Welcome back everyone! The sweltering heat of summer’s imminent arrival has set in and relegated us to indoor tinkering this week as A/C is a necessity when the thermometer has burst due to the pressure! We’ll touch on this week’s progress a little later but don’t fret; there are quite a few new releases to whet your appetite and drain your available balance at the same time from companies like Team Associated, Traxxas. and JConcepts. Let’s dive in and make some questionable financial choices!
TEAM ASSOCIATED
I don’t talk about it much these days but I have an extensive background in full-scale dirt oval racing, from karts to super latemodels to working for a regional racing magazine. Going fast on dirt has always been a passion of mine and when an RC manufacturer comes out with a DO specific kit they definitely have my attention. Team Associated released their new (if you can call a retro RC10 “new”) Sprint Edition Kit. This kit is based on the gold pan RC10 buggy but mixes and matches some of the updated parts from other RC10 kits as well as a host of new parts to create a great looking scale representation of a retro-style sprint car.
Under the all-new sprint body and wing we find an all-black DS-style chassis that blends into the background better than the traditional in-your-face gold (and way better than the pink Cliff Lett 10T chassis!) that also features new silver nose tubes for a sinister, Darth Vader vibe. Out back is a new Retro Stealth transmission and motor plate. Inside the transmission is a B6 gear differential that is stuffed with a locker, not only giving the car excellent forward bite off of the corner but also opening up the opportunity to run staggered tires in the rear (our own Slash Sprint Car conversion uses a locker and a staggered right rear tire, link https://1i-rc.com/slash-2wd-sprint-car-conversion-with-offset-suspension/ and here https://1i-rc.com/how-to-create-staggered-tires-using-custom-shaped-foams/). Protecting the transmission and adding yet another tuning option for slick track surfaces is a v2 slipper assembly that utilizes more modern spur gears, making tuning and spare parts easier to come by. Also new out back are Factory Team 12mm CVA’s and B7 hex rear wheels, as well as both 0 and 1.5 degree rear hub options. Associated also includes a full set of spring car specific tires to get you on track faster. Those FT CVA’s spin on bearings, as does everything else that rotates on the car.
Up front the Sprint Car utilizes the World’s Car bellcrank system, new Factory Team 12mm front axles and steering blocks, a new front wing mounting system, new fiberglass shock towers (a fiberglass tower is found in the rear as well), heavy duty bull studs and ball cups to suit the 3.5mm steel turnbuckles along with hard anodized shock bodies (again, similar to the rear) to round out the modern touches on this retro ride. A new Sprint Car body and wing set is included as are the Team Associated livery decals to recreate the scheme shown in the press photos.
Item #6057 Team Associated Retro Sprint Car Kit https://60years.associatedelectrics.com/rc10-sprint-edition-kit/?searchid=0&search_query=6057
Vintage Team Associated RC10 Counter 2026: 9
TRAXXAS
Do you like the TRX4 Sport but aren’t the biggest fan of its generic overland pickup shell? Traxxas has just the thing for you with their new Chevrolet K10 and Ford F-150 bodies version of the Sport (they don’t call them Sport’s but they share the same features as a sport, hence the comparison). Under these beautiful scale bodies with their molded detail pieces lies a single-speed version of the TRX4 transmission, spool filled portal axles, molded inner fenders, high-steer links for added approach angle, a waterproof metal-gear steering servo, Canyon Trail 1.9″ tires on classic chrome wheels, the familiar steel frame rails and even dual battery trays for tuning or all-day running when running batteries in parallel. Owning a High Trail Sport myself this chassis looks very familiar and should draw in many new users just by the looks alone. Each body is available in two colors; the K10 in red or black while the Ford is available in blue or black, each with clear windows as these bodies are painted, not printed. Thank you Traxxas!
Item #92154 Chevrolet K10 RTR https://traxxas.com/trx-4-chevrolet-k10-92154-4
Item #92144 Ford F-150 RTR https://traxxas.com/trx-4-ford-f-150-92144-4
JCONCEPTS
In recent months JConcepts has introduced several parts aimed at the WRCCA Mini Sportsman claass and this new body is designed with that class in mind. The Spartan is a dedicated sporty body that harkens back to the early days of crawling when getting more approach and departure angle meant just mounting a smaller scale body to your 1/10 AX10 or Clod based rig. It was not uncommon to see 1/18 bug bodies installed on 13″ wheelbase rigs back then! The Spartan features massive wheel openings, affording the maximum tire clearance as well as a mohawk-style roof that aids in rollover performance. While this body is sized to cover the chassis but allow the axles to move through their range of motion without interference, it does hug the chassis nicely to give a unique, cage-covered-with-panels appearance.
Item #0711 Spartan Body For WRCCA Sportsman Class Crawlers https://blog.jconcepts.net/2026/06/jconcepts-new-release-spartan-wrcca-mini-sporty-body/
1i-RC UPDATE
This week saw my follow-up to surgery come and go, and while I am healing up it is a slow process. The stitches have been removed but the wound is still fairly wide and my range of motion and strength are nowhere near what I had before this whole adventure started. I found last night that trying to lift my 15lb puppy with my bad hand was a no-go and thankfully I only dropped him about a foot off the floor. He’s fine and looked at me like “Geez, Dad, what was that all about?” Nothing like catching attitude from a 5-month-old… Typing is a bit easier but still a chore, hence why these updates are coming later than usual, but I am committed to not missing a week at any point.
RC-wise, I have been working on a project in the background based on what I would want my own 1:1 truck to be and this week the truck got a custom-wired RGB underbody LED light kit with remote. Once the project is finished I’ll post a full build article but this was a fun project that gave surprisingly good results consider what was used. Stay tuned!
I’ve also been working in the background restoring my first RC, an original Traxxas Rustler that, despite being RTR, still came with a clear body and was powered by the famous Stinger 20t brushed motor, a mechanical speed control with two giant resistors mounted out back, 5×8 bronze bushings all around and an anemic 2018 plastic gear servo (this thing had around 18-20 oz-in of “torque” and 2.2″ wheels and tires. It still amazes me how much the hobby has changed yet the Rustler (and its Bandit and Stampede stablemantes) are still being sold in much the same form as they were nearly 30 years ago when mine was new. Small, incremental upgrades have been made to this platform over that time including 2.4gHz radio systems, brushless power, HD suspension components, hex hardware, slipper clutches, metal gear transmissions with captured screw-pin retained outdrives (those who remember the old way of retaining the outdrives are rubbing their sore fingers right now), larger wheels and tires, more modern looking bodies and most recently clipless body retention, yet the original design and chassis are still there for all to see. There’s a reason why I use the 2wd Traxxas as a base for so many projects but it’s easy to see how the simplicity of its design lends itself to so many types of projects; your only limitation is your imagination and your ability to either buy or build a part.
That’s it for this weeks TWIRC! I want to thank you each and every one for coming back each week to get your RC news fix; your continued supports makes all this possible. Until next time, be good to yourself, be good to each other, be good to your RC.