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2021 Hills Offroad Vintage Enduro 11/04/21

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2021 Hills Offroad Vintage Enduro 11/04/21

Old 02-04-2021, 07:48 PM
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Default 2021 Hills Offroad Vintage Enduro 11/04/21

Hi Everyone!! The Hills Off road committee is proud to announce the Vintage Enduros for 2021 will be run on Sunday the 11th of April.

I would like to quickly thank the Hills Off road committee and member for their support of vintage events, this included being involved in the design of the most recent layout to see if it worked for our cars too

We haven’t made any changes for the 2021 event from the 2020 one (other than taking into account the pit stop area for the new track) so the summary below is for the changes made after the 2019 event. Hopefully none of this is a surprise to anyone as we have been trying to put all items out for discussion to see what the feedback was.

Summary of changes

Changed base points for a 4 car team from 14 to 12 points and a 3 car team from 11 points to 9 points to make it harder for teams to line up 4 x RC10s

Added new driver classification (Silver/Bronze) 1.5 points and put Bronze up to 2 points bonus

Added motor provisions for torque tuned motors. In 2021 we are trialing allowing some cars to use the torque tuned motors – soft introduction

- Each team will be allowed to nominate 1 x 4wd over 2 points to run the torque tuned motor

- Any 4wd valued at 2 points or under may run the torque tuned motor and the car will still be valued at 2 points (no limit)

- Any 2wd or truck valued at 2 points or under may run the torque tuned motor, the car will have 1 point added to its total so a shotgun truck running the motor will now be worth 3 points (no limit) *edit* - this has been extended to trucks worth 2.5 points, 1 point will be added so it will be worth 3.5 points

- Trucks and 2wds worth over 2 points must use the 540 johnson Festival control motor available from the club or from Northern Beaches Hobbies part no. JOH-683

Changed some of the sporting regs regarding pit stops procedure due to lap scoring issues last year. Now all cars will exit and enter the track at the top of the second last corner

Added gearing advice for the torque tuned motor

Blitzer/Plastic enduro to use full track.


With regards to the points values for particular buggies, the allocation takes into account the speed of the car, consideration is also given to rarity of the buggy, available gearing options, fragility and run time.


Blitzer / Plastic race is back again this year. The plan is for it to still be 90 minutes which helps fit everything in for the day, though we’ve had a couple of requests to put it back up to 2 hours. There’s no requirement for you to run a Blitzer in your team, its open to any plastic eligible buggy or hotshot / Thundershot buggy / Low-point trucks (the main benefit of running a Blitzer/Monster racer in the race is that it can use the sport tuned motor). Teams can run any combination of 1 or 2 buggies/trucks from those groupings and can be in a team of 2-4 drivers. If you do it with 2 drivers, you still need to ensure you have a marshal out at all times, so I recommend having your batteries near the pit stop table, also the pit stop time is 90 seconds for the Blitzer/Plastic race so you should have time to swap over and not lose time (in the interests of safety so we don’t have people running up and down the stairs, 2 driver teams will be allowed to leave their mashalling position during the pit stop). The rules for the race are attached to this post.


With regards to the points system, I know it can look a bit complex when you’re first looking at it, the simple aim is to even up the field by allowing a team with more once a year racers, to drive better cars overall compared to a team of pros. I’m happy to help guide you through it. How it works is the team captain will get in touch with me, let me know the drivers and potential car line up and I’ll confirm the amount of bonus points the team has and what cars fit in the line up.

Fast Facts

90 minute Blitzer/Hotshot/Plastic Enduro 2, 3 or 4 drivers

Allowed chassis: Any Blitzer based truck, Tamiya king cab/Hilux monster racer / any plastic eligible buggy / any Hotshot / Thundershot eligible buggy / Low point trucks

Standard track to be used

730am: Open practise (1 driver per team at a time / Main race or Blitzer race buggies may be used)

815am: Track closed Blitzer enduro drivers meeting / qualifying positions drawn randomly

830pm: 90 Minute Blitzer/Plastic enduro starts, (ending 10am)

Batteries: 6000mah 2s lipo max (hard case) LiHV not allowed

90 second minimum pit stop time every time the team comes to the pits

Blitzers must be stock except for allowed upgrades which are detailed in the Enduro guidelines. Hotshots/Thundershots and plastic buggies must adhere to the festival rules for upgrades (All cars must run the control 540 motor except Blitzers which may run the sport tuned motor or 540)


