February 22, 2014

Chassis Focus – Renaud Savoya

SavoyaCF

Chassis: Xray XB8
Engine: Orion RS
Tires: Sweep
Radio/Servos: Futaba
Remarks – The Xray factory driver is running the newly released XB8 buggy, using a variation of his standard setup. To deal with the track conditions he has played a bit with the diff oils going 7k-7k-3k, and switched to a 2.5mm front sway bar. He is also using brass weights (15g) on both the front and rear hubs to help settle the car over the bumps. Having raced silver Hexagons, his plan is to try some different tires for the third and final round of qualifying.

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February 22, 2014

Phend wraps up overall TQ in Q2

Phend

Dakotah Phend has wrapped up early the overall Buggy TQ honours for the 15th Annual Dirt Nitro Challenge in Phoenix, Arizona, as he again stamped his authority on qualifying at the Fear Farm. Having best mastered the slippery conditions of Q1, the Team Losi Racing ace would master the totally different track drivers faced in Q2 to take the round by over 4-seconds from the Mugens of Carson Wernimont and Taylor Peterson. Having suffered a DNF in Q1, defending champion Ryan Maifield claimed a fifth for the round, the Associated driver much happier with his package the second time of asking.

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His first time to TQ at Joey ‘The Dirt’ Christensen’s World famous signature event, a pleased Phend said track conditions were ‘a lot better’ second time round with there being ‘a lot more traction’. Leaving his buggy and tyres the same as he ran in Q1, the 17-year-old said the run started off well but got rough for a few laps but luckily he was able to ‘pull it back together by the end’. With pole position for Sunday’s 1-hour final in the bag he plans to use the final qualifier to test a bigger pin tyre to gauge how it works, the main event set to take place in similar cool after-dark conditions as in Q3. Having run Pro-Line M3 Holeshot tyres for both his TQ runs he will use Blockade for the final round.

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Describing conditions as ‘more normal this time’, Wernimont echoed Phend’s views on the track saying it had ‘a lot more grip’. Also leaving his OS Speed powered Mugen the same as he ran it in the opening qualifier, he said the buggy, which is new to him for the 2014 season, seems to be good in ‘any condition thrown at it’. ‘Super easy to drive’, he said this should help him put in a solid drive in the final. Planning to leave the set-up as is for the last heat he said he might try a different tyre but he will make that call based on how the track looks nearer to the time.

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‘Finally finished one’, that was how World Championship finalist Petersen summed up his Q2. Suffering ‘a mechanical in Q1’ and having had a tough time in Truggy qualifying yesterday, the 24-year-old joked he now had ‘showed up for the race’. 6-seconds off Phend’s time, he said said his buggy wasn’t the fastest but he ‘just didn’t crash’ and from that approach he came away with a good result. Running soft AKA Grid Iron tyres on his Novarossi powered MBX7 he said he will stick with them for the final round, the only change planned being to fit a stiffer clutch.

Barry Pettit

Mugen team-mate Barry Pettit would take his OS Speed example to the fourth fastest time. The 21-year-old said he went down on the centre diff oil for Q2 giving him more forward bit. Able to run ‘clean laps’ he said he felt ‘comfortable’ with the buggy and with two good runs, him 8th in Q1, he would use the last qualifier to test a bigger pin tyre in preparation for the final.

Maifield

Despite two crashes, one which required his prototype RC8 to be marshalled, Maifield was happy with how Q2 went. Having suffered a flame out in Q1 he fitted another Novarossi engine adding he was ‘super impressed’ by how it ran. Also changing to a softer compound JConcepts Metrix tyre he said the car was ‘easy to drive’ although they did experience an issue with the servo saver becoming loose but he said with a new car such small gremlins are par for the course. The Arizona ace said he now has ‘a lot of confidence for the next one’. Team-mate Ryan Cavalieri, who posted the 8th fastest time said he drove better second time round adding he felt the buggy was better too but he would lose time due to traffic issues. Also suffering from a loose servo saver, he said it wasn’t a big issue other than the steering feeling a little less precise than he would normally like it.

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Completing the Top 6, Cody King described the track as ‘scary’ adding that it ‘doesn’t like r/c cars much’. The 2010 World Champion said overall the run was ‘much better’ than Q1 when he ‘crashed a lot’. Going around the track ‘super slow’ he said he watched everyone ‘crash & tumble’ allowing him to come away with a good round. For his final qualifier the Kyosho driver has a few ideas for set-up changes wanting to try to make his Reds Racing powered MP9 easier to drive. Finishing less than 1/10th of a second behind King was his team-mate and last year’s Top Qualifier Jared Tebo who found himself the victim of others crashes over the 7-minutes.

