North East RC Racing Blog: Schumacher North East Winter Series

Schumacher North East Winter Series - Round 2 @ NEAM

Join In: Book In Rd3 <--- click the link - race on 18th Nov '18

Sponsored by Schumacher Racing (www.racing-cars.com), and TQ models.

Sunday 7/10 saw the second round of the North East winter series ran by NEAM, at the Nissan plant in Sunderland.

Previous Round:

2wd and 4wd of the previous round was won by David Snee with his Schumacher cars .....

...... but with the a few drivers changing teams on 1st of October (new season), David would leave Schumacher and have some new Kyosho cars to play with at this meeting.

Track:

Surface......

The surface for the series has been switched back to EOS carpet from mixed surface, following feedback from round one. This surface change has proved a lot more popular, with numbers up, and 10 heats on the timetable for Sunday.

Features......

We had corner table tops, a double, a step down ...

... and some humps ...

..... but it all flowed really well, and was well received by everyone from top F1 drivers, to new starters.

Feedback ......

Some comments from the F1's included 'liking how the EOS track wasn't just a flat out track, but required restraint on the throttle' , and that it 'flowed really well, was a good qualifying and racing track.' So top marks to the track builders.

Tyres:

Most went with Schumacher Cactus rear tyres, and the new fusion fronts in 4wd (usual cut staggers in 2wd) - all in yellow compound. The combination of Cactus rears and Fusion fronts, meant the car was well balanced, easy to drive fast or slow, and tyre wear was minimal. It seems to be the perfect combination for carpet racing, well done Schumacher.

Racing:

The sharp end ....

At the top end, 2wd and 4wd was dominated by Eugene Galley, running the Schumacher KC and L1 cars. His comments being that he tried pushing on, but wasn't rewarded in lap times, but when he backed off, and picked his lines, the times then came down.

I took his advice in rd 4, changing from attacking the track, to picking my lines, and managed to put in a score of '2' in round for 4wd, better than the previous scores of 11 and 26 from my previous rounds.

In 2wd, Greg was improving his new PR car as the meeting went on, and David Snee and James Chappell were getting there with the Kyosho 2wd cars which they'd picked up for this meeting. Top Xray in 2wd was Kev Brewer, qualifying 6th, just behind me ... unfortunately, we came together accidentally on the first corner and ended up at the back of the field.

Top 3 in 2wd:
1st Eurgene Galley (Schumacher)
2nd Greg Williams (PR)
3rd David Snee (Kyosho)

In 4wd, other great drives were coming from Ethan (2017 series winner) and James in 4wd with their Tekno cars, Tyler with his Schumacher L1. Nice to see Natalie on the pace with her new PR 4wd car aswell, and Chris Stewart hitting the A final, highest Xray car, after a long lay off.

Top 3 in 4wd:
1st Eurgene Galley (Schumacher)
2nd James Chappell (Tekno)
3rd Ethan Chappell (Tekno)

The racing and qualifying through the field ....

IT was nice to see driving standards were good through out the field, with many good races to watch and participate in. I enjoyed participating in an excellent 4wd race with James and Ethan.

Nice to see Team #BAR in out in force, with Gary Wright making great progress into the B final. It was also evident that Schumacher driver Steven Cook had made progress with his driving, along with great drives from David Pack, who clearly under qualified, Jason Kane, Liam Robinson and Ellie Woodhams moving up a final.

Scott Tinkler had his old faithful B5 out on the carpet track, and seemed to be enjoying the day...

.... photographer, my daughter Poppy aged 9, seemed to be capturing the cars with rainbows and Disney characters on, rather than the latest new rides and top qualifiers.

......... Tony Tinkler, wasn't enjoying the day quite so much ...

'Ryan Clarke capturing Tony's mood perfectly with this picture'

It was nice to see racers working together aswell, Kev Lane working to fix Lee Willows car, as Lee brings him the spare parts needed, Kev advises that he's already fixed it, with glue. :D The car made it to the track, that's the main thing.

Model Shop:

www.tqmodels.co.uk

As always, TQ Models were supporting the meeting. The shop looked great, and met the racers needs. It was also encouraging to see people new to the hobby, buying kits and full race setups from the shop, continuing the growing nature of the sport in the North East.

Transfer deadlines, and new drives .....

With it being the first Sunday in October .... lots of top drivers are trying out their new cars.

With this being an unofficial changing of teams month. NEAM winter series sees two F1 drivers unveiling their new cars, Greg Williams (PR Racing) and David Snee (Kyosho), and also Chris Green, 2018 NE regional front runner moving to Yokomo.

Let's take a look at what they had to say:

Greg Williams - PR Racing - Inside Line models.

Who are you dealing with ... where in the UK do we get these new shiny cars?
Kev Lee at Inside Line Racing (www.insidelinemodels.com)

Why this new particular brand?
The company has grown significantly over the past few years and watching the pace of the cars on track has impressed me. After having a few test runs with the cars, it was clear straight away that they were very quick and easy to drive.

