1/8 SCALE ONROAD RC RACING – NITRO 4WD IC
1/8 scale onroad RC racing IC 4WD is the premier onroad nitro racing class in New Zealand and Internationally with national championships held annually and world championships events held every two years at various locations overseas drawing big numbers and featuring world class team drivers and a number of different international manufacturers.
These cars are high performance racing models constructed from aerospace alloy and carbon fibre. These cars are powered by a 3.5cc internal combustion engine which runs on a mixture of Methanol, Nitromethane & Castor Oil. They have a centrifugal clutch system and automatic 2 speed gearboxes and can reach speeds of up to 110kph, lapping our circuit in around 21 seconds.
The cars feature fully adjustable suspension geometry similar to a full sized race car with lots of different tuning options. Power is transmitted via the 2 speed transmission through timing belts to all 4 wheels and run specialised foam tyres. To help keep them on the track at such high speeds, a lightweight polycarbonate body shell generates a surprising amount of downforce that allows them to corner at extremely high speeds.
We are fortunate to have the only facility on New Zealand with a specialised circuit for this class and regularly hold the South Island Championships and the National Championships at our facility. We also run our annual club championship alongside all of our other classes which runs from September to August every year and race on the second Sunday of every month excluding January.
1/8 SCALE ONROAD RC RACING – CLASS INFORMATION
Each club meeting the club runs 3x 5min qualifying heats with the fastest drivers over those 3 heats determining the grid for the 20 minute final. The cars are fuelled up before the start of each heat for a few minutes warm up and then each car is sent off on their qualifying runs with your 5 minutes starting as you cross the line for the first time. This means you are always racing against yourself for the most number of laps in the best time to determine your grid position.
Finals are a staggered grid with all cars starting in the position determined by their qualifying results. Finals are 20mins long so are required to pit for fuel every 5 mins or so to complete the race. Finals at national events can be up to 45mins long meaning drivers have to also pit for new tyres as well as fuel and are required to concentrate for long periods of time under pressure.
1/8 scale 4wd ic nitro onroad rc racing is more for the experienced racer due to the nature of the cars, the difficulty level of driving and the equipment required to run them, set them up correctly and maintain them. These cars do require regular ongoing maintenance and a good technical knowledge of RC racing and car setup in general. The engines require regular tuning and maintenance and due to the nature of the class, a lot of specialised equipment is required to set these cars up, run them and maintain them to keep them operating at a high level so is not recommended for the novice or inexperienced racer.
As with all classes, we run to the NZRCA rules and there is a great group of club members that are more than happy to help and explain things to you if you are interested in 1/8 scale onroad RC racing 4WD IC so pop along to one of our next club meetings to watch and have a chat to one of the club members.