"Why I don't go to comps".....not looking for comp guy replies....

[Gravebane525]

Originally Posted by Charlie-III

And once you do it a bit, you'll find ~80%+ is the driver, not the depth of the wallet.
Pretty much common thought with WHATEVER you attempt.

I'm not sure about that one. to get a comp class car to be able to function the way thats needed to complete comp class corses takes a good deal of money. even then it takes a skilled driver, but with out a car that can do what the course requires a skilled driver is useless. is kinda like racing, a good driver in a bad car can not win because the other good drivers have good cars.

scale on the other hand, even corses that are set up to require sharp turning can for the most part be completed with a carefull driver that can think outside of the box. it may require straddleing a gate or two or some edtra manuivering and reverses. the only "upgrade" I can see being required for an RTR axial scale truck to be compable is some weight in the front, and maybe some decent tires. (one guy in our club runs the r35 ripsaws and does pretty well with em. don't think the RTR's come with the r35 though)

[JeremyH]

Originally Posted by Gravebane525

scale on the other hand, even corses that are set up to require sharp turning can for the most part be completed with a carefull driver that can think outside of the box. it may require straddleing a gate or two or some edtra manuivering and reverses.

The exact same can be said for comp crawling.

[Gravebane525]

naw... the comp courses I've tried have a ton of really extreme corners and step climbs. real wheel dig is requirement as is fancy chassis to get the low COG but still real high clearance to make it up and over the steps. front wheel dig was really really helpfull too. there was no room for backups or extra manuvers. some corses you had the options of hitting gates and taking a few reverses to get thru a gate but you point out quickly then.

[JeremyH]

We had a guy who ran his sporty (a NO DIG SHAFTY) in our pro class at our state finals and he did well. The courses can be completed....but I have a feeling we're dealing with the issue that Nigel mentioned earlier...

[Gravebane525]

I guess it depends on who makes the courses. even a tricked out shafty with no dig would have problems finishing the comp corses I've seen. one course would have been possible, because it was made for shafty and then altered for pro, I actually got to gate 5 or 6 on that one. the rest were just impossible for my rig to do. no way to make the turns on top of rocks, no other ways up the rocks. the only way I could get up the step up style gates was a lucky bounce. most courses I tried I was lucky to get thru 2 gates before timing out. they require certain abilities that my rig did not have.

scale on the other hand, tight turns are the biggest thing I have to deal with, and they normally arn't put ontop of a rock with dig in mind so there is wiggle room. it might take 5 or 6 backups to make a turn that someone else could do with 1 or 2 but there is still the room for backups. I don;t have a working winch, but apart from one course out of I think 12 now I didn't need a winch(and I didn't use the winch on that one, but it took so much time to get past that point without one that I ended up timing out). and if I decide there is no other way there is a buddy winch thing. my scale rig was pieced together from scrap parts and I have a good chance of finishing a course even with out a winch and the steering other people have.

[ROLANDROCKSHOP]

We have a new guy in our club..
ive been talking to him about coming out and crawling with us.

His reason for not wanting to come to a big group comp/gtg..
he doesn't want to look like a fool...??

Im sorry but if your new,your gonna stumble and not gonna have your rig setup properly.

Trust me..
i know.

I came from wheeling 1:1's when I 1st started in 2006..bought my ax10 and a few goodies/tires and thought,yep,im fixn to show these goobers just whats up.



I pulled up to the comp spot and they were already running the courses..
I saw the lines they were pulling and the rigs...
I didn't even get my Rc out of the jeep.

Everyone goes thru it..the newb stage.
Everyone in our group is super nice and helpful and would give you the part you broke just to have you stick around and play around some more.

The fear factor of not doing well or breaking the rig is what keeps people away and it just boggles my mind.
We all hafta start somewhere..yes your gonna fail/break..etc
its called a learning curve.

Yes,comping is more $/time in your rig. more tuning/setup practice.

The 1:1's don't finish the KOH events in stock form do they?
Nope,they have the parts they need to finish the course.



Ive always wanted to try a stock spec shafty class to get new guys interested.

[JeremyH]

Originally Posted by Gravebane525

even a tricked out shafty with no dig would have problems finishing the comp corses I've seen.

Then it sounds like the guys setting up your courses are doing a poor job. I just got back from Nats and I am pretty sure that I could have done decent on the pro courses with my sporty....and those are supposed to be the hardest courses in the nation.

[Gravebane525]

maybe, they set them up to be a challenge. I've seen the people making the courses have trouble finishing the courses in time, or even point out. if the course is so easy you can do it with out dig and with out all the other little features, then where is the challenge in it? when a pro crawler can turn on one wheel it can make almost any turn that doesn't require turning on one wheel easily. if you make your pro courses so easy a sporty can do it, then most of the people that have been doing it for years with great skills and great cars end up with perfect scores. the only time I seen more then a handfull of perfect scores at a comp was the one sporty course they converted over, which I think everyone but me got a perfect score on lol.

[JeremyH]

Setting up a crawling course is not an easy task. Since the person setting up the course is usually a competitor himself, he cant run the course. Sometimes obstacles that seem easy are not, and vice versa. He also has to deal with a wide variety of skill levels. He wants to setup a course that is challenging to all, but still able to be completed by about 50% of the pack.

As a driver, you need to realize your limitations and work with them or around them. There is NO perfect vehicle setup for all situations...but a good driver knows how to think outside the box when his truck is struggling.

If you dont agree with the way the courses are setup by your club, then offer to help with that process. I'm sure they'd welcome the assistance.

