Oxygen and engine power
One of the big challenges facing drivers here in Portugal is the location of the track in terms of altitude. Situated over 1000 metres above sea level drivers have been complaining of a lack of power from their engines, a problem that directly relates to our height. The higher up you go the less Oxygen in the air. With Oxygen being a vital component of the internal combustion engine firing process, the manufacturers have had to make special preparations for this Euros.
A new name in the engine world and competing in their first European Champion is Tecnopower but the man behind the newcomer is one of the best known figures in the r/c engine industry. Rody Roem, the man who created RB engines, is here looking after two drivers who are running the company’s first release, the B01-21 Buggy engine.
Speaking with the Dutchman, who is a former 1:8 Nitro Onroad World Champion, he said being so high up makes engine set-up very difficult as there is simply not enough oxygen in the air. To overcome this problem as much as possible the B01-21 engines used here feature a newly designed combustion chamber insert that produces more compression and therefore power. The increased height and different shape compensates for the lost power one would get with the standard chamber. The team also runs 6 millimetre Venturi inserts to round up the overall package. Tecnopower also have with them new stainless steel glowplugs which according to Rody do away with problems often seen with regular plugs like rust patterns in wet races or when fuel quality is changing.
There is no shortage of support from engine manufacturers here in Guarda. Defending champions RB have Eric Aita and Anthony Abisset on hand to look after the large number of drivers using their engines. Novarossi’s interests are being looked after by Bernard Durand from Racing Experience while Alberto Picco from Picco, who produce engines for a number of brands, is pitting for Riccardo Rabitti. Also on site are Team Orion’s engine project leader Adrien Bertin, Reds Racing’s Mario Rossi, formerly of GRP engines, and Gino Voghera from Sirio.
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