Monday, February 2, 2015

The Family Jilles

RCtech is alive and buzzing with Jilles "Thumbs of Fury" Groskamp leaving Tamiya.



Jilles wrote on his facelibre page that the split should bring him a new adventure.

Good luck and get us some new videos of that "performance" pump.




It's Monday in February and the Groundhog says more winter.



But, like a noob with a mod motor and a GoPro, the outdoor season is headed our way with no signs of brake checking or turning.

Here comes the sun:


I have no idea if that driver was a noob or if it was a mod motor(could have been a Tinity D3.5 17.5 for a local "club race") but that video slays me.

Happy Monday. If you're looking for a sponsor, Tamiya may be scouting. If you've got a sponsor, clean that pit area and rep that brand like a PRO.

-Tommy

Friday, February 28, 2014

Knowledge

Friday.





RC cars evolve too. Embrace change. Experiment. Go faster.

See you Monday!
-Tommy

Thursday, February 27, 2014

2014 Reedy International Touring Car Race of Champions

Reedy Race at the Tamiya Circuit. Hot off RC10.com:


What started out many years ago as Mike Reedy's vision to showcase the world’s best drivers in a format unlike any other ever used in RC racing, has grown to be one of the most anticipated and prestigious RC races in the world.

Reedy, Tamiya America, and Scotty Ernst Productions are proud to announce that after a five-year absence, the Reedy International Touring Car Race of Champions will return to the Tamiya America circuit May 22-25, 2014. 



After 5 years, two fantastic brands, AE and Tamiya are joining forces to provide a fantastic race. Not unlike the Prestigious Reedy Off Road, the Reedy Touring Invitational Class(and  Open) offer fantastic, top notch racing.

When The location was announced, my child like mind immediately imagined the greatest touring car racers in the world with not yet released, prototype cars, ready to blow minds on the RedRC Twitter feed.


Like The Jet-Vulcan:







Awesome. Although I had no idea this existed until I had gone further into the Tamiya website than Jang and Ultimate Tamiya could even dream of going.  I was in deep on Tamiya.com and there seemed to be now way to get back to 1:1.


 But, dang. Imagine Reedy racers piloting a machine like the Jet-Vulcan going "wing to wing" with a Black-Atlas or the Dyna Triger on the Sochi Sliding Center like walls of the fifure 8 Dangun Circut:







This smoothly curved track is just what Dangun Racers require to reach their top speeds and push past rival cars for the lead. In fact, what is unique about the Dangun Circuit is that all the action happens on the same track-no barriers between your car and your rivals'! That means exciting bumping, jostling, sliding, and passing, all at break-neck speeds. Quality constructed Dangun Circuit features simple snap together assembly and does not require any tools.




Well, a blogger can dream.



The good news is that they'll be shredding mod and 13.5 touring cars around the beautiful Tamiya Raceway in Aliso Viejo, California






Gorgeous facility.  It seems that Timaya uses the track for teasting most of the time. On Saturdays though, the track is open to the public. 

This video highlights the onroad asphalt track and possibly the most authentic baja course:





I can't wait to watch the best go toe to toe at the 2014 Reedy Onroad. 

As long as I'm dreaming of the possibilities of the track I' also like to think they take only the best cars, trucks and buses to get there:





Take care
-Tommy

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Judgment Day

Since I work in the bicycle industry, co workers love to talk tech and pick my brain about rc. It is often dificult to convey to a coworker why I spend so much time and money racing toy cars, but I seem to come to the same conclusion each time that we can all agree on, "It's fun."

Since the two past times cycling and rc rarely come into the same conversation, it's a big deal when it does. A co worker forwarded a video of a remote controlled robot riding a bike




Amazing. The future of racing remote controlled bicycling robots looks bright. So we are at the fork in the road. We, as rc car racers, chose to control our machines and race them in circles. Others have chosen to teach the machines to race themselves.







Technologies involved in the Robot Racing challenge come from a wide range of disciplines of interest to both industry and engineering education. Engineering students in all disciplines today do well to have a familiarity with each of these technologies. These technologies are vital to today’s emerging industries. These robots are finding their way in applications such as space exploration, mining, search and rescue, remote sensing and automotive inspection. Some autonomous robots are even becoming common around the home for routine tasks such as vacuuming, mowing lawns, parking cars, and in future, driving cars.


So, Students and hobbyists teaching robots to race.

If we consider the possibilities, this could be one step closer to close to Judgment Day.




If GnR are playing on the judgement day, I've got paypal ready for tickets.






To keep my coworkers in mystery about what an rc race looks like, I've decided to run with this niche of robot racing as somehow related to the bottom of the b main racing I do. 


With all of this badass coming forth as I dig deeper into robot racing, it makes me proud to control these future, german accented killing machines.


Wedensday!
-Tommy

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Them's The Rules

Took the day off work to fix up the house a little. Which has been a solid excuse for just catching up on perhaps the last true news source for unbiased who's hot list, The View. It's the perfect all star lineup to stay up to date on who's dating who and where it's cold in the US.


Ty is so hot right now.


