[ecoastrc]

Just looking to see what everyone thinks the meaning of Spec Racing is!!
Is it Batterys, motor, ESC ,Tires, Chassis, Combo of what you think the meaning is.. Just want opinions..



MY opinion is this. SAY pan car spec class. Any pan car chassis running spec tires with a locked 17.5 motor from trinity same just stock spec ESC thunder power 1cell with a COT truck or car body!!

 

[ecoastrc]

Wow 87 views and no one has an opinion

 

[horsedog]

Spec is all about who has the best "spec" equipment and setup knowledge. It eliminates the part of the week scenario thats it.

 

[Tranny Car Man.]

Spec classes

Wow 87 views and no one has an opinion

Well I'll tell yah!!!!!!!!!!!,I see how a Spec class started and how it evolved in a big difference from where it started!!!!!!,and still changing.You know what Im talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

 

[swtour]

What is the meaning of Spec racing

What is the "Meaning" or what is the "Purpose"?

The meaning is simple:

Spec Racing, is designed to use "Specific" products. with very specific rules. Where Open racing has "general" rules

a Spec Motor rule may be

[/b]SPEC CLASS[/b]

"Mabuchi Silver Can, Part Number xxx-xx-xxx with White Endbell only"

No Tampering, modifying, or alterations allowed to the motor what so ever.

Where a general rule might be:

STOCK Class Motor Rule:

Any "Sanction Body" Approved 27 turn STOCK MOTOR Allowed.

with a claim, No Hybrid/Crossing over parts and/or mismatching components.


A true SPEC CLASS may have many "SPEC" items

• Motor - simply Spec Wind, or maybe a Spec BRAND
• Battery - same thing, maybe just a spec size ie: 5000 mAh/ 40c "Sanction Body Approved" - or a specific part number and brand.
• Tires - Some use a specific set of compounds, and police it by making it mandatory you purchase tires from the track/club, or you pick a brand/style with identifying markers (ie: WGT Purple Stripe)
• Body - Sometimes a type (ie: NASTRUCK, COT, VTA, etc may be used, or sometimes it's a single specific Brand and Part number - like an IROC type class)
• Electronics and Radio - ie: a specific brand or type of radio, speed control, etc.
• Chassis - Legends cars were a great SPEC class all the way around - they were sold a certain way, and that was the way they had to be run. No Changes, No Mods, etc. (problem is, the cars suck and can be hard to drive)

But "WHY" Spec?

• Cost Savings - sometimes you can get a great deal on certain products.
• Better Competition - a spec class can sometimes add an element of tighter competition w/o having one or more drivers having an equipment advantage.
• Promotion of a Product - sometimes a spec class is done to promote a companys product directly.
• Track/Club Support - sometimes spec rules are used to favor a company who has stepped up to add extra support to a club/track or group of racers.

Something I've seen used in the past in Spec Racing was also the use of a "Claim" - if you feel someone has achieved an advantage with a spec. product, you can claim that product for a pre-set price, if you meet the claiming criteria. (ie: Must be a driver from that class and race, or what ever guidelines were put into place)

 

[Racin'Jason 8]

Spec racing is where 95% of racers purchase one of each 'spec' component in order to have fun on a budget and participate in tight racing. It's also where 5% of racers exploit the class by purchasing many of each 'spec' component in hopes of finding a silver bullet for the competition. Ironically, the 5% are usually veteran racers that should be participating in much faster classes but gain much satisfaction from their weekly stand on the podium. Translation - spec racing doesn't really exist in its intended form...just an illusion.

 

[LCKrc]

i liked that.some might not agree but well put sir. :thumbsup:

 

[slotracer577]

That is the problem with spec racing. Any advantage is magnified. If you have the $$ to play, you can sort through spec parts to find the ones that are better due to variance in mfg processes. it totally defeats one of the original goals of reducing cost. IMHO spec racing is not cheap, just less choices to have to deal with to find the fast stuff. That alone can be good.
Down side can be that you have to buy more stuff if you dont have what is spec'd and you want to race that class.

 

[matt_s86]

Spec racing is where 95% of racers purchase one of each 'spec' component in order to have fun on a budget and participate in tight racing. It's also where 5% of racers exploit the class by purchasing many of each 'spec' component in hopes of finding a silver bullet for the competition. Ironically, the 5% are usually veteran racers that should be participating in much faster classes but gain much satisfaction from their weekly stand on the podium. Translation - spec racing doesn't really exist in its intended form...just an illusion.

