Red RC » Events

August 29, 2016

Volker finally gets his World title after dramatic A3 in China

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Ronald Volker has finally got the World title he so desperately chased for the last number of years. Widely recognised as the one world’s best touring car driver as he reigned over the highly competitive Euro Touring Series for five consecutive seasons, the Electric Touring Car World Championship have eluded him and his long time Yokomo engineer Yukijiro Umino, but that all changed in a dramatic closing A-Main in Beijing this evening. With Top Qualifier and A1 winner Bruno Coelho favourite to lift the title despite handing Volker a win with a mistake in A2, a change in track conditions would catch out the Xray driver. Losing the rear of his car early in the opening lap and jumping the curbing, Volker would go to the front only to get hit by Coelho in the chicane bunching up the field and making for a dramatic couple of laps. With Volker somehow getting back the lead he lost corners earlier as Coelho and Marc Rheinard came together, once in front he never looked back as further carnage gave him an unassailable lead. Of the carnage the biggest benefactor would be Viktor Wilck, finishing 2nd in A3, he would take a surprise first Worlds podium finish getting third behind Coelho.

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August 27, 2016

Coelho hands A2 win to Volker

With one hand on the sport’s greatest prize, Bruno Coelho handed his only real rival of the 2016 World Championship Ronald Volker a lifeline when he rolled out of a comfortable lead over the German. Having convincingly won A1, A2 would be less easy for the Xray driver but he still had the advantage over the Yokomo of Volker but as the race entered the second half he would catch the curb at the chicane before the front straight and rolled. With Volker going to the front, the Top Qualifier would rejoin in second such was the pairs advantage over the field but he couldn’t do anything about catching the new leader. Behind, Marc Rheinard would benefit from Akio Sobue making contact with third place starter Alexander Hagberg to take a distant third.

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August 27, 2016

Easy A1 win for Coelho

Bruno Coelho took a dominant win the opening A-Main at the Touring Car World Championship, the Top Qualifier in a different class to his rivals in Beijing. While the win didn’t come as any major surprise, the fashion in which the Xray driver took charge of the race was still impressive but as he checked out it was the battle for second that provided the entertainment. Starting P2, but it clearly visible he was struggling, Yokomo’s Ronald Volker would fall into the clutches of Alexander Hagberg and later Akio Sobue for an epic battle for second. While Hagberg would throw everything at Volker they would finish as they started, with Christopher Krapp the only driver to finish higher than he qualified taking his Tamiya to 5th.

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August 27, 2016

Final qualifier in Beijing shows Coelho still in command

Having wrapped up the overall TQ honours yesterday in the penultimate round of qualifying, Bruno Coelho used the final round of qualifying at the Electric Touring Car World Championships to show his rivals that he is still in command in China. Coelho would head an Xray 1-2 in the sixth qualifier, topping the time sheets for a fifth time with a 2.5-seconds advantage over team-mate Alexander Hagberg. With second on the grid already locked up, Yokomo’s Ronald Volker would get 3rd for the closing qualifier ahead of long time arch rival Marc Rheinard, the 3-time World Champion set to start 5th on the grid his worst every Worlds starting position.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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