Saw these threads about a new indoor off-road track in Placentia! It's pretty close to the old California RC Center near the Fry's off the 91 freeway. Looks like it will be open for business soon. The people that have run on the track say the dirt is like the dirt MnM Hobbies in Corona used to have, ultra high bite clay! I might have to check this place out soon! Check these threads on RCtech for current info...
Current info
Thread in off-road forum
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Jason Boulanger at the Races!
Xtreme RC's photgrapher, Jason Boulanger, got 2 pics of my B4 buggy racing at Revelation Raceway during round 2 of the JBRL!
Thanks for the new wallpaper Jason :)
Monday, April 20, 2009
JBRL Round 2 at Revelation
I headed out for Round 2 of the JBRL series, which ended up being the 1st race of the series, since Round 1 at Hot Rod Hobbies got rained out. It was going to be a scorcher too as the predicted high was 95°F :( I signed up for stock buggy and truck, which had a decent turnout, with 3 heats in each class.
First some random stuff:
-103.1°F maximum temperature in my pit! as indicated by my digital thermometer
-I don't like racing outdoors in the heat!
-My morning coffee was too strong, giving me the jitters, making it hard to drive, or I was nervous.
-I was miserable the entire day because my nose was running like a faucet due to allergies. The only time it wasn't running, was if I was sitting still doing nothing or driving.
-I only took 2 practice runs with 1 of my 2 cars. I should've take at least 2 runs with each car, but I was afraid of breaking my car on the huge jumps meant for 1/8 scale buggies. Thus, I didn't get comfortable with the layout until round 2 of qualifying, where I turned in my best runs.
-Standing on the opposite end of the stand made it much easier for me to line up the biggest jump on the track.
-Brought the wrong tires.
-Need to use new tires for the best traction.
-Need to rebuild my diffs.
Stock Buggy
For round 1 I ran my new IFMAR pins, as I thought that would be right tire for the track. But, my car was really loose! It was really difficult to drive :( I was also having trouble lining up the huge step-up jump in the center of the track. I kept landing off the track to the right! The straight leading to this jump is long and angled, making it hard to tell if you're squared up. I turned a 7:39 finishing in 4th. Did I mention that the track at Revelation is huge? Lap times were in the 40 second range!
While turn marshaling, I noticed that the dirt in the groove was fairly clean, but off-line it was super dusty and had little balls of clumped up dirt left over from watering (The track was being watered every 3 races to keep the dust down. The water didn't really help with traction, as the track dried out in a couple of minutes since it was so hot outside.) I decided to switch over to new Holeshots or DoubleDees, since it was actually fairly clean in the groove. However, when searching my pit box, I realized I had left my new tires at home, because I didn't think I would need them :( I did have some used Holeshots, but they were about 50% worn already, and with all the dust on the track, you really needed new tires for the best grip.
After marshaling, I went to take a look at the straight leading up to the step-up jump. It was actually not straight at all, curving to the left! So if you line up parallel to the pipe leading into this section, you will end up jumping off to the right, which is what I was doing. To stop this, I decided to stand on the end of the drivers stand closest to this section and square up for the jump by lining up next to the inside pipe about halfway down the section, during my next race.
In addition to the tire change, I decided to go to thicker oil in my shocks as I was running 20 wt oil, and I wanted to increase the pack in my shocks for all the big jumps on the track. I did a little better in round 2, as I was able to take the step-up jump much better now, but I ended up making other mistakes (I hit the same pipe leading into the double-double 3 laps in a row!), and since the laps are so long, each mistake really kills your overall time. I finished 4th again with a 7:27.
My second round time seated me 2nd in the C main for Stock Buggy (the mains went up to the D main). I had a horrible start, pushing wide, and got passed by 2 cars in the 2nd turn. I also got out of shape a few times, as my car was really loose, and I dropped down to 6th. A few accidents allowed me to move up to 4th, where I had a battle going on with Shane Becica for 4th. I ended up taking the spot with another 7:27 run. Not a very good showing for me, as I didn't make the A main or finish in the top 3 of my main. I did learn a lot about running on a loose outdoor track though, which I plan to apply to the JBRL round at Pegasus Hobbies in June.
