Hello TL fans. As the this year winds down to the last handful of hours I can't help but be proud of all of the accomplishments that were achieved but such a talented team!
I would first like to give a huge thanks to the engineers and product managers. They contine to push the envelope with cutting edge designs and always strive to be the leader in rc vehicle development. Great job guys!
A recap of the titles that belong to Losi for 2008 make a huge statement to the Offroad community. Team Losi drivers were able to grab many championships throughout the World and the US. Big thanks go out to all Team Losi drivers who do battle on a weekly basis to showcase their talent and put the Losi products to the test. Week in and week out, the titles just keep adding up. For 08 the trophy room was expanded to make room for:
Roar Buggy National Champion and runner up
JBRL Buggy Champion
Ifmar World Championships Top Qualifer
AZ Winter Nitro Championship Series Buggy Champion
EMMA Indoor Buggy Masters Champion
Puerto Rico Winter Nitrocross Truggy Champion
Kyosho Fall Classic Buggy Champion
Italian Buggy National Champion
Multi class champions Hutchinson
Novarossi GP Buggy Champion
1,2,3 AZ Nitro Summer Series
Glorcs Buggy and Truggy Champion
1,2 Southern CA Saturday Series Buggy
multi class champion Tumbleweed Classic
Colorado Nitro State Buggy and Truggy Champion
Roar Electric Super Stock multi class National Champion
Manufactures Cup Buggy Champion
South African Buggy and Truggy National Champion
Nitromadnass Buggy Champion
Roar region 10 Buggy and Truggy Champion
Ironman 120 pro/am Buggy and Truggy Champion
Monster Truck World Finals Champion
Nitrocross AZ State Champion Buggy and Truggy
Roar National Monster Truck Champion
Readers Choice Nitro Buggy Winner
1,2 Buggy Champion NeoBuggy race
Silverstate Buggy Champion
Top Qualifer Truggy and Buggy Dirt Nitrochallenge
Also a huge congrats to team driver Adam Drake for winning driver of the year again, (and getting engaged) Philip Atondo for opening a race track, Billy Fischer for stepping up his game and being a consistent A main finisher, and Todd Hodge for following through on what has become the best 1/8 scale buggy to date
2008 also saw some great additions to the Losi team. Dyno Dan for the fresh new ideas, Kevin Gahan for stepping up and leading the team toward great things, Kyle Hunter for lots of behind the scene leg work.
I'm sure I left some key people out but thanks to everyone for their hard work in making 08 a successful year.
Have a Safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Another year has ended..
2008 is now over, and I couldn't be more excited to start a new year. I would like to congradulate Mike and Adam for their National Championships they brought home this year, and also to Mike for his amazing performance at the World Championships. I hope we continue to grow as a team and a company, and I wish everybody the best for the upcoming year!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Happy New Year
Happy New Years to all. Hope everyone had a good christmas and got everything they wanted from santa. I am planning on going out to the desert for new years with some racing friends to go ride my Manufacturers Cup trophy :) Have a safe a happy new year and cant wait to see everyone in 2009
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Wishing a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year to all of you! Can't wait for the 09' season and hope to see everyone soon.
Phillip Atondo
Phillip Atondo
I'm 31 years old and merried with one child, wife Christina and son Evan. I have been racing R/C cars for about 12 years and sponsored by Team Losi for 11 years. My sponsors are Team Losi, Novarossi, Nitrotane, JR, Spektrum, Lunsford, JBL, CEO, Vinyl Graphics unlimited, Temp Gun.com and Drews Designs.
Happy Holidays!
Hello Everyone,
I can't believe 2008 is almost over. I want to wish everyone and there family a safe and Happy Holiday!
I can't believe 2008 is almost over. I want to wish everyone and there family a safe and Happy Holiday!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Round 4 AZ Championship Series
This past Saturday, Scottsdale R/C Speedway (home of the Cactus Classic) hosted Round 4 of the Arizona Championship Series. For those who haven't attended this legendary facility, it isn't the normal 1/8th cookie cutter size track. Lap times are in the 22-25 second range, and there is a lot going on throught the course. However, the track still has a lot of passing room and makes for some great racing!
