Team Durango DNX 408 Testing @ NEO 2010
After weeks of anticipation the Durango DNX408 broke cover for it’s first public outing at the NEO 2010 event. With the car 95% production ready, only the radio tray was still a prototype part with the production part being just too late to make the event. With some late nights and early mornings behind the Team Durango crew, Gerd, Hupo, Adam and Mirko made their way to the venue on Thursday ready for the gruelling 4 day event. After a brief get together and check over each other’s cars it was off to Telford for some fast food finery before the important business began.
The Event
The hype about the car was massive and within minutes of the cars being on the table in the pitting area, cameras were flashing and questions being asked about the hottest car in pit lane. With a clean sheet of set-up paper the team worked through some basic set-ups improving the car in each run to quickly narrow down a good starting point. With a base setup to start from each driver then turned to tuning the car to their driving style and the lap times dropped as the drivers got used to their cars. The car’s balance was good from the off and it’s poise in the air was there for all to see, it’s durabilty on the tough Neo track was also shown as practice day went by without any issues.
Qualifying went well for the team with Hupo making the 1/4 final, Adam making the 1/8th final, Gerd making the 1/32 final and Mirko making the 1/256 final.
The finals themselves didn’t go to plan. Mirko broke while leading his final after coming down hard on a trackmarking peg, Gerd was unsighted on the rostrum and broke before his final started, Adam whilst in third in his 1/4 final got hit from the side cutting his fuel line and Hupo’s engine ran out of tune in his 1/4 final causing him to retire early.
Despite the bad run of luck in the finals the team were still very happy with the car’s performance throughout the event. With more tuning options like springs, pistons and roll bars to come, the performance level of the car will only get better. The durabilty of the platform over the event was excellent and with the small improvements already logged down to be completed before the next stage of testing the team are confident of the car being the ‘one to watch’ over the next year.
Images from www.neobuggy.net
Source: Team Durango
