Lets get ready to
regional!!!!!! @RHR (Robinhood Raceway)
4th May (2wd) / 5th May (4wd)
If you would like to make a weekend of it, but only have one car, you can race the other day in a non regional guest class. So you can still enjoy the camping and weekend frivolities with all of your racing buddies, friends and family.
Location:
The PostCode is: S81 8EU
We're about to start our North East regional series, so let's take a look at what we're in for, from both a beginners point of view, and a more experienced racers perspective.
New to regionals?
This year, we're really pushing to get our club racers and new racers to join in the regionals. These events are where you get an opportunity to race against people from all of the North East clubs, at different tracks outdoors in the sunshine (hopefully).
We'll have all abilities represented, with my daughter racing her silver can Tamiya motor
powering the Schumacher car she built herself, through to superstar F1 drivers who make a great spectacle to watch and cheer on. We're hoping for an excellent friendly supportive atmosphere.
We want everyone to
race at the same event, and have a mega time driving their cars round
different outdoor tracks. We start with the UK’s finest, and location for the 2020
European Championships, the fantastic Robinhood Raceway which is on the
calendar 2 times this year.
New to regionals Q&A:
What power do I use to
charge batteries?
At RHR, you can pay £1
to use the 240v on site.
Other places, either
use a 12V battery, or ask nicely to join in with others who are plugged in to a
generator, and chip in for the fuel for it.
Isn’t it a big step
up?
Not really, you’ll
find the whole range of abilities at the regional you see at a club meeting.
It’ll just be on a nice big outdoor track, with less walls to crash into.
Is it serious?
It’s as serious or as
much as a laugh as you want to make it?
Do I need to change my car from our indoor club to racing outdoor?
Not really, you might want to raise the ride height a bit if you race on carpet indoor, I run around 17mm outdoor as opposed to 15mm indoor.
Where do I pit?
You can pit in the large shed with 240v power, or you can bring a Gazebo, tent, or just a table, and setup in the field.
Last years pitting in the shed at RHR:
What’s great about the
regionals?
Racing a range of new
people of all levels from the regions clubs, on various tracks where you can
really enjoy your buggies, camping over with friends for BBQs and banter, and
getting out for lots of fresh air and sunshine (fingers crossed).
What time do I need to
be there?
Every effort to be made to commence booking-in at 7.30am, Practise (5 minute slots if possible) commencing at 8.00am to 09.30am. Last call for drivers re booking-in at 9.15am, Drivers briefing 9.45am and Heat One (1) on the line by 10.00am.
Can my family come to
watch?
Yes, this is one of the best things. Bring your family or friends for a weekend camp over, to help you out, cheer you on, or just drink your beer. The facility at RHR provides lots of room for camping and space to relax. Dogs are welcome.
Accomodation?
A lot of people camp in the field there is plenty of room. There is also hotfood available throughout the day from the onsite kitchen.
Trophies - not for everyone though, but attainable by everyone.
Every final gets a trophy. So whether you are in the A final (top 10), or the G final (61st to 70), you will be racing for a trophy in your final.
And before racing get's underway, we're all in the same position, able to challenge last years champions for their silverware:
Ben Riley (2018 2wd champion), and James
Chappell 2018 (4wd champion) … it won’t be easy.
Let's hear from last years champions:
The Champions:
JAMES CHAPPELL - 2018 North East 4wd champion:
1) What tips would you give to a beginner in or 4wd (James)?
Start off with a slower motor and get used to the car. Don’t make to many changes get a feel for what the car does with the same set up on different tracks.
2) What tracks did you enjoy most last year?
EOS (Southport) - change of weather all day made it interesting and RHR as usual. Great venue and great weekends away with the family.
3) We're really trying to get new regional attendees this year, what should people bear in mind coming to a regional for the first time?
It’s fun and enjoy yourself. Always feel free to ask for help.
4) Any big changes to your gear from last year?
Back to the kc for 2wd. 4wd is business as usual with the tekno. Can’t improve on performance.
5) What car did you use last year, and where can people buy one from?
Tekno eb410. RPRC and Dan Austin. Top guy and full of help and advice. www.rprcdistribution.com
6) Both of you, Ben and James, are known as fairly aggressive drivers ... how come our aggressive drivers won in 2018? Or are you simply misunderstood and as smooth as a Cadbury's Caramel?
I’ve always pushed my car. Looks aggressive from the stands. But if you watch were my throttle is. Especially around the infield it progressive. I just make sure my car is quick and work from there. And with more surfaces being high grip you can push a bit harder than the old days. No 1400 sce cells any more.
7) What's the funniest thing you've seen in RC?
Not what I’ve seen. But stories I’ve heard. If you ask Dan Austin or Matt Gill about there funny stories about ….###### [moderated]
8) What's your favourite RC car, not including your current cars?
My favourite car was my Lazer zx-r. Carbon tub chassis and every upgrade possible. Sold it for £50 for a night out when I gave up racing for a while. Have a vintage zx-r at the moment with my son bought me as a birthday present. Family air-loom now.