5 hour - 3 or 4 Driver / multi car "Main" enduro

Motor: Johnson 540 motor for all cars (must be bought from the club or motors from the last few festivals/enduros may be used) (Some cars are eligible to run torque tuned motor)

10am: Open practise (1 driver per team at a time) (once Blitzer race has ended)

1030am: Track closed Drivers meeting

10:45am qualifying session (10 minutes) 1 driver per team

11am: 5 hour enduro race starts, ending 4pm

Batteries: 6000mah 2s lipo max (hard case) Li-HV not allowed. Max 8.4v charge

1 minute minimum pit stop time every time the car comes to the pits

Entry Fee : $20 per driver covers you for both enduros. Or $5 per driver if just running the Entry-level-duro

To enter, please send me a pm with your team name, names of drivers, car for each driver and transponder number. Please pm me if you need the list of driver points allocation and let me know an email address I can send it to, or just send me the driver names and I can send you back the bonus points they earn.

Entries will be on a first in, best dressed basis. We can have a maximum of 12 teams!

Hopefully that’s everything, all the best in organising your team, if you are looking for a driver or a driver looking for a team - please post in here or let me know.

Cheers

Mikey and the Hills Off Road committee

Edit: Updated Buggy list to include the RC10B3 which is now included in the classic class

Last edited by NOFX; 02-14-2021 at 06:50 PM.
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Old 02-07-2021, 06:51 PM
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I've started up a list of teams that have entered (or close) and add more details as they come to hand

1. The Codgers
Dave Martin Cat XLS (Using torque tuned)
Rob Smith RC10 B2
Brian Goby Schumacher Top Cat
Ron Curby RC10T
The Codgers are back again, 2nd place in the 2019 race, they also had a good run in the recent 540 enduro race at Hills off road.

2. Cliff Lett us use his name
Richard Bull
TBA
Richard has been in touch, he had a great team put together for the 2020 race with the Benistons and Jason Millward, he's hoping to get that crew together again for this race

3. The Dukes of Casso
James "Jimbo" Whitbourn - Losi JRX Pro-se
Jason "Ice man" Hollis -TBA
Gavin "Shooter" Killian Losi XXT
Michael Russell - TBA
Yes. the Dukes are back. After blowing the cobwebs out at the Hills Off road 540 enduro the good ol' boys are ready to roll in the "real" enduro

4. Takis Pallas's Taco Palace
Steve James -Ultima
Takis Pallas - Jamie Booth Replica Egress
Lucas Hodgens - Tamiya Dyna Storm
Clint Musgrove - Top Force/Egress
The Kamikazees are back, possibly with the coolest collection of cars put together for the race. Anyone who has seen Takis' Booth replica Egress will know its a work of art and if you haven't seen it, make a beeline to his tent on race day to check it out. Lucas with a Dyna Storm and Clint with another Tamiya product, with only Steve being the outlier running Kyosho. We're looking forward to seeing these guys again and we're stoked that Steve and Lucas will be making the trek up from Vic

I've also heard from Southern Highlands with David looking to put a strong team together

Nick Aitken has been in touch and is putting a team together, another of the teams that recently competed in the 540 enduro at Hills Off road

Also enduro stalwart Pete Wagner is keen though some of his gun recruits aren't available due to school holidays so if a team is looking for a driver or if any drivers are also looking for a team post here, and/or get in touch with Pete and see if you can get a team together

For the entry level-duro, these are the team so far

1. Dukes of Casso
Jason - Blitzer
James - Boomerang
Gav -

2. Rudi Eggenbaconburger and the Texaco Kid
Mikey - Texaco Kyosho Ultima Outlaw
TBA
TBA

3. Nick Aitkens Team
Blitzer

4. Taco Pallace
Blitzer

Cheers

Mikey

Last edited by NOFX; 02-09-2021 at 06:07 PM. Reason: Added entry level duro teams
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Old 02-09-2021, 01:32 PM
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I've been asked if the torque tuned motors can be run with the 2.5 point trucks and realistically that was the next phase of the introduction of the motor, so I'm giving it the green light on trucks worth 2.5 points but it will still incur a 1 point surcharge, so your RC10T will be worth 3.5 points, but that may work well for some teams points

