Drivers full of phrase for track at Asian Buggy C/ships Finale

With free practice for the season finale of the Asian Buggy Championships complete, drivers have been heaping phrase on Adrian Wicaksono for his track layout for the season finale here in Jakarta, Indonesia.  After the race was cancelled last year, West Side Raceway returns to the Season 4 calendar after it previously proved a huge hit with driver as the concluding round of the 2024 championship.  With many of this weekend’s race favourites making their first visit to the Southeast Asian country for Round 4, they are all relishing a weekend of racing on the ‘proper dirt track’ which over the previous edition takes things up a notch by being a lot more technical.  One of the drivers expected to be in the mix for a podium in the main Nitro Buggy class this weekend, on his track design Wicaksono explained, ‘basically the previous year it was more like an open layout, fast with big sweeping corners.  This year I wanted to make the track more technical but still have enough space for passing.’

Asked his own thoughts on his creation, Wicaksono said, ‘for me personally I do like it, some may not like it, but for me it is a different challenge.’  The Sworkz driver added, ‘when we finished the track based on the drawing, I then modified it three times because when we built it as per drawing it was like impossible so I took out some jumps, moved some lanes etc. to make the flow better and make it better for the mid level drivers.’  With drivers reporting the traction being low, Wicaksono said he didn’t know why this was, stating ‘it is never like this and maybe it is because in years past we had lot of rain and the soil needs water to be grippy so maybe it is because it is just too dry but also we never run with so many drivers over so many days on a regular basis.’  In terms of his own car set-up he said, ‘the key here is No.1 tyres, geometry wise you change a lot of different things but the impact is not really that much.  The key is tyres, diff, and shocks.’  Running JConcepts Dirt Web 2, asked about drivers trying tyre sauce he said, ‘we never use sauce but these guys used it and now it is in their heads so we tried it and it was better the first run but after that I don’t feel that much difference compared to not saucing.  I am not a fan of saucing’.

One of the stars of the Malaysian round of the championship earlier this year, taking the TQ but losing out on the win after he ran out of fuel during the first stint of the final, giving his thoughts on the track Mayako star Pekko Iivonen said, ‘It’s nice to have a track that is a bit lower grip and not high grip so you can really enjoy the driving.  It is really nice going around the track and also the jumps are really really good.  Overall  the track is amazing.’  The Finn added, ‘both our cars now work quite good.  From the get-go it felt super good so I have just been making some small tweaks here and there and testing some different TRC pistons.  I think we have found the best package for now I think.’  Running JConcepts Dirt Web 2 he said these have been the fastest tyres he has tried so far adding ‘the track is fastest in the morning, even though they water it it is never the same as in the morning, but I think both cars work good overall in all conditions.’  He concluded, ‘I think our set-up window is right right now and it is looking good.’

Coming into the ABC final direct from becoming double FEMCA Champion in Malaysia last weekend, Sparko driver Jayden Edmunds said the track was ‘like nothing I have driven on before’.  The Australian continued, ‘the way the surface is prepared is so smooth.  Generally dirt or clay tracks back home are not this smooth and the jumps aren’t perfect but coming here the down ramps are perfect, the face is perfect, it does everything the same every lap.  It is just really nice to drive on.’  On his buggy set-up, the 20-year-old said, ‘Finding steering because of how polished the track is the biggest challenge.  It just understeers, I think everyone is looking for the same thing.  It’s the opposite of what I have been doing with this car since I got it, I have been trying to take away steering and then coming here I still need more.  I am slowing finding more, the car has been real comfortable from the start, I just need that little bit more steering.’  His tyre of choice is the JConcepts Dirt Web 2.

Another driver on his ever visit to Indonesia, Alex Bernadzik reacted to the track by saying, ‘Hats off to everyone that has built the track, photos don’t do the track justice.  Seeing it in person is a whole different world and it is probably, if not, the best track I have ever driven on.’  The Australia added, ‘It very different to what we are used too.  We are having to set the car very aggressive to get corner speed and rotation out of the car but we are getting there now.  We are trying not over complicate things now as we have had so much practice it can get in your head a little bit.  The car is comfortable and I am just focusing on my driving more.’  Asked the most challenging aspect of the track, he replied, ‘trying to get the car to generate grip mid corner.  If you can get that it is a second a lap pretty much.’  Running Hotrace’s super soft Sahara tyre, on the track getting more dusty over the day he felt, ‘online it still worthy of a bar tyre.  I tried pins and they weren’t any good.’

His home track, Infinity driver Jason Nugroho, a multiple ABC Finalist, said his event was ‘going not so good’ at the moment.  He explained, ‘It was OK yesterday but today it is getting dustier and dustier, it feels more dusty than usual.  I had a discussion with Adrian (Wicaksono) and he agrees it is dustier than it usual is so I am just still trying to figure things out.  I think tyres are very important here and talking to several fast guys they are using sauce and I see that their car is not really effected by the dust so it think it is worth a shot to try it out.’  Running a Proline Slide Lock tyre, he joked ‘it is a very old tyre but it still works’ adding compared to previous track builds here ‘the surface is much smoother this time.  Usually we have some tiny holes but this time it is super smooth and a bit like driving on ice.’  He concluded, ‘I think it will be a challenging weekend.’

‘The facility is super amazing’, that was how Team Associated’s Hyunkyu Jung summed up his first visit to West Side Raceway.  The young Korean racer added, ‘It’s a super big track, natural dirt, and it gives you a really good feeling to drive on.’  Pleased with his performance in yesterday’s practice, he said he has struggled a little today to find the same pace but believes everyone is in the same boat in wanting to have more front steering.  Running Hotrace’s Sahara, he said, ‘everything about the track is challenging because the grip is super low but the more we work on the car the better it is getting.  It’s not perfect be we have a bit more to try.’