The sun was out for the first round of Tarees club series for 2016. There was some rain leading up to the event but the track held up and was ready for racing. A major change to the layout was achieved over the break and I was keen to test it out. This was going to be my real debut with nitro aswell.

After setting up and the track was open I was able to squeeze in some laps with the nitro buggy. It felt different to drive but overall it felt good. Unfortunately I ran out of time to have some practice laps with the EP8 buggy, this left me a little worried as I was still learning how to drive the new Tekno. The layout was very fun though. It was challenging but had a really nice flow.

My qualifying heats started of with nitro buggy. I struggled in the first round as I got use to the car, the different power delivery, braking and the characteristics of a new buggy. Over the next couple of heats I was able to get a handle on the buggy. It started to feel good, although a little pushy on corner exit. I was able to get my lap times into the 38s and 39s which I was very impressed with. Unfortunately I failed to finish any of the heats as I ran out of fuel each time. I even got 11 laps in for the last heat but flamed out on the last lap so it didn’t count. It was also discovered that I’d lost one of the bolts that holds the head on. The motor was leaking, which I was told could be the cause of the bad fuel economy. Jono put a 6.5 venturi in to try and help the fuel economy but it didn’t have enough of an effect.

I was a little anxious for the start of my EP8 heats. Despite not getting any practice in I strangely felt quite comfortable with the car. It was a little unpredictable when getting on the power but overall it felt fairly good. I took out the first heat and got 11 laps. I got pushed off in the 2^nd heat by a back marker and the marshall didn’t see me which cost me the win on which was an almost perfect run. My third heat went better and I won again getting 11 laps in.

I qualified in the A-main for nitro buggy. It was a 20 minute final. I was a little nervous heading into it. I lined up David to pit for me. I did a couple of practice laps and felt fairly comfortable. I was starting 6^th out of 8 so I was near the rear of the pack. I decided to not get in any heated battles and just run my own race. I fell back to last place after the first couple of corners. I got a few corners in still right on the pack which was actually holding me up a little and the motor died. It was brought back by a marshall and restarted. I did a half a lap before it cut out again. I was restarted once again, after a few corners it died again. I decided to call it a day putting it down to sucking air through the gap from the missing bolt in the head.

I headed into EP8 finals with a goal to win both finals. My first final started smoothly. I was overtaken by Steve Patterson after the little jump after the first corner. I stayed on his tail waiting for a mistake. We had a heated battle before I got around and started to pull a small lead. I settled into a nice rhythm and took out the race. My second final started the same way as the first. Steve once again passed me for the lead in the same spot. I got in behind him but made a mistake on the step up losing a few places. I was able to make them up quickly though and was back on Steves tail. We had a battle for the first few laps before he made a mistake on the big double double section. I took the lead and pushed hard to pull a lead. It was very hard to do but I managed to get a little breathing space. I took out the win again. I was happy as I had also got a 38.5 laptime in.

I had a good weekend. The track was fun and challenging at the same time. I was wrapped to come away with the win for EP8 and was happy with my progress in nitro buggy. Looking forward to learning more about nitro and further improvements with EP8.

Wins with Tekno: 7

Racing was back underway on the weekend as Port Macquarie hosted it’s next round of their club series. I was nervous and excited to test out the new Tekno EB48.3.

I arrived early and after setting up I picked up a Tekno Servo horn as I stripped the stock plastic one when testing the car. I installed it and was ready to hit the track for some practice.

I had made a few setup changes since I had a practice day a couple of weeks previous and the car felt very nervous and unpredictable. When I headed out for practice the car felt a lot better, it was predictable and not as nervous. It was a little loose but I put that down to using worn tyres. I still didn’t have a lot of hopes for the day results wise but I was feeling a little happier with the buggy.

I put new tyres on for the first heat and was anxious. I started off well. My plan was to try and stay clean and consistent and put in a decent run. David rolled on the astro doubles so I had a clear track in front of me. I was surprised that I settled into a nice rhythm. I was still over shooting corners and jumps but the car was a great deal easier to drive with the newer tyres. I pulled a decent lead over second place so I calmed down a little. I made one mistake for the heat so I was pretty impressed.

The second heat I aimed to do the same thing as the first. This heat I had a battle with David for a while before I got past. I was able to settle into a good rhythm again and pull out a decent lead. I was becoming for comfortable with the driving style required for the Tekno. I didn’t have to push as hard to be fast like I had to with the Mugen which leads to not making as many mistakes. Both the two heats I finished doing ten laps in 7:43. Everyone else was doing nine laps.

Third heat didn’t go so well. I rolled on the main straight someone a few seconds after I started. It didn’t get any better as I was now stuck in traffic and made too many mistakes. I was able towards the end get some clean track and put in some quick laps but it wasn’t enough. I finished third for the heat.