Cheers

Mikey
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Old 02-14-2021, 05:38 PM
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In more good news, the team formerly known as Heeere's Johnny are back, Johnny Five has put together this great team again of Andrew Sienniak and Scott Griffiths for another crack at the big one, these guys were a very close 3rd at the last enduro so they'll be a big factor. Theres a bit of a Team Associated theme in the team with 2 worlds cars and possibly an RC10T. Also great to see they'll be dusting off the Futaba FX10 buggy for the Blitzer/Entry level enduro which is probably the coolest buggy in the race so far


1. The Codgers

Dave Martin Cat XLS (Using torque tuned)
Rob Smith RC10 B2
Brian Goby Schumacher Top Cat
Ron Curby RC10T
The Codgers are back again, 2nd place in the 2019 race, they also had a good run in the recent 540 enduro race at Hills off road.

2. Cliff Lett us use his name
Richard Bull
TBA
Richard has been in touch, he had a great team put together for the 2020 race with the Benistons and Jason Millward, he's hoping to get that crew together again for this race

3. The Dukes of Casso
James "Jimbo" Whitbourn - Losi JRX Pro-se
Jason "Ice man" Hollis -TBA
Gavin "Shooter" Killian Losi XXT
Michael Russell - TBA
Yes. the Dukes are back. After blowing the cobwebs out at the Hills Off road 540 enduro the good ol' boys are ready to roll in the "real" enduro

4. Takis Pallas's Taco Palace
Steve James -Ultima
Takis Pallas - Jamie Booth Replica Egress
Lucas Hodgens - Tamiya Dyna Storm
Clint Musgrove - Top Force/Egress
The Kamikazees are back, possibly with the coolest collection of cars put together for the race. Anyone who has seen Takis' Booth replica Egress will know its a work of art and if you haven't seen it, make a beeline to his tent on race day to check it out. Lucas with a Dyna Storm and Clint with another Tamiya product, with only Steve being the outlier running Kyosho. We're looking forward to seeing these guys again and we're stoked that Steve and Lucas will be making the trek up from Vic

5. The team formerly known as Heeere's Johnny
Johnny Five - TBA
Andrew Sienniak - RC10 Worlds
Scott Griffiths - RC10 Worlds

6. The team formerly known as The uncalled four
Darryl Thorncraft - Losi XXT
Brendan George - RC10 Worlds
Andrew Curless - Top Cat
Stephen Thorncaft - Kyosho Optima


I've also heard from Southern Highlands with David looking to put a strong team together

Nick Aitken has been in touch and is putting a team together, another of the teams that recently competed in the 540 enduro at Hills Off road

Also enduro stalwart Pete Wagner is keen though some of his gun recruits aren't available due to school holidays so if a team is looking for a driver or if any drivers are also looking for a team post here, and/or get in touch with Pete and see if you can get a team together

For the entry level-duro, these are the team so far

1. Dukes of Casso
Jason - Blitzer
James - Boomerang
Gav -

2. Rudi Eggenbaconburger and the Texaco Kid
Mikey - Texaco Kyosho Ultima Outlaw
TBA
TBA

3. Nick Aitkens Team
Blitzer

4. Taco Pallace
Blitzer

5. Heeere's Johnny (New team name TBA)
Futaba FX10

Cheers

Mikey

Last edited by NOFX; 02-14-2021 at 06:11 PM.
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Old 02-14-2021, 06:12 PM
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Another team to add to the list! The team formerly known as the uncalled four are back, a new team name is on the cards due to the difficulties each of the team members faced last year, but we're stoked they're all well and back on deck for 2021 and with a strong line up for the race, i've updated the post above to include the guys
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Old 02-14-2021, 06:43 PM
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Sorry guys quick one, I have added the RC10 B3 to the buggy list as its now eligible for the classic class in the festival
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Old 02-21-2021, 03:09 PM
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Richard Bull has been in touch again, he's got together an entry for the Entry level enduro, also locked in the driver/car line up for the main enduro which looks pretty formidable, these guys love the Schumacher buggies and have put together a very strong line up for the race.


