October 4, 2016

New in the Pits – JConcepts

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JConcepts have introduced a number of new items here at the World Championships in Las Vegas, starting with 2 new bodyshells, called the S2 and the Strike 3. The Strike 3 is a development of the body used by Spencer Rivkin to win the US Nationals earlier this year, a design that sees increased height at the rear for more downforce while reducing the chamfers on the side of the body compared to the Strike 2. The addition of a kick up to the back of the body to cover the hole in the rear shock tower provides clean air to the wing, while up front there is a small front scoop included to help increase front downforce.

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The S2 for the TLR 8ight 4.0 is being run here by factory driver Ryan Maifield, the first specifically designed for the 4.0 using design cues from the popular S2 1/10th body. The side scoops have built in fins for stabilisation with ribs built into the front of the shell for looks while also helping to strengthen the body in key areas. This body also comes with a front scoop which is mounted directly to the shock tower, fitting between the front shocks, with Maifield testing this shell at the Fear Farm before this event and was happy with the results.

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Finally from JConcepts are these new Rehab tires, which are a smaller pin version of the Detox tire, a tire that won this year’s ROAR Nats, Silver State and Psycho Nitro Blast. With Cole Ogden currently running them it is a tire that works best as the track dries and gets bumpier, with durability to make it a good semi final tire.

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October 4, 2016

Boots takes opening qualifier at WC

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Elliott Boots has taken the opening qualifier at the 1:8 Offroad World Championship heading a Kyosho 1-2 in Las Vegas.  The reigning European Champion was fastest over the 1o-minute qualifier by 3-seconds from Jared Tebo, both drivers running in the same heat.  Behind them it was Ryan Maifield who would complete the Top 3, the TLR driver laying down the TQ pace for his heat after bettering the opening time set by reigning Champion Ty Tessmann who would end up 5th fastest behind Ryan Cavalieri.  Having topped seeding yesterday, David Ronnefalk would suffer a last lap mistake to end up with a P8 for Q1.

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‘That’s the way you want to do it’ was Boots reaction after his TQ run.  The British driver said, ‘I was driving the same as yesterday when I was going for the long run and I brought it into today. It was really good’.  Having complained yesterday that traffic had cost him a higher seeding spot, he continued, ‘I had no traffic today’.  In terms of his Reds Racing powered MP9, he said, ‘the car was working really well and had no problems taking the bumps, my tyres (M4 Holeshot) were good and the engine was on point. It’s all working as a package’.  Asked about track conditions he replied, ‘I didn’t think it was different to my last run but I ran at the end yesterday and earlier today’.  He added, ‘there is bumps but you allow for them and go steady where needed and then fast in the spots you can’.

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‘It went awesome’, was how Tebo summed up his opening qualifier.  The 2010 Worlds Top Qualifier continued, ‘my car felt good and I was really happy with my driving.  It was really what I wanted’.  Looking to the next round, the American said he plans no changes to the car but will ‘possibly change tyres’.  Running Pro-Line Holeshots, he said the set he ran already had 10-minutes running on them but he wants to think more about ‘tyre stuff’ for Q2 as ‘it was really loose at the start when the track was wet’.

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Suffering with traffic at the end of the 10-minutes, getting tangled with another buggy, Maifield said, ‘I had bad traffic at the end but overall I’m happy with a Top 5 to start with’.  He continued, ‘I had a better track than the first race and the next had a better track to me’.  On his Reds Racing powered 8ight he said ‘The car was good.  (For Q1) I went back to old parts I had used in testing and they worked good.  My motor had crazy power’.  For the day’s second qualifier he said, ‘I’ll keep driving as I am and hopefully have better luck with traffic’.

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Cavalieri said ‘the car felt good, (it) just needs to generate more traction’.  The 2014 Worlds podium finisher continued, ‘driving wise it feels fine but just need to find that extra grip so I’m going to discuss with Dyno (AE designer Dan Hissam) to see what we can do.’  With his MX powered RC8 having ‘plenty of steering’ he said ‘we can give up some of that for more forward and side bite’.  He concluded, ‘It was a good clean run so it was a good start (to qualifying)’.

