November 3, 2023

Reunited after 15 years – Hara, Miura & the D8

15-years ago one of the icons of our sport claimed a race win that to this day he describes as the ‘highlight’ of his illustrious racing career.  That driver was Atsushi Hara and the race in question was the 2008 IFMAR 1:8 Offroad World Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina.  As anyone who races nitro well knows, it is very much a team sport.  Today here in Japan, on the penultimate day of the 1:8 Onroad Worlds, that World title conquering combo of Hara, legendary race mechanic Masayuki Miura and the winning Hot Bodies D8 buggy were reunited for the first time in a decade and a half.  As Red RC was in its infancy and didn’t cover its first 1:8 Offroad World Championship until 2-years later in Thailand, it was an opportunity to recreate the winning team photo of 2008 with our good friends Hara and Miura and do a ‘Retro Chassis Focus’ on the historic buggy.

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November 3, 2023

Pro-Line SCX10 Twin I-Beam Pre-Runner Suspension Kit

Pro-Line has released a Twin I-Beam Pre-Runner Suspension kit to transform your SCX10 I/II into a 2WD Desert Truck.  In the early days of offroad desert racing, I-Beam trucks became the standard suspension setup due to their uncompromised durability, easily attained long-travel, and overall simplicity.  Now, you can capture that desert racing sprit using your SCX10 kit as a base to build a 1/10 scale pre-runner. The Twin I-Beam front suspension consists of two long “I-beam” arms that cross one another in an X-pattern. These arms control the lateral forces applied to the wheels, while radius arms reach backward toward the centre skid plate to stabilise each wheel in the fore-aft direction.  This super scale conversion kit utilises the same geometry setup as 1:1 trucks with true swingset steering and centre-mount radius arms to optimise handling throughout the entire suspension travel.  The kit includes everything you need to easily convert your rig and completely change the driving experience of your SCX10.  Stainless steel links and steel pivot balls provide dependable endurance, while the new battery tray moves the battery to the rear of the vehicle for optimal weight bias and performance.  The new front shock tower features holes for dual shock mounting, and the new rear trailing arms have 3 wheelbase options for added adjustability and versatility.

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November 3, 2023

STRC SCX10 Pro 4×4 option parts

In their final wave of Axial SCX10 Pro 4×4 competition crawler option parts, ST Racing Concepts has added two vital components to add more overall weight to the lower part of the vehicle.  First is the front weight brass steering knuckles, with a combine weight of nearly 140 grams for the pair.  Second is the rear axle tube, which adds nearly 70 grams of weight to the rear axle.  These two option parts combine for almost 200 grams of weight at the lower part of the vehicle to help with steep incline and overall vehicle crawling capabilities.

Source: STRC [teamstrc.com]


November 2, 2023

VP Pro 1:8 Offroad Coloured Rims

VP-PRO has extended the range of colours in their 1:8 Buggy and Truggy rim range.  Adding the option of pink, green and orange, the rims are made of high-quality plastic, lightweight, high rigidity which adds to better stability during turns and conforms to IFMAR standards.

Source: VP Pro [vp-racing.com]


November 2, 2023

JConcepts S2 Schumacher LD3 body

JConcepts has released its popular S2 body for the recently introduced Schumacher LD3 1:10 2WD Buggy.  The S2 is a performer straight out of the package and includes the Carpet | Turf rear wing to help deliver results on any racing circuit.  Slammed overall height allows the S2 to whisk through the turns with a low centre of mass while the progressive cab design provides plenty of front-end force for superior balance and steering.  A channeled roof directs the flow through the center of the body while also increasing the rigidity of cockpit.  The dual side-window design that has become famous on the JConcepts bodies remains to bring a traditional feel to the layout.  The upper side-pods feature distinct vents used to help relieve hot air build-up inside the body for those high-powered runs or hot days at the track.  Carved and detailed side-pods edge the body giving the highly aero unit a stylish look with a tight fit and finish.

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November 1, 2023

JConcepts RM2 1:8 Offroad carbon bodyshell washers

Under the RM2 product line, JConcepts has released 1:8 offroad carbon fibre bodyshell washers.  Adding carbon fibre never hurts, in the case of body mounts, you can protect the geometry of placement holes with the RM2 body shell washers.  The thinly sliced carbon with adhesive backing is ideal to place in flat areas where additional reinforcement is needed.  Due to the nature of carbon, it’s difficult to bend, so flat surfaces are recommended for application.  Being a handy racer, the items can always be modified, cut, or relocated to better fit the needs.  The inside diameter is set for an 8mm body post hole while the outer diameter is set to a much larger size to accommodate body geometry.  Two of the pieces are slotted for movement and traditional chassis flex found on 1:8 offroad vehicles.

View mounted here


November 1, 2023

Schumacher LD3 Alloy Differential

New from Schumacher is this Alloy Differential for their recently launched LD3 1:10 2WD Competition buggy.  Also compatible with the ST2, LD2, LD, KD and Cougar KR models, this optional diff gives super precision and strength and has a larger oil volume for more consistency during a run.  Available as a complete diff build with all necessary parts included, it can also be purchased as a conversion kit that includes all the parts to form a new diff using your existing kit parts.

View Alloy diff conversion kit here


November 1, 2023

JConcepts Scalloped 2.2″ carpet | turf inserts

JConcepts adds an open cell buggy insert option to the line-up specifically for carpet and turf racing. The scalloped insert takes some technology from the latest in 1:10 and 1:8 offroad closed cell inserts and incorporates it in to the soft and pliable open cell material. The inserts have shown to produce better rolling speed and supports the centre section of wide and narrow front tires used in 2WD and 4WD buggy racing. The tyre holds up to large impacts and landings and abuse from the front end but still allows the insert to buckle and steer and carve corners with care.  The scalloped design front insert holds up to repeated use without premature wear characteristics by allowing flex in the centre of the tyre.  On the rear insert, the scalloped nature of the detail cuts allow a buckling effect which promotes forward drive while still allowing the tire to hold up to repeated use without premature wear characteristics.

View front insert here