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Speed Tech's Grand Club Race

Pres Ilog on Apr 04, 2012
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his past weekend Speed Tech RC held a Grand Club race at the Tamiya outdoor track in Aliso Viejo, CA. It was the first time I had ever raced at this facility nor have I ever ran my 417x on asphalt. The weather conditions were not optimum to say the least. It was a cold cloudy day with the occasional light drizzle. These conditions pretty much throughout any tuning that would normally take place during the morning practice session.

First round of qualifying was a little rough as I was still getting use to the track and trying to make any changes based on the awkward weather. After the first round, I would have been mid-pack C-main (there were four heats of 13.5 class). I knew I would have to make some changes to shave lap times to at least land in the B. I opted to soften the front sway, take out a shim on the front inside camber link and dial a few more degrees of timing in my motor. The second qualifier went much better by running a full lap better than my previous. I started sixth on the grid for the B-main and finished 3rd after practically working my way through most of the field from the very back due to early race carnage.

It was nice to run some on-road again, definitely a different atmosphere than any off-road race. Looking forward to getting out to the track with the 417x soon!
801x/801xt Steering Knuckle "mod"

Pres Ilog on Mar 18, 2012
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These seem to be a weak point to the 801x and 801xt. I have herd of and seen several of these stripping at the track, not to mention it happen to me a couple times. The holes for the retaining screws usually strip or back out causing the knuckle to be ejected ending your run. This may have been covered before but I haven't seen it so I would like to pass it on.

Additional parts/tools needed:

(4) 2.5x6mm flat head screws

2.5 mm drill bit and drill

Basically, I used the additional 2.5x6mm to retain the mounting screws for the steering knuckles as seen in the pics. All you have to do is drill a hole for the flat head screw so it covers the button head just enough to retain it. I didn't take any special measurements for drilling the hole, just eye ball it and you should be fine. Be careful not to tighten the retaining screws too far, the steering knuckle screws need to rotate along with the knuckle. I ran a full race day and a 20 minute main with no issues. Also, I didn't use loctite of any sort for testing purposes.

On the underside of the knuckle you can use the kit's motor mount screws if you wish. If I remember correctly the are 10mm so they give you a little more thread in the steering knuckle. Just make sure they don't hit the axle. If you use these, use a 2.5x4mm button head instead of a flat head for the retaining screw.

I am sure there is a proper drill bit for drilling holes for 2.5mm screws but the 2.5 drill bit does fine, that's what was handy. Also, make sure the newly installed screws don't interfere with the axle or anything else. There shouldn't be a problem if you drill the holes in the same area as I have done.

I can't guarantee this is a full proof mod but my steering knuckles have been holding up every since I installed these screws. Hopefully all of you can get the same results :)
417x first impressions

Pres Ilog on Mar 01, 2012
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Finally squeezed some time in to get the 417x put together and out to the track for some initial testings. The build was a breeze as fitment was top notch Tamiya like quality. I was very pleased that the 417x includes the rear gear diff and an extra set of springs for carpet tracks. I was mostly impressed with the buttery smooth shocks and the overall balance of the car. I started off with the kit set up except for PTRC 450 oil in the front and 400 in the rear and 1000 diff oil. Electronics wise, I installed a Thunder Power 17.5 and Speed Passion Pro Stock ESC since my closest track, TQ Raceway, is a small indoor carpet track.

It was nice to get back to the on-road track as I haven't ran at TQ in about a year. Honestly, I really didn't know what to expect out of the 417x. First few runs were "okay", knowing the car had much more potential. I was running mid-to-low 12 second lap times at this time with the layout record for TC being 11.3 seconds. The front seemed to aggressive and was tossing the rear of the car like a ragged doll. I talked to a couple friends that were there and they helped me get on the right track. Throughout the evening, I raised the front inner ball stud 0.5 mm, went from 3/4 front sauce to 1/2, and lowered the ride height from 5mm to 4.5mm. Additionally, I was playing with gearing at the same time I was tuning the suspension. I ended up with a 3.89 FDR (if I remember correctly) with about 30 degrees timing. As the night went on, I was running 12 flats pretty consistently and dipping down into the high 11 second lap times; the car was getting really good for it's first outing. Last run of the eve I ran a 11.5 seconds lap time. With that only being a couple tenths of a second off the layout record, I knew the 417x had a competitive set up in a very short amount of time. Overall it was a very good night with the car, couldn't really ask for more.

Things to work on for next time:

- drop a tooth on the pinion for a little more rip out of the corners

- tune for a bit more on power steering

- drive, drive, drive...
2012 Grass Roots Rd.1

Pres Ilog on Feb 14, 2012
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The 2nd annual Grass Roots series kicked off this past weekend at Palm Desert Raceway. This would be my first race running the Tamiya 801x and 801xt. Having minimal track time with the vehicles I knew I would have a lot of work to do.

The buggy was basically the same set-up from my practice session the prior week with the exception of higher diff. fluids in the front and center, 8-6-3 from 7-5-3. The morning of the race I spent most of the time practicing getting use to the track lay-out. The buggy was handling very well and I knew it would be competitive with my current set-up. There must have been a gremlin in the buggy that day because there were several mishaps. First qualifier I didn't get to run because during pre-race warm-up the clutchbell seized. Apparently the flywheel nut backed off. Second qualifier went well, landing me in the middle of the pack of the A-main. The main started off well working up to 4th in the early part of the race. I flat-landed a very large triple jump that caused the motor to flame out. During the race I noticed the motor leaning out and was running a little erratic. I discovered that the exhaust pressure line had torn off at the exhaust pipe nipple. Overall, I was pretty happy with the performance of the buggy. Next time, I will take more precaution to prevent any more gremlins.

