NASTE 2010 Schedule

Got this reply from Smooth (Monte):

I

The eighth and final race of the NASTE 2010 IROC Point Series will be held at Jeff Courtney's Hemi Heights Raceway Park on Saturday June 19th 2010. Jeff plans to have four 1/24 Falcon motored flexi cars fitted with wing bodies ready for us to thrash on the fast Hemi Heights track! ...............Get READY!  --------------------Bill

NASTE's evolution into an IROC racing series has been quite interesting and rewarding for all of us! I agree that the IROC series is the best format for newcomers whether they are new to the hobby, or just getting back into it. And with the NASTE Series it provides racers with an opportunity to try slot racing in various scales, with various types of cars, at various venues.

  So with all that said I would like to add that I feel racing your own car also adds value to a slot car group or club. With newer racers it gets them more involved in the hobby, gives them a better understanding of how the cars work, and adds many more aspects to the hobby. For more experienced racers it adds more challenges and stirs interest. One thing I have noticed with NASTE's current series is as racers get more involved in the hobby they seem to migrate to the other clubs for their racing. This is not a bad thing, but unless there is a constant flow of new racers coming into the NASTE series the field of racers drops dramatically. If there is enough of a drop in participation one has to wonder if a group like NASTE and the IROC format is needed. So how do you keep the interest of experienced racers as well as keep the racing competitive and interesting for newer racers? You need both as new racers learn more about their new hobby from the experienced hobbiests.

  With that in mind here's a proposal for 2011; keep the NASTE IROC series, but add a class to be raced where racers provide their own cars. Our races have been ending at a reasonable time by starting the races between 5 and 6 pm. I would propose a slight change in the racing format. Run the IROC race first, with two rounds of racing as we currently do. However for those racers who wish to compete in the class using their own cars, they would race only one round in the IROC race. The racers not racing in the "owners" or "builders" class, would race two full rounds of the IROC with their best finish of the two rounds being scored for points. The racers competing in the other class would use their best one round finish position in either race to be scored for their points (very similar to the "Full Monte" format NASTE currently uses at some venues).

   In my opinion, if you ain't buildin' you ain't learnin', and if you ain't learnin' you're losin' interest......

   Opinions?...........Let 'er rip!!!

--------------------------------------Bill

Rico, All good points! I had the same thought as you regarding the heats that the harder-core racers wouldn't mind the extra time for another round or two of racing. One of my thoughts on the single round in the IROC race would be to maybe narrow the competition gap between the less experienced racers and the veterans by giving the less experienced a second shot to improve their finish?

As far as what scale again your have excellent points. Traditionally 1/24 scale racing has been the place most builders gravitate to. However I do have some ideas there also. I think rules could be established for a class of 1/32 car that would allow some creativity for builders, and still allow racers to use and be competitive with RTR type cars if they choose. Some experimentation could validate the concept. The nice thing about a 1/32 class is it would give us many more race venues as most 1/24 tracks could be utilized also.

Then there's that darn track issue.......This one I've done to myself!.............but I'm very determined this time around!!!!

Questions are good! Finding answers is the challenge!!! A meeting would probably be good!!!!  --------------------------Bill

You're right about the 1/24 track owners being willing to hold a NASTE race. All the track owners I've approached in the past have been very receptive to holding NASTE races! The problem for me becomes the scheduling of so many races at so many different tracks. You have to work around the other clubs schedules as well as the track owners schedules if they hold regularly scheduled races. In addition to most racers each having a scale of racing they prefer, some racers prefer the type of racing a certain club provides (i.e. some club's racing is more serious than others). NASTE races are, and always have been very low key. I'd have to say that the competition is probably not the emphasis in NASTE races. This does not appeal to some racers and that's OK.

   Here's the way I see NASTE and it's value. NASTE gives new racers an opportunity to try racing cars of different scales and types. NASTE gives track owners and clubs the opportunity promote their races and racing by hosting a race to new and or different racers, racers other than their usual crowd. As far as competition, anybody who has competed in the NASTE Point Series knows it is very difficult to race so many different types and scales of cars on various tracks. The are many variables in racing the NASTE Series and the drivers that do the best are those that are best at adaptation and dealing with negative circumstances. We have very few rules, so there just aren't any cheaters. If something goes sideways, there is always the "Too Bad" Rule to fall back on! Once initiated, that's it! But I think the greatest value of NASTE is the way it has integrated the socializing with the racing. NASTE races are NASTE events that include great food and now even board games. I don't see any people leaving the races disappointed or upset..........EVER!

   In regards to "Are you willing to be part of the solution?", I guess I don't fully understand the problem? I didn't think there was a problem, I'm just not sure what road NASTE should go down next season, or if it should even turn a tire?

   There appears to be a lot of viewers on this topic. I'd sure like to hear from some of the newer racers also!  ---------------------------Bill