| New Released Products List |
2006/01/13 |
| New Pictures from Tokyo Auto Salon |
2006/01/13 |
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| New 2005 Yokomo Touring Car Championship Report |
2005/12/29 |
The last Yokomo event of 2005, the Yokomo Touring Car Championship welcomed 100 participants from all over Japan. We would like to sincerely thank all of the racers for their participation. We will be working hard towards an even better event next year
The Yokomo Staff
 During the lunch break, a drift exhibition was provided by Team Yokomo Drivers Hirosaka, Maruyama, Yokoyama and Matsukura. Things got exciting when D1 Grand Prix driver Ryuji Miki arrived just in time to join the mix.
The person able to most accurately guess Masami Hirosaka's lap time was presented with his SD-LCG. Masami's car was watched intensely, as spectators hoped to guess it's lap time. One person was able to guess the lap time, and unbelievably, it was correct to the thousandths!
 Hirosaka's single attempt at the time attack was over 5 laps. People crowded the drivers stand for a good view.
80 people participated in the one lap time attack with an MB4. Mr. Kobayashi set the fastest lap, shown here being presented with a brand new MB4 as his winning prize.
Every year, great prizes are provided at the Yokomo Touring Car Championship. RC and home electronic prizes valued at over ¥1,000,000 are handed out.
42 trophies are presented. Trophies go to the top 10 in each class, as well as the winner of each lower main.
The beginner class featured the most participants at the 2005 Yokomo Touring Car Championship. The top 10 in this class displayed very impressive driving.
Pictured: The top 10 of the Beginner Class, with winners from each of the lower mains.
Winner & TQ - Hiroyuki Negishi, Runner up - Tsukasa Ohbuchi, 3rd Place - Kohei Morita
The Senior Class enjoyed the highest level of participation in the history of the event. Rather than focusing on just results, these guys really seemed to be enjoying the themselves.
Pictured: The top 10 of the Senior Class, with winners from each of the lower mains.
Winner & TQ = Masaki Ken, Runner up - Hiroshi Miyamoto, 3rd Place - Ryuei Dobashi
Still in elementary school, newly crowned Japanese Sportsman National Champion, Daisuke Tamate started from 3rd on the grid, but quickly moved to the lead after the start. The ensuing battle between Tamate nad 2nd qualifier Matsumoto was intense, keeping the crowd in suspense until the finish.
Pictured: The top 10 of the Expert Class, with winners from each of the lower mains.
Winner - Daisuke Tamate, Runner up - Takeshi Matsumoto, 3rd Place - Kazumi Baba
 Expert Class TQ, Shosuke Chiba came all the away from the Iwata prefecture.
DVD of the 2005 Yokomo Touring Car Championship will be made available. Features footage from both A and B finals of each class.
Enjoy the additional footage of Masami Hirosaka and crew team drifting.(Approx. 57 minutes)
(Filmed & Edited by Masami Hirosaka)
DVD-05Y 2005 Yokomo Touring Car Championship $15.00
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| New February Advertisement!! |
2005/12/19 |
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Downloadable copy of the latest advertisement.(pdf 3.4MB)
Note: English version available. |
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| New 2005 Yokomo Touring Car Championship |
2005/12/12 |
To all Yokomo Touring Car Championship participants. Please note the following additions to the the technical regulations.
• Battery
Although stated to allow SUB-C type 6 cell (Yokomo only) batteries, the use of matched packs available from other companies using Yokomo shrink-wrapped batteries is not allowed. (For those who called and received an unclear answer, please accept our sincere apologies.)
However, in regards to the GP3700, since the first batch of cells came with the rainbow colored shrink wrap instead of a Yokomo shrink wrap, these cells can be used as long as they are not from another manufacturer.
• Motor
The final drive ratio must be higher than 6.6:1. Use the following to calculate:
Spur Gear ÷ Pinion Gear × Internal Drive Ratio (TC=2.2, BD=2.0, SD=2.35, TC4=2.5)
It is OK as long as the final drive ratio is equal to or above 6.6, such as 6.60 or 6.61.
When calculating the internal drive ratio for the SD, please calculate to the hundredths (2.35).
