how true - and yet you guys also have all sorts of UK-only racing series and such and (no offense intended) call them "nationals," whereas in the States we have actual states that are as large as the UK. ;)

~ it's all good :thumbsup:

Actually, you probably got states that are BIGGER than the UK, but less POPULATED, but it's all good...

we prefer having a little space between our homes ;)


some of our smaller states are amongst the more heavily populated compared to their land mass, which really proves nothing other than they're packed.

UK = 62 million
California = 37 million (plus another 49 states = 310 million)

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz bored now sprocketnob

:rolleyes: you do appear to get bored easily, shortbus, apparently when attempting to have an adult conversation

Rob, i have read your utter rubbish you post on an hourly basis on many forums now and it appears your the only one who consistently CANT have an adult conversation.

You feel the need to name call at every given opportunity and you don't appear to have the ability to accept when your wrong. Instead you retaliate with abusive and vindictive comments.

Please do us all a favor and go away now.

Anyone else agree with me?

I can't believe how such a seemingly innocent question/initial post has descended into such depths. The world of RC is freaking emotional man. :wtf::eh?:

playing tough guy doesn't look good on ya, barney

http://img542.imageshack.us/img542/4...erhero2445.jpg

:eh?::o:yawn::(:confused::thumbdown:

:woot:

Just goes to prove who really CANT have an adult conversation.

Jamie......

....

Frogger

I understand your point. I am not challenging whether 18th scalers are the "right" or the "wrong" product.

There's a few tracks in my area, and they cater to 8th, 10th, 12th, and 5th scale... no successful 18th scale track. Someone actually opened one a few months ago but it seems he'll close it as he isn't getting the required attendance levels to break even, even though he marketed it to the local racer community as a "cheaper" way to race. Racers still like the other classes... I don't see any competitive, pan-regional small scale racing being organised soon, with the big shot drivers sent by manufacturers to such races. I don't see many (if at all) small scale racing being relayed by the press and the internet, barring the odd headline on oople. No regional racing => no worlds (this only works for baseball otherwise).

Commercially, if small scale is here to stay, well, I haven't seen it appear as such yet. If the level of "news" in one category is an indication of this category's health, take xray - Juraj's recent column clearly specified "we don't see any opportunity in evolving any of our 18th scale cars as they fit the market needs right now". If you know how greedy the Hudy family is (if only to pay their plants' bills) and you look into how they've expanded their lineup these past 10yrs and how often they release "updates" for their core lines, this is a STRONG signal that they're disinterested from this segment - which is a shame as their stuff is simply BiC.

Likewise, HPI has thrown ridiculous amounts of money at supporting the micro-rs4. There's been a cult following for a couple of years, it's all gone now. If these guys haven't cracked it with their ludicrous marketing firepower, no-one will.

Paul

If Jurai had designed a 18th car that was actually good to start with they may very well have a market share, however they built a car totally unrelated to any previous XRAY designs or build standards, and with over priced optional parts.
The M18T may well have done good with Zack over in America, but it certainly never took off in the UK and if it wasnt for Zack I doubt that Xray would have won as much as they have done so.

XRAY's take on the micro scene across the globe is very much irrelevant IMO to how things actually are.

Cris,
Any insight as to why EFRA or IFMAR don't recognise a Micro class?

Keith,

Someone needs to approach them in turn with a idiot/loop-hole proof set of dimensional rules and event rules. I have no doubt that EFRA and IFMAR know that "we" exist.....but with some many variations of rules there is no way that anyone will take us onboard until a "perfect" set of rules is drawn up.

Its something id like to hope to work on depending on the EGM results ;)

You are like a bunch of children at a schoolyard fight, piling on the guy that didn't start it while acting like a bunch of bullies....you're pitifull


grow up

For the love of god Rob,
There is no doubt a good reason why you have been banned on so many forums across the globe, not just my forum.

Please dont come into this forum and mess things up like you normally do. oOple does not deserve you doing that again.

Crissy, for the love of God LEAVE ME ALONE. I was fine here until you decided to single me out, and repeatedly call me out personally in these threads, and then call in your gang of hoodlums to pile on.

I have several PMs in my inbox from other members here mentioning you specifically, and what a jerk you are, and while you can bully people and push them around on YOUR stupid forum that doesn't give you open license to do it here too. oOple doesn't deserve it.

