March 28, 2018

Xpress Execute XQ1S sport touring car kit

Xpress have released more information on their forthcoming Execute XQ1 sport touring car kit. The vehicle, designed for club-level racers, is based off of the competition XQ1 chassis but features some downgrades such as more cost-efficient black fibreglass parts such as chassis, top deck, shock towers and upper servo mount plate as well as moulded front and rear bulkheads – the latter still of the keyed 1-piece design as are the XQ1 kit’s alloy counterparts. The design will reduce the changes of the chassis assembly becoming tweaked after impacts. Also made from moulded composite are items such as the front and rear lower A-arms mount, however the kit sports competition-inspired items such as left/right thread turnbuckles, a sturdy aluminium motor mount and threaded oil-filled shock absorbers with upper and lower alloy caps and spring preload nuts. The kit is fully compatible with all of the carbon fibre and aluminium goodies of the XQ1, allowing racers to upgrade the car if needed and the kit is set for a release in April.

Source: Xpress [rc-xpress.com]

March 28, 2018

Dario Balestri wins 200mm Pre-Worlds

Last week the IFMAR Pre-Worlds took place at the Homestead RC Raceway. The level of competition was really high because beside the usual fast guys from the U.S., many drivers from across the pond came to get ready for the upcoming Worlds in October. The format of this race was similar to the actual Worlds, with the difference that there was plenty of open practice in between rounds, before and after the official program, in order to allow people to test as much as they wanted to. After the seeding rounds and the qualifiers, Paolo Morganti (Capricorn) took the TQ from Teemu Leino (Infinity) 2nd. The final was a long hour of great racing, lots of drama, change of leaders etc. Paolo feel asleep at the start and was collected by the other drivers finding himself in last position. More drama came at the second turn with a pile of cars but Paolo was able to regain positions. Paolo was able to recover up until 2nd and ran most of the race in that position. Up front things mixed up and in lap 144, Paolo was able to take the lead until 15 laps later he ran out of fuel. In the end he was able to recover to 2nd again, finishing only 3.6s behind the winner, Infinity’s Dario Balestri. Infinity driver Carmine Raiola would round out the top 3 results from Teemu Leino 4th and Andrew Duperrouzel 5th.

Source: RC Target [rctarget.com]

March 28, 2018

Tamiya Plasma Edge II Black Metallic edition

Tamiya have introduced their new Plasma Edge II Black Metallic edition 1/10th 4WD entry-level buggy kit. The vehicle makes use of the proven TT-02B shaft-driven tub chassis with long-travel suspension, oil-filled CVA shock absorbers, 4-bevel gear differentials and motor mount with pre-set gear ratio positions for easy assembly. The kit is topped off by a pre-painted metallic black body shell, it comes with a large decal sheet and grippy pin tyres on black rims.

Source: Tamiya [tamiya.com]

March 27, 2018

RC Belgium roll out new option parts

RC Belgium have introduced several option parts for the Schumacher KC and KD as well as the Kyosho Scorpion series of vintage re-release buggies. First up is a belt pulley for the Schumacher KC buggy. The pulley removes the need for the idler gears resulting in a 30 grams weight gain. Other advantages are less friction, a lower point of inertia and faster disassembly of the transmission. Fitment is secured by two grub screws. Also new is a LiPo strap compatible with the Schumacher KC and KD buggy. The new strap uses the original LiPo stops for a secure fit and for additional flex the side pods are not used. Next up is a steering set designed for the Kyosho re-release Scorpion, Beetle, Tomahawk and Turbo Scorpion. Featuring 2 ball bearings, the steering set replaces the original servo saver for a smoother and more durable steering. Last but not last is a carbon fibre rear shock tower for the Scorpion and all respective cars. It features two additional holes for more settings possibilities.

View the other new parts here

March 27, 2018

UK WGTR Championship finale – Report

Last weekend saw the final round of the UK WGTR Championship, held alongside the LMP12 National round at Chesterfield. It’s been hotly contested, the championship being up for grabs all the way to the final round. This final round saw the numbers grow again, which made for a full racetrack, and some hectic driving for the slower cars, but also some very close racing. Qualifying consisted of four rounds, and Chesterfield’s trademark grip did not disappoint; quite times from the off. Andy Murray, Graham Raistrick, Richard Norris and Mark Barford all setting 20 lap times. Round 2 saw the pace increase, Andy, Graham and Richard all setting 21 lap times; George Brewer finally joining the 21-lap club in round 3. Final qualification saw George just pip Andy to TQ, followed by Graham, Richard and then Mark.

Continue reading the report here

March 27, 2018

VRP D817/E817 V2 front shock towers

VRP have introduced their new V2 front shock towers for the HB Racing D817 and E817 line of vehicles. The shock positions have been modified compared to the V1 tower. VRP have kept the centre shock mounting hole the same, but moved the outer hole in slightly and added new inner holes. By doing this, it allows for more tuning adjustments. Compared to the V1 front tower, VRP have added a brace across the centre of the tower connecting the two ears of it together for added strength. The V2 front tower is available in 4mm aluminium, 4mm carbon and 5mm carbon.

Source: Vision Racing Products [visionracingproducts.com]

March 27, 2018

JConcepts Stalkers 1/8th buggy tyre

Coming from JConcepts is their new Stalkers 1/8th buggy the for rough and dry surfaces. The tread was developed for surfaces which mature over time, get rough, dry and with extreme scaling to the surface. The Reflex tyre, designed by Jason Ruona in early 2014, has been a success and the Stalker is a chip off the old block. The design team checked over the carcass profile, height and width to assure the best balance of weight and drivability. The Stalkers began with an enlarged square pin which has slight angle on each side. The angle creates some separation at the top which gives some bite in wet conditions providing some versatility to the design. As the pins meet the base of the tyre, the spacing tightens considerably giving a stable footing for the Stalkers. The stacked row configuration and simple connected pins offer massive forward acceleration. The aligned rows allow some surface drift making the tires forgiving in sand and bumpy track sections. The outside pin has been clipped to help drive-ability and ease the initial turn-in drivers often have concern for. Using softer compounds such as blue and green, the tyre has stability and flexibility for fast qualifying. The pin real-estate provides a lot of cushion for extended main events and when paired with long-wear compounds such as R2, O2 and Y2, the race pace can be pushed out to 45 to 60 minutes with ease. The tyres include the Dirt-Tech closed cell inserts and they come in re-sealable, zip-top packaging.

Source: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

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