Chassis: Yokomo BD7 2015
Motor: LRP X-20 4.5-turn
Battery: LRP 6000mAh
ESC: LRP Flow Works Team
Radio: Sanwa M12
Servo: Sanwa SDX-801
Body: PROTOform LTC-R
Notes: Aside from running gear and small details, Ronald’s car was essentially identical to Naoto’s.

The BD7 2015 will feature a new chassis, with its most specific change being the “floating battery hold down system.” Rather than wrap tape through the chassis to secure the battery, which stiffens the right side of the chassis asymmetrically, the tape passes through aluminum loops at the front and rear of the pack which still allows the pack to shift around for proper chassis flex on both sides.

The driveline is the same from the previous model BD7, aside from the motor mount - which offers two different positions to alter the car’s weight distribution. The forward position is best for higher bite tracks, but the Yokomo drivers at the Worlds used the rear mounting position that’s the same as the older car.

The bulkheads are virtually unchanged, except for the ability to mount a new cross brace to either the front or rear of the car. The brace stiffens the bulkhead, which the team drivers feel is more consistent especially on high bite tracks.

The upper deck is new, though it’s not significantly different. Its shape is different, though, which changes the car’s flex characteristics.

Optional suspension arms will be offered for the BD7 2015, which are 1.5mm shorter on each side and work with correspondingly different suspension mounts to alter the car’s geometry. Though intended for high-bite tracks, the team hasn’t tried them on carpet yet - they did, however, try the parts during previous testing trips to Full Throttle Raceway and thought the combination worked well.


Chassis – Yokomo BD7 2015
Motor – LRP X20 4.5T
ESC – LRP Flow
Battery – LRP 6000mAh
Radio/Servos – Sanwa
Body – Protoform LTC-R

Remarks – Reigning ETS and European Champion Ronald Volker is one the large team of Yokomo drivers giving the new BD7 2015 its race debut here in Florida. The all new car, whose details where released before the event, features optional shorter A-arms and wider suspension mounts which gives the car more traction and which to the surprise of designer Yukijiro Umino, works well on carpet as well as asphalt. Having done a lot of testing at the Kissimmee track prior to the event, the latest time only 2 weeks ago, they are pretty locked in on their setup coming here and have so far made little or no changes to the car’s setup.


Source: