14 replies to this topic

[Metalflake King]

It's been more than a few years since we raced Hardbody. A successful class that I felt needed a reimagining to get racers excited. With the popularity of brushless technology and a new chassis by Mid-America, the foundation was set.
 
I wanted a car that was strong and fairly easy to set up. A car that would drive like a Hardbody without having to use model body kits. A brushless motor car for consistency and low maintenance. And finally, appealing looking bodies that wont need replacement every couple of races. 
 
The Mid-America 1/24 Hardbody 4.5" wheelbase chassis kit (MID 210) caught my eye as it is a nicely thought-out spring steel chassis. It assembles well and the plating shows nicely. A KC Racing 2200 kv motor (KCR1106.2200) for use with a 9 tooth pinion and choice of any production esc. The Mid-America premium Hardbody rear tires in the fish rubber flavor for the rear and Mid-America premium Hard Body front tires for the front.
 
Wanting the racing platform as level as possible, one body will be chosen at a time for everyone to use. The bodies will be .015 thick, for longevity, and made to accommodate the larger 1 wheels. The thicker, more detailed bodies will showcase some beautiful paintwork.
 
The inaugural race was held December 21, 2025 on the Cyclone, a Hillclimb style track. The Parma Porsche 962 body (PAR 1501C) was chosen for the first in this series. Eight cars built and drivers ready to go. Lap times ranged between 4.8 and 5.5 seconds. Not one car had an advantage over another. Staying smooth and keeping in the slot were key. The 2200kv motors were comparable to 30k brushed motors in RPM but are lighter and have more torque than ceramic magnet motors. The cars drove very smooth and looked great together. Interiors were optional and a couple of racers even installed LED headlights for fun. With the weight of the spring steel chassis down low to the track, the .015 thick bodies did not throw the cars around. In fact the cars weighed in at 125 grams vs. our 165 gram (or heavier) H&R chassis hardbody cars.
The first race was a success.
 
Results:
1st      Norman                   316
2nd     Max Mohring           313.11
3rd      Phil E.                     307.14
4th      Chris Wendel          307.02
5th      Dave Demott           288.15
6th      Brad                        284.05 
7th      Andy Sr.                  278.11
8th     Steve S.                   277.02
 
My apologies for lack of last names and fast laps. I will be more thorough for next race report. 
 
We will be running it monthly on this track and will be adding additional races on the Gambler flat track. Next race is January 18, 2025.
 
Follow at The Race Place | Farmingdale NJ | Facebook
 

 

 

 

 












 BRUSHLESS 4.5 SPRING STEEL RULES.pdf   262.69KB   74 downloads

[JerseyJohn]

Great report, Max.

[blue&orange]

Ran Phil's car (Gulf) a few weeks ago.  These are great cars, easy to drive but still need to keep it in the slot, and great looking, too.  Faster than you think a 2200 motor would be.  And did I say they are great looking?!

[bbr]

Nice set of rules for the car... I might buld one, but with 3000kv motor.  

[slotcarone]

Nice class with beautiful bodies but an interior needs to be mandatory IMO!

[Modelville Guy]

What bodies did you use?

[Metalflake King]

Richard, these are the Parma Porsche 962 .015" body (PAR 1501C). Currently released by Mid America Raceway and Hobbies. Available from distributors as well.

Future bodies to be announced for later use.

[Metalflake King]

The second race took place this past Sunday, this time with ten entries. Eight lanes of cars made for some enjoyable racing. Keeping pace and passing cleanly was key. Some racers that are used to flexi-cars quickly realized that these cars need a little finesse. Smoother driving styles and attention to efficiency when setting up the car resulted in higher lap totals.

 

Overall, the cars proved to be durable. The only noted damage was a bent front axle.

 

Norman has set the bar high with his first place finish. The lovely miss Kendall was not far behind in second with Dave to follow.

 

Brad's best lap was invalid due to a rider.

 

I have seen a growing field of fifteen cars built. Looking forward to having everyone at upcoming events.

 

Next race is February 8, 2026.

 

The Race Place | Farmingdale NJ | Facebook

 

 

 

 

 

[Samiam]

Looks like Brushless is finding it's niche. In a niche hobby. 

[Metalflake King]

With racing better than any halftime show, not even the Super Bowl was able to hold back the action at Race Place this past weekend. The track was in great shape, and it was evident that there had been some test and tune done since the last one. I observed 27 to 30 tooth crown gears being used with the spec 9 tooth pinion as well as some weight strategically placed on a few cars.

 

We have noticed that some ESC boards have slower spool up times, designed for higher KV motors. With the 2200 KV motors the result is a delayed start up. Most racers are using the Mid America Remora boards. They do not have a delayed start up.

 

Kurt and Joe were finally able to make this one, it's about time.

 

A new high lap total went up one lap from 329 to 330. And new fast lap from 4.769 to 4.759, both on the blue lane. I was able to secure first place while Kendall watched Kurt take second and Chris used his retro chassis building skills for third.

 

There are now seventeen of these cars built. It's going to be awesome when everyone can make it at the same time. I even hear of a guy in Latvia that says he's got one built for the next race.... We shall see.

 

Here are the results.

 

1   Max Mohring               330 laps     4.758 fast lap on Blue

2   Kurt Mansfield             326 laps     4.840 fast lap on Orange

3   Chris Wendell              324 laps     4.935 fast lap on Orange

4   Kendall Paterson         318 laps     4.924 fast lap on Yellow

5   Andy Sr. Holman         311 laps      4.890 fast lap on Orange

6   Carl Paterson              308 laps     5.039 fast lap on Blue

7   Joe Emm                    301 laps     4.852 fast lap on Blue

8   Brad Porrino               287 laps     5.061 fast lap on Blue

 

See The Race Place | Farmingdale NJ | Facebook for next scheduled race date and other race announcements.

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[Half Fast]

Good work by all!

 

Ms. Kendall looks not happy   on missing the podium  

 

Cheers

[Brian Czeiner]

Those cars look great. I agree they need interiors. Perhaps one of the paint manufacturers could start sponsoring a concourse prize at these events? Has anyone every asked before? It's nice to see some folks in the hobby still care about scale-ish appearance.

[Metalflake King]

I have been very pleased with how this class has been growing. The more we race, the better it gets. Despite the 4 1/2" wheelbase, these cars can pass very well in turns and are fastest when driven in a tight line.

 

The Cyclone track was cleaned and properly prepped. Kurt was able to raise the highest lap total from 330 to 331 and I was able to drop fast lap down from 4.758 to 4.704. 4.6 second lap times are defiantly within reach. Although I try to not add weight to my cars, it seems a little strategically placed helps keeps the cars settled.

 

Steve painted two new beautiful bodies for himself and Phil. The pictures don't do them justice. His work is all paint, no stickers or decals.

 

Here are the results.

 

1   Kurt Mansfield         331 laps    4.746 fast lap on blue 

2   Max Mohring           328 laps    4.704 fast lap on blue

3   Chris Wendell          321 laps    4.989 fast lap on blue

4   Dave Demott           318 laps    4.924 fast lap on yellow   ONE SECTION LEAD

5   Carl Paterson          318 laps    5.000 fast lap on green

6   Kendall Patterson   306 laps    5.071 fast lap on orange

7   Andy Holman Sr.    302 laps    4.945 fast lap on orange

8   Phil Evon                298 laps    5.049 fast lap on green

9   Steve S.                 279 laps    5.112 fast lap on yellow

 

Next race is April 12th, 2026.

 

See The Race Place | Farmingdale NJ | Facebook for upcoming race schedules, results and announcements.

 

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[Metalflake King]

Life sometimes takes me away from the keeping up with race reports. Better late than never I suppose.

 

Racing was close, as usual. The track had more traction giving the tighter inside lanes the faster laps. Pushing the cars through the faster lanes too hard made them chatter and slowed them down.

 

A few drivers liked extra weight in the cars to keep them settled. I attached pictures of the top three cars noting weight and placement. 

 

Unfortunately Steve had a motor wire issue that could not be corrected mid race.

 

KC has restocked the motors and are available for purchase again. I think we bought out the last run of motors he had in stock.

 

 

Here are the results.

 

1   Chris Wendell          326 laps    4.932 fast lap on white

2   Tony Lang                325 laps    4.873 fast lap on orange

3   Kurt Mansfield         323 laps    4.829 fast lap on orange

4   Max Mohring           322 laps    4.808 fast lap on green

5   Kendall Paterson    319 laps    4.958 fast lap on white

6   Phil Evon                317 laps    4.964 fast lap on orange

7   Andy Holman Sr.    305 laps    5.207 fast lap on blue

8   Steve Sizelove         84 laps    5.153 fast lap on green

 

Next race is May 17th, 2026.

 

See The Race Place | Farmingdale NJ | Facebook for upcoming race schedules, results and announcements.

 

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[rvec]

Max - Check your messages

Rich V