The 200mm nitro touring car division is one of the most specialized categories in our industry. The racers who choose to compete in this class face challenges not seen in any other form of RC competition - metering tire wear against the option to turn faster lap times, calculating fuel mileage down to the final drop, and wringing out a small .12 c.i. engine to exceed 60 mph before barreling into the next turn. To race competitively in this class requires meticulous preparation, obsessive attention to detail, and heaps of talent - and to win, you must have truly world-class equipment. Here’s a look at some of the fastest 200mm nitro touring cars on the planet.
Defending IFMAR World Champion Meen Vejrak
Chassis: KM Racing H-K1 Meen Version
Engine: O.S. Speed T1201
Pipe: O.S. T-1070SC
Radio: Sanwa M12
Servos: Sanwa SRG-BLS/SRG-BRX
Controlled fuel choice: Cosmo
Tires: Matrix 45 shore (handout)
Body: PROTOform P37
Notes: Like his teammates, Meen’s “Meen Version” car (named after him to commemorate the championship win two years ago) is fitted with shorter shock towers, but is otherwise quite standard. In order to tame down steering response on the high-grip surface Meen has run a low ride height, added toe-out, adjusted for a longer wheelbase and used putty in the front gear differential - essentially creating a spool. A tough first day of qualifying left Vejrak playing catch up on Thursday, and despite improving in rounds four through six he managed only to reach the first spot on the grid in the Even 1/4 Final.
Current European Champion Robert Pietsch
Chassis: Mugen Seiki MTX-6
Engine: Picco EMX-WC
Pipe: Picco 2654
Radio: Sanwa Exzes Z
Servos: Sanwa ERS-971 x 2
Controlled fuel choice: Maxima (sponsored by Maxima)
Tires: Matrix 45 shore (handout)
Body: PROTOform P37
Notes: Robert is the designer of the Mugen MTX-6, and is running no special parts. He has tried, however, running positive front camber and additional ballast under the fuel tank. The new Picco EMX-WC engine has a long stroke than the previous version, designed to generate more mid-range power. The German has been unhappy with his progress over the week, as have many drivers struggling to come to terms with the high grip conditions, and will start third in the Even 1/4 Final.
2013 European Champion Alessio Mazzeo
Chassis: Serpent 748 Natrix
Engine: Max Power RP3
Pipe: Max Power 2670
Radio: Sanwa Exzes Z
Servos: Sanwa SRG-BLX x 2
Controlled fuel choice: Maxima (sponsored by Runner Time)
Tires: Matrix 45 shore (handout)
Body: SRC Spark
Notes: Running a standard 748 Natrix, the Italian driver will start first in the Odd 1/8 Final.
Current European ‘B’ Champion Thilo Toedtmann
Chassis: Capricorn LAB-C03
Engine: ORCAN RS3 M4
Pipe: ORCAN 2654
Radio: Sanwa M12
Servos: Sanwa ERS-971 x 2
Controlled fuel choice: Maxima (sponsored by Orcan)
Tires: Matrix 45 shore (handout)
Body: PROTOform P37
Notes: New chassis plate design has fewer cutouts for less flex. The suspension arms are made of harder material. A new front bulkhead raises the upper arms 1mm. Thilo fitted his car with 10g of weight in the front bumper and steel diff gears for even more weight, to under to reduce steering and the tendency to flip over. Thilo will start fourth in the Even 1/4 Final.
Current Japanese National Champion Takaaki Shimo
Chassis: Mugen Seiki MTX6
Engine: O.S. Speed T1201
Pipe: O.S. T-1070SC
Radio: Futaba 4PX
Servos: Futaba BLS-551 x 2
Controlled fuel choice: Cosmo
Tires: Matrix 45 shore (handout)
Body: PROTOform P37
Notes: The multi-time Worlds podium finisher and Japanese National Champion, like most drivers, is running additional weight on the front bumper. Shimo will start first on the grid in the Odd 1/4 Final.
Current 1/12-Scale European Champion Alexander Hagberg
Chassis: XRAY NT1 2014
Engine: ORCAN RS3-MH
Pipe: ORCAN 2654
Radio: Sanwa M12
Servos: Sanwa SRG-HV/SRG-ERS
Controlled fuel choice: Maxima, sponsored by ORCAN
Tires: Matrix 45 shore (handout)
Body: PROTOform P37
Notes: Alex’s otherwise standard car is fitted with only a few optional parts, like a thicker 4mm chassis plate. It has been fitted with 50 grams of additional ballast in the front, and adjusted to have little front camber for smoother and less responsive handling with slower directional change. Like most of the XRAY drivers here, Alex has shaved off 2mm of the front upper arm and moved it forward to reduce the car’s caster angle to almost zero degrees. Also, the rear bulkhead has been cut so that the camber link can be fastened directly to the bulkhead mount, which reduces camber gain and makes the rear end slide rather than grip and cause the car to flip over. After losing the tiebreaker for overall TQ to Dominic Greiner in the final round of qualifying, the Swede will start the Odd semifinal from the front of the grid.
2014 IFMAR Worlds Top Seed Teemu Leino
Chassis: HB R10
Engine: Novarossi Keep-On 12 3LS
Pipe: Novarossi 2660
Radio: Sanwa M12
Servos: Sanwa SRG-BLS x 2
Controlled fuel choice: Maxima (sponsored by Runner Time)
Tires: Matrix 45 shore (handout)
Body: PROTOform P37
Notes: Shorter shock towers and ‘big bore’ shocks that are 1mm larger in bore but shorter, which lowers the center of gravity, and the aluminum servo arm adds strength and peace of mind. Leino TQ’d two rounds of qualifying, and has shown moments of brilliance indicating he may have the fastest car at the event, but bad luck in the other rounds of qualifying relegated the Finnish driver to second on the grid in the Odd 1/4 Final.
11/14/2014
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