HPi Baja challenge on Motors TV tonight

[twisty]

If yer lucky enough to have Sky plus and an interest in the HPi Baja have a look at Motors TV with Nick Damon for his 1 hour special.
Sat 27th September 7pm
Monday 29th September 12pm
Tues 30th September 12pm
Wednesday 1st October 11pm

[jimmy]

wasn't the challenge cancelled? I was really wanting to go look at that badboy

[twisty]

The UK qualifyers were cancelled ,but Roger from RC Demon put a wild card team together and went to the grand finals in Spain.
It is footage from the finals that is on Motors TV tonight and the other dates and times.
I wanted to go too

[jimmy]

Are HPI not getting pushed enough or something? I'd have thought this country would have one of the best 'scenes' for this stuff since we have (had?) HPI UK and there must be plenty of 5b's around.
I nearly bought one the other day but chickened out at the last minute - the ss is still a bit too pricey for me.

[twisty]

There are certainly plenty of bashers own the 5b but they were mainly put off by the rules for the UK qualifyers,with having to do all 3 rounds and only HPi parts.If they had been more relaxed about the rules there might(almost certainly) of been a beter take up for the racing.
Bashers bash because they are unsure about the over complicated rules
surrounding racing,which is a real shame because it is so much fun and there is nothing to be afraid of.
All racers will try to help anyone out if there is any problems at all.
We went to round 4 of the European Baja challenge qualifyer and people could use what ever options they wanted,the meeting was very relaxed and superb fun,hospitality was second to none,the UK qualifyers should of had the same feel,but didn`t,hence the total failure of the UK meetings.

I think next year will be better

[Adam Skelding]

The Baja Endurance Series was aimed at pretty much anyone who owned a Baja. The idea behind only having HPI / Edit option parts was to keep the 'Playing Field' as level as possible for anyone who wanted to enter.
If you open it up to any option part, it then takes is out of the realm of a 'Fun Endurance Series' and ends up being 'Who has the deepest pockets' Endurance series.

I was suprised too back the lack of UK entries, but it was well advertised and the rules couldn't have been more simple.

The finals in Spain were awesome and run under the same rules. Some people still tried to bend the rules and were caught out before qualy got underway.

The Baja series followed in the well proven path of previous HPI Challenge series providing an excellent one-make series.

Hopefully next years competition will be better supported in the UK. Jimmy, how about a Team oOple entry. I think I could find a Baja

[twisty]

Well that was most entertaining Adam you needed makeup and a haircut
Ha ha ha.
I would of needed more than that.Well done fella.

The difference with the Baja to other classes is that nearly as soon as they are bought,people/bashers tend to fit loads of option parts,the rules were very simple for people who are used to racing,but bashers took it as read and excluded themselves almost imediately.After the rules, the main issue was the having to do all 3 races,never mind the fact that the dates chosen clashed with LSOR national dates and the final clashed with a largescale International meeting in the UK.
IMHO this years UK part was set up on the back foot really,the outcome worked really well though,i am sure next year will be much better thought out.
In Europe most hop ups had a blind eye turned towards them,but a thrashed ,year old, virtually stock car very nearly won and even after some bad luck managed to finish 3rd,all the power and bling made virtually no difference to the final outcome,so i would have to disagree about the deep pockets bit.
Although there was a very competative edge to the Grand final,it looked great fun,which is really what it`s all about.Roll on next year i say.
Team oOple sounds like an ace idea.
Great stuff