This weekend I made the 8-hour trip up the Hobbytown USA Hobbyplex for the 2015 1:8 Spring Nationals. This is an event I’ve attended now for the past three years, and for good reason: The facility is amazing, the hobby shop is well stocked, the locals are very friendly, and the track layouts are always different and challenging. Of course this year would be no different, as when we arrived we were greeted with a track layout with some interesting obstacles like part of an oval track on the right side and some stair steps. I would be running expert E-Buggy and Expert Nitro Buggy, with almost no run time on my Nitro Buggy things were sure to get interesting! I set out quickly to see if the Tire Choice for this year would be much different than the past two.
After a day of practice, Electrons in either M4 or MC would provide the best grip depending on the moisture and grip level of the track during your run.
Qualifying went very well in both classes. In E-Buggy, I would start out TQ’ing the first round. I would go on to narrowly miss TQ in the second round after a few bobbles. The third round was a little interesting as well and I managed a 2nd again. With qual points being used, this would just barely put me into the 2nd position on the grid for mains day.
Nitro started off pretty well also, as I was able to run a pace to get fourth overall for the round. Unfortunately in the second round while on a top three pace I had a throttle servo go out which ended my run and put my really low in the standings. I knew I had to get a good run in the last qualifier, but it just wasn’t met to be! I managed a measly 17th with some issues. This would put me fourth in the B-Main, forcing me to run the 30-minute Main If i was going to make the show.
Mains day went pretty well considering my Track record with having terrible luck at this track. The locals have agreed I’ve got some kind of Omaha curse looming over me, but I was intending to make the most of it!
In E-Buggy, I was able to get out in front of the TQ guy and lead with a large margin for the majority of the race until about two minutes from the end I had some sort of strange electrical issue, yet still ended up third overall! Guess that’s what happens when I try to run an ESC for four years! I installed a backup I brought and was ready to go for the next Main.
I managed to beat out the TQ once again and this time win the Main.
The third Main was going very well as once again I got out in front and lead for most of the race, until a lapped car hoped over a lane and hit my car head on, causing me to be stuck there for quite awhile. This wreck let second and third past me unfortunately, and I was bale to pass the second place guy but just didn’t have enough time on the clock to pass the leader. I ended up 2nd overall! Not too shabby for a rough couple of Mains!
In Nitro, I was able to bump out of the B-Main pretty convincingly. However in the time between the B and A-Main, things had changed quite a bit on the track surface so I went out on Clay Electrons for Tire longevity and a hunch. They worked pretty well, but halfway through the race the track had changed again and my car was really struggling for grip on the now slick surface. I still managed to finish my first 45-minute Nitro A-Main, and pull off an 8th place overall. I’ll take it!
My Pro-Line Electrons kept me glued to the track with the ability to do consistent laps
, also helped by the amazing smoothness and power of the Hobbywing 150amp ESC and 4274 1/8th motor. Of course, my Tekno EB48.2 and NB48 buggies were always ready for more and turned some of the fastest laps of the weekend! Very happy with my race package now that I’ve got everything figured out. Feeling very ready to fight with the big boys at AMS 6.0! Check out my race report on that soon!
Here is a link to a video I took of Pro-line Driver Seth Vandalen doing a lap on the unique track in his Truggy (just to get a look at the track). https://plus.google.com/111198215274965358225/posts/PHzCdPG3bNb
– Carter Flotron
Tekno R/C, Pro-Line Racing, Hobbywing North America
