Think of your favourite motorsport, be it Motocross, MotoGP, F1, Rally, Nascar, whatever it may be. Is there one race that attracts you to it, or is it the full championship, and the points chase, ultimately culminating in an exciting finale in the final race of the year? I have long thought that it would be a lot more fun for both the racers competing, as well as the people following, if we had a World Championship series, with races spanning the world. We could use existing races, or create new ones.
Another thing, I don’t like how we race. We spend a week at the race, and the actually exciting heads up racing amounts to one or two races on the last day. What a waste!
Below I have highlighted some ideas. Let me know what you think.
1.Calender
A year long series, 4 races, 1 in each quarter in order to spread out the costs for the teams and people attending. Example calender:
February/March 2017 Race 1, USA: Fear Farm AZ, Dialed In CA
April 2017 Race 2, UK: Neo Race
August/Sept. 2017 Race 3, Europe: Asti, Barco Italy, Redovan, La Nucia Spain, Montpellier, Pierrefeu France
November 2017 Race 4, Asia: Cnetic Indonesia, 3Stone Park Malaysia
Existing races could only be used if the current organisers are willing to make the required changes to their race. Some would surely, some would not. It needs to be 4 equal races, organised to the same level and same rules. No exceptions because that race’s race director says so. Keep it simple, keep it fun!
2.Points
All races count towards a championship. No drop outs. Points system, points for TQ and finishing positions. Either have points given like in qualifying, so least points win. 0 for winner, 2 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd etc. TQ could earn a bonus negative point, -1. This way entry amount doesn’t matter. Everyone will get points. Least points wins the series. If we know the entry amount, we can make it so last place gets one point, and winner gets race entry +x for example.
3. Schedule
Keep it short. Friday noon start so people can arrive on Friday, and Sunday early finish so people can leave Sunday night.
Friday: Practice rounds
Saturday: Qualifying and lower mains
Sunday: Mains
Time schedule like all real races, so you know exactly what time you are up. Practice in heats, no standing in line, no confusion, pure simple enjoyment.
4. Rules
Base the rules on existing ones, but simplify them. Keep it simple and fair. Focus on the racers, and the enjoyment. Use common sense, always solving problems in the direction of best solution for the continued enjoyment of everyone involved, and add to the rules as needed.
Control Tyres
Something to consider. Maybe each race has it’s own control tyre, chosen by the organiser. That’s 4 different brands in 4 races. Figure out how to make sure no special compounds are used by the chosen brand’s elite drivers. Keep it simple!
Track
Completely new, or heavily modified layout for each race, in order to keep it fair!
5. Classes
Only 1:8th Nitro Buggy, due to time constraints. The big question is, do we separate true PRO class from the OPEN class? Reason being, if we have a smaller amount of PROs racing, it is possible to have a lot more heads up racing, and a lot less practice and qualifying.
PRO Class
Manufacturers sign up their drivers for the complete series. This way the organisers know how many Pro drivers will be attended. Possibility to add wild card entries into the pro class for each event.
Qualifying will be done as heads up racing, (Reedy Race Style with points for finishes in each heat). Make the races 15min, so everyone has to pit at least one time, and the best guys can move to the front. Don’t compare races, or times, only finishing positions matter. Gate starts, or something similar to that would be best!
Follow this with semi finals, and a main final in the same way we do at the current Worlds. If we have enough pros, then 1/4 finals, 1/2 finals, and A main. I can’t see more Pro drivers than that attending all races.
OPEN Class
A race run as the neobuggy race is run now.
If the classes are separated it would make for more exciting racing in the Pro class, the main show, specially if points are given for qualifying also. Maybe give points for top 5 after qualifying. If a Pro class is used, points can be given normally, as max amount of entries is known. Last guy gets 1 point. So top 5 in qualifying could get points too, and they would be vital at the end of the year. Makes the race matter throughout.
6. Team Event
This isn’t my idea, so I won’t share it, because it’s so damn good. But a team aspect to the series should be included.
7. Banquet and Dinner, Speeches, Prizes, and Happy Days
The series ending event should be held in a country, and a location where the organisers are able to host a fitting banquet where the winners receive their prizes, and all participants receive something as a memory. It needs to be a night to remember.
8. Attraction
Money
Money, that’s it right? All manufacturers and sponsors chip in, outside sponsors support the series, liveRC, RC Racing TV, neobuggy, redrc, the media needs to cover it, the racing needs to be streamed live. If everyone can just come together and work their differences out, a World Championship series will benefit all of us involved in RC. The RedBull RC Offroad World Championships 2020. Why not, that would be much cooler than fighting over entries at two meaningless races organised on the same week end.
