new multi track venue at silverstone circuit

[Smartalec]

Originally Posted by Douglas

I would like to clear up some of the speculation on behalf of Moto Arena.

Firstly regarding which classes will be there, the venue is designed to be completely flexible. Both indoor and outdoor tarmac tracks surface features are not permanent but on fixing points. This means box sections can be placed on top to create any track type or scale there is enough demand for and also subdivide the track and run 2 classes at once for smaller scales.

Will there be a specific track for 1/10th off road, if so, what surface will it be?

[Douglas]

Soft dirt except for hardcore on the tabletops but also 1/8th. Sorry to SMCC/Smartalec???(applaud your efforts) if we impact you negatively(you are a bit close but Silverstone Race Track is a special venue), Grant will call SMCC when he has a minute(not long to open so difficult) to see if we can work something out, sorry you fell under the radar. Our aim is to help RC clubs not hurt them... cut nose to spite face....we need to expand the sport together but most/all RC facilities are such that only an enthusiast would go to them on a cold/wet day. Why do RC toys end up in the top 10 every christmas but racing penetrates so poorly?? To create more enthusiasts needs a better facility, modern society expects more. We are not stupid, to make this place the best it can be we have to engage the model using/building community every which way, from the obvious like race series to competitions where we give prizes for model dioramas to be used at MA, some like building models more than driving/flying etc and would like to see them on display. MA is a business that will develop and improve over time, to think you get it right from day one is wishful thinking. We look forward to you coming to MA since if you are on this thread you like RC, and know how to use a RC facility, others however will be more challenging we suspect. MA is a new business, not a copy of another and will be trying out many new ideas for RC over time. If people like it it stays, if not it goes. Customer feedback will not be ignored.
So if there is any class or a dominant class will depend on the customers not on MA, you will decide by how you spend your money or sign up for race series. We also have to keep our model manufacturers and their distributer's happy so variety is key. We hope you support our efforts as we will do our best to support all RC classes, to do otherwise would be a bit ......

[mattybucks]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Soft dirt except for hardcore on the tabletops but also 1/8th. Sorry to SMCC/Smartalec???

Smartalec is a racer, he has no connection to SMCC apart from racing there.

There are alot of 1/10 off road racers in the area and if you have a track suited to 1/10 off road then people will attend.

PDA has sadly recently closed, but they can vouch for numbers of attendees.

If MA can offer both mid week racing as well as a meeting a sunday then I will attend, as i'm sure will many other people. However I will also attend SMCC as they have an astro track.

1/10 off road is one of the most popular classes, and should you not cater for this class it maybe one of your biggest downfalls.

[Agt26]

Originally Posted by mattybucks

1/10 off road is one of the most popular classes, and should you not cater for this class it maybe one of your biggest downfalls.

very true...plus from a spectator/visitor's point of view I think buggies are more interesting to watch. Although a touring car at 70 mph might be as well.

[Smartalec]

As Mattybucks says, I have no connection whatsoever with SMCC, I attend as many tracks as possible that suit our National 1/10th offroad series so am interested to see what the Moto Arena has to offer our class.
A dirt surface should be interesting, is it inside or outside?

[lotussmart]

Originally Posted by Douglas

I would like to clear up some of the speculation on behalf of Moto Arena.

Hi John here, the owner of Ardent Raceway at Castle Donington. After running Ardent for 5 months I would have been more than willing to offer Grant and the team some advice and help set some expectations. The offer is always there.

I like Moto Arena as it will expose the RC world to Motorsport fans but it hurts me to say I now no longer think a central location like Ardent and Moto Arena is what club racers want :-(. Occasionally yes, but not for regular club racing.

From experience I think the way forward is to support local clubs or entrepreneurs in finding, funding and staffing localised permanent clubs open 4 days a week across the country, working with local schools, scouts, army cadets, local press and tourist boards, and forming a unified race series' that supports all of them, similar to a franchise. Believe me Ardent Raceway probably cost the same to setup as it cost Moto-Arena to put the barrier around their track but I wish them luck and hope their business model works. Getting to where they have so far is amazing work, and if I won the lottery i would be happy to invest that much into the RC market too.

Franchise anyone? :-)

[PaulUpton]

Watch out for the mega leisure arena apparently opening in Milton Keynes December 2010

[Garry]

Originally Posted by sosidge

As I recall, the short lived "Jubilee Arena" which was in Bury, Lancs (I think) started out with a tarmac surface. But the grip was very poor and they laid carpet over it.

I raced at Jubliee in the final weeks that it existed, it was all tarmac with astroturf track edging. It was mega mega grippy because the tarmac never got a chance to be exposed to the elements, so retained a lot of oil. We were using Sorex 28s and 32s in winter (even racing one Boxing Day!), occasionally additive, and lots of tyre squeal.

