The question of 4 or 6 cells has been brought up, but I think the real question is 4 or 5 or even 6 minutes for a race. Todays batteries have enough capacity to extend the races to 5 or maybe even 6 minutes. how much time is invested in getting ready for a heat. Why not be able to race another minute or 2 for about the same amount of time invested. I also think that instead of time maybe run a set number of laps might be cool. Think about it 3 qualifiers and a main would be 4 extra minutes of racing if you compared 4 minutes to 5 minutes. Set up time would be the same meaning it would take the same amount of time to bring the racers to the line in either concept. MORE RUN FOR MORE FUN!!!!

I personaly fell 4 min. is plenty, I ran a 5 min. heat and just didn't like it, shoot after 3 min i start losing intrest unless it is a big race........

http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=96636&page=1&highlight=race+length

With longer races you would get back to the problems of a couple years ago, you'd be racing batteries rather then racing cars. Batteries would be much more important and those that could find/afford cells with 10 more sec. run time would have a huge advantage.

Last summer at our summer series in Gilford NH we ran 2 - 4 minute qualifiers and then ran the features not knowing how many laps we had to turn to win. The first time we ran 100 laps and by the last race of the season I think we were up to 135 laps. It was really cool. We ran stock, 19t and MODIFIED and we were only allowed to use 3300's. The track has about 120 foot run line. One of our top racers in modified turned 135 laps in like 7.5 minutes with a 10 turn motor. It was fun to watch. I wish we could do it all the time. Would it be kind of cool instead of calling it Winter-Warm up at Classic, The Winter Classic 125.

Tim

So did everyone in that main run 135 laps in 7.5 mins????? or did everyone else dump????

Some tracks in the vicinity run 5 minute Brushless and I hate it. The extra minute is hard to get used to and I don't understand why we would to make battery run time a factor again.

If you're doing something like the lap enduro you described it isn't even racing. You may as well not even have mulitple cars on the track it is simply a test of who has the biggest batts and who can maximize throttle control.

I think longer races is a great idea! With this being said I agree 100% that we do not want to lengthen the race to the point where battery run time comes in to play. I could be wrong but would think with 3800's we could run six minute races in stock and still be confortable.

As said above why not have more fun? Why are we discharging our batteries on chargers and trays instead of having fun while doing it?

We have been running 5 minute races on the oval with our mini z/cp cup cars and it has been nothin' but EXCELLENT! I don't think 5 minute races would turn into a battery war because I think 1/10 scale cars could go 6 or more minutes if they had too. We had real battery wars back in the 80's. Make a car live for 8 minutes on 1200mah batteries with a resistor speed control (mechanical). That was a war.

Just remember, the longer you run the MORE battery plays a role.

Just remember, the longer you run the MORE battery plays a role.


Yea?, When you're running 3800's there is no problem making 5 minutes in any of the classes and even 6 minutes in 4-cell stock

Most guys didn't try to run such low turn motors and yes they all finished. In stock and 19t people still had plenty of battery left. The last time we did it in stock we had 3 car out of 5 finish on the same lap. Say what you like, but I had a blast doing it.

Tim

I,m fine with 5 minute races! One track I race at does it every race no problem. 3 qualifiers and a Main 2o minutes of racing :thumbsup:

Remember though that extra time equals more wear on tires, motors,suspension parts, chassis and sometimes Bodys :p

Finding the best battery and maintaining it for the best performance for the ENTIRE 4,5,6,7,8 minute run will always be a issue. But even a 3300 will run 5 minutes easy, some just do it better than others :cool:

We could easiley go to 5 min races it's just the wear and tear on the tires and motors that would become the issue.

Our local race area tries doing one race day a year at one of the smaller venues where stock oval is 6 min. We started doing it when we were running 3300's. Runtime never was a problem.

It takes a little different motor tuning to get some more efficency out of the motor's, and keep them from self-distructing after the 4 min mark. But it was a lot of fun to run even for me being a mod guy.

Batteries will allway be an issue. If they are shorter races's ie 4 min, then voltage is an issue. If the races are longer then runtime is the issue. Cells with awsome runtime and good voltage are considerably more expensive then cells with good runtime and awsome voltage.

It wouldnt be racing if there wasnt some kind of war. 90% of the time the crap is all up in your head anyway.

I personally dont want longer times, but thats just because no cell out there right now can go more then 4 min with a good 6x1 bolted to it. I dont want to loose the rip. That just wouldnt be fun.

Dave

I don't think the issue is how long the races are, if you add 1 minute to a heat, and you have 12-13 heats, your race day now gets longer, and most people feel that the time they spend at a track on a weekend is too much. Making races longer I think would keep people out of this hobby or drive more out. My wife is like this, she used to race and be really good, but she just can't justify spending 8 or 9 hours racing in 1 day, she enjoys it, but not that much.

