The Backyard – Losi NASCAR and extra Niches they need to go after!
Hello everybody and comfortable Friday!
One of the large r/c tales within the second half of 2024 has been the discharge and success of the Losi NASCAR. These licensed autos are strong runners, look unbelievable, and have a sub-$200 worth level. As such, it needs to be no shock the preliminary batch of them offered out fast. They hit the candy spot with normal hobbyists, pastime retailers, racers, and even some modelers as one thing that works nice for a normal basher, spec racing class automobile, and/or one thing that appears superior on the bench.
There is a extremely cool Facebook group the place individuals are replicating many basic NASCAR schemes, and I’d suggest you check it out. (P.S. I SOOOOO hope we get some basic inventory automotive our bodies ultimately!)
Over the previous few years, the Losi model has been experimenting with numerous area of interest sort of autos and serving to to develop these segments of the pastime. The Losi Mini LMT and Promoto-MX are two different latest examples. The model went on report final month in saying that they will proceed to go after a few of these smaller areas of the pastime to increase them, all of the whereas maintaining with up to date releases of vans/buggies utilized in conventional r/c racing.
This is nice information, and it additionally obtained me thinkin’….what are another cool competitors niches we may see them do over the following 12 months or so? I placed on my considering cap and got here up with just a few concepts. The one throughline with all of those are that I attempted to maintain the worth level beneath $300, as to me this makes essentially the most sense in case you are making an attempt to get of us to undertake a automobile (or type of auto) that they in all probability wouldn’t in any other case if the worth was larger. As such, these are additionally all 1/12 or smaller. Ok, let’s get to it.
1/12 Scale Late Model Dirt Oval Racer
To me, this looks like a possible prediction. For one, Losi has performed dust oval up to now, with their 1/18 Losi Mini-Late Model and Sprint Cars (1/18 and 1/10, respectively). I used to be a hardcore dust oval racer again within the day with my Losi Mini Late Model and so they had been a lot enjoyable, nevertheless I believe they had been a bit earlier than their time. I believe the size was additionally off-putting- they had been simply too small and also you needed to run on an excellent groomed monitor to make it enjoyable. In the case of the 1/10 scale dash automotive, regardless of wanting nice, it didn’t fare effectively towards the 1/10 race kits from Custom Works and so on on the time, so it was by no means actually adopted by dash automotive racers. 1/12 can be good although!
And hey, wouldn’t you understand it however Losi has a recent 1/12 oval platform by means of the NASCAR?! Get a World of Outlaws license, configure it with a pair good wanting licensed late mannequin our bodies and Hoosier slicks, and BOOM. I might LOVE to see a 1/12 Late Model.
Ok, that was a practical prediction. Now let’s get into some “out there” concepts!
1/12 or smaller Mud Dragster
Oh yeah, now we’re speaking. Losi has performed each drag racing autos in addition to mega mud vans….so marry the 2 and create some sort of out of the field mud rail, full with huge ol’ paddle tires on the again.
I’d think about the Mini-LMT platform might be reconfigured considerably to perform this, however it could be enjoyable to see a brand new, longer chassis constructed to accommodate the stretched look that many of those rigs use, full with chopped truck/automotive our bodies.
I perceive this can be a very area of interest factor, however hey, that is my column so I’m callin’ the photographs! Having a small, quick, and scale wanting mud dragster can be actually cool and if the worth was proper, I believe you’d see quite a lot of hobbyists need one to go blast by way of the sand or muck!
Not “out there” sufficient for you? Let’s get actually loopy!
1/12 Swamp Buggy Racer
Man, when you don’t know what swamp buggy racing is, you might be lacking out. Here’s a fast YouTube video to teach you.
As the good Stone Cold Steve Austin as soon as stated, “OH HELL YEAH!”
This sort of racing has been occurring a very long time down in Florida, and again within the late 80’s/early 90’s they began televising the races on TV. I used to LOVE watching the swamp buggy races once I’d be fortunate sufficient to search out them on TNN or SPEED, and I nonetheless test them out each as soon as in awhile when a video hits my YouTube recs.
Look- I perceive this can be a ludicrous, hyper-niche factor to go after within the type of a mainstream r/c launch, however hey- it could certainly draw consideration. You can wager your ass I’d be digging a small monitor in my yard if my buddies and I had entry to reasonably priced r/c re-creations of those half-boat, half-offroad monstrosities!
That was a enjoyable record to place collectively! Kudos to Losi for persevering with to go after extra area of interest r/c competitors areas, I hope they stick with it!
Until subsequent time, hold it on all 4’s!