IFMAR 1/8 track Pre-Worlds 2013 (update 1)

Quite interesting to see these two active at the track.. is HB into something?

On another note some more pics from today's action:

Adrien Bertin's car: (note that now the KM car features a wire front rollbar as per the the current norm)

Meen with his car:

Fukuda's KM Racing car features wheel hub carbon discs similar to those of the MRX-5 and Viper 977:

Current World Champion, Robert and his mechanic Felix in the pits:

Source: Facebook (KM)

AWESOMATIX A700 - Battery clamps set

AWESOMATIX have produced some new parts lately, some of which I will introduce in my blog.
The first part is the new battery holder or ‘Battery clamps set’ as they call it in their website.
This is a very nice way to hold the packs without the use of tape. Tape is the preferred choice by most pro racers as it holds the battery securely without affecting the tweak of the chassis.
To achieve the same result without the use of tape,  AWESOMATIX made this very smart clamp system. The main difference compared to other systems is that there is no top part connecting the two posts, thus affecting the flex behavior of the chassis. In addition to that the design allows for very quick and safe changes to the battery packs.

1. A long set screw is installed on the lower battery holder (included as standard part in the kit)

2. I placed a 2.0 mm shim to increase the height of the post. The purpose of this is that you don’t want the clamps to actually be in contact with the pack. More on this further down..

3. The post is fastened on the set screw by hand, with the smooth surface at the bottom.

4. Then the clamp is secured by a button head screw as shown in the pictures below

5. The final assembly ready for action

Here is a short clip on how quickly you can install or remove a battery pack.
Make sure to read the captions in the video to better understand the operation.

HB/HPI RACING 21XZ-R HARA EDITION

Sources: 1. www.frt.gr

                                2. HB/HPI Hara Edition

Awesomatix A700 - electronics installation

2012 IFMAR 1/10 EP Touring & 1/12 World Championships

The organizers of the 2012 IFMAR World Championships for 1/10 and 1/12 electric powered cars have posted a great video

for more information visit the official website here:

2012 IFMAR 1/10 & 1/12 electric Worlds

HB TCX - New parts

I added a few more of the latest options available for the TCX.

First are the new longer POM solid axle cup joints. Due to longer length they allow the use of the 44 mm drive shafts, thus providing a wider range of choices.

For practice I have combined the DCJ (Double Cardan Joint) drive shaft with the long steel solid axle cup joint. I have already tried the POM cups I mention above and have not seen any wear at all after a few runs, so I'll save them for the next race meeting. In theory they should give just a little smoother action and maybe more turn-in compared to the steel axle cups.

Next new part is the new front steering block (upright or spindle) which now features three holes for the steering link. I understand that this should provide a bit more consistant feel. I did not get the chance to test it back to back with the old style, two hole steering block, so I cannot comment.

A close up of the 24k gold plated Qteq Banana connectors soldered to the Team Orion R10Pro speed control wires.

A shot of the chassis (sans shock absorbers) ready for the next race meeting.

RB C10 Tuned NDS Tech for sale

RB C10 tuned by NDS TECH is up for sale.
Motor as you may see in the pictures is in excellent condition. It was raced only once, that is no more than 20 tanks (including break-in procedure) i.e. 2.5 litres.
Performance was excellent and earned me second place at the 2010 Nationals.
Only reason I am selling is that I am no longer running in this class due to limited available time.

Engine has been serviced and has a new middle bearing as a precaution.

DAY 8 - Final Qualifying - IFMAR 2011 1/8 On road World Championships

Final qualifying results:

1) Pietsch, Robert DEU (37/10:12.769 R1)
2) Hara, Atsushi JPN (37/10:13.653 R3)
3) Balestri, Dario ITA (37/10:14.446 R1)
4) Shimo, Takaaki JPN (37/10:15.456 R3)
5) Fukuda, Keisuke JPN (37/10:15.730 R3)
6) Ielasi, Daniele ITA (37/10:15.785 R3)
7) Morganti, Paolo USA (36/10:00.905 R4)
8) Terauchi, Takehiro JPN (36/10:01.206 R1)
9) Romagnoli, Michele ITA (36/10:04.437 R1)
10) Verjak, Meen THA (36/10:04.739 R1)
11) Salemi, Walter ITA (36/10:04.889 R2)
12) Shimazaki, Shinya JPN (36/10:05.307 R1)
13) Salven, Michael DEU (36/10:05.691 R2)
14) Kurzbuch, Simon CHE (36/10:06.193 R3)
15) Vrielijnck, Rick NLD (36/10:06.710 R1)
16) Elias, Flavio BRA (36/10:07.048 R1)
17) Cyrul, Josh USA (36/10:07.384 R2)
18) D'Hondt, Robin BEL (36/10:07.828 R1)
19) Branson, Kyle GBR (36/10:08.063 R3)
20) Dankel, Eric DEU (36/10:08.210 R3)

I think it is fair to say that Collari's week is not going according to plan. Regardless of how much reserve performance he may have, battling from the 1/4 finals to the top will be a tough act. His driving looks solid and composed, it's just that the laptimes are not good enough and runntime for a 5 min run is right on the limit.

