Some Advice Folks...
 

Hello Oople People...

I need some advice, but first please bear with me for some history...

I used to race 1/10th off road back in the '80s all around East Anglia and I guess I was a fairly decent standard. I used to usually be in the A final at regional level, was club champion at a decently sized club (at the long since closed St Ives Buggy Club) and although I couldn't get to nationals (as I couldn't get there!) I did race most seasons at a very large indoor event up at Mansfield in a big sports hall (anyone remember that series?) and did well there out of the 100-140 odd drivers who competed. I also used to do lots of East Anglian club competitions where I used to be A final standard too.

I was a teenager back then and left the sport behind in my late teens. Sold all my gear (I loved my Schumacher Pro Cat, Barracuda charger, Pete's Awesome Products 1700 SCE's - wow I feel so old!!). I also raced an Optima Mid Turbo (ha ha 'turbo'), Lazer ZX and even a Manta Ray - but I always came back to the good old CAT.

I'm older now and have two little boys (3 and 4 so still a bit young) but I have decided to pick RC back up again as I hope they will give it a go as I have never forgotten what a great hobby it is - and so positive for youngsters.

This may well sound familiar to many of you!

Here's the rub...

I can't spare EVERY Sunday afternoon although once a month for regionals/nationals etc would be okay (hey I know I've a long road back to a decent skill level :)). Sunday morning until late lunch is okay every week and Saturdays too every week.

My local-ish club would be Stotfold (Sunday afternoon unfortunately) and I know Bedfordshire MCC are looking to build an off road track too.

Everything else round here seems to be touring car (Beds MCC, Cambridge Milton, Peterborough and Milton Keynes) so I could go that route although I still have a soft spot for off road. Those clubs run Fridays/Saturdays and Sunday mornings so would be okay.

Is TC still popular? I read that buggys had declined in popularity but were on the way back (they certainly seem to be) and I guess I still lean towards buggys.

I can't seem to find any Saturday off road racing at club level...

So what do you think folks?

TC or Off Road (possibly limited by the clubs round here)

Any advice on any clubs I don't know about?

I'm based in Huntingdon.

Thanks for reading the essay!

Welcome back, you will soon wonder why you ever gave up! There is quite a few of us who gave up in our late teens and have made a bit of a comeback to racing.

It doesn't matter if you can't race every week, just race as often as you can. I'm not sure why but saturday racing isn't very popular and I don't know the clubs around your area so I can't advise on when they race. My club (hinckley) races on a saturday afternoon but it's a bit of a trek for you.

I've tried TC and off road and I prefer the bumpy stuff, TC can get very expensive buying tyres all the time and it just doesn't seem as much fun as getting some air over a table top.

Check out the BRCA club list and go along to your nearest clubs and have a chat and see what they are running. http://www.brca.org/?q=clubs be careful though as you may have a few deliveries arriving very shortly after :)

yes I remember the Mansfield series! run by a bloke called Malcolm Webb if I remember correctly. Wish it was still going as I live there now.

Can't help you club wise, but can confirm buggy racing is deffo more popular at the moment than TC.

Broxtowe (quite near Mansfield) are apparently going to run a winter series on their awesome new astro track which even when it's wet drains really well, so that is a possibility maybe for a few sundays over winter?

I just got back into racing after many years and am really enjoying it....the new technology such as brushless and lipo is just amazing!

Herts nitro model club run tuesday evenings currently for the summer and will me moving to saturday afternoons from the start of september. basically we'll be running every 1st and 3rd saturday of the month with a one off special event on the 10th of september due to the nitro national on the sunday.

you can find more info here: http://hertsnitromodelclub.co.uk/

As for which racing to do, buggys all the way. TC is dieing out horribly and buggy seems to get stronger all the time :D

Hi,

Welcome back, I'll also be running indoor meeting on a Wednesday eve in the Milton Keynes area, and hopefully a grass track on pretty soon - I'm just trying to track down a mobile rostrum.