Stock Truck
I was still not comfortable running the layout and my time showed it. I turned a 7:21 finishing in 5th, even with applying what I learned from my buggy race (switching over to Holeshots and squaring up the step-up jump).
For round 2, I wanted to change the oil in all 4 shocks over to 30 wt ( I was running 25 wt), but I ran out of time, so I just changed over to 30 wt in my front shocks. I had a really good run in round 2! I turned consistent laps and made no mistakes! My laps were about 42 seconds, with one lap at 39.6! I finished in 2nd with a 8:34, seating me in 5th for the A main! Woohoo! I made the show! The stock truck mains would end up going to the D main.
By the time the stock truck A main came around, it was about 9 pm! It would be run under the lights, and when combined with the huge track and my bad eyesight, it was tough to judge the turns and my speed :( I had a decent start, holding my position until about halfway through the 1st lap, but I landed short on the huge double on the left side of the track, and ended up on my lid, while the entire field went by :( Then on the next lap, I got stuck behind a cone at the end of the back straight and it took forever for the marshal to notice me :( I tried to turn clean laps and catch back up, but most of the field was way out in front by now. I did manage to catch one truck and pass him! At least I didn't finish last and I was able to make the show! I ended up in 8th with a 8:15.
I should have better luck at the next 2 rounds of the JBRL, as the next race is at OCRC in 2 weeks, then Hot Rods Memorial Day weekend, where I have much more experience running :) This was my first time running off-road at Revelation and I will take what I learned here to the other loose tracks in the series.
See ya at the next race, the 3rd round of the OCRC Saturday Series, this weekend!
First some random stuff:
-103.1°F maximum temperature in my pit! as indicated by my digital thermometer
-I don't like racing outdoors in the heat!
-My morning coffee was too strong, giving me the jitters, making it hard to drive, or I was nervous.
-I was miserable the entire day because my nose was running like a faucet due to allergies. The only time it wasn't running, was if I was sitting still doing nothing or driving.
-I only took 2 practice runs with 1 of my 2 cars. I should've take at least 2 runs with each car, but I was afraid of breaking my car on the huge jumps meant for 1/8 scale buggies. Thus, I didn't get comfortable with the layout until round 2 of qualifying, where I turned in my best runs.
-Standing on the opposite end of the stand made it much easier for me to line up the biggest jump on the track.
-Brought the wrong tires.
-Need to use new tires for the best traction.
-Need to rebuild my diffs.
Stock Buggy
For round 1 I ran my new IFMAR pins, as I thought that would be right tire for the track. But, my car was really loose! It was really difficult to drive :( I was also having trouble lining up the huge step-up jump in the center of the track. I kept landing off the track to the right! The straight leading to this jump is long and angled, making it hard to tell if you're squared up. I turned a 7:39 finishing in 4th. Did I mention that the track at Revelation is huge? Lap times were in the 40 second range!
While turn marshaling, I noticed that the dirt in the groove was fairly clean, but off-line it was super dusty and had little balls of clumped up dirt left over from watering (The track was being watered every 3 races to keep the dust down. The water didn't really help with traction, as the track dried out in a couple of minutes since it was so hot outside.) I decided to switch over to new Holeshots or DoubleDees, since it was actually fairly clean in the groove. However, when searching my pit box, I realized I had left my new tires at home, because I didn't think I would need them :( I did have some used Holeshots, but they were about 50% worn already, and with all the dust on the track, you really needed new tires for the best grip.
After marshaling, I went to take a look at the straight leading up to the step-up jump. It was actually not straight at all, curving to the left! So if you line up parallel to the pipe leading into this section, you will end up jumping off to the right, which is what I was doing. To stop this, I decided to stand on the end of the drivers stand closest to this section and square up for the jump by lining up next to the inside pipe about halfway down the section, during my next race.
