DARKSIDE

iTrader: (2)

Jr VTA Trophy Race has been added to the On-road Finale this Sunday at Thunder RC....trophy for 1st-3rd and prizes for all the Jr racers....come out and bring the kids.

Also Im making a challenge to all the VTA racers to make it out this Sunday for this final event, of the 6 month series....the challenge is this...

IF ANYONE CAN BEAT ME IN A FAIR RACE IN VTA...I WILL GIVE THEM THE SHIRT OFF MY BACK...THATS RIGHT...MY KING OF TA SHIRT WILL GOTO WHOMEVER CAN BEAT ME THIS SUNDAY....IF YOU WIN THE SHIRT YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU LIKE WITH IT...BURN IT,TRASH IT KEEP IT..ECT..NO HARD FEELINGS....THAT GOES TO 1ST PLACE...IF ANYONE ELSE BEATS ME..I WILL DONATE $5 PER PERSON TO THE ST JUDE RACE IN MEMPHIS....SO IF 3 PPL FINISH BEFORE ME THATS $15 EXTRA I WILL DONATE OUT OF MY POCKET...

Its been a long and fun 6 months putting this Series together...giving away trophies,money,points and prizes...and I would like to see it go out with a bang!!!!....

so make some plans to attend the final round of the
THUNDER TRANS-AM SERIES POINTS,MONEY,TROPHY, & PRIZE RACES

THEBIGBULL

iTrader: (5)

I am going to race my TC3, VTA for the first time this Friday, I have a few Q's.

I have a set of VTA mounted wheels and tires from my HPI Cuda gas car, they are about 50% worn. What is the traction compound of choice and any tips on applying it???? I also have a new set of wheels and tires, Any prep required before before I glue the tires to the wheels with thin CA???

I will be using a GTB 17.5 and 4cell NIMH4600's because thats what I have. I will be racing with TTO1's with black can motors. If I'm really getting spanked I will have a couple of 6 cell packs!!!!!! If we get 4 or more cars out we will run them in there own class.

I ran the car on asphalt last summer with an Atom ESC 6cell 4600s and a silver can motor. I used a setup Barry Baker had posted on the Ae ( very soft springs and low weight shock oil) site and the car was great. I'll try that setup for a start on the ozite.

I may race it at another track on ozite Sat. night, any other suggested setups would be helpful. If I like the class I have a TC4 will be next. I have the graphite tub kit for the TC4. Any help would be appreciated.

BE
TJ

vlvara

iTrader: (4)

My son recently received a TT-01R TYPE-E 4WD chassis that he is thinking of setting up to run VTA. Since the chassis was a gift he thought he might try something new with it. We recently went to the VTA web site and were planning on running this chassis with a 27T motor with the recommended FDR.

Now I see that effective this September that VTA is going exclusively to a 25.5 brushless Novak motor and specific Novak ESCs. I didn't see any recommended FDRs in the new rules. My question is how will VTA be kept competitive without recommended FDRs that OR would recommended FDRs limit which TC chassis would be competitive in the VTA class after 1 Sep 2010.

Any help/recommendations would be appreciated.

Scottrik

iTrader: (261)

I'll try to 'splain it all.

FDR limits have only been placed to try and keep newer (read: faster) motor / battery combinations slowed down so that existing (read: slower) combinations can remain (supposedly) competitive.

There has NEVER been an FDR limit on the 27T / 4-cell (original) power combo. This is what it sounds like your son was thinking to try. Keep in mind that 27T / 6-cell or 2-cell LiPo have NEVER been approved combinations.

There was an FDR limit at first on the 17.5 / 4-cell combo but that was quickly done away with.

The 4.2 minimum FDR number was adopted when the 21.5 / 2-cell LiPo combination was approved almost 2 years ago. This limits the top speed of the cars, but the added "snap" of the higher voltage provides enough more acceleration that this new combo has been the only really viable combo since it's introduction.

Effective 09/01/10 there will be one and only one "approved" motor / battery combination so there will no longer be any need to create "handicaps" to try to maintain the appearance of parity. The only "approved" combo will be the 25.5 / 2-cell combo. All previous combinations become obsolete. This means that FDR limits can be done away with.

The advantages to this change are that the cars are slowed back down to a little closer to where the class was intended to be, making closer racing possible for more people and getting tire wear back to a set of tires lasting all year (hopefully). Eliminating the FDR restriction is one fewer thing for race orgainizers to police and one fewer area for racers to "wonder" if their fellow competitors are "fudging" at all.

