For those of you loyal MARS racing series racers, here's some news from the annual MARS meeting:

First- Here are the dates and locations for the series:

May 20th- Litchfield

June 17th- Jones

July 15th- Stateline RC

August 12th- Vicksburg

September 9th- TBD

Secondly, classes will be:

1/18TH Open- Any 1/18th mini vehicle brushed or brushless, any battery.
Masters Stock Truck
Stock Buggy
Stock Truck
Modified Buggy
Modified Truck
4WD Open

Brushless is legal for any Modified class, No Li-poly cells.

Third, MARS will be offering 3 qualifing heats and a main now, but 3rd round must start by 4pm.

Lastly, and probably the most popular change.... A new simplfied point system. 50 point qualifing system and 100 point main system. Tie breaks only in the top 10. Tie break is your first race day's points.
An example: Joe Racer TQ's stock truck and breaks in the main, finishing 9th. He would have 50 points for qualifing and 91 for the main. Total points would be 141 pts.

I hope this is welcome news to all the racers who have supported the series over last 20 years.

-Nick

COME ON SPRING!!! :thumbsup:

Lastly, and probably the most popular change.... A new simplfied point system.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! ;)

Hank - thanks for the step up at the banquet, it worked.

Nick - before anyone freaks out about the ROAR thing could you explain how ROAR and MARS work together? This too would help the attendence build back up.

Closest track to me is Litchfield..... 2+ hours away. :( Bummer. I still respect the MARS series, just can't afford it anymore. Seems strange that I could stretch and do it a few years ago, but can't now & I have less racers to pay for.... Of course the last year I did MARS, my Son's paid their own entry fees.

John, for many of the tracks, not all, the ROAR insurance policy is the most affordable. And without ROAR membership for the racers, the insurance is no good. So to maintain consistancy, every racer must have a ROAR membership.

Also, it has been brought to my attention, that I stated any mini in 1/18th class, which is a mistake. ANY 1/18TH whether 2WD or 4WD is legal.

wanted to know how much things cost. we would like to do it this year but need to know some prices. to know what to expect the first day of racing. thanks if you can help us out that would be great. todd and wendy

Todd, your first race costs will be $25 for 1st class $15 for any additional. ROAR membership is $30. Handout stock motor costs $25. I hope this helps out.

thanks nick hope to see you this summer been out of the mars to long.

one more ? were is stateline rc?

http://www.statelinerc.com

Todd, your first race costs will be $25 for 1st class $15 for any additional. ROAR membership is $30. Handout stock motor costs $25. I hope this helps out.

You said first race cost. I understand the ROAR membership and handout motor are a once per year deal. Is it $25 each month for the first class?

Thanks

yes it is 25.00 your first entry every race
you might also ask for the club numbers and proof of insurance at these events just to make sure you are covered all info is to be avaiable at the track for all to see and ask for

MARS officals might want to check expirtion dates and actually cards this year looking for scanned and tampered copies (WAS GOING ON LAST YEAR)

FYI all personal trackside must be card carrying ROAR members or the scheduled event can be not covered by ROAR for ins purposes (this means from tech to anyone marshelling at a MARS race just fyi)

JUST A LITTLE FYI THAT MARS LEAVES OUT

BUT MOST OF ALL BE SAFE AND HAVE FUN

Funai, before every MARS race, we recieve an updated Region 5 list from Fred Howart, ROAR administrator. Our tech staff is supposed to check the list with every entry for validity. Also, all members of the tech staff are required to be ROAR members, and to my knowledge they all were. As for the additional track helpers, I could not answer that one. I know at Litchfield, Lansing, and Vicksburg, all of the track helpers were ROAR members.

Nick Terwilliger
MARS race director
ROAR# 5-102286 exp 5-14-06

Has the 2006 schedule been posted yet? If so, please email me direct... smokie123@aol.com
Thanks!!

smoakie, reread @ the 1st post please.

Anyone know if Jones has a website? Seeing it looks like I will be moving into the area, I want to know if they are running weekly in 2006

So will the Half 8 vehicles from Kyosho not be allowed in mini class?

If it does not say 1/18th right on the box it will not be allowed I was told.

The Half 8 is a 16th scale buggy.

1/2 of 1/8th scale...... 1/16th..... that makes sense.... I guess.