1. The Codgers

Dave Martin Cat XLS (Using torque tuned)
Rob Smith RC10 B2
Brian Goby Schumacher Top Cat
Ron Curby RC10T

2. Cliff Lett us use his name
Richard Bull - Top Cat
Jason Milward - Top Cat
Adam Beniston - Cat XLS (Torque Tuned)
Bob Beniston - Cat XLS


3. The Dukes of Casso
James "Jimbo" Whitbourn - Losi JRX Pro-se
Jason "Ice man" Hollis - Kyosho Optima
Gavin "Shooter" Killian - Losi XXT
Michael Russell - Kyosho Ultima

4. Takis Pallas's Taco Palace
Steve James -Ultima
Takis Pallas - Jamie Booth Replica Egress
Lucas Hodgens - Tamiya Dyna Storm
Clint Musgrove - Top Force/Egress

5. The team formerly known as Heeere's Johnny
Johnny Five - TBA
Andrew Sienniak - RC10 Worlds
Scott Griffiths - RC10 Worlds

6. The team formerly known as The uncalled four
Darryl Thorncraft - Losi XXT
Brendan George - RC10 Worlds
Andrew Curless - Top Cat
Stephen Thorncaft - Kyosho Optima


I've also heard from Southern Highlands with David looking to put a strong team together

Nick Aitken has been in touch and is putting a team together, another of the teams that recently competed in the 540 enduro at Hills Off road

Also enduro stalwart Pete Wagner is keen though some of his gun recruits aren't available due to school holidays so if a team is looking for a driver or if any drivers are also looking for a team post here, and/or get in touch with Pete and see if you can get a team together

For the entry level-duro, these are the team so far

1. Dukes of Casso
Jason - Blitzer
James - Boomerang
Gav -

2. Rudi Eggenbaconburger and the Texaco Kid
Mikey - Texaco Kyosho Ultima Outlaw
Dan Burrough - Blitzer Beetle


3. Nick Aitkens Team
Blitzer

4. Taco Pallace
Blitzer

5. Heeere's Johnny (New team name TBA)
Futaba FX10

6. F1 Drivers Can't Jump
Richard Bull - Kyosho Turbo Scorpion
TBA

Cheers

Mikey
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Old 02-22-2021, 03:40 PM
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New team!! Hey dudes, really excited to let you know we've got a new team for the enduro. These guys are racers at Hills Off Road but new to the vintage scene and have decided to give the Vintage enduro a go. Welcome to Chad, Aaron and Chris, (team name to be decided) they've got a mix of a couple of buggies from the Classic class (Losi XX and RC10 B3) with one from the other end of the spektrum (Kyosho Scorpion) which should make for a strong combo. The guys are going to put the scorpion on double duty and run it in the entry level enduro too

Its great seeing how teams are going about getting under the cap, some with a couple of high point cars and a lower point one, or some with mainly middle range cars, who knows which is the best blend? We'll find out soon enough!!


1. The Codgers

Dave Martin Cat XLS (Using torque tuned)
Rob Smith RC10 B2
Brian Goby Schumacher Top Cat
Ron Curby RC10T

2. Cliff Lett us use his name
Richard Bull - Top Cat
Jason Milward - Top Cat
Adam Beniston - Cat XLS (Torque Tuned)
Bob Beniston - Cat XLS


3. The Dukes of Casso
James "Jimbo" Whitbourn - Losi JRX Pro-se
Jason "Ice man" Hollis - Kyosho Optima
Gavin "Shooter" Killian - Losi XXT
Michael Russell - Kyosho Ultima

4. Takis Pallas's Taco Palace
Steve James -Ultima
Takis Pallas - Jamie Booth Replica Egress
Lucas Hodgens - Tamiya Dyna Storm
Clint Musgrove - Top Force/Egress

5. The team formerly known as Heeere's Johnny
Johnny Five - TBA
Andrew Sienniak - RC10 Worlds
Scott Griffiths - RC10 Worlds

6. The team formerly known as The uncalled four
Darryl Thorncraft - Losi XXT
Brendan George - RC10 Worlds
Andrew Curless - Top Cat
Stephen Thorncaft - Kyosho Optima

7. New Team
Chad Annetts - Losi XX
Chris Taylor - RC10 B3
Aaron Wait - Kyosho Turbo Scorpion


I've also heard from Southern Highlands with David looking to put a strong team together

Also enduro stalwart Pete Wagner is keen though some of his gun recruits aren't available due to school holidays so if a team is looking for a driver or if any drivers are also looking for a team post here, and/or get in touch with Pete and see if you can get a team together

