The opening round of the Czech Xray Winter Series was held in Kolin in several electric on-road and off-road classes. In Touring Modified Xray’s own Martin Hudy laid down a flawless performance with his biggest rivals being Jiri Vysin and Jiri Janousek and at the end this would also be the top 3 order. Karel and Martin Kratochvil rounded out the top 5 result.
Another company to join the 1/10th Formula game is Shepherd Micro Racing who have released first images of their forthcoming Velox F1 formula pan car. Designed from scratch and developed in close cooperation with experienced formula drivers the var is a combination of well-proven features and new innovations. Two hard-coated tube dampers and a VRS absorber with a floating piston instead of a membrane take care of the damping duties and the carbon fibre chassis is designed for the use of a standard or LCG 2s shorty LiPo which can be installed in a front or rear transversal position to fine-tune the weight balance. To adjust the caster, different moulded inserts are used while it is possible to adjust the camber with using L/R thread turnbuckles. Furthermore the rear power pod is equipped with an externally adjustable 18-ball differential. The rear ride height can be adjusted with shims and the eccentric inserts allow a short and a long wheelbase setup. Included in the kit will be adjustable ETS-legal front and rear wings as well as a lexan body and the release is planned for early 2016.
Coming from Arrowmax and made for 1/10th and 1/12th scale pan cars is a dedicated setup system. Precision machined from high-quality aluminium and sporting Arrowmax’ signature Honeycomb design the tool helps to easily and conveniently adjust the camber, caster and toe settings on most of today’s pan cars. Ball bearings make for smooth operation while laser-etched markings help to precisely adjust all parameters. Included is also a transparent polycarbonate toe plate and all parts find a home in a dedicated box during storage and transportation.
Yokomo has announced the signing of touring car specialist Nicholas Lee to the team. With 20 years of experience under his belt, the 24 year old brings a wealth of knowledge to the team, further strengthening Yokomo’s on-road squad. Based out of Singapore but travelling to many races all over, he will be a great addition to the company’s presence in Asia, but he is also set for attendances at the bigger races in Europe as well. Nicholas is eager to take his racing to the next level, and looks forward to working with the entire team to accomplish his racing goals. The former Tamiya drivers has the following to say about the deal:
After 5 great years driving Tamiya for Stargek, it was ultimately difficult to change to another team. For some reasons, i thought it was finally the right time to change. I would like to thank the entire Yokomo team for this great opportunity.
Source: Yokomo [teamyokomo.com]
Leespeed have introduced the Angel Stick touring car bulkhead alignment tool. The square block makes sure the front and rear bulkheads sit parallel on the chassis, making for less tweak issues and perfect drivetrain efficiency. The block is made from black anodised 7075 aluminium and it is usable with Yokomo, Xray and HPI/HB touring cars.
Gravity RC have introduced their new 20 million Cst pure silicone diff putty. The 100 percent Polydimethysiloxane fluid is recommended as an alternative to commonly used putty in gear differentials or other moving applications. The extra thick putty offers ultimate reforming properties and due to its viscosity it can easily be handled with no mess, though the package still comes with an applicator syringe as a bonus.
Source: Gravity RC [teamgravityrc.com]
The third round of the the Danish DRCMU series was held in Tinglev, in the southern part of Denmark, close to the German border. This meant that the race attracted quite a few German racers, and therefore the driver lineup was the biggest of the series so far. In the Touring 17.5T Blinky class championship leader Chris Nielsen came out fastest after the practice from Bjarke Nyskov and Rasmus Skjoldborg Jakobsen. The qualifiers then had Bjarke coming out fastest by winning Q1 and Q2 while Chris was able to take the TQ in the final qualifier to grab the 2 spot on the grid. Nicolai Nielsen would end the qualifiers on the 3 spot, Mirko Scheuer rounded out the top 4 result.
Following a first teaser Yokomo have more information and images of their forthcoming BD7-2016 1/10th scale electric touring car kit available. To make for maximum versatility the car is based on a carbon fibre main chassis plate, good for carpet and asphalt racing alike, with the 2016 version featuring pretty substantial updates in the drivetrain and suspension departments as the kit features all-new low-profile front and rear bulkheads that place the front spool and rear differentials 3 millimetres lower compared to the 2015 spec car. This was made possible by using smaller diameter pulleys that not only make for an overall lower centre of gravity but they also increase throttle response and reduce the gyro effect, resulting in sharper cornering. The top of the bulkhead covers is also lowered by 3 millimetres while the top deck now sits 2 millimetres lower. To take the low-profile design one step further also the shock towers received an update with the 2016 parts sitting 7.8 millimetres closer to the ground compared to the predecessor. To round out the low-profile package the BD7-2016 utilises the new SLF Short Shock II big bore dampers whose inner diameter increased from 10.2 millimetres to 11.2 millimetres for a larger volume and more consistent damping action. Overall the new low profile design makes for improved and less abrupt weight transfer for a smoother ride especially at high speeds and on high-grip tracks without affecting overall grip and traction. Last but not least will the kit include high-quality spring steel double-joint front universal shafts to replace the standard parts of the previous kits. Beside the full car kit, that will ship beginning of December, Yokomo will also have a conversion kit for the existing BD7-2015 available.
