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

[Duuuuuuuude]

Its been voted that bodiless rigs will be illegal for use in sportsman class!

Vote and voice your opinion here!

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

[Jessf]

not sure if this is just a poll but will there be a discussion as to the pros and cons? I'm totally for the bodiless rigs but I'd like to hear both sides of the argument.

I haven't been exposed to the controversy.

what's the big deal?

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by Jessf

not sure if this is just a poll but will there be a discussion as to the pros and cons? I'm totally for the bodiless rigs but I'd like to hear both sides of the argument.

I haven't been exposed to the controversy.

what's the big deal?

The rules committee has already discussed and voted on this behind closed doors. I am not aware of a date, but I would assume it would be applied towards next season.

The committee has not yet made a public announcement, nor provided any sound reasoning for the rule change.

[fishonron]

I have both, my pro is a lexan grappler and both my sportys are bodiless and I think that bodiless is the way to go especially in sportsmen. The rigs have built in limitations already and most lexans get butchered for performance the more experience the owner gets so bodiless is a normal progression. Personlly I just like the look of a bodiless rig better and I fab my own which gives each rig some personality.

[KBrog]

I agree mostly with having to run a body. I think sportsman is supposed to be geared more toward a beginner. Although it ends up being just another class with fully built rigs and experienced drivers.

On the other hand. I bought a used whored out bodyless sportsman rig a while back that Ive been rebuilding. Now Im gonna have to put a body on it.

So Im torn on voting.

[PhantomRS10]

I think body or no body if its a sportsman its legal!

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by PhantomRS10

I think body or no body if its a sportsman its legal!

Go vote!

[BigSki]

I voted, I think a full body should be mandatory. Sportsman class should be an entry level class that will allow new comers to get a feel for the comps and to build some skills. When they are ready for upgraded 'everything' and a DIG, then make the move to a 2.2 comp class. I also personally feel that a dedicated rig should be mandated for Sportsman. You shouldn't be able to run your comp rig just by disabling a DIG unit then go run the same rig on a 2.2 comp course.

[PhantomRS10]

Originally Posted by Duuuuuuuude

Go vote!

I did!

[Ads]

Having a bodied or bodiless rig doesn't make a lick of difference to a good driver.

[TURTLE]

Originally Posted by Ads

Having a bodied or bodiless rig doesn't make a lick of difference to a good driver.

I don't think its about performance, I think it is about the appearance of the class to new and soon to be crawlers. If the new guys are seeing bodiless crawlers on a lot of rigs they may assume they have to have that to be competitive. This could hinder new drivers from coming to the class, first because they will go to the store and see that Axial, HPI, etc. don't make a bodiless crawler, meaning they have to spend even more money to get a bodiless. Next they may not be familiar with vendors of RCC or this site in general. Although RCC is 50,000 members strong, not everyone that crawls knows about it or visits it on a regular basis.

Keeping bodiless out of the class gives the appearance of an even playing field for people getting into crawling, and at the very least gives them the illusion that they could win the event their first time out and that the best drivers rig is the same as theirs, even if under the body it is totally different.

Thats my opinion.

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by TURTLE

I don't think its about performance, I think it is about the appearance of the class to new and soon to be crawlers. If the new guys are seeing bodiless crawlers on a lot of rigs they may assume they have to have that to be competitive. This could hinder new drivers from coming to the class, first because they will go to the store and see that Axial, HPI, etc. don't make a bodiless crawler, meaning they have to spend even more money to get a bodiless. Next they may not be familiar with vendors of RCC or this site in general. Although RCC is 50,000 members strong, not everyone that crawls knows about it or visits it on a regular basis.

Keeping bodiless out of the class gives the appearance of an even playing field for people getting into crawling, and at the very least gives them the illusion that they could win the event their first time out and that the best drivers rig is the same as theirs, even if under the body it is totally different.

Thats my opinion.

...and then as soon as they DO get a look under someones shell they realize that the two rigs have very little in common. Seriously, at some point they're going to wonder why their rig won't do what the others will do. They'll see that they're going to have to buy another chassis to keep up and have serious thoughts about whether or not they even want to stay in the game.

[Ads]

Originally Posted by TURTLE

I don't think its about performance, I think it is about the appearance of the class to new and soon to be crawlers. If the new guys are seeing bodiless crawlers on a lot of rigs they may assume they have to have that to be competitive. This could hinder new drivers from coming to the class, first because they will go to the store and see that Axial, HPI, etc. don't make a bodiless crawler, meaning they have to spend even more money to get a bodiless. Next they may not be familiar with vendors of RCC or this site in general. Although RCC is 50,000 members strong, not everyone that crawls knows about it or visits it on a regular basis.

Keeping bodiless out of the class gives the appearance of an even playing field for people getting into crawling, and at the very least gives them the illusion that they could win the event their first time out and that the best drivers rig is the same as theirs, even if under the body it is totally different.

