Red RC » International

October 31, 2018

Florian Joos joins Xray

Xray have announced the signing of up-and-coming Belgian driver, Florian Joos to their Junior team. Florian achieved a podium finish at this year’s IFMAR 1/12th scale World Championships and is a multiple German and Benelux national junior champion. He will campaign Xray’s T4 and X12 platforms at national and international events and he has the following to say:

Ever since I started racing R/C cars, my father has always been very supportive. One of the first advices he gave me, and one I will always remember, is to go for the best possible car. This is why I am so pleased to be joining the Xray team. The quality of the cars is just outstanding and helped me to achieve some good results. Moreover, the help I get from the team drivers regarding setup, driving lines, etc is amazing. Everyone is always ready to give a helping hand. I am truly excited to drive for this great team and will do my best to be a great Xray ambassador. Hope to see you soon at the tracks to share our amazing sport!

Source: Xray [teamXray.com]

October 29, 2018

Ronald Volker ends ETS drought with victory in Vienna

Ronald Volker has finally broken his victory drought that stretched 11 races, all the way back to Mulheim Kaerlich at the beginning of the 16/17 season, having taken the win here in Vienna. Starting from pole position the former World Champion leaves Austria with a solid lead in the points standings, having also taken the bonus point for TQ. Despite some close racing with his long time rival Marc Rheinard, Volker was able to pull a small gap at the end to take the race, with Marc having to settle for 2nd place, just ahead of Alexander Hagberg and Freddy Sudhoff, with reigning Champion Bruno Coelho suffering another difficult race ending up in 5th. Ronald was quick to thank those who made it possible saying ‘I’m super happy to get the overall win for this event, we worked the last few weeks really hard to get the upcoming BD9 in good shape. A special thanks to Hayato and Team Yokomo for this as well as thanks to Jurgen from LRP for the support’. About his race he said ‘A2 was starting well but I struggled with my driving in the middle of the run and I made a few small mistakes on the left part of the track so Marc was very close but I really didn’t want it to go to A3 so I put my head down and got a bit of a gap so I didn’t need to defend’, concluding by saying ‘Very very happy, after a couple of ETS races I finally got the TQ and win again.’

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

October 29, 2018

Matsukura adds first nitro title to World Championship tally

Multiple Electric Onroad World Champion Naoto Matsukura has added a Nitro Touring Car World title to his tally with a very convincing performance at the 1:10 200mm World Championships in Florida. After a messy start which saw Top Qualifier Dario Balestri, Super Pole winner Robert Pietsch and reigning champion Dominic Greiner receive penalties, the Infinity driver quickly stamped his authority on the 1-hour final. By the first round of fuel stops the 200mm rookie, who stopped early at 4:30, had already pulled out over a 6-second lead and such was his lead at the mid race tyre change his crew was able to switch to 4:00 stops ensuring his massive lead was never at risk. At the end the Japanese driver becomes the 8th different World Champion of the class by almost 2-laps. Battling with Tadahiko Sahashi for second place before the Infinity driver suffered a flame out in the final minutes of the race Capricorn’s Kyle Branson would finish second with Team Shepherd’s very quick Eduardo Escandon coming through from the back of the grid to complete the podium at Homestead RC Raceway. Half a lap back Pietsch would recover from his penalty and a bad tyre stop to finish fourth ahead of Mugen team-mate Jeff Hamon, with Greiner, who got a second penalty completing the Top 6. Ending up 9-laps off the lead after running out of fuel, Balestri ended up 7th but his biggest frustration was the length the cars were held on the starting grid. He said his penalty was a result of him trying to make sure his engine didn’t cut.

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

October 28, 2018

A1 win for Ronald Volker

Ronald Volker has taking a straight forward win in the opening modified A-main at the ETS season opener in Vienna. Starting from pole position the Yokomo driver was unchallenged as the chasing pack were held up by their own battles. Alexander Hagberg would manage to get by 2nd place starter Marc Rheinard after a mistake from the Infinity driver allowed the Swede to stick it down the inside. On a track that is very difficult to pass, the rest of the race had little in the way of opportunities and despite a last lap effort by Bruno Coelho on Rheinard, it was a very processional race. Volker, who claimed the bonus championship point for TQ yesterday, said ‘I couldn’t ask for more, basically we are all on the same speed but they were in a battle so I could drive my race, the track was again a bit different’. Asked about his plans for A2 the former champion said ‘it is up to me to put in a clean run and repeat it for A2’.