Qualifying:
In the Intermediate Buggy class, it was no different than the first three rounds. Cody Rothe once again put his 8ight 2.0 on top and took the TQ spot. This makes it a perfect 4 for 4 for Cody in qualifying for the series.
In the Expert Truggy class, I was able to capture the TQ spot with my 8ight-T while fellow Losi driver Casey Peck qualified 5th on the grid.
After 2 rounds of qualifying in the Expert Buggy class, I was able to put my 8ight 2.0 on top with fellow Losi drivers Mike Friery, Chris Wheeler, and Charles Hicks qualifying 4th, 6th, and 8th respectively. Privateer driver Dave Burt qualified 3rd with his new 8ight 2.0 as well.
Mains:
The Intermediate Buggy A-main, Cody Rothe once again ran away with the win finishing over a lap ahead of 2nd place. Now after 4 rounds, he has 4 TQ's and 3 wins! It will definitely be hard for the competition to catch him in the over-all points standings.
After the Expert Truggy A-main was said and done, I was able to capture the victory with fellow Losi driver Casey Peck finishing 4th.
Finally, in the Expert Buggy A-main event I was able to bring home the victory with Losi teammate Mike Friery finishing up in 2nd. Losi 8ight 2.0's were used to finish 1-2-4-5-6 in the 10 car main event!
As always, race director Kenny Brosh ran an awesome program and was able to get everybody done very early. A big thanks also goes out to the crew at SRS for hosting the race and keeping the track perfect throughout the day! The next series race is at The Nitro Pit on January 3rd, and everybody is welcome to attend (whether you're in the series or not)!
Qualifying:
In the Intermediate Buggy class, it was no different than the first three rounds. Cody Rothe once again put his 8ight 2.0 on top and took the TQ spot. This makes it a perfect 4 for 4 for Cody in qualifying for the series.
In the Expert Truggy class, I was able to capture the TQ spot with my 8ight-T while fellow Losi driver Casey Peck qualified 5th on the grid.
After 2 rounds of qualifying in the Expert Buggy class, I was able to put my 8ight 2.0 on top with fellow Losi drivers Mike Friery, Chris Wheeler, and Charles Hicks qualifying 4th, 6th, and 8th respectively. Privateer driver Dave Burt qualified 3rd with his new 8ight 2.0 as well.
Mains:
The Intermediate Buggy A-main, Cody Rothe once again ran away with the win finishing over a lap ahead of 2nd place. Now after 4 rounds, he has 4 TQ's and 3 wins! It will definitely be hard for the competition to catch him in the over-all points standings.
After the Expert Truggy A-main was said and done, I was able to capture the victory with fellow Losi driver Casey Peck finishing 4th.
Finally, in the Expert Buggy A-main event I was able to bring home the victory with Losi teammate Mike Friery finishing up in 2nd. Losi 8ight 2.0's were used to finish 1-2-4-5-6 in the 10 car main event!
As always, race director Kenny Brosh ran an awesome program and was able to get everybody done very early. A big thanks also goes out to the crew at SRS for hosting the race and keeping the track perfect throughout the day! The next series race is at The Nitro Pit on January 3rd, and everybody is welcome to attend (whether you're in the series or not)!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Hal's Hobbies Toys for Tots race
Hello all
This past weekend I traveled with my wife and kids to El Paso, TX for a Toys for Tots race. The event was hosted by Hal's Hobbies. Hal's has provided Texas with hobby goods for over 50 years. The current owners have been at it for 30 plus years and still have what it takes to be successful. It is a true family affair headed by Carlos Priemer, wife Gloria and son Charlie. Each playing a vital role in the day to day operations. They boast a true full line hobby shop that is completely stocked and ready for hobbyists and racers alike. (They also have the coolest bathroom in RC) Charlie recently built an awesome new offroad track and has helped grow a steady following of club racers.
The event that benefited the Toys for Tots and drew racers from all over the southwest. Racers from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and even Mexico all came together to do battle on the loamy technical track. My buggy did not disappoint and I was able to take the top qualifying spot and the eventual win in the main. The Losi red "EBT" tire combo was a perfect choice for the bumpy, loamy track and gave me all the traction I needed. EBT is the nickname we have come up with for using XBT fronts and eclipse rear tires.