For the entry level-duro, these are the team so far

1. Dukes of Casso
Jason - Blitzer
James - Boomerang
Gav -

2. Rudi Eggenbaconburger and the Texaco Kid
Mikey - Texaco Kyosho Ultima Outlaw
Dan Burrough - Blitzer Beetle

3. Taco Pallace
Blitzer

4. Heeere's Johnny (New team name TBA)
Futaba FX10

5. F1 Drivers Can't Jump
Richard Bull - Kyosho Turbo Scorpion
TBA

6. New Team
Chad Annetts
Chris Taylor
Aaron Wait
Kyosho Turbo Scorpion


Cheers

Mikey
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Old 02-28-2021, 05:20 PM
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The Highlanders are back!! David Mathews has been in touch, he and Scott Hogan, together with their boys Issac and Ben are teaming up to form Hogan's Heroes. Stoked to have these guys in the race, it will be interesting to see the car line-up they put together, they've got the bonus 0.5 for including juniors in the team. Dave's nickname is Rc Robot for his metronomic style of stringing lap after lap together at the same pace, his Egress is somewhat legendary with the speed/consistency it was able to achieve a few years ago.


1. The Codgers

Dave Martin Cat XLS (Using torque tuned)
Rob Smith RC10 B2
Brian Goby Schumacher Top Cat
Ron Curby RC10T

2. Cliff Lett us use his name
Richard Bull - Top Cat
Jason Milward - Top Cat
Adam Beniston - Cat XLS (Torque Tuned)
Bob Beniston - Cat XLS


3. The Dukes of Casso
James "Jimbo" Whitbourn - Losi JRX Pro-se
Jason "Ice man" Hollis - Kyosho Optima
Gavin "Shooter" Killian - Losi XXT
Michael Russell - Kyosho Ultima

4. Takis Pallas's Taco Palace
Steve James -Ultima
Takis Pallas - Jamie Booth Replica Egress
Lucas Hodgens - Tamiya Dyna Storm
Clint Musgrove - Top Force/Egress

5. The team formerly known as Heeere's Johnny
Johnny Five - TBA
Andrew Sienniak - RC10 Worlds
Scott Griffiths - RC10 Worlds

6. The team formerly known as The uncalled four
Darryl Thorncraft - Losi XXT
Brendan George - RC10 Worlds
Andrew Curless - Top Cat
Stephen Thorncaft - Kyosho Optima

7. New Team
Chad Annetts - Losi XX
Chris Taylor - RC10 B3
Aaron Wait - Kyosho Turbo Scorpion

8. Hogan's Heroes
Dave Matthews
Scott Hogan
Ben
Isaac


Also enduro stalwart Pete Wagner is keen though some of his gun recruits aren't available due to school holidays so if a team is looking for a driver or if any drivers are also looking for a team post here, and/or get in touch with Pete and see if you can get a team together

For the entry level-duro, these are the team so far

1. Dukes of Casso
Jason - Blitzer
James - Boomerang
Gav -

2. Rudi Eggenbaconburger and the Texaco Kid
Mikey - Texaco Kyosho Ultima Outlaw
Dan Burrough - Blitzer Beetle

3. Taco Pallace
Blitzer

4. Heeere's Johnny (New team name TBA)
Futaba FX10

5. F1 Drivers Can't Jump
Richard Bull - Kyosho Turbo Scorpion
TBA

6. New Team
Chad Annetts
Chris Taylor
Aaron Wait
Kyosho Turbo Scorpion


Cheers

Mikey
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Old 03-02-2021, 11:18 PM
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Transponder Numbers for the Codgers
David Martin 5565321
Rob Smith 5654101
Brian Goby 9775534
Ron Curby 6823864
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Old 03-04-2021, 01:29 PM
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Awesome Dave, first in with the transponders, thanks for being so organised!!

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Old 04-12-2021, 02:02 AM
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Thanks so much to Mikey and the club for organising another cracking vintage enduro. It was awesome to see the guys and the weather was perfect....always worth the trip across the border wall...
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Last edited by stephenianjames; 04-12-2021 at 02:41 AM.
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Old 04-12-2021, 04:58 AM
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Agreed, another fantastic event. Transponder issues meant we were out of the running early on, ( it appears we missed almost 80 minutes of track time according to Live Timing ) but we had a blast regardless.
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Old 04-15-2021, 04:51 PM
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It was great to see the fellas from Victoria to come all the way to Castle Hill to participate in this event. Just shows the enthusiasm generated by this event. I liked their Mexican outfits. Great Day of racing from everyone there.

