Why do the USA guys have stock class?

[chrispattinson]

Just been reading a thread discussing race meetings, and it was mentioned that in the USA, there is stock class and mod class for most RC disciplines.
After looking online, it seems this is common throughout the USA.
There are specific speedos out just for Stock class, which maximise the slower motors performance through timing advances.
Why do these two classes still exist? I understand when brushed motors were around, it wouldve been a cost / maintenance thing.... but 'mod' racing is so accessable now cost wise, it seems strange to me that some people opt to keep the stock class running??

[bigred5765]

it should level out the playing field and make it all about the driver, in theory

[chrispattinson]

Originally Posted by bigred5765

it should level out the playing field and make it all about the driver, in theory

yeah, thats what I thought it was about in the brushed motor days . . . . but now, my car is as fast as Neil Cragg's, and its all about the driver's driving/car setup, hence he p#*s*s all over my laptimes at Worksop.
And with all the dynamic timing tricks available, it seems that stock class encourages more voodoo to make your car better than the others than mod racing.

[DCM]

I think it has more to do with the slick tracks too, where you still get reasonable speed out of a stock motor too...

[Hog]

Perhaps I could point you towards the success story of FORCC (Faversham Off Road Car Club - look for it in the club section).

We only race stock due to the size of our hall. 63 drivers on a Wednesday night can't be wrong.

You don't have to be doing 100mph to have fun you know.

[DaSloth]

Originally Posted by Hog

Perhaps I could point you towards the success story of FORCC (Faversham Off Road Car Club - look for it in the club section).

We only race stock due to the size of our hall. 63 drivers on a Wednesday night can't be wrong.

You don't have to be doing 100mph to have fun you know.

No one is saying its wrong, but the fact you're so popular is down to how well you're running the club etc.

If you could double or triple the size of your hall, people would run mod right? Same as PDA, you run the motor which is appropriate for the size.

The way i see it, stock and mod have swapped around in terms of having to spend alot to be quick. I came from TC back in august time and the amount of money and time people we're spending on making the cars quicker was silly. Now i've come to Off road, i've my put my Tekin's in my Cars and 5.5 and 7.5 respectively and i love it. I wouldnt want to put a 13.5 in for stotfold or EPR for example, but when i go to PDA or faversham i would more than happily put my 13.5 in and enjoy it.

I think the americans have alot of smaller outdoor club tracks where as we dont seem to in the UK so i guess it makes sense for the main class here to be mod.

It does get a bit silly in america though with the likes of the IIC and snowbirds where its like 15 classes all consisting of 20-30 people if that (mod at the snowbirds was 16 ppl! ) I'd rather race in a class of 120 people to really see how well im doing

[Garry]

And the American mentality of everyone having to be a winner.

I kid you not, at the International Indoor Carpet champs in Vegas last year (my bro went over and did 2 classes), they had the following all taking place at the same event:

Amateur 17.5 Rubber Tire Sedan
13.5 Rubber Tire Sedan
Modified Rubber Tire Sedan
17.5 Foam Tire Sedan
13.5 Foam Tire Sedan
Modified Foam Tire Sedan
17.5 1/12 Scale
13.5 1/12 Scale
Modified 1/12 Scale
World GT 13.5
Expert World GT 10.5

40ish heats...first heat on the line at 7am.....last one starting gone 7pm.

[DCM]

In certain classes of on-road, running more than 10.5 is really hairy, also, certain sections homologate ESC's, and with the advent of brushless, it has caused some headaches.