Talk-It-Up Tuesday with AE Design Engineer Kody Numedahl

 

Lately all of the internet buzz seems to be centered around the new Team Associated B5 2wd buggy. The buggy has been highly anticipated for years now, but was just recently released. The hype of the new buggy has AE fans and non-AE fans selling off their old cars to buy and race the all-new B5. We decided to sit down this week with successful racer, and player in the B5 development, Kody Numedahl!
 

 
 

LiveRC: Welcome Kody to this edition of "Talk-It-Up Tuesday!" Let's start off by talking about how you got started in R/C racing. Who, what, when, where, how, and why did you start racing R/C?

Kody: I got a job at a hobby store when I was in high school. A couple of the employees went racing one night at the local track, MHOR R/C Raceway in Aurora Colorado, so I tagged along. My dad hooked me up with a stadium truck and the rest is history.

LiveRC: At what point did you realize that you wanted to make R/C a career?

Kody: That’s hard to say exactly. I knew from an early age that I wanted to get into engineering so once I started school for that, I’m sure it had already crossed my mind a few times.

LiveRC: When and how did you transition at Team Associated from a factory driver to full-time employee?

Kody: I started racing for Team Associated in 2006 and then began working for them shortly after graduating in 2012.

LiveRC: Tell us a little about your daily roles at AE.

Kody: Each day is a little different which is really nice. Any given day could consist of designing parts on Solidworks, checking sample parts that came in, working with other departments on future products, or even going to the track to do some testing.

LiveRC: As a racer you have had some great success over the years as well. What is your proudest racing moment?

Kody: I would have to say that the Ifmar Worlds in Chico last year was my proudest moment. It was my first worlds I was able to attend and I qualified into the A-main for 2wd buggy and narrowly missed the A-main in 4wd getting the ever frustrating 11th qualifying spot. My dad was also able to attend which made it extra special.
 
 
LiveRC: Your dad is among one of the most generous, helpful, and friendly pit guys at the track. We first met when he volunteered to pit for my dad "Homer" at the Nitro Challenge several years ago as a complete stranger just willing to help out. Does your dad still travel to the races with you, and wrench for you?

Kody: Yes he still travels with me to many races. He has been and will always be a big help to me. These days he will most likely be found gluing and balancing large piles of tires for me and most everyone else at the track. If you need help with something at the track just ask him. He will be offended if you don’t ask [laughs].

LiveRC: Let's talk about the B5. Obviously the buggy has taken the 1:10 offroad scene by storm. What was your major role in the development of the buggy?

Kody: I came to Team Associated about the time this project was getting going. Bob Stellflue was in charge of this project and I was tasked with helping him with odds and ends that he needed. I ended up do a lot of track testing (with the help of many others) using modified parts on the B4 platform in order to make sure the B5 was the next level of a 2wd buggy that everyone expects from Team Associated.

LiveRC: What are some of the advantages to the B5 over the championship winning B4?

Kody: There are three main areas of improvement that stand out to me. First the durability has been addressed. The B4 was released in 2003 and since then electronics have given the cars more power, tires have given the cars more grip, and track layouts have gotten more intense. All of these thing mean the cars need to be stronger to take the abuse and I think we have done just that. Second, the fitment of all the parts has been greatly improved. Last, the car has much more adjustment than its predecessor. This means that both the B5 and B5M can be used on a larger range of track types.
 


 
LiveRC: Majority of the cars on the market are one kit, but can be converted back and forth from rear to mid motor configurations. Why the release of two separate B5's?

Kody: Having two separate and dedicated platforms allowed us to not make any compromises during the design process. There are still a lot of shared parts between the two kits but the important stuff was made specifically for its own purpose.

LiveRC: Why an aluminum chassis on the B5M, but a plastic chassis on the B5?

Kody: The rear motor car was made to have composite chassis because there is plenty of room for ribbing to make a strong and rigid part. On the mid motor car, the area where the motor sits leaves little room for bracing in the rear. The aluminum lets you get away with this. In addition, the heavier aluminum chassis helps keep the center of gravity low for those high grip track where the mid motor car is preferred.

LiveRC: As a racer, what are your personal opinions on mid-motor vs. rear motor cars? Which do you personally prefer?

Kody: Man that’s a tough one. I think that there are a lot of tracks in that grey area where either one will work. At that point, it comes down to driving style and personal preference. For a lot of big races, the track is in extra good shape and grooved so you will see most of the factory guys running mid motor for these conditions.
 
 
LiveRC: What are your personal race plans for 2014, and where can we expect to see you next?

Kody: I usually do not know my schedule too far in advance. As of now, I know I will be attending the Cactus Classic next month and I will also be at the 1/10th Scale Electric Off-road Nationals over the summer.

LiveRC: Are you solely running 1:10 scale offroad now? No 1:8 scale or onroad?

Kody: Mostly yes but I also run on-road from time to time. It’s nice to change it up once in a while.
 
 
LiveRC: What is one thing most people don't know about Kody Numedahl?

Kody: JS7 for life!
 
LiveRC: Thank you for joining us today Kody! Is there anything you would like to add before we go?

Kody: Thanks for taking the time to do this with me!

 

 

blog comments powered by Disqus