The Nitro Racer 2 (kit #426) has the immense honor of being chosen as the Reader's Choice Nitro Touring Car of the Year for 2000 by the readers of Radio Control Car Action! Taking a Reader's Choice Award is a reason to be very proud because the readers of the magazine (you!) choose the winners!

The Nitro touring car class continues to grow at a fantastic pace, and racers are gearing up for serious national competition in the next few years... yet the majority of the people are still racing in parking lots and streets. With that in mind, the Racer 2 kit is an evolution of all of our previous Nitro RS4 kits, which means that it will work great with rubber tires on parking lot surfaces. And, all of the newer parts found in the Racer 2 kit are fully compatible with the thousands of Nitro RS4 kits out there being raced every weekend.

Existing hop-up parts from other companies will fit, and owners of the current Nitro RS4 cars don't have to start from scratch because many of their expensive existing hop-up parts will bolt right on. The Racer 2 is the "best supported" Nitro touring car car you can buy: parts availability, tuning options and durability are as good as you can get.

The Racer 2 front end features our Pro 2 style front suspension and bearing belt tensioner	MIP Shiny CVDs and tougher upper rear arms are now standard!

The biggest news in the design of the Racer 2 is the improved handling. The Racer 2 uses our equal-length suspension arms and Pro 2-style upper braces for dramatically improved on-throttle and off-throttle steering response. It also gives racers extra durability for endurance races and additional tuning options (8 and 10 degree caster blocks are now included). Inside the box you will find front, middle and rear rollcenter plates which give the Racer 2 flatter cornering and allow you to use slightly softer springs for more traction. Don't be fooled by the looks, you WILL feel the difference in handling... the Racer 2 is easier to drive in the corners, and faster around the racetrack.

We've added a long list of parts that were requested by racers. The main chassis is countersunk purple 17S anodized aluminum, with a new lightening hole to reduce overall car weight. The upper deck is woven graphite for extra stiffness and reduced weight. A Proceed-type racing fuel tank features a primerless design for no air bubbles. Our excellent Nitro Racing Clutch is also included, for extra adjustability to traction conditions and easy assembly. And the race-proven Fiber Brake Disk carries over from the previous Racer kit for excellent fade-free stopping power.

Our proven lightweight design and new parts for more durability and tuning!	Fiber Brake Disk and Nitro Racing clutch are standard equipment	All of our existing option parts will fit the Nitro RS4 Racer 2!

The Racer 2 features a new front belt tensioner (equipped with ball bearings), and we eliminated the z-bend drag link and replaced it with a molded part for reduced steering play. MIP Shiny CVDs are now used at all four corners for extreme durability. The middle and rear belts are now made from urethane for improved drivetrain efficiency.

Check out our long list of improvements and standard features:

• Triple-belt four wheel drive for maximum traction

• Heavy-duty countersunk purple anodized aluminum chassis for durability and engine cooling

• Second-generation suspension - adjustable caster and camber

• Full ball bearing set

• Adjustable Nitro Racing Clutch

• Front and rear MIP Shiny CVDs

• Fade-resistant Fiber Brake Disk

• Oil-filled composite shock absorbers with stainless steel shafts

• Rollcenter handling plates included for extra tuning capabilities

• Precut Foam Bumper

• Full turnbuckles with wrench

• Strong front and rear upper arms

• Front ball bearing belt tensioner

• Proceed-style fuel tank (no primer, top-mounted pressure fitting)

• Adjustable body posts

• White mesh 26mm wheels

	New rear upper arm mounts and MIP Shiny CVD universals.
	New fuel filter and racing-style fuel tank with no primer. (Hold your finger over the exhaust pipe when starting the engine to get fuel to the carb.)
	Engine mounts included, plus a new style woven graphite upper deck with the fuel tank moved inboard compared to the old upper deck.
	Pro 2-type steering linkage (additional Ackerman mounts), turnbuckles and more tuning adjustments for the front upper arms.
	Stronger front upper arms and ball bearing front belt tensioner!
	New urethane side and rear belts now standard! Stronger upper rear arms.
	Adjustable body posts, new thick front shock tower and tuned racing springs!
	Precut foam bumper and lightweight countersunk chassis standard items.
	Roll center plates included as tuning aids for the 2.5mm aluminum chassis.

Our concept with the Racer 2 was to provide a solid foundation that allows racers to build a car that is perfectly tuned to their racing skills and conditions. So, we don't include a body, engine, exhaust or tires so that racers can choose the best parts or use their existing parts (most racers already have several engines, tires, inner foams etc.). The gear diffs form the previous Racer kit are carried over, they can't be beat for maintenance-free performance and they can be tuned with heavy grease for serious racing. You'll notice that the kit now features our nylon shocks, we've found that there is no difference in performance or durability compared to our Super Shocks... the nylon ones are actually lighter and smoother. A 15 tooth clutchbell is included instead of a 2 speed, we've found that most racers are more consistent and faster around the racetrack with a single speed transmission.

The Racer 2 is aimed at the current state of competition, it's not a "Nitro Pro" kit that is optimized for permanent high-bite racetracks for a class that is still trying to get organized racing events planned. Rest assured that when the time comes for true pro-level competition, HPI Racing will be at the forefront of the Nitro touring car wave. In the meantime, give the Racer 2 a try, we think you will be pleasantly surprised by the improved performance!

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