I was a little anxious heading into the final. I wasn’t sure what had happened in the previous heat, I made too many mistakes and paid for it. I calmed myself down as much as I could and I was ready to give it a shot.

I started off well. I had a clean run to the first few corners and started to pull a small lead. I set about to stay clean, consistent and try to be fast to pull a comfortable lead. I was able to do this, I pulled out a decent lead where I didn’t have to worry about second place behind me. I settled into a great rhythm and put together some really quick laps. Even down into the 43s with a 43.4 second lap. I never expected to be anywhere near the 43s until I got use to the buggy more. The race stayed the same and I ended up lapping David who came third. I was wrapped with the result.

Overall I had a good day. I managed to take the win and get comfortable with the Tekno. I was expecting it to take at least a few months to get use to it. I think after a few more races I will be as comfortable with it as I was the Mugen. Looking forward to trying it on a higher grip surface at Taree next week. The more grip the track had the better it drove.

Wins with Tekno: 3

The last round of the NSW/ACT Proline series was held at Liverpool was held over the weekend. I was keen to see how I went on a completely new track against some steep competition.

I traveled down with David on the Saturday morning, we arrived at about lunch time and set up in Liverpools new undercover pit area.

After setting up I headed out for practice. I immediately realised the track was technical but very rewarding when I got a section or lap right. After a few batteries I was getting use to the track and the grip levels were coming up. I could lap comfortably in the 40s with a few 39s and my fastest lap a 38.9. I felt reasonably comfortable with the layout and what I had to do. After five batteries I cleaned my car and settled in to camping the night in the race directors box.

I woke up the next morning and the weather didn’t look too good. It was lightly raining with no break in the clouds. Despite this I setup my pit area again and got ready.

My heats started fairly well. We had a nitro style start with the computer system not doing a normal called start for electric. Everyone was in a big bunch so the first couple of laps were chaos before everyone sorted themselves out and found track space. I put in a solid run which would have been 11 laps but I accidentally pulled into the pits before the time was done. I heard the buzzer and stopped not realising that the actual finish time was about 5 seconds after the buzzer. I had a solid second heat putting in 11 laps. Third heat wasn’t as good. Only managing 10 laps. I felt the track was starting to lose some grip and I was making a lot of silly mistakes. I qualified 6^th out of 14.

Heading into the finals I had lost some confidence. I borrowed one of Davids SMC batteries for the first final. I got caught up at the start of the first final in traffic. I went almost to the back of the field and had to work my way back up. Luckily other people were crashing aswell giving me a few places back. I tried to set into a rhythm and make back places. I was still making a lot of mistakes but I was able to make my way through the 14 other cars up to 4^th spot where I finished. I was fairly happy with my result.

Second final started much the same way. I got caught up with other cars putting me back down the order. I tried as in the last final to settle into a rhythm and make my way back through the field. The track was becoming a little looser and bumpier by now. I fought hard, still making mistakes but able to make my way up to third place. I was happy with that result.

Third final started better. I was one place further up the grid as Shane Kelly wasn’t racing after taking the first two finals to get the win. I had a good start and stayed out of trouble. I had a good battle with a couple of other drivers but eventually got some clear air in 2^nd place. This was the first final where I had settled into a good rhythm. Towards the middle of the final I realised Andrew Gillot who was leading pulled out so I was leading. I had a fairly decent lead but one mistake and I would have lost it. So I tried my best to keep the car on it’s wheels while keeping up a decent pace. I was able to do it. I won the final. I was over the moon.

Overall I came 3^rd for the day. Better than I ever expected to with my performance in the heats. I was wrapped with the result. I got a trophy and finished up 4^th in the series despite missing two round. I was very pleased for my first year racing. I have some work to do but I am very willing to do better and mix it up with the top guys one day.

After two weeks of rained out events I was really keen to get on the track again for the second round of the Ausrab Series at Port Macquarie. It was lightly raining in the morning but luckily not enough to call the day. The rain eased up during the day.

I had a practice battery this time so I headed out for some quick laps. The track was in good condition but strangely the rain had made the track a little more slippery than usual. Overall the car felt good and I was ready to race.

My heats started well. I felt comfortable with the car and improved with each heat. I made a couple of mistakes but overall I was pleased. In the third qualifier I was able to do a 10 lap run and again got into the 43s which I was pleased about. I managed to take out all three heats.

After some lunch I was ready to get into the finals. I had some SMC batteries to try out. They had so much more power, I had to fight wheelspin for the first time. First final started off and stayed bad. I made a small mistake on the second corner double and rolled over. I fell back a couple of spots and had to make them back up. After a couple of turns I had a small encounter with Reece which cost us both a little time. After we came together he rolled on the doubles on the fifth corner. That gave me a little space between him and myself. I then set my focus on catching David. In a couple of laps I had caught up and had a battle with him. I was able to make a move and get around. That’s when everything started going wrong. I pulled a gap after a couple of laps. Then I started making lots of small errors. Getting hung up on the pipe several times from turning in to early. I regained the lead and lost it again twice before making a final mistake giving David a lead to big to catch. I had to settle for second. My first loss in a few races. I was very dissapointed.

