WORLDS: Inside two-time defending European Champion David Ronnefalk's buggy

0 Sept. 22, 2014, 6:10 a.m.

9/22/2014
By Aaron Waldron

LiveRC.com

Sweden is not a country that many people think of when asked for hotbeds of 1/8-scale off-road racing, but they've had a few stars over the years - including David Ronnefalk's mentor, former European Champion Magnus Amilon. No driver from the small Scandinavian nation has never had an IFMAR World Championship, however, but Ronnefalk may give his home country its best chance yet as he enters qualifying here at Naxos World Track in Giardini Naxos, Sicily, Italy as one of the favorites. Coming off of two straight EFRA European Championships, both David and his buggy are tuned up and ready to go.

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Inside two-time defending European Championship David Ronnefalk's Kyosho MP9 TKI3

Chassis: Kyosho MP9 TKI3

Engine: Team Orion RS

Pipe: Team Orion 2058

Fuel: Runner Time 25%

Transmitter: KO EX-1 KIY

Servos (ST/TH): KO RSx Response/KO RSx Power

Tires: AKA Catapult, Medium on AKA EVO wheel

Body: Kyosho Inferno MP9 TKI3 Hi-Downforce Cab Forward

Notes: "We didn't really change anything today. I tried a whole new setup yesterday and it had some good and bad parts, so we combined some of those settings with the setup we started with. I was pretty happy with that today, so that's what we'll stick with."

If you're looking for juicy tidbits about prototype parts, you won't find them on David's buggy - it's pretty much the same MP9 TKI3 kit you can purchase from your local hobby shop, built to be tough for long racing and tuned to kill. Check out the Maugrafix skins for the receiver and battery boxes, as well as the Lexan plate that supports the front of the body while keeping the fuel lines tucked in nice and neat.

One of the new parts that David did run on his buggy was the new shorter wing stay that we found on Kyosho America's Facebook page a few weeks ago. However, David chose to return to the original mounts for today's last practice run - he said that the shorter stay made the car rotate better, but it fishtailed on corner exit. He added that the taller stay makes the buggy jump better as well.