January 22, 2015

Chassis Focus – Atsushi Hara

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Chassis – S-Workz 104 Evo
Motor – Hobbywing Xerun 5.5T
ESC – Hobbywing Xerun V3.1
Battery – Protek RC 4700mAh 100C shorty
Tyres – Pro-Line Electron MC
Radio/Servos – Futaba
Body – Stock body
Remarks – Two time World Champion Atsushi Hara is running an Evo version of the S104 from S-Workz at this weekend’s Reedy race. The prototype car has a number of new changes to it compared to the currently available model, such as a new chassis plate, that has removed the kickup and new rear suspension mounts due to this change. The use of a centre gear diff makes the car more tuneable for different track conditions as well as new steering setup which allows the bump steer and Ackerman to be more adjustable. Finally there are all new shock absorbers that have removed the bladder used and gone for an aeration system which is the most common in this class. No word on availability and with the car still very much a prototype specs and configurations could change.

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January 22, 2015

Track Focus – OCRC Raceway

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Track Name – OCRC Raceway
Country – USA
Location – Huntington Beach, California
Surface – Dirt
Direction – Clockwise
Previous Reedy Races hosted – 2014

OCRC Raceway plays host to the 21st running of the Reedy Race of Champions, the Huntington Beach located track having become the new home to the famous race event last year.  Opened in 2008 and operated by father & son team of Robert & Nick Black, the facility covers 20,000 square feet.  The home track of current 4WD World Champion Steven Hartson, visitors are first greeted by the hobby shop through the back of which is the entry to permanent pit spacing for 150 drivers with the 135ft long and 60ft wide track located at the back of the building with the drivers standing facing the pit area.

Having stepped up so well to the occasion last year of hosting the Reedy Race, a race steeped in history and which now carries on the legacy of its founder and all round legend of the sport Mike Reedy, the set-up remains largely unchanged with the exception of the track layout.  Having run in an anti-clockwise direction 12-months ago, this year it is a clockwise layout, a direction more regularly used by OCRC.

Once again the track layout was penned by Brent Thielke, who in addition to his role of race team manager at Team Associated is tasked with organising the Reedy Race, the paper layout was then translated into a real track by Nick Black and his crew with the main build having taken place on Monday with a day of packing on Tuesday to give the track its very smooth surface.  Pleased with the results of the build and the early feedback of racers, Black was most pleased with the triple in front of the drivers stand which lands into a bowl.  The biggest visual change in terms of the layout is the main straight which now only runs 3/4th the length of track before turning into a hairpin.  In terms of lap times in 2WD, the handout tyre being JConcepts Dirt webs in Gold compound, a low 22-seconds time is a good pace.  In 4WD, drivers running Pro-Line’s Electron tyre all round in MC compound, fast times are in the region of late 20-seconds.

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January 11, 2015

Fourth DHI Cup win for Neumann

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Joern Neumann remains the unbeaten DHI Cup Champion in 4WD Buggy when for the second year running, the German again saw off the challenge of Martin Bayer in the third A-Main.  With a win a piece, Bayer winning A1, the pair went into A3 exactly as they did 12-months ago with a winner takes all situation.  Starting from the TQ position Neumann would only briefly relinquish the lead when Bayer attempted a move on lap 3 and had to wait on Neumann to retake position as David Ronnefalk drove past the recovering Durango to take a short lived lead. While Bayer had the pace to challenge his carpet track nemesis a series of mistakes from the Czech driver would drop him to fourth leaving him to again finish second overall.  Finishing A3 in second position Ronnefalk would complete the podium in Denmark on his HB debut.

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Currently racing without a chassis sponsors, but still using the Durango DEX410 that has in some form or another helped him to all his DHI Cup victories, Neumann said it was nice to start the 2015 season with a fourth consecutive win of the event and keep his 100% winning record intact for another year.  Having found his Orion powered buggy edgy to drive in the opening two Mains, he said removing another row of pins from the controlled Schumacher tyres for A3 left him with no such problems and other than the early contact with Bayer the race went to plan.

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Bayer said ‘I’m not disappointed with second’. Setting the fastest lap of both A2 & A3, the Czech ace said ‘I had the speed and I’m happy with the performance of the car but my own mistakes cost me the chance to fight with Joern’.

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Disappointed with his driving in A1 & 2, Ronnefalk said A3 was an improvement, with him particularly pleased at not crashing on the final lap as he had done in the previous two encounters costing him a chance of being in the hunt for the overall win going into the closing race.  The Swede said while he was lucky to take the lead when Bayer made contact with Neumann he was also unlucky as his D413 got caught up on Neumann’s wheel without which he said he could have easily found himself with a 3-second lead instead just getting ahead.  Towards the end of the race he said he also played more cautious as he didnt want to risk his second as he wasn’t sure of A3 third place finisher Niclas Mansson’s result from the other finals.  Overall Mansson’s Associated would end up fourth. Pleased with his new car, Ronnefalk said the speed is there and he just needs more time to familiarise himself with it which should put him on a par with Bayer and Neumann when he will go up against them again at Round 2 of the EOS later this month.

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View complete offroad event results here.

View the event image gallery here.

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January 11, 2015

Neumann & Bayer to go head to head in A3

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In a repeat of 2014, the 4WD Buggy title at the DHI Cup will be a two way battle between Joern Neumann and Martin Bayer with the winner to be decided in A3.  In A1 Bayer took his Xray to victory ahead of the Top Qualifier Neumann after contact between the pair saw the Durango end up on its roof as they came around to complete lap 3.  In the second A-Main Neumann lead until an error on lap 4 allowed Bayer to the front until he made a mistake 3 laps later.  Dropping to third behind David Ronnefalk it looks like A3 would be a three way battle for the win on this the fourth year of offroad being part of the famous Danish event.  However on the last lap a mistake from Ronnefalk would mean the new HB signing would not be kicking of his new sponsorship with a win.

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The unbeaten in 4WD Champion, losing his 2WD reign last year to Tom Cockerill, Neumann was to the point about what happened in A1 saying ‘Martin took me out’.  Describing his Durango as a little edgy to drive he said A2 went better and while he can drive the car around on his own no problem its ‘not good for fighting’.  For A3 he will cut another row of pins from his set of controlled Schumacher tyres and is confident that will give him the car to get the job done.

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Bayer said his XB4 is feels really good and in A1 he had no problem catching Neumann and when the German ‘went wide’ they were ‘side by side’ with him having the inside allowing him to take the lead from where he could control the race.  Again with a fast car in A2, the former European Champion said he had the chance to take the win but just made too many mistakes.  With second overall secured with his results from A1 & 2, his finishing position last year, he said he has nothing to lose and therefore would be going for it in the closing race.

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‘Shit driver’ that was a frustrated Ronnefalk’s summary of his two Mains.  Having won 2WD earlier in the day, but using a Team C chassis as HB dont yet have a 2WD, he said he doesn’t know why he kept crashing on the last lap when he had 2nd secured. The crash in A2 proving costly as it put him out of contention to be part of the battle for the overall win on his debut with the D413.

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View complete offroad event results here.

View the event image gallery here.

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