HI Doc,
Hard to say EXACTLY what the problem is....but a couple of things come to my mind.
1. When I was living in B.C. we had a .15 sport race. It was run similar to a GY race but the models were either Clowns or Jr.Ringmasters.
The engine had to be a STOCK Fox .15 only. We allowed shut-offs & mono-wheels.
It was (we thought) Clown racing perfected. It lasted 4-5 yrs & died along with all the other racing events... I never saw a crash & figure the models are still around somewhere, but yet the owners are no longer interested in racing them....
2. You couldn't be more wrong about Mouse 1 engines in my opinion. Were you not there when I took them all on head to head & beat them? Then stripped my STOCK Venom down for all to see (but few were even interested)...
You simply gotta understand Mouse races are so POORLY attended these days that a GOOD Cox Black Widow powered Streaker will STILL make the finals in most races run pretty much anywhwere. Just ask Paul Smith, Karyn Foster & her dad Wayne, who do very well come to mind...
3. Now THIS is a good question. How much Doc do YOU consider is the most a normal person would be expected to spend to be competive in a CONTROL LINE event??? I'd like a dollar figure, here.
4. In Goodyear for example, a Nelson .15 is ~$300+ & a Gillott Rossi ~$400+. Do you think this is too much to pay, say compared to a $100 Fox??
OK then, do you think a Mouse 1 engine ought to be cheaper? Why do you think it should be cheaper? I`ve offered to sell my personal mouse race engines for the same as a Gillott Rossi ($400). I`ve had no takers...yet, & that`s good! Because I`m lazy & don`t really WANT to build a bunch of cheap mouse engines... (Clown racing engines range $200-$400). How about TQR K&B 40`s. My last 2 cost $150ea. If I offered Cox Mouse 1 engines for $150ea, do you think that`s too much? Yeah, I remember when a Cox Venom was $35 too, but this is 2008!! OR, do you think C/L guys are cheapskates compared to their R/C pylon & boat racing buddies?? Not to mention R/C Helicopters! Look at a funfly $$$ line up some day!
5. Last item: As a foreigner & expired AMA member perhaps my opinion doesn`t count but....seems to me as long as the NATS is in Muncie, I see no hope. The line up in Mouse 1 at the last Tri-cities Nats was 17 Streakers +others...Now, I don`t begrudge that Muncie has the best site bar none....but what good is the ``best site`` if few C/Liners are able or willing to attend?? My hope is that the NATS will one day again be able to move around the country. But, I don`t see that happening any time soon & so to me, the future of C/L is uncertain...