Example. I don't want to run 12.5" wheelbase so, I'll make a super, etc blah blah.

"Sportsman" isn't really a sportsman class these days anyways. It's good drivers with super custom trucks, minus digs or dual motors kicking butt.

In my opinion, there should be a sportsman class and a pro-shaft driven class. I know, more classes. I just don't think Jimmy-fresh-from-the-Hobbytown-RTR-Purchase should be running against Mr. Wicked Custom Shafty.

[Szczerba]

Originally Posted by Manning

Just playing devil's advocate here......If you want freedom to do what you want, build a super class rig, not a sporty.

I didn't hit the post thread button fast enough. Mentioned above.

[Crawling Calvin]

General rules are good. Makes it fairer... Now this crap... You have to be joking. This is a bad bad idea! I have no beef against bodiless. Heck I drive one!

I think the rules comittie better read this soon or were going to have an ugly situation

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by Manning

If you want freedom to do what you want, build a super class rig, not a sporty.

I did, then quickly realized I couldn't afford to build one that would be competitive. There also isn't a great deal of interest in my area for supers.

Originally Posted by Manning

I would like to hear the "official" rationale for this decision, if it is indeed factual.

I have no reason to doubt the source that told me it was true.

Originally Posted by Szczerba

In my opinion, there should be a sportsman class and a pro-shaft driven class. I know, more classes. I just don't think Jimmy-fresh-from-the-Hobbytown-RTR-Purchase should be running against Mr. Wicked Custom Shafty.

But its been that way for years now, and interest has grown regardless.

If new members to this sport are such a suddenly important concern, then there should be a box stock class added. Removing the option to run bodiless in sportsman is not going to skew the odds in their favor by any measurable amount.

[billet works]

Originally Posted by Szczerba

I just don't think Jimmy-fresh-from-the-Hobbytown-RTR-Purchase should be running against Mr. Wicked Custom Shafty.

We call that class Novice here locally. No different than back when we raced onroad. Joe newbie with an RTR simply isn't gonna typically feel good about his/her performance/rig if they try running it against the typical Sporty's guys here are running now...bodied or not. Sporty simply gives Joe newbie another option for growth after getting their feet wet in Novice.

[Szczerba]

Maybe another class is in the works and the "sportsman" will be the novice class. Pro-shaft driven class may arise, where bodies and non-bodied rigs are equal!

Like you said, it's a weird concept of the potential banning of bodiless rigs. Maybe something else is fueling it that we don't know about just yet.
I am just guessing out loud here.

[toyotax10]

This is all F ING stupid!

I just read this whole thread and have yet to read a "GOOD" reason for limiting an already very limited class... And yes all these small time vendors are going to loose a ton of money. Not to mention the time in testing and making the great products these guys produce for us.

YOUR ABSOLUTELY NUTS TO VOTE FOR THIS STUPID NEW RULE!!!!!

[Badmuthatrucker]

@ a number of points raised here... So those stupid arse 1/25 scale bodies that arose as 2.2 crawler bodies 4 or so years ago are supposed to make a rig look realistic?


I have heard an argument before that the cost should be kept lower in Sportsman and so, bodyless frames should not be allowed. My augment to that was... Who runs a stock chassis anyway?... and with the cost of decently formed body ($20 - $40), 3 to four cans of paint ($36 - $48 ) AUD you can buy a decent moon buggy chassis these days.

I voted keep them. I ran a bodyless Sporty and I suck. But I am pro choice on matters that really do not effect a: how the rig actually runs, and b: appearance.

[team3six]

Personally I think the rules need rehashed.
in scale we try to embrace the vendors who make these trucks and let's not forget also sponsor the events.
To flat out pretty much tell all the vendors thanks but , well that's not cool.
so is 1.9 killed off too?

[toyotax10]

And if they are loosing money in any way it is hurting all of us.
Not as much money coming in = less parts going out. Incuding all the high end moa parts we ALL want and need!

It will only hurt the whole industry

[Cortina79]

I would probably only ever build a bodied rig but, i voted to keep them in the class in support of vendors & people that have them already

[hbj069]

well now, looks like they are still trying to kill off the sportsman class. What was the sportsman class started for? Oh thats right to get more people crawling and have an entry level class so BEGINNERS can compete and "pay their respective dues".

We have a local guy that can at any time take his BODIED sportsman rig and kick 98% of the bodiless moa classes butts.

I am pretty sure the class was not intended to make vendors richer.

AHH whatever, politics is slowly but surely killing another fun hobby.

[EvilTwin v2]

Originally Posted by team3six

so is 1.9 killed off too?

1.9 is not dead yet. It will continue for at least 2012, and after that, however long that there is enough support. However, there are people trying to kill it. The only way to keep 1.9 going is to get people to keep interest in it. That's what kept the Super class alive for so long, and now it's starting to make a comeback.

[EvilTwin v2]

In order to make a point, I used my moonbuggy sportsman.

Here's how it looked as I would like to run it:



Since that won't be legal, I pulled the cab, cut a chassis brace for the motor side, trimmed a body (which I left 1/4" larger than all minimum requirments), and mounted it.



So, does it really look that much better with a body?

[C*H*U*D]

I've always heard that as the Rules Committee moved forward, they would not write rules that would ban anything already being run. This may or may not be true, but you can't deny the number of drivers out there with bodiless trucks now. If they had started Sportsman with a "No Bodiless" rule, then there would be no problem, but it's kind of late now.

I thought Sportsman was started because a lot of people had these great 2.2 Shafties sitting around, and wanted to still run them. Kind of like a Vintage class. I've never really liked the idea of "Sportsman" being synonymous with "Beginner". With the introduction of the XR-10, there are a lot of posts about a new driver buying an MOA to get started. In fact, many here give the advice of buying an MOA to a new driver if they say they want to compete. I don't think Sportsman is the only option for new drivers, which is why I don't understand this rule effecting Sporty only. If they really want to attract new drivers, why not ban bodiless across the board for all classes?

[mindless]

Breaking down to different classes is a horrible idea, sporty, pro shaft bla bla bla. All its going to do is make a few ppl mad when they show up and dont have a class to run in. Keep them all together. Also so lets say someone builds a tuber to resemble a 1:1 tube chassis buggy, thats not going to be allowed to run with other rock crawlers. That seems idiotic to me.