In addition to the tire change, I decided to go to thicker oil in my shocks as I was running 20 wt oil, and I wanted to increase the pack in my shocks for all the big jumps on the track. I did a little better in round 2, as I was able to take the step-up jump much better now, but I ended up making other mistakes (I hit the same pipe leading into the double-double 3 laps in a row!), and since the laps are so long, each mistake really kills your overall time. I finished 4th again with a 7:27.
My second round time seated me 2nd in the C main for Stock Buggy (the mains went up to the D main). I had a horrible start, pushing wide, and got passed by 2 cars in the 2nd turn. I also got out of shape a few times, as my car was really loose, and I dropped down to 6th. A few accidents allowed me to move up to 4th, where I had a battle going on with Shane Becica for 4th. I ended up taking the spot with another 7:27 run. Not a very good showing for me, as I didn't make the A main or finish in the top 3 of my main. I did learn a lot about running on a loose outdoor track though, which I plan to apply to the JBRL round at Pegasus Hobbies in June.
Stock Truck
I was still not comfortable running the layout and my time showed it. I turned a 7:21 finishing in 5th, even with applying what I learned from my buggy race (switching over to Holeshots and squaring up the step-up jump).
For round 2, I wanted to change the oil in all 4 shocks over to 30 wt ( I was running 25 wt), but I ran out of time, so I just changed over to 30 wt in my front shocks. I had a really good run in round 2! I turned consistent laps and made no mistakes! My laps were about 42 seconds, with one lap at 39.6! I finished in 2nd with a 8:34, seating me in 5th for the A main! Woohoo! I made the show! The stock truck mains would end up going to the D main.
By the time the stock truck A main came around, it was about 9 pm! It would be run under the lights, and when combined with the huge track and my bad eyesight, it was tough to judge the turns and my speed :( I had a decent start, holding my position until about halfway through the 1st lap, but I landed short on the huge double on the left side of the track, and ended up on my lid, while the entire field went by :( Then on the next lap, I got stuck behind a cone at the end of the back straight and it took forever for the marshal to notice me :( I tried to turn clean laps and catch back up, but most of the field was way out in front by now. I did manage to catch one truck and pass him! At least I didn't finish last and I was able to make the show! I ended up in 8th with a 8:15.
I should have better luck at the next 2 rounds of the JBRL, as the next race is at OCRC in 2 weeks, then Hot Rods Memorial Day weekend, where I have much more experience running :) This was my first time running off-road at Revelation and I will take what I learned here to the other loose tracks in the series.
See ya at the next race, the 3rd round of the OCRC Saturday Series, this weekend!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
New bodies mounted!
Finally got around to cutting them out and mounting them on the chassis's. I will be running them for the 1st time at Round 2 of the JBRL Series at Revelation this weekend :)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
New OCRC layout!
Got a pic off of the OCRC forum of a drawing for the new OCRC layout! It includes a new feature for OCRC, an over-under jump! Located in the middle of the track, you jump over a lane of traffic. Hope you can make the gap, or.... CRASH! This will be the layout for the next round of the OCRC Sat Series on 4/25... See you there!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Signs of Improvement
I headed out Wednesday night for more stock buggy racing. This time I was trying out a "light" shock setup, running 20wt oil in all 4 shocks. The current layout at OCRC doesn't have any "big" jumps but several hairpins and switchbacks. Hopefully the light oil in the shocks will result in a faster reacting car able to change direction quickly.
The new settings felt good during practice. Good traction and predictable. I saw no reason to make any changes until I see the lap times during round 1 of qualifying. I had a good start this time (no hacking and I got to start towards the front) and settled into 3rd place. I had a little battle going on with Tyler for 3rd, but came out on top, and finished the heat with a 13:02, my best time so far on this layout with my buggy! I was still in the low 23's though, with my fastest lap being a 23.034.
