Red RC » Electric

December 16, 2023

Volker Top Qualifier at inaugural FIRC

Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker is the Top Qualifier at the inaugural Foshan Invitation RC Championship. Heading up the international entry at the new Chinese race that the organisers are aiming to establish as a major annual event, the former World Champion secured pole position for tomorrow’s triple finals when he made it three from three in the penultimate round of qualifying at the recently opened GDC Indoor Track. Once again it was Chinese driver Vening Zhuo who would be Volker’s closest challenger but the German edged back out his advantage over the Awesomatix driver in the third round. Competing the Top 3 for the round would be Marco Ma, the Xray driver managing his first 23-lap run of the day ahead of the Xpress of Yugo Nagashima, the Top Seed also putting together a 23-lap run.

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December 16, 2023

Volker takes opening qualifier at FIRC

After his struggles in seeding practice, Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker bounced back in qualifying to take the opening round at the Foshan Invitational RC Championship in China ahead of the Awesomatix of Vening Zhuo and Xray’s Marco Ma. Finding himself in the second fastest after his lap times dropped by 2-seconds from free practice, Volker had a busy opening qualifying run as he avoided the traffic with late contact with a lapped car costing him some time. Despite this the German was 3-seconds clear of Zhuo as his main rivals Yugo Nagashima and Simon Nicholson both had issues. The Top Seed for qualifying Nagashima lead away the top heat but a mistake by the Japanese driver in the chicane meant his Xpress needed marshalling and with 4.5 seconds lost he finish P4. Starting directly behind Nagashima, Nicholson looked to benefit from the mistake but inside the final 30-seconds the Yokomo drivers pinion came undone and his run was over.

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December 16, 2023

Nagashima tops seeding at FIRC

Xpress factory team driver Yugo Nagashima is the top seed at the inaugural Foshan Invitational Championship in China, the Japanese driver topping the single seeding round ahead of Yokomo’s Simon Nicholson. The biggest international RC event to be held in China post Covid attracting 129 entries to the newly opened GDC Indoor track, drivers faced tough conditions this morning with Ronald Volker struggling significantly having set the pace in free practice yesterday. Low traction and brand new hand out Sweep tyres saw most drivers out their drifting skills to the test. Making it a good start to the event for Xpress, Hong Kong driver Eric Lam completed the Top 3 ahead of newly crowned Chinese National Champion Rocket Zhang as the driver now face into four rounds of qualifying, with two to count.

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December 14, 2023

XRS Finland – Report

Some 50 drivers lined up at Fullspeed RC in Vantaa, Finland, for the highly anticipated XRS Finland race last weekend. Organised by EuroRC, this event featured a diverse lineup of racing classes, including Touring Prostock, Touring Modified, CS-12, C12, and Eurotruck. With skilled competitors not only highlighted the exceptional skill level of its participants within the national level but also showcased a European-class proficiency, with drivers such as Joseph Quaqraine, Pekko Iivonen, Juho Levänen, Janne Koivisto, and Oiva Metsola demonstrating a level of racing finesse that placed them among the elite in the European racing community. Their presence elevated the competition, making each class a true spectacle of high-speed precision and strategic mastery.

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December 10, 2023

Orlowski is finally a World Champion

He has been a heavy weight in electric onroad and offroad for the last decade but today was the day he finally took the sport’s biggest prize, Michal Orlowski is the 2023 IFMAR 1:12 World Champion. Having secured the overall TQ at the previous edition of the sports oldest World Championship category but missing out on the win to Marc Rheinard, today the Schumacher switched the 2020 order taking victory at Beachline Raceway ahead of Rheinard and 2018 World Champion Alexander Hagberg. With Top Qualifier Kemp Anderson winning A1, ahead of Rheinard and Orlowski, a win in A2 by the Polish ace set the stage for an A3 title showdown. With a highly anticipating crowd looking on having experienced some mental defying display of racing skills in the first two A-Mains, A3 was to start with a bang literally. On the tone Anderson’s car didn’t leave the line and starting directly behind Rheinard a huge impact in the rear of the stricken car. The race effectively decided on the spot as No.2 starter Orlowski was able to break clear followed by Hagberg who did have the pace to mount a challenge for the lead. While Rheinard tried to continue his car was badly tweaked and he eventually pulled up. Unfortunately for Anderson, despite showing his massive talents in qualifying and A1, the A3 DNF together with his A2 DNF meant he goes into the IFMAR history books as the 6th place finisher.

