When did Rock Crawling become Rock Racing?

[jetboat]

We were discussing this, this weekend and Ive been seeing this trend growing more and more...

It used to be that we had a time limit just to keep comps moving. Now, comps are running 8-10 gates in 4mins. To me this is taking the sport from being about precision and control to who can get farther in the alloted time.

Discuss...

[JohnRobHolmes]

45t motors and 35t motors are tied for popularity, but I hardly ever sell a 55t motor any more. Last year 55t barely totaled 1% of brushed motors that sold through me. Think about that!

[reddevildemo]

Originally Posted by JohnRobHolmes

45t motors and 35t motors are tied for popularity, but I hardly ever sell a 55t motor any more. Last year 55t barely totaled 1% of brushed motors that sold through me. Think about that!

That's hard to imagine. John. I wonder if it has anything to do with all the short coarse stuff coming out and speed getting more popular.

I run such a slow set up I can actually crawl and keep up.
7T Puller w/RC4WD Disruptor. Slow and steady for me all the way.

[binaryterror]

Originally Posted by jetboat

Now, comps are running 8-10 gates in 4mins. To me this is taking the sport from being about precision and control to who can get farther in the alloted time.

We do this locally for time issues. 4 mins 8 gates. Plenty of time to finish without "racing". I tend to be a slower crawler not as fast as the big names. Pick good lines and stay on track and its not that bad.

[JohnRobHolmes]

The creep to faster motors came about before short course even. It was mostly an evolution of the speed controls IMO, we started seeing programming that could really run a motor slow and controllers that could take high voltage. I am probably partially to blame for much of this, I have pushed 35t on 3 or 4s on many people just because I enjoy running it so much. And why not? If you can still go slow but have lots of speed leftover on the top range it just makes sense to have some pep in reserve.

[cave-man]

We run 15 minute courses with 10 gates. Our last comp we had to extend the time limit to 20 mimutes on our last 2.2 course the fastest time was 12:42 and several people timed out.

When people fly through the courses I set up I know I made them to easy.

[jetboat]

Originally Posted by cave-man

We run 15 minute courses with 10 gates. Our last comp we had to extend the time limit to 20 mimutes on our last 2.2 course the fastest time was 12:42 and several people timed out.

When people fly through the courses I set up I know I made them to easy.

Im not sure my batteries would hold out that long!


Ive got to be 1 of the last hold outs running 55t's in a crawler. I have to say I have switched my scalers and sportsman trucks over to 35t's from Holmes and Tekin for the boost when I need it. However, I just dont see needing to be full throttle all the time to the point where your suspension doesnt have time to react.

[binaryterror]

You need to set up the shocks to react faster is all.

[cave-man]

Originally Posted by jetboat

Im not sure my batteries would hold out that long!


Ive got to be 1 of the last hold outs running 55t's in a crawler. I have to say I have switched my scalers and sportsman trucks over to 35t's from Holmes and Tekin for the boost when I need it. However, I just dont see needing to be full throttle all the time to the point where your suspension doesnt have time to react.

I agree with you, I should point out this was a scale comp. I run a 55t on 4s in my 2.2 scaler with a 2200mah batt I can run about 1 hour. On my 1.9 and 1.55 scalers I run 35t on 2s. I like watching drivers drive there rigs slow and in controll, I am one of the slow guys. To me it isn't as much fun to just hall a$$ and bounce over the rocks.

Most of the time it seems guys run our courses in about 10 minutes. We do get the occasional 3-4 minuter's (is that a word?) though.

[Twiztid Metal]

Depends on how big your course is. Some people are limited to space, so they have smaller courses, some are outdoors and alot bigger, iv noticed sometimes going slow over rocks mine tends to hang up or tip over in spots, but if i throttle it i can get through it alot easier....

[cave-man]

Originally Posted by Twiztid Metal

Depends on how big your course is. Some people are limited to space, so they have smaller courses, some are outdoors and alot bigger, iv noticed sometimes going slow over rocks mine tends to hang up or tip over in spots, but if i throttle it i can get through it alot easier....

Good point, we are fortunate and for the most part have a lot of space.

