We have highlighted in the past the resurgence of dirt oval racing here in the United States with posts like the Guide to Dirt Oval Part 1 and Part 2. We wanted to take it one step further by doing a complete build to showcase some of the JConcepts products that can be utilized in dirt oval racing. A fair portion of the rubber tire dirt oval chassis are conversion kits from 1/10th scale off-road buggies and short course trucks, and a good number of those are Team Associated based cars. With our extensive line of option parts for the Team Associated 1/10th scale vehicles we figured this would be the most fun for us.
We started by contacting Velocity RC who manufacturers conversion kits to make Sprint Cars, Late Models, and Midwest Modifieds using Team Associated and Team Losi Racing Buggy kits. We picked up a VS-A Off-Set conversion which utilizes parts from either a doner B6.1-B6.4 buggy or the B6 Builders Kit to create an off-set chassis winged or wingless sprint car. We also opted to start with the B6 Builders Kit from Team Associated for the rest of the chassis and suspension parts we needed.
The machined aluminum parts included with the Velocity conversion are all a stunning black and silver so we figured we would match the theme by using our black aluminum and titanium options instead of the popular burnt blue.
It is worth noting that we grabbed complete 2995-2 and 2996-2 Black B6.4 upper and lower screw kits for the purposes of this build, but they aren’t a completely direct fit as some of the Velocity hardware is different. Also seen in the picture above we used a set of the 2997-2 Black B6.4 Turnbuckles. These turnbuckles require the use of the ASC92308 Ball Cups for 3.5mm Turnbuckles. Also used throughout the kit were the 2907 5.5x8mm Titanium Ball Studs and 2899 5.5x6mm Titanium Ball Studs. To keep things rolling smooth we added a set of 2993 B6.4 Ceramic Radial Bearings and added a couple of drops of the 8120 RM2 Bronze Bearing Oil.
Since the above photo, some changes were made to the steering geometry and front axle. C4 ChassisWorks sent over a set of their Inline Spindles which give the ability to run an inline or trailing position without having to change the spindle as well as the applicable bushings to fit in the stock Team Associated Caster Blocks. With these spindles you can still use the 2960T JConcepts B6 Titanium Axles or even the ASC71881 Team Associated Hex Adapter front axles which allow you to change the individual hex width on each side of the car.
Both the front and rear shock standoff’s on this car are the 2983T B6.4/B74.2 Stand-Offs. Because of the depth of the front tower having two rows of holes, the extra length of the B6.4 rear stand-off is needed so that the shock cap doesn’t rub the tower.
The VL-A Off-Set Chassis requires the use of a shorty style servo so we used a Protek RC 160TBL attached to the car using the 2948-2 Black Aluminum B6 Servo Brace. As you can see in the photos the servo had to be spaced forward to ensure it didn’t stick out the side of the chassis, but different brands of servos will fit differently. Also used was a matching 6400mah LiHv Protek RC Shorty Pack. To hold the battery in, we opted for the trick looking 2909 Titanium Battery Cradle Stand-Offs.
The Velocity kit has the option to include Custom Works Adjustable Rear Arms which we opted for, we also added the B6.3 | B6.4 style rear hubs ASC91857 and ASC92180 which allow you to fine tune your rear camber link length with more finite adjustments. The B6 Builders Kit comes with plastic ball-stud washers so the 2237 Metric Washer set came in extremely handy for all the ball-stud washer adjustments! Custom Works style springs and spring rates are the norm in dirt oval racing, but we wanted a cleaner look than the colorful springs. Luckily Quasispeed offers black 12mm springs in even pound options in the rates we were looking for! To ensure smooth shock movement, the O-Rings were coated in 8121 RM2 O-Ring Grease.
To supply the power for the build we used a Hobbywing XR10 Pro G2S speed control, a Hobbywing V10 G3 6.0T motor, and finally a 2333-2 30x30mm High Flow Fan. For the photos we mounted up some Aqua 3196 and 3197 Ellipse on 3347 and 3348 Mono Wheels with 8130 and 8131 Hard RM2 Inserts and 2341-1 Blue 4mm Flanged Serrated Locknuts.
Our friends over at Boom Graphics sent over a fantastic looking wrap for the kit which we greatly appreciate!
For the first event with the VS-A Off-Set ride we headed to Auburn RC in Northern California to one of the largest and fastest dirt oval tracks on the West Coast. Enjoy some laps below from the practice day!
To conclude this, we would like to thank all the brands that stepped up to help make this project a reality, we hope everyone has enjoyed the build and can’t wait to see what everyone else comes up with using JConcepts products!
Velocity RC
Team Associated
Hobbywing
ProTek RC
AMain Hobbies
C4 ChassisWorks
Boom Graphics