Paul:

Just looking at it from a sales point of view over here in the States, XRay's mini's have never sold in part because they were always at the high-end of the price spectrum and never hooked up with a major distributor so there never any replacement parts in any hobby shops Just like their 8th scale rigs, a factory driver here or there, but nobody (the masses) using them at the tracks.
The Micro RS4 was rather short-lived, like seemingly EVERY other HPI release. And it might have also had something to do with it being an on-road car, the smallest segment of the hobby, and the fact that it was superceeded on the track by the M18 so racers stopped buying them.

Rob, Ill put money on it you dont.

I have emails here from my sponsors quoting emails you had sent to them with details of a fake distribution company that you apparently ran where you tell them that I have "falsely harrassed a US citizen" and therefore your company would not deal with any of my sponsors.

What kinda man does that eh Rob? Emailing my sponsors because I banned you on my forum for causing loads of grief?

Infact I even have an email here from a friend who threatened to take you to court for harrassing them over on RCTech.

But you carry on Rob. Have all the fun you like.

Paul, so I guess if it's the world according to the Hudy's current investment then 1/10th scale off road has no future either :lol:

The world is not defined by only Xray and HPI. The list of manufacturers that have released 1/18th and 1/16th scale cars/trucks/buggies in the last 12-18 months: Traxxas, Team Associated, LRP, Carisma, Losi, Duratrax, Exotek, Robitronic, etc. and that's not all, there are a few more coming this year! Time to come out of that cave buddy, the sun is out and summer is here. :thumbsup:

I can think of at least 2 new cars coming out this year :)

The future is bright :)

Crissy, and you would be wrong..... AGAIN http://img56.imageshack.us/img56/2963/losersmilie.gif


Here's a sample of just one - "You are so right about oxley:D but i think he maybe on his way out this weekend at the egm:thumbsup:"



http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/7398/bsflagja9.gif http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/4...ieyhahamy4.gif http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/2...aytearsua9.gif

Now if you're going to insist on dragging old tiffs onto this forum, I'll be happy to set the facts straight.
You're more than welcome to make up all the stuff you want, but your reality differs greatly from the truth.
In fact, I know you went to some of my former sponsors and lobbied to have them drop me (they told me as such). Good on you. :rolleyes:
No biggie, as they were European manufacturers I was helping introduce their products to the US-market (my true friends remained and our relationship continues) I never became involved in this hobby, or this scale, so as to pick up free-bies and have never used the forums to do so either (unlike someone else we know). But in the bigger scheme of things you cost your own sponsors business on the other side of the pond due to your rantings. Tell me, what sort of man, let alone a racer that's supposedly interested in growing the hobby, would do such a thing?

Have you ever wondered why your forum gets so little traffic, now? It's because you chased everyone else off. You chased off everyone that didn't drop in lock-step behind you, and banned or beat up on everyone that didn't agree with everything you said. What kind of real man does that? RCTech? Funny you mention it, I'm on there all the time BTW and don't have a problem with anyone, but have you ever wondered why nobody responds to you there? It's because everyone's up on your games and nobody cares what you say on anything!
oOple and it's members doesn't deserve your BS, bullying tactics, and rubbish.
This isn't your forum, so stop treating it like it is.


Either allow this topic, and others, to get back ON-TOPIC
and/or go back to your little forum where you call the shots and can push people around all you want.
http://img45.imageshack.us/img45/199...csmiliesx5.gif




P.S. I've really got better things to do than defending myself from your repeated attacks, rumors, lies and inuendo, and I suspect you have better things to do than stalk me and coming up with coy responses to all my posts. Maybe not.............

:mad::wtf: This thread sucks..... :thumbdown::thumbdown:

found via Google search
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/4...20jan20081.jpg

Ok Chris...so you have said A...now it is time for the Bés...

:thumbsup:

What do you mean Thomas? You have confused me lol!

....

omg wot have i started here simple question has turned into a war zone:o:confused::thumbdown:

If you had been paying attention you would have noted I didn't "start it" here, or over there, and my last visit there was well over a year ago (so no, I don't remember you. just crissy's incessant baiting and banter) - yet the true irony is that so many of you piled on was way over the top. I tired of it there, and darn sure didn't want it or expect it here. If you're going to lecture anyone, find the right target.

Yet it sure didn't stop you from jumping down my throat, and blaming me; instead of identifying and calling out who DID start it?

Do us all a favor and GROW UP, thom.

OOoooooohhh, lets all feel sorry for the little Yank. NOOOOOOT.

Do us all a favor and get lost Rob. You really don't know when to shut up do you?

