STOCK CAR RACING 101
So what is a BRISCA F1 Stock Car? Well if you
are British or Dutch you probably know the
answer to this question, and I guarantee you
know a lot more than I do. What I am here to do
is educate anyone who has never seen one of
these cars, or a race. Most Americans look at my
model car and scratch their heads trying to figure
out why the hell they have these huge bumpers!
If I have the time I will sit them down and show
them lots of pictures, and maybe a video, and
then they start to undertand to a point.
Eventually I will talk about the 1/8 models that
we drive of these full size monsters, but the truth
is until you take a few laps with a model at
speed, or tap your first rear bumper, you really
don't know what your missing! I hope this page
becomes a good place to start, so hang with me
for a few minutes. I have to explain the full size
cars before we can get to what we all can
probably afford a bit more, the 1/8 models.
are British or Dutch you probably know the
answer to this question, and I guarantee you
know a lot more than I do. What I am here to do
is educate anyone who has never seen one of
these cars, or a race. Most Americans look at my
model car and scratch their heads trying to figure
out why the hell they have these huge bumpers!
If I have the time I will sit them down and show
them lots of pictures, and maybe a video, and
then they start to undertand to a point.
Eventually I will talk about the 1/8 models that
we drive of these full size monsters, but the truth
is until you take a few laps with a model at
speed, or tap your first rear bumper, you really
don't know what your missing! I hope this page
becomes a good place to start, so hang with me
for a few minutes. I have to explain the full size
cars before we can get to what we all can
probably afford a bit more, the 1/8 models.
Being American I was actually introduced to this
sport backwards, I saw the models first. That is
how most Americans are going to have to find out
about this, but a little full size education cant hurt.
The first full size race I attended was actually in
Scotland at The Race Wall in Cowdenbeath. It was
Fomula 2 racing with Saloons, Bangers, and it was
spectacular! A Formula 2 Stock car is very similar to
its bigger brother the Formula 1, just with more
restrictions and a smaller engine. My first World
Final was this past trip in September of 2006.
These pictures you are seeing are from that trip,
although not very good, they give you an idea. It
again was spectacular, and yet so hard to explain
to someone without bringing them, but I am going
to try.
Basically Stock car racing in the UK is nothing like
you see on television. I am a huge NASCAR fan,
but it is nothing like it. This is a full contact style of
racing, which to most may seem a bit silly, but it
creates a completely different type of racing. Yes
you have to be fast, agressive, and know when to
give the guy in front of you a little push to sneak
under him. Thus the huge bumpers you see! They
are just as much for defence as they are for
offence. Basically if you have more scratches on
your front bumper, you are fast. If they are on
your back bumper your slow.... but you are going
to have them at one end or the other.
All the tracks I have seen these run at are flatter
than we have here in the states, so the speeds are
slower, yet the racing is so exciting, because you
know someone is trying to come to the front......
and quickly! I have been to many a short track race
here in the states with alot of banking and no
contact allowed. Lots of cautions, and sometimes
very little passing. Yes its exciting and very fast,
but in a whole different way. F1 Stock cars are just
different and like nothing else in the world. So hard
to explain, but so great to experience. The smell of
the fuel burning, the noise of the engines, and
watching Lundy push everyone out of the way to
get to the front is something everyone should see.
If you live in the UK and haven't been before, or
haven't been in a while..... just go! If you have
never been please e-mail me and I will find a track
as close to you as I can, even from this side of the
pond! I cant emphasize enough to go watch a race,
especially on shale.... it's simply awesome! I am
going to have links on my link page to sites that
have videos and pics for all the Americans who visit
and just cant make the 3000 mile trip to see them,
at least they can understand and relate to the rest
of us. Now onto the models.
sport backwards, I saw the models first. That is
how most Americans are going to have to find out
about this, but a little full size education cant hurt.
The first full size race I attended was actually in
Scotland at The Race Wall in Cowdenbeath. It was
Fomula 2 racing with Saloons, Bangers, and it was
spectacular! A Formula 2 Stock car is very similar to
its bigger brother the Formula 1, just with more
restrictions and a smaller engine. My first World
Final was this past trip in September of 2006.
These pictures you are seeing are from that trip,
although not very good, they give you an idea. It
again was spectacular, and yet so hard to explain
to someone without bringing them, but I am going
to try.
Basically Stock car racing in the UK is nothing like
you see on television. I am a huge NASCAR fan,
but it is nothing like it. This is a full contact style of
racing, which to most may seem a bit silly, but it
creates a completely different type of racing. Yes
you have to be fast, agressive, and know when to
give the guy in front of you a little push to sneak
under him. Thus the huge bumpers you see! They
are just as much for defence as they are for
offence. Basically if you have more scratches on
your front bumper, you are fast. If they are on
your back bumper your slow.... but you are going
to have them at one end or the other.