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‘It was an OK start to the week’ was how Tessmann summed up his P5 for Q1.  He continued, ‘It started slow and I had a mistake at the bricks but the car got better as the track dried out and it finished good’.  Running in the first of the 18 heats, the HB Racing driver said, ‘it was really wet for our heat but I think it will be even more in Q2’.  Asked about the wet track at the start of the 10-minutes, the track being watered before every heat, he said ‘we’ll just have to deal with it’ but added, ‘we’ll make some adjustments to the car for the bumps which keep developing’.

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Completing the Top 6, with what he described as ‘safe run’, Riccardo Berton said ‘I’m happy’.  Suffering one mistake which cost him 2-seconds, the Kyosho driver said his MP9 could have had more corner speed and for Q2 he will switch from Blockades to Holeshots adding ‘I think the Holeshot should be faster’.  Commenting on the track, the 17-year-old said, ‘its more bumpy but its not a problem and there is no need for (set-up) changes yet’.

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Behind Berton, Dakotah Phend said, ‘the car felt ok but I had a couple of mistakes and lost a lot of time’.  The TLR driver said he needs to make changes for Q2 to give his 8ight ‘a little more traction as it drys out to make it safer’.  He continued, ‘the track changes so much starting wet and then going to dry and dusty which makes it hard finding a good balance’.  Running M3 Holeshots he said ‘I’m not sure on tyres yet for Q2 but as it’s hotter already this morning I think I’ll go to a bigger pin’.

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‘It was going good until I crashed at the last corner of the last jump on the last lap’, was Ronnefalk’s summary of Q1.  The HB Racing driver continued, ‘Without this I could have topped the heat but I knew I wouldn’t be fastest as the first heat is always slower’.  Admitting ‘maybe in the end being top seed was a disadvantage as it put me in the top heat’, the Swede continue, ‘I just went out with the aim of putting in consistent laps and it was a decent run’.  In terms of his Orion powered D815V2 he said, ‘the car felt good but the conditions will change a lot between now and Q2’.  Behind Ronnefalk, 2010 World Champion Cody King would take his Kyosho to 9th for the round with Portuguese Kyosho driver Joao Figueiredo completing the the Top 10 ahead of 2012 World Champion Robert Batlle.

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October 4, 2016

The Worlds according to Ruona – Testing, practice or training?

The Worlds according to Ruona – Testing, practice or training?

We made it through a great practice day today at the worlds and so far things are looking pretty normal. The track is developing character with some bumpy places here and there and most certainly will continue. I see some drivers having trouble finding their marks out there so it’s obviously more difficult than it looks. After the 180 down the straight there is a nice hole forming and on the face of the following roller / jump. Things will only get more interesting from here.

The fastest 3 laps is always a bit annoying because the qualifiers are 10 minutes. It’s a nice system to sort drivers for qualifying but we get impatient at races like this and start using this immediately as The Who’s / Who at the worlds. Today we will see a little more reality because the entire 10 is on the clock and we will sort by 3 consecutive. I will be watching the top 5, top 10 and top 15 laps section of the LiveTime print out.

This is a tough thing for me because I’m not a fan of the watered track surface. I think it looks pretty with fresh water but it makes the consistency so much more difficult. This has everything to do with the weather and nothing to do with really who is behind the hose or hoses. Since the heats were not rotated today the drivers that were up early had the wettest track and the guys at the end had the driest track. There are 3 conditions to watch as a racer, watered surface (looks like chocolate cake as Saxton says), drying / dusty (most difficult to drive on) and then the beginning to groove phase which only gets faster with more time. My favorite on this track is the grooved, getting fast condition. I love this track when it starts to groove, I think the consistency stabilizes and the drivers can push harder which looks more impressive. Until that point the drivers are really at the mercy of which heat they are in to really know what to expect of the conditions.

