November 28, 2022

‘Rising Star Program’ awarded at USIC


First started in 2018 as an initiative at the Canadian National Championships, the ‘Rising Star Program’ was awarded for the first time to an American driver over the weekend when it was decided to make a surprise announcement at the legendary U.S. Indoor Champs in Cleveland.  Very passionate about the program, Ryan Combden of Team Zombie Canada, together with some other passionate RC sponsors, made the late decision to award the program to a driver during the USIC.  The panel watched unaware racers as they went about their racing, paying particular attention to how they interacted with others.  One driver to really stand out was Riley Drennen, his hard work and desire to learn really catching their attention.  Only in his first year of racing, the 20-year is working two jobs while still going to school and this dedication struck a cord with the panel.  As the latest recipient of the Rising Star Program, Riley was presented with a very impressive package from the program sponsors and USIC race promoter Scotty Ernst.  As he gets ready for the 2024 season, Riley received a new kit from Destiny, new power from Team Zombie Canada, new motor and tires from Motiv and Gravity RC,  a new esc from Tekin and a new body from Bitty Designs.

Source: Team Zombie Canada [Facebook]

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November 27, 2022

Sam Isaacs does double at U.S. Indoor Champs

Sam Isaacs has done the double at the 42nd running of the U.S. Indoor Champs in Cleveland, the Awesomatix driver taking home the win in both Mod Touring Car and Mod 1:12.  In Touring Car the title was decided by a single A-Main.  Starting second on the grid, Isaacs went to the front on lap 2 as Top Qualifier Keven Hebert plummeted down the order.  Behind, Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski followed Isaacs home to claimed second with Kemp Anderson’s Awesomatix close on his bumper completing the podium.  Fourth would go to Alexander Hagberg who crossed line in front of his recovering Xray team-mate Hebert in P5.   1:12 would be decided by triple A-Mains.  Having secured the TQ, Isaacs took A1 from Donny Lia who came through from 5th on the grid.  A2 who see Lia go one better and win from Hagberg as Isaacs finished 4th behind Orlowski.  With one final 8-minute encounter to decide things, Isaacs led A3 when it counted most having relinquished the lead to Lia for 3 laps earlier in the race.  While Ollie Payne took second in A3, overall it was Lia second, Anderson third and Orlowski 4th.

Stock Image: U.S. Indoor Champs [Facebook]

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November 27, 2022

Volker claims first win of ETS title defence

Reigning champion Ronald Volker has secured the first win of his ETS title defence as he took victory at the opening indoor race of the season in Germany today.  Having secured the overall TQ from Marc Rheinard, the Mugen driver would lead home his title rival in the opening A-Main encounter and win again in A2, this time from Lucas Urbain, to become the fifth different winner in as many rounds.  With Awesomatix’s Rheinard going on to win A3 to secure second overall, the duo now sit equal at the top of the points standings.  Round 4 winner Urbain completed the podium in Munden ahead of Apeldoorn winner Yannick Prumper and Aigen winner Christopher Krapp.  Overall it is Yokomo’s Krapp who holds third in the points with one round remaining in Daun in January, where last year Volker took the win and title.

Image: ETS [Facebook]

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November 26, 2022

Hebert claims TQ at U.S. Indoor Champs

Keven Hebert is the Mod Touring Car Top Qualifier at the U.S. Indoor Champs in Cleveland, Ohio.  The 42nd running of this legendary indoor race, which has attracted over 350 entries, the Xray driver laid down the fastest time of the rocket round qualifying format in the third of the four rounds of qualifying.  The Top 3 times would in fact all come from Q3, with Awesomatix’s Sam Isaacs securing second on the grid with a time 6/10th off that of the Canadian.  Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski was a further 1/10th of a second off locking the European visitor into 3rd on the grid.  With 47 races making up a packed schedule each round, Kemp Anderson would top the final qualifier with his fastest run but he stays P4 on the grid ahead of the Xray of Alexander Hagberg with Chase Lemeiux completing the Top 6.  In Mod 1:12, it was Isaacs who took the TQ with the fastest time in Q4 ahead of Anderson.  Hagberg will start third followed by Ollie Payne, Donny Lia and Orlowski.

