Fast Pace Racing

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Tips for the Newb's. 9.7.2010

TJ's picture
Posted Tue, 09/07/2010 - 3:14pm by TJ

 

Tips for the newb’s. ;)
 
Chassis:
What is the best chassis for racing, MR02 or MR03?
- They’re both great for racing. This is personal preference. If you’re new and planned to get into mini-z racing, then MR03 would be your best choice. Because it has better electronics. Which means, your steering & throttle are linear than MR02 ASF board and your reverse is so much faster than MR02 ASF.
- If you already have the MR02 and planned to just stick with it, then few upgrade will be needed such as: PN Racing’s double A-Arm combined with PN Racing’s Tri Shock. Then expect to see your lap times to go down. ;) (fine tuning is needed). Why do I recommend these two products from PN when running MR02? It is because the MR02 seemed to always keep its wheels to the ground. You can go low and won’t have to worry about the car leaning/body roll. Also this chassis just likes to be “cranked” on the steering and won’t suffer for traction roll’itis. Lol.. You can slam on the brakes and crank the steering to full lock and still keep the car on its four wheels. Although I don’t recommend to drive like this until you master smooth driving. I just had to put this here.
 
What configuration should I set my race car at, 94, 96 or 98? What about 102mm?
- I would say, 80-90% of the fast drivers in the World, runs 94mm. This is because the car is very nimble (as if miniz is not nimble enough ). It is very quick infield and it gives more rear traction when getting on-power. The rear traction is coming from the rear wheel being closer to the weight of the chassis (battery). So, everyone that runs mod will benefit on that extra traction in the rear. The only thing with 94mm is that you get this slight push or understeer on-power and also, you can feel the bumps more than the longer wheelbase.
- 96mm= Good Rear Traction and Better car rotation.
- 98mm= Less rear traction and slower infield because of the longer wheelbase but it makes the car very easy to drive especially when using Mosler or Enzo body. By no means I'm saying that 98mm is not a good wheelbase. It is also as good. You just have to find the right settings for it. I know I would do 98mm if I do mod again.
-102mm= Easy to drive but just not for competition. Well, not yet...
 
MR03/02 SP gold battery tabs or stock?
- I only replace mine when it breaks. I can’t tell the difference between the two in handling/performance. So, save your dough and buy me lunch instead. Hehe.. The SP chassis for MR02 are brittle. I suggest to keep it stock gray because they last longer and stiffer. It doesn't flex as much as the SP chassis. As for MR03, the black chassis has a bit more flex than SP or Gray chassis. I prefer the black stock once just because they're not brittle and has more flex than SP. I like this flex for that body roll. I drive smoother with a car that leans but doesn't traction roll.
 
Bodies:
What is the best body to use for racing?
- I’ll name a few of the most common bodies being used:
- 94 & 96mm= F430GT, F360GTC, SC430, 350Z. 98mm Enzo, Mosler, FXX, NSX (trimmed bumer).
 
Which one is better, white (non-decorated) or Autoscale?
- I use them both. Can I tell the difference in performance when driving it on the track? Easy answer, NO. Next…
 
Do I really need to shave the sharp front bumper/canars and make the front bumper round?
- YES. This is a MUST! You loose already if you have sharp edge around the front or sides of the car because you can’t come close to the corners without getting caught or slowing down. Others with rounded front/sides will just glide off the corner walls.
 
Does spoiler make a difference?
- Not sure about aerodynamics but weight, yes. Heavier rear = rear traction.
 
Wheels:
Which one is better, lightweight but not ture, true machined wheel but heavier, aluminum so it won’t crack, stock wheels, etc..?
- Trued wheels and if you can get smaller front wheel (19mm), even better. I use custom atomic 19mm dish wheels. Yeah, they're trued but I can't and I don't use these for any PN hosted race which includes RCX. This is because my wheels falls into "modified" wheels which is illegal. Wait until PN releases their 19mm wheels.
 
Should I glue my tires everytime I change it or tape?
- Glue when running mod with Kyosho tires.
- PN6 rear or PN15-25 front is hard enough and can get away with just tire tape.
 
Can I reuse the tape I have on the rims already?
- Never reuse tire tape. Remove and Replace after you pull that tire out.
 
Suspension:
T-bar= SSG, carbon fiber, fiber glass, etc.. Which one should I get?
- I have more luck using SSG without breaking them. I have mine for almost a year already and they’re still good as new. Carbon fiber tend to crack/break easier than SSG. Don't quote me on this but the carbon fiber plates seemed to be a bit softer than SSG. So if you're using #4 carbon fiber, that's 4.5 for SSG. I only use fiber glass when I’m out of SSG or CF.
 
Top center shocks, yes or no? What springs to use?
- When it sags, center shock it.
- Soft spring
 
Disc Damper Plates or Tri Shocks?
- Newer drivers Disc Damper. Mess with Tri Shock later when you’r familiar with your car and driving.
 
Damper plate= lube or grease? Hard, medium or soft springs?
- Lube for now. I don’t put any lube on my Disc Damper System. I haven’t tried this “Ruby Lube” that our friends from the east coast are talking about. I will however give this a try and let you guys know about it.
 
Battery:
- My favorites: R1 750 matched & TRP matched. Other choices, Peak or Orions.
R1 750 matched= best used for stock racing on both PN70 and Atomic USA motors. Others use these for their mods and they do last the 10 mins in the mains for modified class. I charge these at 1A-1.5A. You can also charge these at 2.0A but the punch is only good for the first few minutes then the punch dies down. I hate having to relearn to drive the car in the middle of the race so I stick to consistent speed/punch with lower amp charge.

TRP 900= I had a chance to run these cells on my turbo matcher 8 and let me tell you. According to the readings that the matcher was pulling, these cells had the lowest IR, higher discharge mah and can hold higher voltage with no leakage. I've tested R1, Orion700/900, Peak and the cells that I was working on and TRP had the best read outs followed by R1 750's. On the track though, I still see myself using R1's in the A-main.

Peak & Orion= same. I use them for Friday Night races (club race) and practice. For bigger race, I'd stick to TRP's or R1's.

 
And there you go for today’s "tip of the day".
 
-Tj Macabuhay