ROAR NATS: Inside Carson Wernimont's Yokomo buggies

ADVERTISEMENT | ADVERTISE WITH US

By Aaron Waldron
LiveRC.com

Carson Wernimont drew a lot of attention when he posted a blurry photo of his buggy bodies for the Nationals a few days before the start of the race - but those who had watched him practice at SRS Raceway leading up to this weekend’s event already knew he was driving Yokomo vehicles this weekend. I went to Carson’s pit area during the last round of seeding practice to check out his cars and learn more about his future plans.

“I’ve always been good friends with those guys,” Carson said, “and as soon as I left (Team Associated) I wanted to try their cars.” Carson reached out to Robert Itoh and Shin Adachi about getting a 2WD and 4WD buggy to test them ahead of a possible Nationals appearance - so Shin sent his personal cars to the U.S. “I drove out here and ran over the weekend,” said Carson, who started off with Lee Martin’s setups from the Cactus Classic before determining that the track was very different - and that he needed to make adjustments. Carson said, “I’ve talked with Robert, Shin, and Lee for setup help, and it’s all been really good so far. I haven’t signed anything - we’ve just got our sights set on this weekend, and then we’ll see what happens.”

“We had spoken prior to him signing with (Team Associated),” said Robert, “so we already had a dialog going. He knew he always had an offer, and we welcomed him with open arms to give the cars a try this weekend.” According to Robert, the opportunity to work with a Worlds-caliber driver like Carson is something that’s been a part of Yokomo’s plan for at least a short while now. “We’re keen on getting a program going in the U.S.,” said Robert, “but ultimately it’s for Carson to decide.” Itoh acknowledged that the opportunity to sign Carson to an actual contract will be largely contingent on what kind of deal the 2014 Worlds podium finisher can put together for 1/8-scale racing. “Hopefully he finds something that would allow him to run for us,” said Robert.

Inside Carson Wernimont’s 2WD Buggy

Chassis: Yokomo YZ-2
Motor: Reedy Sonic Mach 2 7.5
ESC: Reedy Blackbox 410R
Battery: Reedy 3900mAh 70C Low-Profile shorty
Radio: Futaba 4PX
Servo: Futaba BLS351
Tires: Pro-Line Primes, MC compound
Body: Yokomo (stock)
Notes: Steel rear pivots, aluminum camber link, weight tucked under transmission. “It’s really good. It’s easy to drive, and it feels like it has the pace to be competitive,” said Carson.

Inside Carson Wernimont’s 4WD Buggy

Chassis: Yokomo B-MAX4 III
Motor: Reedy Sonic Mach 2 6.0
ESC: Reedy Blackbox 410R
Battery: Reedy 3900mAh 70C Low-Profile shorty
Radio: Futaba 4PX
Servo: Futaba BLS351
Tires: Pro-Line Primes, MC compound
Body: Yokomo (stock)
Notes: “I think this car’s pretty much stock,” said Carson, “we chased the setup a little bit at the beginning of the day, but that last round I think we got it figured out. We’ve played a lot with steering geometry trying to get it to turn a little bit more.” Before switching to the low-profile battery Carson had been running a standard shorty pack. He has also installed stiffer sway bars.

Photo Gallery