Team Futaba Racing - 2006

Team Info: 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008

Futaba Nitro Challenge

HX Raceway
Bossier City, LA

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Taylor James crowned KING of the "Battle in the Bayou"

The First Annual Futaba Nitro Challenge took place on October 26th - 29th in Bossier City, Louisiana. Team Futaba driver, Taylor James blew away the competition as he won the 1/8th Pro Buggy and 1/8th Pro Truggy classes. Taylor used the new Futaba 2.4 System in his 3PK, the first time that it has been used in a Pro Race since its release last month.

Rainy conditions made for a muddy track the first two days. The staff of Hobbies Extreme did a great job making sure that it was ready to go for Friday night's open practice.

Pro Buggy (A Main) Taylor James, Quincy Hughes, and Raymond Norte Finished Name Laps 1 Taylor James 79 2 Quincy Hughes 78 3 Raymond Norte 76 4 Frosty St. Clair 76 5 Kyle Skidmore 75 6 Steve Hale 75 7 Andrew Smolnik 75 8 Ryan Lopez 75 9 Gene Hickerson 74 10 Jason Branham 74 11 Patrick Castleberry 67 12 Mike McCrary 38

Pro Truggy (A Main) Taylor James, Andrew Smolnik, and Gene Hickerson Finished Name Laps 1 Taylor James 77 2 Andrew Smolnik 75 3 Gene Hickerson 74 4 Jeff Keeton 72 5 Bobby Moore 71 6 Mike McCrary 71 7 Craig Romero 67 8 Cody Fruge 65 9 Daryl Lane 55 10 Derek Guidny 44 11 Reggie Tongue 12 12 Mike Battaile 8

Expert Buggy (A Main) Tye Love, Martin Harrison, and Brendon Nolan Finished Name Laps 1 Tye Love 71 2 Martin Harrison 71 3 Brendon Nolan 69 4 Hunter Kinsey 69 5 Larry Pryor 67 6 Rich Star 67 7 Bill Sheperd 67 8 Kirk Crisalli 55 9 Chris Mitcham 53 10 Ty Dorsey 49 11 Drew Sturgeon 32 12 Kyle Sokol 25

Expert Truggy (A Main) Mike Stevens, Ruben Ragez, and Matt Brown Finished Name Laps 1 Mike Stevens 66 2 Ruben Ragez 65 3 Matt Brown 65 4 Tracy Abshire 64 5 Al Prieto Jr. 63 6 Mitch Saxton 63 7 Mark Massingill 61 8 Drew Sturgeon 55 9 Kevin Stephenson 55 10 Kyle Sokol 51 11 Jason Holt 48 12 Chuck Metz 1

Intermediate Buggy (A Main) James Lonadier, Zach Karhe, and Bubba Austin Finished Name Laps 1 James Lonadier 67 2 Zach Karhe 66 3 Bubba Austin 66 4 Micheal Izaguirre 65 5 Rob Mitchell 62 6 Ed Matlage 60 7 Clint Fernandez 58 8 Mike Stevens 47 9 Neal Sartor 45 10 Tony Gentry 27 11 Matt Henderson 19 12 Gary Guettler 4

Intermediate Truggy (A Main) James Lonadier, Zachary Harper, and Zach Kahre Finished Name Laps 1 James Lonadier 67 2 Zachary Harper 66 3 Zach Kahre 66 4 Matt Henderson 65 5 Michael Izaguirre 62 6 Kenny Moore 56 7 Gary Guettler 54 8 Joshua Seale 54 9 Alan Jenkins 50 10 Michael Vasquez 24 11 Clint Fernandez 13 12 Bubba Austin 13

Gene "The Machine" Dominates the Florida State Series

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Team Futaba driver, Gene "The Machine" Hickerson dominated the Florida State Series with back to back TQs in the 1/8 Buggy and 1/8 Truck classes. Gene took first in the 1/8 Buggy class and second in the 1/8 Truck class.

David Jun TQs and wins at the KO Grand Prix

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Team Futaba driver, David Jun won the Modified Touring Car class at the KO Grand Prix. David had the fastest lap of the event, as he managed to TQ as well as take first place.

