Launceston R/C Racers

Once you’ve polished off those Easter eggs, get cracking on race-car preparation, because after a three week break, R/C competition returns to Launceston R/C this Thursday night. As usual we’ll have the doors at Rutherglen open by 6, nominations close at 6.45 and we’ll be racing by 7.  All classes will be on offer and being school holidays we’re likely to see a  few of the younger brigade out and about…great stuff!

We look forwarding to seeing you Thursday night.

Often overlooked and frequently dreaded, turn marshaling is a very important part of racing. Although in a perfect world nobody would ever crash during a race, the reality is that crashing, flipping your car and getting pinned into the wall can happen numerous times during a race, and it is every turn marshal’s responsibility to get everyone up and running immediately. As a courtesy to others, and to appease “race karma,” it is your job to be the best turn marshal possible, and here are some tips to be the best turn marshal that you can:

1. Dress appropriately
   Part of being a good turn marshal is dressing the part—not for style—but rather for your own safety. With heavy cars whizzing around the track at 50+ km/h, it is important to dress with safety in mind. We recommend that you wear heavy shoes and long sleeves.  Gloves are optional, but not required with electric cars. Serious injuries and even deaths have occurred on RC race tracks, so protecting yourself is extremely relevant and important. And the most important part of clothing for a turn marshal, your High Visibility vest that is located at each marshaling position so that it is easy to see you when you are on the track and identify you as a marshal.
2. Stay low
   When manning your area, keep in mind that all of the drivers need to see around you. If you block a driver’s view for even a split second, it may cause him to crash or lose his line. So stay off the track unless you need to be on there to marshal, and if you are waiting for cars to go past to allow you to return to your position, crouch down so you are not obscuring anybody’s view.
3. Watch your corner, not the race
   Although turn marshal is essentially the best seat in the house, don’t lose sight of your job; you are not a spectator. While it is good to stay aware of the race in general, your focus should be on your section, not on the leader and the rest of the field. If you get “into the race,” you may miss a crash in your section and waste drivers’ valuable time because you were more interested in watching the race.
4. Communicate with other Marshals
   Most of the time, your section of the track will be pretty clear-cut and defined. You will know exactly what constitutes your area and what sections you are responsible for. However on our track there is the grey area in the center of the track. It is a good idea to let other marshals know that you are getting a car in this area so that 3 marshals do not all try and right a vehicle.
5. Prioritize pile-ups
   Most of the time crashes aren’t isolated; cars usually end-up in collisions and pile-ups with one another. While you should do your best to get everyone running as quickly as possible, try to get the first cars involved in the collision up and running first. Races are won and lost in seconds, so time is of the essence.
6. Give drivers a good line
   When you place a rescued vehicle onto the track, be mindful and give the racer a good line when placing the vehicle on the ground again. Although the crash may have been their own fault, your job as a turn marshal is to minimize the impact of a driver’s accident on the race. When correcting a vehicle, think like a racer, and angle the car for the best line possible and in the correct direction.
7. Pull disabled cars off quickly
   Often cars become partially broken, have loose batteries, burnt out electrics or even flat batteries. When you can tell a car is disabled, it is important to get it off of the track. If you think the car is too far gone, put it in a safe place in the back if your corner, but if you think it is fixable or a simple fix, try to pass the vehicle from marshal to marshal around the outside of the track to get it back to the driver.  Drivers, do not venture out on to the track to collect your disabled car, wait for it to come to you.

Turn marshaling isn’t the most glorious job in the world, and usually racers scoff over having to spend valuable pit time by performing their marshaling duties.  But in reality, turn marshaling is an extremely important job. Although you may not see a benefit in being a better turn marshal, what goes around comes around, and the better racer you become, the more that will be expected of you in all aspects of racing—turn marshaling included.

Quick reminder – it’s open practice at Launceston R/C this Thursday night.  Doors will open by 6, and close at 9pm. Cost is $5 per driver. Please see Greenie when you arrive to pay.  Have a great night, and use the opportunity to try different car setups. Enjoy!

There’s lots of interesting things going on around Launceston R/C. Click through for all the news, and don’t forget to get involved.  Continue reading →

After all the excitement of the 2012 Tasmanian Championships, it’s time to knuckle down and get on with the Autumn Series at Launceston R/C.

We’re back in action this Thursday night with doors open by 6 and racing under way by 7pm. If you’re planning on being there to race, make sure you’re inside and signed up by 6.45 or shoot Scott a message on 0407783243 if you’re running late.

We’ll have all our usual classes for Short Course Trucks, Tenth Buggies, 8th Buggies, Novices and Tourers.

We’re hearing about a big influx of the mighty Tamiya Mini after a bunch of regulars enjoyed racing them in Hobart, plus further growth in 2wd 10th Buggies – lots to look forward to.

We’ll see you there Thursday.

Scott is blogging the Tasmanian Championships over at his Action R/C website.  Keep up with the news via daily reports there (first one posted Friday night).

It was a cracking night’s racing tonight, with 40 cars on hand and plenty of close action.  Tonight’s race report will be short as I’m trying to be responsible and get a decent night’s sleep before the Tasmanian Championships this weekend!

Numbers were decent allowing for the fact that a couple of regular racers are at the Australian 8th Offroad Champs this weekend, and quite a few regular touring car drivers opted not to run with cars prepared and ready for the Tasmanian Champs that starts in Hobart tomorrow.

First, here’s the full race results now uploaded for the last three race meetings:

• March 8 (tonight)
• February 23
• February 9

A full points update for the Autumn 2012 series so far will follow next week.  Read on for a few thoughts and basic results… Continue reading →