Red RC » Eoghain O Briain

September 30, 2014

Maifield moves from Novarossi to Team Orion for 2015

Maifield switches from Novarossi to Team Orion for 2015

It turns out the rumours floating around the paddock in Sicily were true with new TLR signing Ryan Maifield making the switch from Novarossi to Team Orion’s nitro factory team. The US driver, who started from pole position and lead last Saturday’s main final until a steering servo took him out of contention, joined their electric section earlier this year and will now also be using all Team Orion CRF nitro products in his cars from January 1st 2015. CRF team manager Adrien Bertin commented on Ryan’s decision as follows: “Drivers of the caliber of Ryan Mayfield have their choice of engines to run. It is with great satisfaction that we welcome Ryan in our team and admire his decision to run with Team Orion CRF engines. It is another confirmation of our successful product and team strategy.”

Source: Team Orion [teamorion.com]

September 29, 2014

Tessmann gets his World title

Ty Tessmann is the new 1:8 Offroad World Champion. Having stamped his authority on the Sicilian event in early qualifying, the HB driver would take victory in the Main in rather convincing fashion. Starting from second on the grid the Canadian would take control of the race following problems for pole position starter Ryan Maifield to win by a comfortable margin of Team Associated’s Ryan Cavallieri and Mugen’s Carson Wernimont. Leading the race a steering servo failure would rob Maifield a true shot at obtaining the one title that has eluded the American offroad star. The only other driver to look like a potential treat to Tessmann, having denied the 21-year-old the win 2-years-ago in Argentina, outgoing champion Robert Batlle would also hit trouble when his Mugen ran out of fuel just metres before a scheduled pitstop.

Read the full report here or our complete coverage here.

September 27, 2014

Maifield on pole in Sicily

Ryan Maifield is on pole position for the 1-hour title deciding final of the 1:8 Offroad World Championships in Sicily. Running in the second of the 30-min Semi Finals, the Team Losi Racing driver ran a faster race time by 11-seconds over that of Top Qualifier & Semi A winner Ty Tessmann to securing the top spot on the 12 car grid ahead of Tessmann and defending champion Robert Batlle. While Maifield took an easy win over Ryan Lutz and Jared Tebo it was the first Semi that provided all the drama with engine wows robbing both Lee Martin and David Ronnefalk the chance to compete in the showdown to become the 15th World Champion.

Read the full report here or our complete coverage here.

September 27, 2014

Worlds 1/4 Finals Update

Just 24 drivers remain in contention for the 15th 1:8 Offroad World title with the 1/4 Finals eliminating some big names, the most notable being Atsushi Hara. Having been a podium finisher since winning the title in 2008 the S-Workz drivers event is done. Competing in the first of the 1/4 finals having bumped up after winning his 1/8 final, the Japanese legend could only manage 8th.

Read the full report here or our complete coverage here.

September 26, 2014

Schumacher to provide traction for EOS Season #4

Schumacher is to provide traction for the new season of the Euro Offroad Series with the announcement that the British company’s famed Minipin tyre has been selected as the controlled rubber for the high profile championship. A tyre widely acknowledged by racers across Europe as being superior for indoor offroad competition use, the deal is set to prove very popular with racers with most already having extensive knowledge of how their cars run on the tyre.

Continue reading the announcement here

September 25, 2014

Tessmann claims deserved Worlds TQ

After dominating early qualifying, Ty Tessmann finally got to claim the overall TQ at the 1:8 Offroad World Championships in Sicily. Topping the opening three qualifiers but suffering in rain effected Rounds 4 & 5, the HB driver posted the fourth fastest time in the final qualifier to top the final classification over Ryan Maifield, Lee Martin and Jared Tebo. Having been the only one to challenge Tessmann before rain turned the form on its head, Maifield finally got to put his TLR top of the time sheets taking Q6 by 2.1-seconds over Martin with Elliott Boots third, a result which puts the 2012 Top Qualifier 6th overall. Retiring from the final qualifier with a broken radio receiver, defending champion Robert Batlle will start his title defence from 6th on the grid in his Semi having qualified a lower than expected 11th. Joining him in the same Semi final having just made the cut will be European Champion David Ronnefalk, the Swede having struggled to translate his practice pace into good qualifying runs.

Read the full report here or our complete coverage here.

September 25, 2014

McBride exploits drying track to head Kyosho 1-2

Kyle McBride exploited a drying track to TQ the fifth round of qualifying at the 1:8 Offroad World Championships, the Australian heading a Kyosho 1-2 from team-mate Elliott Boots. A wet start to the final day of qualifying in Sicily, the round starting with Group 11 to 14 and 1 back through 10, running together in Heat 5, the last of the fast groups, McBride and the 2012 Worlds Top Qualifier took advantage of an ever improving track to put their MP9s top of the times, a much anticipated TQ challenge from Agama’s Jeremy Kotz in Heat 10 on a completely dry track failing to materialise. With the changing conditions producing a completely unpredictable Top 16, a third for the round sees the ever consistent Lee Martin move into the provisional TQ position counting four rounds with one qualifier left to run. The man to beat on a dry equal conditions track bagged three TQ runs from the opening three rounds, Ty Tessmann would again suffer badly with the timing of his heat, the rain returning for the start of his Heat 3, leaving the Canadian with only the 23rd fastest time.

Read the full report here or our complete coverage here.

September 24, 2014

Bayer reigns in wet Q4

Martin Bayer has TQ’d a rain effected fourth round of qualifying at the 1:8 Offroad World Championships in Sicily. Starting off the second day of qualifying with his best run securing Xray’s first Top 10 time, the Czech driver topped the second qualifier ahead of Ryan Cavalieri and David Ronnefalk. Starting out as a dry heat with 2-minutes to go the rain that the dark clouds threatened to bring finally arrived continuing for much of the remaining four title contender loaded heat groups. Running earlier in Heat 10, the round starting with Heat 6 of 14, Jeremy Kortz would be one of the big benefactors ending up fourth ahead of other Heat 1 runners Cody King, Dakotah Phend, Christopher Svensson and Darren Bloomfield. Fastest in the opening three qualifiers but having to run on a completely wet track Ty Tessmann, who is in Heat 3, would end up 37th.

Read the full report here or our complete coverage here.