Diecast Racing Questions

BlueLineRacing Wednesday, 8/10/2022

Jump to last page

I was just thinking how Diecast racing has changed over my 2 1/2 years in the hobby. Some for the better and some for the worse. I'm curious what some of you think. Maybe you haven't been doing this for 2+ years but there's something you'd like to see change. Maybe you've been around a lot longer and have many opinions. Here are some questions to get you started but use the comment section to talk about whatever. I'm also posting this because I'm curious how many of you still check into RedLine Derby Racing for race info. Facebook seems to have taken over as the preferred method. 
Questions

1. Fat track or Drag Racing

2. What do you like about Diecast racing

3. What do you dislike about Diecast racing

4. Are you more interested in Diecast racing now than you were a year ago or less interested.

5. How long have you been racing and how long do you plan to continue

6. Where do you get your Diecast racing information

7. Should race hosts race in their own races?

8. How do we get more people interested in hosting races?

9. Any other input?

Im trying to plan out what I will and won't do in 2023. My first thought is to scale things back a bit but I'm not sure how much. What are your intentions for 2023. More or less racing? I'm curious what people think.


Discussion

Page 1 of 3
View member profile
Numbskull 8/10/22

1.  Fat track first, drag racing second.  But I love watching both of them.  I like fat track more because win or lose your cars get more track time, and then there's the wild element of random chance.

2+3.  I like everything about diecast racing, and I haven't found anything to dislike.

4.  I'm way more interested now, and more invested.  My collection is larger, my 70' open track is near done.  And my 24' take-down drag track was awesome fun to build.

5. 1.5 years, and I imagine I'll quit or take a break if and when it becomes boring, which I don't see happening.  I played WoW for 12 years, drank gallons of vodka, and then I found hot wheels.  So minimum 12 years and many cases of vodka.

6. I get most of my information here at Redline Derby.  I check-in on facebook, but I like Redline much more, and I don't enjoy facebook videos anywhere near as much as watching youtube videos.

7.  Yes, if they want to.  It's always fun racing against the host, win or lose.  However, trust no-one.

8.  Youtube videos are what got me hooked.

9. Nice survey.


  • In an effort to keep things brief (since I am working...) I want to second 90% of what Numbskull just said. Also, I much more prefer getting diecast info from here and on YouTube. Facebook has too many other distractions and Redline Derby is my go to for specific info. I have noticed lately less traffic on here, but the world is getting crazy lately, so I'm sure people have other priorities, myself included. I am stepping away from racing for a little while as life is more important at the moment, but I still keep up with happenings on here. — TexTenn_Racing
  • Great to read fellow diecasters thoughts! Can understand your thoughts in 1. Can be frustrating to send a car somewhere to meet the eventual winner in round 1, and quickly go home. Not very cost or time effective either> Point 4. Look forward to seeing your 70, track! Good luck out there, cheers. — CutRock_R_Marc_D
View member profile
CrazyEights 8/10/22

1. Drag racing

2. Its fun

3. Seeing myself in Tim's rearview mirror. The arrogance that sometimes comes with it. Fanboys. People not returning stuff when you paid to have it returned. The cliques. The way some people get when they start losing. People taking months to film events while moving on to other events. Facebook. 

4. More enjoyable now that I'm understanding more.

5. 2 years. Until I can't anymore.

6. YouTube and asking questions. Testing!!!

7. Yes they should race.

8. Not sure how to get more drag tracks going.

9. We need a Redline Derby revival. Maybe a Redline Derby race league at drag tracks and road courses with monthly points. Have at least one Any casting race per year. We limiting ourselves and there's so many potential castings available.

Raise the banners. Release the hounds. Torches and pitchforks. Maestro if you please. Haha!


  • Enjoyed your input. I can relate to much of your point 3. at times. Cheers mate! — CutRock_R_Marc_D
View member profile
SpyDude 8/10/22

1. BOTH !!! Road courses and drag strips are two different animals, and knowing how to build a fast car for each type of track is important.