IMPBA District 4 Championships

ChicagoLand Speedway
Joliet, IL

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L to R: Mike Zaborowski, Greg Hahn, Russ Williamson, and Wayne George.

Team Futaba Members attended the 2006 IMPBA District 4 Championships hosted by the Illini RC Boat Club. Mike "Grimracer" Zaborowski won the Sport 20 Tunnell, B Sport Hydro, and Sport 40 classes. Team member Russ Williamson took home first place in the B Mono class and third in a very tough Sport 20 Hydro class.

Team Futaba attends the Minute Breakers Classic

Each year on the third weekend in August, the Minute Breakers Model Boat Club host the Minute Breakers Classic. Team Futaba members competed in many different classes including the 20 Hydro, Sport 20, and Sport 40 classes.

Mark Pavidis TQs and Wins the 2006 IFMAR 1/8 Scale Off-Road World Championship!

Team Futaba driver, Mark Pavidis can add another title to his résumé...World Champion! Pavidis combined the guidance of his Futaba 3PKS with O.S. power to TQ and win the 2006 IMFAR 1/8th Scale Off-Roads. Congratulations to Mark and to Team USA as six American drivers placed in the top ten!

Jerry Crowther Wins 4 US1s at 2006 International Model Power Boat Association Internats

Futaba Marine Racer, Jerry Cowther dominated all four deep vee classes at the 2006 IMPBA Internats. In twelve events, Jerry racked up ten first place finishes. He also was a strong contender in the other two, placing second and third. Jerry's exceptional performance in heat racing, 2 lap oval, and 1/16 mile straightaway paved the way to four US 1 awards.

Jerry's winning ways did not stop with the conclusion of US1 class competition. He won the Open Sport Hydro Class and placed second in Open Catamaran. In the AquaCraft Team Challenge utilizing the new "Miss Vegas" 18 Sport Hydro, Jerry was on the winning four man team. In the Champions' Challenge, Jerry bested three other US 1 winners. Jerry won five straight AquaCraft Challenge races driving three different "Miss Vegas" hulls.

The Futaba 3PK transmitter, high-torque Futaba servos, and Jerry's superior driving skills were a winning combination.

2006 ROAR 1/8 Off-Road Nationals

Clean Sweep for Team Futaba

Team Futaba Drivers Ryan Maifield, Taylor James, and Mark Pavidis made it a clean sweep, taking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place at the 2006 ROAR 1/8 Off-Road Nationals.

"I believe this is the first time this has happened in all of my years with Futaba," said Team Futaba Manager John Stokes. "Congratulations to both Futaba and O.S. Engines for taking the top three positions. Nicely done"!

All three drivers used a Futaba 3PKS radio, S9351 and S9350 servos for steering and throttle. Ryan and Taylor both used the Futaba R303FHS Synthesized receiver, while Mark used the R203HF HRS. The power source of choice for all three drivers was the O.S. 21 V-Spec engine. The combination of Futaba guidance and O.S. power made for a historic race and showed once again that these are two names that you can trust for the ultimate in performance.

2006 ROAR Electric On-Road Nationals

Team Futaba Drivers LOCK DOWN Two more Roar Titles!

After multiple rounds of qualifying, seven different classes and over 200 total entries, two new ROAR champions have been crowned for Team Futaba. Team Futaba drivers were setting the pace all weekend, winning both the 19 Turn and Modified Touring Car classes.

19 Turn

Billy Easton won the first two of three A-Mains and became the 19 Turn National Champion. Easton's new Yokomo ride was hooked up, as he continued to lay down faster laps each time he hit the track. Not to be overlooked, fellow Team Futaba driver Paul Lemieux claimed the third spot on the podium, finishing in third place respectively.

Modified Touring Car

Atsushi Hara won the first two A-Mains claiming the Modified Touring Car National Championship. It was a close battle as Hara outlasted Easton, with Billy trying to real him in at the end of the race. Easton finished second overall, but took home the TQ plaque, as he was the top qualifier for the weekend.

