1999 Question of the Week:
Attention A-main racers: Can you put into words what changed you from an average racer into an A-Main qualifier?
I don't think that you wake up one day & go to the track & go, "I think I'm going to make the A main." It's like going to school; you don't start off in the 12th grade & work your way down to pre school. You have to practice & have the right equipment. I think the thing that helped me was my experience with motorcycles. Also creating a friendship with some of the top drivers. Don't be afraid to ask the top guys questions; they should bend over backwards to help you out if they want to see the hobby grow. Richard Saxton
Consistent laps. Sure, you can have one fast lap time, but if all your other laps are
slow, then it doesn't matter. Look at the times of the people in the "A". Almost
all of their laps will be consistently the same.
Adam Coughran Team Associated, Reedy, LRP, Integy
I've been racing my Associated C.E., B3,T3,and GT for as long as i've been in the hobby (7 years). So I can very much answer the question. PRACTICE!!!!!!!!! as much as you can! P.S. Team Associated is #1!
All you need is a lot of practice, a hot set up and really good equipment, the best motor and batteries you can get, oh, and did i mention PRACTICE, also, racing at club races will help you a lot
I think i spend the most time on the tires to make them hook up better and even more on the shock pistons and oil on my B3. Practice always is good though.
learning to be easy on the throttle and in some cases less aggressive and remember the most important thing slower is faster
Trying to copy the fast guys setups and lots of practice, practice, practice!!! Last
weekend I qualified 5th for the A-main for the first time and I worked my way up to 2nd
and ended up 5th overall in stock sedan
krkroupa
Don't drink while racing! That's the key. Murphey (the founder of the idea of a
U-shaped-halfpipe-like race track)
I owe a lot of it to the people who answered my questions when I first started out. I'm only 16 and I'd like to be doing ROAR and NORRCA events soon but almost none of them are held in Michigan!!!!!!!
i race in san diego and my answer is somewhat predictable. i only began to get faster and enjoy this hobby after asking questions of a racer who is apparently well known to you already, judging from the posts by " friends and fans of d.s." this gentleman gave me some very good help that improved the performance of my t3 greatly. thanks for having him out there!
I would have to say practice. I just started last year and at the end of the season I was qualifying for A-Mains at my local track. I asked the owner if I could practice during the week and he agreed so if you think that you need it ask the track owner and I am more than sure that he will be happy to comply.
Practice, practice, practice. Logging in many hours at my local dirt oval is what changed me from an average racer into an A-Main winner. Getting there when the track opens, and testing throughout the day is what really helped me to learn how to set up the car for the track, as it changed throughout the day.
What made me an a-main racer was when the touring car class died out so the only ppl that show up are me, my dad and another guy hence I always make the a-main :P
lots of practice and good tires
learning what tires work best at different tracks, and basically learning how to set up
the car for the different tracks that you race on. also, setup won't help if you hit the
boards alot. get good at driving the track, and the speed will come.
For me, it was a combination of things. First, I needed enough skills to get around the track consistently. Then I needed "decent" equipment, such as competitive motors, batteries and tires. I didn't need the BEST equipment, but better then "bottom-of-the-shelf" stuff. Then, the final key was gaining enough self-confidence and nerve control to go out and be able to fight for an A-main or TQ time and not succumb to pressure or stress as easily.
Patience and practice.....practice and patience. You can have all the killer hop-ups in the world, but if you don't practice, concentrate on your driving skills and have plenty of patience you will never make it to the next level! And always remember (you non-pro racers), we do it to have FUN!
The main thing that started putting me into the A Main more consistently was the experience of racing. I started to practice staying off of pipes so I wouldn't crash. All this helped me to keep from getting frustrated and mad. Basically it was learning how to keep concentration without getting upset and learning the fastest line around the track.
Practice, Tires, Practice, Setup, Practice, Maintenance, did I mention Practice?
Learning to NOT hack and learning to build motors that REV!
There is only ONE thing to put you in the "A" main week after week. Are you ready?? Put down your 10 turn double, and write this down. Practice, drive time, track time, time behind the wheel, practice, practice, practice. If you set your car up with the stock set up, and drive, you will see the "A" main. If you drive well, you will NEVER get beat by someone who has ALL of the greatest latest hop-ups, but never practices. JP
Can't speak for much other than oval racing, but in oval racing it takes two things. First of is building the car perfectly paying attention to meticulous detail. Second, knowing how to set-up your car. That is why the L3O is probably the best car if you want to go from making B-mains to A-mains, the car is the easiest car to build correctly and is the easiest car to tune into any track.
Many tires and always keep a race set-up log book. Learn what each set-up trick does, ie, more speed, more torque, more chassis roll! And don't buy everything the pros have!
Diving practice first and foremost. Learning from defeat and never giving up. Last and not least, learning to improve my chassis tuning skills and motor knowledge. It takes it all to run the A-main all the time. - SM
in this order ,practice , setup , battery ,motor. Henry Belfiore
well i would have to say that it is maintenance and practice, i race a t2, not even fully hopped up and i still win a mains, my philosophy is that the race is won in the workshop, i spend hours making sure that everything is correct and tight and working properly, and after every race day i spend hours cleaning the car to make it look brand new, "a new car is a fast car"
I became a A- main qualifier when i realized fast is not necessarily quick on times. I also realized that mondo air is slow in some areas. I also learned how to put the car where I wanted it consistently.
I run for Team Associated. Simple answer as anything else.
Practice, dedication, motivation, perseverance, the will to win, and good ole fashion
having fun. Having fun's the most important part, otherwise, why would it even be a hobby?
It's a form of enjoyment and relaxation but at the same it's super competitive as any
other sport I think. Do those simple things and you'll be in the A in no time. Later on dude.
learning to keep the hands calm. sounds dumb, but it makes a big difference.
2 words: practice! I never raced, but its simple logic: u get better by practicing. I race BMX, and my dad raced motorcycles, and we both know that the only way to get better is to practice. get those mad skills pumpin, and you gonna lay the smackdown and start pimpin it in the corners! -Isaac (RC10GT team)
The internet can make you faster. In NASCAR they call it doing your homework. Studying how to tune a motor, cycle batteries, and set up your car for a particular track are all part of the "Homework" process. The hard part is deciding which personal theory will make YOU fast. The internet has become a great source for newcomers to the hobby and for old veterans. The only thing I wish is that the number one R/C car company had a page so we can get together and trade secrets instead of having to go to someone else's page.
finding a good neutral setup for the car and getting as much driving time as possible (on and off the track). Learning how to focus and learning to drive at the limit of the available traction. Those are what changed my driving the most.
lots of time for setup and a ton of practice
Practice is the key, and do it with other people on the track, not by yourself.
Racing with people that are faster than you and staying off the side boards and racing associated products!
I think the biggest thing that change me from an average racer to an a-main racer was the help for team drivers, they can effect you driving skill so much, also having sponsors behind me helped tons. But remember practice and make friends at the race track, because these are the people that will be helping to win races.
the thing that makes me a a-main race is that i practice and practice. i do alot of work setting up my t3. i have found 1 set up and i pretty much stick w/ that. it comes down to consistency. every lap, every time. and having a fast truck helps too.
Racing your own race and don't get caught up in the moment during a race will help you stay consistent and obtain a level during the race that will give you the consistency you need to make the A Main!! This is assuming you some what have a little bit of a feel for driving and setup creating already. P.S. Remember always race the clock not the competition!!
I think the most important part to becoming an A-main qualifier is practice. The best car setup in the world couldn't win you a race, the same goes for having a really fast car. Remember "Power is nothing without control." Jaber Sulieman
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