August 9, 2016

Balestri top seed for qualifying at WC

Dario Balestri is the top seed for qualifying at the Nitro Touring Car World Championships in Italy.  The Capricorn driver topped today’s controlled practice ranking thanks to setting the fastest times in both the third & fourth rounds with a drivers best two of four rounds determining the qualifying heat order. Topping the final qualifying in a faster time than CP3, most drivers pleased to see an end to practice, Balestri was quickest from Mugen driver Robert Pietsch but in the overall ranking it was the Mugen of CP2 pace setter Takaaki Shimo who would finish up second.   Although the final practice would be his worst round as he got a P6, Balestri’s team-mate Luca Redaelli completed the Top 3 ahead of quickest man of the day Dominic Greiner.

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

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August 9, 2016

Balestri sets pace in 3rd controlled practice

Dario Balestri has set the pace in the third round of controlled practice at the World Championships in Gubbio, the Italian heading a Capricorn 1-2 from team-mate Luca Redaelli. The third different driver to top the time sheets today, Balestri took full advantage of the hot conditions as the morning’s pace setter Dominic Greiner struggled with the rising temperature. Star of yesterday’s free practice, Simon Kurzbuch would complete the Top 3 for a strong points haul, the heat seeding for qualifying being determined by each drivers best two points finishes over the four controlled practice rounds.

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August 9, 2016

Austin & Lightfoot win at Deerdale Summer Series Rd5

This past weekend saw round 5 of the Deerdale Summer Series. Mike Lightfoot was looking to seal the overall electric championship and Carlo De Marco and Dan Austin were both in with a shot at the nitro title with just one round to go. In Nitro Buggy, Dan Austin took the TQ with ahead of team mate Carlo De Marco in second who had suffered engine problems throughout the day. Daniel managed to convert the TQ into a win in the final after an early exit from Carlo suffering engine issues again whilst leading the final.

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August 9, 2016

Honkanen & Ruotsalainen win at Finnish 1/8th Nats Rd3

The third round of the Finnish 1/8th Off-road Nationals was held in Vantaan vauhtikeskus. The event attracted all of the country’s top drivers including Joona Haatanen and Ari Heinonen. 1/8th Nitro Buggy qualifying was a tight affair with Ari Heinonen ultimately taking the overall TQ. The final’s track conditions then were pretty good after a rain shower and it was Markku Honkanen to take a maiden championship win in the 45-minute main final after both Ari Heinonen and Joona Haatanen ran into problems. Elsewhere in 1/8th E-Buggy Lauri Ruotsalainen took an easy TQ only to score a DNF in the opening A-main. With wins in A2 and A3 he made up for the problems though as he was able to walk away with the day’s win.

View the E-Buggy podium here

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August 9, 2016

Shimo fastest in CP2 in Gubbio

Factory Mugen driver Takaaki Shimo was fastest in the second round of control practice at the Nitro Touring Car World Championships in Italy. As expected the round would produce slower times than the morning’s opening round with the Japanese driver fastest from Luca Redaelli.  With CP1 pace setter Dominic Greiner doing an engine change and struggling to get a good tune on it leaving him with a P8 in the hotter conditions, Alessio Mazzeo would be the quickest Serpent completing the Top 3 ahead of Dario Balestri.

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

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August 9, 2016

7th annual oOple Invernational race – Report

The 7th annual oOple Invernational race was held at the regular venue, the fantastic all-weather astro-turf track at Robin Hood Raceway in Blyth, Nottinghamshire. oOple events co-ordinator extraordinaire Damian Whittle and his crew had been working behind the scenes for months to pull together not only the annual Invernational race, but a full calendar of Summer outdoor oOple off-road events, as well as releasing dates for this year’s oOple Indoor Winter Series. After four rounds of qualifying Polish star Michal Orlowski lined up second in 2WD behind Craig Collinson, with Ben Jemison, James Helliwell, and Eugene Galley in third to fifth.

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August 9, 2016

Greiner tops 1st controlled practice

Dominic Greiner picked up where he left off yesterday to top the first round of controlled practice at the Nitro Touring Car World Championships in Gubbio, Italy, this morning.  The Serpent driver set the fastest 3-consecutive laps with an almost identical time to that which saw him top free practice last night.  Just 0.009 slower this morning, he was fastest from Dario Balestri with Takaaki Shimo completing the Top 3.

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

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August 9, 2016

Danish Electric Off-road Nationals Rd5 – Report

Round five of the Danish Electric Off-road Nationals was held at the RCKongen outdoor carpet track. In the 2WD class the battle for the top spots was on between Mike, Frederik, Marcus and Jesper. In the opening qualifier Marcus and Mathias were the lucky winners due rain in middle of the top heat. Jesper and Jonas made it 3rd and 4th while others from the top heat were out of a main pace. For the final qualifiers the track was still wet and Frederik TQ’d the second round just in front of Jesper meaning the overall TQ would be decided in Q3. Meanwhile Mike chose to drop the 2WD race due to the rain and up front Jesper TQ’d the last round in front of Jonas. This handed Jesper the pole position for the mains from Marcus and Frederik.

Continue reading the report here

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