Thank You James.
BEN RILEY - 2018 North East 2wd champion: We'll catch up with Ben in the Post RHR review.
Thanks to the champions for their input.
Onto another champion of our region.....
Davey Liddle, our regional camera man for every final. What a hero .... let's get his input on tracks, cars, and drivers.
1) Davey, as a spectator, which regional track is most entertaining?
Robin Hood Raceway.
The reason being from a spectator it’s the most 3D track in our region and prob one of the best venues in World the 3D nature of the the track offers good exciting racing to watch as well all like to watch big jumps.
2) Will you video finals in the rain, with no rostrum roof?
Yes I’ll video finals in the rain or any weather I’m from the northeast region not the south east
3) What is the coolest RC car ever (1/10th).
coolest buggy ever has to be the Tamiya Manta Ray
as that was my first buggy that got me so hooked on RC
4) What advice would you give to a club racer stepping up to regionals?
The best bit of advice I could give a club racer stepping up to start doing outdoors regionals is.
Just do it. Racing Indoors is fun but racing out doors is amazing the whole weekend not just the racing is what makes it for me .
.... and one time, in my taxi....
The family friendly atmosphere where my kids and wife enjoy the experience seeing there friends and socialising the excitement and adrenaline of the finals.
Racing outdoors is the only way to get better
5) Which driver is most entertaining to watch in our region?
Most entertaining driver to watch in our region is probably a hard choice
between either James Chappell or yourself Chris Pattinson you know if there is a chance of a move they going to go for it and if the isn’t then they are gonna create one both very aggressive driving style but fair drivers what i would call Maifielding it
6) Schumacher are supporting the Liddle's in your racing ...What do you like about the Schumacher family
Racing for team Schumacher is as you have just said a family and they have a lot of time for the younger generation of drivers. They are always striving to improve there products to be at the peak of the competition
The support at track side anywhere in the UK is second to none and how many other teams actually have the buggy designer trackside at nationals etc helping the team out.
Thanks Davey Liddle ...
his Youtube channel is a great watch, here are a couple of relevant videos:
.... a
little slideshow of pictures to really capture what the NE regionals are about:
.... and last years 4wd finals from Robinhood Raceway:
Thanks Davey!
..... so seems you think myself and James have racecraft ....Ahhh… brought on by years of experience..... here is me creating the gap at NEAM:
What to watch out for this year? ....
Your ankles...
The lower heats will be filling up with regional new comers, so careful when marshalling, as these newbies enjoy the space and 3 dimensional tracks with their off road buggies
At the sharp end.....
A lot of competition this year, from what i've heard .... with lots of former regional winners, F1s and former F1s intending to enter.
The young'ns.....
We've a lot of great young drivers coming through in the NE, and I feel this year will be a year we see them passing a lot of the more established drivers. I'd expect it to be a big year for Tyler Liddle, Archie Bowman, Ben Simpson, Ed Callan, Will Callan, Charlie Edwards, and young Tony Tinkler who is getting really quick. It'll be great to see them continue progressing, and we can only help them by setting the best example in a family atmosphere, and pushing them on in the right way. And if I can't catch them, I'll be creating a gap through racecraft ........
Joking aside though, let's set an example with some clean fair racing and a positive atmosphere.
New Rides.....
A few drivers have changed brands for this year, let's catch up with them:
Me
I'm having a change away from Schumacher, who have supported me for many years, and I've chosen to go with Yokomo. My Schumacher's got me F2N last year in 4wd
but really felt it was time for a change and a refresh.
1)What’s your new 2wd car? Yokomo YZ2 CAL2
2)What one thing about this car do you love the most?
It makes bumps disappear, it takes bumpy tracks in its stride, and flies and lands beautifully.
I did opt for a distinctly different bodyshell for my Yz2 .... though it has been subjected to some cruel photoshop efforts and comments
3)What’s your new 4wd car? Yokomo YZ4 SF
4)What one thing about this car do you love the most? The effortless pace it has. You can drive around a track comfortably, and the times just come to the car.
I mean come on, I don't just make C finals at nationals and score 14th in rounds with my driving skills.
5)Where can we go to buy these new shiny cars you have?
6)Do you like a car safe, or edgy?
I like a car edgy and pointy. Safe cars frustrate me with slower reactions, as with my driving, I often have to correct a racing line etc, which I can do with a pointy car.
You’re a good driver, what goes through your head when:
7) You are qualifying, and feel you’re on a good pace, but you’re not running as high up the heat as you hope. Do you push on harder, do you maintain your pace, do you get freaked out and crash? Maintain my pace. I've learned over the years that what will be will be, if I'm not going round fast enough within my limits, It won't make a difference pushing beyond them. The work needs to be done in the pits to get the time out of the car.
