CML reports – “The 3rd round of the CML Winter Series at Frankley Model Car Club turned into a Reedy domination. The track started out damp and slippery, and in those conditions National Champion Neil Cragg was untouchable, gliding his RC8B around the challenging Frankley track with a deft touch that left the opposition trailing in rounds 1 and 2. The third and final round of qualifying saw a change in conditions as the track dried out and the traction improved greatly giving the drivers a new problem of grip roll. This was made particularly difficult as the cars had been set up soft to generate traction in the slippery conditions of the morning. Again it was Neil Cragg who made the best of the conditions, albeit by less than a second from Reedy powered Richard Taylor. Associated/Reedy man Craig Drescher was 3 seconds back in 3rd.” Read More…

“Factory Team titanium front axles are an easy way to lighten your car and reduce unsprung weight for improved handling and response. Lighter than steel and stronger than aluminum, these axles are designed for the SC10 and B4 and include all necessary hardware.” RC10.com

XFactory reports – The third JConcepts Clash was held at the Lake Park track near Tampa Florida the weekend of Dec 11 – 13.  Five members of the X Factory Team attended, with great results.  Leon McIntosh, from Florida, TQed both Super Stock (10.5) truck with his X – 60 and Super Stock buggy with his X – 6 Squared.  Leon won truck and finished second in buggy.  “Both my cars were great,” said Loen, “two of the best cars out there.”  Qualifying and finishing second in Super Stock Truck was the X – 60 of Floirda’s Zach Genova.  Zach also made the Super  Stock buggy A. Chis Bennett, from Louisiana, TQed modified short course truck with a hand-built X – 60 SC, and took second.  Chris finished 4^th in mod truck and was in the mod buggy A driving his X – 60 and X – 6 Squared.  Chris said “I had an absolute blast as usual and my cars were dialed.”  From Massachusetts, Chris Cristo, driving his first major race as a member of the X-Team, TQed the last round of  short course mod qualifying with his X – 60 SC, qualifying and finishing third.. In Super Stock buggy, Chris took 4^th.  “All three of my cars were really hooked,” Said Chris, “and it’s really fun hanging with the Team.  A bunch of great guys.” Team Manager Paul Sinclair qualified and finished second in mod truck with his X – 60 and piloted his X – 6 Squared to 5^th in mod buggy.  “This has been one of our most successful races following on the heels of success at the ROAR Nats where we had a car in every A except 4WD.  The Team is growing, our drivers are have tons of fun, and we’re making better showings every time out.” XFactory

“Jonathan Hernandez has been promoted to West Coast Team Manager for the 2010 season for Caster Racing USA. Jonathan has proven his capabilities on and off the track to not only represent himself as a good leader and strong racer, but a person who is beginning to build a west coast division that will be a force for the other manufacturers to deal with in the next several months. Jonathan has helped with some of the research and development of the Fusion line and has also gained respect for the Caster name out in the California area. Mike Mazza was quoted as saying that Jonathan is perfect for the position because he is fast on the track and is one of the first guys to help out at the track and also showcase our products in a positive light.

I have even gotten some calls from people representing other brands saying he has brought Caster to their attention and they were surprised as to how far forward we have moved the ball in the past year. Earlier this year, Jonathan went to the 2nd annual Labor Day Shootout and won the dash for cash against most of the big names in RC. Recently, he was at the Turkey shootout at NorCal and was on the podium. We know that he will just keep getting better for the 2010 season and he is working on growing the west coast to be big. So if you think you have what it takes and you live west of the Mississippi River, contact Jonathan Hernandez.” Caster Racing

VP Pro has announced the release of their new glow plug wrench, further details can be found here.

Abe Racing reports – “Abe Racing are pleased to confirm they are now an official distributor for the TEAM POWERS range of motors and their brushless motor checker. Abe have been working with TEAM POWERS for the last month to secure a good pricing structure to make these items good value for the racer. The first batch of stock is due early 2010 and they are now looking for dealers and team drivers for more info contact them on INFO (at) ABE-RACING.COM”

Serpent reports – “Over the past weekend of December 4-6, 2009, we raced in Kissimmee, Florida at the U.S. Open. It started out looking great and the facilities also looked amazing with the new surface and paint. Wednesday, mid-day was the first time for me being on the track. Immediately my S-966 was really handling good. We were expecting rain but did not know it would rain for two days straight. Because of the delay one round of practice and qualifying were done in the last three hours on Saturday and the mains on Sunday. Getting to the track on Sunday, the cold front had finally set in, and for South Florida 45 degrees is cold. With the temperature change and all the traction gone, my car was not as good as in practice. However, I stayed on top of my car, but luck was not on my side so I was not able to qualify well. Once the main started my car felt close to what it was the first day of practice before the rain. Paolo taking the TQ my concern was not Paolo, but to try and run a clean race.” Read More…

“Reedy RT3 and RT4 Turbo glow plugs are designed for turbo head competition engines such as the Reedy 121VR and most other brands of .18 – .28 turbo head engines. Easy engine starting, consistent tuning, smooth idling, and excellent power output are attributes that make Reedy plugs an excellent choice for racers or for backyard enthusiasts that seek reliable engine operation. Suitable for use with R/C car fuels with nitro contents between 20% and 30%, Reedy Turbo glow plugs come in two heat ranges for maximum performance in most conditions. For comparison, the RT3/RT4 performs similarly to the O.S. P3/P4.” RC10.com

“HB’s breakthrough inner foam is finally a reality and it’s ready to hit the dirt. Get the most out of your HB tires or any other 1/8 buggy tire with our perfectly fitting and ultimate density red foam. This foam works great in all conditions and is available now! Don’t settle for anything less than first place, get HB inner foams today! These are the same inner foams used in the professionally assembled HB mounted 1/8 scale buggy tyres.” [Source - hbeurope.com]

“Once again, Team Associated driver Mike Blackstock proved that he is the Cleveland master with wins in both the 1/12 Modified and Expert World GT classes at the 2009 U.S. Indoor Championships. Unbelievably, Mike has appeared in the 1/12 modified A-main for 20 straight years! This year’s win was from the pole position, his second consecutive and third overall. Precision driving and the excellent handling of Blackstock’s 12R5.1 make such consistent results possible. Blackstock also was determined to make a statement in the Expert World GT class. Racing with 10.5 motors, this up-and-coming class has renewed interest in pan car racing. Driving his Team Associated 10R5 from second on the grid, Mike was able to overtake the polesitter for an impressive victory while extending his Cleveland win tally to five!” RC10.com