Round 2 would be a blowout run, as I would be starting in the back. Without a big wreck in the 1st few laps, it would be hard to move up the standings, as everyone's lap times are really close. I cruised around the track mid-pack, finishing in 6th with a 13:17. I did finally turn a 22.672 lap though! It must've been on the lap where I "went big" and rode the bowl turn and jumped the table-step up jump then triple-singled the quad section. Too bad I can't do that every lap and consistently. Clearing this section in that manner with a 17.5 motor is on the risky side.
My run from round 1 seated my in 3rd for the A main. I got a decent start, but I guess my nerves were messing with me, as I had a hard time relaxing, which made it difficult to drive! This caused me to make a few mistakes, allowing the 4th place car to catch me, then eventually pass me :( I finished in 4th with a 13:00. Nuts! I just missed going 14 laps!
I guess these "light" shock setups I've been trying in my buggy and truck have been working out for me. I think I'll run these settings for a few more races, but may change them, depending on what the layouts are like for the next JBRL and OCRC series races. The next thing I need to do is figure out how to get a little bit more power out of my motors....
On another note, I heard that OCRC will be adding more clay to the dirt this coming weekend! I bet that will help with holding more water, but I wonder how tacky the dirt will get? Will it turn into the dirt MnM Hobbies had, where you ran slicks and ultra stiff foam? Maybe I'll have to race next Wednesday and check out the new dirt!
The new settings felt good during practice. Good traction and predictable. I saw no reason to make any changes until I see the lap times during round 1 of qualifying. I had a good start this time (no hacking and I got to start towards the front) and settled into 3rd place. I had a little battle going on with Tyler for 3rd, but came out on top, and finished the heat with a 13:02, my best time so far on this layout with my buggy! I was still in the low 23's though, with my fastest lap being a 23.034.
Round 2 would be a blowout run, as I would be starting in the back. Without a big wreck in the 1st few laps, it would be hard to move up the standings, as everyone's lap times are really close. I cruised around the track mid-pack, finishing in 6th with a 13:17. I did finally turn a 22.672 lap though! It must've been on the lap where I "went big" and rode the bowl turn and jumped the table-step up jump then triple-singled the quad section. Too bad I can't do that every lap and consistently. Clearing this section in that manner with a 17.5 motor is on the risky side.
My run from round 1 seated my in 3rd for the A main. I got a decent start, but I guess my nerves were messing with me, as I had a hard time relaxing, which made it difficult to drive! This caused me to make a few mistakes, allowing the 4th place car to catch me, then eventually pass me :( I finished in 4th with a 13:00. Nuts! I just missed going 14 laps!
I guess these "light" shock setups I've been trying in my buggy and truck have been working out for me. I think I'll run these settings for a few more races, but may change them, depending on what the layouts are like for the next JBRL and OCRC series races. The next thing I need to do is figure out how to get a little bit more power out of my motors....
On another note, I heard that OCRC will be adding more clay to the dirt this coming weekend! I bet that will help with holding more water, but I wonder how tacky the dirt will get? Will it turn into the dirt MnM Hobbies had, where you ran slicks and ultra stiff foam? Maybe I'll have to race next Wednesday and check out the new dirt!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Hackfest and a good race :)
I decided to race Friday and Sunday this weekend. Originally I was planning to only race Stock Buggy, but a hackfest on Friday night that ended with a broken car, changed that.
Stock Buggy, Friday
I was trying out some new camber link locations (ie roll centers) to see if the car would rotate around all the hairpins at OCRC. I was also looking for more power out of my motor and changed my ESC profile to one with a more aggressive throttle curve and power.
I don't recall much about the actual racing, other than I got punted around in the back of the field. Two bad starts and hacking in the qualifying rounds, seated me in the back of the A main. I was turning laps in the low 23 second range, while the top drivers were in the 22's. My times were 13:05 and 13:23. The 13:05 run put me in 6th.
In the main, I was struggling in the back of the field, trying different lines to see if I could make up some time. Until while trying to avoid an accident on the straight, I got hit, and broke a ball stud. Game over :(
Stock Truck, Sunday
Since my buggy was broken, I decided to try a new setup on my T4, and race it Sunday. AE posted Mayfields setup from the Cactus Classic, which is what I put on my T4. This setup runs 35wt oil in all the shocks, which seemed stiff on the bench, but what the heck I'll try it out.
