This year’s Australian National Championships were held at the Whalan Model Car Club in NSW. The event attracted more than 100 entries, bringing the best drivers from around Australia in all classes. With four different drivers in Touring Stock 13.5 having a TQ on Saturday the top qualifier was still up grabs on Sunday morning. Ultimately Tony McMahon was able to put together two fast round to take the TQ.
Continue reading the report here
Round 3 of the Serpent GT Cup Series was held this past weekend at the TRC racing track in Hong Kong. The event attracted 60 entries which by far was the biggest turnout in the series’ history. To make the event even more special, world-famous pro-driver Atsushi Hara made a guest appearance to compete against the other drivers using Serpent’s ”hand out” GT Cup edition nitro on-road GT car. The race format saw triple ten minute qualifiers with the A-main being a 45 minute affair and to no one’s surprise it was Atsushi who grabbed the TQ position after the qualifiers with a 10 seconds margin on runner-up Hui. But despite having a somewhat easy A-main Hara had to call for a time-out just before the start as a faulty connector within the transmitter caused him problems and he had to start from the back of the field after getting it fixed. At the end of a very entertaining A-main Hara took the win despite having to work himself through the field. Behind the now privateer driver, Hui Chin Ho ended the 45 minute main on the runner-up spot while Nelson Woo completed the top 3 result. The next round of the 13th of the Serpent GT Cup will be held on December 13th at the SRC racing track in Shenzen, China.
Source: Serpent [serpent.com]
Coming from Team Associated are the new Factory Team hex and Nut drivers that fuse style with functionality. Assembling or wrenching will be a breeze with the lightweight, colour-coded handles. A wide variety of tips including 1.5mm to 5.0mm hex as well as 5.5mm and 7.0mm nut drivers allow to handle all of the standard metric screw hardware in a kit. The drivers are available separately or as 3-piece and 5-piece sets.
ST Racing Concepts have introduced a 17mm hex adapter conversion kit for the Axial Wraith and Deadbolt vehicles as well as CNC-machined aluminium links for general purpose. Starting with the conversion kit, the set was designed especially for those that are looking to mount up 1/2 inch off-set 17mm monster truck tyres from Pro-Line. The adapters widen the stance of the truck for that awesome monster truck look and they are available anodised in scale black, gun metal, monster truck green, or natural silver. Also new is a range of aluminium links, spacers and hardware to complete custom crawlers, scale rigs, or monster truck builds. The CNC-machined parts are also great for replacing some of the worn out existing pieces. Sold in pairs in various lengths the part come anodised in a wide variety of colours.
Axial have introduced the RR10 Bomber 1/10th scale rock racing chassis to their line of realistic off-road vehicles. The kit is not just another plastic tube chassis Wraith update – it merely adds to Axial’s line of 2.2 rock racing vehicles. While visually the buggy is a race replica of the Bomber Fab KOH rock racing rig, one of the unseen features is the front mounted battery tray under the hood making for easy access and optimised weight distribution. The skid plate provides a centralised location for the electronics with clean wire routing and an RR10 specific transfer case for optimal driveline efficiency. Also included is a full set of BFGoodrich Baja T/A KR2 tyres along with a spare in the back, wrapped around officially licensed Walker Evans Racing wheels. A variety of shock mounting points allows for running dual shock setups and more suspension tuning options. For additional rear suspension tuning, a sway bar mount is connected to the cage, under the fuel cell to attach an optional sway bar. Officially licensed aluminium King Shocks feature precision machined pistons which offer smooth performance throughout the range of travel. Standard features include durable front and rear WB8 HD Wildboar driveshafts, front and rear AR60 axles, a dual slipper clutch, Hi-Lo transmission with all metal internal gears, a 3-channel radio system, realistic scale details including moulded driver figures, three pairs of helmets, moulded shock reservoirs, a fuel cell, Bomber Fabrication body panels and graphics, and a fully licensed scale tube chassis.
View the features and more photos here
During the recent IFMAR 1/10th Buggy World Championships JConcepts have introduced the S2 bodyshell for the Team Associated B5M buggy. The new shell rocks some familiar features but rolled together with a low-profile stance. 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 balance and steering. A channelled roof directs the flow through the centre 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 and tight fit and finish. Cut-lines are included on each side of the body to accommodate 3 or 4 gear transmission layouts giving all out versatility. Included with the body come two 6.5″ Finnisher rear wings, a decal sheet and window masks.
View more images and a video of Jason Ruona introducing the S2 body here
New from Protoform comes the 1:8 Aero Kit with spoilers and stiffeners for 1/8th scale on-road bodies such as the R18 and P909. Designed to add as little weight as possible the kit will keep the structural integrity of the body by reinforcing the sides and rear end. The included braces feature stiffening contours moulded directly into lightweight Lexan for uncompromised rigidity. Added weight is minimised, keeping the car’s centre of gravity as low as possible to maximise corner speed, while still keeping the sides of the body from fluttering down the straightaway. Each 1:8 Aero Kit includes a large main stiffener for behind the rear wheels; pre-formed, pre-cut and ready to install. Two small and two medium size stiffeners are included to reinforce the sides of the body with a few simple bends. Included double-sided tape keeps the whole kit in place. Also included is a rear spoiler/gurney strip, vital to keeping the rear of the car planted. The spoiler is die-cut and bent to size with 20mm slots for adjustability in different track conditions.
DE Racing has added 2.4″ 4WD buggy front wheels to their SpeedLine Plus 2.4 range of 1/10th buggy wheels. They feature a 12mm hex and offset for use on many models including the Kyosho ZX-6, TLR 22-4, Hot Bodies D413, and Team Associated B44.3 when using their 12mm hex conversion. The wheels are manufactured in the USA and available in eight colours including black, blue, green, orange, pink, red, white and yellow.
View the other available colours here
