The Survivor Cup report from Indy RC

0 April 25, 2017, 11:26 a.m.

Main Photo: The Survivor Cup report from Indy RC

By Mike Garrison
LiveRC.com

Race Report from Indy RC World:

Indy RC World and On The Tone came together to host a 3 hour nitro endurance race this past weekend. "The Survivor Cup" is the ultimate test in car building and equipment durability. The race consists of 3 driver teams that rotate between driving, pitting, and marshalling for 3 hours straight!

To accommodate for the difference in driver's skill levels, race promoter Mark Santa Maria pioneered a handicap system that equalizes each team's chance of victory. The system involves giving "bonus laps" for drivers with lower skill levels. For example, a team composed of 3 "pro" drivers would get no bonus laps, as opposed to a team that is made up of 3 "sportsman" drivers would get 60 bonus laps (20 bonus laps per driver). These laps are added at the start of the race to give a sportsman team a 60 lap lead! The handicap system worked so well that the 3 hour truggy race was won by a difference of 16 seconds.

"I'm happy my car finished the race. This was so much fun. I won't miss another one" - Chris Acosta (Car builder and XRAY team driver dad)

"As a spectator I had an awesome time! The energy and atmosphere of this event was amazing!" - Alec P. (Spectator)

"Most fun I've ever had in RC" - Aaron R. (Tekno Team Driver)

"It was the most fun I've ever had racing rc, testing the car, the race program, and the drivers limits to keep it together for 3 hours." - Jerry D. (first time nitro driver)

"That was the coolest thing I ever seen. Switching drivers and stuff too cool." - Brad W. (Spectator)

"This is real racing! This race is making me get back into the hobby. We should do this every week" -Mikeal S. (Truggy Driver)

Aside from the pure enjoyment of running a 3 hour rc car race, The Survivor Cup aids the typical complaints of a "Big" race…

"I didn't get enough practice time" - Since the handicap system involves average lap times, there is no track change. The Survivor Cup race happen approximately 3 weeks after the annual "Big" races at Indy RC World. So any racer that runs either "The IceBreaker" or "The Lonestar" (the oldest running race in Texas) will already be familiar with the track layout.

"The race runs too late" - The race schedule is simple. The truggy race starts at 11 and the buggy race starts at 3. This means the race officially ends at 6pm. If you are running a little late you have 3 hours of racing to catch up. The recent truggy champions started the race over 10 laps late and still came out victorious.

"I can't get the whole weekend off" - The Survivor Cup is a 1 day race. In by 10am and out by 7pm.

"I'm not fast enough to get an award" - It is a team race and each person on the top 3 teams gets an award. That is a 25% chance of winning a stylish 30oz stainless steel tumbler etched with your Survivor Cup position.

The only caveat to the race program is the limited number teams. With only 12 spots available in each buggy and truggy, the race fills up fast. Be on the lookout for the next Survivor Cup at the end of this year!