Team Durango team drivers are an integral part of how we develop our world class range of products. Our team drivers are not just drivers. Every member of our world-wide network of RC racers also works in direct consultation with our design and development team here in the UK. We are strong believers that collective knowledge and diverse experience will always result in great products.

Chris Doughty is a man who has cemented himself as a world class off-road racer since he gained multiple BRCA Junior National Championship titles over 20 years ago. His contribution to both the UK domestic off-road racing scene, teamed with his European and world stage competition efforts, have solidified Chris Doughty as a true RC expert.

Chris now works closely with Team Durango in several unique ways. He contributes on a daily basis to the smooth running of our research and development department in his position as Senior Project Co-ordinator. Chris is also a valued member of our pro drivers team. Whether he is sat at his desk working on the development of new vehicle platforms, testing new option parts, or leading his team of R&D engineers towards a freshly conceived Team Durango idea, Chris is professionally and socially integrated into the Team Durango way of life.

Chris has gained some truly amazing racing achievements during his long RC career, including European Championship podium positions and multiple A final finishing places. Chris is also a multiple BRCA National winner at both 2WD and 4WD National race meetings. Chris now adds to his highly decorated off-road racing career with a successful professional career that includes great success as one of the leading minds behind Team Durango’s DEX210 platform. His tireless and dedicated work alongside such RC greats as Gerd Strenge, Jörn Neumann, Hupo Hönigl and Adam Skelding, has seen Chris further plant his seed within Team Durango DNA.

As part of a brand new Team Durango concept, and what is a first for our pro drivers and staff members, we will be taking some direct inspiration from Chris Doughty that should help us all in our racing efforts. Chris will be sharing some hot Team Durango tips with us over the next few months, and his contributions should form an article that you can all bookmark for later reference when working on your race kit. Chris will be showing us some of the products he has helped develop, and of course sharing some of the items that help him race and win so often with Team Durango cars.

Keep in mind that Chris Doughty is not just a world class racer of RC cars, neither is he just a professional motor sport design engineer. Chris is a character who finds perfection in his craft. His words of wisdom should inspire you all to share more information in life.

Chris has taken time out from his busy schedule to offer these words of encouragment - “RC racing is a sport that captures the imagination of all who are fortunate enough to be involved in it. My racing is so important to me. I try and pass this passion on with every product I am involved in the development of. It is important to me that we all enjoy ourselves and also learn new skills. Team Durango allow me to realise my ideas and aspirations whilst also being part of a really exciting team of friends and fellow racers. These upcoming articles will give me the chance to share with you some of the things I have learnt, mistakes I have made and exciting ideas I have. Race to win guys, there is no better feeling than knowing your hard work has helped you become a success” – Chris Doughty

Chris Doughty - DEX210

That should warm us all up nicely for the knowledge that Chris has ready to share with us. We will be checking in with Chris every week for more cool tips and tricks. Who better to take us through such valuable information?

Chris Doughty is ‘Serious About Racing’

To start this series of articles as we mean to go on, here are some Chris Doughty Top Tips for this week:

Add a liberal amount of gear grease to your turnbuckle threads when you are first building them. This will lubricate the inner thread assembly and make later adjustment a doddle when you are in a rush. I also tend to thread the rod ends all the way in, then off again a few times before I build them to my desired setting. This helps the composite rod ends accept the metal threads better. Switch to titanium if you want to gain even more strength. Turnbuckle Build Guide

TURNBUCKLE TITANIUM (M3x43mm 2pcs) Part No: TD330045	TURNBUCKLE TITANIUM (M3x28mm 2pcs) Part No: TD330046
TITANIUM NITRIDE FRONT SHOCK SHAFT (44MM) BLACK (2pcs) Part No: TD330257	TITANIUM NITRIDE REAR SHOCK SHAFT (52MM) BLACK (2pcs) Part No: TD330258
TITANIUM NITRIDE FRONT SHOCK SHAFT (44MM) GOLD (2pcs) Part No: TD330331	TITANIUM NITRIDE REAR SHOCK SHAFT (52MM) GOLD (2pcs) Part No: TD330332

When building the DEX210 gear diff construction, do not be tempted to screw the master gear case screws down too tightly, this may miss-shape your diff gear and cause the construction to miss-shape. Gently does it with these screws. DEX210 Ball Differential Build Guide

When you are racing on high grip surfaces and are experiencing a lot of heat transfer in your clutch system, use the Team Durango vented slipper clutch plates to ease the temperature and help your slipper clutch operate smoothly for the whole race.