Maybe if we did have a worlds Cris, we could all meet Rob in person. I'm sure wed have a lovely conversation over a nice cup of tea. LOL :thumbsup:

Well, I will point out that there isn't any IFMAR or EFRA events for 1/8th Oval or Mini-Stox and they have been around for a lot longer. EFRA won't create another section and they would fall under the Electric Track and Electric Off-Road sections for the respective construction rules with batteries and motors being shared. If there is only a couple of countries racing them then it is unrealistic to expect it to happen.

As an aside, the BRCA - only country within the EFRA Bloc - actually has more members than ROAR.

....

I think it would be best if you guys kept all this to pm's or email and keep this thread on topic ..

Lots of anger :o
It's just toys lads!

I'm hoping for some big one-off micro meetings - if you build it they will come.

I'm hoping for some big one-off micro meetings - if you build it they will come.[/QUOTE]


Agreed, would love to see some big 2 day micro meeting.

Game on.

You forgot the drinks emoticon gaffer :D

Guys

you all have good points - but if you're getting insulting, then I will become nasty myself, so please watch it ;) This unfortunately is a recurring behavior when rc'ers feel their own favorite category/track/brand/younameit is "attacked".

You've missed the point regarding my xray comment - I'm saying that this is a company that is thriving on useless updates to make a living. The difference vs. 10th scale offroad is that they haven't gotten into the category, as opposed to 18th scale. If they had released a 10th scale offroad car and would have stopped updating it every 9mths, now THAT would have been a signal.

Regarding the microRS4 - it looks weird now as DTM is dying, but when it was launched there had never been a more popular class that EP DTM... back then it was offroad that was half-dead. Still, they haven't cracked it. BTW, if you can't think about any HPI product that was long-lived, think again: belt-driven original RS4 (Still lives on under the sprint name more or less), or Savage (now how's that for a long-lived dynasty?).

The world certainly isn't limited to HPI and xray - but there aren't that many global players either... in the quoted list of recent manuf'ers who have released smallscalers, there's mostly regional or niche players (carisma, duracrap, robi, exotec, even lrp...). This isn't enough firepower to drive a global program.



Remember: the original question was: "why no mini/micro worlds?". You can turn it around any way you like, but the fact is that there are no "big" smallscale competitions indeed... even though smallscales have been around since the Tamtech in '86 (or so), and tamiya sold craploads of them back then... Masami himself was doing tamtech demos back in the days, so it isn't like there wasn't a push from the right people. Every X years, some big manufacturer floods the market with a small scale car... Despite this, today, no "real" organised micro racing, at least not consistently across the globe. I'm trying to provide reasons why this isn't happening... If you keep saying "you're wrong you're wrong you blind fool" then you're simply denying reality. It hasn't happened for the past 25yrs during the heyday of the hobby, it won't happen now or during the close future.

Don't get me wrong: I'd love to see it happen as I think all modellers, regardless of the category, deserve their sanctioned racing. I just wouldn't bet on the fact that you'll have it anytime soon ;)

Paul

Paul, it's not RC'ers, it's normal human behaviour. Whenever you 'attack' anything that people love to do you will no doubt get someone on the defensive.

People in the public eye such as mr Hudy make statements all the time that are nothing more than a PR answer to an internal business decision they have taken. It really doesn't matter why they don't have a 10th scale off roader or are not updating their smaller line, all it proves is that XRay are clearly a company happy to stick to what they know best for the time being, for whatever reason. Unless we know their financials/motivations we are only speculating.

The fact is all forms and classes of RC are niche globally. With the internet manufacturers can have global reach very easily without a lot of firepower or a need to be in all locations. We have been using Exotek products here since their inception even without a local distributor, something they got only recently.

Duratrax rebrand other people's stuff so they have good products and bad products. In the case of the Vendetta range they have taken a small scale car designed by Anderson and put a different label on it and it's better quality than any existing brand of small car out on the market, it's just the yanks that have been a bit slow to realise it but they are coming around and realising it's in a different class to the other more well known but very poor micro cars about. You'll find that LRP has taken the exact same car and rebranded it as LRP because it's so good. Yokomo also sells it over in the Far East.

There are plenty very well organised small scale racing across the globe. The UK have a BRCA recognised national series that runs at 7 different venues over 6-7 months. The US have had the RC Madness On road and Off road nationals for a few years now with 200+ competitors taking part in their 2 day event format, Sweden run their own, etc.