We got into a discussion last night night on more and more drivers mentioning they are testing. This isn’t directed so much toward worlds drivers but more what I noticed on social media. I like the word practice or training better than testing. To me, if you are testing you have the ability to make radical updates or changes to the design of the product. Your input can drastically change the product at some point or another. Practice, training or using the product seems more accurate of what we can really do on a given day. Maybe we say, experimenting? I don’t know, I haven’t really settled on my favorite word yet. I feel if I say I’m testing, I’m trying to sound like I’m important.

Let’s skip to when I felt important and I have a testing story. This time I was more of a test dummy driver I think….not sure. Around 1998 Team Associated was building the TC3 touring car, but for their own purposes they never left the back parking lot at AE with the car. They knew if they took it to the track, than it would only be a matter of time before word got out what the car looked and performed like.

We were racing the NORRCA Nationals in coincidentally Las Vegas. I received a call from Cliff Lett and he mentioned to me that he wanted to fly in and “test” the TC3 prototype after the race on Monday. Mark Pavidis was also racing the event but they didn’t want him to drive the car in fear that if it didn’t work well then he would dislike the whole design. So, Cliff flew out and we met up on Monday at the track where he and Mike Reedy had the car and pits setup and ready to drive. Reedy had his whole pit setup with race motors, new batteries and the whole 9 yards. Cliff pulls out this entirely hand built car with machined plastic, aluminum and carbon fiber components. This is before everyone and their brother had a 3D printer and was suddenly an RC engineer making one-offs on their coffee table. Reedy gives Cliff practice batteries and a motor and proceeds to install everything.

Cliff explains, be careful driving this car because we have no parts. I proceed driving with caution and getting a feel for things while Cliff and Reedy turnmarshal if needed. Is turn marshal one word or two? I’m going slow, trying not to crash or break the car…..Cliff yells…you can start going faster now. I begin pulling it a little more and getting more comfortable. The car is working, everyone is getting more comfortable and confident and feeling good. Reedy pulls out a race motor and one of the race battery packs and wants to see us step up the game. Cliff makes the swap and I ready a fresh set of tires. I head to the drivers stand and extend the antenna (back when we had them). I look down to see Cliff drop the car by accident and shatter a custom machined suspension arm. I’m thinking, well, at least it wasn’t me..but now we are finished for the day.

I head back to the pits and everyone has this look of disgust on their face…the day was over. Just then, Cliff reaches into the box and pulls out this bag and he says, I’m glad I brought these extra parts. A good laugh and tension break and we were back on the track. Finished the day and as they say, the rest is history.

Today is officially history and overall I was pleased. As a competitor you want to TQ, top seed or kick someone’s ass every day but it’s a grind to be the best at something. Official practice seeding kicks in tomorrow and I’m excited for where the ups and downs take us. I just hope our “testing” proves itself in the long  run and we can all enjoy a chuckle in the pits along the way.

Bullets of the day –
– Track has character now.
– It should be coming alive quite soon.
– It’s only Sunday and the race parking lot is already full.
– I noticed JQ likes our AstroTurf pit area.
– People keep stealing our chairs.
– Walking in the rocks suck.
– You never have enough sun screen.
– New shoes get dirty.
– The fast guys always say the other fast guys cars look hard to drive.
– Sometimes you have to water the carpet and banners too.
– It sucks to suck.
– Watered track looks like chocolate cake.
– The Temptations are apparently still alive and in concert at The Orleans hotel and casino.

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October 4, 2016

Chassis Focus – Spencer Rivkin

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Chassis – Team Associated RC8B3
Engine – MX B4
Tyres – JConcepts Triple Dees
Fuel – MX
Radio/Servos – Sanwa / Reedy
Body – JConcepts ‘Strike 3’

Remarks – Current US National Champion is running his MX powered Associated RC8B3 with a new bodyshell from JConcepts called the Strike 3. The body makes the car more neutral and therefore more balanced on the track. Starting with his base setup, the only adjustment he has made was to make a change to the rear hub which helped it rotate more as well as give the rear more support. Running Triple Dees and Hybrids throughout practice, the 4wd World Champion will most likely go with Hybrids come qualifying.

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