BRADEN CHIARAMONTE’S CSD/HRP/CMI RS1
Inside the Great American Short-Course Production 1000 winner
BRADEN CHIARAMONTE’S CSD/HRP/CMI RS1
At the opening rounds of the Great American Short-Course (GAS) series, Braden Chiaramonte qualified second behind Dallas Nord but was taken out of Saturday’s Production 1000 main. He rebounded with a vengeance on Sunday, taking the top qualifier time and winning the main by less than a second over Nord. Braden Chiaramonte’s CSD/HRP/CMI RS1 is impressive, and we caught up with him and his team at the second weekend of GAS racing at Glen Helen Raceway. Here is the scoop on his CSD Racing RZR RS1.
CSD RACING, HRP AND CHIARAMONTE BUILD
Chris Salazar of CSD Racing did the build Braden Chiaramonte’s CSD/HRP/CMI RS1, but a lot of the parts were made in-house. CSD fabricated the race cage, roof, doors and frame tubes, nerf bars, and front bumper. The Chiaramontes built the rear bumper to utilize a Holz Racing Products rear torsion bar ($550), which is made of 4340 chromoly and has two link-mount choices: slightly stiffer than stock and much stiffer. HRP also provided the heavy-duty A-arm kit ($1750) and trailing arm kit ($1750). The A-arms are made from 0.095-inch 4130 heat-treated chromoly with FK-type ball joints, CNC-machined ball-joint pins and nuts, and Teflon bushings. HRP’s trailing arms shave 8 pounds of weight and are boxed, TIG-welded 4130 chromoly plates with internal gussets. They use the OEM front spherical bearings, shocks, sway-bar mounts and bearing carriers.
Chiaramonte also fabricated the hex-aluminum radius rods with adjustable Heims for rear toe and camber, and they anchor with HRP’s radius-rod plate ($135). On the other end, the radius rods attach to CMI rear carriers, hubs and big-brake kits. CMI front knuckles, hubs and big-rotor brakes also arm the front, and SuperATV’s Rhino 2.0 axles ($239.95 each) drive all four corners.
Walker Evans Racing Velocity 2.5s replace the OEM RS1 WER needle shocks, and they’re $1,799.98 a pair. Velocity shocks have piggybacks lower on the body for more bottoming resistance while providing a smoother ride initially via WER’s needle-valve technology. They also feature heavy-duty construction with 7/8-inch steel shafts, Viton O-rings, steel FK bearings and hard-anodized billet-aluminum bodies. Braden uses Eibach dual-rate shock springs and covers.
ARMING THE RACE-WINNING BUILD
Electrics are powered by an Antigravity 8-cell battery ($179.99) caged by a CSD RS1 battery mount ($90) that rides on top of the RS1 front diff. CSD also carries the Antigravity ATX20HD battery and RS1 mount for $465. CSD also developed a four-piece RS1 rear-fender mount kit with aluminum plates, Dzus fasteners and Grade 8 hardware for $65.
HRP’s RS1 billet motor-mount kit ($239.95) decreases deflection during hard driving and impacts with 6160-billet aluminum housings and urethane isolators. HRP’s heavy-duty motor-mount tube ($189.95) further strengthens the build with 2-inch 4130 chromoly tube and tabs. HRP H-D tie-rods ($275) strengthen the steering with large-diameter 7075-aircraft aluminum rods that are heat-treated, Teflon-lined, and have FK outer ends and tapered steel ball-joints ends.
Braden runs Alba beadlock 15×7 rims ($224.99 each) shod with Hoosier UTV/SxS M500 tires, and he grooved the fronts at Glen Helen for more side bite and steering.
POWER AND BRADEN’S OFFICE
Chuck Cheek of CMI fabricated the racing exhaust and intake with a K&N gauze filter. Braden also races Mod Karts and uses Kart Tek’s CBR oil filter and cooler on his RS1. The OEM RS1 CVT roof duct is removed, and the boot on the CVT cover is topped by a K&N over-filter. A large aluminum cover was fabricated to protect the transmission from roost and exhaust heat, and HRP trailing-arm guards ($125) protect the expensive CMI hubs, carriers and brakes from roost and rocks. CSD sells Trinity Racing Powervision re-flash tuners for RS1s for $499.99. Other than intake, exhaust and ECU tunes, rules disallow engine mods.
Rules also mandate a battery cut-off on the dash, and CSD sells the Switch-Pros SP-9100 Switch Panel Power System ($549), which is a versatile and easy-to-use control for eight accessories with 100 selectable switch legends. Braden’s RS1 is set up with ignition, start, oil, lights, accessory radio, and driver pumper. The SP-9100 has four 35-Amp and four 20-Amp circuits. He uses Rugged Radios’ handheld V3 dual-band radio ($162) and PCI’s TK-7360HK radio ($469.99) for communications with his spotter and race officials, and he also keeps cooler with PCI’s Boost Race-Air ($399.99). Race data is logged by Aim’s Strada MXP with programmable TFT displays and multiple page choices, plus flexible alarms.
Braden’s office is furnished with an MPI 13-inch steering wheel ($199) with quick-connect hub ($149) and two push-to-talk buttons. He sits in a Sparco Pro 2000 seat ($800) with Mastercraft racing harness, and he runs an HRP billet shifter ($119.95). Per rules, Braden has Hostyle door nets and cage pads, and the steel-mesh windshield is removable via Dzus fasteners. He even uses the stock brake pedal, but the right-side pedal is removed.
CONTACTS:
CMI Precision Machining
527 Fee Ana St.
Placentia, CA 92870
(714) 528-3000
CSD Racing Products
363 N. Hemet St.
Hemet, CA 92544
(951) 663-7692
Walker Evans Racing
2304 Fleetwood Drive
Riverside, CA 92509
(951) 784-7223
See UTV Action’s full test on the RZR RS1 here: POLARIS RZR RS1 – UTV Action Magazine
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