Last edited by Wheel Nut; 04-15-2021 at 04:52 PM. Reason: liked
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Old 06-17-2021, 06:07 PM
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2021 Enduro wrap-up

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to say a huge thanks to you all for making the effort to put a team together and make the enduro another great race. Also thanks again to the Hills off road committee for actively encouraging vintage racing and producing a track that suits our racing and to Pete and Ben for taking the time to come down and set up the timing and run the meeting for us

The 2021 race has been run and won so I thought I’d do a bit of a wrap up of the race. Firstly it was awesome to have 8 teams in the race, sadly with the race clashing with an ACT event, we couldn’t get a team from Canberra, also St Ives had a clubby on so we missed those guys and the Bathurst guys this year. If I can find a date with no clashes, maybe we can achieve the dream of 11 teams next year. If you want to add your own take on the race from your team perspective, then please do so, it'd be great to hear stories of how things went on during the race for each team

A few quick stats. This was the first win since 2010 that the winning team hasn’t had a Tamiya buggy in it, this streak goes back to the old enduro winners of 2011 (Manta Ray) and 2012 (Astute), then from the multi car enduros 2015, 2018 & 2019 (Madcap) and 2016 & 2017 (Egress)
That moves Losi to equal status of featuring in 5 winning teams in the current format along with Tamiya, Associated has 4, then Kyosho and Schumacher with 2 each.
Losi has the most number of different models featuring in a winning team, 3 variants of the JRX line up (JRX2, JRX Pro and JRX Pro SE) and 2 from the XX series (XXCR & XXT)
We’ve included fastest Top Cat lap as there were 4 of them in the race and Richard was determined to find out whose was the best so a “Top Cat cup” was created

Fastest Laps
4wd: Adam Beniston Cat XLS TT 28.23
2wd: Andrew Sienniak RC10 Worlds 28.42
Truck: Darryl Thorncraft Losi XXT 29.867
Top Cat: Jason Milward 30.85
Most Consistent: Dave Matthews RC10 1.02 (He’s still the RC Robot)
Team by team summary

Dukes of Casso. We’ve missed our mate Gav, he’s been out the last couple of years assisting at home, so Shane had been with us for the previous 2 wins, so this was Gav’s first taste of Enduro victory and he certainly contributed with his XXT. James with the Losi JRX pro se put in another top effort, doing the most driving for the team with fast/consistent laps. Jason with the Optima rere with torque tuned turned some heads with its speed though the car used more battery than we’d have liked, requiring an extra stop and with the short wheelbase, these optimas are hard to drive but Jason kept it together to end up being the fastest 4wd based on average laps. The Ultima was surprisingly good, it was almost on the pace of the top RC10s and ran economically enough. Of note, 3 out of our 4 cars ran the zeee full stick packs you can pick up on ebay for $40 a pop. One thing this concept of driver grading is about is to bring less experienced drivers into the team to help with points, but the other side of that is the more experienced drivers can help bring the level up and with this I can say that we’ve had to regrade a couple of our drivers for next year as they keep getting better so we’ll have 2 less points to spend in ’22 which is annoying but cool to see the progress. A huge thanks to my team mates Jason, James and Gav. The guys all put in a huge effort in prepping their cars. They all ran flawlessly, which is difficult to do, especially with a 4wd like the optima, the guys drove very well which kept us in the hunt all day. We’ve taken away a few lessons for next year but have no idea how we’re going to go with a cut in the salary cap

Johnny and the Dr Shakers, These guys have really come on strong in the last couple of races, Johnny and Andrew added Scott to the line-up in 2019 and picked up a 3rd placing, now coupled with a race for the lead for the whole of the 2021 race shows how good these guys are. To do it with 3 drivers is also an achievement in itself. Johnny’s RC10T truck held its own in terms of pace for trucks and Johnny’s driving was very consistent. Andrews formidable green RC10 was the fastest 2wd out there regularly clocking 28 second lap times putting all the teams under pressure to keep up. Scott Griffith’s pink RC10 was also right up there in terms of pace and I spent many laps trying to keep up with that car and he was able to pull away from our Losi in the later stages in the race. It was a neck and neck fight all the way with these guys for the win, there was a lot of respect on the track between the top 2 teams and post race there was a lot of acknowledgment that it had been a great race for 5 hours. From the outside, these guys seemed to have a perfect race, they ran the truck out early, then fired a barrage of RC10 speed at us with the last 5 stints (200-odd laps) alternating between the RC10’s. These guys too have been improving as the years have gone on so a driver regrade for ’22 will require a car change

