Chassis Focus – Ryan Lutz

Car: Team Durango DEX-410 V3
ESC: Tekin
Motor: Tekin
Batteries: Protek RC
Radio/Servo: Futaba

Ryan Lutz is now back running the standard DEX410 V3 having broken his prototype yesterday in practice. The main difference between the cars on track is that the prototype lands better, which he puts down to it having a longer chassis and different component layout as well as limited up travel. Ryan has now tried to limit the V3’s up travel which he says worked quite well on landing in Saturday’s final practice but now wants to tip over so he needs now to find a good compromise. The Durango is working well in practice setting the quickest lap time in controlled practice with the prototype in the hands of team mate Joern Neumann, with Lutz in 2nd with the current car.

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Chassis Focus – Naoto Matsukura

Car: Yokomo B-Max4 III
Esc: Yokomo BLS-R3.1
Motor: Yokomo RP 6.5T
Batteries: Yokomo
Radio/Servo: Sanwa

Naoto is running the new B-Max4 III from Yokomo which is a mostly new platform over their previous chassis. The chassis is now made of aluminium with the car not utilizing a top deck it is still very stiff through the use of braces. The drivetrain is also new with Naoto choosing to use ball diffs, despite gear diffs coming in the car as standard. The suspension components are retained but there is new shock towers and floating steering servo mount. The new car seems to be running very well with Naoto setting some of the fastest lap times during practice.

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Chassis Focus – Ty Tessmann

The car that won this year’s US Nationals in the hands of Ty Tessmann has broken cover here in Chico. A very non conventional design the HB D4-13 can be configured in two ways with a shorty pack on one side at the rear with the motor mounted to the rear of the centre diff and the electronics to the front or with a saddle pack at the rear and the motor to the front of the car and main electronics in the middle. Looking like a well finished car, nice features include a centre gear differential, wishbones that can be stiffened with insert plates, widely adjustable Ackermann, carbon chassis & top deck and the unique front and rear shock tower braces. The car normally comes with a 3 piece body shell but Ty is using his own designed Pro-Line Type-R shell this weekend.

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View the full HB D4-13 gallery here

New in the Pits – JConcepts

JConcepts have debuted a lot of new parts here in Chico for the 2wd Centro C4.2 conversion. At the rear there is a new aluminium block and wing mounts, in blue or black, that help stiffen up the rear as well as a carbon fibre shock tower that features an additional row of upper pivot arm mounts. On top there is an updated Finnisher body for the C4.2 which is longer than its predecessor to suit the car’s longer chassis and there is a new rear wing which has been designed to take advantage of the positioning of the wing on the mid motored car. For 4wd there is a new, as yet unnamed, body for the B44.2 that is designed to improve cooling by creating areas in the car that allow airflow in and out as well as a refined design that creates better airflow over the rear wing.

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New in the Pits – Pro-Line

Making their Debut here in Chico are three new body shells from Pro-Line Racing. The US company together with their team drivers Ty Tessmann and Lee Martin have developed these new shells. Ty has developed the Type R, a 4wd body that is currently running on the Canadian’s yet to be released D4-13 but will be available for other cars in the near future. The design is less cab forward than the Bulldog giving less steering and has some nice design features like the inward sloping sides. Lee has developed the Phantom range of bodies for 2wd mid motor and for 4wd which feature a sloping rear of the shell which creates better airflow to the wing.

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View more images of the bodies here