The 2011 ROAR 1/8th scale Electric Nationals were held in mid-September in the city of Omaha, Nebraska, and Team HB were there, with team driver Jesse Robbers and designer Josh Alton at his side. Both 1/8th scale classes were represented, with Jesse and Josh running a modified & updated Ve8 buggy and a converted D8T electric truggy to get the most out of the testing for the weekend.
Jesse qualified quite well in both classes, 5th in Buggy and 3rd in Truggy but his A mains didn't go so well. TRUGGY In the Truggy triple-A Main, Jesse was in second on the final lap when his battery died, dropping him to 5th. In the second A Main he was able to finish strong in 2nd, then in the third he was leading, dropped to 3rd after a mistake, then a bearing failure forced him to drop out again. At the final tally Jesse and the electric D8T finished fourth, with Josh in 5th. The potential was there, but small failures didn't allow Jesse to finish on the podium! BUGGY The Buggy triple-A Main went a similar route, with another battery dump late in the first A Main, then a wire coming loose in the second. A whole new electric setup was tried in the final A Main, but getting used to the different power characteristics in a main event is never a good thing, and with mis-timed jumps Jesse wasn't able to do well - but at least he could finish the race! Jesse used the HB Beams buggy tyre with its unique inside-out tread design to its best effect. With HB moulded inserts and the HB racing wheels, it was a fantastic, grippy combination that gave him the best traction in the turns and on the throttle. In the truggy class, Jesse used the HB Megabite tyres mounted on HB wheels. An HPI Flux speed controller took care of the power and didn't let him down once! In both classes, Jesse and Josh used the HB rear wing for maximum rear traction and control over the jumps. Although the final result wasn't one that Jesse was hoping for, the performance potential of both kits is there for anyone to see. Both Jesse and Josh are looking forward to more testing to refine the kits and make them Championship material!
