German company Absima have introduced their new Paintz Matt matte spray clear coat. Two or three layers of this matte coat, that is supplied in 150ml spray cans, applied to the outside of polycarbonate body shells will create the sought-after matte finish look and thanks to being fuel-resistant it is also usable for the body shells of nitro models.
Source: Absima [absima.com]
Yuya Sahashi caught everyone by surprise on the second day of qualifying as he posted a TQ run in the first of the day’s three scheduled rounds of qualifying. A cloudy morning in Monteux, the Serpent driver set the time in Group 12 of 15, topping his heat ahead of Jilles Groskamp who would get a P3 for the round. With the attention on the top heat, it looked as overnight provisional TQ holder Dario Balestri had sealed the deal as he crossed the line on the top of the scoreboard ahead of Simon Kurzbuch but rather than a finishing 1-2, their times left them P2 and P4 respectively. Top seed Naoto Matsukura would see his chances of taking the overall TQ on his 1:8 World Championship debut end with an off. Other front runners to have issues included Bruno Coelho who finished 7th after heavy contact with the pitwall during his refuelling, him reporting afterwards his car was tweaked as a result. With a P3 run in Q2 yesterday, Jessie Davis was another to make an error going off track and ending up with a P9.
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Coming from WRC Racing is their new LM16 1.2 1/10th 200mm pan car kit. The car was developed for the use with 200mm LMP body shells and formula class rubber tyres and it features a redesigned battery compartment that allows to use both inline and transversal battery positions while the rear suspension assembly was improved to give increased suspension travel which will lead to greater side bite and thus faster lap times. Last but not least come reinforced front lower arms that are now more crash-resistant.
Losi have introduced their new LST 3XL-E 1/8th scale electric 4WD ready-to-run monster truck. Designed for the use with 6S LiPo battery packs the latest incarnation of Losi’s popular LST platform is capable of speeds of up to 80km/h while the Active Vehicle Control system ensures full vehicle control at all times. The truck is equipped with a full-time 4WD system with LSD centre differential and driveshafts with spring-retained couplers while ultra high capacity shocks with threaded alloy bodies and 5mm shock shafts soak up any bumps and jumps. Other features include sturdy 17mm wheel hexes, an optional wheelie bar, as well as spacious battery compartments that allow to use dual battery setups as chassis-mounted battery connectors ensure high reliability and safety. The truck is powered by a Dynamite Fuze 2200kv brushless motor with integrated cooling fins, and waterproof components make for go-everywhere capabilities. The package is rounded out by a Spektrum S904 1/6th scale digital servo and Spektrum’s DX2E Active transmitter, the latter can be equipped with optional telemetry features. Last bit not least comes a pre-painted body shell with flip top body mount. The truck is set for a release in November.
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After the success of the British Open GP, the 1/10th IC National series would see round 7 hosted just two weeks later at the Halifax Track. The weather forecast, combined with the short gap between rounds led to a lower than usual turnout for the event. The Saturday practice day proved to be difficult for drivers with the track remaining damp or wet for the majority of the day. The Sunday race day again started damp but the track dried with the fastest qualifying runs coming in round 3 before it then rained again. In the 200mm class, James Conolly (Mugen Seiki/Picco MAG Tuned) would master the drying conditions to place his car on pole for the 30-minute final with Joe Kerry (Capricorn/O.S. Speed) and Alex Thurston (Serpent/XRD) lining up behind him.
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Exotek have introduced the Flite 75T centre spool set for the Team Associated B64 buggy. The ultra lightweight centre spool greatly reduces the rotating mass of the B64 for that extra boost in 13.5T and 17.5T blinky spec racing. The set weighs 18g with the spur gear whereas the stock diff weighs in at 42g in total. A machined 75T POM spur gear is included and bolts on to the lightweight alloy spool. Included also are coated steel outdrive cups for long lasting wear and are machined to accept the stock steel B64 centre bones or the super light weight MIP puck bone system for the B64.
The 2017 Spring Cup was held recently at West Coast Model RC in Perth, Australia and it was Luke Taylor with the TQ and win in the 13.5T Touring Car class. Heath Johnson would follow on the runner-up spot while Brody Miller rounded out the top 3 podium result.
Coming from Maclan Racing is the new MRR Team Edition V2 brushless motor. The newly-developed power plant was designed with the latest stock racing rules in mind and it features an all-new design stator, sensor unit, motor case, and realigned rotor and sensor position for maximum performance. The motor will become available in 13.5T, 17.5T and 21.5T variants, it weighs in at a lightweight 150g, is 100-percent hand-built and will hit stores in late September.