• Tire
The control tire for the race will be the Yokomo Beltec 5B. Two marked sets will be handed out to each competitor. Marked tires do not need to be used during practice (although it is ok to use them during practice.)
The last Yokomo event of the year, the 2005 Yokomo Touring Car Championship will be held at Yatabe Arena on the indoor track over 2 days, 12/17(Sat)-18(Sun).
Over 100 entries have been received from all over Japan. The Yokomo Staff is looking forward to providing a fun-filled 2 days for all the participants.
Scheduled are contests to guess Masami's lap times, as well as other games and attractions.
• The event is free to spectators, but please be advised that non-participants will not be able to run.
• The layout for the Yokomo Championship will be put in the day before the event (Friday), after business hours have ended.
• A total of 6 qualifiers will be held.
Time Schedule (As of 2005/12/12)
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| New Shocking New X4200IB Battery!! |
2005/12/9 |
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X4200IB battery information. (pdf 554KB)
Note: English version available. |
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| New Latest DVD Releases!! |
2005/12/7 |
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Downloadble listing of our entire line-up of DVDs, including the latest 2005 Offroad Winter Championship DVD, scheduled for release on 12/8(Thu).
(pdf 1.22MB)
Note: English version available. |
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| New Offroad Winter Championship Report |
2005/12/6 |
Incorporating new classes such as the 1/18th Mini Buggy class, the event turned out to be quite big, with a large turnout of 227 entries.
The MR-4BX(tentative name) will be released early next year. It is sure to be worth the wait.
The quadruple jump after the banking was tough for even the Monster Trucks.
The 'High Jump Class', a Yatabe specialty, featured 6 participants brave enough to subject their cars to the massive jump. Kenji Tsuruta and his RC-10B4 set the event record with a massive 14m 20cm (46') jump!
The connected-M washboard section featured 4 small diagonal jumps. Some took it as a double-double, others approached it as a triple-single.
Picture of the track taken from the banked section. The track featured a technical yet high speed layout.
Masami Hirosaka's 4wd buggy. The lone car to do 16 laps with consistent 18 sec laps.
Shinya Kimura's 4wd buggy. Kimura qualified 2nd, and battled with Hirosaka in the finals.
It's winter, and Offroad fans once again gathered at the winter festival known as the Winter Championships held at Yatabe Arena. Traction was fairly good, as most of the surface gaps were removed when the layout was changed. While the layout featured several flat sections, other parts of the track were quite technical, with sections such as a connected-M washboard, and a high-banked corner followed by a quad jump. Overall, the layout required both speed and technique. Controlled tyres were used for both 2WD and 4WD buggy classes to help maintain lower running costs, as well as providing equal conditions, in hopes that everyone would find the racing more enjoyable. Classes such as Stock Buggy, Vintage Class, High-Jump and 1/18th Mini Buggy, were also offered to entice entry-level participation. The event turned out to be quite popular, with a large turnout of 227 entries.
Hirosaka and Kimura of Team Yokomo bought in their MR-4BX(tentative name) 4WD prototypes to race test the cars against a fairly tough field of compeititors. Although small revisions have already been made from the testing data already accumulated, we will be working hard to improve upon it's race worthiness, and to meet the expectations of everyone patiently awaiting it's release.
Featuring many of the best Offroad drivers in Japan, the atmosphere in the 4WD class was liken to a Japanese Nationals. As expected, Hirosaka showed class-dominating speed with the new 4WD buggy. The 4WD drivetrain in the new car features equal length front and rear belts for greatly improved controllability, and the refined supension geometry generates high traction even with the use of control tyres. Hirosaka's speed was especially impressive in the 2nd round of qualifying, by being the only one to lap in the 18 sec range, and finishing with 16 laps to earn the TQ spot. Kimura qualified 2nd, also with a good time, for an all Yokomo front row for the final.
The final starts in dramatic style, as Hirosaka makes a mistake on the second lap going through the washboard section, allowing Kimura into the lead. Hirosaka catches up to Kimura, and a crowd-pleasing battle develops between the two. Leaving the field far behind, the pair head into the last minute, where Hirosaka makes a pass on Kimura heading onto the straight. Kimura soon makes a mistake, but recovers quickly to end the final in a Yokomo 1-2 finish.
