The Tamiya Mitsubishi Montero Wheelie did surprisingly well for it’s first time on the track. It fits in the 2WD Box Stock class. I’ll start with tech inspection. The rules state that the truck can weigh a maximum of 6 lbs, and have a maximum hitch height of 2″. The Montero upon arrival was over 1 lb. shy of 6 pounds. I borrowed some weight and stuck it in the tray area above the rear axle and used tape to secure it. I believe the final weight was 5.98 lbs when we were said and done (this includes battery, etc).

Here’s the Montero on the scales. This wasn’t the final weight, just a shot while adding weight to get it up there.

The Montero’s rear tray is ideal for adding weight, as it puts it above the rear axle for maximum traction.

Now we secure it with super high-tech electrical tape.

I also had to raise my hitch a bit. For this class you want your hitch to be at the maximum allowed height, because when the axle rotates under load, the hitch actually drops a little. Being an adjustable hitch, I was able to easily raise it to 2″. They have a simple gauge to show you where the hitch should be, making it easy to measure.

A 4-way wrench and hex driver is all it takes to get the hitch height to spec.

Ready for Action!

Hooking onto the pulling sled.

FULL PULL!! First time on the track and it was able to get the sled all the way down the track. I wasn’t the only one shocked. You can see it in the video at the end of this post. Was able to do a full pull in the first round of qualifying. This got me in the Pull Offs. I still went out out during the 2nd round despite already being qualified, just to get some more track time. It made a full pull again. I was thrilled.

In the Pull Offs, they add more weight to the sled. You take your turn and hope for the best. The furthest pull wins it. If two trucks both make a full pull, then they add more weight and do it again until a winner is crowned. I was told this rarely happens though. I went 2nd to last and was able to pull into the lead. The last entry though was able to dethrown me with a very impressive full pull run. In the video you can see him pass my cone marker (previous furthest pull). So in the end, the Montero made a 2nd place run in the 2WD Box Stock class. Not bad for its first time out (and mine as well).