Quote:
Originally Posted by SlowOne
Limiting tyre choice by either compound or number actually restricts the lower-order drivers more than the top guys. Limited numbers means that you will always be at a disadvantage on those tracks where worn tyres give less performance - lower-order drivers find themselves less able to control the car and the fun factor disappears. Limiting compound has the same effect - if you're not hot on the set-ups, or can't control a car well, then driving becomes a chore, not a joy.
Level playing field - no such thing. In the last 35 years, it's been tried so many times, but it has never worked. Many of today's top drivers learnt their trade when there were no limits on tyres, and they had to pay for their huge box of tyres before their skill attracted the sponsorship they have today.
No one is denying that cost needs to be controlled as best it can in order that more people can stay in, or join, our sport. Nonetheless, other classes look down with envy at the low costs of Off-Road compared to the On-Road classes. I wish you luck, but I don't think you will find that limiting the number of tyres used will make more than a passing difference to the cost of your class, but it might well have a huge impact on the fun people get from driving their cars when they can't have the best tyres for the meeting, and have to drive a poor-handling car around for heat after heat.  |
You are EXACTLY right
In off road we are actually running for far cheaper than we were years back ........... i'm older than most but i'm sure most of you can remember having 5 packs of cells costing £60 a pack, five or six different motors that needed brushes constantly and skimming, which meant either buying a lathe or paying to have them skimmed, chargers that cost the earth, discharge boards. All this and the cells only lasted a couple of months and NOBODY could buy anything like the cells that the top guys had.
We now have brushless motors (my 5.5 has never been out of the 4wd since I bought it over a year ago), lipo's (I used one for almost all of the season before buying two more off Brian Preddy second hand), my chargers cost £20 each from Hong Kong delivered to my door in four days.
Compared to a few years ago it's like racing for free, i'm all for saving money but if we're talking national level there are always going to be higher costs involved.