Usually when you hear the word "SPEC" in R/C Racing, people think of a SLOW 'novice' based type of entry level class.

Well, let me say that AFTER a Year of running Brushless Motors and LIPO batteries , this SPEC grouping laid the foundation for some of THE best competition I've seen in R/C Oval Racing in the 23 years I've been involved in this hobby.

By structuring the 2 primary classes 21.5 & 17.5 / LIPO using strictly NOVAK brand motors, and Team ORION's 3200 LIPO batteries, racers focused much more on their cars, learning a lot of tuning options.

Are ALL these motors and batteries exactly the same, and do they ALL perform exactly the same? NO! and you will never be able to create a class that performs that way. However, by limiting to just the SINGLE Mfg. involved with the 2 POWER options, it did make the competition the closests I've ever seen among the better of the "mid-level" drivers.

Yes, the TOP level drivers won, and won often. But the difference in WINNING and PLACING was a lot smaller margin than in years past.

In many cases, the driver knows who he can and can't beat...but we did have several suprises this year too...and I can't wait to kick off our 2009 SWTour Series in February following the same basic structure we ran in '08, (we are upgrading to the 3400 ORION lipo, from the 3200)

Usually when you hear the word "SPEC" in R/C Racing, people think of a SLOW 'novice' based type of entry level class.

Well, let me say that AFTER a Year of running Brushless Motors and LIPO batteries , this SPEC grouping laid the foundation for some of THE best competition I've seen in R/C Oval Racing in the 23 years I've been involved in this hobby.

By structuring the 2 primary classes 21.5 & 17.5 / LIPO using strictly NOVAK brand motors, and Team ORION's 3200 LIPO batteries, racers focused much more on their cars, learning a lot of tuning options.

Are ALL these motors and batteries exactly the same, and do they ALL perform exactly the same? NO! and you will never be able to create a class that performs that way. However, by limiting to just the SINGLE Mfg. involved with the 2 POWER options, it did make the competition the closests I've ever seen among the better of the "mid-level" drivers.

Yes, the TOP level drivers won, and won often. But the difference in WINNING and PLACING was a lot smaller margin than in years past.

In many cases, the driver knows who he can and can't beat...but we did have several suprises this year too...and I can't wait to kick off our 2009 SWTour Series in February following the same basic structure we ran in '08, (we are upgrading to the 3400 ORION lipo, from the 3200)

Thinkin' I've just set my goal in life....to get to this level of racing!

Eric L

Usually when you hear the word "SPEC" in R/C Racing, people think of a SLOW 'novice' based type of entry level class.

Well, let me say that AFTER a Year of running Brushless Motors and LIPO batteries , this SPEC grouping laid the foundation for some of THE best competition I've seen in R/C Oval Racing in the 23 years I've been involved in this hobby.

By structuring the 2 primary classes 21.5 & 17.5 / LIPO using strictly NOVAK brand motors, and Team ORION's 3200 LIPO batteries, racers focused much more on their cars, learning a lot of tuning options.

Are ALL these motors and batteries exactly the same, and do they ALL perform exactly the same? NO! and you will never be able to create a class that performs that way. However, by limiting to just the SINGLE Mfg. involved with the 2 POWER options, it did make the competition the closests I've ever seen among the better of the "mid-level" drivers.

Yes, the TOP level drivers won, and won often. But the difference in WINNING and PLACING was a lot smaller margin than in years past.

In many cases, the driver knows who he can and can't beat...but we did have several suprises this year too...and I can't wait to kick off our 2009 SWTour Series in February following the same basic structure we ran in '08, (we are upgrading to the 3400 ORION lipo, from the 3200)

What class and chassis? It's amazing the developements in rc racing over the past few years! Spektrum, brushless, lipo... Everything pointing to less overall costs, less maintenance, and a lot easier going track days!

Gotta love it!
Cheers!

21.5 Lipo will be a hit locally.....

To Eric.........

You mean I have to learn to drive now?

21.5 Lipo will be a hit locally.....

To Eric.........

You mean I have to learn to drive now?

WELL, you really can't let your guard down....on second thought...you probably could.

we run a spec class at lake city speedway 17.5 novac only novac only speed control bsr spec tires cot body cut at factory lines this class is great we had 15 racers this week all withen 3 laps of each other u didnt no who was going to win every one has a shot

team peakperformance #71

I know the BL racers here are split between Novak and LRP ESC, but the cost is something alot of use cannot afford right now. It means $350-400 to go Brushless/Lipo. We can get the same speed just running GP3300 cells.

i forgot its a spec 1600 4cell battery i have seen to lrp speedos burn up in two weeks in the pro class not a pretty sight

There are some affordable 'spec' level B/L ESC's I've been seeing some ads for...couple these with an inexpensive lipo (Orion 2400's can be had for 35 bucks, as can Yeah Racing's 3200's...and possibly more)

I've heard some of the new B/L motors are also coming down in price, and there is always something USED for great prices.

TIMES are good for R/C Racers!!