The MR-4BX(tentative name) will be released early next year. It is sure to be worth the wait.
The 2WD final was won by Kimura and his Associated RC10B4, defeating pole-sitter Adachi in the final.
Coverage of the Offroad Winter Championship will soon be available on DVD from Yokomo.(Footage/Editing by Masami Hiroska)
DVD-050W Offroad Winter Championship 2005 $15.00 (excluding tax)
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| New Offroad Winter Championship |
2005/11/29 |
Team Yokomo's Masami Hirosaka and current Japanese National Champion Shinya Kimura will be attending the Offroad Winter Championship held this weekend at Yatabe Arena. Both will be driving Yokomo's new 4WD offroad buggy, with Yoshihiro Kawashima and Naoto Matsukura of Team Yokomo also participating.
The release of the new Yokomo 4WD offroad buggy is approaching soon, and our R&D staff have just wrapped up final testing to allow one last test to be done on the race track under race conditions. Main improvements include wider belts and stronger drivetrain components. Please come out to Yatabe this weekend to watch, as we hope to showcase it's aggressive yet stable handling performance.
Pictures of the track are as of 4pm on 11/29 (Tue). The track is scheduled to be ready by the 30th.
The following race details are also posted on the Yatabe Arena bulletin board.
Offroad Winter Championship
Hosted by: Yatabe Arena
Event date: 12/4 (Sun)
Number of classes: 7
[Vintage Class]
• Open to 1/10 offroad cars made prior to 1980
• Motor: 2WD(ProStock 27T), 4WD(ProStock 30T) Only marked motors allowed.
[Small Car Class]
• Any 1/16 or 1/18 offroad vehicle! (Brushless motors not allowed)
• Single lap dash (scored by points) format. Transponders not required.
[Truck Class]
• For offroad vehicles using 1/10 truck bodies and big tires.
[Stock Class]
• Mixed runnig of both 2WD and 4WD
• Motor: 2WD (ProStock 27T), 4WD (ProStock 30t)
• Open to people who have never participated in a Japanese National event.
[2WD Class]
• Tires: Pro-Line Hole Shot M3 and R3 controlled tires
• Any front tire may be used.
[4WD Class]
• Tires: Pro-Line Hole Shot M3 and R3 controlled tires (front & rear)
[Hi Jump Class]
• Objective: Fly higher and farther than anybody else.
Race Details
• Qualifying: 5 min heats with staggered starts for Truck, 2WD and 4WD classes. 4 min heats with heads-up starts for Stock and Vintage classes. (Not applicable to Small Car and Hi Jump classes.)
• Finals: 5 min races with heads-up starts (4 min races for Stock and Vintage classes. Not applicable to Small Car or Hi Jump classes.)
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| New DRIFT RACER Ready-To-Drift Chassis |
2005/11/24 |
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DRIFT RACER product information. (pdf 364KB)
Note: English version available. |
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| New Race Report - Yokomo Challenge Cup in Saitama!! |
2005/11/24 |
 
http://www.nihonbashimokei.co.jp/trc-sta.html |
Race Report - Yokomo Challenge Cup in Saitama!!
The Yokomo Challenge Cup in Saitama was held 11/23 at NRC Stadium located in Misato-city, Saitama-prefecture.Roughly 43 participants competed in the F1, Touring 540 and Touring 23T classes. Masami Hirosaka along with Team Yokomo members Takeshi Yokoyama (2000 JMRCA Sportsman TC National Champion), Shohei Maruyama (2003 JMRCA Sportsman TC National Champion), and Naoto Matsukura (2004 JMRCA Sportsman TC National Champion) were all in attendance to compete in the 23T Touring class. Qualifying consisted of 3 rounds, with the fastest lap taken within a 3 minute run. Finals were 8 minute races.
Although F1 races are not so common these days, the oil surface at NRC Stadium provides a high level of grip, and with 540 motors these cars ran very well. Qualifying was an exciting battle for tenths, with Okaniwa picking up TQ in the 2nd round with a 13.0 second lap. In the finals, Kobayashi led the opening laps but due to a crash relinquished the lead to Top Qualifier Okaniwa, who went on to win the race.
