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February 9, 2025

Volker dominates in Czech to retake MIBO title

Ronald Volker has dominated the third edition of MIBO International, the Mugen Seiki driver sending his rivals a clear signal that the former World Champion and his new MTC3 are going to be a serious force to be reckoned with in 2025. With Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski calling the German’s performance in Czech ‘a wake up for us’, after topping all five rounds of qualifying it looked like the finals were just going to be a Sunday formality to Volker picking up his second MIBO International winners trophy. Even contact with a lapped car couldn’t help his rivals get anywhere near challenging him for the lead let alone the win. A2 however would be the first time we wouldn’t see the MTC3 top the result sheets, a pile up on another section of the track sending Adam Iszay’s Xray into Volker’s path and with a body tuck he feel down the order before pulling off. Orlowski took the leg win as a result of the chaos ahead of Patrick Gollner, the new Mugen signing further highlighting the potential of the Robert Pietsch designed car. With outside trouble managing to avoid him in A3, Volker sealed the deal with half a lap advantage over Orlowski – widely recognised as the current benchmark in touring car especially on carpet. Giving Mugen double reason to celebrate, Gollner secured the final step on the podium ahead of Yokomo’s Christopher Krapp and Xray’s Adam Iszay, the latter, like Volker, retaking the Pro Stock title he won at the inaugural MIBO International in 2023.

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February 8, 2025

Volker Top Qualifier at MIBO International

After a perfect day of driving in the Czech Republic, Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker is the Top Qualifier at MIBO International with one round still to go tomorrow morning. The unique event’s inaugural Champion in 2023, the German and his new MTC3 have been the class of the field with defending champion Michal Orlowski having to throw everything and sometimes more at it to try and get ahead of his rival. Having topped the seeding this morning, Volker secured the overall TQ in Q3 before going on to make it four from four in the final run of the second day’s action. With Volker leading home the Schumacher in 3 of the 4 rounds, Orlowski himself admitting after Q2 that he crashed because he was having to push so hard to try and keep up with the on form Volker. While the race for the title at the third edition of the event put on by Volker’s former Yokomo team-mate Michal Bok is very much a two horse race, this year’s event is proving a happy hunting ground for Mugen’s upcoming touring car release with Volker’s new for 2025 team-mate Patrick Gollner third in the overnight standings. Behind him the Yokomo of Christopher Krapp is holding P4 while the leading Xray challenge comes from Adam Izsay, who after being best of the rest in the morning dropped to fifth in the second half of the day.

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February 8, 2025

Volker takes charge in early MIBO qualifying

Having topped seeding at the third edition of MIBO International, Ronald Volker’s Mugen Seiki MTC3 continues to be the benchmark in the Czech Republic with the German taking the opening two rounds of qualifying. In the first of the 5 scheduled qualifiers, Volker was fastest from the Schumacher of defending champion Michal Orlowski by 8/10ths of a second with Xray’s Adam Iszay maintaining status as the third fastest driver. In a slower Q2, a mistake from Orlowski would give Volker an easier repeat TQ run, Yokomo’s Christopher Krapp his closest challenger over 3-seconds down on the 2016 World Champion. Again Iszay completed the Top 3 ahead Patrick Gollner and the recovering Orlowski.

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February 8, 2025

Volker and Zalewski top seeding at MIBO International

Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker and Xray’s Bartek Zalewski are the top seeds at MIBO International, both drivers laying down the fastest 3-consecutive laps of their respective tracks in the Czech Republic. On the onroad track the battle between the races 2 previous champions continued with Volker maintaining his slightest of advantages over the Schumacher of Michal Orlowksi, 4/1o0ths of a second all that separates them. Behind them the Xray of former MIBO Stock Champion Adam Iszay set the third fastest time ahead of the Yokomo of Christopher Krapp and new 2025 Mugen Seiki signing Patrick Gollner. On the offroad side of the event, defending 4WD Champion Zalewski pulled off the double topping seeding in both 2WD and 4WD. In 2WD it was recent EOS winner Marcus Kaerup who was his closest rival, the Team Associated driver over 2/10ths off with a similar gap back to the Schumacher of Daniel Kobbevik in P3. It was the Sworkz of Micha Widmaier who got closest to Zalewski in 4WD with Kaerup completing the P3.

