Dear Eileen,

The first thing you need to see clearly here is that
your new Traxxas Nitro Rustler is a high performance machine capable of speeds of 38mph out of the box,and should never be mistaken as a toy. Extra precautions should always be taken so as not to over-rev the .15 TRX motor,or you'll find yourself re-sleeving,and replacing crankshafts very often. You should always use a quality fuel, preferably 20% nitro in cool weather,10% will work OK in warmer weather but I always recommend 20%for better performance. I personally use O'Donnells but I hear that Blue Thunder is very good too. Now you'll notice during your break-in period you'll be tempted to lean out your fuel mixture to gain performance,but this should never be done. A good fast motor is always one that has been properly broken in. I would recommend running your first tank extremely rich,(3/4 turn on the rich side)slowly leaning it out during the next 4 or 5 tankfulls until the break-in process is complete. Then you can begin tuning for performance! Another thing you may not have been told about your Traxxas Nitro Rustler is that if your kit was manufactured between May 1999 to June 2000 chances are you have the defective throwout bearing in your starter assembly. Traxxas has corrected the problem since,and they offer a replacement free of charge. Your local hobby store should have a replacement in stock already without having to order. Most will even be willing to install free of charge for those who aren't mechanically inclined.Welcome to the exciting and challenging world of RC Racing! I'm sure if you follow the tips I've given you your car will perform very well. Just remember maintenance is the key to RC models,especially in nitro racing.
Keep me informed:)

Sincerely,
Loot