Pietsch is without a doubt the fastest driver, consistently toping the time sheets. Watching him is very spectacular.
Similar pace to Robert we have seen from a few other drivers, it's just that they are not as consistant as Robert nor are their fuel stops as lightning fast as Roberts are. He constantly makes 21.100 - 21.500 sec laptimes during fuelstops. For comparison most make 22.000-22.500 sec laptimes during fuelstops.

All of the above info is about qualifying.

The race is quite a different story as other factors come into play and raw speed is not as important anymore. My observations are that the pace Robert Pietsch showed in qualifying cannot be sustained during the race. I am sure he would like to argue this and prove me wrong, as after his dissapointment in Lostallo in 2009 he has learned a few things and should have the long runs sorted out, but I still believe that the drivers driving more conservatively and efficiently hold a strong advantage over those who are flat out.

I will analyze each factor:

Fuel consumption
those who pit every 5 minutes need to make a total of 11 pit stops.
those who pit every 4 minutes need to make a total of 14 pit stops. These additional 3 pitstops will add at least 15 seconds to their total time. 15 seconds is almost a lap.

Tyre wear
The faster you run and the harder you push, the higher tyre wear you have. It's simple law of physics. If Atsushi and Shimo opt to pit only once at the 30' mark, they will hold another substantial advantage over the faster drivers who opt to pit at the 20' and 40' marks. This was also the case in 2009 where Collari extended his lead even further by making only one tyre change.

Experience
Without a doubt the most experienced and reliable driver on the field is Collari and that is why, although he has had a dismall qualifying, no one can really bet against him.
Robert Pietsch seems to have gained quite a bit more of experience in long amain finals at this level having won the 45 minute long European championships just a head of Balestri
Dario Balestri is another driver with experience in long main finals, having being crowned twice European champion in 1/10 nitro touring.
Shimo isn't too bad either, having won multiple Japanese National titles and been crowned IFMAR vice World Champion in the past.
Hara is, as you might have easily figured it out by my posts, my favorite. I believe he has such skill and spirit that he will fight for it as if his life depends on it as he has shown in both electric touring and one hour long 1/8 buggy world championship finals.

Stamina VS Track conditions
This is about who will be the least tired during the final.
The top 4 are in a great advantage, enjoying a very relaxed Saturday morning, having plenty of time to prepare their equipment to the highest level possible. The draw back is their lack of track time on the same day, which could become a factor on Saturday afternoon when the final starts.
The remaining 6 drivers will have to bump up from the semi and some might be even coming from the quarter finals. These will certainly be in a great rhythm and have good knowledge of the track conditions but on the other hand they will be very tired after driving all day and working on their cars.

For now we can enjoy the lower finals and tomorrow the big show will resume!

End of Controlled Practice - IFMAR 2011 1/8 on road World Championships

Finally, controlled practice is over and top overall driver for the day is Atsushi Hara driving his O.S. powered Mugen MRX-5.
LiveRC is providing an outstanding coverage of the event with moving camera following the cars on the track as well as Barry Baker reporting with a camera from the pitlane, talking to drives and their mechanics before and after their runs.
Hara said he would try and go again for a one stop 10min run in order to double check he has the mileage to do so in qualifying. He came in 4:40 and then did a 5:20 run with enough spare fuel to run to the pitlane. With a 16.4 average laptime he should be safe coming in at 4:57 tomorrow, so his pit window is quite wide and safe. For anyone running 1/8 onroad cars this should look remarkable as with the current generation engines we barely manage 4:40-4:45 on a tank, at best.
We now have some clear photos of Atsushi's car. I cannot spot anything special or optional other than the Abec35 bearings and the front wheel axles which look different than stock, maybe titianium or aluminum. Intresting to see the choice of Mugen white springs at the back and softer grey springs at the front. Usually it's the other way around, so this might indicate that he has set up his car with plenty of steering, more than others might be comfortable with, and due to his driving style he can take advantage of this characteristic by maintaining high corner speed and being more efficient with the throttle.
Pictures from REDRC.NET

Again, the master of the class, Lamberto Collari has shown absolutely none of his potential yet, circulating around the track slowly, keeping his true pace well hidden from the competition.
We might be in for some great surprises tomorrow.
Either way it will be a very exciting day!