Image: Keven Hebert [Facebook]

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November 21, 2022

Orlowski overall Champion at Florida Carpet Champs

Michal Orlowski has been crowned the overall Modified Champion at the Florida Carpet Champs.  Held at Beachline Raceway of Cocoa over the weekend, the indoor carpet event attracted a star line up of 1:10 Offroad drivers with qualifying seeing TLR’s Dakotah Phend the man to beat as he claimed both the 2WD and 4WD TQ.  While 2WD qualifying would see a different driver top each of the three qualifiers, topping Q3 would be enough for Orlowski to secure P2 on the grid with reigning World Champion Spencer Rivkin putting his Associated 3rd having topped Q2.  In 4WD, Phend was in dominant form taking all three heats.  Behind, Rivkin secured second on the grid from the Schumachers of Broc Champlin and Orlowski.  In the 2WD A-Main, the Top 3 would finish as they started with Phend getting the job done in A2 with his second straight win.  4WD however would see things go to A3.  While Phend won A1 from Orlowski, it would be Champlin with the A2 win as Orlowski suffered a DNF and Phend finished third behind Norway’s Daniel Kobbevik.  All to play for in A3,  it was Orlowski who came through for the leg win from Rivkin, Champlin and Phend.  Taking the overall 4WD win from team-mate Champlin with Phend completing the podium, combined with his second overall in 2WD it was the European visitor who was crowned the overall Modified Champion of the 2022 Florida Carpet Champs.

Source: Florida Carpet Champs [Facebook]

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November 20, 2022

Volker wins EWS International with dominant performance

Ronald Volker has taken victory at the first major international indoor race of the Electric Touring Car Winter season with a dominant performance at EWS International in Essex, England.  The Mugen driver was in flying form throughout the weekend topping all four qualifiers to secure the TQ ahead of newly crowned back to back World Champion Bruno Coelho and World Championship Runner-Up Christopher Krapp.  In the finals, the former World Champion was again untouchable winning all three A-Mains from Coelho’s Xray with Krapp’s Yokomo completing the podium.  Making it four different manufacturers in the Top 4, Awesomatix’s Lucas Urbain finished fourth. In Pro-Stock Xray’s Alexandre Duchet took the win while in Front Wheel Drive it was also an Xray victory thanks to Germany’s Stefan Schulz.

Image: Bruno Coelho [Facebook]

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November 15, 2022

New Swiss ‘RC Indoor Arena’ to open in December

Access to tracks are vital to R/C so it is great to hear about plans for a new Indoor facility in Switzerland. Through the work of onroad and offroad drivers, they are creating the ‘RC Indoor Arena’, a beautiful complex in Wädenswil.  The 600m2 offroad track is equipped with new EOS carpet and while onroad drivers will also enjoy a new 720m2 ETS carpet surface. Set to open at the beginning of December, this indoor complex will be ideal for preparing for the next indoor season and will give racers a place to keep their driving skills sharp for the Winter.

Source: RC Indoor Arena [rc-indoor-arena.ch]

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November 14, 2022

Urbain wins opening round of MRC Longwy Winter Series

The opening round of the popular MRC Longwy Winter Series took place over the weekend with Lucas Urbain taking the TQ and win.  With a number of international drivers making the trip to France, Urbain would take his Awesomatix to victory at the first of the four scheduled rounds ahead of factory Mugen driver Ronald Volker and Yokomo’s Yannic Prumper.  MRC Longwy will host the 18th edition of their famous GP3 on January 21-22 with drivers using the Winter Series as preparations for the international race.  Round 2 takes place December 11.

Image: Lucas Urbain [Facebook]

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