2+3. The competition and the camaraderie between fellow racers. There is some infighting here and there, with members being banned from certain groups, but we need to work together as a whole to build the community.

4. More interested!

5. I've been racing since November 2020, and I plan on staying here a good long while. As long as there's a track, I'll do my best to be there.

6. Most of the time I come here to RedlineDerby. The calendar is easy to work with, and I can quickly scroll through upcoming events. I do occasionally look at Facebook for races, but more often than not miss a good half to three-quarters of "Face racing" because they get lost in the feed. RLD is a central place for me finding a race quickly.

7. There have been mixed reactions about this. If the host races on his own track (like you racing on the NorthEast Beast, for instance), people can say, "Well, it's his track. He can race all his cars all the time and tune them up for his track! That's not fair!" On the other hand, damnit, YES, I want to race the host on his own track, because he's not just the host, but competition. No matter where you go, those are going to be the two reactions. My personal thought? Get your car on the track - I'll drag against you, whether it's your home track or not.

8. YouTube videos are good, and how a bunch of us got started. I think a bigger draw would be actually bringing a track to a car show or some kind of community event and letting people actively participate. Have a pile of packaged cars (figure $2 a car - one for the car, one for the race "entry fee"), let the kids choose their car, and then let them drag to their hearts content. (They get to keep the car afterwards, of course.) Get them excited about racing each other, see who walks away with the trophy. You cover your expenses for the cars, the rest gets given to a local charity.. Everybody wins, and diecast racing gets a huge boost in popularity.

9. Good survey.
Final thoughts: Race when you can, and cheer on the others when you can't. Stay positive. You may not win every race you enter, but that's racing. Promote it whenever you can. You KNOW the checkout people are wondering why you're buying so many cars - tell them! "RedlineDerby dot com - look it up. Real racing with toy cars."  It's fun, it's competitive, and it helps keep kids out of trouble by giving them something fun to do.


  • Cheers, some interesting reading. Your points 1.2.3. were understandable. Being on the other side of the world/time zone, I'm not quite so aware of some of the issues in point 3. Cheers — CutRock_R_Marc_D
View member profile
RLoRacing 8/10/22

1. Both but I prefer fat track since that's where I seem to succeed 

2. I would call this my most consistent and longest hobby. He best part is building something to your liking and the. Seeing it go against other people from around the world. 

3. Seeing people from outside the hobby, or those with little involvement, accusing current race hosts of trying to copy 3D or not being enough like 3D. I like how every track/host offers a unique experience. 
Also, shameless self promotion aka seeing the same context spammed on every single Diecast racing social media group. There's a good chance that most people would see it if you posted it on a few and this has stopped me from joining more Diecast racing groups. 

4. my interest has remained about the same for the past year, which is quite high. 

5. I first become interested in this hobby in spring of 20202 and actuall started building in the Fall of that year. I have no plans on stopping any time soon.

6. I get most of my information (particularly races) from here since it seems to be the largest and most consolidated online hub  related to the hobby. 
7. Yes and no. If they do, it should not impact the standings and they should not be able to claim first prize/the winnings. I think it would be a good "final challenge" for the real winner to face the race host in a  1v1 showdown. 

8. I have a current test track (open track) but my issue is time/knowledge (editing, carpentry, etc)/and money. I'm comfortable with just racing at the moment but have thought of a track and my head and have ordered things in the event I decide to ever build one. If I'm going to host and post something, I want it to be presentable and that isn't feasible right now for me. 


  • Hey r lo, you nailed point 3. ! But as you alude, those people are just trolls with no interest in what we do! Cheers mate. — CutRock_R_Marc_D

1. Fat track or Drag Racing:  Fat (Open) Track racing first, Drag racing second.

2. What do you like about Diecast racing:  The friendly competition, the creativity in modding cars, the camaraderie with other builders, and watching my custom cars race on YouTube. 

