The two most popular brands that are supported locally are Team Associated (AE) and Team losi racing (TLR).

The best race ready RTR kit on the market for Electrosport is the RB10 from Team Associated. You only need to add a battery, charger and probably want to get tires for our track. RB10 RTR 2WD Buggy Brushless Blue

TLR has a pre-assembled race kit available 22 5.0 DC Race Roller 1/10 2WD Buggy Dirt/Clay

If you fancy building a kit then the locally supported race kits would be AE B7D or the TLR 22 5.0 DC Elite.

Throwing down new tires will feel horrible on the track. Use one of the many break-in methods (or just run them down on a practice day) to ~50% tread height - and sometimes less. Slicks can be quick if you stay on the racing line. Sauce with Liquid Wrench Penetrating Oil 10-15 minutes before each run.

Proline tread option:
Fronts MC electron
Rears MC positron

Proline "almost" slick option:
Fronts MC shadow
Rears MC shadow
Fronts S3 shadow
Rears S3 shadow

JConcepts tread option:
Fronts Silver ellipse
Rears Silver ellipse

JConcepts tread option (last longer):
Fronts Gold ellipse
Rears Gold ellipse

If you are looking to go straight to a slick tire then check out Proline Bald Eagle (MC/S3) or Jconcepts Smoothie 2 (silver).

Proline tread option:
Fronts MC electron
Rears MC positron

Proline "almost" slick option:
Fronts MC shadow
Rears MC shadow
Fronts S3 shadow
Rears S3 shadow

JConcepts tread option:
Fronts Silver ellipse
Rears Silver ellipse

JConcepts tread option (last longer):
Fronts Gold ellipse
Rears Gold ellipse

Proline MC vs S3? I am glad you asked... it is a subtle difference, but I would answer this by saying when you are still looking for traction, you can not stay on the racing line for the majority of a lap and/or the track is wet, run MC. The MC compound will provide more overall consistent grip and cleans off the dust better while running. The S3 is a smoother tire with more rolling speed and should be ran when traction is good++, dust is low (or you CAN stay on the racing line for the majority of your lap) and/or when you find the MC compound to be too edgy/grippy/grabby to drive. I have been running MC compound for Q1 and Q2 and then switching to S3 for Q3 and the mains as our traction comes up throughout a racing event. I haven't noticed a difference in life span for these compounds.

The electronic speed controller is the brain for the car. Be sure to read the manual to get a basic understanding of the programming options. Easily the most popular brand of ESC at the track is Hobbywing, they make three different ESC's which are limited only by the motor you plan to use with them. The big dog of them all is the XR10 Pro which you'll find in some 2wds and nearly every 4wd! Pair the ESC amp / motor limit based on the motor you plan to run.

You'll also want the programmer for your ESC which makes it quick to make trackside changes for changing conditions. Hobbywing offers a bluetooth wireless version and a LCD programming box:
OTA Programmer Bluetooth
Multifunction LCD Program Box

HW Justock G3
60 amp, motor limit >=10.5T, no boost/turbo, very little programming

XeRun XR10 PRO Stock Spec v4
80 amp, motor limit >=13.5T, boost/turbo with lots of programming options

XeRun XR10 Pro G2S
160 amp, motor limit >=5.5t, boost/turbo with lots of programming options

Honourable mention to the previous generation of xr10 pro if you can find it used.

The ESC programming options to soften the bottom end on a 2wd buggy can be the difference between struggling out of corners and it being a pleasure to drive
XR10 pro 2wd Ordog setup

Most drivers run a faster motor in their 4wd than 2wd so I would tend to stick with the higher amp ESC choices. With a 13.5t motor I would use the pro stock, but for any faster motor I would jump right to the xr10 pro. While I tend to shy away from buying a "used up" motor, a used ESC (even previous generation) is worth considering.

XeRun XR10 PRO Stock Spec v4
80 amp, motor limit >=13.5T, boost/turbo with lots of programming options

XeRun XR10 Pro G2S
160 amp, motor limit >=5.5t, boost/turbo with lots of programming options

Honourable mention to the previous generation still being sold as a slightly cheaper option but still has all of the programming options :
XeRun XR10 Pro G1
160 amp, motor limit >=5.5t, boost/turbo with lots of programming options

It's not about putting the most power into your ride, it's about putting in the most power YOU can handle. Fast laps are make or break in the corners (not on the straight!) and for most drivers a faster motor translates to wider corners resulting in slower lap times. Racers all have their preferred brand, so what's the difference in two motors of similar wind? Materials, magnets, construction and rotor size. Some are simply a higher quality than others and not only provide the power but smooth linear throttle and don't over heat.

For both 2wd and 4wd any A-main racer using a spec motor will still beat a C-main racer with a mod motor... all to say its the driver, not the motor that wins races at the club level.

New racers would do well with a 17.5t or 13.5t motor. A 13.5t while a tad faster will make it easier to clear the jumps. You can always add some boost once you get more comfortable driving.

A special note here for 2wd buggy, a lot of racers turn to a smaller rotor for 2wd to lessen the torque on the bottom end.

A common motor for seasoned drivers is an 8.5t which is plenty fast in a 2wd buggy, but know there is nothing wrong with running a 9.5t or 10.5t either.

