Biography: James Caruso, 32
Location: Jackson, New Jersey
Interests: Family, Crawling, Wrenching on and racing cars (when money allows)
Occupation: Draftsman / Designer
How did you get into RC Rock crawling?
I’ve always been into RC cars/truck. I had all the usual Tamiya suspects as a kid. In Mid-07 I decided to dust off my old clod buster and see if I could make it work better. Well after a day or two of searching for clod stuff on the interweb I found RCCrawler.com and GSRCRC.com and was immediately drawn to crawling. I really liked the fact that guys were making a lot of their own parts and that there was a lot of individuality involved in it. I designed and cut out a chassis and a 4 link set-up for the old clod and went to my first GSRCRC comp in Nov. 07. I just ran Super Class and didn’t know any of the rules but still placed 3rd. Haven’t looked back since.
Favorite spot to crawl:
I’d love to say Manasquan Reservoir in Howell, NJ…but after seeing places like Donner and MOAB…it’s hard to be loyal to my local spot.
RC Crawler specifications 2.2:
Custom carbon fiber chassis & delrin links, Berg axles, VP SLW’s in the Rear, Mayhem 7’s in the front, Hot Bodies Rover tires, Super 300 CVD’s, Fubar & Custom rear lockouts, OTA steering set-up, Integy MSR11 88mm & 98mm crawler shocks, Dual Tekin FXR’s & Spektrum DX6 RX/TX, Trinity Epic 45t motors, JR Z9100T servo & Rhino (Zippy) 1050 30c 3s lipos.
RC Crawler Specifications SUPER: (not dead!)
Custom carbon fiber chassis & Delrin/Aluminum links, Clod axles with Hot Racing aluminum tubes, knuckles & Hi Torque gears, TTR cvd’s, 17mm hubs and RC4WD 6 tooth pinions. Panther Plowboy or Meatgrinder tires on XTM roulette wheels, Custom 11oz steel knuckle weights, Custom BTA steering, RCguy rear steering & 4link mounts, JR 8711 servo’s f&r, Dual Mamba Max esc’s & Spektrum DX6 RX/TX, Dual CC BEC’s, Hauntfreaks 2800mah 30c 3s lipo’s, Team Brood 35 turn titanium handwound motors, Associated 1.32” stroke shocks internal/external sprung and a Proline Crowd Pleazer body.
What products from TCS Crawlers do you use the most and would recommend/why?
Hot Bodies Rovers are my most frequent purchase from TCS…they work the best for me and you can’t beat the price! Still being an die hard Super class driver I am constantly on the hunt for replacement Clod parts…TCS has come through for me on many occasions in that department. Oh, and the fact that anything I order shows up within 2 days is pretty cool too!!
Line strategies and tips:
As is the same with any type of racing…seat time is invaluable! The more you get out and drive your rig the better your going to become. Even if it’s just an hour a day, you’ll become more aware of how your rig will react in different situations and what your rigs limits are. Don’t make too many modifications to your rig all at once, change one thing at a time and see how those mods change your rig before making more changes. Gaining trust in your rig and your driving ability will help you see and execute the right lines during your comps. My biggest issue has always been that I drive slow and technical, so, in an effort to try to manage my time better I constantly ask the judge how much time I have left in my run…to the point of being annoying LOL.
Here are some things you might have wanted to know about TURBOFEST but never really cared to ask:
What does your Screen name mean?
My first car in high school was a Ford Festiva. Well, like 5 years ago I dropped a Mazda 1.6 liter DOHC Turbo motor in it. Hence: TURBOFEST. I then proceeded to terrorize the local streets and drag strip with it. For a car as un-cool and cheap as it was, it was the most fun car I have ever owned.
What person do you trust the most?
My Wife
If you could go back and change one day what would it be?
I wouldn’t change a thing.
What’s the one thing that you want the readers to know about you?
I’ll never let competition get in the way of having a good time with good people…it’s all about fun.
What do you see yourself as being in 5 years from now?
Hopefully, a good Dad. Oh, and World champ would be OK with me.
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