Looking for advice/suggestions

Dancing_Penguin Wednesday, 1/22/2025

Newbie here.  I started to get into Hot Wheels in early 2024 after I retired early for health reasons. I’ve always loved racing – from when I was a kid and my dad’s paving business sponsored a local modified driver, to my love of NASCAR (big Rusty Wallace fan growing up), to my 5-year “career” in iRacing.  Thus, it made sense that I would be involved with some form of racing in my older years (not old, exactly, but aging). It was during this past summer that I started building my tracks at home. I currently have two dragstrips (a 2-lane and a 4-lane) and one 2-lane road course.

I have a small (~600) but growing stable of cars.  The only mods I do are lubricating the wheels and axles with a 2 to 1 mix of 99% alcohol and ultrafine graphite. It’s been so much fun setting this up, but now I want to start running tournaments. I mostly prefer 16 car tournaments but can go as large as 64. I’m not interested in hosting mail-in races (though I do enjoy watching them!). However, if there is interest, I was thinking about running my own tournaments using these tentative rules:

·         On Mondays, I’ll post 20 vehicles that are randomly selected from the stable, and “participants” would choose a car via YouTube comments – one car per person and one person per car. Cars would be available to be selected until all cars have been selected or Wednesday, whichever occurs first.

·         On Wednesday, I will put those 20 cars through time trials on my dragstrip, and the cars with the top 16 fastest times would compete in the main event (typically the road course). I would post a video of the top few time trials and announce in that video which vehicles have qualified for the main event.

·         On Thursday or Friday, I would run the tournament (not live, though), and over the weekend, I’d edit the video of the tournament and post it on Sunday. The “participant” who picked the winner will receive one free Hot Wheels Mystery Model.

My plan is to run some test tournaments in January without “participant” involvement (I need to determine the best setup for my cameras), and then I’ll run my first official tournament in February.

I’d love to get feedback on my ideas from those of you more experienced folks. 

-Steve
“Midnight Raceway Park”   youtube.com/@MidnightRacewayPark


Discussion

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RalphsRacers 1/22/25

That sounds great, I do similar myself but live in the UK so mail ins wouldn't be financially viable for a lit of people and I'm the first person to say that I only do orange track without timer,diorama or anything. I started doing the 16 cars and one person per car, first come first choice. It would take a bit if a push to get drivers as people know the last cars are probably not the fastest,I now do any number of people can choose the same car,technically everyone could have the same car...whether it wins or not is a different matter.i had been unwell recently and my last race was delayed,anvin rush to get it out the hosting/editing not fantastic.

I think what I will do with next race is just run the race,have it all edited before I post the date for the run...check out tiny track cars,that channel on utube are doing a free 16 car race which you can enter,you have to sign up but that's free,might give you mire to think about as well...good luck,hope you do well.ill definitely enter though nit expecting a prize if I win...unless you are UK based of course 


  • Thanks for the suggestion - I'll check out the Tiny Track Cars — Dancing_Penguin
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dr_dodge 1/22/25

thats a good way to get started.

but, don't forget to have fun, too

welcome !

dr


  • Thanks! So far, it's been fun, albeit a bit frustrating — Dancing_Penguin
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alva1370 1/22/25

Welcome to the hobby.


Welcome to RedlineDerby!   I think your idea is fine.   I have a personal opinion that time trials are kind of a waste of time.   At least in drag racing.   By the time the time trials are done it has been pretty well established who the fastest few cars are.   At least in drag racing - but on an open track with 4 cars running.....anything can happen.   Are time trials needed at all then.....?    And then you don't have to edit 2 videos for 1 race/tournament. 

Dutch


  • I appreciate whatever amount of work a host will put into a tournament, even drag race time trials. Two top names facing off in the first round without an earned spot in a bracket brings a twinge of disappointment, just a fan's POV. — Chris_Hood
  • I agree with you DC... — Stoopid_Fish_Racing
  • Good stuff to think about - appreciate it! — Dancing_Penguin
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Chris_Hood 1/22/25

Greetings and salutations!

Stock racing with a "You Choose" format is a fine way to drive audience engagement while you find your footing as a host. Everyone starts somewhere! I'm sure folks would like to see photos of your setup when you're comfortable with that, too! Three tracks already, you have lots of styles to spice up the show

Cool channel name, by the by! Wishing success!


Sounds interesting! I might sign up for those.


  • Thanks. I'm going to post one without cars being chosen (practice for me) and then I'll announce in advance of the second one so people can sign up. — Dancing_Penguin
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