Red RC » Oisin O’Briain

February 2, 2019

Martin secures first EOS win in more than 3-years

Lee Martin has claimed his first EOS 2WD win in more than 3-years, the Yokomo driver taking victory in Daun, Germany, where the outcome was decided in A3. Last winning a race in 2015 at the Hudy Arena en-route to becoming the Season #5 Champion, Martin put himself in contention for the Round 3 win when from 3rd on the grid he took the A1 win. Backing that up with a P3 in A2, the British driver was able to drive a calculated A3 finishing third behind Daniel Kobbevik to beat the young Norwegian to the overall win. While Top Qualifier Michal Orlowski would finally pull off a win in A3, it was A2 winner Joona Haatanen who completed the podium at the record entry event but the TQ point and fourth place sees Orlowski leave Germany still tied for the championship lead – the second half of the season getting underway in 6-weeks time at the Hudy Arena.

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February 2, 2019

Martin takes exciting A1 encounter in Daun

Lee Martin has taken the opening A-Main at the third round of the Euro Offroad Series in Daun, Germany. Starting fourth on the grid the Yokomo driver took advantage of mistakes from drivers ahead of him including Top Qualifier Michal Orlowski, who crashed on the opening lap. The race would see three different leaders with Martin putting in a faultless race to secure the victory over long time race leader Daniel Kobbevik with Xray team-mate Bruno Coelho completing the Top 3. While Orlowski tried to recover with a ‘miracle’ pass on the final dash to the line, that causing a pile up involving Coelho and Haatanen, he came out worst with Haatanen, who challenged Martin for the lead in the middle of the race, getting fourth as Orlowski dropped to 7th.

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February 1, 2019

Another TQ run for Orlowski in Daun

Michal Orlowski has posted another TQ run at the Euro Offroad Series third round, this time the Schumacher becoming the first driver to record 14-laps around the uniquely shaped, large indoor carpet track in Daun, Germany. Having taken Q2 after a late error by Q1 pace setter Daniel Kobbevik, Orlowski took a convincing TQ in the penultimate round able to focus solely on his own driving as both Kobbevik and Xray team-mate Bruno Coelho made early errors. Behind Orlowski, Lee Martin secured the second fastest time denying Schumacher a 1-2 with Joern Neumann topping the second fastest heat to get a 3rd for his efforts. Coming into the weekend sharing the points lead with Orlowski, Joona Haatanen would enjoy his best run posting a P4 time ahead of Hupo Honigl, who running in the second fastest heat would end up the fastest Xray for the round ahead of Coelho and Martin Bayer.

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October 29, 2018

Matsukura adds first nitro title to World Championship tally

Multiple Electric Onroad World Champion Naoto Matsukura has added a Nitro Touring Car World title to his tally with a very convincing performance at the 1:10 200mm World Championships in Florida. After a messy start which saw Top Qualifier Dario Balestri, Super Pole winner Robert Pietsch and reigning champion Dominic Greiner receive penalties, the Infinity driver quickly stamped his authority on the 1-hour final. By the first round of fuel stops the 200mm rookie, who stopped early at 4:30, had already pulled out over a 6-second lead and such was his lead at the mid race tyre change his crew was able to switch to 4:00 stops ensuring his massive lead was never at risk. At the end the Japanese driver becomes the 8th different World Champion of the class by almost 2-laps. Battling with Tadahiko Sahashi for second place before the Infinity driver suffered a flame out in the final minutes of the race Capricorn’s Kyle Branson would finish second with Team Shepherd’s very quick Eduardo Escandon coming through from the back of the grid to complete the podium at Homestead RC Raceway. Half a lap back Pietsch would recover from his penalty and a bad tyre stop to finish fourth ahead of Mugen team-mate Jeff Hamon, with Greiner, who got a second penalty completing the Top 6. Ending up 9-laps off the lead after running out of fuel, Balestri ended up 7th but his biggest frustration was the length the cars were held on the starting grid. He said his penalty was a result of him trying to make sure his engine didn’t cut.