Thanks everyone for the help - you've all been great :thumbsup:

That's it John! Definately 'big' Malcolm who used to run it! I remember being a bit nervous of him since he was a bit larger than life and did the scrutineering..! Good memory!

I'll definately have to come to Broxtowe - looks good and getting out all over the country is part of the fun. See you there sometime!

What days will you be running? Wednesdays only or weekends too?

Thanks chap! How busy does it get at Hinckley? May have to make the trip as you run on a Saturday...

hehe, it's coming back to me now.....Malcolm drove a 2.8 Capri "as it's fits my image" ?!?!?!

good race series though, suppose it could be classed as the forerunner to Worksop (which is a great indoor winter series by the way)

Also we at the A1 racing club (grantham) have a full astro track permanently set up, and have an indoor venue during the winter, we have club nights on tuesdays running 1/10th buggys short course trucks, and 1/8th nitro (buggys and truggys)

This is good info for me as I'm moving to Huntingdon in September / October. I race off road - 10th and 16th scale. Mattybucks more info on the mk venue would be great!

If you need any carpet I have about 30 meters of primafelt that I'll be bringing with me from the club I started in bracklesham.

There's is normally a good 30-40 drivers at Hinckley's off-road club meeting on Saturday afternoons - there is a good mix of driver standards, racing is relaxed but competitive & everyone is friendly & helpfull.

I think they are only running for two more Saturday's this month before the D-Boots Weekender - best to check their website before setting off! Be warned that the grass track does get bumpy - but it rewards skillfull & consistant driving..... but as an old-skool racer you'll be more familiar with this surface compared to running on Astroturf.

I also run a Touring car at my local club in Kettering (& at Hinckley when they go indoors for the winter) Its a class that has suffered a decline in recent times - but it still enjoys a very strong following (especially at places like Ardent raceway)... we just don't go around shouting about it like the off-road boys ;)

Malcolm passed away a couple of years back unfortunately.

I tried TC. In a few words only this was my experience: boring, anal, unfriendly, really bad driving standards and stupidly expensive......

There is a 10th astro track in boughton near downham market no club as such yet but we are talking about setting something at club levels and fun meetings up. We have just go to get this regional easter weekend out of the way then we may looking into holding club days.

Always nice to see people coming back into the hobby.

In my signature line is a link to, Norfolk Buggy Club which is based up just north of Norwich and the East of England regional website which has results and all the competition news from the East of England Regional series.

I would guess the regional areas have changed a little since you last raced, and where you are located you may find that you are on the edge of two or three difference regions, which would include East of England, Mid East and Mid South. I think the other two regional areas have a website and information is readily available in the regional section on here.

That's a great shame, got on well with him. Very friendly chap and larger than life as previously stated

A few interesting points made here, having raced touring cars for a few years I would say its really competitive and the racing is great, the guys at the track in the main are really friendly but you will find some that are little sketchy about giving up there setups/info etc.

I also have a b4 buggy and started to have a little practice at my local track RHR and I must say the off run guys are a lot more open to helping you out and it is great fun, to be honest I think you would enjoy either.

If off road is in your blood, try and stick with it. I raced off road for a few years, tried TC and hated it. Heck I didnt even like running buggies indoors.

I only race once every blue moon at Hinckley in the summer and in the vintage class as I didnt get rid of any of my Schumachers :wub

Yeah id say that Offroad is getting back up there, I myself would like to get into it but here in Wiltshire there are very few / any offroad tracks :( So ill have to stick to TC ..

Old Skool
 

Hi mate I'm like you and in the same boat I gave up racing in the 90,s and came back racing this year I also have 3 young kids so just want a club in the Loughborough area to race on a Sunday morning I just bought a cat sx of of here and can't wait to test it I had a cat 3000 years ago and raced a optima pro at st Albans buggy club many years ago and ever since off road buggies has always been in the blood .

Topdollar only made 2 posts and that was back in august so I doubt he came back to racing.