4wd car: What model is it?
PR Racing SB401-R

Are you looking for it to be safe, or edgy?
More on the safe side rather than edgy. For me, the main thing is having a car which is predictable and consistent.

Anything that stands out about the look of the car / chassis?
The layout of the new 4wd car falls more in line with the current trend of 4wd platforms, using a narrower chassis and larger side pods. Also, instead of using top decks, the new car uses stiffeners along the chassis to control the flex.

2wd - how many cars (low grip / high grip)?
2 cars, 1 high grip and 1 low grip

What are the models names?
PR Racing S1 V3 (FM) Type-R (both cars are the same model, but with different setups for high and low grip)

Any nice features you'd like to mention?
The kit comes with various upgrades and tuning parts as standard (alloy front and rear hubs, brass rear wishbone hanger, a range of springs, a selection of rear toe-in hangers, etc.). Having these come as standard allows the car to be tuned for different tracks and driving styles straight from the box.

With moving to a new brand, how do you start your setup? Do you carry over knowledge from previous brand, or use a setup from a top driver for your new brand, or use the kit setup?
Kev Lee has been a massive help, sorting out equipment and sharing his setups with us. I’ll be using them as a starting point, and tweaking them slightly to suit my driving and the different tracks.

Sticking with HobbyWing electrics?
No, changing over to Maclan electronics

What's the funniest thing you've seen in RC racing?
A few years ago at RHR national, my sister (Nat) was out for her first practice. She came down the straight flat out and passed straight in between a marshal’s legs as he was mid-stride. An inch or two either way and it would have been a really nasty accident. The best thing was, neither of them even realised it had happened! Nat carried on practicing and didn’t realise until we told her afterwards, and the marshal walked off completely oblivious that he’d had a car pass straight between his legs!

Which servo have you fitted?
SRT Racing servo – BH9022

Which hopups do you usually go for and why?
I normally like to have a few tuning option parts (spring sets, rollbars, toe-in blocks etc.) to help tweak the setup from track to track. A few alloy parts are always good to add a bit of strength (and more importantly, a bit of bling!).

Any tips you've been given / carry over during the builds of these cars?
The team have been extremely helpful in terms of getting us up and running, providing information and sharing setups. We’ll carry over any previous knowledge and try to put that to use with the new cars. I’m looking forward to working alongside the team to progress the setups and hopefully improve the cars.

What is your new favourite colour?
It’s still got to be yellow, the brighter the better!

What does it take for you to break the silence of the rostrum?
Sometimes when I make a stupid mistake, I get annoyed at myself and mutter something under my breath. I normally try to keep quiet though and put things like that to the back of my mind as quickly as possible.

Finish the sentence, NEAM winter series in the North East is awesome because ..... of everything! The venue, the track, the organisation, the people – everything about it is awesome. It is one of the best winter series in the country, and exactly what the North East needs to help promote the club and RC racing as a whole.

How fast does your RC car go?
Faster now it’s Maclan powered 😉

What racing events will you be at this year?
Over the winter I’ll be attending all the Silverstone Winter Series rounds and most of the Worksop series, plus a few other meetings when time allows. I’ll hopefully be racing at the MKGP too (providing I get an entry). Heading into next year I’ll be doing all the BRCA 1/10th off-road nationals and as many of the Mid-West regionals as possible.

And can people come and bug you about your new car at these events, or do you want to be left alone?

Of course, I’ll always be happy to try and help people, whether they drive PR cars or any other brand. That’s what’s great about the racing community, everyone is approachable and willing to help anyone. Feel free to come chat to me trackside or drop me a message online, I’ll always try my best to help where I can.

David Snee - Kyosho - TQ Models.

Who in are you dealing with ... where in the UK do we get these new shiny cars?

Can get these great cars at Kyosho.com or track side at Tqmodels.

Why this new particular brand?

From a 13 year absence I started back up with the Kyosho RB6 and was great. Cars look great and are well built.

4wd car: What model is it?

4wd ZX6.6

Are you looking for it to be safe, or edgy?

I'm still learning at this hobby as a lot has changed from beck in the day so safe as possible for me at the moment.

Anything that stands out about the look of the car / chassis?

Layout of car seems to follow the rest of the 4wds out there PR yokomo etc. Car feels solid and well built so can take it to its limits.

2wd - how many cars (low grip / high grip)?

Just the RB7 for me as I think this new car will be great on both low grip and high grip.

Any nice features you'd like to mention?

It looks the dogs and feels great to drive first time out on Sunday.

With moving to a new brand, how do you start your setup? Do you carry over knowledge from previous brand, or use a setup from a top driver for your new brand, or use the kit setup?

I try and carry over knowledge but every car is different with spring rates and oils depending on what team uses what. So first I get a base set up from Neil or Karl then twerk it to get what I want from the car and go from there.