All the tracks I have seen these run at are flatter
than we have here in the states, so the speeds are
slower, yet the racing is so exciting, because you
know someone is trying to come to the front......
and quickly! I have been to many a short track race
here in the states with alot of banking and no
contact allowed. Lots of cautions, and sometimes
very little passing. Yes its exciting and very fast,
but in a whole different way. F1 Stock cars are just
different and like nothing else in the world. So hard
to explain, but so great to experience. The smell of
the fuel burning, the noise of the engines, and
watching Lundy push everyone out of the way to
get to the front is something everyone should see.
If you live in the UK and haven't been before, or
haven't been in a while..... just go! If you have
never been please e-mail me and I will find a track
as close to you as I can, even from this side of the
pond! I cant emphasize enough to go watch a race,
especially on shale.... it's simply awesome! I am
going to have links on my link page to sites that
have videos and pics for all the Americans who visit
and just cant make the 3000 mile trip to see them,
at least they can understand and relate to the rest
of us. Now onto the models.
I again was introduced to the models first, and at
first they didn't quite appeal to me. So I was
invited up to have a look and try one out. They
looked so simple and I thought to myself.... with all
the hi tech stuff thats out there, why would I want
to race something like that, there is nothing to it,
right? I was so wrong. There is more that goes into
making one of these get around the track than you
think, best of all, there are usually fast guys around
who are willing to help get you going. After I built
one and started racing over here, I was having a
great time getting it sorted, and lots of fun racing.
Then I took a trip over and raced with all the
British, and a whole new door was opened. I didnt
know what fast was until I saw, and drove, and
raced against some of the best Stock Car racers
Britain had.... and have gotten whooped quite a
few times to say the least!
Basically each car has a steel chassis, .21 engine, a
solid rear axle, some sort of exhaust system, a tank
and radio gear. Four tires, wheels and a body shell
and you are racing.... nothing to it! As you start to
look at each car closely, then you start to see that
everyone's idea of what and where things go is
completely different. Then you start looking even
closer and you become even more amazed at what
great ideas everyone have. As much as the rules
are in black and white, there seems to be no extent
to the grey area. Everyone has different thoughts,
outlooks, theories, has tried this and tried that. Lots
of good ideas work, lots of bad ideas may work
better, you are your own engineer, designing your
own car around the rules. Then you take this
creation and try and make it go as fast as you can,
and learn to drive at the same time.... what a
handful! People are always looking to keep racing
affordable and I see lots of spec classes starting
which limit what you can do to a car. If you have
been involved in any other type of R/C car racing,
you know that to be fast you need the latest and
greatest, and it gets expensive. With these cars you
don't need an 8 port high dollar motor.... a 3 or 5
port will get you around just fine. Its torque and
bottom end you want, top end would be great but
doesn't help an 8 pound car come out of a corner
quicker, and can sometimes make it a hand full to
drive by the time the next corner comes. Its all
about handling and getting around the corner
faster, using the bumper to give a tap to a slower
car, and most of all, keeping it clean. A fast car up
against the fence is not so fast.
Bottom line is that its a great sport that anyone
who is interested in R/C racing should look at and
consider, its way too much fun to miss!
Please email me with any questions... Thanks!
first they didn't quite appeal to me. So I was
invited up to have a look and try one out. They
looked so simple and I thought to myself.... with all
the hi tech stuff thats out there, why would I want
to race something like that, there is nothing to it,
right? I was so wrong. There is more that goes into
making one of these get around the track than you
think, best of all, there are usually fast guys around
who are willing to help get you going. After I built
one and started racing over here, I was having a
great time getting it sorted, and lots of fun racing.
Then I took a trip over and raced with all the
British, and a whole new door was opened. I didnt
know what fast was until I saw, and drove, and
raced against some of the best Stock Car racers
Britain had.... and have gotten whooped quite a
few times to say the least!
Basically each car has a steel chassis, .21 engine, a
solid rear axle, some sort of exhaust system, a tank
and radio gear. Four tires, wheels and a body shell
and you are racing.... nothing to it! As you start to
look at each car closely, then you start to see that
everyone's idea of what and where things go is
completely different. Then you start looking even
closer and you become even more amazed at what
great ideas everyone have. As much as the rules
are in black and white, there seems to be no extent
to the grey area. Everyone has different thoughts,
outlooks, theories, has tried this and tried that. Lots
of good ideas work, lots of bad ideas may work
better, you are your own engineer, designing your
own car around the rules. Then you take this
creation and try and make it go as fast as you can,
and learn to drive at the same time.... what a
handful! People are always looking to keep racing
affordable and I see lots of spec classes starting
which limit what you can do to a car. If you have
been involved in any other type of R/C car racing,
you know that to be fast you need the latest and
greatest, and it gets expensive. With these cars you
don't need an 8 port high dollar motor.... a 3 or 5
port will get you around just fine. Its torque and
bottom end you want, top end would be great but
doesn't help an 8 pound car come out of a corner
quicker, and can sometimes make it a hand full to
drive by the time the next corner comes. Its all
about handling and getting around the corner
faster, using the bumper to give a tap to a slower
car, and most of all, keeping it clean. A fast car up
against the fence is not so fast.
Bottom line is that its a great sport that anyone
who is interested in R/C racing should look at and
consider, its way too much fun to miss!
Please email me with any questions... Thanks!
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