What is

What is “Quarter Scale”

Quarter Scale racecars are radio controlled car models, ¼ the size of a
full-size racecar. They weigh about 30 pounds, and are powered by 23cc
engine. On a large track, they can reach speeds up to 80mph. These
cars are a scaled-down version of many of the cars you see in a typical
racing event shown on television or in magazines they include
Winston Cup Stock Cars, Busch Grand National Stock Cars, Craftsman
Truck Series SuperTrucks, World of Outlaw Sprint Cars, Outlaw Late
Models, etc
Quarter scale cars are the largest of all the radio-control racecars.

They can have independent type suspension, with hydraulic shock absorbers.

Quarter scale is less expensive and very much safer than their full-scale
counterparts, (we’ve never had any drivers hurt when they crashed
during a quarter scale event) but the racing is still very real. Any
seasoned quarter scale driver will tell you he can “feel” what his car
is doing, just as he would in a full-size racecar.

The driver controls the car by means of a hand-held radio transmitter,
which usually has a steering wheel for directional control, and a
“trigger” to control the throttle and brakes. The car contains a radio
receiver, and devices called “servos” which control the steering, the
throttle, and the brake, according to what the driver does on his radio
transmitter.

They more closely resemble their full-scale counterparts than do any of
the smaller scales, the car’s body is typically made from
“Lexan”, a plastic type material that is molded to an exact replica of
a full-size car, but in miniature.

In addition, almost any set-up parameter available on a full-scale racecar is

duplicated on the quarter scale equivalent. Winning requires a combination of many
skills including car set-up, as well as a fast engine and good driving!

Organized Quarter Scale Racing events take place at the local,
Regional, National, and International Levels.

Driving a Quarter Scale

A person “moving-up” from a smaller scale car will have no problem
driving a quarter scale car. When set up properly, quarter scale cars
are easier to drive than the smaller cars. With time and practice
comes experience and skill. The thrill of controlling a well setup
quarter scale car is possibly the ultimate experience in radio control
car racing.

Quarter-Scale Differences

Quarter scale cars are different from smaller radio control cars mainly
in size, true-scale appearance, set-up adjustability, and realism.
Quarter Scale emphasizes optimizing the competitor’s set-up, as well as driving skills.

Sharing with, and helping other competitors is the rule, rather than
the exception in Quarter Scale. This results in better competition,
not only making the racing more fun for the competitors, but also a
better “show” for the spectators.

Another important difference from racing in other scales is the engine
specs. The national organization “QSAC” mandates that only one
specific brand of 23cc two-stroke engine is allowed, and it must be
stock. At major events QSAC utilizes a pre- and post-race Technical
Inspection procedure, impounding the top four cars in each class, and
performing a comprehensive external and internal inspection of the car
including weight, width, height, tire-size, and spoiler, as well as
engine tear-down inspection.

Racing in Quarter Scale

Race formats in Quarter Scale closely follow their full-scale
counterparts. The races are computer-scored utilizing car-mounted
transponders. When these transponders pass over the start/finish line,
a computer scores the lap for that car. The computer keeps track of
lap-times, track position and number of laps automatically. Up to ten
cars can race at a time.

Qualifying heats (of which there are two rounds, varying in length from
20 to 50 laps) are used to determine the car’s positions in the “mains
events”. These races are usually limited to six competitors. The
number of “mains” is dependent on the number of cars entered in a
particular class. Each main is populated with cars in whatever
positions earned from the heats. Every competitor will run at least one
“main”. While the smaller scales limit race lengths by time (perhaps a
5-minute race), Quarter Scale races are oriented to numbers of laps,
like their full-size counterparts. Races can be 100, 200, or even 500
laps long.

What does it cost?

Buying a new quarter scale car can cost between $1,000 and $1,500.
Good used cars can sometimes be picked up at a race for a good deal less.
Once you’ve got the car, expenses are minimal - the cars can be run on
ordinary pump gasoline, mixed with two-cycle oil. Fuel costs are
negligible. Tires are a major expense in many of the other scales of
r/c car racing. In quarter scale, one set of tires can last the racer
for a whole season. The parts for these cars are reasonably priced,
and last for a long time. Many racers have found racing quarter scale
cars to be far less expensive than racing smaller scale cars, which
cost less to begin with, but use expensive fuel and tires (or in the
case of electric cars, batteries motors, and speed controls).

More Information?

For more information, check out the QSAC Website (http://www.qsac.org).

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