Over 15 years since a Kyosho in the A Main

 

Stu Wood / Team oOple

Bury Metro National 9/6/07. Weeks leading up to the Nat the car has not been doing that well but about 3 weeks previouse the front bulk head broke during some testing. I was thinking of putting some weight in the front anyway so I spoke to Roger at Woody’s Wiz Bits and he suggested making a brass version of the bulkhead.

For one it would be stronger and it would add the weight. A day and a half later and the bulk head turned up. We have also been given new shock towers from Atomic Carbon which we have added some extra holes to make the shock stand up right more. WOW. I was dying to try it. The next opportunity was the Regional at Bury Metro. This went very well and the car was much better but I was not happy with the rear of the car. The week after I spent every night after work playing with every piston and every different shock oil to see if I could get it to what I wanted. I did find a setting which I was very happy with.

The week before the track was closed for the coming National I went down and spent most of the day there. WOW again. As soon as I put it on the track it was like a different car. I did play around with wheel base and springs, shock positions and settled for a base setting. I was very happy with this and I felt it was like driving a AE B4. I know this is a bold statement but I feel it is true.

The days coming up to Saturday I was getting exited. I knew the car was good now and was getting worried that I would let it down (I am getting old now). I am also still being let down from my battery and motor supplier which is a different story.

Saturday morning comes and I went out in practice just to plod around just to keep calm. Second practice I pushed to see what she could do. It felt quick.

Round 1 & 2
I hadn’t changed anything from practice, just trying to drive as well as possible.

Round 3.
For this round I changed the front springs to a softer rate just to give a little more front end roll. The car was cool. I finished 4th in the round.

Round 4.
I left the car as it was and finished 4th in the round again which put me 7th in the A main. Yahoo!!!!   It has been around 15 years since a Kyosho has made a UK National A Main and even longer for a 2wd Kyosho to be in it.

A Main.
In the finals it didn’t go as I had planned. Didn’t have a good start in any of the legs and had to fight every place I made but then had them taken back off me. It wasn’t the finals I am used to. I finished 10th. Sorry.

Overall.
After the racing had finished I had a chat with the oOple Team Manager and he put everything into place. It was a race with the best in the World in cluding the current World Champion and we are running a car that is not supported in this country (with a race team) and we are doing it on our own. There wasn’t even another RB5 at the meeting of 130 cars. So if I sit back and look at what we did it was a fanastic result for me and Team oOple.

And, Lets just reitterate that - Over 15 years since a Kyosho in the A Main!!!!