Dave Underwood is one of the founding members of Sheffield RC Racing, and his influence on the club cannot be overstated. From organising national-level events to endurance races, Dave’s drive and dedication have helped shape the club into what it is today.
Away from the admin side, Dave is a true multi-discipline racer, with experience ranging from 1/12th foam through to touring cars. As the most experienced racer in the Vibe Challenge lineup, expectations were high heading into Round 6.
About the Vibe TC Challenge
Thanks to the continued support of Schumacher RC, the club is running a brand-new Schumacher Vibe Touring Car across five consecutive rounds at our Killamarsh track.
Each round sees a different SRC driver take control of the car, pushing it to its limits and feeding back on performance, handling, and durability in real-world club conditions.
Dave’s Meeting Report
For this round, Dave elected to run the Vibe in a full kit setup. As a team, we agreed to reset the car to kit specification for each driver, with only one usual change — 6K oil in the rear differential. However, Dave wanted to evaluate the true base setup and reverted the rear diff back to the original 1K oil supplied in the kit.
In the opening qualifier, Dave immediately showed strong pace, placing 11th overall. The car looked settled, predictable, and quick, with no obvious handling issues.
Unfortunately, Dave chose not to run the Vibe in the second qualifier, which automatically voided his eligibility for the challenge classification. He returned for Q3, improving his lap time, although this would have seen him drop to 12th overall. With the challenge result already void, Dave opted not to run the Vibe for the final round.
Driver Feedback
Once the dust had settled, we put the standard Vibe Challenge questions to Dave:
How was the meeting for you?
“The meeting was good. I really like the new track layout and had no problems with the car.”
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Vibe?
“Personally, I think it’s a good car and works well in various grip conditions.”
How does it compare to your current car?
“It doesn’t have the stiffness that my AMX has, so it feels a bit lazy in comparison. I felt it mainly lost lap time due to the budget electrics and the fact I was running new tyres.”
What would you do differently?
“The setup as kit is generally okay. Without upgrades, I’d maybe make a few slight adjustments, but overall it’s a good complete package.”
Dave’s run reinforced the Vibe’s reputation as a solid, well-balanced touring car straight out of the box, particularly for drivers looking for consistency across changing grip levels. While ultimate stiffness and premium electronics may unlock more pace, the core platform clearly delivers — even in full kit form. Look out for our next post which will reveal all the team setups along with the challenge winner.