Hey all,
We are going to hold a general meeting to discuss this summer's race program. We'd like to get as many IROCC members (or potential new members) to attend as possible. The idea is to discuss ideas for this summer's race program to try to re-ignite interest in summer racing and develop a formula for a great summer of racing like we used to enjoy.
I am trying to find a good venue for this meeting where we can sit down and discuss ideas together. I don't really like the restaurant idea since it's usually too loud to hear everyone. If I can find a good venue, we'll probably order in some pizzas or something like that.
*** Dates: I am looking at Tues March 4th, or Wed March 5th. Meeting time would be 7PM - 9PM likely. Please post below if you have a strong preference for either of those two dates.
1. If you know someone that does not read our website, please give them a call and let them know we are planning this meeting so they can make plans to attend.
2. Jody, are you Skype-able at those times? I know it's a little early in the morning for you....
3. If anyone else wants to participate, but cannot be there in person, I can arrange a free conference call dial-in for you.
Blake
Hey all,
Final details for the meeting:
Date: Tues March 4th, 7:00PM
Location: Victoria SPCA building on Burnside Road
The SPCA is at the corner of Burnside Road and Napier Lane. The official address is "3150 Napier Lane", but the front door is on Burnside road. It is the block before Lordco if you're heading toward town.
Blake
Hey all,
This is just a reminder of tomorrow night's general meeting at the SPCA location on Burnside road. See you there at 7PM. We'll order pizza for those who want it.
Blake
would love to join Via Skype but I am on the morning school-run form 7Am to 8AM.
I will be in Victoria from Jun 30 to Jul 28....so a race weekend every week in Jul!!! j/k as long as I can make speed weekend and hopefully at least one more regular weekend that would be good.
If i was in the meeting tonight i would be strongly supporting a resurgence of "spec" touring cars (handout motor, blinky esc, tire) and getting all drivers to run it regardless of experience level etc....this was a our bread and butter a number of years ago and we would have at least 2 full heats and sometimes three each week. This gives a nice range of driving skill across heats so everyone, new or advanced, has someone to race with I would also support a plan for building member numbers via advertising, raffles etc.
Hey Jody,
Not sure of your cell situation there, but you can run Skype on your phone and call in while driving. Or, you can call in at 8AM and participate in the last half of the meeting. If this won't work, no worries.
Here is my Skype if you can connect: blakeatedoc@hotmail.com
Thanks for your notes,
Blake
Quote from: Blake on March 04, 2014, 01:31:58 PM
.....you can run Skype on your phone and call in while driving....
Really?
http://www.tbnewswatch.com/news/326044/Distracted-driving-now-No.-1-cause-of-highway-fatalities
Why dont we support drinking and driving while we are at it.
blake
I know this is last minute but I we can use my cafe space if you want. Ill put on free coffee.
662 goldstream ave
Hi all,
The location will remain unchanged: Victoria SPCA building on Burnside Road
Blake
Quote from: Shawn68z on March 04, 2014, 03:06:00 PM
Really?
http://www.tbnewswatch.com/news/326044/Distracted-driving-now-No.-1-cause-of-highway-fatalities
Why dont we support drinking and driving while we are at it.
It ain't the same where he's from. I'm pretty sure the number 1 cause of highway fatalities is different there!
Quote from: Tom on March 05, 2014, 01:45:06 AM
Quote from: Shawn68z on March 04, 2014, 03:06:00 PM
Really?
http://www.tbnewswatch.com/news/326044/Distracted-driving-now-No.-1-cause-of-highway-fatalities
Why dont we support drinking and driving while we are at it.
It ain't the same where he's from. I'm pretty sure the number 1 cause of highway fatalities is different there!
I had to look up the driving statistics for the UAE, and its pretty scrary. #1 agressive/reckless driving (front to rear collisions), #2, Drinking and Driving (Single Car) #3. Excessive speed.
98% of drivers dont wear seat belts, men cause 90% of the accidents, and some people have $100,000's of fines outstanding for speeding.
Apparently during the 3 Days Black Berry messanger was crashed/down in 2011, there was a 40% reductiion in vehicle to vehicle collisions...
