CONGRATS TO THE ICE SERIES CHAMPIONS!!!!

[Chump Change Racing]

That's easy to say when you are already PRO to do away with the am class. I say this because the only real test for my cars is once a month on the league track. You top pros must have some awesome sauce and unicorn milk. Then when someone post about there cars are slowing down first response is buy new wheels and axels. Build a new car so you spend $100 bucks with wheels,axels,weight ext. send it in and it's an epic failure!!! Then what,,where do you go from there? What I'm saying is I take my racing verySERIOUS!!!!!!!!! and my hats off to you pros you guys are a level above. I vote keep the AM class,,,I now the track is faster and now
I'm lost as last years Easter egg on what to do to make my cars faster.... I checked my times from before the track got faster and my times are slower if you use .02 as the mark for the speed increase.

Just my 2 cents!!!!!

 

[3phase]

From what I've read ,AM is only gone from Nationals.

 

[Safer Racer]

We loved the Am class in the ICE Series. It's a lot move fun trying to race for a win. I think my son and I gave it a real college try at the last race. We made a new car and it ran great. If we were 17th in the points I'm sure we would not have bothered sending in 4 cars. I think we
are missing the big picture --- We just need more builders & cars for bigger fields. Yes I would love to be a Pro --BUT my son and I have to put in the time and learn. When we get there -- we get there. As for now we just keep spreading the word about league racing and the NPWDRL.
Thanks for a Great place to learn & race!!!

Jim /Andrew
Safer Racer

 

[HurriCrane Racing]

I really like the idea of an am class. It's what got me to jump in, then I was hooked.
Every year there are a few racers that leave the league racing ranks. The Am class will help to draw new racers.

 

[Chump Change Racing]

I totally agree safer racer..

 

[TRE]

I am just saying what i heard i dont care either way..i will race in pros from now on..i hope am class stays

 

[Chump Change Racing]

And you earned your way in you are a great builder. I guess it takes me longer to catch on. lol!!! Us southerns are a little slower to comprehend all that complicated stuff./images/boards/smilies/smile.gif/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif:

 

[Bullet]

CCR, I was just testing the waters to see how folks feel. This was discussed last spring when I started also with a similar situation i'm sure folks recall. Now that I think about it, we ended up with an additional AM class after that...lol.
This is actually my first series as a pro racer and I have been racing a little less than a year so I understand your feelings...there needs to be a reachable carrot out there. Keep it in one class like BASX...just because we all race as a single group in SS doesn't change the times, or being able mark your progress against the peers you choose, or the speed badges you can earn. Moving up out of BASX to SS can be like a rite of passage if anyone chooses that path, or they can jump right in to SS if they want. I think it might be better for folks in the long run that way so they are not discouraged immediately in the SS AM class...there is a reason I asked the question....actually trying to help, not take away anything from new racers...and make it easier for John also.

I was thankful for the AM class when I started, I don't think there was a BASX class at that time so the AM was in SS. Just want it to be a good experience for the new comers, which is the intention of BASX.

 

[bracketracer]

That's easy to say when you are already PRO to do away with the am class. I say this because the only real test for my cars is once a month on the league track. You top pros must have some awesome sauce and unicorn milk. Then when someone post about there cars are slowing down first response is buy new wheels and axels. Build a new car so you spend $100 bucks with wheel s,axels,weight ext. send it in and it's an epic failure!!! Then what,,where do you go from there? What I'm saying is I take my racing verySERIOUS!!!!!!!!! and my hats off to you pros you guys are a level above. I vote keep the AM class,,,I now the track is faster and now
I'm lost as last years Easter egg on what to do to make my cars faster.... I checked my times from before the track got faster and my times are slower if you use .02 as the mark for the speed increase.

Just my 2 cents!!!!!

Assuming that the wheels and axles didn't get damaged, everything you listed could be recycled into a new body, if there was a problem with the old body. The reality is that often new builders will damage wheels or axles while learning how to prep them, especially if they're working alone. It's hard to go fast on damaged wheels or over polished axles. A drill job is easilly checked, prep is an art as far as I'm concerned. So to me it seems like a valid suggestion to replace wheels or axles when someone is struggling and can't find the speed.