The Codgers have been stalwarts of this race for a long time and the line-up has stabilized over the last few years to form a solid team of guys who know what they’re doing, though they were hitting me up for “pensioner discount bonus laps” for the next race. A couple of interesting things for this team. Ron was the only guy who had a torque tuned in his RC10T truck this year because they had enough points to spend on it. The motor helped push Ron’s to being the second fastest truck on the day and he was also very consistent, so a 2.5 truck with the TT motor could be a solid option for drivers looking for something that’s robust for 3.5 points. Dave Martin with the Red XLS with the TT also went well, though in talking with Dave after the race, perhaps a gearing change could help. What was important to see was the TT performed very well in both cars and no reported issues with the motor. Rob was pleased with both his B2 and how Brian’s Top Cat went, in the top cat battle, Brian’s was the third fastest out there and very consistent. Well done on a great 3rd place, watch out for these guys next year, they’ll have the same points to play with

A new team to the race this year was Premature Acceleration, most of the drivers are Hills off road racers, who either had some old cars around or picked up a rere and we were stoked to have them join in the fun. These guys are a great example of how to do it. I acknowledge the rules around points etc can be a bit unwieldy, Team captain Chad got in touch, told me the drivers he was putting together, the cars they were looking to run and asked if the points were all good, simple. For a first time effort, these guys impressed, Chris Taylor’s B3 looked fantastic and had the pace to match and Chad’s Losi JRX2 punched above its weight for its points also. The surprising cars for me were the Scorpions. Adam’s yellow one with the TT motor ended up on the same sort of pace as the top cats which makes sense as it ends up being worth 3 points and Aaron’s Turbo scorpion with the 540 also punched above its weight, so the team stayed in touch when the lower points cars were on track. Well done guys, a 4th placing on your first go and managed to get the driver times right as well

Hogans hero’s were narrowly beaten by the Premature team so ended up with a 5th placing, though a dodgy transponder in Isaacs truck didn’t help the cause and had the transponder been picking up correctly, the result would have likely been reversed. It was great to see a team from the Southern Highlands in the event, these guys dominated the event in the early years, and this year saw them with two father/son parings. The RC Robot himself Dave Matthews pulled out his RC10 and set the pace and lead some of the early stages and certainly was in the battle for the lead during the first stint, then I think a dead battery in Ben’s car and then some missed laps with Isaacs truck set them back but by all accounts they had a fun day and Scotty will be looking for a few tweaks on the Top Cat after ending up 4th in the “Top Cat Cup”

Cliff Lett us use his name. This was another semi-new team for the event, Jason and Richard have run before, but this was the Beniston’s (Adam and Bob) first crack and it was great to have them there. These guys are all Schumacher aficionados so they have gravitated together to form a team using all buggies from that brand, in the form of two Cat XLS’s and two Top Cats. A bit of a learning year for this team, it’s a difficult thing to come together, put a plan in place etc first time out. Adam showed they have the speed in the XLS clocking the fastest lap of the race, however shortish stints meant extra pit stops. Bob was consistent with his XLS and was second fastest 4wd with 540 motor and I’d call is a tie on between Richard and Jason in the Top Cat cup, Jason having the fastest Top Cat lap and best fastest 10 lap average, however Richard was more consistent and had better averages for top 20, 30 and 40 laps but these guys had the fastest 2 top cats in the race. Look for these guys to come out firing next year with a bit more planning and no mid-race Maccas runs

Takis Pallas’s Taco Palace. These guys always rock up with the right attitude, the colour they bring to the event (literally and figuratively) is seriously appreciated, from the bright yellow team body shells, custom Taco Palace decals, sombreros and ponchos, these guys had it all covered and were shoe-ins for the coveted “Spirit of the race” trophy. This team boasted the coolest line up of the year in my opinion, a beautifully prepared Booth replica Egress from Takis, our Victorian friends Steve and Lucas brought an Ultima and Tamiya Dyna storm and Clint with his trusty Top force. The great thing to see was that Takis’ Egress wasn’t just for show, with the TT motor in it and geared nicely, it ended up being the 3rd fastest 4wd and racing against it on the track, the thing had some pace. 7th place in the end and a lot of laughs shared, cheers guys