Drive safely folks.
Shawn.
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-10/19/blackberry-road-safety-uae
ya driving here is a different cup of tea, it is actually now against the law to use your phone (no traffic law enforcement to speak of other than radar cameras) but you would look out of place if you didnt have a phone in your ear while driving here. You have to be 100% defensive.... every outing is an exercise in trying to not get hit by some idiot. Those stats sound right on and the city i live in has a high population of Local (UAE NATIONAL) young men drivers so my city accounts for lots of those numbers. Its ok to tail-gate, flash your lights and honk at any slow driver...you might think "ya I would "brake check" a dude tailgating and flashing his lights", you'd be in rear ended at 120+ km on the first attempt. No kids are in seats belts or car seats either so if you brake checked someone and the person rear ended you and his kid flew out the front windshield you would be held accountable, jail, blood money etc. Five years in and i still cant get used to seeing 3 year olds leaning against the dash (airbag) in the front seat, hanging out of windows etc. You-Tube "saudi's" or "Emirati's driving" ....welcome to driving in the middle east.
The good thing is when i drive in Victoria, no one can really make me mad! People in BC always giving-way, stopping at yellows/red lights and using their indicators etc its crazy, LOL.
ANYWAY, I hope you guys had a productive meeting, send me the minutes.
Wow Jody.. Thats insane. I understand the higher your social status, the worse you can drive, and to stay clear of cars with tinted windows.
Ok, so back on topic here. ....
We discussed tire sauce briefly. Why was the decision made to allow tire sauce, but not warmers? If no one is allowed to use tire sauce (a potential health damaging chemical), then we would all in theory have the EXACT same level of traction. By allowing tire sauce, the club has allowed experimentation of different chemicals to increase the traction given by a spec tire, which is not the intention of creating a spec tire class. Whenever experimentation is allowed, costs get driven up as racers will purchase every brand of sauce to try and find the smallest traction advantage.
i think the topic of tire-sauce should be re-examined.
Shawn.
As some of you know I make my own traction wash from a 50/50 mix of WD40 and Kerosene. This works quite well and my cost when buying 3.78 liters each is $47.27 taxes in. That works out to $1.56 per 250ml. The only problem is that is without containers so old ones would need to be used.
Since the idea of the spec tire is to keep cost down and have an even advantage for all, this would do both.
Just a thought, Neil.
Do the same as indoor. Only one type allowed.. + maybe 1 day grace if from out of town, and open wash speedweekend?
Quote from: BCbud on March 05, 2014, 05:29:10 PM
Since the idea of the spec tire is to keep cost down and have an even advantage for all, this would do both.
I think you indirectly got to the point. If nobody is using traction wash, then No body has an advantage at all when dealing with tires (which keeps in the spirit of a spec tire), you wont have to handle chemicals (possibly cancer causing, or worse), and it doesnt cost anything at all.
If the idea of "stock/Spec" is to make tighter racing, simplify on-road racing, and make it less expensive, then just out right banning tire sauce would accomplish all three. Not to mention the possible health benifits.
Shawn.
out door doesn't matter for wash. we are in a open environment, and if you don't like my tire wash get out of my pit. ;D
Not to mention the possible health benifits.
Shawn.
[/quote]
And this is from someone who is using and around Nitro fuel and fumes LOL!
Quote from: BCbud on March 05, 2014, 06:35:15 PM
Not to mention the possible health benifits.
Shawn.
And this is from someone who is using and around Nitro fuel and fumes LOL!
[/quote]
Touche'
I think making things "too spec" is as bad as not enforcing any rules at all.
all running the same tire makes sense and ill support that fully but everyone is going to figure out their own ways to get the most out of those tires. thats racing and the fast will be fast no matter what limitations are put in place.
I think getting rid of the wash will definitely be frustrating for many. might as well just run foam tires on electric cars heh.
Roar spec 17.5 with spec tires.. should be enough.
Racers fear change, esp if it might make them slower. Who wants to go slower right? Slower to the clock maybe, but not to the other racers. If it takes acouple of laps to get the tires upto temp, it might offer the opportunity for racers the time to get "in the zone" before pushing the tires to hard, and prevent big pile ups at the begining of the race.
