WHERE’S WALDO: The two-point conversion

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By Aaron Waldron
LiveRC.com 

Outside of what’s happening on the racetrack, the most common conversation I have with anyone that works in the RC industry is how to attract, and retain, potential incoming racers. These potential incoming racers may be existing hobbyists who already have RC cars (what we often call “backyard bashers”), or those that see RC vehicles for the first time at their local racetrack. I think about this often, because it’s not totally uncommon for me to see the occasional basher driving a hobby-grade RC vehicle down a street, or in a park, or somewhere else in public that’s not an actual track.

Last week, I laughed while reading the venomous social media comments of dozens of diehard RC racers who tore into ROAR for not doing more to advertise the 1/8-Scale Electric Off-Road Nationals - not because they were wrong, but because their myopic vitriol was so tragically indicative of much bigger problems within our industry.

There’s simply no arguing that the vastly overwhelming majority of those who ever see or drive a RC vehicle will never compete in an actual, organized race. The question is, then, how to incrementally improve the acquisition of new racers and slow down the frequency in which people stop racing. It’s a complex problem with dozens of moving parts that can essentially be boiled down into two points:

1. Make RC racing more attractive

If we’re struggling to inform those who already compete in relative fringe racing categories and would consider traveling to race in a national championship event, how horribly are we failing to reach out to those who don’t know RC racing even exists?

The answer, of course, is abysmal. And unfortunately, often the most well-meaning can make it worse.

To get more people who own RC cars onto the racetrack, they first have to know about it. That means tracks need to reach out to local hobby shops but also schools, go-kart tracks, video game arcades, makers fairs, car shows, motor sports events, and anywhere else a group of prospective hobbyists might hang out. This means utilizing new-age and traditional media to cast a wide net. And since you might only have one chance to make a good impression, it’s important to sell the concept of a fun, relatively inexpensive, family-friendly hobby with good-natured competition rather that some overly-technical, über-competitive, ultra-professional financial black hole where everyone is sponsored unless they’re just total squids who don’t deserve to be there in the first place.

Did you get someone new in the door? Great! Now give them a class to race the $200 RTR they just bought (or rented from the front counter) against other newcomers, rather than telling them they need to spend another $1000 on a spaceship-looking buggy only to get their doors blown off by career stock racers. If this sounds like a steep set of hurdles to overcome in order to make it easier for new drivers to start racing, how do you think those new racers feel?

And as for the national championships not getting promoted heavily enough, give me a break. Anyone who’s serious about making that kind of jump knows how to find the necessary information. 

2. Create incentives to continue racing

I get it — RC racing needs a national ranking system. We’ve been over this. Apparently, there aren’t enough racers who care to finish 22nd in 4x4 short course at a national championship, so in the meantime tracks should get creative.

Throwing a trophy race where the Sportsman-class winner gets a 50% deal with the title sponsor is a good start, but it might be counterproductive in the long term. Perhaps a dealer-cost-plus-10% for the next $2000 spent with the hobby shop is more mutually beneficial?

The hobby can’t always be about winning. Once a month, the race director could roll a die after the main events to determine which finishers get their entry fees back. What better way to feel better about blowing out and finishing sixth than to put $10 back in your pocket?

Or better yet, a track (or network of tracks within an area working together) could print out this list of RC achievements I created almost two years ago: https://www.liverc.com/news/special_features/10888-WHERE%92S_WALDO%3A_How_many_RC_racing_achievements_have_you_unlocked%3F/

The track(s) would then keep track of each racer’s scores over a given time period (like the notoriously slow months of late summer, for example) to encourage attendance and reward racers for a variety of RC activities. Call it the “Racer Olympics” or something, and give out prizes to those who amass the most total achievements, the widest variety, the highest level of a singular achievement, etc.

I know that breaking down the most important challenge facing our industry into a two-part argument makes it sound more simple than it is, but I think it’s important to get the conversation started somewhere. Tell me what you think in our Facebook comments — and if you’re involved with a track that’s using a similar program to attract racers, or something entirely different — email me pictures and the details to fanmail@liverc.com and I might feature you in a follow-up article!