Desert/Baja Style Racing

[MAC FAB]

What to you all think of this??? What you see is what he saw driving. Camera on the roof I believe, zip tied. Could also be the hood, haven't heard back yet as to which it was. This is far better than what he had explaind the experience to be to me. See 3 posts up. ^^^^^^^^^^^
Another guy is also testing out an FPV setup as well. Next "test" (Richard's video above) should be more in the type of environment we're looking for.

https://youtu.be/mxPvTIFyDsM

[rusty-racing]

I think it looks good. Is there any upcoming meets for any desert runs? Now that Im back from the Mint 400 Im trying to finish my truck over the next few weeks. MCI racing is working on my decals

[ferp420]

That video is still alittle ruff and he still isent going very fast how would the video hold up to high speeds and crashes i think if it was on a screen in the chase rig and you could drive by line of site or by the fpv screen it would work well if it all stays together but the radio range being so limited you wont be able to call it a desert race you cant race through the desert if your on a race track you loose the feel of the desert maybe im a bit biased because im looking out the window at soggy lake and 188000 acers of desert to race in i might be biased just a bit

[MAC FAB]

Originally Posted by ferp420

That video is still alittle ruff and he still isent going very fast how would the video hold up to high speeds and crashes i think if it was on a screen in the chase rig and you could drive by line of site or by the fpv screen it would work well if it all stays together but the radio range being so limited you wont be able to call it a desert race you cant race through the desert if your on a race track you loose the feel of the desert maybe im a bit biased because im looking out the window at soggy lake and 188000 acers of desert to race in i might be biased just a bit

Rough video because the camera was zip tied to the shock mount, so a little flexi flyer. Speed was mid to upper 20's, which is deceiving. That may be hard to overcome. I agree, run the open desert, but chasing your car is another task. What do you do when 20 or more show up to race? This also would suck for difficult KOH rock climbs unless your camera articulated. I'll be doing good to get a group of guys at a spot on any given day. I've got 3 builds going at once right now. Once those are complete it's race/video time. That will spark the interest, some quality video footage. Justin (Cyconxc) lit the fire for the scale TTs through good short video clips. Let history repeat itself.

[rusty-racing]

The chase vehicle thing will work. If we time start like the real vehicles do. 2 at a time with transponders 2 minutes apart. Run along side in a utv. I have done this in the dunes.

[MAC FAB]

Here is my local spot. FPV could work here all day long as a baja styled race. Break up segments into timed mini courses, i.e., checkpoints. Just stand/sit in the middle of your section with your fpv goggles on. Its all "scale" whooped out (2-5 footers in scale) from the dirt bikes. Harder ground and sopt spots. When dry, silt as well. To the right there is more driving area, as well as some good rocky sections for the U4 crowd. Challenge here is to keep the rubber side down because you can fly.

[rusty-racing]

Where is this?

[ferp420]

Originally Posted by MAC FAB

Rough video because the camera was zip tied to the shock mount, so a little flexi flyer. Speed was mid to upper 20's, which is deceiving. That may be hard to overcome. I agree, run the open desert, but chasing your car is another task. What do you do when 20 or more show up to race? This also would suck for difficult KOH rock climbs unless your camera articulated. I'll be doing good to get a group of guys at a spot on any given day. I've got 3 builds going at once right now. Once those are complete it's race/video time. That will spark the interest, some quality video footage. Justin (Cyconxc) lit the fire for the scale TTs through good short video clips. Let history repeat itself.

I was guesstamating mid 20s just by how long it took to cross the basketball court but that was the only time he realy opened it if up you stage the start like most desert races there wont be a problem and the chase rig can easily go around the hard rock trails and your gona be crawling so its easy to walk the trail And reunite with your chase rig at the end i do here you about getting people together but if its done around a big event there will be alot of people around im sure we can get some people together

[MAC FAB]

Agreed. But the new problem is chase vehicles. One per entry. You really can't double them up because what if I break or roll over and you're still trucking along? I could easily see 20 people racing the first time out, at least in the desert/baja format. 20 chase rigs? That's a big commitment in some way. But it would be way cool to be able to haul the mail where you could. The two class 1/1500 builds I've made run in the mid 30's on 2s. The 5 unlimited I'm building now will be purposely slower. (That will be determined in testing) We need to figure out the chase crew then make it happen. Just would have to have rules for the classes, not unlimited motor/battery run what you brung.

[mojave450rider]

I gotta get the v3.0 TT built for this

[MAC FAB]

I tried the FPV route today by simply recording my driving, camera on the roof. Looked like the washes at the San Felipe 250. That was great, but I was only going about 8-10 mph. I couldn't read the terrain to save my life as I watched the video. So FPV is out unless we drive at "scale" speeds. Nah, can't do that. Defeats the engineering in the scratch build cars. Looking like line of sight racing will be the solution. However, scale speeds look like the real deal for video opportunities.

[rusty-racing]

For line of sight how would this sound. Set up a track in the open desert with the driverstand in the center and we race all around the driverstand. If the route of chase vehicles doesnt go well. This can be done just about anywhere. Outfit a trailer to be a driverstand. Pull it to the center of the race area and have rails all the way around it and drivers go from one side to the other. Map the track out with tape and stakes. We do a 1 lap qualifying run to determine your starting position and then line up 2 by 2 and race on time. Small infield style track at first then off into the desert. We can do laps and even set up pits for battery changes or even segments depending on how large the track is. 3 10 lap segments with a 40 minute break between segments and we restart in your finishing position. No repairs on the track. Classes set up based off chassis. Buggy class, trophy truck class, production tt class and even a short course (trophy lite) class for those who dont have a custom rig.
Wheel base capped at 14 1/4 since thats what the bodys accommodate currently and a width of 12 inches. For customs a minimum weight of 10lbs. Limit batteries to 2s only and all vehicles must run an interior or diver as well as 4 scale items for example fire extinguisers window nets things of that nature. We could do a pre race concourse for all vehicles. Kind of do things different then the normal rc racing. Outside the box and make it fun and recognize the hard work we have put in. As far as motors and speedos I would say this. For the unlimited/ custom cars we run unlimited. Because the 2s and our suspension is the equalizer. As for the production and trophy lites a 10 turn limit or using the rtr motor speedo combo. What do you think?

