ok so this is kind of embarassing to ask but ive been flying for about 8 months, mostly freestyle and a bit of practice on sim race tracks, and i signed up for a local MultiGP qualifier kind of on a whim. race is saturday and im realizing i have no idea how the actual format works or what to expect on the day. like i know what a heat is in theory but i dont really know how staging works, do they call your transponder number, do you pit in a certain spot, all that logistics stuff nobody really explains.

im not expecting to podium or anything, i just dont want to be the guy who holds everyone up or does something dumb in front of people who clearly know what theyre doing. my quad is solid, running a 4s 5inch with crossfire and i went through the whole thing last night, fresh props, checked motor screws, all that. video system is analog which i know is whatever but its what i have.

any tips from people whove done these? mostly just want to survive and have fun honestly.

MultiGP is pretty chill at the local level honestly, most people are happy to help new guys out. show up early and just ask the CD (course director) where to pit and how staging works for that specific event, every venue does it slightly different. usually they call pilots to the staging area like 2-3 heats ahead so you have time to get ready. just make sure your quad is already armed and your goggles are on before they call you to the line, and dont arm on the line until they say go. analog is totally fine by the way, dont let anyone make you feel bad about that, plenty of guys still running it.

honestly the biggest thing nobody tells you is to just fly your own race and not chase the fast guys. first race i did i tried to keep up with people who had like 3 years on me and i binked on lap 2 and spent 20 minutes looking for my quad in the weeds. just smooth consistent laps, learn the track, and try not to DNF. finishing is genuinely more satisfying than you think when youre new. also bring way more batteries than you think you need, theres always downtime and you'll want to hot lap whenever you get a free moment.