Euros

With David Ronnefalk suffering a bad last lap to finish 12th, his Kyosho ending up on its roof, Renaud Savoya was the fastest European in Q2 setting the ninth fastest time. The Xray driver ran everything the same as in Q1 adding that he track changed a lot. Aiming for a clean round and running a potential TQ time in the B heat, he said he still managed to put his XB8 ‘upside down once’. With a starting position in the A-Main now safe, the French ace said he will test tyres in Q3. If the track is watered he will run Sweep’s Battlestar tyre but if dry he will try their new Cubix tyre which has a bigger pin and should be better for the increasingly bumpy track.

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February 22, 2014

Q2 Buggy Qualifying times (Top 12)

1. Dakotah Phend – TLR/Orion – 10/7:36.434
2. Carson Wernimont – Mugen/OS Speed – 10/7:40.714
3. Taylor Petersen – Mugen/Novarossi – 10/7:42.609
4. Barry Pettit – Mugen/OS Speed – 10/7:43.617
5. Ryan Maifield – Associated/Novarossi – 10/7:44.457
6. Cody King – Kyosho/Reds Racing – 10/7:44.577
7. Jared Tebo – Kyosho/Orion – 10/7:44.664
8. Ryan Cavalieri – Associated/Orion – 10/7:45.350
9. Renaud Savoya – Xray/Orion – 10/7:45.730
10.Josh Wheeler – Xray/Os Speed – 9/7:00.023
11.Joseph Quagraine – JQ/Reds Racing – 9/7:00.891
12.David Ronnefalk – Kyosho/Orion – 9/7:01.512

February 22, 2014

Chassis Focus – David Ronnefalk

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Chassis: Kyosho MP9 TKI III
Engine: Orion RS
Tires: AKA
Radio/Servos: KO Propo
Remarks – The reigning European Champion kicked off qualifying here at the DNC with a very convincing third using his stock setup. The only changes he has done to his buggy since arriving at the Fear Farm have been to use thicker shock oil to deal with the different temperatures and 1.3mm front piston holes instead of the usual 1.2mm. For Q2 he will try a softer clutch that is intended to help smoothen the engine powerband in the slippery conditions.

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February 22, 2014

New in the Pits

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Made by Pro-Line and designed by Ty Tessmann, the new HB D8’12 1/8th scale body is similar to that made by the US company for the HB D4’13. A scaled up version of the Type-R, it has been adjusted to take into consideration elements like the cooling head and the throw of the larger 1/8th tires, which have changed the cab position as well as the distinctive side under tuck of the body which has had to be reduced. In terms of the performance the shell offers more rear downforce compared to the Bulldog that Ty ran previously thanks to the cab not being so far forward and the scoops towards the rear of the body which generate downforce by themselves but also direct more air to the rear wing.

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AKA are debuting their new Catapult tire designed for hard packed blue groove surfaces that have a coating of dust. Used by David Ronnefalk among others they are considered a longer wear pattern and fit in the line between the enduro and the impact. Featuring a more open thread pattern they sport a C design which helps it get through the dust and when available in a few weeks will come in soft and super soft compound.

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Agama are running new parts on their A8 Evo for 2014 which includes new higher aluminum towers, which make the car easier to setup for every conditions, as well as these new wishbones. The same geometry but with a better fit for shocks and pins, they are able to be mounted with inserts. These will be available in carbon fibre and aluminium which both help to improve the stiffness of the part in high grip and warm conditions with the carbon plate the stiffer of the pair.

Maifield Car

Associated are making their US debut of their soon to be released RC8 follow up. An all new platform, the prototype is currently under wraps but having been shown the car I can tell you that it sports some nice features in terms of transmission and ease of maintenance. With the engine mounted close to the centre line and a compact radio and electronics layout, it can have a very narrow chassis. With the car still using a lot of proto parts here, and with only 3 cars currently in existence, look, fit and finish will change as the car gets closer to release which we understand should be around May.

Orion Engine

Team Orion are running their new 3-port RS engine, with Jared Tebo, Ryan Cavlieri and David Ronnefalk, among others, using the newly released power plant. The new motor sports a revised piston and liner with wider exhaust and side ports for more linear power delivery. Internally you can get the engine with a choice of two crankshafts with Ronnefalk using the CRF high revolution crankshaft while Tebo is running the standard CRF version. There is also a new larger diameter cooling head, which when purchased from teamorionshop.com as part of a team pack comes personalised with your name.

Orion Combo

Also new from Team Orion, and being used by their team drivers in the eBuggy class is the latest Vortex R8 speed control and motor. The new speedo can handle up to 6 cells, up from 4 cells of its predecessor while the 690 motors, which will come available in 1900, 2100 and 2500kv, are based on the smaller 540 size World Championship winning VST2. Available in April.

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