It was a pleasure to meet such a fine group of people who treated me like family. I can't wait for a chance to race down there again. Thanks go out to Charlie, and parents Carlos and Gloria for a great time.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Toys for Tots at Thunder Alley 12.6.08
This past weekend Team Losi Racing was in full force to race the Toys for Tots at Thunder Alley Raceway. A great race for an even better cause, children. The race bosted over 200 entries from drivers from all over California.
For the first time this year, their was a 1.8th Electric Offroad Class held at the event. Adam Drake, Kevin Gahan, and I all decided to race this new class with our decked out Team Losi Racing 8E's. After the dust settled, it was Team Losi Team Manager Kevin Gahan edging out Adam Drake for the TQ position. Definitely a great run for Kevin with Adam 2nd and I qualifed 4th overall. In the main it was Drake putting on a clinic with his Xcelorin powered 8IGHT-E, Barry Baker finished 2nd, I was 3rd, and Kevin Gahan was 4th giving Team Losi Racing 3 out of the top 4 positions. During the race it was evident that the Losi power package was awesome, we were the only vehicles that were able to clear the tremendous double to quad while our competitors were satisfied with double, double, double, which equated to about 3/4 of second a lap slower. For all of our power needs we all chose the Xcelorin 1700kv motor geared 44/15 with Losi 4S 5000mah battery. The main was 12 minutes long and there was no signs of dumping by any of the Losi team. It was really exciting to see 3 full heats of electric 1.8th at this race, 2 Buggy heats and 1 truggy heat. This just goes to show that 1.8th Electric is a growing class.
As for the Nitro Class, it was Truhe putting on a serious clinic during qualifying and then going on to edge out Tebo. Truhe exclusively used the new Team Losi Racing SmartDiff in his 8IGHT 2.0 to dominate qualifying and the main. I tested this quite a bit during practice. I can tell you that the SmartDiff offers a lot. More steering and tons of acceleration. Be sure to check out the SmartDiff which is set to be released late January of 2009.
For the first time this year, their was a 1.8th Electric Offroad Class held at the event. Adam Drake, Kevin Gahan, and I all decided to race this new class with our decked out Team Losi Racing 8E's. After the dust settled, it was Team Losi Team Manager Kevin Gahan edging out Adam Drake for the TQ position. Definitely a great run for Kevin with Adam 2nd and I qualifed 4th overall. In the main it was Drake putting on a clinic with his Xcelorin powered 8IGHT-E, Barry Baker finished 2nd, I was 3rd, and Kevin Gahan was 4th giving Team Losi Racing 3 out of the top 4 positions. During the race it was evident that the Losi power package was awesome, we were the only vehicles that were able to clear the tremendous double to quad while our competitors were satisfied with double, double, double, which equated to about 3/4 of second a lap slower. For all of our power needs we all chose the Xcelorin 1700kv motor geared 44/15 with Losi 4S 5000mah battery. The main was 12 minutes long and there was no signs of dumping by any of the Losi team. It was really exciting to see 3 full heats of electric 1.8th at this race, 2 Buggy heats and 1 truggy heat. This just goes to show that 1.8th Electric is a growing class.
As for the Nitro Class, it was Truhe putting on a serious clinic during qualifying and then going on to edge out Tebo. Truhe exclusively used the new Team Losi Racing SmartDiff in his 8IGHT 2.0 to dominate qualifying and the main. I tested this quite a bit during practice. I can tell you that the SmartDiff offers a lot. More steering and tons of acceleration. Be sure to check out the SmartDiff which is set to be released late January of 2009.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Holidays and 2009 Season
Hello All,
The holiday season is quickly approaching! For some that means a bounty of new toys and for others an empty wallet. I will likely be the latter :) Seriously though I was thinking about getting more of the people around me into R/C and decided to do just that. My girlfriend is always interested to drive my cars but being that she is unexperienced I think I am going to start her off with a Losi Mini-T Pro. She can tear up our living room and get a better feel for r/c... without annihilating my race cars. My dad is an avid plane and helicopter fan so I am going to get him a E-Flite Blade CP Pro 2. Can't wait to see him flying it!
I was going over my electric race schedule for 2009 and these are the races I will be attending (hopefully more):
CRCRC Midwest Winter Champs, Rumble In The Rockies, Cactus Classic, April Fools Classic, Hot Rod Hobbies Shootout, ROAR Electric Nationals, Tumbleweed Classic, Reedy Truck Race, Hutchinson Fall Classic.
