New in the Pits – AKA

AKA have some new non tire related products here in Sicily beginning with a sweet aluminium wheel nut wrench. Anodised black and red, the hex drive part of the tool sporting machined grooves for reduced weight and cool looks. Also new from the US company is a backpack that can take up to a 1/8th scale without wheels as well as your other possessions such as a laptop and various other items with its abundance of pockets. Matching their mule bag, it is embroidered with the AKA logo and comes supplied with a Cinch sack for transporting your dirty buggy in your back pack. Both items will be available in October.

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Chassis Focus – Renaud Savoya

Chassis – Xray XB8 14
Engine – Team Orion RS
Tyres – Sweep Micro Contacts red
Fuel – Runner Time
Radio/Servos – Futaba
Body – Kit
Remarks – 3-time European Champion Renaud Savoya is running his Xray XB8 14 here in Sicily. A pretty stock chassis, apart from the rear brace, he is running it in pretty much the same configuration as at the Euros with the exception of the front shock tower which is a lower version to that used in Germany and the standard softer front upper arms. His team mate Martin Bayer continues to use the taller tower as well as the harder front upper arms. In terms of setup he has left his shock setup pretty close to what he normally uses but has changed to stiffer diffs and anti-roll bars.

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Chassis Focus – Mike Truhe

Chassis – Serpent S811 Cobra 2.1
Engine – TOP Plus 4C
Tyres – Pro-Line Suburbs X1
Fuel – Byron
Radio/Servos – Futaba
Body – Kit
Remarks – Mike Truhe is running the latest 2.1 version of the Serpent Cobra S811 buggy with some readily available options. Going harder in setup, and 1mm lower in ride height, the biggest change is to the diffs while the shock oils is only a small amount thicker than he normally runs. Lowering the inner camber links on the rear it has helped the car carry more speed through the corners, something required here at this high speed track.

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New in the Pits – OS Engines

Japanese engine firm OS Engines have released their new B2101 Speed tune buggy engine. In use here by 8 of their team drivers including Tessmann, Svensson and Hara, the engine is a square stroke which gives it smoother power delivery as opposed to its predecessor which was a long stroke that was more punchy. The 3-port engine is completely new and comes as standard with the lightweight balanced crankshaft and tear drop work on the liner. Available in September.

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Chassis Focus – David Ronnefalk

Chassis – Kyosho Inferno MP9 TKI3
Engine – Team Orion RS
Tyres – AKA Catapult Medium
Fuel – Runner Time
Radio/Servos – KO Propo
Body – Kyosho cab forward
Remarks – European Champion David Ronnefalk, like all the drivers here, has been working to make the car stiffer due to not only the high bite but also because of the high temperatures. Increasing the thickness of oil in both his diffs and shocks as well as running harder anti-roll bars on his MP9 TKI3, the Swede has also lower the car’s ride height in an effort to reduce body roll. The same equipment, but not the same car, as he ran at the Euros he has also lowered the cars camber link mounts as well as leaning the shocks more. In terms of tires he has been running AKA’s Catapults since the start and  having played around with different compounds has now settled on medium.

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New in the Pits – Cosmic Industries & 110% Racing

We were invited to attend a press conference at the JQ Villa to not just be wined and dined but also to be briefed on the future strategy for the young and growing JQ Products company. At the event we were introduced to Finnish former top racer Heikki Naulapaa who using his background in full size industrial design in the car and bike industry has formed Cosmic Industries. Working together as a partner of JQ Racing, the company’s first product will be the Balancer body shell for The Car. Designed using his experience in working with wind tunnels and focussing on giving the overall car a powerful ‘stance’, through focussing on the cars lines and details, they have produced a body that not only looks great but with the use of the cars side wings and two tier rear wing design will also perform giving the car stability and lots of grip on track. Heikki also stated that they will introduce new shells for the 1/10th scale Yokomo 2wd and 4wd chassis. As partners, the JQ team will run the new shell with immediate effect, switching to it the very next day having previously run the kit JQ body until that point.

Canadian Ty Tessmann’s brand 110% Racing have announced the release of their Magnetic Wheel wrench. Its primary function is of course to tighten and fasten the car’s wheel nuts but what makes it unique, apart from the fact that you can change the position of the handle from centre to the end of the handle for a little more torque, is the addition of a magnet to the nut driver. Combined with the supplied black anodised wheel nuts, which sport a metal screw to give the magnet something to stick to, it gives you a great combo for quick wheel changes in the pit lane with the security that you are not going to lose the wheel nut. Available in October.

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