3. What do you dislike about Diecast racing:  It is much more time-consuming and expensive than I ever thought it would be!  Lol! 

4. Are you more interested in Diecast racing now than you were a year ago or less interested.  About the same, which is still very high.

5. How long have you been racing and how long do you plan to continue:  Since Oct. 2020.  I’ve slowed down on entering mail-in races, but I don’t see myself quitting anytime soon.

6. Where do you get your Diecast racing information:  Redline Derby & Facebook.

7. Should race hosts race in their own races?:  That’s a touchy question and tricky to answer because I have friends on both sides.  Drag racing is pure speed vs speed.  Yes, there is a slight advantage to the host, but as long as there are no shady shenanigans going on behind the curtain (like the host adding graphite to only his car between runs) then I have no problem with hosts entering and even winning their own drag race tournament.

However, on an open track, a good builder can specifically fine-tune the weight placement on a modded car to their track, giving them an obvious advantage over everyone.  Even with the random chaos and luck involved with open track racing, there is no denying the benefit an experienced builder will have racing on their own track. So if the open track tournament is advertised on Redline Derby as a competitive race with a trophy, or prize pack for the winner, I personally would rather they don’t enter their own car and maybe just wait to race the winner for fun after the tournament is complete to see if someone can beat the host for bragging rights.  

On the other hand, if the open track tournament is invitation only between friends or advertised on Facebook as fun and casual with no real prize or RLD point stats for the winner (see Rust Belt Racing), then I have no problem with hosts entering their own open track events.  I know sometimes they do it just to even out the number of participants and everyone knows it’s all just for fun anyway.  It’s still not a good look to win your own events, so I would recommend they “have an incident” so they don’t win. Lol!

8. How do we get more people interested in hosting races?  I think if the hobby can grow, more people with the time and money to build a track will naturally start hosting races.  Since it’s just a small niche hobby with probably less than 100 people that consistently participate in modified mail-in races, we will probably continue to only see a small net increase of new tracks vs tracks that no longer host.  I would encourage everyone to support all diecast racing hosts and YouTube racing videos, so the algorithm recommends the videos to as many people as possible to grow the hobby.

9. Any other input? I really appreciate all the track hosts that make this hobby possible!  I would encourage everyone to continue to use Redline Derby and not just Facebook.  Facebook is great for groups and communicating with diecast friends, but I believe Redline Derby needs to exist and continue to be a useful, relevant and wonderful resource for newcomers to diecast racing if we all truly want this fun hobby to grow.  Thanks BlueLine for this post and thanks as always to Brian for Redline Derby.


View member profile
Chaos_Canyon 8/10/22

1. Fat track or Drag Racing - I prefer fat track in general because the races are longer and it is closer to real life racing, but I love some of the long drag races like Mr Mom's. Also filming drag racing seems like it is often difficult because the cars move so fast away from a camera, finding engaging angels to get you into the action more is more difficult.

2. What do you like about Diecast racing - I love that it feels like motor racing but at a reasonable scale and cost. There is a real variety in the types of tracks out there now, moving away from the standard switchback fat track races. Some great custom tracks coming up too which add a whole new element to it.

3. What do you dislike about Diecast racing - The amount of work to produce videos compared to the overll views you get.

4. Are you more interested in Diecast racing now than you were a year ago or less interested. - Still very interested in it and have lots of plans for the next year etc

5. How long have you been racing and how long do you plan to continue - Started in March 2020 and plan to keep going for a long time yet if I can.

6. Where do you get your Diecast racing information - I visit Redline a lot, then also YouTbe and FB groups.

7. Should race hosts race in their own races? I don't mind either way. I know some people frown on it because they think people will fix the races to let themselves win, but at the end of the day, it's just fun and if youre getting that serious over it then I think you will have a problem with races anyway.