Q) Why do you use tire sauce? A) Because it gives the car more grip.
Q) Does it give you an advantage? A) No, because everyone else does it too.
Q) So if it doesnt give you an advantage then why do it? A) Because if I stop and no one else does, then I am at a dis-advantage.
I put Tire Sauce in with turning commutators, changing brushes every race, and cycling battery packs. It was just "part of racing", and when brushless came in alot of racers complained about how they "liked" tuning the motors. That might be true (I think I was one of them), but now I have seen the light and look back thinking how stupid and un-called for it was. Its a paradym shift. What means more to you, taking a .1 second off your lap time, or having a super close race with someone? If its the clock you racing, go get a copy of VRC. If its the commradery and close racing, then extra grip doesnt matter since NEITHER of you have it. It also makes motor and battery alittle less important..
Challenge -> Find a FULL SCALE (aka REAL Racing) series that uses a spec tire and allowes softeners.. It defeats the purpose of a spec tire.
Shawn.
Quote from: BCbud on March 05, 2014, 06:35:15 PM
Not to mention the possible health benifits.
Shawn.
And this is from someone who is using and around Nitro fuel and fumes LOL!
[/quote]
Was thinking about this. If I could run a Nitro car without the Nitro Fuel I would. Nitro fuel is a neccesary evil, traction wash is an unrequired option.
Interesting read. More about off road, but the middle of the article actually applied to most classes.
http://www.rccaraction.com/blog/2011/12/24/tire-sauce-the-canary-in-the-coal-mine/
Shawn.
Hey all,
Sorry for the delay on posting the meeting minutes. I will do that shortly.
I haven't seen a lot of racers in our club wasting time/money on sauce experimentation... put on your sauce of choice and go. The car works better with sauce and allows for better racing, and less drifting in the opening minutes.
I use the Paragon that I had left over from our old carpet days - works very well outside. It is available at BC Shaver if needed.
Blake
Hey Blake,
I have to say I think your logic is flawed in this regard. You're allowing one form of traction aid in a liquid additive yet you're not allowing one in tire warmers. Does an additive not affect the overall life span of a tire? A softened tire will wear much quicker no? I'd say if you're gonna go down this very narrow road of "spec this and that" then follow it to it's logical conclusion, no additive whatsoever.
Quote from: Shawn68z on March 05, 2014, 03:44:47 PM
i think the topic of tire-sauce should be re-examined.
+1
Quote from: MickSz on March 06, 2014, 05:38:22 PM
Hey Blake,
I have to say I think your logic is flawed in this regard. You're allowing one form of traction aid in a liquid additive yet you're not allowing one in tire warmers. Does an additive not affect the overall life span of a tire? A softened tire will wear much quicker no? I'd say if you're gonna go down this very narrow road of "spec this and that" then follow it to it's logical conclusion, no additive whatsoever.
Sauce is $10 for a season and allows the car to get make better grip which makes for better racing. Warmers can cost hundreds of dollars, and make the grip better near the start of the race.
Cost/Benefit ratio is high enough with sauce that I believe it makes sense. That's my feeling.
Blake
Quote from: Blake on March 07, 2014, 03:12:51 AM
Sauce is $10 for a season and allows the car to get make better grip which makes for better racing. Warmers can cost hundreds of dollars, and make the grip better near the start of the race.
Cost/Benefit ratio is high enough with sauce that I believe it makes sense. That's my feeling.
Blake
$40 for Tire Warmers.
http://www.rcmart.com/power-gtpw-controlled-tire-warmers-p-33443.html?cPath=35_292
Just so you know Blake, I am not saying we should use tire warmers. I do own them, and have no problem letting them sit on the shelf. I do also own 4 brands of tire wash/sauce. I bought Phil's supply when he decided to take a sabbatical from RC Racing, matter of fact. I bought a lot of stuff from phil... ( Thanks Phil!) I currently own Paragon, Sticky Fingers, Corally Asphalt Jack (Rubber tire formula), and Jack the Gripper.
Anyways, I think I made my case. I will leave it upto the Exec from here. Good luck in Kamloops!
Shawn.