Sonny O' at the Panther Race

Futaba's own, Sonny Ochoa traveled to Edinburgh, Indiana to compete in the Panther Race. Despite driving on a muddy track, Sonny was able to place in three different classes. Ochoa placed 3rd in the 1/10 Scale Truck class, 3rd in the Arena Truck class, and 5th in the 1/8 Scale Buggy class. "It started raining in the B main and that is why my car was so muddy. It was a blast to drive for 20 minutes in that mud, but it isn't going to be fun to clean," said Sonny. "All my electronics and engine are still in perfect working order. Talk about quality!" Sonny used his Futaba 3PKS radio, Futaba servos for steering, and an OS 12TZ engine.

Taylor James Dominates South Qualifier

Taylor James recently brought home three first place victories at the R/C Pro South Qualifier #2.
Using his Futaba 3PKS, Taylor TQ'd and won the 1/8th, Arena Truck, and Gas Truck classes.

Hara Sets New Track Record

Atsushi Hara, known as one of the best drivers in the world, competed in the Reedy Race of Champions in Aliso Viejo, California. Throughout practice, Hara had the fastest car on the track and destroyed a longstanding track record. Using his Futaba 3PKS, Hara was able to take home a very respectable second place, only a few points behind the current World Champion Marc Rheinhard.

MWS race at Toledo, Ohio

Paul Ciccarello TQ'd and won the 1/8 onroad. Paul used a Futaba 3PK Super radio, R203HF receiver, and Futaba servos to take home first place.

Grimracer takes over Wisconsin

Mike "Grimracer" Zaborowski slays them again. This time it was in Eau Claire, Wisconsin for the 7th Annual Wisconsin State Championships. Grimracer ran 3 different classes: Sport Tunnel, Sport 20 Hydro, and Mod Tunnel. In the Sport Tunnel class, nobody could challenge him as he landed himself a perfect score using an O.S. 21 Outboard engine and a Futaba 3PK Super radio. Mike also placed second in the Sport 20 Hydro class and fourth in the Mod Tunnel class, using Futaba guidance for both.

Grimracer at the Chicagoland Speedway

Recently, Team Futaba member Mike "Grimracer" Zaborowski traveled up to Joliet, IL to the Illini Model Power Boaters Todd Tribbet Memorial Race. Mike ran two classes, the Sport 20 Hydro and Sport 40 Hydro. Using his Futaba 3PK, S3305 servos for steering, and S3302 servos for throttle, Mike took second and fourth place respectively.

Sonny O' at the Race for the Cure

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2006 Silver State Nitro Challenge - March 29th-April 2nd

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Futaba and O.S. were very strong at the Silver State Nitro Challenge.

Truggies A-Main Class

Chad Bradley 1st Ryan Cavalieri 2nd Taylor James 3rd	Dean Sexton, Taylor James and Chad Bradley all used the O.S. 21 V-Spec. Taylor James used the Futaba 3PK system and equipment.
Mark Pavidas was the Top Qualifier for the weekend in Truggy. Also using all Futaba equipment and O.S. 21 V-Spec.

Truggies        -- SS 1/8 Truck (UMT) - A Main - 
Mark Pavidas qualified first place and took the top qualifying.

Pos   Qualified   Laps      Time           Name 
 1        2        76     45:13.24     Chad Bradley       O.S
 2        3        76     45:16.37     Ryan Cavalieri 
 3        4        76     45:30.93     Taylor James       Futaba / O.S.
 4       11        73     45:27.41     Dean Sexton        O.S.
 5       13        72     45:18.52     Raul Peris 
 6        8        72     45:35.64     Yuichi Kanai       Futaba
 7       15        71     45:02.90     Marty Korn 
 8        9        71     45:24.27     Andrew Smolnik 
 9        5        71     45:31.48     Cody King 
10        1        70     45:09.29     Mark Pavidas       Futaba / O.S.
11        7        65     45:05.28     JR Mitch 
12       14        49     29:18.45     Ryan Lutz 
13       10        45     27:31.11     Adrien Bertin 
14        6        36     26:19.97     Ryan Maifield 
15       12        15     11:00.48     Samuele Lenzi

1/10th Truck A-Main Class

1st Ryan Cavalieri 2nd Ryan Maifield 3rd Taylor James	Taylor James used the Futaba 3PK system and equipment.
Jared Tebo was the Top Qualifier for the weekend in the 1/10th Truck using all Futaba equipment.