Formula None. Stephen Thorncraft and his team of brother Darryl, Brendan George and Andrew (Curley) Curless rocked up again, with a line up that had winning potential. But a dodgy transponder or two seemed to destroy the chances and an 8th place result on the day. I’ve done some looking through the numbers and based on the time gap and a few assumptions on pace, these guys would have been in the battle for 4th and possibly nudging close to 3rd. Brendan’s pink and blue RC10 was the second fastest 2wd out there and consistent too, in the opening laps it was he and Dave Matthews battling it out for the lead . Then there’s Darryl’s XXT truck, fastest of the trucks both in peak speed and average lap time and getting good run times, certainly contributed to the team with Curley putting in solid laps too and Stephen having a handful driving the Optima with some aftermarket shocks that need some tweaking. These guys will get another crack next year with the same points, good transponders and some setup work on the Optima and I imagine these guys will be in the mix for victory in 2022

A couple of final thoughts/tips

From looking through the numbers, it really looks like the TT motor had the desired effect, it encouraged some teams to put a 4wd into the mix and it propped up a truck and a lower points 2wd to give an added benefit of a bit more pace. I feel like the limited implementation also was the right mix and the feedback I’ve received generally agrees which basically means that not allowing every 4wd and truck to use it also works well so in some cases we had teams with two 4wd buggies putting the TT motor in one 4wd and a 540 in the other so the TT motor isn’t able to have a huge impact. I know the Optima looked pretty quick with it, but that’s the aim – to offer up an option to make a 4wd either quicker than a 2wd but it won’t have the run time, or you have the option of gearing it more conservatively so it’ll run the speed of a 2wd and get the run time you need

Most teams got the drive times right which is great to see, I know it can be a little difficult to manage, a couple of suggestions could be have each team member assigned to monitor the drive times of 1 other car, these could even be posted in a group chat so everyone knows how long everyone has been going for. For simplicity though, unless your car/truck gets 29-30 minutes out of every run, you’re going to need at least 3 stints per car for a 4 car team or 4 stints per car for a 3 car team to get your driver time done.

If you want to get involved in the race, always feel free to get in touch, as others have done in the past, I’ve had people contact me who were looking to get into a team and I’ve been able to put them with others that were looking for an extra member and I’m only too happy to help navigate through the points system and car options etc. Also gearing and any other advice you may need. There’s no real black art to it, come with a bit of a plan of driver order, have as many cars as possible ready to head out onto the track in case one breaks down, have an idea of how long you want to run for and then have someone time the run so you don’t run out of battery on the track and try to keep track of which packs are charged and which aren’t. Bring food and water and have a rest when you can, it’s a long day

Suggestions? I’m always looking for suggestions to make the race better. One person suggested the Entry level enduro could be a longer race (than 90 minutes) and on a different day – that’s a possibility but we might struggle to get enough teams given that a lot of our teams travel a long way to Castle Hill, but its open for discussion, either way its status as a “fun race” must stay
The feedback about the TT motor has been good with everyone seemingly happy and it seems a robust option, let me know if you agree/disagree, so the plan is to leave the motor rules exactly the same for 2022

Car points? Anyone have any thoughts on the points for the cars? I’ve been talking to a few of the Schumacher guns, I’m proposing to drop the Cougar 1 & 2 to 4 points to separate it from the Cougar 2000 (4.5 points) and the XLS also drop to 4 points, away from the later Procats and Bosscats which are currently 4.5 points, the XLS rere looks to be a faithful repro of the original buggy, its an old design with SWB so we can drop its points. The top cat seems about right, though if people think it’s a little over, I’d consider a drop to 3. Bear in mind that the points aren’t purely a reflection on car speed, another factor is to try encourage people to take up options away from things like RC10s so it was cool to see buggies getting around that are distinctively different like the top cats with laydown front shocks, so the points also help encourage people to go for something a little more obscure

Car numbers – one good suggestion that has come through was for cars to have car numbers so its easier to identify which car is running for which team. I don’t think its important who gets what number, though it might be the computer will number the teams based on the qualifying result so we can go with that so for next year, every car must have the team car numbers on it, we’ll supply those in the morning

Cheers dudes
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