8) Do you ever practice strongly, but start your qualifying tentatively? How do you manage this? All of the time. I just hope to settle early in the race and pick up confidence and time as the race goes on. Not really a good strategy.
9) What is the funniest thing you’ve seen in RC?
David Pack's XX4 catching fire seconds after claiming it was the best his car had ever been?
David Pack losing his rag at York, and ramming his B4 into a wall to try and break it..... when it wouldnt break he went over and stamped on it and injured his foot ... no effect on the car.
Sorry to teamy Chris Green, but I'll leave these two here:
The tumbler:
And "where did my car go?"
10) Which hopups do you usually go for and why?
I'll read up on any weaknesses in the car's plastics, and change those for alloy options if available.
11) Why do the NE regionals rock?
Good spread of abilities means everyone is welcome to race. Great locations, and a friendly and helpful atmosphere.
12) What's your most important bit of maintenance between meetings?
Re do the shocks.
13) Can people come and bug you about your new car, or do you want to be left alone?
I'm happy to chat around my cars, or anyone else's, to help them get more out of the hobby.
14) Give one tip to a beginner...
Ask questions, and get lots of guidance from experienced racers. Don't waste money buying things without asking for opinions.
Jason Robinson
Jason was racing a Schumacher KC and a Tekno last year
... but things have changed:
1)What’s your new 2wd car?
Associate B6.1
2)What one thing about this car do you love the most?
The way you can plonk down on track and just drive it without worrying about setups
3)What’s your new 4wd car?
Xray xb4 19
4)What one thing about this car do you love the most?
Being easy to drive consistently
6)Do you like a car safe, or edgy?
Safe
9) What is the funniest thing you’ve seen in RC?
Davo doing a naked running at the lap Grp cup
10) Which hopups do you usually go for and why?
Most of them... everyone loves bling 👍
11) Why do the NE regionals rock?
A weekend of quality racing with friends and having a laugh
12) What's your most important bit of maintenance between meetings?
Checking for loose screws and free moving parts
13) You are experienced, can people come and bug you and ask for help ....about your new car, or do you want to be left alone?
Ask away. I am always happy to help anyone I can
14) Give one tip to a beginner to regionals.
Don’t be afraid to try the regionals, it’s never a case of not being good enough
It’s about enjoying the racing and having a laugh
Chassis Focus
I'd like to do some chassis focus within our NE region.I didn't intend on it being my car, but I've left it a bit late to feature anyone else's for this post. So I promise, going forward, I'll try to get a variety squeezed in here:
Car: Yokomo YZ4 SF
Servo: KO RSX3
Speedo and settings: Hobbywing XR10 speedo, 4deg boost, 20deg Turbo, Soften in 10deg@10%
Motor : Hobbywing 5.5 G3 motor.
Battery: LCG Intellect 4200
Radio: Sanwa sticks, Steering speed -13; DR 100%; Brakes 65%
Any upgrades from kit? Alloy front castor blocks; Titanium fasteners; 5.5mm ballstuds
Setup: 4wd setup
Car: Yokomo YZ2 CAL2
Servo: KO RSX3
Speedo and settings: Hobbywing XR10 speedo, 0deg boost, 25deg Turbo; Soften in 5deg@10%
Motor : Hobbywing 6.5 G3 motor.
Battery: LCG Intellect 4200
Radio: Sanwa sticks. Steering speed -12; DR 95%; Brakes 85% outdoor
Any upgrades from kit? Titanium fasteners; lower shock towers; New rear transmission housing for quick access to the diff
Setup: 2wd setup
Classic Photo:
I'll leave you with one last photo, courtesy of Jimmy, of David Snee creating a gap between Rich Lowe and Bradders from a NE regional in 2006. One of my favourites.... A final first corner ,,, how many of these drivers do you recognise?
See you all on Star Wars day.
May 4th @ RHR.
Dates for the North East Series:
Dates for the series:
Saturday
4th May 2wd Rnd
1 RHR
Sunday 5th May 4wd Rnd 1 RHR
Saturday 15th June 4wd Rnd 2 Batley
Sunday 16th June 2wd Rnd 2 Batley
Saturday 6th July 2wd Rnd 3 Teesside
Sunday 7th July 4wd Rnd 3 Teesside
Saturday 20th July 4wd Rnd 4 NEAM
Sunday 21st July 2wd Rnd 4 NEAM
Sunday 17th Aug 2wd Rnd 5 RHR
Sunday 18th Aug 4wd Rnd 5 RHR
Sunday 5th May 4wd Rnd 1 RHR
Saturday 15th June 4wd Rnd 2 Batley
Sunday 16th June 2wd Rnd 2 Batley
Saturday 6th July 2wd Rnd 3 Teesside
Sunday 7th July 4wd Rnd 3 Teesside
Saturday 20th July 4wd Rnd 4 NEAM
Sunday 21st July 2wd Rnd 4 NEAM
Sunday 17th Aug 2wd Rnd 5 RHR
Sunday 18th Aug 4wd Rnd 5 RHR
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