The move to what I call 1st-gen esc's eliminate all dynamic timing, etc and keep racing more inexpensive, etc, which was one of the initial goals of VTA. No one had any idea how quickly esc technology would escalate when brushless tech was adopted, but it has been rapid indeed. The move to "low-tech" brushless is a welcome one. I know Novak have a Havoc / 21.5 "VTA Combo" available on their site for $120...how can you go wrong with that?

All that said, when the change was announced there was a lot of loud braying and chest-beating about clubs not moving along with the spec, but that seems to have died down. I think MOST clubs will go with the new spec, but you should check with the track at which you plan to race to confirm their intentions.

DARKSIDE

iTrader: (2)

we need a FDR on the new 25.5/lipo.....imo

robk

iTrader: (22)

Unless something changes, there will not be an FDR limit. As it has been brought up before, the FDR limit was there to attempt to equalize power packages.

f1larry

iTrader: (22)

The only reason you would need a FDR limit with the new formula would be to protect people from blowing up motors trying to get as much power as possible out of the motor they can. It is not the job of the rules to protect people from their own stupidity. Since it is a one motor and spec ESC formula now there is no need to have a FDR limit. Everyone just needs to use their head and not destroy their equipment.

DARKSIDE

iTrader: (2)

you hit on the head...except the stupidity part(bad word)....but thats going to be an issue...remember we bring in more new ppl to on-road than most...and gearing seems to be the biggest question from them....at least put a range to start with...say 3.5 fdr to 4.5...or whatever it is...

and I have to come clean with myself....I burt mine up trying to get the right gearing...the bad thing it was at 3.8 fdr with profile 1(SPX)...it did 3 really fast laps..and came to a stop...sorry Eric and Rob...

but with a FDR, we can only do so much....without a FDR, ppl are going to try and get as much out of these 25.5's as possible...even cutting the blue wire..lol..but very true.

Do some more testing with the other guys that have them and see if a common FDR is possible...or at least a suggestion/recommendation

f1larry

iTrader: (22)

Maybe NovakTwo or Rob can give a suggested safe range of FDR's and then each driver will have to find what works best for their driving style and Track layout.

I am not sure if there is a fan limit in the rules or not but maybe there should be to help keep people from going to far with gearing.

just an idea, can't wait for the new rules, I am loving T/A again with the limits on ESC's now I think it is just going to get better in the Fall.

Greg Sharpe

iTrader: (15)

An FDR suggestion is certainly plausible, but a actual limit wouldn't be useful since tracks differ in size so drastically. I, for one, never deviated from the 4.2 limit on our bigger outdoor tracks. However, once we went inside, I ended up coming off the limit into the high 4s due to heat. An FDR limit wouldn't have saved me from that meltdown. It was just my experience level and use of a temp gun that kept my motor running cool. All racers need to protect their equipment.

jhberger

iTrader: (1)

An FDR limit isn't a bad idea, especially for new folks, since it removes one more area of confusion. It's also another way to equalize speed. That said, policing FDR is nigh on impossible. And Sharpie is correct (as usual) that 4.2 is no guarantee that you won't overheat. Me, I just make sure my car spends some time on its back every few laps so it can cool down.

CHARLIE BROWN

If I can help I also ran a TT01 so to get it running fast with a 27-turn motor u need to adjust the motor so it is as close as possible to the spur gear (this may take a few tries also u need to soften up the shocks or that thing wil bounce like crazy u can also use the stock electronics(guess who tried) also, if u live near gaithersburg come up and stop by The Track we got good racing and plenty of parts

robk

iTrader: (22)

If anything, there will be suggested ranges on the web site so new guys will have a place to start from.

DARKSIDE

iTrader: (2)

That works for me...

my 21.5 motor never gets over 100 deg....at 4.2 fdr...Ive never burt up one so far...and I like to think my car is pretty fast..by comparison....

just looking to have a good starting point so "IF" ppl are having a hard time with FDR that they dont waste alot of money trying to get it right....it dosent take much to fry one, and once its fried..its a new motor or stator thats needed...imo

rced1

iTrader: (17)

We ran the a new track layout at Twin Bridges RC last Sunday. This will be the layout used at the trophy race on the 28th. The layout is free flowing with the VTAs running 10 to 12 second lap times. The last layout was tight and technical with plenty of 180 degree corners. For the new layout I needed to dial out some steering and increase traction in the rear.