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Choosing your First Car There are essentially two types of
radio controlled car, ones which run best on smooth surfaces, such
as carpet, asphalt or concrete, referred to as "on-road" and ones
which run best on uneven "off-road" tracks. Of course you can run
"off-road" cars on smooth tracks, but they are often not the best
for that type of surface. On-road cars tend to resemble the cars we see on the touring car race track, or public roads as they have a shell fitted to resemble these kinds of vehicles.
So the first decision you need to make is which type of surface you are going to run you car on. Once you've made that decision, you then need to ask yourself which type of motor you want to use - and there is a choice of two: Electric, or Internal Combustion (IC). If you are new to radio control, electric is probably the best choice, as IC engines (which run on a mixture of Nitro Methane and Methanol) can be tricky to set-up. To get started with an electric on-road or off-road car, you will need to get hold of a car to run; a radio control 2 channel system; batteries; a battery charger and probably a speed controller. Many shops sell complete systems (called "Ready to Run"), or you can assemble your own system. Then you'll be ready to start entering races. If you intend to race your car at a Club, then the best advice I can give is to head along to your nearest Club before you buy anything and take a look at what people drive there - that will give you an idea of what runs well on that particular type of track.
When you arrive, you'll probably find a number of people busily laying out the track and everyone else getting their cars ready - so you might find no-one takes any notice of you! But don't worry, we're a friendly lot, so if you go to Race control (the place with the computer, and where the race co-ordinator sits) and you'll find someone there who can let you know what's going on. Once the track is laid, it's time to book in at race control. The current racing fees are £4.00 for club members and £5.00 non members (why not join and save money). You'll be asked when booking in what colour or frequency crystals you have and your details will be entered into the computer. You need to have at least two different frequencies of crystals and ideally three - this avoids clashes with two or more people trying to run on the same frequency and causing massive wreckage! When everyone is booked in, the race heats will be posted in the pit area, telling you which heat you are running in - there may be four or more heats and they are raced in the order they are on the list i.e. heat 1 races first followed by heat 2 etc. You will see a start (car) number which you will keep for all heats and the frequency you must have in your radio gear - check this carefully! Do not turn on your transmitter in the pits or at any time other than when you are racing. Before racing, you will have to cut a 7mm diameter hole in your bodyshell. This is in order that a transponder (automatic lap counting equipment) can be fitted to your car to count your laps. It may be best to do this before you come - most people make the hole in the lower left or right corner of the windscreen. The Racing Format You will normally race in two rounds of qualifying, followed by two leg finals, which everyone gets to race in. The drivers in your heat are the same for each of the qualifying rounds. Check on the list to discover when your heat is racing and make sure you have your car ready (batteries charged, correct crystals installed etc.). Just before your race begins you need to go to race control to get a handout transponder (unless you already have a personal transponder fitted), fit this before you race or your laps will not be counted! Please ensure you collect the correct numbered transponder - you may need to wait for it to be returned from the previous race. The Race Itself Place your car on the track on the start grid then go to the rostrum, making sure you have turned on your transmitter and receiver (in that order). All qualifying heats have a staggered start, that is you all start at a slightly different time. The race will commence after several audible bleeps, then the race computer will announce your allocated car number and then you may start. In the first heat your start position is identical to your car number i.e.- car 1 starts first, followed by car 2 etc. In the second heat your start position is decided by your results from the previous heat. Therefore, if you came third in the first heat you will start third in the second heat. However, your car number will always be called out by the race controller when it is your turn to start. Do not worry about your starting position as all cars are timed from the point they pass the transponder loop under the carpet. When you race try not to hit other cars or crash, as it will increase your lap times and may damage the track or other cars. Once the race has finished, the computer will inform you by announcing "car 3 is finished" for example. Do not stop driving until the race computer has announced your car number, then drive to a safe place and wait until everyone else has finished. Now you can safely collect your car. Turn off your receiver first, followed by your transmitter, remove the transponder from your car and return it to race control immediately. Quickly put you car in your pit area and then go back on the track to marshall the next race. You must be at a Marshall point BEFORE the start of the next race. Marshalling You must marshall immediately after your race. You should find a position at the side of the track to stand and your job is to help put cars back onto the track if they get stuck against the sides, or get flipped over by another driver. Take great care when stepping onto the track to rescue a car and make sure you are aware of where the other cars are around you, as it's easy for a Marshall to place a foot on someone's pride and joy! If there are not enough marshall's to cover the course please help out, even when it is not your turn, if you can. It is not up to you to try and fix someone's car at the trackside - although it's great if you can quickly, or even return it them on the rostrum, because you're most important responsibility is to keep marshalling your section of the track. The Finals Once all the rounds have been completed, there is normally a short delay whilst the finals are created and the listing posted. They are calculated using the most / fastest number of laps you completed in qualifying. To find out which final you are in (A,B,C etc.), look on the list posted in the pit area. Again, look for you name, new car number and crystal frequency, you should change your crystals immediately if required to do so. In the finals all cars start at the same time, but are positioned on a staggered grid on the main straight in the order of qualification from the heats - giving the fastest driver a small advantage into the first corner. After a few bleeps, a "warble" sound (that's the only way I can describe it!) signals the start and you're off ........ then it's an all out race to the finish line. Finals are run as "2 leg", and you're overall placing at the end of the night is a combination of both runs. Unlike qualifying, in each final you will always start in the same order on the grid, and depending on where you finish, you are allocated points. For example, if you finish 1st in leg one and 3rd in leg 2, you will be awarded 4 points (1 and 3 for the two legs). The driver with the least overall points will be the winner of that final - simple as that! Don't worry if this sounds a bit complicated, it will make more sense on the night. End of the Evening When the last final is run, everything needs to be cleared away so the hall can be used by the school. If you stay behind to help dismantle the track and roll up the carpet, you'll get £1 of your race fee back. Please make sure you put all your rubbish in the bin, or take it home with you - it's not fair on the cleaners if they have to start tidying up after we leave! Hopefully you'll have a great night and .......
GOOD LUCK RACING!
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Off-road
cars are a bit more varied, as these can comprise of "rally"
cars which are on-road chassis' with extended suspension and as
wide a wheelbase as possible; stadium trucks which resemble "monster"
trucks 
a
little and buggy's, which don't really resemble any class of vehicle
we see on the track - but are the most popular for racing off-road.
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