Since I'm home catching up on celebrity buggies and trucks, I also have a clothes washer repair man coming by, for his third time in as many weeks. No biggy,  it's under warranty, but as someone who prides himself on taking things apart, breaking them and then zip tying and dremeling it back together; a repair man just stings a little.






I've gotten to hang with the repair man twice already and I'm all set for our third date.  Fingers crossed that he brought his "A" game.





While I wait and take in Ye Ole View, it's forum time. It sounds like things are heating up on both social media and forums for rc racers.

At RCtech.net, the seemingly endless debate of saucing continues.



In the search for better traction, and faster lap times, we, rc car racers put toxic liquid chemicals on our tires. The "tire sauces" allow the rubber to soften, which equal traction, which equals faster lap times.  All at a dollar and health cost, because softer tires wear faster, and a health cost, because toxic chemicals are bad.

This is the RC world saying, "Yes, to steroids." They are bad, but we want the benefits. And unlike athletic endevours, no one is saying we can't.

Tire softeners are not cheating, because it is not an unfair advantage. If they were banned, then using sauce would be cheating.

The bottom line is: we're racers. Tell us the rules to race by and we'll fill in the gaps. Until the rules change, the playing field is, well, level.

Unlike that cruel mistress Tire Sauce that we do have a choice to use or not, some choices are written down. And we call those choices "rules."

Like the simple race sign up sheet.

Just like not being able to run 4wd in a 2wd class, you also need to know if your "sponsorship" puts you in a new category.

That was too vague a request for some at the Nitro Challenge. And unfortunately, two "Open Class" podium finishers at this past weekend's Nitro Challenge got the boot(disqualified) for not following the rules.

By announcement, all 700(!) or so racers had to comply with the race organizers rule: "Don't race open if you have a chassis sponsor."

Pretty simple. But the rule was broken.

I'm intrigued by this "category" assigning in our hobby. It really is a tough subject when there are not a broader guide as to how to categorizes yourself.

If rc was like bicycle racing, I'd still be a cat 5 trying to"cat up" which would most likely lead to me showing up to races more to get "upgrade points" or something similar. If I was racing in a slower bicycle racing category to achieve higher results, I would be shamed and called a sandbagger.

Thankfully for this "dabbler in the rc arts" rc car racing is different. It is run what you brung, use what you feel is justified and within your skill. The clock will sort everyone out.

But I do ask is that we keep the e cigs off the drivers stand. Because some of us are trying to breathe that sweet sweet nitro.





Take care and watch out for each other.
-Tommy



Monday, February 24, 2014

Monday Endurance



After a long weekend, I was more than happy to sit through the finishing hour of the Daytona 500. One highlight was when they suggest the viewer crank up the volume!





This "crank it up" couldn't come soon enough for me. The only problem I had during my edge of the seat viewing was constantly trying not to through food at the commentators. It was a strange mix of WWF and golf commentary, lots of child like screaming and too much back story. All wrapped up in a "brought to you by" blah blah blah.






I wish I had turned the volume of the 500 down and turned this on this video as the audio:





SO GOOD!


The Daytona 500 was awesome. It turns out I am a fan.

Conveniently for me the finish was on after the sun went down and I had gotten all my Sunday errands in. That meant I went on a bike ride, hung out with family and friends and made it to Lowe's just in time to remind myself that I know nothing about home repair.






Speaking of shorts, I hope every one cot to watch some of the Dirt Nitro Challenge.If you didn't maybe you can find some time while waiting for your Lowes guy to figure out which aisle is electrical.





Here's to a good start to the week!

-Tommy

Friday, February 21, 2014

Please Stand By

Friday! And I'm stoked. Setting up my Saturday morning tv is really the biggest part of my Friday, so I'll let you all in on the deets.




First up Dirt Nitro Challenge: RUN DNC!





This will be on the top of my list. I'm normally a buggy lover, but the truggies are beasts. The Truggies are HUGE! They may as well have small people in those things. The government should not be affraid of drones, because 1/8 Nitro Truggies will do way more damage.

As long as they don't need marshaling.






The DNC will be going off all weekend, and I'm stoked, but 1/10 offroad is where my heart is at, so I'll be  watching the Euro Winter Open Championships as well.


The Brits start their indoor off road in just 16 hours.


Which means I get to wake up and cruise over to the couch in my vinyl footed, button up one piece pjs tomorrow and sit down with a popcorn bowl of fruit loops to watch some sweet astro turf action while solving the puzzles on the back of the cereal box.





Expect some of the most passionate race commentary in the Queen's English if Nick Daman is within 20 meters of a microphone. Love this guy:

Nick Daman's passion for all tiny racers


They deliver solid coverage and you should check out rcracingtv.net if you need your fix.

I expect to be dressed in something "socially acceptable" by 2pm for some sunny day house work.

Or really, some pre-season rc wrenching which may include some rc car body paint huffing.

Jconcepts share a great fan vid of the entire creative process of painting and getting what I like to call a "Tamiya High" here:





And while my rc car painting is traditionally a one or two can "spray special," which end up looking Warhol with crayons on the  BMW m1.




Hope you all have a great Friday working and an even better Saturday chillin or racing. Here's a pro tip for doing secret work(assuming your employer doesnt mind you looking at a blank screen all day)






Party like it's friday!
-Tommy