 

[B_Regal Racing]

The reality is that often new builders will damage wheels or axles while learning how to prep them, especially if they're working alone. It's hard to go fast on damaged wheels or over polished axles. A drill job is easilly checked, prep is an art as far as I'm concerned.

ABSOLUTELY!

Your statement above makes me want to race with those I'm competitive with. Its not nearly as much fun to get your a$$ handed to you each month. That being said, I'm going to race with or without the Am class. I want to competitve with the pros - its just gonna take work.

 

[HurriCrane Racing]

How do you determine if an axel is over polished?

 

[Safer Racer]

The Basx's class is great for new builders as well as people looking for an easier car to build.
The only problem with the Basx's class ALL the Pro's run in it. At the Nationals it will be a Who's who class with at least 15 to 20 "TOP" builders going for the win.
It's tuff to deal with that as a new builder on a weekly basis. With that being said -- I don't think there should be an AM class at the Nationals, But for the other
series I think it's great.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

How do you determine if an axel is over polished?

When it starts looking like a needle axle.

 

[CHR Racing]

What if there weren't any AM classes next series?? Everyone would be cool racing together??

As others stated, I think you need at least one car class with an amateur division. My preference is to keep the amateur and pro for both Basx and SS.

The other big question (assuming the amateur classes are retained) is the procedure for assigning competitors to AM or PRO. Rather than running everyone together the first race of a series and splitting them out for the remaining races, why not use the results from the last race of the prior series (i.e. use ICE race 3 results to determine who goes into PRO vs AM in FIRE race series). Although having said that, I could find myself at the bottom of the PRO ranks having run an average of 2.9530 this past race

How about use the criteria of anyone who has a 4 run average within 0.01 of the track record for that class during the prior series as the cutoff for going into PRO.

 

[Chump Change Racing]

^^^^+10000

 

[CHR Racing]

just to clarify what I said earlier:

"How about use the criteria of anyone who has a 4 run average within 0.01 of the track record for that class during the prior series as the cutoff for going into PRO."

The 'track record' used should be 4 run average (prelims or finals)
For BasX the best 4 run average appears to be 2.9569 sec, set by Kinser in March finals
So you could say anyone that run below 2.9670 sec belongs in PRO class.

For SS, the best 4 run average is 2.9412 sec, set by Skippy Kicky in Feb finals.
In that case anyone that ran under 2.9510 belongs in PRO class.

Anyway , just my 2 cents

 

[Chump Change Racing]

I apologize for jacking the post. CONGRATULATIONS to the winners!!!!

 

[bracketracer]

How do you determine if an axel is over polished?

When I first started, I bought a set of 92X's and polished them really good. Unfortunately, I polished them down to about .088". I bought another set, skipped the coarser grits entirely, and they polished up just as nice but measured .0914".

 

[Quicktimederby]

That would only put 6 builders in the PRO's in BASX. Make it 10 builders for the SS class.
For me I think we should have no AM, You come to see how you stack up against the fastest. At least that is why I started racing. Once I got my doors blown off, I was like I got to figure out how to run with the big boys.
If their is going to be a AM, at most it should be limited to the BASX class. And it should be for mostly new people. I would think a time.025 off the quickest avg should be the cut off. Just my thoughts.

The 'track record' used should be 4 run average (prelims or finals)
For BasX the best 4 run average appears to be 2.9569 sec, set by Kinser in March finals
So you could say anyone that run below 2.9670 sec belongs in PRO class.

 

[Guest]

So axle over polishing relates to diameter reduction rather than having a surface that is "too polished".
I would imagine the micro scratches left behind after polishing come into play as well, maybe they act as micro crevices for the silicone? If it's too polished the silicone spray might not adhere the same or last as long? Just brainstormin' here.

As far as the Pro/Am split, I would like to see just one class but I realize both camps have strong arguments such as wobblers slowing fast cars and the rookie vs Big Dog right off the bat intimidation factor to name a few.