Nick, I See Your The Race Director...good Luck. Any New On Last Years Points And Where Can Kenny And I Find Out Where We Finished?

are 3800 allowed or just up to 3700

MARS uses ROAR rules so any battery that is ROAR legal can be run... so yes IB3800 and IP3800 cells are legal.

Good to see MARS is mantaining that inclusive nature they are known for.

I am from Hillsdale, 15 minutes from Litchfield, and never knew of a track?!?!
where can I get more info on it?

There will be a MARS flyer posted once it is ready. The Litchfield track only runs once a year for the MARS race.

theres a track 13 miles south of coldwater that runs weekly if your interested Statelinerc.com would welcome some more new faces.

So if you want to limit the Mini class to 1/18th vehicles, then your going to have to alllow the mini LST. It does say on Losi's website it is 1/18th.

http://www.teamlosi.com/kits/index.htm

That's fine, except one issue with your Mini 1/18th scale argument. I placed a LST on top of my Half 8 ST. The wheelbase & width were almost identical.

But let's continue to exclude potential entries....since we were practically turning them away last year.

it looks like the wheel base is near exactly the same, ill get the tools out and get an exact measurment if need, but its within 1/8" inch or less, plus the losi tires are even bigger than the kyosho inferno st. the mini inferno buggy is alot smaller than the mini lst and that not allowed either.
that would truley be a lame decision to allow the losi just because the "box" says 1/18 th scale.
it should come down to a width and lentgh measurementj ust like ALL the other classes. you guys use jigs to measure, you could with the minis to right??
scale in the rc world has no true basis of actual size anyway! a 1/10 scale stadium truck is NOT 1/10th of a full size stadium truck.

how does MARS go about the the decision making for the series? is it just the annual meeting in feb. or is any racer polls or voting of members allowed;
is someone available to answer any questions new racers may have?


id like to plan my race season out, is the mars web site going to be up again so racers have all rules and fees listed,will it be required to have a roar membership again?
thanks for any help

is any racer polls or voting of members allowed


Now THAT is funny!

There will be a MARS flyer posted once it is ready.

On the MARS website? When will the website be up and running?

Feedback can be put in a suggestion box at the banquet is one way to offer suggestions. The points were changed mainly because I took a patition around to each racer at the banquet and asked them to sign it if they would like to see the points system changed. 38 signed, 1 refused. The points system has been changed for this year. So, if anyone would rather actually DO something to get things changed rather then bitch on forums, they can get it done.

Unless someone else takes it over there will be no MARS web site this year.

so, i have to race a whole season then go to the banquet to get a question and suggestion delt with??? i didnt bitch about anything!!! i just asked some questions. ill be racing stock buggy and truck, mod buggy and truck, and mini, you do the math!!! thats alot of fricken money, am i not allowed to ask someone who might actually care what the PEOPLE PAYING MONEY to race have to say??? i guess if this is how things are going to be ill just race the other series!

i met alot of great people last year at the one MARS race i was at. Nic is a great race director! Bill wood has been great help all winter at the barn!and jesse too!!!

ill spend my money at factory tracks this year and sandhill!! :wave:

Please read my message more carefully. I said "one of the ways". You can always talk to any MARS offical at any race if you want. I would find it hard to believe that any rule would be changed once the season starts and your best bet is to submit a suggestion at the banquet. I AM NOT a spokesman fo MARS. I just answered your question that you didn't fully understand that answer.

I will no longer answer any questions since I am just a racer and not a MARS official and don't want anyone to take any information I have the wrong way.

Call Ken Hamilton at 517-542-3128 or Bruce Tremaine at 616-530-8663 with any questions or clarrifications. Neither one of them use the forums, so this is just the place to vent and whine like Groundhog, not get real answers or change.

theres a track 13 miles south of coldwater that runs weekly if your interested Statelinerc.com would welcome some more new faces.


I have actually been to the indoor track the last 2 friday nights..... although I arrived later in the night, I will be racing this weekend tho.

Infact, I noticed the offroad track driving up 69 about 2 months ago. That is what made me decide to get back into the RC world

does anyone know if Jones runs weekly? I tried sending Al a email but it came back.

are personal transponders allowed? will the flyers have local hotel info ? since the loss of the mars site, i have had trouble finding some info.

Terry, personals are allowed at MARS. As for hotel info, I've always looked online. Usually, the best deals are on the hotel's website.

As for the 1/18th debate, it will be something that will be discussed prior to the start of the season. I viewed the 1/18th class as a fun class, thus it is open battery and motor. I don't see any reason why the Kyosho Half eighth or the LST would not be allowed. Once again, I think this class should be about fun and the fewer rules the better. Just my .02.

