The entire HB On-road team came to Shanghai to do a week of testing on ETS carpet which was installed at my home track RCI. Team Manager Hiro and Designer Haratune also made the trip. As I had school, I could only join the team in testing after classes. Andy, Jilles, Freddy and I had a good week of testing and development, hopefully it will bring good results in 2016.
The ETS carpet is quite different from the CRC carpet we use to have. The ETS carpet seems to have higher grip sooner and it is more consistent in terms of traction throughout the day. The black color also looks and feels nice, as if racing on asphalt.
At the end of the testing week, HPI China organized a driver meeting and a club race event that saw many HB drivers from all over China and Hong Kong attend. The event was not only limited to HB drivers but to all RC enthusiast.
After a morning driver meeting introducing the factory team members and new products, a Q&A session was part of the program. After lunch, a “Reedy” format club race was held and we all enjoyed racing with local drivers and sharing information on setup and driving techniques. The event ended with a BBQ dinner. I also celebrated my 18th birthday early with all the guys.
This was a great event, a lot of fun and also a good chance to get all the members of the factory team together. This is a great team and I am happy to be part of it.