Top international on road racer Jilles Groskamp has signed to race with Hot Race tyres for the 2012 season. The decision was made following extensive testing at the Pre Worlds in Bangkok, where Jilles was pleased with their performance. The Capricorn/Orion driver will participate with Hot Race tyres in this year’s European Championships in Cassino as well as the 1/10th 200mm World Championships in Bangkok.

Source: Hot Race Tyres [hotracerc.com]

This past weekend in Shenzhen, Southern China, the newly built KRC track hosted the annual China Fortune (Fa Cai) Nitro Championships for 1:10 sedan.  The race saw drivers from China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan and is considered one of the major nitro races in China as well as the first race of the nitro season in China. 14 years-old Mugen driver JJ Wang driving his Novarossi powered MTX5 won the 45-minute “A” Main final by 2 laps over second place Xray driver Li Jia Wei from Guangzhou, and in third place was Taiwan’s Xray driver Howard Zhuo.

Results:
1. JJ Wang (Mugen MTX5)
2. Li Jia Wei (Xray NT1)
3. Howard Zhuo (Xray NT1)
4. Huang Jun Qu (Xray NT1)
5. Gary Zhuo (Xray NT1)
6. Huang Jiu Fa (Xray NT1)
7. Fei Zai Wei (Mugen MTX5)
8. Huang Jun Hao (Mugen MTX5)
9. Li Cong (Mugen MTX5)
10. Jiang Dong (KM HK1)

Reedy and CML France are pleased to announce the signing of top French 1/8th off road racer Nicolas Rodriguez for the 2012 season. Nicolas, who has previously used Reedy engines, is a former podium finisher at the European Championships, French Cup winner and solid A Finalist throughout the French National Series, and will be looking for a successful season with new sponsors. He will be using the full Reedy range of engines, pipes, plugs and accessories in his Hong Nor Sabre for 2012, and everyone at CML and Reedy wish him the best of luck at this weekends season opening Montpellier GP.

Source: CML [cmldistribution.co.uk]

Team HB have confirmed the addition of former Xray driver Teemu Leino to its ranks to join other new signing Shin Adachi alongside Atsushi Hara, Andy Moore, Ty Tessmann and Jesse Robbers. Teemu is a multiple world class race winner, with previous wins at the LRP Race, TITC, IIC and the European Championships. Plus multiple podiums at the European Championships and a 3rd place finish at the World Championships. Teemu will be a valuable addition to the World Championship Winning Team HB. Here are a few words from Teemu Leino:

I choose HB as they have the best cars for my racing classes. Also the HB Team always prepare well for big races like the World Championships, which are on this year. The HB Team also has some of my good friends so I should have fun at the tracks.

Source: HB [hotbodiesonline.com]

Reds Racing USA have announced that Diatta Collymore from New York, NY will be running the M3T engine for 2012 in 1/10 on-road. Diatta has extensive race plans for 2012 and his first race with the M3T engine will be at the Winternats in Ft. Myers, Florida next week. Diatta had this to say:

I’m very excited to begin a new chapter in my racing career with Reds Racing USA. I couldn’t be thankful enough for the opportunity and I can’t wait to see how these new engines perform in my Xray chassis for this nitro season and many more.

Source: Reds Racing [reds-racing-usa.com]

Round 2 of the Snowman Series was this past weekend at ARC Raceway. The event had 10 heats and it was TLR, Novarossi, Pro-Line driver Adam Drake who TQ’d both rounds of qualifying in the 1/8th Pro Buggy class in front of teammate’s Drew Moller and Colby Poh. Drew Moller TQ’d the 1/8th Pro turck class. In the 30 minute buggy final Adam Drake won followed by teammates Cody Smith and Colby Poh making it a 1, 2, 3 sweep for TLR, Novarossi and Pro-Line.  Drew Moller won the 20 minute truck final followed by TLR teammate Andy Carillo in 2nd while Cody Smith won the 10 minute 1/8th electric final with his TLR 8ight E.

Source: TLR [tlracing.com]

The tire treatment debate in 1/8th and 1/10th gas on road has certainly divided a lot of racers and the widespread use and inability to consistently and effectively test for these substances has pushed rule makers to allow the use of additive. Some people are tired of waiting for rule makers to do something about it so are taking this matter into their own hands. For example there is a new gas on road race series about to get underway in Europe this season that uses hand out tires and in Switzerland there is the moral commitment movement to not use tire additives. The latter is signed by a number of the top gas racers in the country, and will see the drivers carry the ‘Clean Tyres’ decal on their cars to show that they are against, and do not use, additives and it is a campaign that they wish to spread across Europe.

Tyre treatment in the 1/8 track class is a “unwelcome” development.

Most of the passionate RC drivers are strongly against it.

Top 1/8 Swiss Drivers like Kurzbuch, Hächler, Pesenti, Nydegger, Hulliger, Henzi & Martinelli, to name a few, have decided to counter this development by introducing a “moral commitment movement” to not use tyre additives. They are going to participate at the 2012 Swiss Championship with the newly created sticker “Clean Tyres” applied to their car body.  This sticker will show who is racing “clean” on the track. This fact should reduce the “incentive” for drivers to use additives to beat the so-called “clean drivers” and attract them to join the “clean tyres” movement.  In practice, this means that we are building a committed “clean” new class into the class.

There are always going to be people, who wish to test the limits of the rules, even whilst carrying a “clean tyres” sticker….but at least, as the spokesman of the group said, most of us are out there on the track to enjoy ourselves without additional time and money expenditure.

Our goal is to have “clean” regional races!

Should anyone be interested….stickers are available in A4 format (per sheet: 24  stickers). As the stickers are currently in production, the price has not yet been fixed, but it should be around Euro 5.- a sheet.

Please contact: Mattia Pesenti (mattia.pesenti@swissadsl.net) for payment and delivery instructions.

For drivers taking part in the Swiss Championship, the sheets will be available at the race track for the first race of the season at production cost.

Luca Martinelli and Mattia Pesenti

January 2012

Top Italian 1/8th scale racer Michele Romagnoli joins Team Sonic for the 2012 season. The Italian vice-champion of 2011 will be a strong addition to the team helping to improve the Sonic product line with his experience. Having finished 4th at the last European Championship in Luxembourg he is aiming to improve his result at the upcoming Euros in Portugal. Additionally he will attend all national championship races as well as some regional events.

Source: Sonic Engines [sonic-engines.com]

Last weekend Round 4 of the Israeli League took place at the Speed racing track in southern Israel. Top drivers from all over the country came to participate in the event and the weather was excellent for racing and after qualifying it was Adir Zvolony that took the TQ position with his Kyosho MP9 WC. The A main final started with Zvolony taking the lead, a bad start for Yaniv Sivan who started from second position meant he had to work his way through the field. With fast driving he managed to take back the second position and a few second behind Sivan was Meir Azolay. Two minutes to the finish, Adir Zvolony hit clutch problem and lost valuable time allowing Yaniv to come through to take the win followed by Meir Azolay and Itay Atedgi.

Source: RC Zone [rczone.co.il]

Following the announcement earlier in the week that Paolo Maorganti had joined Team Titan, today they have announced the signing of former European Champion Dirk Wischnewski. The German factory Xray driver had the following the say about the deal:

After some intensive testing I was really impressed by the performance and quality of all Blitz body shells. So I decided to join Team Titan for the 2012 racing season. I will use Blitz body shells in all major international races including WC in Bangkok and EC in Cassino. Further I will help Team Titan to develop new innovative products.

Source: Team Titan [team-titan.com.tw]