Swany Laps: Which class of racing is best, you ask? I'll tell you.

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To even attempt to figure this out, one must first analyze what makes a class “the best.” Is it the cost? Is it the speed? Is it the ease of use? Is it the competitiveness? Is it the coolness of the equipment? Depending on whom you talk to, you may get five different answers to that series of questions. You may get answers that I didn’t even list. That is why figuring out which class is “best” is basically as pointless as figuring out what type of food tastes the best because everyone is going to have a different idea of what makes good cuisine. But, for the sake of this article, let’s assume that “best” means the class that comes closest to satisfying your average racer’s requirements in three major class components: cost, ease, and competitiveness. Form here on out, we must keep these things in mind if we are going to form anything resembling an objective opinion. 

Personally, I feel like I have known the answer to this query for quite some time but have always attributed this to my own extreme bias and love for this particular segment of the sport. It wasn’t until recent years that my opinion seemed to gain a substantial amount of tangible supporting evidence. In fact, if it weren't for brushless motors and LiPo batteries, I might not have been audacious enough to write an article claiming that my opinion is, in some ways, factual. 

Reason No. 1: Power. 2WD modified buggies have been vastly over powered since shortly after their inception. This takes away common headaches that plague other classes of racing. Things like tech inspection become irrelevant because a faster motor will not produce faster lap times. 2WD mod is completely void of the motor and battery wars that infest on-road scenes around the country. Furthermore, some of the most competitive drivers in the sport regularly power down their 2WD modified buggies in order to gain an advantage.

Reason No. 2: Ease. All of the technological advancements made over the last decade, such as LiPo batteries and brushless motors, have not made lap times drop. They haven’t made it impossible for a person without this new equipment to compete. The only thing new technology does in 2WD mod is make things easier. It is easier to afford (one battery and motor will last a whole season), easier to maintain, and easier for kids and newcomers to grasp. No longer do little Johnny and Sally have to figure out how to properly true a commutator – instead, they spend their time driving. Less chores = more fun.

And speaking of chores, this sport is full of them regardless of what class you race. Some people enjoy these chores, and some don’t. But for our case, let’s assume that your main enjoyment comes from racing, not wrenching (we are trying to decide which is the best class of racing, right?) So, let me ask you, while keeping cost, ease, and ability to compete in mind: would you rather clean your tires in a bucket of water, or true them on an expensive lathe? Would you rather remove six screws and rebuild a ball differential once a month, or unscrew 30 in a 1:8 scale buggy just to change three sets of diff oils? Would you rather spend your time focusing on set-up changes, or trying to get your nitro engine to not flame out? I would continue, but I’ve ran out of 2WD mod chores to compare to the others.

Reason No. 4: Personnel. Most people that race R/C cars enjoy the fact that it isn’t a team sport. I prefer R/C racing because I am somewhat of a social introvert and would rather my competitiveness rest entirely on variables I can (at least attempt to) control on my own. The outcome of a race is mostly up to myself- how well I can prepare a vehicle and how well I can drive it. Sure, there are instances in 2WD mod where other factors in which you cannot control come in to play. But for the most part, my results are strictly based on my own competence.

In the last decade or so, we have seen nitro racing grow from a weird, underground sliver of our hobby to a mainstream juggernaut in which everyone who races has most likely experienced at some point. With nitro racing’s rise in popularity came a fall in R/C’s “one-man-army” ideology. Granted, there are always exceptions to the rule, but usually you will find teams of two or three people working at an R/C race to make one car go around the track during a main event. This makes it nearly impossible for a young kid who doesn’t have a father at the track to have a chance of ever learning the intricacies of the genre. It also gives those with dedicated pit people an advantage over the guy who has to “ask a friend” to help out 10 minutes before an hour main. Chances are, the friend who begrudgingly accepted to stand next to the track and breathe exhaust fumes for an hour might not be familiar with your particular fuel bottle, gas tank lid, or what your definition of an “hour” is on your high speed needle.

Of course, all of the things I just rambled off to describe why I personally don’t prefer nitro racing could very well warm someone else’s heart and make them yearn for summer. But we have to look at this objectively; with ease and adaptability in mind. To judge which class of R/C is best, we must examine which one will yield the most fun for the most amount of people. This process, too, is the result of my own opinion, but hey- this is an opinion article after all.