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December 9, 2023

Orlowski gets elbows out for A2 win

It is all going to come down to A3 at the 1:12 World Championship in Florida, with Michal Orlowski taking the win ahead of defending Champion Marc Rheinard. Having won A1 with a flawless race, Kemp Anderson came crashing back to earth in A2 when he ran wide on the opening lap resulting in contact with Orlowski. With Anderson coming off worst, finding himself at the back of the field, the contact delayed Orlowski enough for Rheinard to go to the front. Quickly gapping the rest of the field, the European pairing held station until the race reached mid distance and Orlowski got his elbows forcing an impressive pass on his great track rival but good friend off track. Then with a minute to go, Rheinard mounted a challenge to take back the lead but looking to set-up a last lap pass he would get to much kerb causing the back of his Awesomatix to step out and allow Orlowski to breath again and take the win with a faster time than that set in A1. With Anderson eventually retiring from the race having buried his car under the track boards as he tried to make a comeback, 2018 World Champion Alexander Hagberg completed the Top 3 over 8-seconds back with Donny Lia fourth.

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December 9, 2023

Kemp sees off late Rheinard attack to win A1

Kemp Anderson held off an intense late attack from Marc Rheinard to win the opening A-Main of the IFMAR 1:12 World Championship in Florida. Starting from the pole, Andersson would initially gap the field as second place starter Michal Orlowski was occupied with trying to keep a hard charging Rheinard at bay, the pair swapping paint but holding order. Approaching the mid point of the 8-minute Orlowski would find his rhythm, the Schumacher driver closing Anderson’s over 1-second gap down to nothing. Coming on to the straight, the Polish ace would make a pass for the lead on the inside of the Awesomatix driver but his car shot to the outside and he hit the boards. With a tweaked car he was then passed by Rheinard. Having survived the Orlowski challenge, now Anderson was ready for a second attack on his lead this time from the reigning World Champion. The German was all over and even got in under his team-mates car but in a display of why he is a 5-time World Champion was able to back out of it quick enough that they both continued with minimal disruption. While Rheinard would make a second attempt at taking the lead, Anderson kept his nerve to take a popular win, while 5-seconds back Orlowski completed the Top 3 some 7-seconds ahead of Alexander Hagberg in P4.

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December 9, 2023

Anderson is 1:12 Worlds Top Qualifier

After a thrilling final qualifier at the IFMAR 1:12 World Championship in Florida, Awesomatix’ Kemp Anderson is the overall Top Qualifier for the 21st running of the sport’s longest running electric category. Having kicked off Day 2 of qualifying at Beachline Raceway with a TQ run in Round 4, Anderson would go into the sixth round vying for pole position against racing heavy weights Marc Rheinard and Michal Orlowski. Top Qualifier at the last World Championship, Orlowski’s quest to repeat that result came to a spectacular end after just one lap as he wheelied his Schumacher, the impact breaking a body hanger. Now it was just Anderson and defending World Champion Rheinard in the shoot out. With two TQ runs to his credit, a third TQ run would give Rheinard the top spot. Anderson on the other hand needed to TQ in a new fastest time. A small mistake by Rheinard meant the German had to push hard to get back on terms with the rapid Anderson but that would lead to a much bigger crash that ended his challenge. While rivals were no longer a worry, Anderson knew he was now against the clock needing a new fastest TQ time. While the pressure was enough for his father and newly elected IFMAR President Eric Anderson to stay in the pits, the rest of the those attending the event lined up around the track. Despite the intensity of the biggest moment of his racing career, Anderson delivered with a time 2.5-seconds quicker than the previous best set by Orlowski securing a very popular home TQ for the host nation. With all three drivers having two TQ runs each, overall it will be Orlowski who starts second with Rheinard lining up P3 ahead of Alexander Hagberg with Donny Lia competing the top half of the grid.

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