New contender in drag racing

There is a new premium drag racing chassis to race against now. Urban Assault Racing has engineered a unique direct drive drag racing chassis. It utilizes a "Torque Tube" design to minimize distortion due to the high torque of today's brushless motors. Could this be the fastest 2wd R/C car available? First production "prototype" will be completed in the next few days with final production to start soon after. Check out Urban Assault Racing for more details.

Video: Todd Commons 1.275s Top Fuel Extreme

Todd Commons from the QMDRA ran a 1.275s pass in his Litespeed Electric Extreme Dragster on 4s making it the quickest pass in Australia.

Video: Gizmo's Twin engine Dragster

Gizmo's beast was seen tearing up the scale quarter mile setup at Houston Motorsport Park this past weekend. Check out the amazing dual engine and quad wheel setup. Simply amazing.

Team Novak driver Tim Smith breaks record at International R/C Speed Challenge

Team Novak driver Tim Smith clocked an 84.54 mph run in Scale Electric at the International Speed Contest at Rockingham dragstrip October 4th. Tim drove a Novak/MaxAmps/Grand MotorSports electric vehicle with a GTB Programmable Brushless/Brush ESC, a Velociti 3.5R Racing Brushless Motor and a production-oriented 2-cell Li-Po.

Awesome video from the IMDRA World Finals

IMDRA World Finals Sunday Eliminations


IMDRA World Finals Friday Qualifying

Here is some great video from the 2008 IMDRA drag racing World Finals in San Antonio. This event was the same weekend as the International R/C Speed challenge in North Carolina. Many people had to choose which event to attend. The infamous Jim Schauer attended the IMDRA World Finals in San Antonio at the Litespeed racetrack.

1/5th scale jet dragster test with afterburner

Jim Schauer 1.2819 ET @ 99 mph

Jim posted this on Sun Dec 02, 2007 in the forum:

"Thanks very much guys. As you know, the power available from these brushless systems is overwhelming but the faster we go, the more difficult it becomes to gain consistancy! Our new track surface is great and with cold , cloudy weather (and a couple of hours of rain) it was pretty much unchanged all day. This should lead to a whole bunch of 1.3's right? Well, the 2nd fastest pass was 1.44 or so by Nic Case. My other passes were 1.45, 1.47, 1.50, all dead straight but suffering from the dreaded MM stutter step. A couple of those passes were over 100 mph also.......the only difference between 1.28 & 1.47 seems to be the launch. If we ever get this figured out........."

Video: Alfred Rodriguez goes 1.33 @ 100.2 mph

Labor Day Dash for Cash Sept 1 2007 at LiteSpeed Raceway San Antonio Tx. From the IMDRA forums:

I`d like to welcome Alfred Rodriguez from San Antonio into the 1.3 club and for running a string of 1.3s with 1.33 @ 100.2mph being the lowest.

This was also a Regional Event Series this weekend at Litespeed Raceway making this an official Regional Record.

Congrats Alfred! Applause

Direct download link of the video here.

Nic Case - first in the 1.3 second range @96.99mph

It happened Saturday August 18th, at the MHRA's points race in San Bernadino Ca. Nic is the first RC drag racer in the 1.3 second range. He has this to say:

Thank You

Sometimes, being lucky pays-off ! LOL

Thanks for all the gracious help from the Jim Schauer ---(RAINMAN-YOU-DA-MAN).

Mark Rollings was in the other lane. And I have to say---- I don't thing I would have squeezed the trigger like that if I wasn't racing against Mark. He had the jump on me, and it felt like I was playing catch-up. When I went though the lights first---I was happy, just to WIN. But the record ET, was a real surprise! Thank You Mark , for making this old guy focus! LOL

The names are obviously wrong on the slip, but ,what the heck,------- it was a rush!
Brushless power & Lipoy's are KING. I'm very happy with my Grand Motor Sports dragster.

A Big Thanks to all the Good People with the MHRA. You guy's made it a --- fun, smooth program ,with a friendly atmosphere.smile

Records are made to Broken--------Who’s Next?
Nic Case

Nic's set-up:

I ran a
GMS Dragster
Castle Creations Mamba Max 7700
On 4s Kokam 2400's
TM 2.95" Dia-- 1.95" wide tires
66 tooth spur
11 tooth pinion (32 pitch)

Mike Ogle interview

Mike Ogle

There is a great interview with Mike Ogle on RCSpeedRun.com. Here Mike responds to "What do you think it will take for the rc drag and high speed segments to really take off and become more popular? Can it ever happen?":

My opinion, yes has the potential become the “Next Big Thing” . What does the average hobbyist do when they get their first car? They blast it down the cul-de-sac, straight away from them, as fast as they can go... It’s a real speed rush, we all did it. Well, that is the very essence of drag racing, and speed running. You can compete in a drag race (or speed run) almost immediately, even before you master all that right-left turning mucky-muck, LOL!

