Red RC » Electric

August 26, 2016

Coelho is Top Qualifier in China

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Bruno Coelho is Top Qualifier for the Electric Touring Car World Championships. The Xray driver, who burst onto the scene at the last World Championship two years ago in the US, secured pole position in Beijing with a fourth TQ run in the penultimate qualifier. With only Ronald Volker able to deny the 2014 Vice Champion the overall TQ, just half a lap into the fifth round the Yokomo driver’s challenge was done as he suffered a driveshaft failure but Coelho wanted it on merit and did so with a new fastest 5-minute pace. Behind Alexander Hagberg would make it an Xray 1-2 with Jilles Groskamp completing the Top 3 from Marc Rheinard. Unfortunately for current World Champion Naoto Matsukura, who had the high of winning a fourth 1:12 World title earlier in the week, his touring car campaign hasn’t improved and the Japanese driver will not be defending his title as with just one more qualifier to run he is ranked 19th overall.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.

August 26, 2016

’17 Reedy Off-road Race of Champions – Announcement

'17 Reedy Off-road Race of Champions – Announcement

Team Associated have announced that the 2017 edition of the famous Reedy International Off-road Race of Champions will be held from January 19th to 22nd at OCRC Raceway in Huntington Beach, California. With three solid years of hosting the Reedy Race under its belt, OCRC remains the “Home of the Reedy Race” and the event continues to grow in popularity and prestige. On many racers’ “Bucket List,” the atmosphere and intensity of the race draws spectators and fans in from around the world, even if it’s just to watch and be a part of the most exciting race of the year. Entries for the 2017 Reedy International Off-Road Race of Champions open at noon, PST on September 1, 2016 exclusively on rcsignup.com and close October 16, 2016 at midnight, PST. As in previous years, the event features its traditional 2WD Open and 4WD Open classes along with the combined 2WD/4WD Invitational format. More information about the race can be found here and here.

August 26, 2016

Bruno takes Q4, Volker crashes out

Having conceded Q3 to Ronald Volker with a series of driver errors Bruno Coelho jumped back into control of qualifying at the Touring Car World Championship in China. Claiming his third TQ run, the Xray driver was to top the fourth round ahead of Marc Fischer as his so far closest rival Volker crashed on the final lap breaking his Yokomo when a P2 was on the cards. Running in the same heat as Fischer, heat 14 of 15, Akio Sobue would get a third followed by Alexander Hagberg, both drivers not happy with the cars for the round. Having broken into the Top 6 for the first time in the previous round, Marc Rheinard would again post a P5 run ahead Yokomo’s Nicholas Lee.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.

August 26, 2016

Volker capitalises to take Q3 at WC

Ronald Volker has TQ’ the third round of qualifying, the Yokomo driver capitalising on a number of mistakes from Q1 & 2 pace setter Bruno Ceolho. Running in the second fastest heat at the World Championships, Akio Sobue would set the benchmark for the top heat with an impressive time which Volker would just manage to better, his advantage over the 5-minutes only 0.095 of a second. For Coelho, who ran a slower time than Q2 while everyone else went faster, the round would give the Xray driver a P3 ahead of team-mate Alexander Hagberg. Having struggled in the opening two qualifiers just scraping Top 10 times, Q3 would be a big step forward for Marc Rheinard as he posted the fifth fastest time the gap to the TQ pace down from over 5 to 1.8-seconds.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.

August 26, 2016

Coelho again in Q2

Having concluded yesterday’s action by taking the opening round of qualifying, Bruno Coelho continues to be the man to beat at the Electric Touring Car World Championships in China. With four rounds of qualifying on today’s schedule, the Xray driver opened the third day of the event with a second TQ run again having the edge over Yokomo Ronald Volker. With Volker setting the early pace, its a blue sky sunny morning in Beijing, Coelho would put in a strong second half to top the times by 1.4 seconds. Behind them Alexander Hagberg would complete the Top 3, the Swede getting ahead of Q1 P3 finisher Viktor Wilck.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.

August 26, 2016

2018 ISTC Worlds awarded to South Africa

SouthAfricaWorlds

South Africa will host the next IFMAR ISTC World Championships. The decision to award the 10th running of the Touring Car Worlds along with the 1:12 World Championship was made during the current World Championships taking place in Beijing, China. A former host country, with the city of Krugersdorp venue of the 2002 Worlds won by Surikarn Chaidajsuriya, the 2018 event will take place in the city of Welkom at the Welkom R/C Club facility. With it originally expected no applications would be received from the FAMAR Block, therefore the hosting of the next Worlds falling back to the current FEMCA hosts, South Africa was the only country to submit a presentation. While no dates have been set it is expected the race with most like run in the month of May which is the end of their Summer.

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August 25, 2016

Coelho takes opening qualifier at WC

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Bruno Coelho has TQ’d the opening round of qualifying at the Electric Touring Car World Championship in China. As predicted by his rivals, the Xray driver was fastest as the timing switched to 5-minutes with him topping the first of six scheduled qualifiers. Setting the fastest lap by over 1/10th of a second, Coelho would take Q1 by almost 2.5 seconds from Ronald Volker, the Yokomo driver having led away the top heat after setting the fastest three laps of the final control practice. Topping the two rounds of seeding practice, Viktor Wilck completed the Top 3 a second back on Volker, with Alexander Hagberg opening his campaign with a P4.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.

August 25, 2016

China to host 2017 IFMAR EP Offroad Worlds

3Circles

With China in the middle of hosting it’s first IFMAR World Championships, and doing a superb job of putting on the 9th 1/12th & ISTC Worlds in Beijing, the country is now set for its second World Championship as the venue for next year’s 1:10 Electric Offroad World Championships has been decided. The 17th running of the championships, the week long FEMCA block event will be held near the city of Xiamen, which in the south east of the country, at the ARC International Raceway. Having hosted this year’s Chinese National Championships, and with many touring car drivers using its asphalt track for pre Worlds testing, the impressive facility which is part of the 3-Circles battery factory, will build a new dirt track for the WC on the same location as it is current 1/8th scale offroad track. With Red RC having been to the facility to cover the Chinese Nationals and been impressed by the facility, and currently in Beijing for the ISTC Worlds where we have experienced first hand the high standard of event China can put on, we believe this will be an event to remember.

View more images of the facility, here, here & here.