Sticking with HobbyWing electrics?

No using the new orion HMX Speedo new orion motors and orion lipos.

What's the funniest thing you've seen in RC racing?

You know this answer Chris ........... when we where at Broxtowe national cheering on our fellow neam driver Chris green in the final when all of sudden there was a pile up and chris jammed the throttle on in rage and his car decided to what I can only describe is a car with 10 wheels bouncing all over and the marshal trying to chase it 😂😂😂😂 get video up

.... here it is:

Which servo have you fitted?

I am using orion in both.

Which hopups do you usually go for and why?

I tend to keep car as standard as possible as cheaper 😂 but I do like fancy bits but mainly rear all of hubs and front that's about it.

Any tips you've been given / carry over during the builds of these cars?

Yea enjoy the build.

What is the best car Kyosho has ever made?

I would say the RB7 up to now but wait as the new ZX7 is out this month hopefully.

What is your new favourite colour?

Orange

What does it take for you to break the silence of the rostrum?

"Haway man" when I crash

Finish the sentance, NEAM winter series in the North East is awesome because .....It has great members

How fast does your RC car go?

Not as fast as yours

What racing events will you be at this year? And can people come and bug you about your new car at these events, or do you want to be left alone?

I will be doing the best winter series in the country at Nissan - NEAM also outdoor regionals and nationals. I will help anyone wanting to chat or wanting a setup. Just ask.

Thanks David.

Chris Green - Yokomo

Who are you dealing with ... where in the UK do we get these new shiny cars?

Lee Martin direct - More news to come soon

Why this new particular brand?

Yokomo are Double world Champions so the cars are proven, i studied alot at the nationals this year, the cars look very well balanced and easy to drive.

4wd car: What model is it?

Yokomo YZ4-SF

Are you looking for it to be safe, or edgy?

Easy safe car to drive is what i am looking for, also a car that is easy to setup

Anything that stands out about the look of the car / chassis?

Shaft drive

2wd - how many cars (low grip / high grip)?

As most manufacturers these days, one for high grip one for low grip

What are the models names?

Yz2-CAL2 - High Grip
yz2 DTM2- Low Grip

Any nice features you'd like to mention?

Build Quality is outstanding, Fully sealed Transmission, A Ball diff that lasts! And its Quiet!

With moving to a new brand, how do you start your setup? Do you carry over knowledge from previous brand, or use a setup from a top driver for your new brand, or use the kit setup?

I will carry as much knowledge as i can, but there are loads of setups out there that work as its a proven brand, Advice from Lee is on hand iff needed, plus theres a good Facebook Group for Yokomo where everyone gives an input.

Sticking with HobbyWing electrics?

Yes

What's the funniest thing you've seen in RC racing?

David Packs XX4 on Fire!

Which servo have you fitted?

Ko

Which hopups do you usually go for and why?

Titanium Turnbuckles for added strength, None needed for the Yokomos

Any tips you've been given / carry over during the builds of these cars?

Take time and enjoy

What is your new favourite colour?

Purple

What does it take for you to break the silence of the rostrum?

Marshalls who are busy talking to each other

Finish the sentance, NEAM winter series in the North East is awesome because ….. of the racers, everyone's friendly and it's a good environment!

How fast does your RC car go?

Not as fast as Chris Pattinson's

What racing events will you be at this year?

NEAM indoor series, 4 x Nationals and all NE Regionals

And can people come and bug you about your new car at these events, or do you want ot be left alone?

Yes by all means :-), ask away

Good Luck To ALL

Videos and results......

Videos of all finals can be seen on the following youtube link, thanks to Davey Liddle:

RESULTS:

Results Link

Next Round:

With a round to Snee in both Classes, and a round to Galley in both classes, the series is wide open.
Will Eugene turn his one off attendance into a series title challenge?
The Scottish lads are on their way down for the next one, so competition could be up.
I'm looking forward to another great event.

Book in using the link below.

Next round:

Last round before New Year!

November 18th @ Nissan SR5 3NS

Facebook: NEAM RC

Get booked in: Book In Rd3

Thanks to everyone that contributed pictures, including David Dunn, David Liddle, Ryan Clarke, and Poppy Pattinson.

More pictures:

gridding up for the first final, Poppy's car.........

... Jason Kane on pole for this one:

TQ models, Xray, Kyosho, Tekno, Schumacher, and lots more.....:

3D:

Ethan Chappell ready for the 2wd B final - good race with Mark Graham.

Kev Brewer, top Xray 2wd, ready for the A final.

Archie Bowman powered by Lilt.

My 2wd, ready for the A final. I'd only just pulled this out of the bag after it last hit the track @ Boughton National 7 weeks previous. I wasn't happy with the feel of the speedo today, I got lost in settings, causing me to miss apex's with delayed boost, and my brakes weren't great. I'll need to get on top of this at the next club meeting.