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

October 28, 2018

DHI Cup 2019 – Announcement

The 2019 edition of the iconic DHI Cup will be held from the 11th to 13th of January 2019 at Sparekassen Fyn Arena. The race will see the running of Touring Modified and Touring Super Stock as well as 2WD Buggy and 4WD Buggy classes on the usual split-track layout. Sign-up for Touring Modified starts on Tuesday the 30th of October at 20:00GMT1+ with sign-up for the Super Stock class being possible an hour later at 21:00GMT1+. Sign-up for the 4WD Buggy class starts on Wednesday the 31st of October at 20:00GMT1+ and for the 2WD Buggy class at 21:00GMT1+ the same day. To offer a sensible time table entries are capped at 60 Modified, 80 Super Stock and 70 each for the Buggy classes. The 2019 edition marks the end of the cup’s cooperation with the Sparekassen Fyn Arena and thus this year’s race will be the last at the iconic spot. Full information on sign-up, hotels etc. can be found on social media here.

October 27, 2018

Greiner to defend title from 4th in Miami

Dominic Greiner will defend his 1:10 200mm World title from 4th on the grid in Miami later this evening. Starting second in the Semi finals, the Serpent driver maintained that position behind pole man Naoto Matsukura to progress to the 1-hour main event at Homestead RC Raceway. In the first of the two Semi finals, it was Tadahiko Sahashi who took the win ahead of Jilles Groskamp and Kyle Branson. Starting from pole and holding an early lead, Andy Moore’s impressive campaign came undone when he lost the brakes on his car. After his demise, No.2 starter Shoki Takahata took control but after building up a lead the Mugen driver’s race faltered when he had the first of a number of flame outs. Flame outs also ended Vice-Champion Alessio Mazzeo’s event while former Champion Meen Vrejrak’s attempt at a second title ended when he had issues with wheels coming off his car. In the second of the 30-minute encounters, Matsukura led home Greiner by a comfortable gap of 4.7 seconds with Teemu Leino completing the Top 3. With their fourth & fifth place times the next fastest two times outside the Top 3 of both Semis, Jeff Hamon and Eduardo Escandon, both having bumped up from the 1/4 finals, complete the Top 10 that will battle to become the 1:10 200mm’s 8th World Champion. Unfortunately for former 1:8 World Champion Simon Kurzbuch there will be no repeat of the result as he came the second 2016 podium finisher to fall by the wayside in the Semis after suffering a number of flame outs.

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

October 27, 2018

Ronald Volker to start from pole at ETS Rd1

Ronald Volker is the top qualifier for the opening round of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series having taken the final round of Qualifying. Set to start on pole position, Marc Rheinard will set off directly behind him while Alexander Hagberg, Bruno Coelho and Freddy Sudhoff complete the top 5. The German Yokomo driver commented, ‘Im very happy to get the overall TQ, it was tough going into Q4 as we all had similar speed’. Having made an adjustment on the rear diff for the final run he said the car felt the best it had done all day, ‘the balance was great so the car was quite easy to drive’. Volker also took the first points on offer, securing the bonus point for TQ, saying ‘we have the extra point and with that feeling going into tomorrow I’m very confident for the finals.’

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

October 27, 2018

Mazzeo progresses to Semi Finals

1:10 200mm Vice-World Champion Alessio Mazzeo’s hopes of going one better this time around are still alive after the Italian won his 1/4 final to progress to the Semi Finals in Miami. Starting on pole for the 20-minute encounter, the Xray driver took victory over another Gubbio finalist Kyle Branson, the Capricorn finishing 4-seconds back. Setting the fastest lap of the race, 2010 Texas World Championship Finalist Shinnosuke Yokoyama completed the Top 3 to progress to the all important Semi’s which will determine who will join Top Qualifier Dario Balestri and Super Pole winner Robert Pietsch in the final. Significant names to end their quest in the first of the 1/4 Finals were 2010 World Champion Ralph Birch and 1:8 legend Lamberto Collari. Having bumped up from the 1/8 final Birch finished 6th after early contact with Yokoyama while Collari, having impressed by topping seeding on his 200mm World debut, had a crash that damaged a front arm leaving him to struggle to the finish in last position.

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