Despite the slower speeds, fun exciting racing was expected in the 540 class, but in qualifying Hoshino outqualified 2nd by over 0.2secs to take the TQ spot. In the finals Hoshino showed the same speed he had in qualifying. Avoiding crashes in the opening laps allowed him to cruise to victory. But behind him a battle for second raged on between Tsuneda and Hashimoto, as they frequently swapped positions. In the end, Tsuneda took the runner-up spot.
In the highly anticipated 23T class, Masami Hirosaka took the TQ spot, shattering the course record with consecutive 11.70sec laps. The last round of qualifying saw Masami average in the 11sec range, something no one else could match. 2nd qualifier was Yokoyama, followed by Matsukura in 3rd and Maruyama in 4th. It was a dominating qualifying performance by Team Yokomo.
The last race of the event, the A final saw Masami take the lead from the start, with a fierce battle for 2nd developing between Yokoyama and Matsukura. Swapping positions throughout the race, during the final minute Matsukura found an opening at the end of the straight, taking over 2nd spot. As Masami crossed the finish line, the rest of the top cars finished closely, just a few seconds behind the winner.
At the end of the race, an awards ceremony was held, with prizes provided by Yokomo and Nihonbashi Mokei raffled off to the participants.
At this race the MR-4TC BD was used by Team Yokomo. Based on a base setup used at Yatabe Arena, a few changes were made. Both front and rear sway bars were removed, and Pit Shimizu D20R tires with Xenon Yellow inserts were used. During lunch, time was allocated to allow questions from customers, and to provide setup help. It was very gratifying to see how even the slightest adjustments would transform their cars, allowing them to really enjoy driving it. We highly encourage all of you to come out to these events and take part in these clinics to help improve your r/c experience.
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| New January Advertisement!! |
2005/11/22 |
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Downloadable copy of the latest advertisement.(pdf 1.41MB)
Note: Text is in Japanese at this time. |
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| New Sportsman Touring Car Japanese Nationals A-Main Movie |
2005/11/21 |
Footage of all 3 rounds of the A-final on DVD!
On sale 11/25(Fri)!! DVD-05TS($15.00 excl. tax) |
11 year old Daisuke Tamate TQs and wins with his SD LCG(shaft drive)!!
Yuuhiro Yamauchi of Hokkaido was runner-up with his BD(belt drive). The race for 1st was extremely close, as Yamauchi finished 1st in the second A-final, and 2nd in the third A-final to tie in points with Tamate, but lost out in the tie-breaker by only 1 point. Congratulations to both.
Yokomo and Associated cars captured 5 spots in the A-final, with the breakdown being three SD LCGs, one BD, and one Associated RC10. We would like to sincerely thank all of you that went out and purchased an SD LCG(shaft drive), BD(belt drive) or Associated RC10, just for the Japanese Nationals. Yokomo is committed to developing high performance, high quality products that you, the racers, will enjoy.
Movie of the Sportsman Touring Car Japanese Nationals is now available.
click⇒(wmv 56.7MB) Due to the large file size, considerable download time may be required (depending on connection speed). Right-button click on the link to download before viewing. |
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| New Yokomo Challenge Cup in Saitama |
2005/11/21 |
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http://www.nihonbashimokei.co.jp/trc-sta.html |
The Yokomo Challenge Cup in Saitama will be held at NRC Stadium, located about 5 minutes(by car) from the Misato junction on the Joban expressway,
Masami Hirosaka and his Team Yokomo teammates(Yokoyama, Maruyama and Matsukura) will be competing. A large turnout is expected. High value prizes will be raffled off at the end of the race.
We are scheduled to arrive at the event a day early on the 22nd, to provide setup advice.
