Crandon, WI (September 21st, 2009) — Over 40,000 race fans packed the grandstands and hillsides of Crandon International Raceway in anticipation of the close racing, screaming engines, and highimpact excitement of the TORC series, but they were also treated to the first appearance of a technological breakthrough from Traxxas, The Fastest Name In Radio Control.® Well known for highperformance, innovative R/C cars and trucks, Traxxas debuted the ultimate in R/C: a full-size, fully-operational Pro Light racing truck driven entirely by radio control!

A month before the race, Traxxas engineers flew to Wisconsin to complete their unique mission. Unlike R/C stunts with full-size cars occasionally seen on television, this was to be a durable, fully-engineered vehicle that could perform repeatedly and reliably. In addition, the truck had to remain operable by an on-board driver, so it could be easily transported and maneuvered in situations inappropriate for radio control running. And, above all, it had to match the high performance of a Pro Light racing truck. To that end, the core of the project was a race-proven truck previously campaigned by rising Pro Light star Casey Currie. Packing long-travel suspension, a tube frame, and over 350 horsepower just as it did in competition, all the capability of the Pro Light machine was retained for the R/C “model.”

Given the short schedule for the project, the engineering team had to adapt off-the-shelf components as much as possible. Industrial servos that were strong enough to steer the truck proved too slow to provide the responsiveness required for the racetrack, so the team cleverly devised a gear system to increase the servos’ speed. The steering proportion had to be carefully adjusted as well, to preserve the right “feel” when operating a full-size steering wheel with lock-to-lock travel much greater than that of the R/C steering wheel. For braking, a special actuator was developed that allowed brake pressure to be modulated instead of just brake travel, so the feel the driver expects could be duplicated via radio control. And of course, redundant, independent fail-safe and disabling systems for safety were a must. The design team maintained a nearly around-the-clock schedule to develop and test all the components and systems, and used every minute available. The final step was securing a ten-foot tall antenna to the truck, to make sure the crowd could identify it as a radio- Traxxas Debuts World’s First Full-Size, Radio-Controlled Pro Light Racing Truck Traxxas engineer Brent Byers stands beside the Traxxas full-size R/C truck and answers questions for the camera.

(Above) The driver’s seat is surrounded by electronics. Note the red and green safety lights, and the air tank behind the seat for the truck’s various pneumatic actuators. The engineering team adapted a mix of hobby and industrial components to build the world’s first R/C Pro Light race truck controlled machine.

Finally, on the Friday evening before its Saturday debut, the first-ever Traxxas R/C Pro Light racing truck hit the dirt for its shakedown run. In the capable hands of Pro 4X4 points leader Rick Huseman, the truck thundered onto the track under radio control. Rick first drove the truck from the driver’s seat, using an R/C transmitter to operate the controls so he could gain a feel for the truck’s responsiveness. Then Rick drove the truck from trackside, comfortable on the sidelines as the truck took the bumps and jolts Rick would normally be subjected to. Rick drove tentatively at first, but within minutes began to thrash on the truck, doing donuts and ripping up and down the track. Big or small, nothing’s more fun than Traxxas R/C!

On Saturday evening, the Traxxas R/C Pro Light made its TORC debut in a solo demonstration, driven once again by Rick Huseman. Rick drove with authority, just as he does when he’s in the car himself, and the crowd applauded as the driverless Pro Light navigated the track, the steering wheel turning by itself, as though an invisible driver were in command. In addition to driving by “line of sight,” Rick also demonstrated “virtual driving” as he commanded the R/C Pro Light from a skybox suite. Within the darkened room, Rick watched a video image transmitted from the driver’s seat of the R/C truck, and successfully operated the truck as though he was sitting behind the wheel himself. This feat of electronic engineering was a real challenge for the design team, as the normal delay inherent in digital video transmission had to be eliminated in order for the driver to react appropriately to the truck’s movements. In addition to the audience at Crandon, millions at home saw the Traxxas breakthrough live on ABC. It was an R/C first that will be remembered for years to come, and the type of innovation that could only come from Traxxas, The Fastest Name In Radio Control.® Perhaps we’ll all get to drive a 350hp R/C truck one day!