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October 27, 2018

Mazzeo progresses to Semi Finals

1:10 200mm Vice-World Champion Alessio Mazzeo’s hopes of going one better this time around are still alive after the Italian won his 1/4 final to progress to the Semi Finals in Miami. Starting on pole for the 20-minute encounter, the Xray driver took victory over another Gubbio finalist Kyle Branson, the Capricorn finishing 4-seconds back. Setting the fastest lap of the race, 2010 Texas World Championship Finalist Shinnosuke Yokoyama completed the Top 3 to progress to the all important Semi’s which will determine who will join Top Qualifier Dario Balestri and Super Pole winner Robert Pietsch in the final. Significant names to end their quest in the first of the 1/4 Finals were 2010 World Champion Ralph Birch and 1:8 legend Lamberto Collari. Having bumped up from the 1/8 final Birch finished 6th after early contact with Yokoyama while Collari, having impressed by topping seeding on his 200mm World debut, had a crash that damaged a front arm leaving him to struggle to the finish in last position.

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October 26, 2018

Pietsch wins Super Pole in Florida

Robert Pietsch has won Super Pole at the 200mm World Championship in Florida booking himself a direct spot on the grid for Saturday title deciding 1-hour final alongside Top Qualifier Dario Balestri. Qualifying 5th overall, the Mugen driver was first to go and his 17.762 lap was the final lap of 6 was to start. First to challenge the German was reigning Champion Dominic Greiner but suffering a mistake in the middle of his attempt his best lap was 0.122 slower. Andy Moore then stood up to the mark but the Q3 Top Qualifier couldn’t break 18-seconds leave him last of the three to run so far. Taking two rounds of qualifying including the last round, Naoto Matsukura was the final challenger to run but having won Super Pole on his 1:8 Worlds debut last year he it wasn’t going to be another direct A-Main debut for the 200mm rookie. Completing the 3-minute warm-up, the Japanese driver immediately complained of being unable to see as light faded at the Homestead RC Raceway but continuing to put in his 6-laps his best time came on lap 4 but it was 28/1000ths off Pietsch’s. Unfortunately for Pietsch after a short live celebration, an official protest by Matsukura to have Super Pole re-run meant official confirmation of the result was delayed by more than an 1-hour, IFMAR’s international jury unanimous in deciding the result would stand.

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October 25, 2018

Balestri is Top Qualifier in Miami

Dario Balestri is the Top Qualifier at the 1:10 200mm World Championship in Miami. The Infinity driver pulled off his third consecutive Worlds pole position in as many years with another TQ run in the penultimate round of qualifying. Having made a mistake in the day’s opening qualifier, the reigning 1:8 World Champion put in a perfect Q5 making 24-laps to top the times for a third time and deny team-mate Naoto Matsukura and Andy Moore the chance of a first nitro World’s TQ. Having taken the third round of qualifying, Moore had issues in the pits in his fifth run while a mistake from Matsukura while setting the TQ in front of Balestri ended his hopes and he ended up 5th for the round. It would be Dominic Greiner who was closest to Balestri but missing out on going 24-laps. Simon Kurzbuch would complete the Top 3, matching his surprise P3 in Q1, only this time the Shepherd driver took a more traditional route and made a fuel stop like everyone else during the 7-minute qualifier. Robert Pietsch made it four different manufacturers at the top for the round also equalling his best performance so far, while Mugen team-mate Shoki Takahata completed the Top 6.

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October 25, 2018

Matusukra opens Day 2 of qualifying with first TQ run

Naoto Matsukura has opened the second day of qualifying at the 1:10 20mm World Championships in Miami with a TQ run. Having opened qualifying with a P2 but having had issues in Q2 and 3 yesterday, the Infinity driver bounced back in the 4th round to top the times from team-mate Andy Moore. Continuing Infinity’s reign at the top of qualifying, Matsukura’s TQ is the first 24-lap run of the Homestead RC Raceway with his advantage over Moore over 2-second. Unfortunately having TQ’d the opening two rounds of qualifying and ending the day with a P2, Dario Balestri could not continue his form as he got his car hooked up in a corner board which cost him over 6-seconds. Third fastest would be Dominic Greiner, the reigning champion posting a new fastest pitstop of the weekend of 4.2-seconds as pitman Klaus Lechner bettered the previous record set in the heat before by Moore’s pitman Trin NungGai. The big improver of the Q4 would be Teemu Leino, the European Champion who had a best of a P10 from yesterday setting the fourth fastest time ahead of Tadahiko Sahashi and Francesco Tironi.

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