If you have narrowed down your RC vehicle choice to a stadium truck and short course truck you likely will want to know exactly what the differences are between the two so you can make the best possible decision. Typically the only differences between these two models is the style, the tires, their size and their handling.
Short course trucks, a similar type of R/C car, much more closely resemble full-size trophy trucks. Although stadium trucks have no direct full-size counterpart, their name refers to types of full-size R/C vehicles that are raced on a closed circuit or stadium rather than a long, outdoor road course.
Short course off-road racing is a form of auto racing involving the racing of modified vehicles on a dirt road closed course of a short length (tens of kilometers / miles or less).
Short course RC racing is an RC racing event in which all the racers attempt to get the most number of laps in a set time.
With the wide outer chassis, RC Stadium Trucks are perfect for dramatic drifts and adrenaline-pumping acceleration, whether on the closed track or elsewhere. With their good handling and high stability, you can drive as recklessly as you want.
A short course is something you can study for anything from a few hours to a year or more.
Measuring Your RC Car Tires You will need a precision caliper to determine the width of the rim; an inch ruler will not give accurate measurements, which will in turn result in a trial-and-error search for RC tires. Dividing the width by two will get you the radius of the tires, which is how they are sold.
To race more than one class, you have to move up to sportsman. Sportsman – You're able to get around the track faster and with fewer mistakes. You should know the race line and be able to look ahead and adhere to the rules.
The ideal track size is 12' x 24' with a 3' wide racing lane. You can obviously make it larger or smaller depending on your available space. The 12' x 24' size makes for good racing and keeps the cars controllable for all racers. Be sure your area is fairly smooth.
Most tracks run 3 qualifying heats. Most use only single fastest qualifying heat (aka rocket round), Some use a points system. Heats are 5 or 6 minutes long and finish your lap. Mains are 6 or 8 minutes and finish your lap.
truggy is a bigger truck, bigger motor tires ect.. Generally, stadium trucks are 1/10th scale 2wd, while truggies are 1/8th scale 4wd. There are exceptions to this, but that's the basic idea. Generally, stadium trucks are 1/10th scale 2wd, while truggies are 1/8th scale 4wd.
0:117:18Deciding What RC Car or Truck is Best For You with Horizon HobbyYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis is one of just a number of different choices. That you have to make with trucks you generallyMoreThis is one of just a number of different choices. That you have to make with trucks you generally have something that sits higher off the ground has more ground clearance. And can go more places.
When researching I found that there is five primary types of RC cars that you can purchase in the RC community. These are racing (touring) cars, dirt buggies, short course trucks, monster trucks, and RC tanks or crawlers. Each have distinct terrain and conditions that they will operate best in.
Short course trucks usually race through laid-out courses that feature various jumps, while trophy trucks tend to race through different terrains, boulders, and rough surfaces.
The engine of a trophy truck is positioned so that a significant part of it sits in the front of the cab.
Trophy trucks race through unpredictable trails where they can come across stationary objects.
Short course trucks get exposed to far much air, which makes them have less up travel. It is for this reason that they can get more droop for handling bigger jumps.
A short course RC is built more for speed on flattened out grounds. The tires and suspension are smaller and lower to give you more control over the racecourse. It’s not advisable for most short course RC’s to travel on grass because of its low suspension although some medium to higher range short course RC’s may have the suspension and tires to handle short grass, things like sticks and other debris could be troublesome depending on which short course model you have. Just for the record, my Traxxas Slash handles short grass, Stoney and moderately uneven terrain with no problems what so ever.
The wheels on monster trucks are set widely apart while short course RC’s are set close against the body of the RC
The Traxxas Slash is one of the best examples of a short course RC. The brushless version of the Slash can run at speeds of 60+mph to win the race. The Slash is very tough and durable for all the high-speed crashes you might endure. There’s also a brushed option available for a more affordable price. The suspension is built for landing high jumps over ramps, if you can land the wheels, the suspension will do the rest. There are 2wd and 4wd options of the Slash as well with the 4wd being the option for higher performance.
The suspension on a monster truck is raised up high so that it can get over obstacles with ease as opposed to most short course RCs that have “standard suspension” better for speed and turning control. Monster trucks usually have bumper bars in front of their hood while not all short course RC’s do.
An RC monster truck is defined as an RC with oversized wheels, very high suspension, and a wide wheelbase for stability. With a monster truck, you should be able to travel along the unbeaten path over grass, sticks, water, and through very uneven terrain. This is because they have raised suspension and oversized wheels to get them over.
For the straights, open up your throttle and launch your RC into speeds of over 60mph.
Now you have yourself a monster truck RC fit for bashing through rough terrain and ramping over bigger objects than before. There are some modifications that are recommended to get better performance out of your new monster truck. Upgrade your pinion/spur-gear ratio to work better with your current set up. Otherwise, you might have overheating problems if you push the RC to its limits with the big tires fitted.