UNO-RC Driver race reports

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Just thought id share these with everyone, they have taken the time to write them so its only fair i share the word

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Well hello, here you will find my first race report on behalf of UNO-RC.
 
As a newly signed driver i gave my word too do a race report for every meeting good or bad, and i was hoping for my first too be a good one. How very wrong could i be, the day started well as you can see from the picture, the sun was out and the track was looking very good if a little dusty, so i thought a good start would be too go out on Louise RC B Pirate, it was a superb choice and had very good grip on and off line even if the track was very dusty, i decided on a soft compound as the temperature was quite warm and i wanted too try it as a little experiment.
For the first 3 minutes it was superb but the engine was not running well, i had 2 unexplained flame outs which seemed too occur for no apparent reason, so the first round was a loss. so a little look at the engine at the table led me too change the glow plug and retune a little richer too compensate for the higher temps. After watching the track clean up a little i went for the Louise RC B Groove in a super soft compound, again having not run this tyre before it was sort of a experiment just too see if it would deal with the dust, i was so impressed with this tyre even my pit man Danny was shocked at how much grip it was generating, even off line it was good which considering the small pin and flat profile shocked me somewhat so i decided that was tyre for me for the rest of the day, and out i went, and in i came, no top end lots of blue smoke and again another flame out. Damn it.
Now anyone who knows me will know that i never give in, so i went back too the engine and gave it another retune, concentrating on trying too get it just right, and this is where the tale of woes goes from bad too worse. on the box the engine was just not revving properly, the idle was good and seemed too pull clean enough but still no top end, so i leaned it off in the hope that it would come back. Round 3 and it all started so well, good consistent laps and then in the middle it just cut again. By now i was starting too get a little frustrated as i hadnt even finished a round and i knew i was going too be in the pull start final, (for those newbies reading this, these are the lowest finals). But i was refusing too give in, so i went the whole hog.
New clutch bearings, new clutch shoes, another retune, upped the idle a good turn, new plug, new tank, the whole nine yards, and did it work i hear you cry.
NOPE, it was exactly the same.
Now take heart readers, because there is a end too this tale of woes, never give in, i had a days racing amongst friends who were always willing too offer a suggestion, and a screwdriver. And even though i left a little frustrated and a little defeated and sheepish i wouldnt change it. On a stripdown if found that i had blown the front bearing on my Alpha so i was sucking in air at a rate of knots. And it looks like that after 1 and a half gallons it broke in at the exact same time so i would never had got it right, but thats ok, i have a new bearing on order, and a RB too put in for this sunday.
But i had a good day out and with friends, so never worry about things going wrong, it happens too the best of us, its how we deal with it that matters.
If you see me at a race meet and need a hand just ask, i will always help if i can, thats the way it works.
So i will see you Sunday, now all i have too do is decide where too go, will it be Kent or Herts. hmmmm



 
Mark “The Wolf” Thomas

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Well here is my second race report, and after the disaster that was my first i am pleased too report that the second was a much better affair.
the day started as it usually does when it comes too the classic winter series over here in the UK, it rained, and then it rained some more, in fact on my way up too HNMC I honestly thought that it was not going too stop all day, but that never bothered me before and it wasnt going too stop me now. But according too accuweather it was going too stop at about 9 and be dry for the rest of the day so i carried on up too ware to get set up and was prepared too have the day on their astro track. Now i dont really like racing on fuzzy felt (my pet name for Astro) but if it means racing i will run on anything, so i was prepared too break out the astro tyres and change setup too suit but on getting there and looking at the track it didnt look so bad so i hoped too put into one of the later heats, and let the truggy boys and the lower heats clean the track up a bit.
For once my luck held (woohoo), and i was in heat 5 out of 6 so by the time it came too heat 5 round 1 the track was still muddy and sticky but the majority of the water had gone. there was only one choice for me at the time louise B Pirate, and they were superb in the thick mud, so much turn in and forward bite, but a word of warning, at herts they have a concrete section at the end of the straight and 2 little astro sections, one at the top and and on the corner before the main straight. Now this where i had the problems the pirates i had were in the soft compound, and where a little loose on the concrete and just too hard on the astro giving me some understeer issues on those 2 places, nothing a dose of power wouldnt cure but just not the quickest way around. so apart from looking like something out of 2 fast 2 furious on the astro, all wheelspin and sideways, i was making good time and got fourth in my heat, and this was too set the pattern for the day. Now before i go on too round 2 i will say this, i will be getting super soft compounds for both Pirates and Turbo as soon as i can as i think this would have remedied my problem, but i would feel negligent if i didnt issue you with all the facts, part of my writing these reports is that the mistakes i make you wont have too.
As i said i knew i had a issue with the compound so for round 2 i had no choice but too go for AKA Cityblocks in a super soft compound, i am a bit of stickler for sticking too a brand so i didnt really like too swap but UNO-RC stocks both Louise RC and AKA so i was sure that there wouldnt be a problem. So for round 2, i got a really good start but did make a couple of mistakes and due too the fact the track was so wet marshalling was turning out too be a very slippery affair so my mistakes cost me dearly, but i still came in fourth behind Hayden Ball and Smoothy, now both of these guys are club members at herts and a fair bit of track knowledge so i was hoping just too stay with them which i did. and finished with a 8 at 359 second which isnt bad. especially in the wet. Round 3 and again i went out in the Aka’s by this time the track was really drying but cutting up, so suspension was getting more critical and i think as the track dried and cut up my springs were a little hard, and i could still only manage a fourth.
back in the pits i went from blues too green, to help soak up the bumps. this worked well and gave me much better grip but again i could only manage fourth in my fourth round i think everyone had the same idea because after round 3 you could see all the springs coming out, and all the lap times drop.
so it was finals and this was going too be hard, because all of the A and B drivers were very close on times. i had managed a 8th in the B final grid postion and was looking forward to giving it all, now i have a confession. If i had been thinking a bit more clearly and examined the track i would have gone for some super soft B Grooves as i love this tyre and it works well for me, but the track for a distance still looked a little cut and muddy so i went for B turbos in a soft, NOT a good move, on the dirt they worked well, but on the stoney infield and concrete and astro they were not good. But i was still running fourth so i was going well, my RB was on song and i had timed my pit too perfection 9.30 call in in the pits 10 minutes for the last leg. My pit man called me in and fuelled me and as i left the pit lane i flamed out, Bloody hell. he got me back in and restarted and i left again in 12th. now i was on a mission but finding it hard too push on, i had good grip on the dry dust and mud but very little on the astro and concerete but even so i still managed too pull back 4 places too finish 8th, so overall i wasnt too dissapointed. it could have been better, but the buggy performed well and if i had made a better choice for the final, tyre wise i would have been much better off.
But there you go, another lesson learned. Get some more fuel line and a expansion cylinder for the pressure side of the fuel line too help with the flame outs, and some super soft rubber for the colder weather. So i hope all this helps. Again my thanks too Brian at UNO-RC for his continued support and always superb advice. and Ooooo another quick one before i go, what i did see at Herts was the Werks engines, that B5 really does pull like a train and after speaking too their team driver he said the B6 pro was an ever better lump so i think i have just found me engine for the end of the year and next year.
Anyhow i hope this finds you well, and that you keep racing. if you see me just come up and have a give me a chat i will always have time too talk.
Mark “The Wolf” Thomas