Truggy was a handful at best. To set things straight, the truggy was a rent-a-ride that I put together the day before the race. Just from installing my electronics and motor I could tell the truggy needed a lot of TLC. Shock set-up was a shot in the dark but ended up up working very well around the track. It jumped and landed well, but I couldn't get the steering I needed to lay down some good lap times. I went thru all this diffs throughout the day putting 5-5-3 as a baseline and would work from there. Things got better but steering was still lacking. It seemed as I wasn't getting 100% steering throw. I will be going over the truggy this week hopefully getting the steering I need. From the little run time I have with the truck I could tell it has a lot of potential. I am looking forward to getting the truck dialed in.
Initial 801x test test run

Pres Ilog on Feb 08, 2012
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With nitro season coming right around the corner, it was time to get the 801x together and take it out for a test drive. I am very pleased with the way the buggy goes together. The plastics and metals are pretty beefy in most areas which will help in preventing those nasty DNF's. The buggy is a little heavier than most buggies but I am sure once I get the light weight options installed it will bring the weight down to the ballpark of most other race buggies.

I used a set-up from TRF driver, Brian Givens, as a base. I heard from several people that his buggy has been looking really good on the track. The days prior to hitting the track there was a lot of bench tuning of the suspension. As Brian's set-up calls for 1.2 pistons up front, I felt the front was a little too soft (he does use an after market spring, while I was on the stiffest Tamiya). I switched to the 1.1 pistons and 35 wt. Losi oil and got the feel I was looking for. 1.1 pistons and 30 wt. oil in the rear felt pretty good on the bench; again with Tamiya's stiffest buggy spring.

Finally, track day! It was a hard choice between watching the Super Bowl or going to Thunder Alley for some test runs. Obviously, we see which is more important to me. Track was dry, dusty, and a little rutted. Medium to large size jumps, mostly small kickers that give you a little hang time. First couple tanks I took it pretty easy to get everything broken in, tune the motor, etc. First things I noticed was the gobs of steering this buggy has. Second was the brakes felt fa nominal. The front was still a little soft, I installed HB front blue spring and took the buggy out for another run. This was much better! I can hit the single jumps harder and not have to worry about the front end doing a nose plant. It also calmed down the steering just a tad, not loosing much. From here, I pretty much ran the buggy the way it was all day just to get more feel for the buggy.

There were some issues I had, the shock tops and bottoms were coming loose, and one of my pistons actually came off the shaft. Gobbed on the loctite and it was good for the rest of the day. Judging from the tire wear, it looked like I might be able to go up in the diff oils in the front and center. Plans for the week is to change the diff oils to 8-6-3 and get the 801 ready for Round 1 of the Grass Roots Series in Palm Desert this coming weekend.
Reedy Race wrap-up

Pres Ilog on Feb 06, 2012
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Enough cannot be said about this prestigious race. I would compare it to the famous Nitro Challenge race taking place in Arizona in a couple of weeks. Having such an important race at the beginning of the year is a great way to kick off the season.

When it comes 1/10th scale buggies, I can say I have only been driving these for 7 or 8 months; the Tamiya for only a couple months. So the expectations were not that high, I went to the race with the mindset to just do as best as I can and learn and much as I can.

The 201 was pretty good to start with. Looking for a little bit more rear traction and numbing of the steering, I opted to run a softer spring set-up with slightly heavier oils up front than what I have been use to. These changes gave me the handling I was looking for. I ended up qualifying for the G main and bumping into the F main finishing fourth. I had an eureka moment during my last race. After being lapped by the leaders, mainly because my head was not in the game, I decided to push the car more than my normal driving style. Now I find myself hanging with the leaders and actually checking up in some spots of the track ensuring to not wreck the leaders. Lesson learned, something I will definitely be working on in the future.

With only a couple of days with the 502 on the track I definitely didn't expect to do that well. I made similar changes to the 502 as I did the 201, softer springs and heavier oils up front. The car was good as I qualified for the G main. One of my qualifiers and the main were DNF's due to the steering rack breaking. There is an aluminum hop-up that is almost a necessity.
Ready for 2012 Reedy Race

Pres Ilog on Jan 23, 2012
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Ready for 2012 Reedy Race at West Coast RC in La Mirada, California. Looking forward to a great weekend of racing, meeting the Team, and watching the true pros go at it. I have been running the 201 for a few months and have found it much to my liking. The 502 has several practice days and works very well. Some tweaks here-and-there and the cars should do me well.
Greetings TRF Drivers

Pres Ilog on Jan 19, 2012
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I am official! Contracts signed, accounts are set-up, and the Tamiya collection has begun!!

First of all, I have to thank all of you who helped me get on the TRF team and also Fred for bringing me on. It was a lot of waiting but I feel it will definitely be worth it. I spent three years with my former chassis sponsor and I am looking forward to a long relationship with Tamiya.

I have A LOT of work ahead of me. Those who know me, know that I race all the time. Electric, nitro, on-road, off-road, it doesn't matter. If its popular and people are racing it, I am there. Unfortunately, here in Southern California, almost everything is popular. I am glad we have this community where I can go for help to get everything dialed in.

I will be posting my mug shot soon and blog anything worthy. Excited to be here and I can't wait to see people's faces when I sport a Tamiya shirt at the next nitro race :)