[Gravebane525]

lol I help with the scale courses. have set up 1 so far and judged half a comp. the one I set up I think only 3 people finished but it was a fun course, most gates were placed in ways no one had seen before because I've not been comping long. I built it thinking it would be fun to get thru there. I think I only made it past gate 5 (better then most) before I had a tire come so lose that I had to stop. I'll get better as I see and run more.

I've given up on comp though, to get my rig to be in the 50% that can complete the course would require to much for to little gain (in my mind atleast). I'd rather put a fraction of that money into buying a scale rig (which I did) and then getting it set up to fit me and be able to keep up. got improved steering parts coming in now, along with some od/ud ears for the axles. less then 100 bucks for it all and my rig won't be perfect, or even the "Best" rig there. bit it will be able to do what the courses require. once those parts are in the only thing holding me back is me.

[JeremyH]

Originally Posted by Gravebane525

to get my rig to be in the 50% that can complete the course would require to much for to little gain (in my mind atleast).

I'm sorry you feel that way, but that's simply not what I see at comps. Sure there are guys with every bell and whistle, but there are also guys running 4 year old rigs and doing very well with them. I watched a guy with an old berg kick ass at nats. Old rigs give you something more important, IMO, than the newest products........drive time on a setup you know.

[SkaldidDog]

Originally Posted by ROLANDROCKSHOP

I pulled up to the comp spot and they were already running the courses..
I saw the lines they were pulling and the rigs...
I didn't even get my Rc out of the jeep.

I hear that. My first comp I watched the Axial West Coast Championship at Wohlford in SoCal. Talk about intimidating. Didn't even bring my rig. My first comp as driver was the club series final for the year. Again, very intimidating. Some heavy hitters were there to say the least. We all go through it.

J

[JeremyH]

Originally Posted by SkaldidDog

We all go through it.

Gravebane, see, everybody goes through that. This guy just won the national series for the 2.2pro class and even he went through what you talk about....

[stevetate12]

Originally Posted by lemonhead

I have only had my rig for less than a year and really not into comps but more of a GTG type of scene. I'm new to the area I live in now and looked into a few clubs but everything was about points and decked out rigs I couldnt afford. I finally got lucky and hooked up with a couple guys that just like to run and not worry about points or how many scale things & upgrades you can add to your truck, as this becomes expensive.

The summer started with 4 of us and ended with 12 -14 guys, most of us are newbs and short on cash and knowledge, but the more seasoned guys are great and very helpfull and patient with us.

Maybe if there were more GTG for the newbs so they could learn as they go, it might keep more of the newbs interested and not so overwhelmed and feel like they need to drop tons of $$$ just to keep up and try to finish a course.

I.m lucky to have found a group that feels like I do and just wants to have fun playing with toy trucks.

agreed to a point... the comp guys arouynd here are actually very cool and ill get to one ..but i tell ya a 2 hr drive to run your rig for 20min is a tough sell so like you ive been trail running with a big group of people and having a blast....and im hearing the same from alot of guys who go to comps and then come out with us or new guys who just look at the scene and think as you have

[Gravebane525]

steve, I'll be putting together a set or two of gates soon. planning to keep atleast one of the courses set up after the comp is over to practice on cause ya right. its a long drive out a long drive back a good amount of time and gas spent for 18-21 mins TOPS, and thats only if you don't point out lol. planning on hanging around and playing on the courses everythign is done for a while. may even bring the gates to the GTG's no points just practice. figure it be pretty fun to toss a few gates up and see who can make it.

[Calderwood]

Originally Posted by stevetate12

agreed to a point... the comp guys arouynd here are actually very cool and ill get to one ..but i tell ya a 2 hr drive to run your rig for 20min is a tough sell so like you ive been trail running with a big group of people and having a blast....and im hearing the same from alot of guys who go to comps and then come out with us or new guys who just look at the scene and think as you have

If drive time is your issue bring your scaler for the after party!

[stevetate12]

Gravebane killer idea!.....and I will get to a comp...but distance And weekend work are sometimes issues....and as far as bringing the scale....ive done it....im just not at the comp...lol....


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[RootBreaker]

for me it is families fault.. I just need to get rid of them... then im golden!!!!!!!!!!

work 62 miles each way... up at 5am and home at 4:45pm... not bad you say.. well lets map out the day..

typical day - Friday would be a good start.. (sunday is travel soccer games for each in different towns)

5am - out of bed
5:20 - in truck to drive to work
6:20 - work
3:30 - drive home
4:45 - pickup youngest from after school program
5:10 - dinner
5:45 - drive oldest son and drop off at soccer in town over and go home (wife picks him up)
6:15 - youngest has soccer practice and I assistant coach
9:00 - start to head home
9:20 - kids showers
9:45 - beer, wine, snack time....

now while that doesnt seem that bad.. take that day and substitute out some things.. like take soccer out.. and add deck hockey... or add MMA...

2 kids, 3 sports, twice a year...

at times.... soccer is 1/2 way over so say fall... and deck hockey is starting... and MMA is year round!!!!!!!!

so for me it isnt the $$$$$$$$$$$$ it is the time...

on saturdays trying to get house together, cleaning, fixing, then hobbies... just cant keep up.. but that is all my fault as we are very active for the kids!!!!!!!!!!!

[stevetate12]

Ditto mr root!....gptta have a balance given the distance etc...i really can't commit to an entire season


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[Gravebane525]

thats one of the reasons I have no illusions that I will "win" any time soon. I can not commit to an entire season, so I just have fun at the ones I do make. I'm only sumin like 1000 points behind first place this season! lol