The weather by round two was getting increasingly hot and a few people experienced some heat problems. Lee Martins Novak brushless system gave up after 5 laps - putting him out on a good run. Lee went to a brushed motor / ESC combo for round three but the motor over heated and again he couldn't finish.

For round four of qualifying Lee put the brushless system back in but removed the blue wire from the sensore cable - this apparently stops the system thermalling when it might normally shut down. Probably not advisable for everyone but this is apparently what a few drivers are doing in the Touring car class to prevent thermals.

Right: Lee Martins Novak brushless with blue wire removed.

A 'pub quiz' was held on the saturday night with some prizes donated by THERACEPLACE and DCRACING - team 'giggolo' won, whoever they were.

below left: one team celebrates, no they didn't win - below right: Northy and Stu Evans celebrate their 3rd place

Interview with Paul Sinclair from X-factory.
Paul is the son of Chazz Sinclair, owner of XFactory, and was over at the Oswestry National to watch his UK team drivers.

Whose idea was X-Factory?
My Dad, Chaz, came up with the idea of combining the drive train on the Losi XXX4 with the suspension of the Losi XX4.

Have you been pleased with the success of the company so far?
Yeah we're pleased, we've sold enough cars that we're still here and we've designed another car as well. We hope to continue to build a strong customer base whilst moving into the top level racer market. Whereas many other car companies are building the ready to run (RTR) cars, we want to sell cars to drivers who wish to race at a competitive level. It is our belief that no x-factory car has been bought solely for the purpose of driving around a back yard.

What is your job title?
I'm team driver and chief engineer. I am also a full time student and I hope to achieve a PHD in mechanical engineering.

How long have you been involved in RC racing for?
I've been racing for 11 years. It all started when my parents bought me a model rocket for Christmas and we needed to visit the local model shop to buy new engines for it. Whilst my Dad was waiting in the queue to pay I picked up an R/C magazine and I have been hooked ever since. I started racing with the XX4 and other than Christmas and Birthday presents I funded the hobby myself. As it became more serious and we travelled further afield to races my parents started to help out with funding. I've also received support from Kolors by Kroppy, SMC and Novak.

What is your all time favourite RC race track?
It would have to be CRCRC (Columbus Radio Controlled Race Club) in Ohio, that is the track that I grew up racing on.

What brings you over here?
There are a couple of reasons. Firstly I wanted to meet the team, Dan Greenwood and Chris Long have been driving for X-
Factory for over a year and I hadn't met them, also I wanted to meet our distributors. Secondly I wanted to attend the Belgium GP which was last weekend. I wanted the chance to race on different tracks as I only ever race on dirt in the USA.

Have you ever heard of Wales, and if so do you prefer England or Wales?
Yes I have, although I haven't had the chance to sample and compare the two countries. (Chris Long later explained to Paul that Wales would be alright if it wasn't for the Welsh).

Who has been your highest achieving driver and the best result?
Greg Hodapp , who was the first driver to be sponsored by X-Factory, won the US national championships with the X5, and finished 5th at the world championship warm up race in 2005.

How did Dan Greenwood and Chris Long get involved with X-Factory?
Dan and Chris had both been customers for over a year, we were very impressed with their public presence and the face they put on x-factory. They're great guys, very friendly and helpful, and their results were good enough to sign a deal.

And more recently, how did Ellis Stafford join the team?
Chaz signed Ellis up whilst I was away studying, he just rang me one day and said 'Hey guess what, we've signed Ellis Stafford onto the team.

Have you driven stick shift (manual) over here, and what do you think of Englands roundabouts?
I drive manual at home, automatic is boring! I think the roundabouts are very efficient apart from in busy traffic, when they take longer than an intersection.

After spending time with the UK X-Factory family, is it true that everything is bigger in the USA?
Not everything is bigger in the States, but most things are. As far as race tracks go, the size of the tracks is very similar, but the facilities in the USA are much better. For example there is usually a permenant model shop in the grounds of race tracks.

What are your fondest or funniest RC memories?
I'll never forget when Greg Hodap won the national championship with the X5, Chaz ran out into the middle of the track to give him a big hug. Needless to say being Chaz' son I found this embarrasing. There was also one time when a mini tornado tore through the middle of a race track whilst we were racing, fortunately though the race was able to continue afterwards.

Are the team boys over here running the X5 squared?
Yes, and also as we speak Chaz will be packing up a batch of X5 squared to ship out today to customers worldwide.

How is the X5 squared performing so far?
I'd say we're incredibly happy with its performance. The actual performance of the car hasn't increased from before, but the durability and ease to maintain is definitely much improved 10-fold.
The improvements made with the X5 squared have been down to customer feedback and suggestions where small things could be changed for the better

Have you come across any problems on the tracks over here that might be different to those you have experienced on USA tracks?
There have been no unanticipated issues, as the UK team drivers are used to driving on this type of track. There was feedbac about belt skipping on the UK tracks, and that has contributed towards the development of the X5. No new issues have arisen, but definitely being here to experience the racing first hand makes all the difference to understanding any issues that come about.

Are you envious of Dans Day-Glo Orange trousers?
I think I might be secretly envious, yes.

Having seen the racing this weekend would you like to race in the UK?
I'd like to race everywhere. I love off road, and to me that means anything that isn't totally paved or flat. I'd like to have a try racing over here. In the USA there are lots of dirt tracks, but you have never seen such a variety of dirt, they make all sorts of different surfaces. For example very fine sand, covered with sugar and water, it sets to make a thick layer tougher than concrete, that is very high on tyre wear and damages the car easily.