...so w/that in mind... whats agood deal on a17.5 motor? $89.00 is a bit much to swallow?

There are some affordable 'spec' level B/L ESC's I've been seeing some ads for...couple these with an inexpensive lipo (Orion 2400's can be had for 35 bucks, as can Yeah Racing's 3200's...and possibly more)

I've heard some of the new B/L motors are also coming down in price, and there is always something USED for great prices.

TIMES are good for R/C Racers!!

any links to these products, I would also like to buy them thru local shop, need to support him too.

BoneSpec,

The newest edition is the Novak HAVOC Brushless ESC coupled with any one of the 10.5 - 13.5 - 17.5 or 21.5 Novak Brushless motors for just $149.99 (Through SHOPATRON on the Novak website) this product is listed as COMING SOON

(see the thread here on hobbytalk for a link)

The ORION Lipos, and the Novak Brushless equipment should be available to your local hobbyshop through their distributors. As for them price matching mail order companies, that will be up to them.

Other companies I've seen that have a less expensive B/L ESC is LRP, with their AI/Brushless Sportsman level Esc.

http://www.teamnovak.com/products/brushless/havoc_spec/index.html

ALOT depends on our race group as a whole for the upgrade in our ROC Spec class. Right now the Spec motors are fine, just the batterys are.....junk at times. Some of us (ME!) are looking to keep the ROC car as is and run a fatser car like 21.5 or 17.5 Lipo. I know my Lipo on a unknown (19t Single?) motor is insanely STUPID fast. I used half the roll out of my Spec Combo but with ALOT more voltage. With better tires, wing, and chassis adjusting/changes as needed for the increased speed, I could run 10.5 4cell times or faster. We as a group are not looking for that much of an increase.

The local economy is putting the hurt on people and we are aware that major changes cannot be afforded. Some posted on here that a lot of GP3300 cells were bought for $3 a cell, drivers drew their cells at random. We also wish to support our local shop as much as possible, because without John @ BSR's track to race on, we have NOTHING close to race at and we REALLY appreciate the drivers that make the trip.

I guess I've seen this before (16+ years ago, SHUT UP ERICL!) and do not wanna see it happen again. I don't wanna see a hobby I left a long time ago, only been back into it for 11 months, go away again.

Also the shop has a decent stock of Spec motors and Batts that if we change he'll be stuck with as Legends has really died off.

There has been two tracks within 100 miles close, I've been snatching items from them on Ebay, but anything MAJOR I'll buy from local shop. "Buy it Now" on Ebay I earn a 25% cash back from Windows Live if I use Paypal and it is REALLY TEMPTING to buy a 21.5 combo for $190 and not be supporting my local shop.

Sorry for the rant, I see somewhat a bigger picture, and have done a few things I said I wouldn't do getting back into RC Racing. Then again how could I pass up 6 Spec motors used for a handout race for $25? Five were trued up, sixth was cut to .270" as a test. One of the other five is using timed brushes.....so four motors for $25, all got new brushes #4383 which has been the prefered brush by everyone here so far. I won;t speak on my spring tuning :)

Sorry for the rant, but in closing what we have right now is NEAR perfect. Most of our local racers are not likely to race elsewhere just yet and we have some dang close racing! Our first points series came down to a tie at the end, I was tied with Brad Mullins and we had a 4 minute race between just us as a shoot out. After ten races it comes down to a shoot out????

THATS FUN!!!!!!!!

Enough for know, I've got packs to cycle and a "test" chassis to build for Lipo testing.

WELL, you really can't let your guard down....on second thought...you probably could.

Sure you don't need a second wrench on your car??? Roger that.

...in all the years I've been racing, and the past 7-8 years I've been involved with running and directing races..I would have never thought I'd be such a huge proponent of SPEC RACING in all of our classes.

But, there is a disease in OVAL Racing, and maybe in ALL of racing...that disease is always thrown out there in the name of COMPETITION. Too often drivers who are not THE BEST drivers need to find a performance advantage with PRODUCTS, so they will always try to bring in NEW items to try to find that advantage.

When we made the investment in Changing to LIPO, I decided that locking into a single manufacture would be a great route to go to make the racing ABOUT racing, not about chasing the latest, greatest NEW stuff.

Some felt ORION dropped the ball when they discontinued their 3+ year old 3200 LIPO and went to the new 3400. What I tried to get across to the racers who were enjoying the 3200 was that the difference in the original version and the new version would be very small if any.

Testing of the 3400 Orion has pretty much proved that to be true..and I for one am glad we stayed the course with this single mfg. product. The racing has been incredible in ALL of our classes, and it's so nice NOT having to worry about some NEW battery coming into the mix and screwing things up.

"New" batterys coming out is what drove me away from the hobby 16 or so years ago.

I had 2 packs of 1200's for practice, then 3 packs of Power Push 1400's.....but then the 1700 blacks came out, I didn't have the funds to buy them. I went from a top three driver to MAYBE making the B main in a month or less.