Viper R/C have announced the addition of German electric onroad ace Marc Fischer to their fast growing racing team. Marc’s proven talent will help team Viper to maximize the product performance in all major events in 2014 including DHI Race, Snowbirds, TITC, EOS, ETS and IFMAR Worlds. Marc will also be heavily involved in the new product development and European distribution support in 2014.
Source: Viper R/C [viper-rc.com]
This past weekend was the second round of the season for the Top Notch Winter Series. Averaging about 200 entries at each event, the TNS is continuing to grow and be very successful. Round number two was held at Coyote Hobbies in sunny Victorville, CA. With just under 300 entries and 33 heats this would be a very competitive and fun day of racing. Team Associated/Reedy’s Kevin Motter and his B4.2 Factory Team with Centro conversion were on point in the first round of 2WD Modified Buggy qualifying. He set the early TQ and the time to beat. As the first round went exceptionally well for the young driver, the second round brought a a couple bobbles and Motter lost the overall TQ. Starting from second on the grid, Motter had his work cut out for him.
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Team Yokomo have confirmed the signing of British ace Lee Martin to their international team. The former Tamiya driver has won numerous British National and European titles throughout his career and his vast racing experience and knowledge is certain to help the Japanese company strengthen their off-road racing efforts and product development. Lee’s first race with the team will be at the EOS race in Berlin, and will be joined by his teammates Naoto Matsukura, Ronald Volker, Yannic Prumper, and fellow UK countryman Jack Embling. The team will be using the B-MAX2 2wd and recently released B-MAX4 III 4wd buggies.
Source: Yokomo [teamyokomo.com]
Horizon Hobby UK have announced the return of Ellis Stafford to the UK/EU TLR team for 2014. Widely respected for his development skills as well as his on-track pace, the former double European Champion will concentrate on TLR’s 22 2.0 and 22-4 electric platforms and will help spearhead the company’s European 1:10 race program alongside young Dutch sensation Wesley van Helmond. Ellis had this to say:
I’d like to start by saying thank you to Durango but now a new chapter has started, or should I say continues. Joining back with TLR is an exciting adventure and having spent 16 years with Horizon and 12 years with Losi before this really does feel like I’m coming home again. I’m looking forward to running the 22 2.0 to see just how good it is and I’m really excited to get my hands on the 22-4 fairly soon to see just what that can bring us.
Source: Horizon Hobby UK [horizonhobby.co.uk]
After much speculation about his future, multiple European Champion Hupo Honigl has been confirmed at Team C. Having announced that he was leaving Durango some weeks ago, the Austrian racer now joins the Absima Team C Europe racing team and will not only strengthen their race team but help with the development of Team C’s line of offroad cars. Hupo had this to say:
First of all I would like to say thank you to Team Durango for the support over the last couple of years. It was a great time and I would do everything in the same way again! It was a really hard decision, mainly because of the teamwork with my friends Gerd Strenge and Jörn Neumann and also the rest of the awesome crew at the racetrack! Now I´m looking forward to a new Chapter! I appreciate the pleasant welcome from Stephen Shih and Jürgen Laux to my new home Team C. In the first year i would like to concentrate on racing 1/10 offroad mainly in Europe – if there is any spare time some 1/8th buggy and maybe some electric touring car. Full of motivation I can´t wait for the first race with my new rides!
Source: Absima [absima.rc-car-news.de]
The 4th round of the Mibosport Cup 2013/14 was held in Hrotovice again last weekend. A total of 150 drivers from 5 European countries signed up for the event with 87 drivers attending in the on-road and 58 in the off-road classes. Qualifying of the Touring Car Modified class didn’t end up well for top Czech driver Radek Flek, who had to finish all the qualifying sessions early due to technical problems with electronics and qualified only to the final C. Michal Orlowski (POL) took the TQ ahead of Kuba Šimurda (CZE) and David Nemček (SVK). The first final won Michal Orlowski, with Kuba Šimurda and Jiří Vyšín (CZE) behind. Michal Orlowski had to retire from the second final meaning Kuba Šimurda took the victory ahead of David Nemček and Jiří Vyšín. Michal Orlowski made a comfortable pace and won the third final ahead of Kuba Šimurda and David Nemček. The overall first place went to Michal Orlowski with Kuba Šimurda and David Nemček completing the podium. Final B was won by Tomáš Marek (CZE) and the final C by Radek Flek.
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Oli Meggitt and his Essex Winter Series team announce a brand new event for 2014. The inaugural International Carpet Challenge will be held over the weekend of 22nd-23rd February 2014 at the popular EWS venue in the South-East of the UK. After a record-breaking sell out year for the EWS Championship, the team have put together a special multi-day meeting to showcase the best in indoor Touring Car racing. Drawing on their experiences of organising the largest Touring Car championship in the UK, the organising team intend to bring elements of the big European races to the UK as well. The event, that has already attracted confirmed entries from European Podium finisher Elliott Harper, UK National Champion Chris Grainger, and four-time World Champion David Spashett, will run to a typical ‘big race’ format, and additionally feature a Dash For Cash event on the Saturday night. Classes will be available for 17.5 ‘Blinky’/Zero Timing, 13.5 ‘Open’ and Modified Touring Cars, as well as a special HPI Vintage Challenge class. Full details of the event, including location, hotels, rules and booking in are available here.
The third round of the Essex Winter Series took place the weekend before Christmas. Another capacity entry saw everyone wanting to take home the last win of 2013 and, hopefully, carry that momentum through into the new year. In the Muchmore Modified class, Schumacher’s Matt White drew first blood as he topped round one of qualifying from James Hart and multi-time World Champion, David Spashett, who was making his debut at the UK’s most popular indoor winter series. James fought back to take his Xray to the fastest time in round two, ahead of Kyle Branson and Matt. Kyle again demonstrated his pace with both electric as well as nitro racing, as he set the fastest time in the third qualifier, ahead of the defending EWS Pro Stock Champion Paul Pinkney. James Hart then took the decisive fourth round, to secure pole position from Kyle, Matt and Paul.
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