8. How do we get more people interested in hosting races? I think the main issue is the time. When I ran the DIRS last year it was a year long commitment from me to manage it all, make sure cars were where they needed to be and at the right time, then making sure the hosts posted in the right schedule etc. It comes down to finding people that are reliable and have the right level of commitment to completing races when they said they would, which is also hard when life gets in the way.

9. Any other input? I love this hobby and in general have found most people involved in it to be great to deal with. There have been a couple of issue here and there but overall it is a lot of fun and I think every track provides great entertainment for people to enjoy. I think some people feel pressured to have really high production values when if they just focus on some simple basics, it could improve their quality without adding any cost.


  • Good input & read CC! I really feel for you (and some others) on point 3. Cheers mate. — CutRock_R_Marc_D

1. Fat track. Passes and wrecks seem to be more dramatic. Drag racing is always fun, I just prefer fat. 

2. I like that you can build whatever your mind can conceive, and you can put your own unique touch on a build. I see entries come to us and I know immediately who the builder is. 

3. Having to mail back cars months later. Sometimes the money doesn't add up and we have to come out of pocket. I hate chasing. But I also want the owner to get their build back. 

4. More interest then one year ago. As we keep pushing forward and growing, we are meeting awesome people, learning a ton,  and connecting with like minded creators.

5. I just started building a few months ago. I've learned a lot from guys in groups that have helped me along the way. But for now so much time is required to put a show out every Friday, it's hard to find time to have fun and build. That being said, I built two cars today. 

6. I get my Diecast info from RLD and DatAss. They usually always point me in the right direction sometimes. ???? 

7. I not a big fan of hosts racing on their own track. If it's for fun, and no RLD points and prizes then fine. But if something is on the line then no. What I have started doing recently,  Is waiting for one of our tournaments to wrap up. And then testing my builds against everyone that sends an entry in. If I'm talking to the builder on a daily basis, then I might shoot a few races for bragging rights but nothing else. 

8. I don't think there is much more you can do to get people to host races. So much time money and energy goes into hosting a 32 car field. If a host is working through a pre planned schedule, and you try to take on too much, you might end up with tournaments dragging on for a year. Or worse, Hosts getting burnt out and then just vanishing. Some promoters do a good job of handeling the entire event and all we do is race the cars. But that's few and far between. Sadly the only way someone will host more is if they see lots of success and growth in their brand and a promoter is willing to pay for your freelance work. 

9. Some one said earlier, "the time involved in creating never justifies the amount views on a video" or something similar...... I would do this if no one watched. If my kid hadn't found Ghost Jerker, and eventually 3DBotmaker, I would have made some other completely random channel of videos on god knows what. But I love cars. I had tons of Lego and supplies to build a set. I had plenty of video and audio knowledge to get started, so I jumped. I like to make the product visual to the people.  So many guys build fantastic cars, and spend so much time getting it right, its only fair that someone showcase their work where they might not be able to. I like to bring the hobby to real life, not just for viewers, but for the people making it happen. Never ever underestimate the power of liking and sharing videos you watch. It helps creators so much. Forget the subs. Are people liking what you're doing? If so it gets recommended more. 