Haha, nice. :thumbsup:

Not all spec is bad...
Spec tires - good
spec batteries - since lipo, mostly good
Spec bodies - not necessary if rules actually include body dimensions; if it conforms, it's legal (see ROAR, EFRA, GBS, etc)

spec motors - silly when done with the spec sticker and controlled distribution channel approach. Unless we had "bluprinted" spec motors...but then they'd cost way more and defeat the purpose anyway.

Here's a little story about spec racing. dirtoval.com (DODC) uses spec motors and spec packs. At last year's US Open Wheel Champs, I went down there with the only DODC stickered 17.5 I had left (my supposed good one let the solder out in practice). In 17.5 EDM I qualified 2nd in round one to lock in to the show and TQ'ed round two. After my motor was torn down, I was told it was not too great. I saw some friends messing with a motor dyno and had them toss it on there just for fun. They laughed at the numbers. I had just TQ'ed a round with it, but by the numbers it was junk. I knew I needed another tenth to beat the guy who had TQ'ed round one, so I went and borrowed a known good motor. Popped it in, changed nothing else, and BOOM, there was my tenth. Ended up hot lapping the main and winning.

So, what I'm getting at with that story is...why were we doing spec again? They should all be pretty similar yet I did a heads up swap and picked up a solid tenth on dirt. How big of a gain would it have been if I was holding it open on a carpet track?
If motors were $5, sure, let's spec 'em out and we'll all buy 10. But playing the lottery at $80 a ticket (many times it's a lottery to find the best of the leftovers, if you know what I mean) is not fun.

 

[CBear3]

So what you're saying is if the variation in one brand of motor is that big, lets throw three more into the mix and make that bell curve even wider? So you've got to buy 5 lottery tickets to four different lotteries to try to get your best chances of winning. And then you've got to buy 5 rotors for each brand, but wait some companies have three different rotor styles, so now its 15 per brand. Gotta get those ceramic bearings too, and different sensor board date codes, and the list goes on and on.

Not all that is true, and even the parts that are true are stretched to their limit. The idea that you can buy a motor, throw it in the car and be competitive is suddenly regarded as a fairy tale(whether it should be or not).

So as John said, even if all Spec racing does is lock you into buying one particular motor (or battery, or tires, etc), it is at least limiting the permutation a racer thinks he has to go through in order to be competitive. If a guy has the $1000 to buy all the stuff I listed (tongue-in-cheek) in the first paragraph, he'll still spend that money in a spec class (kind of like Jason said). But by narrowing the bell curve by specifying one component, you at least have a fighting chance statistically at picking the magic bullet out of the case.

That's how brushless racing took off, the idea you could grab a motor and go. The shift away from that is hurting all forms of power limited racing (on-road, dirt and carpet oval).

Just some thoughts. I know others may not feel the same way, and that's precisely why we have Open classes as well as Spec classes.

 

[matt_s86]

Point taken. I guess in thinking that way about it, spec motors are good to save racers from themselves. I know at least a few guys who will complain about money, yet always want to try everything even when it's taking a $200 chance on an unproven esc or buying a motor that they read about on redrc from some off-brand.

Also, my view of spec racing might be a bit clouded from DODC because of how they go about it. The batteries are fine (they're the 2s equivalent of the truck spec pack), but the motors are just SS motors with a sticker slapped onto them. They come in packages that aren't sealed and can only be purchased through DODC tracks and businesses. The spec concept DOES work for dirt most of the time though. (tiny power differences don't mean much on low bite surfaces or in cars that aren't working well) But when it gets to "pro level" classes, the tables are turned. Spec works much better for "average Joe" classes than it does for classes with manufacturer supported racers, especially when those manuafacturers are the distribution network for the spec motors. I would just hope such a system never makes it into carpet racing. The much simpler approach that BRL uses (any SS or Ballistic) to me seems much better for the racers.

My argument I guess isn't so much against spec, it's more against trying to tell racers that they're all gonna have equal stuff and all be the same speed. Essentially everything we do in carpet oval is spec racing anyway...we just don't call it that. It comes down to what the intention of spec-ing a motor is. If you're just trying to limit choices and nothing else, fine. If you're going spec across the board while setting prices and controlling the distribution channels of spec equipment, well, that's something else entirely.

 

[racin17]

One of the previous posts has proven one thing, a racer with a good handeling car can be competitive with a so-so motor. Granted to get to the podium you need top notch stuff, just like in the round cell brushed motor days. So my two cents worth says chassis set up and driving is worth more than finding or spending to get top notch stuff.

 

[D&D Race]

To me Spec racing is using a combo of limitations to what you can do to the car. Like One style of Stock car body, A certain compound of tire on a rim allow up to a certain size battery. Using a certain brushless motor, ESC combo. Then enforcing these rules so that NO ONE can take a win with deep pockets, but with a knowledge of how to set-up a chassis. :thumbsup:

 

[flag172]

thats E.Z. its cost effective RACING.were teching cars is made E.Z. and racing is more fun... I will race after a 8 years absence because R/C racing was to complicated back then and now in spec it will be fun again:thumbsup:

Danny Flag/72

 

[flag172]

I need to reply to this thread...some one mention that spec is not for pro racer...the reason I got out of R/C racing in 2004 was about» the BEST motor the BEST tire's dyno's lap top and so on!!! the best tire set you had was so important that you kept theme for that special race and the same go's for motor ho and I forgot BATTERIES you needed 6 of theme.HO how thing's have change 1 pack» 2 motor at best and 2 set's of tires and your racing..this is why Im back at R/C racing and the club in Platttsburgh as a motor rule and speedo also so no screewing around with with TECH.WOW I love this!!! so this is why SPEC racing is a good idea:thumbsupld farth's like me can be competive:wave:

Danny Flag/72

 

[mightymidget]

I agree 100% with D&D racing,as a track promoter of Lake city R/C speedway in Plattsburgh NY,we have seen a boost in racers due to our SPEC racing classes,we have 2 spec classes the 17.5 COT and 21.5 Nastrucks,we get about 15 cots and 25 Nastrucks weekly,i can't see how anyone would say racers that have experience should not be racing these classes,i have seen racers with a year experience knock guys who have been racing for 20 years out of the A main,in the Nastruck class last week the A main had 84 laps and the D main had 82,we have to remember this is a HOBBY and the idea of this whole thing was to have fun.i will also guarantee you the A main pro class winner gets paid the same as the winner of the SPEC A main.it doesn't matter what you race as long as your racing.

 

[toytech]

I agree 100% with D&D racing,as a track promoter of Lake city R/C speedway in Plattsburgh NY,we have seen a boost in racers due to our SPEC racing classes,we have 2 spec classes the 17.5 COT and 21.5 Nastrucks,we get about 15 cots and 25 Nastrucks weekly,i can't see how anyone would say racers that have experience should not be racing these classes,i have seen racers with a year experience knock guys who have been racing for 20 years out of the A main,in the Nastruck class last week the A main had 84 laps and the D main had 82,we have to remember this is a HOBBY and the idea of this whole thing was to have fun.i will also guarantee you the A main pro class winner gets paid the same as the winner of the SPEC A main.it doesn't matter what you race as long as your racing.

:thumbsup:

 

[Legends Racer]

Spec racing control.

We started a club in 2009 (WRCRC) running Legend cars with 27 turn brushed motors and 4 cell packs or 1 cell LiPo option. ALL the motors are club motors. Each driver draws a numbered chip and that is their motor for the day. One person maintains the motors which run the same brushes and springs. Each driver will run each motor only once in a season. If we went to brushless we would call out esc and motors, but the motors would be given to the club and use the chip method still. I think this evens the field pretty good. We have more rules for the legend class than any other. I have gone racing in Iowa at Veterans Speedway, and they are even more Spec that us. I have a great time there, but its 7 hours away.

 

[slider5]

im going to open a track i bought a Ilap scoring system.
its a huge building and concrete in central ohio
theres going to be 2 classes latemodel and sprint and maybe someday a bomber class.
-----------------------
every class will run:
Venom 6cell 3300 nimh.
Kyosho G20 540 motor.
Losi msc 12sl 12T high power forward/reverse esc.
Custom Works street trac tires.
-----------------------------------------------------------
wanna start racing may to august
3 3minute heats 4minutes mains
summer long point series
their will be money races

im still looking into things
im deciding if every one should use the same radio,reciever,servo.
hows that for spec so far?

 

[JimmyMack12]

im deciding if every one should use the same radio, receiver, servo.
hows that for spec so far?

You kinda have to give racers a choice on *some* things - like these items. I don't think a whole lot of racers are gonna want to go out and spend more $$$ on "spec" items like these listed, just for running at one track. I can see on the battery/motor/*maybe* an ESC...but it'd be hard to "make everyone run the same radio/servo/receiver".

Why not go with LiPo/brushless?

On a side note...where at in central Ohio? Carpet track? Any pan-car classes?