1/10 Truck        -- SS 1/10 Expert - A Main - 
Jared Tebo was the Top qualifier in this class.

Pos   Qualified   Laps      Time           Name 
 1        3        65     45:05.04     Ryan Cavalieri 
 2       10        65     45:09.27     Ryan Maifield 
 3        2        65     45:38.06     Taylor James      Futaba / O.S.
 4        8        64     45:09.69     Cody King 
 5       12        64     45:10.67     JR Mitch 
 6       11        63     45:13.95     Billy Fischer 
 7        5        63     45:23.72     Adam Drake 
 8       13        62     45:26.65     Steve Hale        Futaba
 9        7        62     45:29.48     Mike Kendall 
10        4        61     45:14.97     Jesse Robbers 
11        9        60     42:55.97     Richard Saxton 
12       15        60     45:29.47     Lance Norrick 
13       14        54     45:39.11     Steven Miller 
14        1        49     35:07.60     Jared Tebo        Futaba
15        6         9     6:28.39      Marty Korn

1/8th Expert A-Main Class

1st Scott Hughes 2nd Taylor James 3rd Ryan Cavalieri

Scott Hughes with the O.S. 21 V-Spec was also the Top Qualifier for the weekend.

1/8th Expert Buggies   -- SS 1/8 Expert - A Main - 

Pos   Qualified   Laps      Time           Name 
 1        1        74     45:25.58     Scott Hughes      O.S.
 2        4        73     45:15.36     Taylor James      Futaba/O.S.
 3       14        73     45:20.28     Ryan Cavalieri 
 4       11        72     45:33.10     Chad Bradley      O.S.
 5        2        72     45:39.59     Atsushi Hara      Futaba / O.S.
 6        7        71     45:13.66     Ricardo Gomez 
 7        6        71     45:13.95     Greg Degani 
 8        5        71     45:31.08     Marty Korn 
 9       10        70     45:02.07     Jared Tebo        Futaba / O'Donnell
10        3        70     45:28.75     Mark Pavidas      Futaba / O.S. 
11       15        69     45:01.77     JR Mitch 
12       12        68     45:16.20     Paul Coleman      Futaba
13        9        58     39:03.48     Jeremy Kortz 
14        8        54     36:41.89     Adam Drake 
15       13        20     15:50.20     Ryan Maifield

Taylor James and his 1/8th Truggy, 1/8th Buggy and 1/10th Truck. All powered by O.S. Engines and Futaba equipment.

Futaba makes history...again!

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Maxwell Cramer used his Futaba 3PK to drive his way into the record books as the youngest driver ever at five years old to race in the RC Pro Series. If that was not enough, Max went on to win the 1/18th scale class at the second round of the Pro Series in Farmington, Michigan and adding another record to the list as the youngest A main winner.

With solid runs in all three rounds of the RCP, Max secured second place in the Midwest Division Championship. "I love this radio, my dad set it up so it's easy for me to use, and it looks cool too!" said Max. This just goes to show that you are never to young to start racing or using Futaba products.

Mega Valida del Campeonato ORRCV

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The race was held at RC Xtreme Racing in La Lagunita, Venezuela.
Sean (center) ended up Top Qualifier in Unlimited Monster truck and won the main event.

Florida Winter Nats in Orlando

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Scotty Gray competed in the Florida Winter Nats and qualified second in sedan and fourth in 1/8 scale. Scotty finished third in sedan and seventh in 1/8 scale. Good job Scotty!

Snowbird Nationals in Orlando Florida

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Paul Lemieux continues his amazing streak by taking the TQ and A main victory in the highly coveted Touring Modified Class and 19 Turn class at the Snowbird Nationals in Orlando Florida. That makes 3 TQ's and 3 A main victories in the last 3 races for Paul. His streak began last Thanksgiving at the Cleveland US Indoor Champs, then came a dominating performance at the Novak US Touring Champs and now his first win at the largest RC race in the world.

Team Info: 2005 - 2006 - 2007 - 2008