[mtucker666]

Picked up the topic from the thread about Kevs club development and Swiss lateral take in the thread on the need for club cars.

So are club cars necessary?
If they are should you provide them for every class or do you rely on eveyone bringing their own or a mixture of the extremes?
If so what would make good club cars? (ie cheap, robust, easy to maintian, and easy to tune for closeness of performance)

I think they are necessary to ensure anyone who turns up is able to race that night, however to offer them for every class is expensive. Thus at the start of the club have a couple of race series that revolve around the club cars and once members settle into the club you can intro new classes which they'll need to buy for. Also have a free session so newbies can join in with the club cars or even have at least one race series a night where the club cars can take part in.

In terms of what: the Scaly indy cars and the Scalextric club car offers (GT40 £12 and Porsche GT1 £10) seem like really good ways to go although a little fast with a magnet and thereofre prone to crash/breaking?

Matt

from Swissracer
QUOTE We have 16 Club cars but encourage people to bring their own. Even 3 diferent choices seems to find people wanting more.
My main problem is resisting letting others use my private cars, which I then regret as it comes to repair time. But it seems mean to say no buy your own - I need to toughen up!

Club cars enable folk to turn up and drive, no club cars encouragwes them to buy their own.

So..

We currently have:
4 - Scalextric Porsche 956 (wild 360s) no magnet and SCW green end motors.
4 - SCX DTM cars - magnet
4 - Proslot Modenas - Evo 2 powered and light magnet
4 - Proslot Modenas - SCW green end motor powered and twin proslot mags.

This seems a good mix for driving on both Carrera and Scaley Sport and of course they are tuned to run as close as humanly possible (driver skill excluded)

For non mag racing, it is mostly the adults who are interested and they have their own for the most part.

One trick is to choose cars that are solid (nope! the SCX DTMs are not and to prove it they get repaired at least once a week )

 

[kevin hunter]

On the club side of things Matt weve already talked about supplying cars and we feel its a must. People who just pop in to see what its all about i would imagine would be dying to have a go therfore supplying cars for the newcomer has got to be the option and would have to just be classed as an overhead to the running of the club. Sprat to catch a mackerel as they say.
You couldnt have people turn up and not offer them the opportunity to race could you ?? Let them have a go then let them buy their own out of the club shop !!!

 

[McLaren]

We have one class of club cars which are 8 SCX Audi R8s. I find them a bit slow, but they are easy to make them handle similar (even if some are quicker than others) and they are quiet strong. We leave the cars on each lane so that everyone gets to race each one once.

If any new members turn up without cars, we just lend them one out of our collection. I say we, but really I don't because I'm not getting any of my cars smashed up by the little novices. So really, I mean a few people lend out their cars. Old and crap ones mind, but good enough to give it a go.

The problem is, if the cars that you provide are too good, no-one will ever buy their own cars. So for, say, touring cars, buy SCX Seat Leons. They are robust, fun to drive, but won't be faster than Ninco touring cars.

Lotus

 

[JEXY1]

In my experience club cars are a good thing.

Apart from the obvious new members turning up without a car, they can always be used if you car breakdown.

Some members at out club in Farnham use nothing but club cars.

Some are as good (if not better than) members own, some are worse - just depends.

We have club SCX TT's, Ninco F1 GTR's, etc, etc. Some of the cars are getting pretty costly and difficult to get hold of now, so the club cars are used more for the older classes.

I suspect it will depend on the type of cars you hope to run, but if your planning anything a bit collectable, expensive or difficult to get hold of - try and get some club cars!

One of the other clubs i race at runs club car and members cars seperate nights - this might be an idea. On Club nights the cars stay in the lane so any difference between the quality of the cars is leveled for everyone.

Just advise - each to their own - afterall it's your club!

Gentle hint! - pick three of the Championship cars as classes!

Gareth