Setup comments
Driving went superb and the car was on rails thanks to recent setup improvements. Qualification: 3rd. Finals: 3rd. Pace was on par with Wesley van Helmond (Schumacher, 1st) and Yolan de Weerd (Xray, 2nd), but their higher grid positions and excellent defensive driving prevented the possibility to end up higher.
Recent setup improvements:-
Switch from low-profile to full-size Shorty LiPo: More grip, stability and more consistent handling thanks to higher overall mass (+50g).
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New rear wing (#7142) and +5mm brace (#7143): Rear end more stable and consistent.
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Less rear toe-in (1mm shims): Reduces understeer and improves responsiveness - this change is possible thanks to the new wing and wing brace.
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Switch from V1 to V2 front spring (3.90lb/in): more initial steering response and more steering at low-speeds.
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Switch from V1 (3.30lb/in) to harder V2 (3.60lb/in) rear spring and 2.5wt thicker oil: Car leans less into rear shocks under acceleration. Weight bias moves forward (0.7%). More responsive on turn-in yet also more consistent rear stability.
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Increased ESC timing (15°) & turbo (30°): Increased power, mainly useful in faster sections and straights.
Tire tests:
On the morning before the start of the race, a comparison of tires was made. On the front, Blockades (M3) felt familiar and forgiving but provided noticeably less grip than the Holeshots (M3) A test run was also done on Bow-Ties. In terms of grip they seemed on par with the Holeshots with the benefit of being less prone to dust (outside the racing line), but seem to be more prone to ballooning and its larger diameter needs changes to the droop settings. For the rear the larger diameter of the Crime Fighters compared to the 4WD Blockades helps rear stability over bumps and landing jumps, and the narrower mounting provides extra rear grip. In absence of Crime Fighters, 4WD Blockades are a decent choice though, provided that a few centre pins are cut away to open the profile so the tread stays open/doesn't fill up with clay.
Other notes:
Car was run with new 65mm dogbones and B6.2 axles from the last run of qualifying, as the B6.1D axles and 67mm dogbones were getting somewhat worn. It was as a small but noticeable improvement to the car's performance. At this point it is unclear to what extent this is related to part wear vs. difference in dogbone length. The intent is to test this in the future.
After the race, a test was done with Ackermann position #1 (instead of #2). Car seems to have less steering on turn-in and rolls into corner more smoothly, but may go at the cost of a little corner radius.
 
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