1. I've answered this one before. Fat track is what got me into racing Drag racing is whats kept me here. Fat track is cool and all, i enjoy it; but like Red Pill says "theres no place to hide on the drag strip" thats why i plan on keeping at it. The quest for speed!!                              2. I like the custom aspect of diecast racing. Modified, Paint & Decal work. stocks are ok, i just have terrible luck finding fast stocks. I really like the series events (specific castings etc.) i really appreciate all the hosts and make a point to watch and follow each event. I have a spreadsheet that i track times and events. 
3. What i dislike about diecast racing is all the rules! Lol! I understand there HAS to be some rules; just some events are a little too much. I just like the races. The extra commentary and endless replays take up a lot of extra time and i end up fast forwarding the the next race. 
4. i get more intrested in racing every day. Almost obssessed!! I've spent waay too much $$ on cars that wont even see the track!!                                                5. Really got intrested in racing when i first saw the MadCatter. I really didnt follow much before then, i didnt put 2 & 2 together about modifying and mail-ins until i first saw that car. Then i knew this was something i would be doing for a long long time                                          6. i try to check in to RL Derby every day but i also follow some fb groups. I mainly view racing through youtube. Im always late for the fb live videos and and sometimes with grainy live feeds its hard to tell whats going on.                             7. i think all hosts should definatly race in their own tournaments. Its an honor to be on some of those strips! It doesnt really matter to me who wins, i specifically track my times to gauge if im getting faster or slower, what i did diffrently on a certain build, and if it worked or didnt.     8. The biggest draw back for me in hosting is space. Second would be camera work and production. I really really appreciate all the hosts and always try to send more $ than what is asked for. It really means a lot to me that there are some great tracks out there and the hard work every hosts does!!                           9. i will repeat the series racing is the most enjoyable to me. The F150 series is awesome to watch!! I just see my truck getting drug and cant help but think "man i hope i get to try again, i know i can beat some of those guys!" Lol!!               

       Finally, i'll add that i really enjoy all the diecast communities. Theres racers, customizers, restorers, hell i even watch the pickers!! Its just something i loved as a child and i'm catapulted back in time all those years ago with every build. Glueing pennies to tops of nomads to get "more speed!!" 


  • I was a childhood collector too.... no car brings me back to then like the Nomad :) — G_ForceRacing
  • I can relate to a lot of your input! Cheers and good luck out there! — CutRock_R_Marc_D
View member profile
MrDarq 8/10/22

1. Fat track or Drag Racing: Fat track, but have dabbled in drag. Will continue with Drag but have stepped back a bit  

2. What do you like about Diecast racing: I love custom building and learning from other drivers. Also love watching my cars run all over the world.

3. What do you dislike about Diecast racing: I love everything about Diecast racing, but not a fan of the TicTok thing happening.

4. Are you more interested in Diecast racing now than you were a year ago or less interested. The same, which is a lot  :)

5. How long have you been racing and how long do you plan to continue: since February of 2021 with no end date :)

6. Where do you get your Diecast racing information: From Redline and personal friends I have made.

7. Should race hosts race in their own races? If it's for prize package I would say no, for fun among friends anything goes :)

8. How do we get more people interested in hosting races? Thats a hard question, I think we are getting some really cool tracks coming out, we need to support all tracks to get more views.

9. Any other input? I really enjoy this hobby and the people I have met, I am in the process of building an open track and start having races. I really hope we keep Redline up it's a really great place to join and host mail-ins

View member profile
Crazy_Canuck 8/11/22

1. Fat track or Drag Racing:

I got hooked watching the open track and couldn’t believe it existed. I really enjoy the multi-vehicle racing and it’s unpredictability. Drag racing doesn’t hold the same excitement for me personally unless there is some kind of twist to it.


2. What do you like about Diecast racing:

I really enjoy the effort channels put into their productions. There is something special about the 1/64 scale that just feels right. I love the way the cars can be so dramatically different and the challenge of creating something that’s good looking AND fast. It’s an outlet that allows me to be creative. Seeing the cars I put out Racing at different settings is worth the time and effort…even if they crap the bed.


3. What do you dislike about Diecast racing:

I hate waiting…lol…but most builders will say the same thing. I do find it annoying when there seems to be little regard for builders time and effort by channels who realize how hard it is to create content (or are not satisfied with YT views) and just throw in the towel or give up altogether or just simply don’t follow through with races.  I get that life can sometimes get in the way…but if 16-32 builders have played by your rules and spent money to get cars to you on time the least you can do is follow through on your end. It burns people.


4. Are you more interested in Diecast racing now than you were a year ago or less interested:

I’m fully invested…probably more than I should be, but I’ve built more than 100 cars this year, and I don’t see myself stopping any time soon.


5. How long have you been racing and how long do you plan to continue:

I set up shop in December of 2020…my first build was for the DIRS 2021, and I’ll continue as long as I have a car to send.


