the other issue i can see when increasing the entry would be pitting, some of this years venues struggle to accomodate the current turnout let alone even more. plus i would say that the top % of drivers are already racing the series and because it is for the top drivers really why does it need to be extended, isnt that what the regional series is for.

with people maybe turning up sat am or pm, does everybody want saturday practice to be unmarshalled all day? i wouldnt

but my main gripe would as i said earlier be the extra 2 weekends!

Its a good idea if there is qualifying on a saturday afternoon and practice is controlled on a saturday morning.

The way it was in TC its open practice saturday and if you didnt get chance to practice on a saturday you might as well not bother turning up on the sunday to race.

At the end of the day you will still have the fast guys at the top and the slower ones below them. No matter what the format is.

i find it hard enough getting one car to perform per day, never mind two on the same.. it'd make things too busy id of thought. I like the relaxed atmosphere at nationals, and it gives me a chance to recover on the sunday after downing the drinks on saturday!

What would happen for heat seedings? people are in different heats 2wd/4wd currently due to different placings through the year. My 4wd performance has outshined my 2wd by miles, so i could well be racing close together between the two classes?

i used to.

Gypsy! :D :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsies

not my fault i cant afford £260 for two escs! and i still cant!

For many of the reasons above (I have more than 1 speedo) I would prefer to leave it as is, than the options propossed. My main reason though is the getting used to two different driving styles on the same day.

I really enjoy them as they are, no reason to risk changing for me!

Thanks G

I never realised:

Gypsy people (i.e. a nomadic people living mostly amongst non-nomadic people) or those who use the same speed controller in 2wd and 4wd on the same weekend.

From Northy`s link on wiki:D

Thats true, but I have noticed how much better the standard of driving is right accross the %age's. The gap from middle to top is far closer than I remember it, and a sneeze is the diffence between the B and the D final and its far harder to predict the top 10 at each event than say 2-3 years ago. Not sure how relevant what I said here is to to the topic.

I don't like Cree's idea (sorry mate) I don't know how the americans can adapt racing 2WD, 4WD and truck back to back, I would certainly not be able to.

I like Si's idea a lot, a whole day of practise thats OPTIONAL is great. maybe if it was praccy on a slightly different 'layout' that would give people the chance to dial in their car to the venue but not have super knowledge of the exact layout that would might not be fair on people that can only attend sunday.

I think having Si's idea but with counting rounds of qually on sat would not work so well and defeat the object of his idea, it means LESS time on the track before you need to put runs in that COUNT.

im not sure if its 'better' than the current format or not, but I like the idea.

coming back to bury metro, I did feel way more skillful racing in the later quallys and finals than earlier on in the day. it would have been nice to have started the day from round4

Imagine how expensive it is to pay for 3 classes, have decent batteries for three classes, rebuild shocks for three classes, have multiple chargers, corner marshal for three classes, have transponders for three classes, tires for three classes, etc. After a weekend of running three classes on a sunday, your drained, your poor, and you feel like you just got done with work (to travel home to go to bed to wake up for actual work on monday). Being an American reading your forum and looking at the pictures on this website, it sounds and looks like you guys are having alot more fun than us over here in America.

just saw this.. what about the people who can only go on sundays, surely they'd be at a huge dissadvantage?

i like the idea though, as id be able to do it mi self.. but itd be abit unfair to turn up on a sunday and thrown straight in to qualifying whilst other people have had a days track time with their car on the track.

If you want off road to go like tourers then a free practice day will do it, as it is now people get 5 mins per class to get a rough setup and learn the track, its down to pure talent and small setup changes there on in, if there was a day to setup the cars then think of the extra expense, ie people will experiment with tyre compounds, inserts etc never mind all the suspension possibilities.
Right now tenth Off Road is by far the Best class by miles in my opinion, if we could get more people into the nationals that is the only way i think it could be improved.

Personally i can't see it going the same way as TC, we all run the same compound of tyre and in the main most inserts people run are very similar but you are correct in that the more time people have to test the more different combinations they will try but for me off road is more about getting around the track, something i find harder as i get older ;)

Couple of reasons i would like to see a change which might be food for though are as follows

• If we had a practice day i would not need to visit as many national venus as possible before a national, this would save me money, time but most important off all it would see me racing more at my local club and helping grass roots racing as i would not need to be traveling the country over the winter
• I am not convinced our current format helps get youngsters into the sport. If you were a parent and not into RC it is a big comitment to take your Son/Daughter away for a whole weekend returning them home late at night on a Sunday knackered for a week of school ahead of them
• There are alot of us that are also getting older and still enjoying our Nationals but i certainly have alot more responsibilties out side of RC. Not having to get away on a friday afternoon to a national and getting home earlier on a Sunday so when i go into work at 7.30 am on a monday i am not completely knackered will see me racing at nationals longer as well as the first point above.

I do think the current Format we have is great and i can understand why people would not what to change it, i just think we maybe able to make it slightly better, more accessable to all and maybe even put it into a better place to grow the future of Off road RC on all levels

thoughts?

That'll be me then.;)

Want me to read your palm?:D

Again people who can only make one day are screwed :(

people who struggle to make the current 6 weekends are screwed!

Under Si's suggestion, if someone wants to turn up on a sunday and race - they can (I think!) It's just being suggested that Saturday could be an official practice day. He and I have spoken about the idea a few times in the past.

Now, as many will know, i race touring car nationals. I have to admit i find the national format much "easier", for all of the reasons that Si has suggested. I don't need to try to negociate an early finish/day's holiday for every national. I don't have to have travelled to the track twice before the meeting to practice - as i can do that on a saturday.

For me it's a winner i have to say, i'd vote for it in a flash.

Have to say i'd be prepared to give Cree's idea a go as well as it happens - but would personally prefer to go with the Reeves suggestion.

But it gives the people who can make both days a big advantage, currently that is not the case. At tiverton this year people who only raced on the Sunday were given extra practise as the track was unchanged from Saturday to help reduce any advantage.

I am not against change at all but all the angles need to be covered / discussed.

My own thoughts are to leave it as it is but actual have more nationals say 8 but still only four to count and you can only enter 6 of the 8. This would let more people actual race, and more clubs to get nationals around the country.