Event date: 11/23 (Wed)
Event location: NRC Stadium 30-2 Sasazuka, Misato-City, Saitama-Prefecture TEL: 049-953-8757
Event classes: EP Touring 23T, EP Touring 540 and EP F1
Qualifying format: Best lap during 3 minutes
Finals format: 8 minute A-final, 5-minute B-final
Chassis regulations:
[23T CLASS] Maximum entries: 40
Chassis: Open
Body: 4 door sedan(must follow JMRCA regulations)
Motor: JMRCA-approved stock motor
Battery: 7.2V
Tires: Rubber tires only
[540 CLASS] Maximum entries: 35
Chassis: Open
Body: 4 door sedan(must follow JMRCA regulations)
Motor: Johnson or Mabuchi 540
Battery: 7.2V Stick Pack(matched and/or zapped cells not allowed)
Tires: Rubber tires only
[F1 CLASS] Maximum entries: 30
Chassis: F1 type (F103, F201, neo-formula)
Body: F1 type
Motor: Johnson or Mabuchi 540
Battery: 7.2V Stick Pack(matched and/or zapped cells not allowed)
Tires: Open |
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| New Product Information |
2005/11/17 |
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Information regarding the all-new YZ-110 PRO Programmable Charger, Discharger & Analyzer. (pdf88KB)
Note: Text is in Japanese at this time. The product is not available in USA.
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| New Setup and Track Advice for the Sportsman Japanese Nationals |
2005/11/16 |
Team Yokomo's Setup and Track Advice for Yatabe Arena
This week we are here at Yatabe Arena to gather data for the JMRCA Touring Car Sportsman Class Japanese Nationals. The race is coming up in a just few days, so we want to let those of you participating know that we will do what we can to help provide support. Setting sheets have been made available for both the shaft drive MR-4TC LCG, and belt drive MR-4TC BD. The driving characteristics of both these setups are fairly aggressive. If you happen to have any questions regarding setup, please feel free to directly ask any Team Yokomo member. They can assist you in getting your setup dialed in. Several members will be at Yatabe Arena during the race, so feel free to approach them with questions.
Many competitors have already showed up at Yatabe Arena, and track conditions are improving. Masami Hirosaka's recommended tire choice is the Sorex 32R, using either the Yokomo 039 Medium or Atsushi Hara Racing Purple insert. When using the 039M insert, the Yokomo Precision Wheel works well, but the just released Hard-Type Precision Wheel seems to be a better match with the AH insert. This new wheel features reinforced ribs behind the dish face for better strength, and is designed to resist flex at high speeds. The outer ribs (where the insert rests on) have a lower profile to provide a better match with thicker inserts, for a more controlled and improved driving characteristic. Give these wheels a try. Now available through your local hobby shop.
Tire temperature prior to running should be about 30°C. Lower temperatures will result in reduced grip. The popular traction additive is Paragon FXII, with Tire Tweak being used as prep when track grip is low and more traction is needed.
Many body choices are available, and each person seems to have their favorite. The recently popular Protoform Dodge 3.0 All-Purpose provides a good amount of body roll, with lots of steering. But if the bite becomes high, it may have a tendency to traction roll(grip roll). In this case the slightly milder Ride Dodge Type-3 is a good choice. A Yatabe Arena favorite, the Rayspeed Accord is an even milder handling body. Bodies usually do not have a great impact on lap times with stock motors, so it is probably wise to choose one based on how well it suits your setup. The recommended wing is the Yokomo Gokuraku 3.1 straight-type wing. Good results were achieved with the wing when mounted as far rearward as possible.
Choosing the right source for power is always important, and with the increased capacity now available, using a powerful motor such as the Yokomo T-MAX Series Laydown Torque-Type FLT is recommended. Start with a final drive ratio of about 1:5.2. As for batteries, both the Yokomo X3800IB and Z3700GB are highly recommended. Choose the X3800IB for runtime, and Z3700GB for power. Both have their advantages/disadvantages, so make sure your motor and ESC are properly setup to work well with whichever battery you choose. Recommended charge amperage is 5A to 5.5A, with a temperature cut-off no higher than 50°C for optimum performance.
The current track layout is basically the Sportsman Nationals layout run in reverse. Essentially the same layout that is usually run, Masami Hirosaka feels that this layout is probably one of the more difficult ones to date. The left-hand side infield is quite challenging, especially when trying to clip all the apexes correctly. Not only is the cornering line fairly complex, driving it tight for 8 minutes is not an easy task. One way to help get around this layout fast will be to find the most rounded line, and drive it as smoothly as possible through the corners. Of course, a properly setup car to handle the round corners is also very important.
The Sportman Class Japanese Nationals is where racers from all over Japan come to show off their skills. We hope that the time and practice you have put in will allow you to achieve the results you are aiming for. Good luck!
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