Doug Carter
October 2nd, 2008, 1:19 PM
Ok guys, I've been following the reactions of the last 24 hours, and I can't say that it wasn't completely expected. But let's all take a breath and relax for a minute and look at the bigger picture. Sorry for the length, there are a lot of things in my head right now.
First, I don't have a dog in this hunt. I don't race dirt oval anymore, and am slowly getting away from R/C racing completely. I have SOLD DirtOval.com and within a short period of time, I won't be involved with this site or sport at all anymore. :( I DO have some interest in this particular movement, as dirt oval racing has been close to my heart for 25 years, and this rulebook did sprout from an idea that I talked about with a few individuals over a year ago. I'm not taking credit for anything, as the work done here was very well thought through by a LOT of other people, most specifically Rob Cutman—who lives, eats and breathes R/C dirt oval racing. If he isn't looking out for the best interests of this sport, I don't know who is. While there are things I would definitely change in the rulebook as it stands now—like most of you—I can also see the bigger picture with the overall concept.
These observations and comments are in no particular order. These are my own personal feelings and views, so take it for what it's worth.
This has been needed for well over 15 years. By the mid 90s, dirt oval racing was mostly dead in this country due to a lack of organization and structure. Thanks ROAR.
Sponsored racers and guys who have products to promote should NOT be racing restricted/spec classes. Grow a pair and race in Modified to show your wares if that is so important to you.
Your existing batteries and motors are NOT worthless. Resale value of used brushless and LiPos are very high. Ask me how I know. ;) With the reduced costs of the DODC spec items, you might even have beer money left over when you sell your other stuff to carpet and off road guys.
All of the current electrics you own right now for electric racing are perfectly legal in the Modified class. If you don't want to sell anything, keep using it in the unrestricted classes.
These rules are NOT being forced down any track's or racer's throats. The idea behind this was to create a rulebook that could be used on a large, widespread scale should individual tracks want to conform to a "national benchmark" like we had 20 years ago. Over time, the more tracks that use these rules, you will have greater acceptance nationally and more racers will be able to overlap at different tracks around the country. Right now, these rules will ONLY really be in place for LARGER races and series, and nothing even in the next couple of months. So slow your roll... this isn't making all of your gear obsolete over night.
Take all of the new batteries, new motors and "I have to buy something different" out of the equation for a minute. Have you thought about what this will do to the actual RACING? I'm watching spec racing absolutely THRIVE right now with the Vintage Trans Am carpet racing, and the only thing that would make it even better was if everyone had the same motors and batteries, and never had to worry about something new or better coming out next week (cough, Apple...). The racing is absolutely spectacular. It's fun, competitive, and generally exciting. Seeing racers and spectators show up at the side of the track to watch EVERY T/A race shows how well a spec formula can work for everyone.
In ANY type of racing, bringing the speeds down and the field closer together with similar or identical equipment, only improves the racing. It's a fact.
In ANY type of racing, there will always be a high cost to participate. With this new concept, though, your long-term costs for electric racing should be considerably LOWER over the long haul. Not to mention a lot more time to focus on car setup and driving, if not just BS'ing at the track.
The cage widths on sprint cars need to be reigned in, as do the dimensions and look of EDMs and side dams on late models. This is a start for everyone, and over time it will improve dirt oval racing as a whole by keeping the cars from getting TOTALLY out of control, as they are already starting to do. Without ANY rules to keep racers and manufacturers in check, it's just the wild west, and that's not good for anyone. Plus, the cars are starting to look as silly as the touring car bodies that are killing carpet racing right now. Hell, my original vintage ASCOT aluminum cage isn't even legal under these rules, so that leaves me out. ;) Deal with it and fix the issues—it's not like it's the COT and you need a whole new fleet of brand new cars.
I'm SURE that there was no malice or intent to intentionally exclude or prohibit any manufacturer from contributing to the rules, but the logistics of involving everyone who produces something for racing is really impossible.
The same with asking for racer's options. That's not realistic, you can't have an open 'vote' on everything. Dirt oval racing is in chaos right now because there were too many different opinions on the right way to set up classes. Dictatorships in racing that are in the best interests of the racers and the racing, will ALWAYS be the best way to go. It has and will continue to prove that out over time.One last thing, too. You may be seething right now because the car you just bought is too wide, or the motor you have in your case is now "useless" to you, but you have to ask yourself if the bigger picture of what these rules do for you will make your racing better, or even give you more opportunities to race? It might hurt you a little in the beginning, but if it's better for the whole, isn't it the right thing to do? Think of that November 4th, too.
Tracks in this area are all but gone, and there are few places to race anymore. 20 years ago, when there were rules, you could take the same car and race 3-4 times a week (and I did) at a different track every night. Hopefully, this will bring some of that back over time. While it might be a struggle right off the bat for you now, nothing will change over night. It will take time for everyone to adapt, but I'm absolutely 100% positive that this will work in the long run, and the racers (and racing) will ALL be better for it. So chill out a bit, soak it in, let the rules start to filter into tracks and events, and see how they work. They WILL change and adapt—because that's what good rulemakers and organizations do. Don't panic!
And someday in the future, when you look on the list of tracks on the DirtOval.com Tracks page, and you see a little "Official DODC Track" icon next to a facility, you will know that you can take all of your cars there and be legal from the second you walk in the door, and not have to change a thing.
I say, bravo to Rob, Paul, Todd, Chad, Sonny and the rest of the crew that helped put this together. This was long over-due and desperately needed. It took some HUGE stones to put this out there and put their names and reputations on the line, knowing that they were going to get lambasted and screamed at.
But like a tetnus shot, a little pain at the beginning will save you a LOT of agony from a slow and painful death.
