Tekno RC was the talk of the offseason when they signed Joe Bornhorst and then snatched up Ryan Lutz. Nitro off-road racing fans around the globe were excited to see how the new-look team would perform at the biggest race of the year when everyone headed to Phoenix, AZ for The Dirt Nitro Challenge, but you would’ve needed a crystal ball to predict just how incredible the 1-2 punch of Lutz and Bornhorst would be.
In his first-ever Dirt Nitro Challenge, Joe Bornhorst scored three top-five runs in qualifying to start the Pro Truck final from fourth on the grid, and Lutz will line up eighth. Lutz continued his incredible run since joining Tekno RC by qualifying straight into the Pro Buggy final as well, with 4-7-5 scores good enough to start fifth, while Bornhorst made the best of a rough Friday to qualify fifth in the B-Main after earning a top-ten run in the final round.
It’s by far the best showing for Tekno RC in their two chances in the nitro classes, as Chad Panek made the D-Main last year. The team’s success is due in no small part to Joe’s and Ryan’s driving, but also the heavy involvement of Tekno RC’s Daniel Lewis and Matt Wolter as the foursome have spent much of the winter testing and practicing in preparation. That track time has not just helped Lutz and Bornhorst on the track, but helped develop potential improvements to the brand’s impressive platforms.
Inside Ryan Lutz’s Nitro Buggy
Chassis: Tekno RC NB48
Engine: Alpha Plus “Ryan Lutz Worlds Edition”
Pipe: Alpha Plus 2107
Fuel: Byron Fuels ProDriver Gen2 30%
Tires: AKA ChainLinks (Soft or Super Soft, depending on conditions)
Radio: Futaba 4PX
Servos: Futaba S9353/S9352
Receiver Pack: ProTek R/C 2600mAh LiPo Hump Pack
Body: Stock Tekno RC NB48
Notes: Lutz’s car is full of new parts that are still under development. Tekno RC founder Daniel Lewis said, “we’re testing a lot of prototype stuff, trying to determine what will be best for production.” Among the preproduction parts are new arms and shock towers that radically change the car’s suspension geometry, and longer shocks to match; new spindles and spindle carriers; updated rod ends; new wing mounts; a different toe-block system; brake linkage; and a longer rear sway bar. Lewis said Tekno RC hasn’t yet decided what parts will make it to production, nor how they would be released - rather as updates for the existing platform or a new car. The goal was to make the car easier to drive and more forgiving if you overdrive, while remaining super fast for those who remain calm and in control. Among the biggest improvements have been improved landing from jumps and handling rough tracks. “So far, testing has been quite successful,” said Lewis.
Inside Joe Bornhorst’s Nitro Truck
Chassis: Tekno NT48
Engine: Alpha Plus A352
Pipe: Alpha 0801
Fuel: Byron Fuels ProDriver Gen2 30%
Tires: AKA Impacts (Soft or Super Soft, depending on conditions)
Radio: Airtronics M12
Servos: Savox SV1270TG/SV1272SG
Receiver Pack: SMC True Spec 2000mAh Square Receiver Pack
Body: Stock Tekno RC NT48
Notes: In stark contrast to the team’s buggy platform, their trucks are built as they come out of the box. In fact, Joe is using the kit’s included shock pistons and springs! Joe bolted 20 grams of brass ballast to the chassis just in front of the rear gearbox. This race is also Joe's debut race with Alpha Plus engines, having joined the team just one month ago.
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