Indoor Courses at HobbyTownUSA, Columbus

[Frank Rizzo]

I was at the N. Hamilton Rd Hobby Town location{Gahanna/Columbus area} and they are taking ideas and a poll about indoor racing and crawling courses. They are looking for feed back on weather a 1:36 or 1:18 track would be better. There is also talks of building a crawler course.

I for one am excited to hear this news and would like to encourage you all to put your two cents in an well.

Please post ANY news as you find out and I will do the same

[Frank Rizzo]

as of today I found out that the race courses were no longer on the way.
As for the crawler course, It does not look good either. It seems that the shop is looking to put as little effort and cash into this as possible. Italso looks like
they are planning this to be a 1:18 / mini size course. If you are one of the few owners of such a vehicle you may be in luck, unless there is truth to another rumor. I'm told that they may make this a pay to play
course Hmm Wedont want to pay for a crawler course but I think you should pay me to use it. We also want you to spend your cash on your parts here where you broke your crawler on the course we expect to get for free.
If you are one of the other 95% of crawlers out there your Christmass wish will prob not come true.

I understand that HobbyTown USA does not owe anyone a course.
I also know that anything worth doing is worth doing right.

It would be great to have another place this winter to hold comps and test set ups. So if you are interested in a hobby store that may actualy cater to the customer call and inquire, make suggestions and maybe this could end up being more than a half hearted attempt at a gimmick.

[tjscrogins99]

I talked to them about that too. Just seems like they told the one manager to go ahead and build it but gave him no money for it and i dont think he knows exactly what he wants. I think if you guys (myself included) offered to help build/design it would come out much better and they would be more likly to be free if it was "customer created".

[Frank Rizzo]

Yeh. I have invited him to check out my course and offered advice.I just got the vibe that he decieded to go the 1:18 scale route because he has one. I mentioned that he was the exception and that anyone I knew who was truely "in to" crawling was running 2.2 class. He replied " huh, well my brother is planning to buy one and I've met another guy." ???? Thats a total of Two and a maybe I've seen in the area.

I tink the help and advice is there. I think thank that if the idea of it is to draw in customers, existing customers should not have to provide material to get their project off of the ground.

Hell, put a pile of rocks next to where the course is and I know more than a few guys who would jump at the chance to build a sweet course.
It could be done in one day if the rocks were there. The problem is the freakin Rock Fairy. There isn't one, so hobby town might have to spend a few to make a few.

[mchester]

When I spoke to him a few weeks ago, he seemed inclined to go the small scale route as well. I told him I thought the market for that would be very limited and he just shrugged... At that point I thanked him for his time and left the store...

[Frank Rizzo]

He mentioned he may check toms place out. Who knows?

[Frank Rizzo]

I went back in to the shop today and I inquired once again about the issue at hand.

It sounds as if someone has donated the rocks. How many? I dont know. but it sounds like a 10X15 area is being sectioned off for the course and there are supposed to be some work/pit space isbeing added as well.

I know I have been quite negative up to this point, and I still havent seen a course but I am keeping my fingers crossed. I had a good feeling after we talked today.

I would still like to encourage all of you to pop in and offer ideas so this can be groomed into as good a course as it can be.

[EeePee]

Originally Posted by Frank Rizzo

I would still like to encourage all of you to pop in and offer ideas so this can be groomed into as good a course as it can be.

But you live so close!

[Frank Rizzo]

Long time no news.

Hey! Here is news:
I'm planning to head over to the Hobby Town Sat morning to build the frame for the crawler course. I think it will be a 7x14 area. Anywho at leaste I know it exists if I build it. From there it will just need rocks. They say the have a connection but if any one hase some to offer let them know.

I am seriosly wnting to get a 1.9 comp rig and I think this may be a good spot whenever it actualy gets done. I think 2.2s will work but courses may be a bit tight.

There you have it.....THE NEWS

[Frank Rizzo]

Quick update,
The frame work for the course has been built and put in place. I was to tired after lugging that thing into the store to ask when they plan to fill it with rocks. I can't believe that they want a giant empty box on the floor for too long. so there ya go yeeha

[EeePee]

Looks like an upside down table.

Good job Bob!

[Frank Rizzo]

Originally Posted by EeePee

Looks like an upside down table.

Good job Bob!

The rocks go under it

[mchester]

I guess that would be kinda tight for a 2.2 huh? Better than nut'in and the 1.9s will love it. Good job. Hope they are paying your for your considerable labor.

[Frank Rizzo]

Originally Posted by mchester

I guess that would be kinda tight for a 2.2 huh? Better than nut'in and the 1.9s will love it. Good job. Hope they are paying your for your considerable labor.

I just wanted to see something happen. They gave my boy a rocket.
I think that a 2.2 could work but maybe not a 10 gate course or you would have to get quite creative in the lay out.

My 1.9 is in the mail

[Frank Rizzo]

Since I last posted, a few rocks have appeared here and there. I dropped off some concrete and Dwain has pitched in some rock as well.
Anyway, I got tired of watching them sit in a random pile so I took some free time today and started to build.

Here are a few pics:

That took care of most of the rocks on hand.
If you have em bring em.

[savagecrawler1]

WHOA, it didn look like that on saturday when i was at work, not bad Bob not bad at all, I need you guys to give me some things you want me to get or try to get, and things that not just you want but everyone might be able to use, tires,servos,bodys,etc.

[holycaveman]

Looking good guys, really!


Thats all it will take to get more people interested in this sport.

Way to go Bob

[Frank Rizzo]

I'm glad you guys like what you see, because it may not change for a while. A few of us wanted to go in this weekend and work on it for them {because who else but the customers would do it?}but our offer was declined. I was first told man power was needed to move shelving so I offered more than enough with the other guys who were up for the task, I was then told about a logistical nightmare that amounted to nothing more than excuses for the manager to blow me off and get back to his dungeon and dragon banter with his buddy

I still cant wrap my head around why a retail store would set aside this much space for a project and be content with doing nothing to complete it. I am quite sure if this were an area devoted to trolls, elves, snorks, smurfs {or whatever the hell kind of mini doll games they play} It would be worked on day and night until it was fit for Harry Potter.

There are rocks sitting on trucks waiting to be put in place. I told them to let us know when they're ready to get something done....

This has been in the works since Sept. 08 with any luck we will see a crawler course before the 1 year anniversary of this thread.

[Frank Rizzo]

Did I mention I'm frustrated?

[savagecrawler1]

^+1 Bob I fell your pain and sorry to have to share it with you brother, when i worked the next day he was talking to the owners on the phone about it, telling them the same BS he told you, i hope they didnt buy it and see that space as wasted sales opportunity or something like that, the manager gets a big thumbs down and a when it comes to promoteing anything rc