Honourable mention to Maclan racing just because that is what I run and their default rotor is a softer/smoother 12.2mm

New racers would do well with a 13.5t motor in 4wd as well. Again, some boost can make a hot 13.5t feel like an 8.5t on the track. If you are a newer racer and only have access to a faster 8.5t or 6.5t motor a quick trick is using the transmitter to limit the forward EPA to make it slower and let you 'grow' into the speed.

A common motor for seasoned drivers is a 6.5t which is plenty fast and too much to handle for some. The a-main is usually filled with anywhere from an 10.5t - 5.5t, but have I mentioned its not the motor?!?

This isn't drag racing, we have corners! While the plastic kit servo horns have come a long way, a common first upgrade is swaping out to an aluminum servo horn.

While there are lots of options on the market the local favourite for 2wd buggy is the Savox 1258tg. The 2 specs of note are the speed and torque. This savox has a speed of 0.08 Sec/60* @ 6.0V and a torque rating of 166 oz-in (12 kg-cm) @ 6.0V. You can use your transmitter to slow down a servo but you can't speed up a slow one.

A lot of drivers use the same savox 1258TG in their 4wd buggy as well. It definitely works if you stay on the line, but if you tend to rub the pipes a little too often, something with slightly more torque and steel gears might be better for you. Sticking with the savox brand the 1267SG provides 180 oz-in of torque @ 6.0V and 0.11 Sec/60* @ 6.0V for speed. It is also a high voltage servo which allows you to run it at 7.4v which jumps the torque up to 291 oz-in and speed to 0.09 sec/60*.

I have my transmitter steering dual rate set to 95% (end points are set for mechanical maximum throw) and my servo speed set to 90% for turn and return on my 4wd buggy to help calm down the steering.

I have the power! Don't get caught up with C rating, at the club level it just doesn't matter. While we run 2s lipos and most now are LiHv (high voltage, 4.35v) you can still only charge them to 4.2v per cell (8.4v total) for racing.

I like my 2wd heavier than min weight so a larger pack is the easiest way to add some weight near the middle of the car. A common 2wd battery is the 5100mah redline pack from Gens Ace (~210g). Plenty of power and easily capable of running back to back with a bump-up even with a power sucking mod motor.

Honourable mention to the Reedy Zappers of similar mah/weight.

4wd cars are already heavy enough with the extra drivetrain parts and with our 5 minute mains we like a lighter battery. The protek 4800mah is only 170g and balances the motor perfectly on the other side. It even has enough juice to run back to back with a bump-up with minimal voltage drop, ask me how I know!

Futaba and Sanwa are the 2 most popular brands for racing. Something to keep in mind is that your radio will last for years and years if you treat it right.

I am a Futaba guy so here are the top 3 offerings from Futaba based on price, features and physical size. Don't get caught up with speed and latency, at the club level it just doesn't win races. I like the "-E" recievers for electric buggies as the antenna is internal so it helps keep your wiring neat.

and from Sanwa

To race you will need a transponder. It's what sends the signal to the race computer to track your lap times. Mount it in your car, preferably horizontally and not directly on metal or carbon fibre for the best signal. You'll need one per car, swapping between heats is doable but not worth the embarassment when you inevitably forget.

Not a lot of options here, the good thing is that these little guys hold their value over time. The only thing to note here is that the Hybrid (2-wire) is backwards compatible with older timing systems while the standard (3-wire) only works with RC4 decoders.

If you are buying used refer to this chart to ensure its compatible at Electrosport.

We run one battery per car. There is more than enough time between heats to charge it back up to full capacity.

All of the previous good chargers required external power supplies. More recently we have changed to smaller chargers that get the job done and generally now are AC/DC but we don't bother with the DC. Dual port chargers are great especially if you have 2 cars or have a friend tagging along.

We charge our 2s racing batteries on a Wednesday night at 8amps between heats and the charger stops with plenty of time left over before the next round. If your battery is say a 5100mah pack then a 1C charge rate would be 5.1amps (see what I did there?!?). Most manufactures say you can safely charge at a 2C rate (1C charge rate recommended for longest life) and you can see with our 4600mah (4wd buggy) and 5100mah (2wd buggy) I charge at 1.7C and 1.5C rates respectively on a race night.

What did you just call me? Buy them once and forget about it. After your first stripped screw you'll only buy the good set.

Hex drivers: 1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm

For that inevitable electric screwdriver in your future... really only need 2.0mm speed tip for 1/10 buggies.

Nut drivers : 5.5mm, 7mm

Shock pliers

Calipers

Tire Break-in

Tire gluing bands

Soldering station

Non-RC specific items you'll see in the pits

• Plano stowaway boxes
• Simple green (cleaning tires and plastics)
• Yoga mat from the $ store make great pit mats
• Liquid wrench penetrating oil (tire sauce)
• WD-40 Specialist Dirt & Dust Resistant Dry Lube PTFE Spray (keeps your plastics clean and dust easily wipes off)
• Leather punch (punching holes in tire inserts for quick break-in)

How do I get this stuff to the track? You either roll it or carry it on your back.

I prefer the backpack myself, but you'll see both roller bags and backpacks in the pits at Electrosport on Wednesday nights.

Others swear by Ogio bags but I'll let you search those up on your own.