Thats my opinion.

Thats an ok point, but as soon as the new guy is on the course he finds out how good or bad his rig is anyway. If they think they can win in their first few events, they are either exceptional or deluded.

A new guy is more likely to stay if he is competitive, likes the hobby, and likes the people in the club. (and then some just prefer scale)
What I see that upsets a new bloke is when they realise they have just been ripped off by their local hobby store who have told them that a venom creeper is the latest, top of the line product.

In our club, Sportsman is the most popular class and there is a mixture of bodied and bodiless rigs. The competition is very close and it just depends on who drives better on the day. I just dont think banning the bodiless rigs will be a good thing.

[aceisback]

A am fairly new to crawling and I do not compete. My question is what is the advantage to going bodiless?

I have an LNC and Axial Honcho. If I were to compete, I would not want to run either chassis without a body.

I realize that looks don't do anything for the actual crawling, so why did this issue ever come up with the committee ?

Since I don't compete, this is all rather interesting as I learn more about crawling. From my point of view as a spectator, I enjoy seeing different body designs and paint jobs. Just see some bare chassis vehicles crawling around wouldn't necessarily increase my interest in the hobby. I can see the opposite point of view also. Since I fly rc planes also, I know some levels of competition require that a plane have a pilot and I believe an instrument panel of sorts also which makes no real sense.

Probably the reason I have no desire to compete in any of my hobbies is that there are too many rules!

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by aceisback

A am fairly new to crawling and I do not compete. My question is what is the advantage to going bodiless?

I have an LNC and Axial Honcho. If I were to compete, I would not want to run either chassis without a body.

I realize that looks don't do anything for the actual crawling, so why did this issue ever come up with the committee ?

Since I don't compete, this is all rather interesting as I learn more about crawling. From my point of view as a spectator, I enjoy seeing different body designs and paint jobs. Just see some bare chassis vehicles crawling around wouldn't necessarily increase my interest in the hobby. I can see the opposite point of view also. Since I fly rc planes also, I know some levels of competition require that a plane have a pilot and I believe an instrument panel of sorts also which makes no real sense.

Probably the reason I have no desire to compete in any of my hobbies is that there are too many rules!

I think you'll find the rules here are much less restrictive than in other forms of rc'ing.

The pro's of bodiless is that they are narrower overall, and there is no body to get hung up on stuff. The downside is that they are taller. Rules state that they must be 3.75" tall, compared to the 3" minimum allowed if you run a body.

Otherwise, thats really it. Most bodiless chassis' share the same suspension mounting points as their bodied counterparts (if there is one).

[Ads]

In Pro there can be a good advantage to have a bodiless rig. In sportsman, a bodiless rig is more personal preference, as I see it, due to its width to accomodate a motor and transmission.

[DiggyStyle]

Originally Posted by TURTLE

I don't think its about performance, I think it is about the appearance of the class to new and soon to be crawlers. If the new guys are seeing bodiless crawlers on a lot of rigs they may assume they have to have that to be competitive. This could hinder new drivers from coming to the class, first because they will go to the store and see that Axial, HPI, etc. don't make a bodiless crawler, meaning they have to spend even more money to get a bodiless. Next they may not be familiar with vendors of RCC or this site in general. Although RCC is 50,000 members strong, not everyone that crawls knows about it or visits it on a regular basis.

Keeping bodiless out of the class gives the appearance of an even playing field for people getting into crawling, and at the very least gives them the illusion that they could win the event their first time out and that the best drivers rig is the same as theirs, even if under the body it is totally different.

Thats my opinion.

Good point. Bottom line is that it's all about the driver. Just because a guy sets up a sick bodiless rig with every aftermarket part he can get his meatbeaters on, doesn't mean he can't get his ass handed to him by someone driving a rig with a body on it. lol

[rockpanda]

YAY!! The vote is being dominated by people with a common sense!

[Duuuuuuuude]

Originally Posted by crawl-o-matic

...I disagree. A properly mounted body can stop the rig from tipping to far by resting on the rock face and then it allows the rig to slide right on through, where as, because of its narrow chassis, a bodiless design will tip further and get hung up on the same spot due to body panels and the such. I've seen it happen many, many times.

Agreed. I've also been hung up on my bodiless in places where my bodied rig would have gone right through.

[crawl-o-matic]

...I disagree. A properly mounted body can stop the rig from tipping to far by resting on the rock face and then it allows the rig to slide right on through, where as, because of its narrow chassis, a bodiless design will tip further and get hung up on the same spot due to body panels and the such. I've seen it happen many, many times. At the end of the day...why does anyone care what a sportsman rig looks like? Both styles have there good and bad points and niether is better than the other, so what gives? Really, at the end of the day, it should JUST be a dig thing and nothing more. (dumb question, but where do we vote??)