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My first race weekend. LONG READ

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WdotDynamite

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So I've had the buggy since late feb. I've went between 2 and 4 times a month to the track and practiced but I never raced due to the fact I just didn't have the money for a transponder. Well I got one and this weekend was my local tracks anual summer "Beat the Heat" race so I entered.

Now being I had never raced before I figured I would enter Novice. I knew I was capable of running clean laps however I had never been in thick traffic so I just wanted to get a feel for it without the worry of messing up.someone else's race. I made a lot of changes to my buggy (flipped the shocks, dropped a lil weight) and the car felt great. With the changes and a new radio. I felt like I was driving better than I ever had.

Come to find out Novice only had 3 entries! Bummer. But oh well....its a start. On top of this it was a money race and during the driver meeting someone handed the race director a 50 dollar bill. The race director said "this is going to the winner of novice" ....all new to me but Im thinking "dang that's cool"

First heat out my car felt great. I made a few mistakes but I was able to Tq by over 2 laps. Best lap of 20.8. Next heat the director joking says "this is his last run in novice" I took it as a compliment. And while I was much faster than the other 2 racers I still very much felt like a novice. I started to sense someone wasnt too happy I was that much faster than my competitors though. Most likely because of the money.

So before the third heat I went and asked the director what was the deal. I had heard they were talking about moving me out of novice into stock wheeler. So instead of listening to others I went right to the director and asked "am I being moved out of novice?" He said "no, I was just kidding but next time just bump up because you're doing well and you aren't going to get better unless you run with equal competition" Fair enough. Third heat.....same stuff, way in front best lap now of 20.1.

During marshaling after that one of my competitors said with some irritation in their voice "I thought they were moving you" I replied with the fact this was truly my first time ever even racing on top of the fact I had cleared it up with the race director before heat 3. Whatever. This was frustrating. I felt like I was being punished for being successful.

So while getting the mains ready I get called over to the scorer table and the director along with my fellow recently salty ish competition are standing there. Director says we have a problem....you're too fast. What do you think about being bumped into the B main of 13.5 wheeler. I said I unstatood but again this was my FIRST race ever. The director seemed like he understood my point but also wanted to make others happy. So he said well "heres the deal we have an extra 20 in the pot. I will give you that to bump up into the other class." He also reminded me they had two bump ups. So with the feeling of this was inevitable anyway I took the offer.

I can't lie. I was a tad frustrated. Not only had I missed the opportunity to run a heat with the people I was now racing against (when I asked if I was being moved before q3) I was also a tad upset because it was clear I was going to win that money. Plus I was already thinking about the podium pic and everything. Figured great way to get my start in racing. I had already figured out after the heat 2 that I NEEDED to move up. But I figured just run this race and next race start fresh in 13.5 wheeler. However my run in wheeler was starting sooner. Lol. Oh well.

Mains came. I was so nervous. And now Im in a crowd. I made a bunch of mistakes early and was dead last sitting 10th about a min into it. I settled in though and started driving good. Clicked off a few low 20s in a row and was moving up. Started battling with a guy and we were back n forth. It was awesome! Ended up finishing 6th and ran a personal best of 19.8! So much fun.

I thanked the director ( who did a great job btw) for pushing me to bump up. I left the track feeling great. Sure I didn't win that easy money that I honestly could have used. But I did leave with some cash. I had a blast all weekend but that B main race was by far the most fun I had.

And that was my short book on my first race weekend with my EB410. LOL.
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What track were you racing? Sounds like it was a lot of fun! Grats on your first race!
 
I feel for you man... sucks you got stripped from your first podium pic like that... everyone needs to start somewhere and they should've let you finish your first novice race day before bumping up.

In our area, there are many folks who run in Sportsman for a tad longer than they should.... I stayed until I got my first TQ and 1st place plaques before I moved up to Expert... there are some who feel that you should be moved up regardless of whether you ever got an award or not.

I have grown to fall into the ideology that everyone signs up for 1 class and let the division be sorted by turn out and qualifying skill... if you have enough entries for lower mains... then give each lower main an award for up to the first 4 levels...
1) Elite
2) Pro
3) Expert
4) Sportsman

If fewer than 4 levels then start the naming at Sportsman and then work your way up to Elite if you get enough drivers to show up. The idea is that you run your main with no bump ups to prevent sandbagging.

I haven't seen anyone do this structure, but that's how I would do it if I was the RD :)
 
Yea Bill I tend to agree with you. I do feel I should have got to finish my race day in the class I signed up and paid for. I think if there wasn't money involved then I would have been allowed.

With that said I wouldn't have ever felt like I was racing had I not bumped up. That was so much fun once I settled in. I made a beautiful pass for 6th on the last sweeper before the race finished. I can't wait to go again
 
I can relate to getting the hang of rc racing quicker than most. I have noticed that there will always be at least one person that will hate you for that. Majority will want you around though. Some people just pick things up faster. Combine that with practicing more than the average person and you will have great results.
 
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Yea. Most guys in the pits agreed I made the right choice. I conversated a lot with a fellow racer. He agreed I should have ran in novice being my first time. He did watch my last heat and assured me I was too fast for novice. In the end Im glad I bumped up. Now the goal is making the A main!
 

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