[terry.sc]

Originally Posted by Robby

If you stick to the earlier years there, then it's not fair - because the RC10 was a game-changer, and all those Tamiyas no longer stood a chance.
But your second period isn't accurate, because after the carbon fiber cars (JRXs and Ultimas and RC10s) had been out two years Masami showed up at the Worlds in 1991 (I think) with a gold pan and killed everybody.

The 87 Worlds was dominated by carbon chassied Ultimas. For the 89 and 91 Worlds Associated built one off prototype 'Stealth' cars, with carbon fibre chassis, custom arms and the Stealth gearbox. The next time a relatively standard RC10 won was 93 when Kinwald won, but that was an RC10 Worlds which bore just a casual resemblance to the original gold pan.

Originally Posted by Robby

When was the steath tranny introduced, 91 or 92?
But the car was still basically the same.

1990, but that was in the Team car and even the CE by then had new shocks, UJs, long arms, revised front and rear suspension geometry and shock mounts, and 2" wheels. I wouldn't consider that basically the same.

1.6 rims I don't remember running them any time after 85-86.
I could be wrong, but weren't the mini-pins introduced at the 87-88 worlds?

2" wheels came about thanks to the Tamiya Hotshot in 85, but we were stuck with Tamiyas tyres until Schumacher brought out the CAT in 86 and then the choice was hard or soft spikes or Dynamite tyres as used on the Mini Mustang. At the 87 worlds Hirosaka won with cut down standard spikes and two row studs. Mini spikes came in around 1990 still on 2" wheels. There were also microspikes in the early 90s but the minipins didn't turn up until the mid 90s.

Other than I'm not to sure about a one-car class catching on - the other thing about "standard everything" rule is that what if spares become non-available? If you remember it was routine to "lunch a gearbox/tranny" during the course of a raceday (everyone always had a spare), and what are you going to do if there aren't parts available? What about a shortage of replacement tyres, etc. etc.

Associated has said there will be a spares backup for these cars. Considering you could still buy parts for the car introduced in 1983 even as late as 2005, and the bodies have never gone out of production, Associated are likely to keep spares in stock for some time. Those of us who still race the originals are only now running out of replacement outdrives for the 6 gear.
Yes the 6 gear could destroy the idlers, but they are considerably more durable if you cut the drive cups off the final gears and use them as idlers instead, plus Associated have said they have made the gearbox more durable to handle mild brushless.


There have been many successful one car classes over the years. Whether the chassis used has any flaws or you all have to use useless tyres is irrelevant as everyone is in exactly the same position, which is the whole appeal of it. Even the Tamiya TT01 had many happy racers when they ran the Eurocup because it then became all about the drivers and not the car.