[Chrislong]

My thought is the BRCA have been in a difficult position. As with the fiasco of the NIMH cell rules 12 months ago, and the exploding cells (Yes modern Ener-G cells DO explode, and let out a blue flame like a blow-torch!! as do new generation of IB's, just not as much as 2007 cells), nimh cells have a bad reputation that is justified, and still is. Anybody who wants to use them needs there plums testing.

So with all this, racers have got a little pissed off with forking out on cells, maintaining them religiously between every charge and they still loose performance or go pop... so racers have created a market for Lipo by choosing to use them at any meeting they could before any guideline written for the manufacturers to follow. I for one have done this.

With racers doing this, clubs and series have allowed Lipo, such as Worksop, NE indoor regionals, Broxtowe series etc. Clubs that try to dissallow Lipo have suffered, such as York early in winter (rules changed in the week before to avoid loosing attendance's), Kidderminster etc. Us, as racers, have forced them to be accepted at anything but BRCA sanctioned events.

So with the bad reputation Nimhs have created, racers have forced Lipo's in faster than the BRCA could hold an AGM. This isn't the fault of the BRCA or the manufacturer (or anyone to that matter), just unfortunate circumstances.

What should have happened, and we try to make happen, is the BRCA allow what we are currently using (use of a combination of sense and hindsight). At the AGM we were there in force, big attendance, we tried to write the rules to the letter there and then, but not allowed, we asked for some assurance the rules would be what we want - we got that assurance, but they are not what we want. We asked for the guideline & provisional list to be available early, this didn't happen either.

Soooo, what do we do? Well I am running stick cells currently in both my cars, so no issue for me. But how do we make our voice heard, we have tried and failed, so do we do it by bocotting the BRCA sanctioned events? well thats up to you, but if that happened it would force the people who don't listen to listen, the rules are written for us, without us there is no event.

Id like for there to be a series, perhaps at Blyth, clashing with nationals, and i'll happily attend (not due to the Lipo decision, but due to the choice of venue for 2009 national (my opinion only)). Perhaps a resurection of the Radio Race Car series?