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February 7, 2025

Kilic takes TQ at Montpellier GP as rain cuts quali short

Fresh from his 1:10 4WD Offroad win at the EOS in Germany last weekend, Mugen Seiki’s Burak Kilic has secured the overall TQ at the annual Montepellier GP in France where rain has cut qualifying short. The 19th running of the annual classic that has become the official season opener of 1:8 Offroad nitro racing in Europe, in seeding yesterday it was the younger of the Kilic brothers, Berak, who set the pace from Sworkz Juan Carlos Canas. Concluding Day 1’s action with the first round of qualifying it was last year’s Top Qualifier Canas who set the mark by a considerable margin over his rivals. Behind the Spaniard it with Burak in second and the Tekno of João Figueiredo in third. Today (Friday) however would belong to Burak as he took Q2 & 3 before the decision was made that given the rain and that 3 rounds had been successfully completed driver’s best two would determine the final qualifying order at Circuit du MBM. Last year rain rain also cut short qualifying when the fifth & final round was cancelled. While organisers monitor the weather as to when best to start the running of the finals, behind Burak the final qualifying order is Canas, Berkan and 2023 winner Davide Ongaro while defending Champion Riccardo Berton ended up 13th.

Image: Mugen Seiki European [Facebook]

February 2, 2025

Kilic wins 4WD at EOS

Mugen Seiki/LRP team driver Burak Kilic has taken the 4WD Buggy win at the EOS Race in Daun, German, the Turkish racer denying the former multiple race series’ reigning Champion Michal Orlowski from winning the now single stand alone race event. In qualifying it was the Schumacher of Orlowski who secured the overall TQ from the Xrays of David Ronnefalk and Bartosz Zalewski with Kilic lining up P4 on the grid. In the opening A-Main, Orlowski made the race look like just a formality while Kilic got through to finish second almost 5-seconds back. A2 however would see a dramatic start as Orlowski and Ronnefalk’s buggies ended up tangled together allowing Polish talent Zalewski to go to the front. Despite pressure from Orlowski in the closing stages, the 18-year-old stayed out front to win by 8/10ths with 2WD EOS Winner Marcus Kaerup, who qualified P8, finishing in third. A3 would again see first lap drama as Orlowski and Ronnefalk touched with Kilic coming out in front after further contact in the next corner. From there Kilic led from Zalewski, Orlowski and Ronnefalk before a mistake from Zalewski ended his chances of the title. Next it was the turn of Orlowski to pile the pressure on Kilic until he ran wide allowing Ronnefalk passed and despite the Swede best efforts over the last minute of the race Kilic held on for the A3 win and overall victory. Orlowski would finish runner-up with Zalewski completing the podium.

Image: Berkan Kilic [Facebook]

January 22, 2025

Mugen Seiki confirm Volker for MIBO International

Inaugural MIBO International Champions Mugen Seiki has confirmed that their lead driver Ronald Volker will return to the Czech race for a third consecutive year next month. In 2023 Volker won the first edition of MIBO International and last year returned finishing runner up to victor Michal Orlowski, the Polish racer already confirmed for his attempt retain his Touring Car title and add an offroad title at the February 7-9th race. Hosted by Mibosport, which is owned by former top international Czech touring car racer Michal Bok, MIBO International is unique event in that two side by side tracks bring together both onroad and offroad racing. The 3rd edition of the event, which is staged in the Sports V Hotel in Hrotovice, the 250 entries includes factory team drivers from Schumacher, Sworkz, Yokomo, Team Associated, Mugen Seiki and Xray.

Source: MIBO [mibosport.com]

January 7, 2025

Gollner joins Mugen Seiki Europe

Mugen Seiki Europe has announced top Austrian touring car racer Patrick Gollner will represent the Japanese manufacturer in 2025. A long time Xray driver, the European Championship finalist & 7-time Austrian National Champion will bolster Mugen Seiki’s European presence ahead of the release of its new MTC3 touring car which both Ronald Volker and up & coming US talent Jacob Cruz put into the final at the IFMAR World Championship in California back in November. On the announcement Gollner said, ‘First of all, I would like to thank Robert Pietsch and Ronald Völker for the opportunity to join Mugen Seiki Europe. I am extremely happy to be a part of the team from now on. After so many years in a different team, I am already looking forward to the new challenges and projects and to work closely with my new teammates. Full of motivation and with renewed ambition, I am now heading into the new season!’

Source: MSE [Facebook]