If you could start a new basement club, what classes and rules would you use ?

[RacerXtreme]

Classes

Over the past year or year and a half, we've run almost 30 different classes here.

Some are more popular than others, but here's a few:


Revell / Monogram Vintage NASCAR
Lighted Scalextric
Trans-Am
Can-Am "A" (podded)
Can-Am "B" (non-podded)
Racer / Sideway Daytona Prototype
1/24th Carrera
1/24th BRM
1/24th Scaleauto
NSR Mosler
Modern GT
Group 5
Slot-it Group C "A" (modified)
Slot-it Group C "B" (stock)
Carrera Open
NSR Vintage LeMans
NSR Modern GT
Scalextric NASCAR (COT)
Revell / Monogram Greenwood Corvettes
Pioneer
1/32 Open Mod
F1 / Open wheel
1960's Sports Car


If you asked what were the most popular classes, I'd say Can-Am, Trans-Am, Group C, F1 / Open wheel, Vintage NASCAR, and any NSR class.

[MrFlippant]

We run a series over a couple months. We pick a car, whether it's one we've raced before, or a brand new one, and set a spec. We run those cars each week for two months, and the people with the most point at the end win. We also run an IROC class each night, which is determined entirely by the host.

For digital, we do the same thing, more or less, except we don't usually have time to run IROC because we're all super casual and spend more time talking and playing/practicing than racing.

[Zoom Beedo]

We run a series over a couple months. We pick a car, whether it's one we've raced before, or a brand new one, and set a spec. We run those cars each week for two months, and the people with the most point at the end win. We also run an IROC class each night, which is determined entirely by the host.

We would do pretty much the same thing, although, sometimes it would be a group of cars with similar speed potential, like Slot.it and NSR endurance racers with identical tires and with magnets removed. You get the idea.


Sometimes the IROC race would be between cars that one of the other members that didn't have a track would bring. That way, they got to contribute to putting on the event. Sometimes we would just grab whatever interesting car anyone had with them and IROC a grab-bag event. Those were always fun, too, because of the disparity in speed and you didn't know who was winning until everyone drove every car. Because everyone drove every car, it didn't matter in the end that they were all different in speed.


The good thing about running an IROC race was even if your main car wasn't competitive, you knew that for at least one race that night you would have equipment as good as anyone else. The fast guys still usually won, but at least you might get a little closer to them.


Oh, and we always ran our series with points for all positions, but we would throw out each individual's worst or two worst results. That allowed people to stay competitive in the series even if they had to miss a night for work or vacation.

[Al's slotracing]

What works depends on lot on what your group want.
Sure I could tell you what clubs round here race very successfully, but if your members don't have those sort of cars it may not work for you.
Some groups love lots of new classes.
Some groups find newcommers are put off by having to get loads of different cars, at least to start with.
Some groups find occasional racers are put off by being told we've changed the rules so you cannot race the cars you ran last time you were here.
As jeremycorbet's club already has some members, best build on most of them what, rather than loose too many by choosing classes they don't like
You cannot please all the people all of the time, but it is possible to displease enough so race nights are even less well attended.

[ramcatlarry]

The Chicago area group that I race with is based on the NO magnet, NO custom controllers on both plastic and wood tracks. We allow mixed brands of cars, but race bodies in classes that would have raced (1/1) against each other. Modern LMP, early nascar, Late nascar, Group 5, Can Am, Early/late. F-1, etc. Sometimes changing to a common motor is required and since Ninco no longer sells the NC-1, we encourage the use of H & R motors to replace other brands.

Check it out WWW.Greatlakesscc.com
One of our tracks (Satans Turf) is featured in the #82(current) issue of Model Car Racing.
Early Nascar: Monogram versus Carrera. Late Nascar Scalex versus SCX. TranAm: Scalex versus Pioneer and SCX. RARELY do we use the OEM rubber tires finding the PPR silicone variety works much better on the chalkbord or plastic surfaces.