post on rcracechat complied by Dez Chand, editor of RRCI magazine
Tamworth F1 Feedback
Thanks to all 30 drivers who returned the forms asking for feedback on F1 Racing, here are some collated highlights!
Overall 98% wanted an F1 class with no motor limit, only one that thought a restriction on tyre compound choice was worth investigating, while quite a few thought wheel diameter and track width should be limited, particularly to exclude GT based cars. Oh and I had these forms back prompt, before Qualifying had kicked off in most cases.
One guy (Jason Petch - F104 Tamiya) tried rubber tyres to overcome the grip roll in the high grip conditions, they took three laps to warm up then started grip rolling even worse.
There were :-
2 HPI F10 both on foams,
6 Tamiya F104 on foams,
2 custom Hybrids based on GT wheels and/or suspension components.
Over half the entry was running a 3Racing F109.
It was an F109 that set Pole Position on kit tyres, kit chassis, everything.
Well Done Craig Nutting! Running a 10.5 motor on 2S LiPo and driving very carefully with most of the settings turned right down!
Brushless motors being used ranged from :-
17.5, 15.5, 13.5 (10 of them!) 10.5 (3 of them) and even a 6.5 (but only on 4 cell NiMh)
Brushed motors (12 of them,) ranged from a G2 Mardave (that made the A Final!), to 27T 19T and 13T.
All F1 cars were on 2S LiPo or 6 cell NiMh apart from one, Leigh Burton running his 4 cell 6.5 brushless in a custom Corally/HPI/Associated/Fibre-lite hybrid on GT10 wheels. It was the fastest thing there by far, and probably the only car I didn't see grip roll once!!
Bearing in mind three full heats had sifted the best 10 cars into the A Final, if you take the A Final as an example of the spread, it had:-
2 Tamiya F104's (2nd and 9th)
2 Customs (1st and 5th)
6 F109's filling all other places.
In ascending order there were brushless motors:-
17.5 (Finished 3rd),
15.5 (Finished 4th),
13.5 (Finished 2nd),
10.5 (3 of, highest in 5th place)
and the 6.5 (Finished 1st, on 4 cell)
plus brushed motors 23T,19T and a Mardave G2.
The mix of equipment was stunning, what a mishmash! What did become apparent was that avoiding accidents was the key to success, and having the speed to overtake on the straight meant taking less risks in the infield.
So you might think, "faster motors are better, lets all rush into a power war", But that wouldn't work if everyone was on a fast motor! You'd all be fast on the straights, so there would be no advantage.
I refused to be drawn into a power war, I had a 13.5 and 10.5 motor with me, but stuck to my guns with the 17.5 and qualified 4th and finished 3rd in the A Final, what does that tell you?
“Ultimate Power Corrupts” Perhaps. It certainly makes you crash faster, and harder, and more often.
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