THURSDAY TESTIMONIALS: Schumacher Racing Mini Dart buggy tires

0 May 24, 2017, 12:48 p.m.

By Joe Adragna
LiveRC.com

Whether it's wheel nuts, wings, tools, tracks, trinkets and/or anything in between, the LiveRC staff gives their testimonial and review of each every Thursday morning!

Since my local track decided to switch from dirt to astroturf nearly three months ago, I’ve been on a continuous journey to try and find an edge in the ever-competitive 17.5 class here at Hobbytown USA in Tucson, AZ. The biggest game in R/C is inarguably tires, and on synthetic surfaces the game is no different. Schumacher has been an innovator in the R/C world since its inception - including the first ball differential, designed by Cecil Schumacher in 1978. Given that the brand is based in England, they’ve been racing on synthetic surfaces longer than anyone, which made the opportunity to try their latest tread even more exciting.

Schumacher Mini Dart 1/10-scale 2WD/4WD buggy rear tires, Yellow compound

#U6826, $11

www.racing-cars.com

Schumacher’s newest offering to the market is the new Mini Dart tire, available for the front and rear of 2WD and 4WD buggies in Silver (super soft), Yellow (soft) and Blue (hard). The Mini Dart is also available pre-mounted, which - if you haven’t had the luxury of gluing a set of carpet/astro tires - is a godsend. The Mini Dart fits nicely into Schumacher’s tread range between the Mini Pin and the Mini Spike; it’s built for a mid-pile height surface that is commonly found on a well-worn astroturf tracks or a newer indoor carpet setup that isn’t made of Ozite.

So why the change? The Mini Pin is the gold standard for turf tires and has a cult-like following; for the last two years, it was the spec tire for the internationally-acclaimed Euro Offroad Series. However, the Mini Dart offers a benefit not many ask for: a little less grip. The lugs on the Dart are spaced slightly wider, and remind me of dirt tires of old. The lug is larger than the Mini Pin, but not as tall as the Spike.

On the racetrack, I noticed that the Mini Dart’s slightly-reduced traction made my car more forgiving. The tires allowed me to land jumps a little bit sideways and not chance a traction roll, as well as allowed the car to roll through tight corners without scrubbing as much speed. I wondered if slightly firmer rubber may increase such advantages, particularly in grippier sections, but was surprised to see that the medium Green compound isn’t yet available - so for now, the only choice is to jump straight from soft (Yellow) to hard (Blue).

On the technical layout at Hobbytown Tucson, I found the Mini Dart to be a faster tire overall than the other astro offerings, and in Yellow, the wear is a welcomed change from other brands I’ve tried. The “free-ness” the tire gives actually makes the car more stable over steep jumps, and in 17.5 Buggy, where corner speed is king, the Mini Dart proves to be invaluable as a step above the rest.