If you are interested in adding further strength and tuning options to the rear of your DEX210, then I can highly recommend adding our aluminium rear hubs. This will provide you with increased camber link and roll-centre adjustments whilst also beefing up the rear hub assembly…oh and they look super cool as well.

When you are setting the slipper clutch assembly on your DEX210 stand with the buggy pointing away from you and place both hands firmly against your back tyres on a solid surface such as a table. Blip your radio transmitter throttle and view how much the cars nose rises before the clutch slips. If it stands up on its tail the slipper is far too tight. Adjust the slipper nut accordingly. Conversely, if the DEX210 does not lift its nose and you here a whizzing noise straight away then your slipper clutch needs to be tighter. The perfect setting should see the buggy raise its nose by about 35 degrees quickly as you apply throttle, then slowly lower it again as the clutch slips. How to Set a Slipper Clutch

Chris has recently found great success by running one of the new generation of ‘shorty’ battery packs in his DEX210. Chris was keen to share his thoughts on this new battery configuration with you all.

“I have recently been experimenting with shifting the weight distribution in my DEX210 by using a shorty battery pack. I have found that I can tune the weight bias by shifting the cells further back for increased rear end grip and better forward traction on lower grip surfaces. I also tried the cells pushed all the way forwards and both configurations spaced out with battery spacing foams. Moving the cells forwards gave me a smoother initial turn into corners. The other advantage is that you can minimise cells you have to carry as the 2S is housed in one pack” Chris Doughty – Team Durango

Foam spacers in front of the shorty pack - Weight bias to the rear of the DEX210

Chris was kind enough to share another collection of tips and tricks that we hope you will all find helpful. Who better to give us guidance on the world-class DEX210 platform than a man who was instrumental in its development?

Increasing your rear toe-in will give your DEX210 more rear end grip during cornering and also assist with the car straightening up quicker out of a corner. The DEX210 benefits from a wide range of tuning options for the rear toe settings straight from the box. Take time to experiment with these options for different surfaces. I have found great success by using these fast and easy adjustments as the grip levels change on any given surface.

The DEX210 is very responsive to set-up changes and your cars ride height will have a direct influence on its handling characteristics. The Team Durango shock adjustment nuts are precision manufactured to give fast and easy adjustments. Try not to become lazy about set-up items such as ride height. If you choose to try the shorty battery suggestion, remember that the shorty is lighter and will require an adjustment in ride height to give you the same settings as when you previously ran a stick or saddle configuration.

When gluing your tyres to the super tough Team Durango wheel rims, always wipe down your wheels with an alcohol cleaning wipe. This removes any dust or nylon particles that will cause problems with your tyre beads bonding to the wheels. There is nothing worse than losing a tyre during a good run due to the glue coming away from the contact point.

I carry a large sized set-up board in my pit hauler to every race meeting. This allows me to gain a solid flat surface when working on caster, camber and ride height changes. My DEX210 always benefits from a quick drop onto the pit board from about 8 inches. Do this with the car fully loaded with all your running gear and battery cells. Set the ride height from the resting point of the car and everything should be settled with your shocks for a true representation of how the buggy will ride when racing.

I am a real fan of the Team Durango stock DEX210 body shell. It provides the perfect fit around the chassis lines of the car and has a super stealthy look on the track. With its dedicated side pod air vents it is easy to take a scalpel and open up these small vent holes to increase cool airflow into your car. This always aids with keeping your electrical components at a safe operating temperature during intense racing action.