Field Testing the Comp Crawler

Hi everyone,
My name is Richard Trujillo and I’m a Product Manger for Losi. My latest project is the Team Losi Racing 1/10 Comp Crawler. I thought I would join the Losi Team blog and provide an update about the Comp Crawler.
This past weekend the Socal RC Rock Crawlers hosted Round 3 of the Socal Series at Horseman’s Park in Apple Valley, CA.
Very nice park with some grippy rocks to play on. We’ve been working very hard on the Crawler wanting to get it right. Prior to the comp, Losi driver Jake Wright and I got to do a little testing on the rocks and were feeling really good about competing.
Although I have been doing a bunch of testing in private, this would be the first time competing with it in public and to say the least I felt a little pressure.
The suspension setup I was running was the same that Austin Dunn used when he had it for a couple weeks. So rather than mess with the settings, I left it as is.
I used Losi Blue Rock Claws with 3oz of weight up front with Losi memory foam, and Blue Claws in the rear with stock gray foam and no weight.
The Socal club setup 3 courses, all of which were pretty challenging. I started on course 2, again I was feeling the pressure, but with a little spotting help from Losi driver Jake Wright, I managed to pull off a perfect score of -7!
The front and rear dig worked extremely smooth, it’s pretty crazy how easily you can go from front to rear dig back to all wheel drive at the flick of a switch. The turning radius was pretty impressive too. I noticed that on some sections I could turn in the same spot where it took others the need to dig. The other 2 courses didn’t go as well as I had hoped. I did not have any mechanical issues, but I did have an electrical bug hit and I couldn’t figure it out. It was a little frustrating as I knew the Comp Crawler was working awesome. After a couple years of bashing, my poor servo finally decided to let go. Unfortunately it was during my last 2 runs. It seemed to function ok, but there was a short or something that was just fouling up the radio system.
All in all, I was extremely happy with the debut in competition. We’re pushing hard to get the Comp Crawler out but at the same time we want to make sure everything is just right before they get in your hands.
Rich
Losi Drive Jake Wright testing the Comp Crawler

The glare off the rocks was brutal!

Hello all,
2009 is looking great for Team Losi!
I am very excited for an upcoming race in my hometown. Although not as popular as some other electric races the Rumble In The Rockies hosted by my home track MHOR R/C is one of the best! It is an indoor off-road race with some of the most intense racing action anywhere. The track is very high bite and Losi Pink compound tires are the hot setup. Dustin Evans and I have been practicing and preparing a lot for this race and it should be a great one. The race happens February 6,7, and 8 in Aurora, CO. I invite anyone in town that weekend to stop by and say hello.

Matt

Testing and Practicing for Nitro Challenge

Hi everybody,

Over the last few weeks myself and Casey have been testing our 2.0 buggies and truggies at several different tracks to learn more about setups and tire choices in preparation for the upcoming Dirt Nitro Challenge in a few weeks at the Nitro Pit. A few weeks ago Mike and Adam joined us at the Pit to do some testing as well. When the weekend was over, we all had smiles on our faces mainly from the new 8ight-T 2.0. The truck is absolutely awesome, and I can't wait to hear what everybody else thinks about it once they get their hands on their own.

Also, we had great luck with the new Smart Diffs. They give you more steering and traction without sacrificing drivability. They will definitely be a must-have option for all of your 8ight based buggies and truggies!

2.0 buggy in action

Hello Guys and Gals. I am sitting here indoors with rain for the past 2 days straight. It doesn't look so good for racing this weekend, so I am doing a little bench racing :) I would like to share some more pictures from last weekend. The 2.0 buggy really soaked up the bumps and was nimble enough to navigate around the worst parts of the track.

Special thanks to Aaron Mathiason for the pics!

8ight T 2.0

Last weekend I received my new 8ight T 2.0 and had just enough time to put in my Novarossi 367 plus 2 engine and electronics before I headed out to CVR raceway in Madera CA. for our final points race from o8'. I didn't have time to go over anything on the new 8ight T and when I put it down and ran it for the first time I was amazed how well it handled and I felt very comfortable after the first lap. I was so impressed with the traction and overall balance the 8ight T 2.0 delivered on the track. I ended up TQ and in the main I had a nice lead over 2nd, but ended up breaking out due to me crashing into something hard, a little brain fade. I just want to say great job to the Team Losi crew that worked on the 8ight T 2.0. I can't wait for this season and see what our team can do with the new truggy!

Phillip Atondo

Round 6 of the AZCS

Hello Losi fans! This past weekend my fellow Losi teammate Billy Fischer and I competed in the 6th round of the Arizona Championship Nitro Series. The 6th stop of this crazy train was hosted by Nitro Nutz in Goodyear AZ. Years ago when there were literaly no tracks in AZ that accepted Nitro 1/8th scale buggy racing. Mike Paddock saw the need to embrace this quickly expanding section of offroad racing. And along with help from friends, built an awesome track with what might be the best dirt for offroad nitro racing. Unfortunately Mike was down and out with some health issues and we no longer had his facility to race at. Fast forward 3 years and Mike is doing great and opened his doors for a round of our series once again. Thanks Mike!

For me it was definitely a home coming and I couldn't wait to put the 2.0 vehicles to the test of the super loamy and bumpy blown out motocross style layout. This was also the debut of the 2.0 Truggy for Billy and I. Although we had some prior on- track test secions, it was our first time competing with the new offroad wepon!

The second generation truggy took the destroyed lines like they were a freeway. I literaly could do no wrong with the 2.0 in the rough stuff and was able to secure the overall TQ spot with Billy right on my heels in second, a full lap ahead of third.

In Buggy It was Billy and his 2.0 buggy that put on a clinic and took the top qualifying spot ahead of Losi team driver Chris Wheeler and myself in third.

In the intermediate buggy class it was once again Cody Rothe with the TQ.
*On a side note Cody and Billy turned in a perfect score in Buggy qualifying for the entire series. Good job guys

As the day wore on and then blended into the night the track really started to take on a life of its own. It became a war zone with no smooth lines to be found. The Buggy main was a real fight between my self, Chris Wheeler, and TQ Fischer. In the end my 2.0 buggy equipped with a smart diff was able to take me to the top after a 20 minute battle.

In the Truggy main the new truck performed awesome! Billy and I shot out to an early advantage in the end it was Fischer in the top spot. I was able to limp home my battered truggy with one body clip for third.

It has been a great series and will come down to the finals in 3 weeks where it anybody game. The points are 1.5 times more than normal and anything can happen in the long mains.

Until next time good luck and happy racing!

Thanks to Ernest Madrazo and Colin Branch for the Pictures

Starting off the new year!

Hi race fans! I just wanted to report in about some electric racing I did over the weekend at Lakeport Hobbies raceway in Lakeport CA. I'm getting a little practice in for the up coming Golden State Challenge in a couple weeks at Lakeport. I ran 2wd buggy and ended up TQ and winning the triple A main! For the event I will be running 2wd buggy, 2wd truck and 4wd. It's been a while since I ran electric cars and it was a blast! I was very surprised on how many racers showed up despite the very cold weather witch was in the high 20's and the track had a thin layer of ice on it in the morning, now that's cold! I just started running the Spektrum DX3R radio and I must say that it's a very good radio, easy to use feels great and helps with one big problem I have always had with my hand going numb just after that 25 to 30min mark in gas racing. The Spektrum DX3R is so lite with only using 4 AA batteries (that last a long time) and slim design is a radio that any R/C enthusiast should be looking at. It took me minimal time to get use to the DX3R and that was one of my biggest concerns switching to a new radio. I hope to see lots of you soon at the up coming Airtronics race at Revelations.

Club Racing at Revelation

Hello Losi Fans! I hope everyone had a great holiday season! Over the holiday break, I got to put in some serious wheel time and also got to do some club racing at Revelation Raceway in Montclair, CA. The more time I spend with my 8ight 2.0, the more I love it! My car was awesome all weekend and I put in some good finishes (a rarity in itself). It was great to see alot of 2.0s on the track! I was excited to see some of the sportsman and amateur drivers get some wins with their 2.0s also. Their cars looked really good! With the Dirt Nitro Challenge and Silver State just around the corner, I'm excited to see the 2.0 up on the podium, and I'm looking forward to the Losi crew bringing home some big wins in 2009! See you at the track!

Dan Hissam

2008 comes to an end and preperations for 2009 have began

Like my fellow teammates have mentioned 2008 was a great year, not only for Losi but myself as well. With the end of one year comes the preparations of the next season. Lots of practice and testing have already been going on for the upcoming season, 2 weeks from today I leave for the CRCRC Midwest winter champs ( electric), the first major race of 2009 for me. Hope everyone had a good new year, and want to welcome everyone to come talk with Matt Chambers, Matt Lee, and I at the CRCRC race with any questions from our cars, to the Xcelorin brushless systems. Thanks, and good luck to all in 2009!