Whether it's wheel nuts, wings, tools, tracks, trinkets and/or anything in between, the LiveRC staff gives their testimonial and mini-review of each every Thursday morning!
Stock Slash Modified Dirt Oval Racing
RTR Kit + Body = $300
After doing something over and over and putting your life and soul into it, eventually you need a little break from it. This past Tuesday night I decided to take a break away from my usual offroad racing regime and joined the guys AND girls at Fastlane Raceway in Blue Springs, Missouri for a little Tuesday night dirt oval action. Dirt oval racing continues to grow here in the midwest, however, like any form of R/C can get VERY expensive, time consuming, and stressful...until now.
I arrived at the track to find a tremendous turnout of racers, all running what appeared to be some sort of B-Mod style cars. They looked super trick, looked super expensive, and looked super fun. Upon further investigation, I discovered that these are completely stock Traxxas Slash trucks using the new Bodies by Wild Bill modified body kit! No changing tires, no changing motors, no changing springs, etc. Pull the truck out of the box, grab a battery, put a super dialed body on it, and go racing!
Luckily my old man "Homer" is the proud owner of a Traxxas Slash, so I stole it for the night to join in the fun! For only $300 (RTR Stock Slash $250, Wild Bill's body kit $50) absolutely anyone can go racing, be competitive, and have a blast! Everyone from veteran sponsored drivers to newbies off the street are able to join in the fun! The class is relatively new in the midwest area, however, has grown so large that it is rumored to be a permanent class in major dirt oval racing series and regional events such as the MDRA Dirt Oval Championship for 2014.
Pros:
- Competitively race R/C cars for only $300.
- B-Mod bodies give the cars a very realistic and eye pleasing look.
- No crazy setup changes or hop-ups are allowed, so it all comes down to driving skill.
- Run just like real dirt oval racing (Timed qualifier, heads up qualifier with passing points awarded, 50 lap main event).
- Whether you win or lose, it has you smiling ear to ear.
- The class is still new for a lot of tracks and growing. In time I believe could be the "re-birth" of dirt oval racing, and has the potential to really grow the hobby.
Cons:
- For the track owner this class can require added work ensuring all cars are truly stock and figuring up passing points.
Conclusion:
I can honestly say that I have not smiled and enjoyed racing R/C like I did this past Tuesday night in a very long time. The lack of maintenance, setup worries, time, and expense is virtually gone with this racing class. It is all about driving your very best, and having fun. Don't get me wrong, the racing is SERIOUS, but it doesn't take a million dollars or 10 years of setup knowledge to be competitive. It was really awesome to see men, women, adults, children, pros, and beginners all racing together and enjoying the sport we all love so much.
While Fastlane Raceway is not the only track in the nation running this class by any means, they (in my opinion) do an excellent job of promoting it, keeping it fair, and making it fun. If you are a track owner and/or racer looking for more information on the class, it's rules, and specifics I urge you to contact Fastlane Raceway by phone (816-220-0100) or by the web (
www.fastlanehobbies.com) and continue building this class and our hobby near you!
For more information on the Bodies by Wild Bill B-Modified body kit, visit their Facebook page
HERE.
Beacon Rating: 5/5
THURSDAY TESTIMONIALS - RANDOM ITEM OF THE WEEK:
Each week outside of the R/C world we test out and use a variety of items in our daily routines that have absolutely nothing to do with R/C, and THIS is what we think of them!
Rocketfish Lighted USB to charge cable$19.99
www.rocketfishproducts.comIn this day and age most people spend more time on their cell phones or devices than the do anything else. Emails, texts, work, family, and friends is all connected in one place. That one place comes in all shapes and sizes, but most often is found in cell phone form. A long day's work on a cell phone means re-charging it daily. The stock cords included with most cell phones (iPhone especially) looks and works great for awhile, until before you know it there is frayed wires hanging out from each end. I got tired of spending the $14.99 for the standard Apple charge cord over and over, and went in search of something a little more my style.
I like pretty lights, I like things outside the ordinary, and I like things that can withstand the daily abuse of Mike Garrison. The Rocketfish lighted USB charge cable met all of that criteria, so I decided to try it out!
Pros:
- Lights up with moving colored lights while charging.
- Much thicker and more durable than most stock charge cords.
- Available in a variety of models to fit multiple phones and/or devices.
- 3' long makes it easy to charge and not have to sit next to the outlet to use your device.
- Available in different lighted color combos.
Cons:
- The added thickness and durability makes it a little harder to wad up and carry around.
- The lights are very bright which is rad, but will give you nightmares of a UFO invasion while sleeping next to your charging device.
Conclusion:
The Rocketfish Lighted USB charge cable was well worth the extra $5. Overall it works great, looks great, and so far has held up great! If your looking for something a little more low-key, Rocketfish also offers standard charge cables which do not feature the disco light show while charging.
Beacon Rating: 4/5
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