There’s no doubt that Ryan Maifield is one fast dude. Last weekend he proved that he can win on the roughest conditions regardless of who shows up. As a man that clearly knows the cliche blanket statement, you can’t win them all, he certainly has won a lot of them. His list of wins at the DNC includes 5 x Pro nitro buggy, 3 x Pro Ebuggy, 2 x Pro Nitro Truck, and let’s not forget a 1/10th gas truck title as well.
This year, there were a few changes to Ryan’s program and the most notable was joining Maxima [MX] engine and fuel. So far in 2019, he’s the nitro driver to beat as he double downs at DNC winning both the Pro Nitro Buggy and Truggy classes. Have an INSIDE LOOK to one of the most captivating drivers of our time’s race winning MBX-8.
If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t have guessed this was Ryan Maifield’s Mugen MBX8. For the first time in years, Ryan changed up his paint scheme a bit by replacing his iconic blue with white. Knowing that it was going to be a night race, Ryan wanted a brighter car so he could see it better going around the track. His remark was, “Hey, I’m F’ing old,” a comment that’s very Maifield.
What is the same is the JConcepts S15 body that he’s been running just before the IFMAR Worlds in Australia. The body is Mugen MBX specific making it a drop fit of added performance as Ryan prefers the aggressive handling and freeness of the car going around the track. This is the same body David Ronnefalk used to win his 2019 DNC Pro Ebuggy title but obviously his is made specifically for the HB Racing D817 (S15).
Straight off the track after 45 minutes of masterfully navigating his way to a win, Ryans MBX-8 is battle tested. The front clip looks quite stock, even the screws are plain steel along with the plastic front upper steering plate. Ryan is rocking the ProTek RC 170SBL servos to provide the steering and throttle feel.
The carbon fiber radio tray is stock, but from this angle, you can see Ryan is running the carbon fiber inserts on both the front and rear A-arms for added stiffness and response.
Ryan chooses the Maxima B2 engines paired with the Flashpoint FP2500 pipe (EFRA 2146) for his power.
There’s always doubt about whether the JConcepts front scoop does anything, but it’s been a part of Ryan’s winning setup (along with many others) for a while now and I think that speaks volume in itself. The Mugen specific scoop also fits the Team Associated RC8B3 series cars too. One hop up that Ryan was had on his car for those eagle eyed views was the carbon fiber front shock tower.
Pillow balls for days. Here’s an inside shot of the JConcepts 1/8th Bullet wheels which Ryan has been running in all of his cars from 1/10th to 1/8th. Mixed with an extra stiff proprietary formula, the JC wheels are among the stiffest out there allowing the tires to work more as the wheels flex less.
The tires that won the 2019 DNC Pro Nitro Buggy used by most of the JConcepts team for the evening mains were the JConcepts Stalkers in green compound (super soft). As you can see from the pictures, not only did they provide Ryan with race-winning grip, the tire wear was awesome! Because of the pin pack, tread height, rubber compound, the Stalkers gave consistent, predictable grip throughout the entire 45-minute race. They look like they’re just broken in!
Matching the front tower, Ryan opted to go with the carbon fiber rear tower as well getting the most out of his suspension.
Here’s a shot at the Mugen rear hub that many seem to love. Overall, the package is impressive, to say the least. To be able to drive the way he does and to perform at the level required to be the world’s best, says a lot in one’s package and right now… Maifield is kicking off 2019 the right way.