-Nick

since the loss of the mars site, i have had trouble finding some info.

I have to agree, being someone new to the series it sure makes it tough to find out about past races and stuff.

I currently live on the east side of the state, this year I am moving to the West side of the state and I am thinking about running my first couple of series events ever.

thanks nic, thats cool on the inferno!!!!! jesse will like that, guess im gonna have to get one them. and ill need two transponders.

Wow! They have that modern convenience called a telephone? How about indoor plumbing. Do they have that too?

Why not get with the 21st century?

It baffles me, that once again, none of the MARS officials know how to use a computer. And yes, I do razz Bill about it as well.

If people actually called them for every question, they'd be on the phone every night.


And Motor City, I simply asked a question about a rule. And when it was answered with a no, I put forth my argument for it. What is wrong with that?

Or are you really upset with the sarcasm posts based on truth. When it is pointed out that MARS is a dictatorship & not a democracy, is it a sore subject? Or was it the post implying inflexibility when their rule is questioned?

After all, you only attend one race a year, Motor City. How much do you really see & hear in such a limited scope?

Something that was brought up to me about last years ROAR State race was MARS racers did not know about the event. Well it feeds the hand as well with how do non hobbytalk members know about MARS?

For me I dont have tons of time to check forums, especially seeing I run www.rcxxx.com

Could someone please give me info about the location of each of the tracks? I've never been to any of them, and need to know at least the address.. I'd like to make it out to at least a couple of the MARS races this year :D Also, can you purchase ROAR membership at any of the tracks on race day? or is that something you have to get prior to race day?

Mike Howe,

i believe that once the fliers are posted here, they will contain directions. also yes you can buy the roar membership there. you can buy a half year or full year.

i believe that once the fliers are posted here, they will contain directions. also yes you can buy the roar membership there. you can buy a half year or full year.


Ok cool thanks a lot!

Wow! They have that modern convenience called a telephone? How about indoor plumbing. Do they have that too?

Why not get with the 21st century?

It baffles me, that once again, none of the MARS officials know how to use a computer. And yes, I do razz Bill about it as well.

If people actually called them for every question, they'd be on the phone every night.


And Motor City, I simply asked a question about a rule. And when it was answered with a no, I put forth my argument for it. What is wrong with that?

Or are you really upset with the sarcasm posts based on truth. When it is pointed out that MARS is a dictatorship & not a democracy, is it a sore subject? Or was it the post implying inflexibility when their rule is questioned?

After all, you only attend one race a year, Motor City. How much do you really see & hear in such a limited scope?

Good lord Jesse i almost spit all over my computer screen reading that, funny stuff and TRUE as well.

No Jesse. I just really don't like you very much and wanted to remind you of that. You are kind of a jerk who just complains and doesn't offer to help out much. You probably don't like me either, but I'm cool with that. Just my opinion.

Maybe MARS needs someone who races in the series to volunteer to be their voice online? Might Jesse step up for something like that? I highly doubt it.

I'm out. MARS can go do it's thing now. Any issues, I just suggested calling Ken or Bruce or Nick. Try to have some fun this summer and not get caught up in all of the online b.s. around MARS.

Wow! They have that modern convenience called a telephone? How about indoor plumbing. Do they have that too?

Why not get with the 21st century?

It baffles me, that once again, none of the MARS officials know how to use a computer. And yes, I do razz Bill about it as well.

If people actually called them for every question, they'd be on the phone every night.


And Motor City, I simply asked a question about a rule. And when it was answered with a no, I put forth my argument for it. What is wrong with that?

Or are you really upset with the sarcasm posts based on truth. When it is pointed out that MARS is a dictatorship & not a democracy, is it a sore subject? Or was it the post implying inflexibility when their rule is questioned?

After all, you only attend one race a year, Motor City. How much do you really see & hear in such a limited scope?

I just think its funny every year MCH has something to say and noone is allowed to say anything the racers are supposed to just do it and suck it up

I think I can see why even the CRL has only 50-70 people that are loyal fans its all based on MANAGE BY EXAMPLE !!!!!!!!!!

GOOD LUCK MARS

BUT IN MICH THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS NOW LIKE THE
FACTORY TRACKS SERIES
RC PRO SERIES

SHOULD BE A INTERESTING YEAR IN OFFROAD !!!!!