[Tydl]

Locally we try to stick to 5 min courses only to prepare everybody for the bigger comps. Near nationals we will shorten it to 4 minutes to be prepared. Our courses are very technical and it is difficult to finish in 5 minutes usually. We like it technical but rules force us to be prepared.

[roksloski]

Originally Posted by jetboat

We were discussing this, this weekend and Ive been seeing this trend growing more and more...

It used to be that we had a time limit just to keep comps moving. Now, comps are running 8-10 gates in 4mins. To me this is taking the sport from being about precision and control to who can get farther in the alloted time.

Discuss...

I agree completely......

10 gate --6min. seems fair...
we have local guys that cant even finnish in 6 min.
and now club's are cutting a minute off.... and now i sometimes dont finnish in the 5 min time limit...
and real hard for the new people ...

seems the only reason anyone shortened the time is because the comp entrys got so big
and that cuts the day a little shorter
not the case anymore

and as far the nationals.... thats a time Verses money thing
just my .02

[helhedded]

7 minutes MAX with my clubs. I dont have all day to stand around and watch someone fart around on a gate that they won't make clean anyway. If you can't make the gate cleanly then pick your poison (pick a gate to take out) and finish the course.

[jammin311]

I hate it when I drive a hour or more to a comp get there and they are running 5 mins. Most the time there is 3 courses so you get 18 mins of drive time per comp now some clubs are running 5 mins you only get 15 mins of comp time. Sorry but if im driving that far I want all the time I can get to play. I have stopped going to the clubs that comp like this for that reason.

[rock hard]

Originally Posted by helhedded

7 minutes MAX with my clubs. I dont have all day to stand around and watch someone fart around on a gate that they won't make clean anyway. If you can't make the gate cleanly then pick your poison (pick a gate to take out) and finish the course.

X2

30 sec per gate seems fair enough to me,otherwise the day will drag out to long. And although we are always looking for new blood,you are doing your newer members no justice if they go to a big comp and are ill prepared cuz they have not yet learned think and react fast while on course.But club leaders should do what they feel is best for thier particular club.Thats why we elect to have a 20 point bypass,and allow moa in our novice class. Our club president has decided that is what fits our needs best.I personally think the race against the clock adds to the excitment.

[JeremyH]

Originally Posted by rock hard

X2

30 sec per gate seems fair enough to me,otherwise the day will drag out to long. And although we are always looking for new blood,you are doing your newer members no justice if they go to a big comp and are ill prepared cuz they have not yet learned think and react fast while on course.But club leaders should do what they feel is best for thier particular club.Thats why we elect to have a 20 point bypass,and allow moa in our novice class. Our club president has decided that is what fits our needs best.I personally think the race against the clock adds to the excitment.

Or, sometimes you just gotta hurry the fawk up and get your junk to the next course because they are about to close it for good!

[BEELZEBOB]

I havent been at this for too long.

But when I started in 08, we got 10 mins usually, w/ 8-10 gates.

then people went to nats.

in 09, we started doing 1 min per gate (usually).

Then people went to nats again.

Now we get 6 minutes, usually, w/ 8-10 gates.


Crawler Clubs and Organizations have to kinda set their series and rules and processes up to match what we find @ national, or large scale comps.

The time limits went down in bigger competitions, and everybody is trying to catch up.

EDIT:

And I think the reason larger comps have evolved to hair pulling, 10 gate 4 min courses, is not for a racing aspect, but just to make the game more challenging over all.

Shit, w/ 2 mins on the clock, Sparky and Rubba are still gonna kick every one's ass here in Colorado

[jetboat]

we experimented with 6 gates 4 mins then 6 gates in 5 mins and finally settled on 5 gates 5 minutes. We found any time we had less than 1 min per gate we would loose people at the next comp. Now this year it was proposed that we try more of the nats format of 8-10 gates in 5 min. I started asking and looking around and found that allot of clubs/events are running 20-30 sec a gate and that just seems to be getting a little quick to me.

I definatly see not wanting to drive 2hrs to play for 10mins. We are discussing adding courses etc to our comps to help with that I have been getting sick of the drive and then no drive time.

[shelby]

Originally Posted by roksloski

10 gate --6min. seems fair...
we have local guys that cant even finnish in 6 min.

Yeah so!...