The winning drivers need to receive contingency money, and the winning manufacturer should get something too. For example free entries/sponsorship for the following year.
The open class drivers should receive contingency too. After all, if they get some cash to help pay for their traveling and racing, they will most likely put that money back into the industry anyway.
Trophies
Forget about plaques and paperweights. Hand out impressive trophies that will remind the winners of the races in years to come. Have a trophy as a series cup, adding a name and car brand each year. The driver gets to keep a replica.
Can’t think of anything else right now, but you get the point.
THEQuagraine 
if someone had a bad event.. they wouldn’t bother going to the next race…. you need a drop round.
manufacturers pre pay for full year. they commit to all races. no drop outs is better
I think this would be awesome. But think about the aspect of qualifying for the series like a Nat or something.
Thanks
The ENS format is a very well functioning one, Hand out tires etc.. Just spread out the locations and call it World championships. EFRA and IFMAR should be considered as “democratic organizations” just get enough people supporting your idea…
how would this increase interest and participation in our hobby?
If people didn’t like the Nitro Challenge format they wouldn’t go……why do you feel a need to change all that for you 20 or 30 drivers?
most people that go to Nitro Challenge don’t know any better
Most of us are smart enough to understand that the top 20 or 30 drivers aren’t the ones putting money in your pocket!
What does that have to do with anything I wrote?
A timely topic as many Northern Hemisphere programs are finishing there series up. As a series promoter these questions are very significant to me. For 8th Scale most of our participants like Motorcross. So we have slowly adapted many ideas from Supercross. My only issue is we like to complete our events in one day.
So for a Worlds event I think you should have a Top level class like the 450cc class and a Lights class like the 250cc class in Supercross. This would allow up and coming drivers a chance to showcase their abilities outside of the shadow of the Pros.
I also think that points should only be awarded in the main with 1st place getting the most with no drops. Those that participated get 1 point but the A-Main get the most points. Making the main is the key in all motorsports so award them for it.
Only nitro buggy? Got to include Truggy too. It’s like left and right, up and down, in and out. They just go together.
No truggies. They don’t include quads at motocross races.
Short answer; yes. Long question; how do get a world-full of radio control vehicle manufacturers to play along more than once a year for worlds events?
Most full size race organizations have some sort of dictatorship at the top to govern, but most radio control organizations are volunteers. What pull would volunteer hobby organizations have for leverage to get rc companies on a more consistent schedule?
Perhaps motivation from the minor leagues (club and regional) like they did back in the day where you had to qualify for a regional and place before being able national…. think I caused more questions than answers…. back to sleep.
The idea is really good. Looking at the coverage now provided by RC Racing TV or LiveRC there is no reason why 1:8 Offroad racing shouldn’t be brought to a wider audience and subsequently grow the sport.
The biannual WC is a thing from the past when int. travel was way more expensive and the sport far less professional than today.
Every category of motorsports excluding RC crowns a World Champion annually over a series of races F1 and MotoGP being the most prominent but all other categories work on a similar principle.
For this to work for RC something need to change
1.) the current format with 180+ entries is stupid! Nobody is interested in the pore bloke that was 169th at Vegas with the exception of the host as all of them paid the entry fee. Limit the entry so you have 1/32 or 1/64 finals and subsequently it can all be over in a weekend with out having to race from 7am to 11pm
2.) In order to limit to number for the Worlds you have to create series within the different blocks i.e. ROAR, EFRA etc. that are used as feeder and qualification for the the World series. The top 60 or 70% in the World series keep their place for the coming year the remaining 30 or 40% are replaced by the top guys from the various “block quali series” This creates pressure for the top guys and gives local races a target.
3.) One race per Quarter i.e. four races a year is a good starting point. If the series grows and more funds can be generated to cover cost such as travel the number could be increased creating a more and more professional circuit.
4.) Media coverage is key to attracting money from outside the sport. At the moment the sport is run by the companies the provide the cars and accessories but the budget within the “hobby industry” is limited. To generate real tangible dollars the sport needs to become attractive to some real heavy weights like Red Bull, Monster Energy or others that hand out serious sponsorship as part of their marketing strategy.
It’s up to the current players in the industry to get round a table, develop a plan and find supporters / sponsors for this idea.