First, I have to tell you that we have a weird track. The layout and jumps are boring; 7 hairpins, 1 big sweeper, 2 doubles, 4 corner entry kickers, and a narrow table top. But the real character of the place is the rough hard pack that breaks up and produces an incredible amount of dust (not in the air thankfully, just on the hardpack). Traction is always a nightmare. 2 weeks ago I discovered Panther Puma tires and a new revolution has begun (one of my friends shaved 12 seconds off a run this week just by going from Bigshot Red to the Puma). But traction is the name of the game.

I started with a carbon copy of the low-bite set up, except .120" limiting in the rear (again with BK2 axles) and a Losi Aurora wing. The car turned in quite strong at low speed, slight turn in to mid push at high speed, but no mid corner rear bite. As soon as you would start to pick-up the power (not accelerate, just balanced throttle) the rear would get unsettled. If you missed power application (too early or too hard), the back would step out. I got spun a few times on corner exit because I couldn't get on the power.

Back in the pit, I decided to try to get some side bite by making a big change. It might not get faster, but stability would be nice at this point. I put the 3 degree toe block and up to .090" anti-squat. Worse. OK now get some forward bite: .060" tranny height, .030 anti-squat and back to the 4 degree toe block. Gained a little stability, but now I need speed.

I decided to get into some rear shock medicine; out one hole top and bottom, .030 limiting, 25wt oil, white spring. If anything the car now had a snap over steer at turn in and squared up harder on exit (but you could get on the power a little harder). I went to the 2/2 shock position (now .060 limiting and 30wt) with a yellow spring, as well as moving the ackerman to the forward position ( adding ackerman increases turn in and takes away steering on exit, I was desperate)

After the first qualifier, I realized how short the camber link was. At 1 Inboard and A outboard, it appeared really short when I was doing the set-up, but I put it on anyway. Up to now it had slipped my mind. So I went to 1/B for the second qualifier, NOW I could start to get on the power. I got seriously gooned at the start (my first three laps were 4-5 seconds off my normal times) but I still improved by a second. Then I went 1/C for the third and got gooned again, but pulled 6 seconds off my best. Also our track deteriorates after the second qualifier, it is very rare for TQ to come from the third. My lap times became more consistent and faster. So real improvements.

For the final I took the washer out of the rear inner ball stud to increase the camber gain. It was another goon session (a particularly bad day for everybody! Must be the full moon...) but my lap times stayed good and low (but I piped it a couple of times too). Here is my finishing set-up. (See attached file: X6 Nov5.PDF)

One comment from people watching is that the car is "nervous" through the rough stuff. We run REALLY soft normally (my friend won with my CR, running red front and white rear springs). The car seems to chatter over the bumps, as opposed to blend with them.

After the finals my friend (Danny Sullivan, owner of SMC batteries), who won with my CR, drove the car. He commented that it was like a car that has the motor too far out the back (i.e. running too big of a spur), in that it "keeps turning" past the apex. Where it should squat down and bite out of the corner. But he was impressed that it was as good as it was first time out. Just needs more rear bite.

Now that I have the rear geometry calmed down, I can get into the subtle stuff (shocks, springs, anti-squat and toe). The next big question is weight. I have 1/4 oz in the corners of the engine bay, but I think more will help. I was thinking about pouring some lead under the tranny at .060" (I might get 1/2 oz under there) and sticking a couple of pieces on the shock tower above the toe block.

The potential is there. I need to massage it, but I am sure it can be as fast as a rear engine car. Can it be faster than a rear engine car? It is a big question. The ultimate answer (42?) is yes. But every success is really a series of mistakes, and the X6 is the first "mistake". We will just learn from our mistakes and develop this into what both of us believe is the future of 2wd buggy. Phil.