Any one ever race

[Destruction Racing]

Well i have decided to race ecx
They are good bashers but i see they have great control. And I'm tried of seeing the old TLR or team associated. Don't get me wrong there good brands. So wish me luck i have won 2 A-mains with my amp so wish me luck.

 

[i_r_beej]

Nice work! Please share your truck's setup. I converted my AMP MT to a Circuit (with the addition of the Circuit rear shock tower and Circuit body) and have been racing it for the past few weeks. I'm racing against drivers that are much better than me driving Associated and TLR Stadium Trucks so I'm not faring very well!

But that's cool. I'm learning lots and the Circuit requires a much different driving style than my TLR 22 3.0 buggy.

 

[nimbuzz]

That's GREAT that you guys are in there with the BIG boys!!! D R & beej when you raced;

1. did you finish? What place? I see DR won!!
2. Were you getting around the track OK?
3. What surface were you on?
4. What batteries, motor, esc & tires??

 

[Rock3400]

He has a thread for his build. https://ecxforum.com/threads/converting-the-amp-mt-to-a-circuit-st-to-race.878/page-2#post-7776

 

[i_r_beej]

@nimbuzz I've just posted an update to the AMP-to-Circuit Stadium Truck racer conversion


To answer your questions:
1.) I'm a mid-pack finisher with my TLR 22 3.0 (racing against drivers with years of experience and loads of practice time on the track) but tend to come in last place with the Circuit in the truck class (again racing against better, more experienced drivers and better, more expensive cars).

2.) Overall I've found the Circuit/AMP to be very difficult to race on an indoor carpet/astro track. Traction is critical and the rear-motor design of the ECX 2WD cars makes the front end VERY light and understeer (pushing in corners) makes getting a good, consistent line a constant struggle. Especially with a torque-y 13.5T motor, any significant application of the throttle lifts almost all weight from the front end and the wheels may as well be on ice for all the traction they seem to have! Last summer I took my Boost (virtually the same chassis as the AMP and Circuit) on an outdoor dirt track and it performed much more predictably. With the right tires, I think the Circuit would also do quite well in the dirt (since a rear-weight bias is key for traction).

3.) The surface at the closest indoor track is "astroturf." It's that weird super-short grassy stuff you've probably seen bordering pools. Jumps are made of wood and covered with the astro. (I've also raced on Ozite carpet- it's a knap-free, no-static gray carpet. Sadly that track closed last summer.)

4.) For the Circuit, I'd recommend you check out the thread I created where I detail the conversion build (see the first line in this post). In a nutshell: Shorty Turnigy 4800 mAh 90C pack with 5mm bullets; Hobbywing Justock XR10 ESC and Justock 3650 13.5T sensored brushless motor; Schumacher Minispikes and Schumacher soft inserts on ECX Circuit wheels. Previously Schumacher Stagger Rib (F) and Minipin (R) with AKA red inserts on JConcepts T4 wheels (these have too much offset for the ECX Circuit and AMP and rub the steering link rod ends.)

 

[nimbuzz]

--> beej--GREAT report, description & project = thanks! It takes a master with passion to put all those little detailed mods from other carts in alignment. I hope Horizon/ECS reads this and adds those parts to an available racing kit cut not very many Amp owner are gonna put all that together by themselves like you did.
Ya, the rear motor is intended to be balanced by a big heavy Nimh pack up front--put in a shorty Lipo and I can see you 'are on ice!' What could you do to give it some weight up front?
Where do you race??

 

[i_r_beej]

@nimbuzz It would be kind of cool if there was a "race kit" for the AMP, however, a huge part of my motivation to undertake this particular project was the challenge of "connecting the dots."

I know that the car and its suspension were designed around a heavier NiMh pack: the stock suspension sags appropriately. Install a lighter LiPo and the suspension needs to be adjusted. I went with a shorty pack to shift weight to the front of the car. I also use steel weights placed under the steering bellcrank and just in front of the servo. 40 grams. I could probably double that but I'm out of room and I'd need to start sticking weights on top of the servo. But I kinds of don't want to make my Circuit look "junky" with a bunch of extra crap stuck out where you can see it!

 

[nimbuzz]

I get it
Where do you race?

 

[i_r_beej]

Oops, forgot the track: I've been racing at RC Plus in Salem, Oregon.

 

[nimbuzz]

[QUOTE="But I kinds of don't want to make my Circuit look "junky" with a bunch of extra crap stuck out where you can see it! "[/QUOTE]
Perhaps you could get a bar of lead about the size of a AA or AAA that could be stowed neatly just forward of the buggy front on the bumper? I just want you to not be dead last--maybe 2nd to last
Also--Wouldn't it be more realistic, less competitive and perhaps more fun to race in a 17.5 stock class rather than mod?
I so admire your project. While 99% would simply focus on their 22 or B6 (Is that what you are mostly up against?) and hone their set up and driving skills you were motivated to hack this entry level basher (no slight here as the Amp is one of my favs and I also have a 22 and RC10T4.2) and you are willing to be at the back of the pack while trying--you must be an engineer or sadist--or both

 

[i_r_beej]

Since the ST class at RC Plus might technically be called "Open" and all the other drivers were running 13.5T and 10.5T motors, I thought I'd go with a 13.5T. That way, if I ever felt like it, I could switch motors with my 22 3.0 and race the buggy in Super Stock (13.5T at my track) and move the 17.5T into the ST. I regard the ST class as a "bonus" race so I'm not standing around doing nothing (when not marshaling corners); my primary interest is in 2WD Stock Buggy.

The 2WD cars are all Associated B5s and B6s (mostly B6s), a couple of Schumachers, an X-Ray, and one or two other TLR 22s (a 2.0 and another 3.0).

Re: the weights. Yeah, I could probably find a lead weight to add another 40-60 grams in a more directed fashion (and, if so the 13.5T motor would be needed to push that extra weight around.)

No- not an engineer. Maybe a sadist? The Circuit certainly tries my patience!