Any comment on Ernie Provetti blog post?
 

Over on Radio car action website Ernie Provetti has a blog and the blog entry for January 25 2011 is about speed controllers and cheating.I was wondering what stance or view on this issue that Castle Creations has on this?


Ernie Provetti R.C.C.A blog

Personally, if ESCs settings/software makes that much of a difference and cheating is an issue, just make all racers install an add-on (supplied by the club) rpm limit. Basically, it would read the rpms of the motor and limit throttle to keep them within spec. No, not ideal or cheap, but what else can you do? People just get so stupid about the whole ROAR thing IMO. Whatever happened to friendly competition? It's been so formalized and taken seriously that you'd think huge $1M stakes were involved or something.

Cheating to me is an opinion when it comes to RC racing.
I could see the argument that having such costly equipment that it makes the sport inaccessible to the average racer would warrant limits, but the cost between a low KV high voltage rig with all the software goodies is not necessarily more than a premium ROAR legal setup. It also won't catch fire like a ROAR setup will, so to me it's more cost effective for the racer.

I think this is all about limiting the ROAR racers to a few specific manufacturers.


ROAR and it's affiliates can stick all that limited gear straight up their exit.

I agree with all that was said above. I looked at getting back into racing, went to the nearest track...almost 2 hrs. away, and asked for their ROAR rules/guidelines. The rules are a pain for sure and it seems as Brian said above, theses races are not for millions of dollars. One of the reasons I got out of racing was how cutthroat it was becoming and how less enjoyable it was becoming for me.

Seems like a spec class should be just that, run to spec. Post a spec and the mfgs that want to participate can make stuff to that spec. I do like the harder tire idea, let that be the controlling factor, so no matter how much power is avaialbe thru cheats it does not matter.

I do not race, as I figure there will always be a better driver and also likely a guy who can/will devote more time to setting up his car. So if the guy who is better at setting up his car wins the race, is that not ok? Unless the race is with all identical vehicles that are passed out 2 seconds before the start, then setup is just as important as skilled driving.

TBH, stifling racing by imposing limits reduces creativity. If someoe "reinvents the wheel" and wins the race shouldn't that spur other drivers to do the same and possibly win? Sounds like competition to me.

Seems like someone was not allowed to win every time back in grade school...

All of Provetti's 'solutions' will end up making approved ESC's cost more. High manufacturer approval fee? Guess who that will be passed to. ROAR technical lab? Guess who the funds will ultimately come from.

I buy racing ESC's even though I don't race, and never plan on doing so seriously. I don't want to pay for this extra ROAR regulatory stuff that doesn't concern me just because the ESC I want happens to be approved for racing. The spec hard-compound tires make more sense because they will benefit both racers (ROAR approved) and bashers like myself (because they last forever).

I guess you could say that i am very lucky.

Where i race it is really only 1/8th and no one cares what you run. You can run whatever setup you like, race pretty much anything (except 1/5) and use whatever battery packs you want. And even when there is a big race meet you only need hardcase lipo's. They dont get two hoots if they are roar approved or not.

I am so glad/happy that i don't have to follow the roar rules. i read them once and i thought it was complete bull5h!t

I race at two different tracks, in a few different classes. There are pretty much rules for any class of racing but at least at the tracks I race at they are fairly flexible and work with you. I race 1/10 Nastruck capret oval, it's a 17.5 motor class with no esc timing. That doesn't mean you can't use a esc that has timing available, you just have to have it turned off. At another track, any indoor racing class has the same no timing rule, but again as long as timing is disabled you can run it. All the classes are 17.5 brushless, no timing or you can run rtr electronics. Outdoors is another set of rules!!! We run faster motors and open esc, timing can be activated.

Of course then there is also my 1/8 truggy I race against the nitros. The track I race at hasn't put any rules on this yet. I can run any esc, motor, battery I want...they just expect it to be safe. I have run 4s and 5s soft lipos, CC/Neu and Tekno Neu motors and always use a MMM. I have never had a safety issue and therefor my track hasn't placed any restrictions on it

My local track is starting to race this weekend. No ROAR anything :-)
We race by time bracket, the faster you go the faster the guys you race against.
I am looking forward to enlightening the guys to the joys of HV.
My Hyper 10SC is 8S lipo, and last weekend I ran the same 1300mah lipo more than twice as long as the guy I was racing with who runs a 6500mah 2S ROAR legal rig. Not to mention he was racing with a feather weight 2wd truck and mine is a 4wd with mechanical brakes :-)

I just posted my reply.

I made a suggestion five years ago to ROAR, because I anticipated the cheating in ROAR racing. Unfortunately, ROAR decided not to consider my suggestions.

That's ROAR for you.

Ernie must be upset that he no longer has the fastest stock motors or something. I have not bought anything Trinity in years he imports junk and provides no parts or support for his products. He is probably mad that he found a manufacture to import ESCs from and they don't offer the timing advance or something. If he sells anything electronic run or get ready to throw in in the trash in less than a year. He did the same thing with the car kits he sold.

I always felt 1/10 off road electric has way too many classes and they really haven't kept the rules in line with the current technology available. Everytime I go to a 1/10 off road race there are like 50 different classes of basically the same freaking car. 17.5, 13.5, stock, mod, 17.5 for guys with yellow bodies, 17.5 for guys with white bodies, blah, blah, blah. Not too mention the stupid five and six minute mains. That ain't a main, it is just a fourth qualifier.

All these rules seem to go back when there were legitimate differences between a stock brushed motor and modded motors and when everyone ran Sub C cells.. With the battery and lipo tech, it just doesnt' seem there is enough difference to justify separating the different classes. Stock runs the same lap times almost as mod around here and just seems to be a sandbagger class. Pro level drivers racing one or two newbies from what I can tell. it seems like everything should just be Mod and run whatever ESC with boost and what not. The clock will sort it out. It isn't like any of this stuff is cost prohibitive these days.

ROAR needs to keep it simple and stop making rules for every little thing. 90% of winning is the driver anyway. I don't care how much boost, tire budget, and 6s lipo packs I own, I will NEVER be on the same lap as Ryan Maifield.

THANK YOU ! I was thinking the same thing !