Slash Vs. Dog

One of our newest members, "Antioch Slashin" has shared a fun little video with us that I wanted to pass along. It features his new Traxxas Slash tearing up the backyard track - all the while giving his Jack Russel Terrier an outlet to release some pent up energy on. Take a look:



Have a comemnt? Make it here.

New RC World Record: 161.78mph!

The world speed record has been broken yet again. Nic Case has done it again! From Schumacker Racing ...

"Nic Case drove his stretched Schumacher Mi3 “streamliner” straight and true down the Rockingham drag strip to set a brand new world record for top speed achieved with an RC car this Saturday. He posted 155mph on his first run to shatter his previous record, and his second run extended the new record to an incredible 161.78mph!

The International Speed Challenge event hosted by the Rockingham drag strip and race directed by Billy Weeks was a well attended entire day of high speed running on a world class surface. Using ROSSA rules and speed record standards, the event attracted many top names in RC drag racing and speed running to try their hand in a controlled and official atmosphere. David Akers even “crossed the pond” with a great showing from the UK to make it a truly international event.

Schumacher USA Sales Manager Shawn Palmer narrowly missed wins in three classes, and took second place by less than 1mph with his Fusion 28 RTR nitro sedan and his CORE lipo and Speed Passion powered Mi3.5 Race touring sedan."

To check out pictures of this incredible vehicle, GO HERE.

RC Lifestyle: RC Car / Super Mario Bros. MashUp

Now this is impressive!! Take a look at what this RC Car / Video Game enthusiast has done:



Now that must have taken a lot of time, patience and practice! All he used was an RC Car with a bell protruding from the sides and a few hundred wine bottles filled with different volumes of fluid.

Spec Class Practice Sessions

Last night I got home at nearly midnight from our second Spec Class meet. I had an awesome time - good food (thanks to RCRookie), great people, fun conversations about RC, and a really challenging track!



When the RC18 Spec Class was proposed, i was happy to go along with it, but truth be told, i've only ever raced 1/10 scale off-road and was not expecting much action from the smaller 1/18 scale buggies. The Spec Racing Class is designed to keep the playing field even and competition high by requiring everyone participating to have pretty much the same vehicle (an RC18T, RC18B) in a nearly stock, out of the box, condition, identical drive train, and the addition of on-road tires (the club meets are on pavement). I thought it would be fun to bash around now and again but not much else. Now it's turned into something of an addiction!



First, these smaller scales of today rival the bigger 1/10 scale RC cars of 20 years ago (the last time i was racing RC) - especially the RC18 series of vehicles. These are shaft-driven 4-wheel drive, have full ball bearings all around, ball differentials front and rear, oil-filled shocks and all the other advances you would expect in a race-class machine. in fact, when i started to do a little homework on these, i found that there are very active racing communities for these scales. my initial prejudices against these smaller cars went away almost immediately once i took it out of the box (did i mention they are RTR?) and took it for a spin.

WOW!

This thing, even with the stock out-of-the-box motor, really moves! i've had this fantasy of getting a 1/8th scale truggy (4wd truck) and this little RC18 might just keep me from needing to get one! These really are Mini Truggies!



So now i'm in love with this thing, but will the pavement really be that fun? well, the group has done an amazing job fashioning a track that combines all the technical pieces of a good on-road track, with some of the challenging elements of off-road tracks - all in all, a good curvy track with jumps! i was astonished at how much driving on this track feels like an authentic race experience - an off-road one to boot! I walk away from the night with that same giddy feeling i do after i get back from the off-road track!



I love the fact that this does really feel like a real race machine, on a real track, and that what i learn at these events will help me with my 1/10 scale racing. all the things i would learn from the couple of times a month i can get down to the off-road track with my B44 (roughly an hour away for me) are here in the Spec Racing Class: keeping focus, looking for the right line through the track, anticipating speed for jumps and learning to be consistent. what's more, these little vehicles are so durable and inexpensive to maintain, that i'm way more confident pushing the truck to its limits (and my own). This makes me less afraid to make mistakes, and through these mistakes, i'm learning a lot if things i can use on any track.



One of the most enjoyable aspects of these events are just hanging out with fellow hobbyists and talking RC. In my area and in my line of work, very few people i know, if any, even know that this hobby/sport actually exists (I think that's a trend these days for a lot of hobbies), so it's really great to have members show up with their latest builds, talk about their last race meet, compare paint jobs, ask questions, and share experiences we've had in this hobby of ours. There's nothing like good, solid camaraderie to finish a fun night of racing!See you at the next Club Meet!