I ran 12th no problems with just additive on the rear tyres.

[stoff]

I used to use ING 28s!

[mk2kompressor]

was there yesterday, the place is coming along nicely
indoor track looks awesome and laser checked so its smooth as silk,
outdoor track is almost done and drivers rostrum gives a really good view

[Dave Treacy]

Originally Posted by mk2kompressor

was there yesterday, the place is coming along nicely
indoor track looks awesome and laser checked so its smooth as silk,
outdoor track is almost done and drivers rostrum gives a really good view

can't argue with any of that...
also, loop was laid yesterday and tomorrow the perimeter floor gets painted
jetwashing is underway today I believe, so am expecting to see a huge change when i visit next week

[mk2kompressor]

did you get to run the tourer you had there?
good to meet you Dave

[Xizor]

I only found out about this yesterday and I must say it looks amazing!

However, sorry to be negative, but how on earth are they going to recoup the millions this must be costing?

How do you run corporate (ugh!) events for RC cars? We all know it takes hours and hours of practice just to drive a car successfully round a track without hitting the barriers. Some people never seem to master it.
It not like driving a underpowered kart round an easy track. Most people who can drive can manage that quite easily. RC car driving is a unique skill that only becomes 'automatic' after a lot of practice.
I just don't see how you can expect a group of complete novices to get any sort of race going if most of them can't even get round the circuit.

Having said all that, I can't wait to visit and have a blast round the indoor circuit.

Good luck!

[SlowOne]

Corporate events are not a problem providing the car is slow enough. You're comparing people who will try to drive the car with enthusiasts like us who are good at it. It's like offering you a corporate day with an F1 car - you'd be lucky to get it out of the garage without stalling it!! Give you a good sports car and you'd get it round, albeit 20% slower than any good race driver - just look at the Top Gear reasonably-priced car, where there is up to 15 seconds between the average Joe and the F1 drivers!

I think they have a lot of possibilities...

[Xizor]

My point was SlowOne, is that driving an RC car is very different to driving a real car.
It takes many hours for the steering to become completely natural when the car is coming towards you. Well it did for me, maybe you took to it immediately. I just think a group of average Joe's are going to get very frustrated very quickly. And, as I said, some people never seem to get it, although they are perfectly good real car drivers.

I hope I'm proved wrong and it's a roaring success!

Cheers

[mk2kompressor]

You will need to qualify on the Mini-Z tracks to get a pass for the bigger stuff,
that and drivers will be properly tutored

[SlowOne]

Originally Posted by Xizor

My point was SlowOne, is that driving an RC car is very different to driving a real car.
It takes many hours for the steering to become completely natural when the car is coming towards you. Well it did for me, maybe you took to it immediately. I just think a group of average Joe's are going to get very frustrated very quickly. And, as I said, some people never seem to get it, although they are perfectly good real car drivers.

I hope I'm proved wrong and it's a roaring success!

Cheers

Agree with your point, mine being that providing the cars provided are slow enough, there is time to think and it's not difficult to do. Since it seems they'll have to show they can drive on Mini Zs, and demonstrate the right attitude on those cars, they'll be fine.

Yes, the bit about learning left from right is something people always mention. The reality is that when you drive a track, one corner follows another. If you went one way on the stick for one corner, you simply go the other way (or the same way) for the next. Having to follow a track means that the question of which way to steer never comes into it. Everyone I've ever shown an RC car to on a track has taken to the steering easily. It's when people start by bashing in the open that this problem arises!

The question people never ask is "how do you know how the car is handling when you're not sitting in it?!!" And that's the real puzzle of RC to me - how do we learn that? I can tell you what my car is doing on the track, despite it being a 12th car and each corner being over in less than a second! If anyone knows the answer to that one...

Sounds to me that the Moto Arena guys have a good plan if they intend to get people going on MiniZs, and then let them loose on something more powerful. Learning to drive an RC car is only hard if you go to a Club with your Tamiya, and then swap it out straight away for something powered by a low-turn BL and a LiPo. How often do we see that happen? Too often...

I think MKTCRC are having their first meeting on 8th August - the GT10 is being prepared in readiness!!

[Adam F]

I am certain that a 1/10th indoor off road track would be very popular, especially with the PDA closing for the time being.

Options for winter racing seem to be pretty limited, so if they did offer an in door option it would do very well I'm sure..

[mk2kompressor]

Z's will help hand eye coordination no end, even for seasoned racers

[Xizor]

8th of August eh?
That should be interesting, the 2010 Ford Fair is on at Silverstone that day

Does anybody know if the Arena will be open to the public? I would like to come and have a look.

Cheers