I was determined to have a better second final. I started off well. Pulling out a decent lead. I quickly realised there was something wrong with the car. It was understeering bad. However I was able to keep the lead and after a few laps David had to pull out with a mechanical issue. I had a decent lead at this stage and settled into a rhythm. The car was still handling bad but I had enough of a lead it didn’t matter. I still made a couple of small mistakes but overall I was fairly happy with my comeback. I found out after that I had lost another pillow ball nut.

Because David had a mechanical I got the overall win ahead of Reece and Steve. A win is a win but I wasn’t overly happy with my driving. I was happy the day was over but I am looking forward to Proline at Liverpool next weekend.

The first round of Port Macquaries Ausrab Series was held on the weekend. The track fairies had been busy at work and prepared a great looking track surface.

After a couple of practice laps I was ready to get stuck into the heats. My first heat started off fairly well. I made a few errors getting use to the surface but overall I was fairly confident with my performance. Second heat went extremely well. I got some clear space early on and got into a great rhythm. I pulled a 10 lapper which was a long way in front of everyone else so I was happy. Third heat went good but I got held up with lapped traffic which resulted in me only getting a 9 lap run. Overall I came away with the TQ comfortably though so I was happy.

I was nervous coming into the finals but luckily I was able to channel all that energy. I was determined not to make a mistake on the first lap like I usually do in the finals. I had a great start from pole and put in my fastest lap and fastest lap of the day to pull out a decent lead. I kept the pressure on for the whole race making only one small mistake on some braking bumps on the front straight but luckily I landed on my wheels. I would have had a 14 lap run if it weren’t for this mistake.

Second final started off well again, this time I put in a 43.8 second lap on my 2^nd lap pulling out to a big lead and breaking the lap record. I then put in a string a 45 second laps before something went wrong with my steering. That slowed my laps down. I later found out my adjusting nut came out from the pillow balls. However I was still able to come away with the win.

Overall I had a great day and was happy to take another clean sweep. Looking forward to the next one. 🙂

I was eager coming into the 10^th round of Tarees club series to make up some of the points deficit to Kev in first place. I was hoping to come away with maximum points. I would also be trying out some new tyres; GRPs Easy tyre.

I set up and headed out for some practice. After a few laps I was starting to feel comfortable with the car. The tyres hooked up well.

The heats started off well. I was able to take all three heats by over a lap. I was feeling comfortable with the car and was able to settle into a grove in each race. I was enjoying driving. I was almost able to pull off a 12 lap run in the second heat, missing out by just 4 seconds. I made one small error during the heat which cost me in the end.

I was a little anxious but keen to get into the finals. I seem to be able to sail through the heats without a problem but when the pressure of finals come I make silly errors.

I made a good start in the first final but after the first few corners I made a small mistake making the car roll. Once I was flipped over I got stuck into driving hard. I made a couple of spots straight away and settled into 2^nd place. I set out to catch David in first place. I was a long way behind. After a few laps I had caught up but we were to evenly matched to get a chance at overtaking. I just sat behind in the hope he would make a mistake. After a few laps he made a small error handing me first place. With only a couple of minutes left I settled my pace down and cruised to the finish, taking the win.

The second final went better. I still made a mistake at the start putting me back into last place. However this time I didn’t need to be marshaled so I made up the couple of places straight away and settled in behind David again. He made a mistake early on with the double double section and handed me the lead. I was able to then string together a few quick laps including my quickest of the day and quickest in class, a 36.895. I came away with the win again.

Overall I was fairly happy with my performance. I was able to clean sweep the day. I just have to work on not making mistakes at the start of finals.

Despite almost a week of rain Taree was ready to host the 4^th round of the Proline NSW/ACT series after the hard work put in by their members.

I was keen for the race despite sleeping in and arriving late. After arriving and setting up I was ready to have a quick practice and get stuck into it. This would also be my first time trying nitro with David lending me his nitro buggy for the day.

After setting up the nitro buggy I went out with the EP8 and put in a few laps. I felt comfortable with the car straight away bringing my fastest lap down to 38 seconds. I pulled in and put the battery on charge. I was ready to race.

My heats went well, winning the first heat and taking second in the remaining two. I was comfortable with the car and the track after a resurface since the last time I was there. My nitro experience didn’t start well with the starter box snapping a belt. Luckily Corey came to the rescue and let me use his box when I needed it. Once I was going I found the car very different to drive, I managed to get my laptimes into the 37s but not consistently. The car understeered a lot.

