Pro Tips with Team Associated’s Steven Hartson

Age: 24
Home Track: OCRC Raceway, Huntington Beach, California.
Sponsors: Team Associated, LRP, Futaba, JConcepts, Kicker, Mikita, OCRC Raceway, Complex Ink, Sidewinder Fuel

Tip #1:

To get better, you need to practice a lot. Run lots of battery packs and put in the time. There’s no substitute.

 

Tip #2:

Always run your tires in the same spot. As they wear out, they will develop a natural wear to them and break in specific to the direction they run in. Don’t rotate them. Clean them after a run and put them back in their appropriate location. Mark the tires to make identifying them easier.

 

Tip #3:

Make sure you have the right tires for the track. To speed up this process, reach out to some of the fast local drivers.

 

Tip #4:

It’s a common mistake to use too much motor. When starting out, go with something like a stock motor until you learn to drive with consistency and throttle control.

 

Tip #5:

To get you in the ballpark at a particular track, look at set-ups on the internet and download the set-up sheets so you can put it on your car. This will get you up to speed quicker.

 

Tip #6:

To get a good bond when gluing tires, I start with motor spray and then use Simple Green to ensure the area I’m gluing is nice and clean.