I will never understand why people want to rush a race day, the race is over when its over...thats it. i never plan to go to a track for a said amount of time.
Its a race day...not a race couple of hours....you never know how many people are going to show or not show to a given event.Most of us work all week waiting for sat/sun to go racing, the last thing on my mind is when can I go home....
Hom many hours a week do some put into there cars,looking for a little edge to gain that extra 10th they are lacking....hell i whish we ran 10min racres, we charge for 45min +, and run for 4min.....

puf19 I agree with you. But the part the pisses me off is the down time. race for 4, 5, 6 minutes i don't care, 2, 3, or 4 heats fine. but don't have 5 or 6 minutes between races. iWhen i first started racing offroad at local tracks their was 2 minutes between heats, the race was strated if you weren't ready or not, unless it was a race directors problem or missing transponder. if the turnmarshalls weren't their they had laps taken away. those things add way more time to a day of racing them an extra minute on each heat.

agreed!

Yes and the minutes WASTED could be track time. 'Nuff Said!

good point mike. i wish my local track was very strict about time between races. if people started missing races due to the fact they were late then after 2 or 3 times they would learn to start bein ready. and if track marshalls would get laps taking off for not trackmarshalling then that would be fixed also. thats a big pet peeve of mine also..

joe ivo

gee, thinks back to the 8 minute road races with 1700's

I like the 5 minute race we have been doing that for at least three years now and also 3 heats and a main your there to race so make the day worth it.:cool:

I like the 5 minute race we have been doing that for at least three years now and also 3 heats and a main your there to race so make the day worth it.:cool:

I like your style Chuck47!!!

I with you! :dude:

Puf,
How many laps at K&N can you do in stock before you start seriously dumping? 65 maybe? If we are going to race stock, which as I was saying to you last week is sort of like restrictor plate racing in some regards, what about having say a 65 or 70 lap enduro. That way we would have to plan our strategy carefully to make it to the end. Just a thought.
Rick<><

We've been running 5min. heats at Freddy's. Last year there was a class that ran 7 min. on 3300's !! Never saw anyone dump. Kinda cool to see guys run 100 or so laps in a single race !!

Puf,
How many laps at K&N can you do in stock before you start seriously dumping? 65 maybe? ><

We have done 100 lap enduro's at Classic, very close in runline the K&N.
There were guys who backed their drive freq down and worked on the motor to pull about 2 amps and were able to make 100 laps going all out with a stock motor and that was with shorted 3300's.

With an unshorted 3800 I bet you could go balls out with a normal amp draw motor for 100 laps.

Increasing races one or two minutes will give the higher runtime batteries an advantage, however if you say double or triple race times that 20 extra seconds will really not make much of a difference. This will require racers to lower their average amp draw and under lower amp draws decent cells are closer to good cells than they are at the higher amp draws (the reason for matching at 35 amps remember?)

Spec with spec motors and 1600 mAh packs that cost less than $15 is a little faster than stock so I don't see what it isn't more popular.

Its up to the individual track or club but if you want to encourage new drivers then five minute races are OUT !
Only the best batteries can run an oval race competitivly for 5 min.
Why go buy 4200 cells when they only give you 20-30 sec over what we have now.
4 minute races and the biginnner classes can compete with 3300's with no problem.

Anyone pormoting longer elecric races just wants to sell more batteries !!

I have to disagree NCFRC,You can easily make 5 mins on avg 3300's in stock,as for 3800's basically any 3800 is going to make 5 mins,even a stick pack of the cheapest 33's or 38 cells is going to make 5 mins in stock,the mod guys are a different story,but hey they are unlimited anyway.We run six cell spec at our track with 1600 spec packs and spec motors and the batteries and motors are at their limit at 4 mins.

We are going to the 5 min format at most events this year in SoCal. Looking forward to it.

WE have been at 5 mins. for a couple years now its great!!! unless you are in the lead at 4 mins. then that last minute is a killer. LOL
320 ft run line banked concrete oval

Wade

4 or 5 mins is plenty of time to do what you have to do on the track. The extended run time in Electric racing really just shows who can stay out of trouble or who can tune a car/motor/battery to run longer.

Batteries are going to fall off at some point. Once they do then it is difficult to make a "racing" pass. Nothing changes in the running order unless there is a wreck.

I like racing 5 mins and having 3 heats. I hate traveling 3 hours to race 12 minutes

Our track races 5 minute heats and 100 lap features in stock and brushless running Novak 4300 systems. In the heat races I ran an 82 5.02. In the feature I ran the 100 laps in 6.11. The first lap of the main I ran a 3.5 lap. On the last lap I ran a 3.6. This is with over the counter "team edition" 3800's. The combination of longer races and the brushless class has really given racing a boost of enthusiasm. It also gives you time to catch up if you make a mistake. Just my 2 cents.

We have been running 5 minute races for a VERY long time, and I can honestly say, 5 minute 19 turn needs good battery's, I even made a 5 minute modified race once :cool:
But STOCK SHOULD be 5 minutes, and I think 6 is not out of line.

Cut the stupid down time, and we'll all be happier.

We have been running 5 minutes in stock & 4300 BL class for years, during some of the two day events at the HobbyPlex in Omaha, NE I will run 19t open which is 4 minutes and it seems to be a quick race. I think it what you get use to and with the run times on the new batteries 5 minutes run time does not seem to be a problem except maybe open mod class. Lets stay with 5 minutes and just keep going fast and turning left.