During practice it felt ok, but was a little hard to drive. I decided to get used to it and see what kind of lap times I'd run in qualifying. For round 1, I decided to gear down 1 tooth (motor was running in the 160°'s), change my power profile in my ESC to slightly lower power and linear setting, and stood up my front shocks 1 hole. It was a little easier to drive, but still too "edgy". I was running laps in the low 23's and turned a 13:05 in 4th. However, it just didn't feel planted. I decided to change to 25wt oil in all my shocks and see how it felt in round 2. It did feel much better and was easier to drive, but my lap times showed no improvement. I finished in 2nd with a 13:04, still no 14 lap run :( Go figure...
For the main, I reduced my throttle expo to -30% and moved the tops of my front shocks to the inside hole on the tower. I had qualified 3rd for the main. I got an excellent start, moving into 2nd in the finish line hairpin. I tucked in behind the leader, and was never more than a straight behind him, but he never made a mistake, and we were running about the same average lap times. I was able to close the gap a little, but was never close enough to make a pass. I finished in 2nd with a 14:13! My 1st 14 lap run! :)
I think for the next time I run my truck, I'll lighten the springs from blue/green to silver/black and see how that feels. I also plan to try 20wt oil in my buggy, as I seem to like the handling of these "light" shock setups.
Until next time....
Stock Buggy, Friday
I was trying out some new camber link locations (ie roll centers) to see if the car would rotate around all the hairpins at OCRC. I was also looking for more power out of my motor and changed my ESC profile to one with a more aggressive throttle curve and power.
I don't recall much about the actual racing, other than I got punted around in the back of the field. Two bad starts and hacking in the qualifying rounds, seated me in the back of the A main. I was turning laps in the low 23 second range, while the top drivers were in the 22's. My times were 13:05 and 13:23. The 13:05 run put me in 6th.
In the main, I was struggling in the back of the field, trying different lines to see if I could make up some time. Until while trying to avoid an accident on the straight, I got hit, and broke a ball stud. Game over :(
Stock Truck, Sunday
Since my buggy was broken, I decided to try a new setup on my T4, and race it Sunday. AE posted Mayfields setup from the Cactus Classic, which is what I put on my T4. This setup runs 35wt oil in all the shocks, which seemed stiff on the bench, but what the heck I'll try it out.
During practice it felt ok, but was a little hard to drive. I decided to get used to it and see what kind of lap times I'd run in qualifying. For round 1, I decided to gear down 1 tooth (motor was running in the 160°'s), change my power profile in my ESC to slightly lower power and linear setting, and stood up my front shocks 1 hole. It was a little easier to drive, but still too "edgy". I was running laps in the low 23's and turned a 13:05 in 4th. However, it just didn't feel planted. I decided to change to 25wt oil in all my shocks and see how it felt in round 2. It did feel much better and was easier to drive, but my lap times showed no improvement. I finished in 2nd with a 13:04, still no 14 lap run :( Go figure...
For the main, I reduced my throttle expo to -30% and moved the tops of my front shocks to the inside hole on the tower. I had qualified 3rd for the main. I got an excellent start, moving into 2nd in the finish line hairpin. I tucked in behind the leader, and was never more than a straight behind him, but he never made a mistake, and we were running about the same average lap times. I was able to close the gap a little, but was never close enough to make a pass. I finished in 2nd with a 14:13! My 1st 14 lap run! :)
I think for the next time I run my truck, I'll lighten the springs from blue/green to silver/black and see how that feels. I also plan to try 20wt oil in my buggy, as I seem to like the handling of these "light" shock setups.
Until next time....
Saturday, April 4, 2009
New offroad bodies
My friend finished painting my new offroad bodies! They are all JConcepts Illuzion Hi-Flow bodies. One for my T4, B44, and B4, all with the same paint job I've been using since 2002. I can't wait to mount them and sticker them up :)
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