Recently, the JConcepts Team went out to 702 Raceway in Las Vegas, NV for the Western Carpet Nationals! We saw several great performances from various drivers throughout the weekend and one that particularly stood out was Davey Batta’s 17.5 2wd Buggy win! He drove hard, fought his way to the top, and actually played the tire game a little differently. You may be surprised to learn that Batta used the same set of tires all weekend! We talked with him a little more about this and wanted to share it with you.
“I went and practiced a week earlier and noticed that the times didn’t fall off as the tires wore. They actually got easier to drive and weren’t as edgy as a new set.” Batta noticed that tire wear helped improve his personal performance and it goes to show just how long a set of carpet tires can last.
What was he using?
Tires:
• Swaggers Fronts
• Twin Pins Rears
Compound:
• Pink– A medium to hard compound specifically designed for carpet and astro turf.
Glue:
• JConcepts Medium Viscosity Glue
Wheels:
You may recognize Batta from his recent podium at The Dirt Nitro Challenge and Win at Surf City Classic, as he often races more dirt. This was actually his second time racing carpet, with his first carpet race being 2 years ago! When tuning his 1:10 buggy for this race, the biggest thing he noticed was that he had to change the gearing due to the tire diameter being smaller. He said his gearing changes were significant in the 17.5 2wd Buggy.
Batta really enjoyed traveling out to the JConcepts Western Carpet Nationals as his favorite part was hanging out with his team and racing with some good competition. He plans to attend all of the remaining JConcepts INS and NCTS events this year. (Check out the events tab on our website for more info). As we started reflecting on the weekend more we wanted to know if he had any advice he would go back and give himself. “If I had to go back and do something different it would be to have a little more patience in certain race situations.” This is not only a great takeaway from the weekend but it’s also solid advice for all drivers out there.
You may have already noticed but the vehicle brand Davey Batta chose to use was Team Associated. He’s used Team Associated from the beginning and finds the various platforms are easy to drive and tune. “I have tried other brands but found myself coming back to Team Associated.” This particular weekend he was driving the Team Associated B6.2 and the B74.1.
Batta actually got started in RC when he was 4 years old, around the time his dad opened a track. His first car was the Team Associated SC10! You may recognize their awesome track as they own Coyote Hobbies Raceway in Vicortville, CA. “We have been there for 11 years and have our 11th Annual Mid Summer Shooutout coming up on June 4-6th!”
Congratulations to Davey Batta on the win and keep a look out for that sharp looking green, yellow, and checkered body!