From: hutto@SMTC.engr.scarolina.edu (Brent Hutto)
Subject: Off-road ==> Carpet as painlessly as possible
Reply-To: hutto@smtc.engr.scarolina.edu
Organization: NIST Southeast Manufacturing Technology Center
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 92 20:07:26 GMT

In my never-ending quest to find new and better things to drive me
crazy, I've decided to give carpet racing a try.  I have several
(each) of 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive off-road cars and a Losi
off-road truck.  OTOH, until this past Sunday I'd never even put a
transmitter in my hands for an on-road vehicle.  Anyway, yesterday
I ran a friend's pan car around a carpet oval for 5 minutes or so
just to get the feel of it and, well, it felt OK.  Maybe worth a
try, see how the other half lives, every challenge an opportunity,
so forth and so on.

The track in question is about 80' x 40' overall, carpeted with grey
carpet (something like "Ozite") and layed out to be switched back
and forth between a symmetric oval (left-turn-only) and a left- and
right-turn road course by swinging two hinged boards.  The track is
brand new (built three weeks ago) and, so far, all the races have
been left-turn-only oval.  Next week, four or five people are going
to try their hand at the road course.  BTW, all of them have raced
road-course before on other tracks, mostly years ago.  In trying to
entrap me into a new R/C addiction the track owner "graciously"
offered to lend me his car, which is a TRC Lynx (an "Elite", I think)
set up for left- and right-turning. I can handle putting a (modified)
motor, ESC and receiver from one of the dirt warriors into the Lynx.
Everything else should be ready to run (the owner was just practicing
with it the other day).

Everyone else at this track runs RC10L cars, both graphite and 'glass
versions.  Some are pretty "hopped up" but many are stock except for
Bolink axles (I'm just repeating what I was told, I don't know what
most of this means). My question is this, given the following:
    1) a very smooth, carpeted track;
    2) a short, simple road course layout with wide lanes;
    3) modified motors (14 or 15 turns and 6 cells are the norm);
    4) an inexperienced driver (me) competing with somewhat
       experienced drivers;
should I expect the Lynx (compared to an RC10L) to be A) an advantage,
B) a disadvantage, C) no difference, or D) like comparing apples and
oranges.  I just want to know how to evaluate my performance in my
first race.  Also, if I like it, I may ask for and receive an on-road
car for my birthday next week.  If so, I'll have to decide in a hurry
whether I like the Lynx or want to go with the crowd and get an RC10L.

In addition, any helpful hints for making a quick transistion from
halfway decent off-road driver to tolerable carpet driver would be
appreciated.  Keep in mind, I'm talking about a road course, not oval.
Also, what sort of gearing would be appropriate for a 14-turn double
motor with a 6-cell SCR battery in a Lynx.  I'd like to get good
acceleration rather than having enough speed to get me in trouble.
Finally, if anyone knows off the top of their head the order in which
the bearing, washers and belleville spring go into the right-hand wheel
of a Lynx, I pulled it apart, spilling the parts on the floor in the
process and I'm not sure how to get it back together.
-------------------------------
Brent Hutto
hutto@SMTC.engr.scarolina.edu