- Michelangelo

For more photos, click here and here.
(thanks to B-Dog and Knytemare for the great photos)

From the Lab: IT's ALIVE.....IT'S ALIVE!!!!

What do you get when you take a Tamiya Durga, add a Castle Creations Sidewinder brushless setup, and throw in some custom electronics to handle the 14 Volts delivered by the custom A123 battery pack?? 1+ Horse Power that literally smokes the tires when you hit the throttle, AT ANY SPEED!!!

"Dr." Shtarbucks has emerged from the lab with his latest creation, and it's quite a beast....This cas leaves burnouts like a dragster (and he has already had to superglue the tires back on to the rims because the raw power of his system ripped all four clean off). The video DOES NOT do this thing justice, but believe me, this buggy is a sight to see! There was no way he could give it full throttle in the area he was running it - not to mention the tires could not hook up with the pavement.

Wheelie Small!

saw one of these last weekend at NorCal, this video was the first time i had even heard of scale motorcycle racing! great video and coverage of the racers.



Wheelie Small // Current

Grand Theft.....Auto?

In the news:

As we all know, the passion we share for RC cars can sometimes be hard to explain to those outside of the enthusiast community. Imagine having to explain that passion to the cops when they arrest you for Felony Grand Theft (RC) Auto!!

That's exactly what this guy will have to do if the Cops ever get their hands on him! Apparently, he was willing to go way beyond normal boundaries to get himself the "car of his dreams" valued at more than $600 (which makes his crime a Felony).

RC drifting subculture in SF....

I came across this video not that long ago and just remembered to share it ;) It's amazing what different subcultures are out there. This is happening right here in SF! The video presents some nice coverage of the scene, but also the people pushing it - a little glimpse into the lifestyle of RC...

enjoy -- michelangelo

RC Lifestyle: RC'ing in Napa!

Last weekend while staying in Napa with my girlfriend, I got the chance to kick up some dust in the back lot of a winery. Needless to say, I have a pretty awesome girl who understands and supports my hobby (and even gets into it herself here and there!).

I couldn't have asked for nicer weather and (FINALLY) got a chance to get my RC18T and RC18MT a little muddy ;) While the lot was pretty flat, there were a few obstacles to keep it somewhat interesting and by being a little creative, I was able to make a ramp out of a few rocks and a scrap of wood....Hey, at least I was able to get a little bit 'o air!

If you ever find yourself in Napa, be sure to bring your RC gear as there are plenty of places for you to pull over, strap in your batteries, and go. Oh, and do yourself a favor and do NOT miss out on the V.Sattui winery. They have plenty of delicious wine to choose from and an awesome little cafe/BBQ(on nice weather days) with lots of room to picnic. It was definitely the highlight of our trip.

Getting Started in RC

So you say you are new to the world of RC cars? Well welcome to one of the most exhilarating hobbies around!

While some may consider an RC car a "toy", there really is so much more to it than that - as they say, there really is more than meets the eye. RC cars are a great way to learn about or increase one's knowledge of mechanics, electronics, physics, and much more. In fact, these are not "toys" at all....lift the body off a hobby RC car, and you will find a fully functional model car that in every way acts like (and often) outperforms what it's full sized cousins are able to do (in scale, of course).

There are many differences between a "toy" RC car and a "hobby" RC car. What really separates the two is the flat out performance you can achieve with a high quality "Hobby" RC car. Other things you can do with a "hobby" car are:

• build
• replace parts
• modify
• race at RC car tracks
• tune, etc.
  

While the hobby can definitely get expensive, it doesn't have to be! There are lots of options out there for different types of enthusiasts. In fact, the hobby has evolved over the years to make it even easier for beginners to get started. Once upon a time, almost every vehicle came in parts which you had to assemble yourself. In addition, most kits did not come with any electronics - meaning the kit required additional things to get it "up and running", such as a motor, speed control, battery, receiver, steering servo, charger, and of course, the radio. Well, those days are over. It is common practice for most companies to offer "RTR" or "Ready to Run" kits, where you can take the vehicle out of the box, charge the battery, and off you go!

At Bay Area Peninsula RC we are completely open to any and all who love RC cars, whether you are a beginner or a serious racer who just wants to hang out and drive with some cool people.

There is a wealth of information online and here are some recommended places to start:

Wikipedia

RC Car Action