The opening round of the HK-Cup was held in Hürtgenwald in the western part of Germany last weekend. When the dust had settled and in the 2WD Buggy class it was Nikolas Schmitz with the win, coming from the 2 spot on the grid. Nikolas would secure the over with a win in A3, leaving behind Jean Baptiste Janssens and Markus Klein in 2nd and 3rd overall.
Pro-Line have introduced their new Resistor 2.2” off-road buggy rear tyres as well as their Wedge Gen 3 2.2” carpet front tyres. Starting with the all-new Resistor tyre, based on the popular carcass shape and futuristic directional tread design of the Positron, the Resistor takes performance up another level with improved side bite and balanced traction on indoor clay tracks. The tread design of the new tyre pays homage to the Positron for a familiar Pro-Line signature look and each bar has been positioned and angled for maximum race performance. The Resistor is directional, which adds another tuning option for the racers always looking for that extra edge since it will perform differently depending on which direction it is run. The tyre includes blue closed cell inserts and it comes in MC clay or M4 super soft rubber compounds.
Pro-Line have introduced their all-new Axis 2WD lightweight buggy body shell for the Team Associated B6.1, the TLR 22 5.0 and the Yokomo YZ-2. Designed with the latest in CAD technology, the Axis features a super low-slung design with sharp lines throughout giving it an unmistakable look on the track. The body features a cab-forward design which provides enhanced steering response while the small side fins balances out the rear of the car with ideal side-bite. The rear of the Axis body has the right amount of clearance for the gearbox and fits the chassis and bulkhead shape of the race buggies perfectly. The bodies are made in the USA from light weight polycarbonate material and included with each body are two Air Force II 6.5” rear wings, paint-then-peel overspray film, window masks and Pro-Line decals.
Coming soon from JConcepts is their new 2005 Chevy 1500 MT single cab rigid axle monster truck body shell. The 2005 Chevy Silverado is a big, all-American truck, and it looks the part, with its wide face and stylish yet slab-sided flanks. Ninety-degree angles dominate the styling providing that all-important Chevy bowtie look and the horizontal hardlines along the body panels ensures the truck’s dramatic road presence. The cat-eye headlights stare down the competition while the upper and lower grille marks its territory and provides an impactful arrival. The chiseled front-end, bumper fascia and front tire openings gives off a lot of monster madness while the aerodynamics remain for the truck to hold its own in a straight-line. A twin-port grille, full-width bumper and “power hump” hood create a strong presence, which is carried through in sculpted body sides. The grille area has not been compromised and accepts the detailed JConcepts decal sheet and includes two different grille and headlight options. The front fascia is strong and while the large tire openings swoop through, the bumper has recessed areas for side-marker lights and air inlet. The tailgate is rigid in appearance with a slight undercut that is so common on the Chevrolet trucks. The 2005 Silverado’s bed features a slight recess which painters can leave clear or detail to their specification on any build. No race truck would be complete without a bobbed rear bedside to give racers extra clearance and an unmistakable visual rake. Each package includes window mask, 2005 generation Chevy Silverado specific decal sheet and clear polycarbonate body. The body was developed for 12.5” wheelbase trucks and it will hit stores very soon.
Arrma have announced the soon release of their all-new 1/5th scale Kraton 4×4 8S BLX ready-to-run speed monster truck. Its metal-reinforced design lets drovers blast up, over, and through bruising obstacles without worry. Metal shafts, turnbuckles and outdrives, plus all-metal internal gears, give the drivetrain and suspension system unstoppable strength. The anodised aluminium chassis plate features composite side pods and a triangular centre brace for maximum durability. Ultra-thick composite front and rear shock towers hold massive 20mm bore, oil-filled adjustable shocks that soak-up bumps and jolts. The power that sends the Speed Monster Truck charging easily over challenging terrain comes from its 1250Kv Spektrum Firma brushless motor. For quick access, the motor is mounted with three bolts onto a sliding aluminium mount.
JQ Racing have introduced the 2020 option kit for the Black Edition 1/8th off-road buggy. The set includes C-hubs and steering knuckles with #2 KPI. This is a large amount of KPI that makes the car have a “pillow ball” feel. It has smooth initial steering, stability on power in bumps and sweepers, along with great on power steering. It is definitely faster for drivers that enjoy driving on power. For drivers that prefer a more point and shoot driving style, and turning off power, the zero KPI may be better. The rear hubs are updated, with the short middle hole being the same as the old low long hole. So there is an additional low row for loose tracks, and also a longer link location, to add grip for the large KPI, which can be aggressive exiting corners on power, causing a loss of rear grip. The rear hubs also add the option of using long rear CVDs with the joint inside the inner bearing. These smooth out the traction levels, being specially good on difficult tracks with inconsistent grip levels. Drivers can also use the included inner bushing that fits the stock bearing and universal drive shaft. This is not an upgrade kit, but an option kit. It is very different to the standard parts, and different conditions will require, and different drivers will prefer either one of these. JQ Racing recommend trying the #2 steering plates (JQB0382B) with these parts, and mount the link in the middle of the ackermann plate.
Source: JQ Racing [jqproducts.com]
Last weekend the Pizza Feast race was held at MHOR RC Raceway in Aurora, Colorado. The event kicked off with practice on Thursday with Friday offering more practice and the opening round of qualifying in the eventing. Saturday started with the last three rounds of qualifying and Zac Gastelum would take the TQ in both 2WD Mod and 4WD Mod, Cole Lewton would grab the TQ in both 13.5 2WD and Truck, Mike Malenado TQed in 13.5 4WD, and Christopher Malenado TQed in Sportsmen. Sunday was mains day and the Modified class mains were single 8-minutes legs due to low entries. In 2WD Mod Zac Gastelum would bring home the win after a flawless run with Domnic Paccione and David Joor coming in 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Continue reading the report here
ProTek have announced the release of their new 34mm 4-shoe off-road clutch for 1/8th buggies and trucks. The premium level clutch features a 34mm aluminium 4-shoe flywheel with removable steel pins so drivers can replace them when needed. A complete set of four 1.0, and four 0.9 springs are included, so owners can mix and match spring rates as needed to tune the engagement to suit the engine, track conditions and personal preferences. The clutch is available in two sets, with all 7075 aluminium or mixed aluminium and carbon shoes, both come with clutch nut and flywheel collet, creating an all inclusive high performance clutch system.
View the mixed shoe clutch set here
