Posted: 12/15/16
U4RC: Rocks, ruts, jumps, sand, hills, silt, realism and adrenaline!
words: Gerald Tobin
photos: Rodney Wills
Rocks, ruts, jumps, sand, hills, silt, realism and adrenaline! U4RC is moving headlong into another year, with national and international events set on calendars throughout 2017. And we are very proud that Axial Racing is set to be title sponsor of the 2017 U4RC Winter Nationals, being held late February in conjunction with the 2017 Dirt Nitro Challenge located at Fear Farm Raceway, Arizona. A must attend event that will include the best r/c rock racers from all over the U.S. battling it out for one of (6) National Titles up for grabs.
Although you may find obstacles similar to traditional r/c off-road racing. U4RC has many obstacles unique to r/c rock racing such as rock gardens, sand/silt beds, ruts, dust and other extreme conditions. Those extreme conditions put race rigs to the ultimate test constantly. With their awesome record of durability, and the scale realism Axial rigs have, it makes them the perfect match for U4RC rock racing. And with the constant release of new rock racer platform rigs Axial is sure to stay on top of the podiums at U4RC events.
In Southern California, SoCalU4RC operates the local U4 series. Being located in the heart of much of the r/c industry, it is not uncommon to have a visit from r/c insiders. That exact thing recently happened when none other than Rodney Wills (Axial Global Marketing Director) stopped by the most recent U4RC race at the Cherry Valley, CA Raceway and shot awesome photos, as always. He also delivered great news and promise of another year of great releases from Axial. One of which already landed with the announcement of the Yeti Jr and Yeti Jr Trophy Trucks 1/18th scale rigs.
1.9 Trail class has always been, and continues to be dominated by Axial SCX-10 and SCX-II based rigs. Every single 1.9 Trail Champion to date was running an Axial SCX based rig. Because if the unique aspects encountered on a U4RC race course, it is not unheard of for a "stock" rig with the right tuning and a patient forefinger to see a podium finish.
2.2" solid axle Axial rigs are the staple of U4RC racing. The Wraith and Spawn are great platforms for rock racers and have been proven solid and used for rock racing since day one. They are both also a great basis for custom builds and such. For awesome out of the box performance from a solid/solid configuration the Bomber is hands down the best handling rig on the market and now taking U4 podiums everywhere.
For all out performance, nothing beats the Yeti! With its IFS/Solid rear configuration the Yeti is to date the fastest overall rig racing across the U4RC world. They are easy to drive right out of the box. Chris Pickering, Cherry Valley track operator holds fastest lap record with what is essentially an RTR Yeti. There are other brands with this configuration racing in U4 but none of them have experienced success like the Yeti.
Whether you consider yourself a scale crawler, a comp crawler, a racer or a just-for-fun crawler, U4RC has something to fill your personal "r/c itch". Put together a local scene, find a local track to sponsor a U4 course, or just race on natural temporary tracks with your local club. Most important is to get out there and enjoy this great hobby we are all so passionate about. See you on the ROCKS!!
The following photos are from the December 3rd, 2016 SoCalU4RC race
at the Cherry Valley, CA Raceway.