:trophy_bronze: :trophy_bronze: :trophy_bronze: :trophy_bronze: :trophy_bronze:
-doug
First, I don't have a dog in this hunt. I don't race dirt oval anymore, and am slowly getting away from R/C racing completely. I have SOLD DirtOval.com and within a short period of time, I won't be involved with this site or sport at all anymore. :( I DO have some interest in this particular movement, as dirt oval racing has been close to my heart for 25 years, and this rulebook did sprout from an idea that I talked about with a few individuals over a year ago. I'm not taking credit for anything, as the work done here was very well thought through by a LOT of other people, most specifically Rob Cutman—who lives, eats and breathes R/C dirt oval racing. If he isn't looking out for the best interests of this sport, I don't know who is. While there are things I would definitely change in the rulebook as it stands now—like most of you—I can also see the bigger picture with the overall concept.
These observations and comments are in no particular order. These are my own personal feelings and views, so take it for what it's worth.
This has been needed for well over 15 years. By the mid 90s, dirt oval racing was mostly dead in this country due to a lack of organization and structure. Thanks ROAR.
Sponsored racers and guys who have products to promote should NOT be racing restricted/spec classes. Grow a pair and race in Modified to show your wares if that is so important to you.
Your existing batteries and motors are NOT worthless. Resale value of used brushless and LiPos are very high. Ask me how I know. ;) With the reduced costs of the DODC spec items, you might even have beer money left over when you sell your other stuff to carpet and off road guys.
All of the current electrics you own right now for electric racing are perfectly legal in the Modified class. If you don't want to sell anything, keep using it in the unrestricted classes.
These rules are NOT being forced down any track's or racer's throats. The idea behind this was to create a rulebook that could be used on a large, widespread scale should individual tracks want to conform to a "national benchmark" like we had 20 years ago. Over time, the more tracks that use these rules, you will have greater acceptance nationally and more racers will be able to overlap at different tracks around the country. Right now, these rules will ONLY really be in place for LARGER races and series, and nothing even in the next couple of months. So slow your roll... this isn't making all of your gear obsolete over night.
Take all of the new batteries, new motors and "I have to buy something different" out of the equation for a minute. Have you thought about what this will do to the actual RACING? I'm watching spec racing absolutely THRIVE right now with the Vintage Trans Am carpet racing, and the only thing that would make it even better was if everyone had the same motors and batteries, and never had to worry about something new or better coming out next week (cough, Apple...). The racing is absolutely spectacular. It's fun, competitive, and generally exciting. Seeing racers and spectators show up at the side of the track to watch EVERY T/A race shows how well a spec formula can work for everyone.
In ANY type of racing, bringing the speeds down and the field closer together with similar or identical equipment, only improves the racing. It's a fact.
In ANY type of racing, there will always be a high cost to participate. With this new concept, though, your long-term costs for electric racing should be considerably LOWER over the long haul. Not to mention a lot more time to focus on car setup and driving, if not just BS'ing at the track.
The cage widths on sprint cars need to be reigned in, as do the dimensions and look of EDMs and side dams on late models. This is a start for everyone, and over time it will improve dirt oval racing as a whole by keeping the cars from getting TOTALLY out of control, as they are already starting to do. Without ANY rules to keep racers and manufacturers in check, it's just the wild west, and that's not good for anyone. Plus, the cars are starting to look as silly as the touring car bodies that are killing carpet racing right now. Hell, my original vintage ASCOT aluminum cage isn't even legal under these rules, so that leaves me out. ;) Deal with it and fix the issues—it's not like it's the COT and you need a whole new fleet of brand new cars.
I'm SURE that there was no malice or intent to intentionally exclude or prohibit any manufacturer from contributing to the rules, but the logistics of involving everyone who produces something for racing is really impossible.
The same with asking for racer's options. That's not realistic, you can't have an open 'vote' on everything. Dirt oval racing is in chaos right now because there were too many different opinions on the right way to set up classes. Dictatorships in racing that are in the best interests of the racers and the racing, will ALWAYS be the best way to go. It has and will continue to prove that out over time.One last thing, too. You may be seething right now because the car you just bought is too wide, or the motor you have in your case is now "useless" to you, but you have to ask yourself if the bigger picture of what these rules do for you will make your racing better, or even give you more opportunities to race? It might hurt you a little in the beginning, but if it's better for the whole, isn't it the right thing to do? Think of that November 4th, too.
Tracks in this area are all but gone, and there are few places to race anymore. 20 years ago, when there were rules, you could take the same car and race 3-4 times a week (and I did) at a different track every night. Hopefully, this will bring some of that back over time. While it might be a struggle right off the bat for you now, nothing will change over night. It will take time for everyone to adapt, but I'm absolutely 100% positive that this will work in the long run, and the racers (and racing) will ALL be better for it. So chill out a bit, soak it in, let the rules start to filter into tracks and events, and see how they work. They WILL change and adapt—because that's what good rulemakers and organizations do. Don't panic!
And someday in the future, when you look on the list of tracks on the DirtOval.com Tracks page, and you see a little "Official DODC Track" icon next to a facility, you will know that you can take all of your cars there and be legal from the second you walk in the door, and not have to change a thing.
I say, bravo to Rob, Paul, Todd, Chad, Sonny and the rest of the crew that helped put this together. This was long over-due and desperately needed. It took some HUGE stones to put this out there and put their names and reputations on the line, knowing that they were going to get lambasted and screamed at.
But like a tetnus shot, a little pain at the beginning will save you a LOT of agony from a slow and painful death.
:trophy_bronze: :trophy_bronze: :trophy_bronze: :trophy_bronze: :trophy_bronze:
-doug