Where did the hobby go ?

[andys]

Just spent a lazy sunday evening relaxing in the bath and was thinking to myself about how much i enjoyed the Rc hobby when I was a kid.... Got me thinking about where it all is now, so I thought i'd post a thread to start of a discussion and see where everyone else is at with it all.

I wonder do people still regard this as a 'hobby', is it a passtime, a way of life, a job, a sport, a career, or is it professional racing ?

For me it's a hobby and always will be.
My general gripe is, where will new racers come from if it isn't treated as a hobby ? I can't remember, or know of anyone taking it up in this region for the last few years, It's the same harcore bunch year in year out, although my sense is that club numbers are dwindling. I know buggies is supposodly on the up and all that, as touring car racers come over and such like, but it's hardly newsworthy. I guess a large part of this is due to the HUGE cost involved, you simply can't compete today at club level in our region in either tourers or buggies, club level simply doesn't exist as everyone that does bother to attend a meeting has spent a small fortune trying to keep up with everyone else ! (As an example I attended Gtcc the other night and really enjoyed it for my first time back with tourers, I liked the idea of 19T Spec motors and rubber tyres. I turned up with the intention of running my old gear, after all it would be a 'club' meeting. How wrong I was, I ended up running my newset cells (saved for my Pred!) and changing to foam tyres to get onto the pace, the amount of kit knocking about was staggering, fancy motor coolers, lipo cells, the works !)

Anyhow, I think it's a shame really, I used to love the old interclubs / regionals we had in the days of the RC10, optima and cat. You turned up at the first meeting and handed over £15 for your stock motor, it was marked and you had to use it for the duration of the series, you couldn't open it up either ! I never remember being overtaken by a similar car / driver down the straight as the cars were similarly matched in terms of available equipment, the racing was close and mostly I remember it was fun.

My feeling it that today the business side of the 'hobby' is far too prevalent, sponsored drivers, teams, people pushing product on forums because they run it for a given maunfacturer etc. It's all too much for me. I enjoy Jimmy's forum becuase the people on here are generally sound. Although more recently some of the stuff I am reading makes me wince, no offence to anyone or anything in particular, but I really don't care who drives what or who's driving for who, and I hate people giving advice, like the XXXX car is the best because they run it for whoever, please.... it just makes my cringe, give people some credit.

On a plus side, I know there are a few like minded souls out there, and if I can get over to York I will be running in the 'classic' series with one of my old cars, as for me this is exactly what this hobby is about.

What does anyone else think, am I the only one that thinks these dark thoughts, is our hobby turning into an elitist 'sport' for only the truly gifted or the truly wealthy ? I know I can go faster at this years indoor regionals, but it will mean putting my hand deep into my pocket, again, surely a line needs to be drawn somewhere for the sake of the 'hobby' ?