My first final for EP8 started well. I had qualified 2^nd. I got out into a decent lead after a couple of mistakes from the people behind me. I stayed their for the majority of the race but was slowly caught by 2^nd place. We had a close battle for the last two or so laps before I was overtaken. We still battled to the line, I just missed out by less then a second.

Second final started off well aswell. I settled into 2^nd place and stayed there for the race. I was happy with 2^nd.

Then was my B final for nitro buggy. I hoped to gain more steering with the car after a setup change. I started off well, still struggling with the setup but I was having fun learning the car. Apart from the steering I was having a hard time getting use to the brakes which were very weak compared to my electric buggy. I was making mistakes and flamed out once but overall it was a good experience.

My last final in EP8 went alright, I was missing two competitors so I set my goal on a win in this heat and 2^nd overall. I started off well jumping my way into the lead, however I was not comfortable with the car after just coming off my nitro final. I was missing my braking points and accelerating to hard. I stayed in the lad for the whole race comfortably. I had a good battle with Ian when I came around to lap him. I came through for the win.

Overall I had a good day, a few mistakes but I was happy to come away with 2^nd place and another trophy to add to the collection.

Port Macquarie staged their official opening on what could not have been a more perfect spring day. The sun was shining and the track was buzzing. This was my first run since picking up sponsorship with Ausrab Industries and I was keen to hit the track and test out my new GRP tyres. I was also keen for my first run in 10^th scale with my Hot Bodies D413.

I didn’t have a battery I could practice with, so I had to make use of a few very short practice laps to pick my tyre pattern. I had a choice of either Atomics or Easys. After testing both I went with Atomics.

First up I had 10^th scale. This class is completely new to me so I wasn’t expecting to much. I was hoping just to gain some experience with the class. Even though I was listed as first to go I wasn’t called until the middle of the pack. However I was able to make a few positions of the start as others made mistakes. While the car was harder to control than 8^th scale I was surprisingly able to settle into a groove. I made a few mistakes but overall I was happy with my performance. I took the win.

My first heat in EP8 went fairly well. I was able to get into the groove after a few laps. I beat my previous lap record at the track with a 46.7. While this was good my average lap times were not as impressive. Only managing to drop below the 50s a couple of times. I knew the pace was there I just had to find some more consistency. I came second for this heat.

Up next was 10^th scale again. This time I felt a little more confident. I was started first this time and quickly got out and away from the main pack. I settled into a groove and won the heat. Still making a few small mistakes but I was getting use to the buggy.

My second heat of EP8 started better. I knew what I had to do. I had the pace I just needed to be more consistent. I was happy with my pace in this round. My fastest lap was a little slower (in the 47s) but my consistency was a lot better with an average lap time in the 48s. I was able to comfortably take this heat.

Last heat for 10^th scale started poorly. I made a few silly mistakes at the start and fell away to the back of the pack. Luckily a few others made mistakes aswell putting me a little closer to the front. I was able to then settle into a groove and pull away from the pack. I made a few more mistakes but nothing that cost me to much time. I ended up taking the win again.

Last heat for the day was EP8. This heat didn’t start to well either. I made unnecessary mistakes putting me back in the pack. Other people didn’t make mistakes so I was forced to fight my way back through the pack to get to a clear track. After a few laps I was back near the front. I had a great battle with Steve. We were evenly matched. I would pull out a small gap but make a small mistake putting us back together. I ended up coming a very close second in this heat.

First of the finals was 10^th scale. With a trophy up for grabs I was eager to put in a good drive. I started from first position and got a good jump. But made a small mistake at the start. I fell back into third place. Us three front drivers fought it out for a little over a lap. Then myself and David pulled a small gap. We had a hard fought battle for a lap or two before David was struck with mechanical problems. This left me with a fair gap in the lead. All I had to do was finish it off. I won the final and I was happy.

Having won my 10^th scale final I felt a little relief going into my EP8 final. I wanted to win a trophy and I had. My goal was unchanged though and I wanted to win two trophies. Starting from pole position again I got a good start and lead through the first corner. Coming into the third corner after a set of doubles on astro turf I made a small error and rolled over. This put me about mid pack with a large field of 14 drivers. I made up a few places quickly and was near the front again. Again it was myself and David out the front. I knew I would have to step up my pace to keep with him. Unfortunately he was struck by mechanical problems again leaving me in the lead with a nice gap back to second. David was able to get going again and was in second. I kept the pressure on and was able to comfortably take out the final.

Overall I had a great weekend. I got two first places with both classes entered. I had a great time learning new tyres and a new car. Big thanks to the Port Macquarie club for putting on a fantastic event. Also a big shoutout to Ausrab Industries. My GRP tyres hooked up all day long.