Coming from Hot Race Tyres is a new blue colour closed cell inserts for all 1/8th buggy tyres. It was developed especially for racing in hot ambient temperatures and for medium to high-grip track conditions. The insert is meant to provide improved precision, more traction and better corner speed and it is available from now on.
Source: Hot Race Tyres [hotracetyres.com]
The third round of the BRCA Formula Indoor nationals took place at the Midlands Raceway permanent indoor venue near Birmingham. The snow during the early hours of the morning meant some drives could not get the venue with traffic disruption but 16 drivers made it to the great facility. Despite being a small track area the layout was fairly flowing and suited to Formula racing. The ETS spec carpet provided good grip for drivers once a few rounds of practice were done. During the two rounds of practice it was Luke Lee, Michael Lee and Ben Cosgrove who seemed to have dialled in to the track setting some quick lap times.
Continue reading the report here
T-Works have introduced two sets of front CV-style driveshafts for the Xray XB4’18 and ’17 buggies. Available as standard or special “left thread” set, the driveshafts are made form high-quality steel for durability while the machined wheel axle shafts ensure a good bearing fit. The sets are direct replacements with the left thread set, utilising a single left thread wheel axle, being made to reduce the chance of loosing the wheel nut as it will self-lock during use.
Kyosho Europe have announced the signing of Carlos Fonseca to their team. The Portuguese 1/8th off-road front-runner will campaign Kyosho’s 1/8th off-road platforms this coming season and this is what he has to say about the deal:
I’m very excited to announce that I officially joined Team Kyosho Europe for this coming season. I want to say thanks to Kyosho Europe for giving me this great opportunity to be part of the team that already knows the success worldwide.
Source: Kyosho [kyoshoeurope.com]
In addition to their new .21 off-road and .12 nitro touring engines, Italian company Picco also have a new 3.5cc nitro on-road engine available. The R2-3518 Team DLC Ceramic is based off of the popular R1 platform and thanks to numerous improvements the power band and stability could be further improved. A new cylinder port shape and crankshaft design optimise the internal mixture flow and also the bore/stroke ratio has been updated slightly compared to the R1. The new engine still features the DLC coated crankshaft for great durability of all parts involved while the latest crankcase design provides improved overall stiffness and therefore a more stable performance at every temperature. The engine is rounded out by a rear Swiss-made ceramic bearing and a carburettor with double bottom-end adjustment.
View the specifications and another image here
Coming soon from KO Propo is the RSx3 One10 Ver.D servo, a dedicated item for RWD drift cars. It is based off of the popular RSx3 series of low-profile servos and features an aluminium upper case with laser-engraved markings and a specialised software that allows for smooth steering reactions even when using a drift gyro. In addition five pre-set software settings, accessible through KO Propo’s ICS Servo Manager software, help to fine-tune the steering characteristics for sport and pro drivers alike. The package is rounded out by dual ball bearings, a coreless motor, hard aluminium gears and a black servo lead.
Fenix Racing have introduced a range of aluminium and carbon fibre option parts for the Xray X12’18 pan car. First up is a slim aluminium main chassis that is narrower than the standard part for reduced chassis scrub during cornering. In addition the removal of the front ride height shims is now also simplified thanks to machined holes under the front suspension. Another new part is the open design motor pod made from aluminium. The part was developed for the use with the optional upper nerf bar that is available in aluminium or carbon fibre. Last but not least is a specially designed O-ring battery mount that holds the battery pack in a transversal position while allowing for easier battery removal. Thanks to its updated design the link and pivot screws are much easier to access for less stress in the pits and the part comes in aluminium or carbon fibre which allows to slightly influence overall chassis flex.
Coming from Team Magic and made for the E5 series of monster trucks is a chassis protection net. Designed to keep the internal transmission, motor and electronics away from the influence of dust and dirt, the net is a direct fit and easily attached and detached using the included strips and the incorporated zippers. The item will hit stores about mid-February.