[MAC FAB]

Originally Posted by rusty-racing

For line of sight how would this sound. Set up a track in the open desert with the driverstand in the center and we race all around the driverstand. If the route of chase vehicles doesnt go well. This can be done just about anywhere. Outfit a trailer to be a driverstand. Pull it to the center of the race area and have rails all the way around it and drivers go from one side to the other. Map the track out with tape and stakes. We do a 1 lap qualifying run to determine your starting position and then line up 2 by 2 and race on time. Small infield style track at first then off into the desert. We can do laps and even set up pits for battery changes or even segments depending on how large the track is. 3 10 lap segments with a 40 minute break between segments and we restart in your finishing position. No repairs on the track. Classes set up based off chassis. Buggy class, trophy truck class, production tt class and even a short course (trophy lite) class for those who dont have a custom rig.
Wheel base capped at 14 1/4 since thats what the bodys accommodate currently and a width of 12 inches. For customs a minimum weight of 10lbs. Limit batteries to 2s only and all vehicles must run an interior or diver as well as 4 scale items for example fire extinguisers window nets things of that nature. We could do a pre race concourse for all vehicles. Kind of do things different then the normal rc racing. Outside the box and make it fun and recognize the hard work we have put in. As far as motors and speedos I would say this. For the unlimited/ custom cars we run unlimited. Because the 2s and our suspension is the equalizer. As for the production and trophy lites a 10 turn limit or using the rtr motor speedo combo. What do you think?

That sounds pretty good to me. A buddy an I were thinking a big cat walk, if it were on private land. Customs at 10 lbs is an issue, neither of mine weigh that. Let them be what they may. If you break, oh well. Wheelbase cap, say 15". My class 1s are 14-1/2". 2s for battery, perhaps. I am going to try a 3s in mine and gear down. Suspension as the equalizer? I am 4"x4" on v2, 4"x5" on v1 I can't run a driver, gotta do the net thing. I am more worried about performance than scale. Does that make me outside the box???

[rusty-racing]

Under 10 lbs time to add weight lol. Looking at it from a stand point of the production cars already using an interior and unless the trophy trucks are built out of aluminum its going to be damn hard to be under 10 lbs. A buggy like your class 1 has alot less material then a trophy truck. So I guess we can base weight on class. What does your buggy weigh? Ill be right at 11 lbs with my truck with a 2s battery and no battery for my lightbars. With being fabricators I find it easy to build a truck strictly for peformance and more difficult to build a vehicle that has scale aspects and can perform. I could build a light tt with tons of travel that could run for 35 min plus but that defeats the purpose of What I think most people have built into there vehicles. Im in for anyway this goes.

[ferp420]

Non of my rigs that i would run can run on 2s im running momba monster esc on all my high end rigs i can run 2s on my redcats and my tamiyas but there not worthy although it would be cool to see a grasshopper out there doin it but i already know it wont it soundz like you came to the same conclusion i did after tryin the fpv thing i was hoping the high end equipment would work better but it dosent sound like it but i still belive it has a big place in this race just not as a primary view point to race from Its still useful like if the rig is behind a bush or just a different point of view also makes watchin the race a reality the fpv feed can even be streamed live on line so more people could watch im mean if there is any interest in this type of race obviosly it wont be big when it starts but maybe it will get big enuff that a few people would be interested in watching maybe i had to go back up north but next time im outhere i can drive my 1:1 to do some testing if anyone is intereted its not a side by side but its a good desert runner easly capable of the speed needed for this type of race ive done some testing by my self and its doable its just hard to drive a 1:1 and rc at the same time let alone film it i have hit 15 mph though with my wraith and it dosent handle like the yeti dose so i know it can be done just takes mad skills and with practice we could get the speed up

[MAC FAB]

Rusty, the aluminum car hits about 8 lbs with the battery. The other one is just shy of 10 lbs rtr. If it were to be limited, put a speed cap on it, say 30 mph. Even 25 mph. Everybody should be able to hit that. Half of the idea is for it to be fun, not turn into Nascar. Driver skill and vehicle tune/capability will settle the score. How fast you can go and keep it rubber side up, like any short course race, and, just like 1:1. That also will help from vehicles getting torn up. Yes, you can break, but going 25 does less damage than 40!

A absolutely great idea, ferp420, to stream it. At least record it for a mini movie or something. I think there would be a large audience there to watch it. I've got this style thread elsewhere, curious people. If they saw something for what it is, they would be all over it. Way cheaper than 1:1!!!

[rusty-racing]

Giving it more thought the limiting factor really is gonna be e natural terrain. You can only go so fast through that stuff. I think once we set a date and meet up and get a race day under our belt we will have a better idea of how to do the next race.

[ferp420]

Any way the race plays out it would be cool to watch and if some one with video editing skills could realy bring this to life i would watch it im picturing a rig rounding a corner in slow mo and then the camera view switches to inside the car view at full speed

[MAC FAB]

How about this one???


https://youtu.be/yzHcYN62ZXI