2025 Horizon Hobby Events Cancelled

[DavidB1126]

 

[Chubaka]

I guess i can buy a trx 4 instead of another axial.

 

[Doom!]

Like Horizon's products or not, this is not a good indicator of where the RC market is headed.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

I guess i can buy a trx 4 instead of another axial.

buying an Axial puts money in wHorizon's pocket. money they seem to need right now (?). they have done events like Axial Fest. if they make money they can continue to do events like that.
traxxas on the other hand has never done . as big as they are, with the amount of money they seem to have. they could afford to hold an event. they don't. they don't care about the RC community they just want noobs money.
so speaking on RC as a community, your money is better spent with wHorizon.

 

[CertifiedMike]

Like Horizon's products or not, this is not a good indicator of where the RC market is headed.

This is not good.
Maybe they will start sponsoring races with TLR or something.
Maybe this is just due to current product lines being cut due to tariffs. Just a situation of bad timing.
No sense hyping cars they can't sell.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

This is not good.
Maybe they will start sponsoring races with TLR or something.
Maybe this is just due to current product lines being cut due to tariffs. Just a situation of bad timing.
No sense hyping cars they can't sell.

meh... it's no different than a company announcing a new car, maybe even teasing us with a prototype pic at some point, and then we don't see a production model for 5 months.
cause that's never happened right?

 

[ahr43]

Tough call. Support the hobby or sustain the profit margin? Would have preferred a read HH was suspending for re-schedule the events rather than cancelling them. Reading between the lines, suspect this may be a long term decision more so than short term. Too bad for those that have faithfully supported the events in the past and were looking forward again to this year. -AC

 

[CertifiedMike]

I'm just gonna throw this out there...

Kyosho RULES!!!

 

[DavidB1126]

Maybe they will start sponsoring races with TLR

They can't because no one runs for them!

 

[CertifiedMike]

Tough call. Support the hobby or sustain the profit margin? Would have preferred a read HH was suspending for re-schedule the events rather than cancelling them. Reading between the lines, suspect this may be a long term decision more so than short term. Too bad for those that have faithfully supported the events in the past and were looking forward again to this year. -AC

You are prob right.

meh... it's no different than a company announcing a new car, maybe even teasing us with a prototype pic at some point, and then we don't see a production model for 5 months.
cause that's never happened right?

I wonder if its because of Spektrum and the electronics.
They might have to revamp the whole line.
It seems like horizon is just dumping stock lately.

 

[CertifiedMike]

They can't because no one runs for them!

There was a study done. Board members, stock holders, marketing dept all agree its cheaper and easier to pay (a clean t shirt and a bowl of soup) homeless to run their cars for an afternoon than to pay a whole race team.
So far its worked out well for them. This might be the first real crack in the new marketing plan.
Coincedently, the new marketing plan cost approx twice what horizon's race teams did last year.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

I'm just gonna throw this out there...

Kyosho RULES!!!
View attachment 233127

isn't Kyosho out of stock on virtually everything they make?

 

[CertifiedMike]

@Suburban_Hooligan I honestly don't know.
They seem to go in waves of production. Their stock also follows. There are a few parts that I can not get my hands on but not a lot.
I haven't tried to buy any kits lately.
They are manufactured mainly in Taiwan and Japan. I don't think the tariffs have hit them the same as some others.

 

[ahr43]

There was a study done. Board members, stock holders, marketing dept all agree its cheaper and easier to pay (a clean t shirt and a bowl of soup) homeless to run their cars for an afternoon than to pay a whole race team.
So far its worked out well for them. This might be the first real crack in the new marketing plan.
Coincedently, the new marketing plan cost approx twice what horizon's race teams did last year.

Mike, et all
My experience is that the hobby is better served by manufacturers and dealers offer contingency programs at regional and national levels more so than supporting a racing team. This may be a doable option - at least short terrm.

Worlds competition. That's a whole nother mother. -AC

 

[CertifiedMike]

Mike, et all
My experience is that the hobby is better served by manufacturers and dealers offer contingency programs at regional and national levels more so than supporting a racing team. This may be a doable option - at least short terrm.

Worlds competition. That's a whole nother mother. -AC

I agree. I don't think they plan to do much with a race team even next year unless they start selling race cars this year.
I hope I'm wrong but everything is about slicing as many dimes out of every dollar lately. All profit, screw the costs.
Its unfortunate that there will be no events, no race team... but the owners and investors of HH still see a profit.
It will be interesting to see what happens here.
So many variables at play right now.

 

[Doom!]

I personally think Horizon has spent it's recent advertising budget on bad choices. It can't be cheap to sponser a nascar racer and pay licensing fees. I imagine their return for investment wasn't very good. I doubt nascar fans ran out and bought enough RC's to cover that expense. I could be wrong but I suspect that money would have been better spent on the events they just cancelled.

 

[CertifiedMike]

I personally think Horizon has spent it's recent advertising budget on bad choices. It can't be cheap to sponser a nascar racer and pay licensing fees. I imagine their return for investment wasn't very good. I doubt nascar fans ran out and bought enough RC's to cover that expense. I could be wrong but I suspect that money would have been better spent on the events they just cancelled.

Nascar RC is great but you need a track to run them on and a few ppl at least in order to enjoy 'racing' scale nascar.
Tracks are struggling and need sponsorship, large events from manufacturers. Its moving the wrong way.

 

[Suburban_Hooligan]

Nascar RC is great but you need a track to run them on and a few ppl at least in order to enjoy 'racing' scale nascar.
Tracks are struggling and need sponsorship, large events from manufacturers. Its moving the wrong way.

tracks are struggling because racing isn't approachable anymore. its to expensive, the cars are to complex, and a growing number of racers are the elitist type. not to mention RC's don't look like anything full scale anymore.
sponsoring a struggling track is preaching to the choir. you're not bringing in anybody new, you're just marketing the new model to the same shrinking pool.

that's why the NASCARS were a good idea. simpler designs, scale looks, a box stock class keeps the field level. and its advertised to outsiders. that's exactly what short course did 15 years ago and off road racing got a huge shot in the arm.

 

[9x19]

I'm just gonna throw this out there...

Kyosho RULES!!!
View attachment 233127

But over such a tiny kingdom, nobody notices.

 

[CertifiedMike]

tracks are struggling because racing isn't approachable anymore. its to expensive, the cars are to complex, and a growing number of racers are the elitist type. not to mention RC's don't look like anything full scale anymore.
sponsoring a struggling track is preaching to the choir. you're not bringing in anybody new, you're just marketing the new model to the same shrinking pool.

that's why the NASCARS were a good idea. simpler designs, scale looks, a box stock class keeps the field level. and its advertised to outsiders. that's exactly what short course did 15 years ago and off road racing got a huge shot in the arm.

I think this is why I got excited about the oval cars.
No banked track required, easy to get into, stock classes...
Looks accessible, new and fun!

I understand what you mean selling new cars to old drivers too.