...there’s not really a sanctioning body specially for setting up the standards for Rc speed runs. Is Nic Case’’s 130+ mph run at Car Action’s WFRCCC the “”Official” record speed? Is Air Age publishing a “sanctioning” body? No, they’re not, they are most interested in presenting a good story for their magazine, not establishing any kind of standards for reproducing these types of events nationwide.. That’s not their business. What if somebody else blasts out a 150 in a parking lot in Iowa this summmer? What makes that “”not” the new “official” record? It’s just that the overwhelming publicity of the Air Age event gives it more credence than the guy in Iowa. I think we could use a published set of nationally-recognized standards for these types of competitions to flourish.

Here is the full interview.

Jim Shauer's 104 mph drag car

Sunday, 01 April 2007

From SOCALMHRA:

Boys and girls he did it again, Jim Shauer has made history once again. He became the first in rc drag racing history to run 100+ miles per hour. With the offical mph of 104.09, and he did it in front of 300 plus people.On short notice we got to be apart of RCX(RC Expo) in pomona Ca. We got to setup a full length track(132 feet) just outside the main building. When it was time to run people were told to go out side and watch as Dan Chase and Jim Shauer attempt to set a world record. Dan who had run 99.89 miles per hour the week before was first up. It didn't go so well for him as he hit the half track center ramp slightly damaging the car. Next came the Rainman Jim Shauer and he rockets down the track with a 1.528 at a blistering 104.09 MPH! The first guy to run a 1.4 pass has now become the first guy to run 100+ miles per hour. And if that wasn't enough Jimmy decieds to make another run and sets the rc drag racing world on fire. He runs a asphalt ripping 1.4035 @ 98.39 mph..... 1.4035 Absolutly awsome. Jimmy you are the MAN. Jimmy is now the quickest and fastest man in RC dragracing history.

Equipment used: LockMan drag chassis, two 2-cell TP 2050's li-po's wired in series for 4S, Mamba Max 7700, and geared at 18/93.

This is what Jim had to say about the event:

Sun Apr 01, 2007 11:00 am by rainmantoo

Hi Guys.......thanks Bill, Dan, Mark, AC, Floyd, KMOT & Juan.

MHRA member Brian Jones deserves a tremendous thanks from the RC Drag family for persuading the RCX promoter to invite us to provide the exhibition. Brian is exhibiting his RC Rock Crawlers in the show and was able to approach the promoter personally to allow this to happen.

Check out the picture, visitors and exhibitors alike lined the track 3 or 4 deep all the way through the shutdown........from the starting line it looked like a couple of million, but must have been at least 400 or so!

I have participated in many national level events over the years, but have never been as nervous as I was yesterday. Imagine the reaction of all these people if I make one of my typical passes backwards up my leg!!! Had to laugh as the thought did cross my mind. Fortunately, all went well and they got a good idea of how exciting our sport really is. The promoter really hyped the crowd with the 100 mph aspect, but many people commented on how quick our cars are.

I have to admit the gas cars are definitely the crowd pleasers though. Here I am, all self impressed, and everyone wants to know....."when are the gas cars gonna run?" Luckily, Draggin Mark, Glen & Brian were on hand to accommodate them. In exchange, we all received passes & were able to enjoy a very good trade show.

We are finally moving our track to the National Orange Show Grounds in San Bernardino, and hopefully with a new, easily accessable track and a bit of free publicity, we can attract some new faces to the sport.

Thanks again guys.

Jim Schauer

This isn't the first RC drag car to go over 100mph. Chris Collins had his 18-cell Top fuel dragster clocked at 112.7mph at Northstar Dragway in Minnesota. From an article in RC Car Action (Dec 2001 by Mike Ogle):

Today, a number of other manufacturers produce motors specifically for drag-racing. Most notable are former Californian Steve Saiko and his G-Force motors. Steve, a one-time oval racer, just wanted to go faster and faster, and he found his true calling with drag racing. Working closely with "Big" Jim Greenemeyer, he put in months and months cooking up exotic-wind cobalt and neodymium motors on his specially modified dyno. Their results smashed just about every record in the IEDA books, including the all-time fastest elapsed time for a Top Fuel dragster-Chris Collins' 1.647 second-and the land speed record of 112.7mph set in a special 300-foot competition at Northstar Speedway in Minnesota.