6. Where do you get your Diecast racing information:

There is only one place to get diecast Racing info…RLD! I do use FB… but there is so much repetition that it’s tough to wade through and it’s easy to miss info.


7. Should race hosts race in their own races?:

My gut reaction to this question is “No”…Race hosts have an unfair advantage, and the optics seem off when a track owners build destroys the competition. There are certain tracks where it’s impossible to be competitive and you see the same name(s) listed as winners. The flip side to that is if ya wanna be the best, ya gotta beat the best. However it’s pretty tough to keep that mentality when it comes to drag racing. Open track has a bigger margin of LUCK associated with it.


8. How do we get more people interested in hosting races?:

I think we need to worry about retention of current tracks versus how do we get more tracks. The last little while has seen some absolute gems disappear due to various reasons. As a community we need to focus on expanding the culture and awareness of the sport. You do this at the grass roots level. Kids love the cars but we need to show how they can be more than just toys. I’ve always thought it would be super cool to get a compact track built that can be easily set up at local events , car shows, food festivals, etc. where people can get a taste on how exciting this sport can be. By engaging in this manner the hobby/sport grows naturally and instead of forcing product/content out it has a chance to organically become bigger and better.


9. Any other input?:

This is a hobby…it’s meant to be fun…if you get into it to try and make money you will not have a good time.


  • Enjoyed your input. 3. & 7. yep can relate to, and yes, I tend to miss stuff on FB, due to spam and timezones. At least thats why iI think I miss it! Cheers — CutRock_R_Marc_D

Only just seen this, and it's late.

I will reply in detail tomorrow.

Cheers

1. Fat track or Drag Racing

  • It should come as no surprise that I'm a big fan of fat track racing.  I love the insanity and unpredictability of the multi-car groups beating and banging down the track.  I've tried several times to get into drag racing and every time it just doesn't do it for me.  That being said, when I rebuild my track I may incorporate a small drag track for time trials, etc.

2. What do you like about Diecast racing

  • I've always enjoyed hosting and moderating competitive events.  Seeing the insane creativity of folks who mail in cars for my tournaments, and watching them race (sometimes I forget I gotta pay attention to my camera work!).  I've met some awesome people in the community.  I needed a creative outlet for a long time, and this scratches that itch.  I've learned so much about videography, editing, etc.  I love how there's something for everyone.....if you like fat track or drag racing, invite or limited entry vs. open entry tournaments, channels that focus on racing vs. heavy into the diorama, etc.

3. What do you dislike about Diecast racing

  • The cliques.  And not to disparage, but I personally have a hard time enjoying cookie cutter tracks with just a series of switchbacks.

4. Are you more interested in Diecast racing now than you were a year ago or less interested.

  • It comes and goes in waves.  The time-consuming video editing for my marathon events makes it tough to build and be competitive, but I try to join others' events when the moment seizes me.

5. How long have you been racing and how long do you plan to continue

  • Started my channel in May 2020 after a couple years of doing in-house tournaments with my son.  I'll keep doing it until it stops being fun.

6. Where do you get your Diecast racing information

  • RLD, Facebook Groups, Word of Mouth

7. Should race hosts race in their own races?

  • Yes, but not to the detriment of the event.  Honestly, a track host could very easily set the outcome of every race & tournament if they so desired, and no one would ever know.  If I were hosting an event with a cash prize or something, I would probably not race myself, or preclude myself from winning the prize package.  But yes, I like seeing hosts race in their own events (it's fun to try to beat the home town drivers).  Where it can get out of hand is if the host just dominates everything, cuz that's not fun for anyone.

8. How do we get more people interested in hosting races?

  • That's a tough one.  It's a big leap to go from watching, to racing, to hosting events.  Perhaps folks just need help understanding all that's involved in running your own events.

9. Any other input?

  • Input?!?!


to join the conversation or sign-up now