Also hoping to make it to some nitro races like Nitro Challenge and more.
Good luck to everyone racing in 2009!
The holiday season is quickly approaching! For some that means a bounty of new toys and for others an empty wallet. I will likely be the latter :) Seriously though I was thinking about getting more of the people around me into R/C and decided to do just that. My girlfriend is always interested to drive my cars but being that she is unexperienced I think I am going to start her off with a Losi Mini-T Pro. She can tear up our living room and get a better feel for r/c... without annihilating my race cars. My dad is an avid plane and helicopter fan so I am going to get him a E-Flite Blade CP Pro 2. Can't wait to see him flying it!
I was going over my electric race schedule for 2009 and these are the races I will be attending (hopefully more):
CRCRC Midwest Winter Champs, Rumble In The Rockies, Cactus Classic, April Fools Classic, Hot Rod Hobbies Shootout, ROAR Electric Nationals, Tumbleweed Classic, Reedy Truck Race, Hutchinson Fall Classic.
Also hoping to make it to some nitro races like Nitro Challenge and more.
Good luck to everyone racing in 2009!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Round Three of the Arizona Championship Series
Hello fellow Losi drivers
This past weekend I attended the 3rd round of the Arizona Championship Series hosted by the Nitro Pit. The Pit is such an awesome facility, and one that I love to race at. We are truly blessed to have a track of its caliber out here in Arizona!
After less than stellar finishes at rounds one and two, I needed to finish well this round of the series. Any more bad luck, and a chance of a podium overall finish would slip from my grasp.
If there's one thing I have learned from The Drake, Its to come to the track prepared. I worked hard during the week to make sure I had all of my ducks in a row, and was able to secure 2 TQ's and 2 wins. One with my trusty steed, the 8 2.0 buggy and one with the tried and true 8T.
Some may argue that the 8T is due for an upgrade, but mine was on rails and I was able to run the fastest lap times against the current crop of new trucks. Lately team mate Billy Fischer and I, have been running a set up that he came up with for the 8T. And it has been the best its ever been for me. (Thanks Billy for the hard work) Maybe we can get the set up posted somewhere for you guys.
I would like to thank Bill Fischer (SR) for coming out to the Pit, (even though Billy is racing on the other side of the country) to help me. He came out and took care of all of my pitting duties and was a huge help all day. No wonder Billy does so well with him there, he was lightning fast with the Losi fuel gun in the mains. So thanks Bill! You are surely an asset to Team Losi!
Next weekend I am off to Texas for a Toys for Tots race at Hals Hobbies. Hal's is one of Horizons oldest customers and I am looking forward to having a great time racing against Texas and New Mexico's finest racers.
Happy Racing!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Toys for Tots race this weekend!
Hello Losi fans!
Once again its time for the annual Toys for Tots race this coming weekend at the semi-lengendary Thunder Alley Raceway in Beaumont, CA. To better my chances of bringing home some hardware (bowling style trophy), I attended practice last night at Thunder Alley. Thanks to a recent mini monsoon, the dirt was perfect! A little loamy with a ton of grip! The "EBT" tire combo was really good! EBTs are a combination of Losi XBT's (red compound) in the front, and Losi Eclipses (red compound also) in the rear. My chassis set-up was the tried and true Drake set-up. Also in attendance were Kevin Gahan (Losi team manager) and The Drake. After some long motos, I felt really dialed, and prepared for my mid pack finish! Hope to see you all there this weekend!
Dan Hissam
Once again its time for the annual Toys for Tots race this coming weekend at the semi-lengendary Thunder Alley Raceway in Beaumont, CA. To better my chances of bringing home some hardware (bowling style trophy), I attended practice last night at Thunder Alley. Thanks to a recent mini monsoon, the dirt was perfect! A little loamy with a ton of grip! The "EBT" tire combo was really good! EBTs are a combination of Losi XBT's (red compound) in the front, and Losi Eclipses (red compound also) in the rear. My chassis set-up was the tried and true Drake set-up. Also in attendance were Kevin Gahan (Losi team manager) and The Drake. After some long motos, I felt really dialed, and prepared for my mid pack finish! Hope to see you all there this weekend!
Dan Hissam
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