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March 31, 2017

Maifield to make EOS debut at season finale

American offroad ace Ryan Maifield is to make his Euro Offroad Series debut with the confirmation he will travel to the season finale of the five round championship in Wels, Austria (21-23 April). Joining Yokomo’s 1:10 Offroad team for the 2017 season, the 4-times EOS Champion manufacturer will be hoping the input of their high profile signing will lead to the team’s first win of Season #6 since Marc Rheinard won the season opener. With both EOS buggy title’s having been decided at Arena 33 in Germany earlier this month, all drivers will be targeting the win to cap off the season with Maifield’s participation adding an extra dimension to winning at Austria’s largest Hobby Show. Featured on the Euro Touring Series calendar last year, the Modellbau Wels show attracted over 30,000 visitors. At last season’s finale, held at the Nurburgring, Maifield’s great rival Ryan Cavalieri became the first American to win a round of the indoor carpet track based championship but it wasn’t the Team Associated driver’s first EOS outing. Accompanying Maifield on the trip will be the Arizona driver’s longtime sponsor Jason Ruona whose JConcepts brand is an associated sponsor of this year’s Euro Offroad Series.

Source: Euro Offroad Series [eurooffroadseries.com]

March 31, 2017

Hobbywing sign Naoto Matsukura

Hobbywing have announced the signing of multi-time IFMAR World Champion, Naoto Matsukura to their factory team. The Infinity driver will use Hobbywing brushless speed controller and motors in all of his electric rides in 2017 and he has the following to say about the deal:

I am very happy to join Hobbywing team. I tested 1:10 off-road power combos last month and found it super good. Then I decided to use Hobbywing power in CETC first round to feel it on my touring car and it worked amazing. I think Hobbywing can provide me the best combos in all my electric classes. Thanks to Hobby and Sekido for this good opportunity.

Source: Hobbywing [hobbywing.com]

March 31, 2017

Michele Manzo wins at Team Associated International GP

The Team Associated International GP was recently held at the Indoor Racing Chilleli track in Scrivia in the four classes of Touring Modified, Touring Stock Expert, Touring Stock, and Formula. On the high-grip asphalt track and after winning three of the three qualifiers, Yokomo’s Michele Manzo took the TQ in the Touring Modified class. In the triple mains Michele continued to dominate, taking the day’s win from Team Associated’s Juho Levanan and Xray driver Andrea Valerio.

Source: Yokomo [teamyokomo.com]

March 28, 2017

Capricorn welcome back Marc Fischer

Capricorn have announced the return of German frontrunner, Marc Fischer to their electric on-road racing team. After reaching the World Championship A-main in Beijing last August, Marc is ready to be back working together with the Italian company, racing and developing the TE-03 Evo platform through to 2018. Marc has the following to say about the deal:

I want to thank VBC, Victor Law and Carven for the short but good times. Now i am really looking forward to return to Capricorn after the A Main at the Worlds in China. I really want to thank Patrizio Rossi for the chance he gave me to race for him and for Capricorn one more time. My First Race with the TE-03 will be the ETS in Madrid, follow by the Euros, Reedy Race and all other ETS Races which will follow. I signed a contract until 2018 Worlds in South Africa, so I will have the time to prepare and am really happy about it.

Source: Capricorn [capricornrc.com]

March 27, 2017

Infinity 1-2 at CETC opening race

After two very busy days of racing, the opening round of the CETC presented by Infinity has come to an end. The Infinity team of Sobue and Matsukura has achieved the best possible result against some very tough competition taking a 1-2 in the modified class. Having sewn up the race win early, Sobue decided to stand and watch A3 from the drivers stand and cheer on his team mate and good friend Matsukura and the former World Champion didn’t disappoint with a blistering run to record the only 28 lap run of the entire event to finish up the event in Guangzhou in the best possible way. Serpent factory driver Viktor Wilck also had a great run in A3 taking 2nd place again and securing himself the final spot on the podium. Having almost collided earlier in the race, while running 2nd and 3rd, Yokomo team mates Naoki Akiyama and Nicolas Lee eventually touched just as the race passed halfway, the accident giving Wilck the chance to get by and dropping the Yokomo drivers to 3rd and 4th which meant Yokomo would miss out on the podium.

Continue reading this report here of view the full event coverage here.

March 27, 2017

Ielasi & Mazzeo win at EFRA GP Series opener

Daniele Ielasi took the win at the first round of the EFRA GP Series in what was a surprising twist of events, the former 1/10 200mm World Champion producing an excellent performance and his package proving to be tough and consistent in a final that saw a lot of drama. The main kicked off with Simon Kurzbuch starting well from pole and never letting anyone come near to his lead, and despite a charging Balestri trying hard to keep his Infinity in contact with the Shepherd, the Swiss managed to open a gap. Behind them it would be Collari, Picco and Ielasi swapping positions with the latter settling into 3rd, Picco 4th and Collari dropped down to 8th with a broken glow plug. Right after the 25 minutes mark Balestri would crash his Infinity into the barriers entering the straight, the heavy contact leaving the Italian with a broken rear left wishbone and promoting the fighting duo of Ielasi and Picco into podium positions, with Vrijelink now 4th.

Continue reading the report here

March 26, 2017

Akio Sobue becomes first ever CETC Top Qualifier

The fourth and final round of qualifying saw Akio Sobue successfully take the first CETC overall TQ honour in the Infinity Modified class, the Worlds Finalist quickly setting off from the grid and never looking back. Right behind him Naoki Akiyama crossed the finish line 1.4 seconds later to take 2nd place for the round and secure 2nd overall on the grid. Newly signed Sunpadow driver Naoto Matsukura showed good pace again with only one mistake, the Japanese driver took 3rd place this round and with 1 point less than Akiyama will start 3rd overall. ‘Using old tires’ Nicolas Lee wasn’t competitive and could only take 5th for the round and 4th overall while Viktor Wilck’s quest for the TQ was over after retiring following a traction roll and so he would claim 5th on the grid for the triple A-mains.

Continue reading this report here of view the full event coverage here.

March 25, 2017

Naoki Akiyama ends Day 1 of CETC with TQ run

The first day of the opening round of the CETC presented by Infinity has just come to an end with the conclusion of the 2nd round of qualifying and it was Yokomo driver Naoki Akiyama who successfully hit back by taking Q2 with ease, the top heat seeing a lot of mistakes. After the young Japanese driver it was Serpent ace Viktor Wilck who took 2nd place, both drivers benefiting from consistent driving. Missing out on 27 laps by 0.07 seconds Viktor was just behind Akiyama by little over a second. Sitting in the lead for the first minute Akio Sobue could not hold his Infinity car on the driving line and although he made two serious mistakes the Japanese driver could still come back from 7th place to finish 3rd. Thinking himself ‘lucky’ Japanese National Champion got 4th place for the round, humbly stating that many people made a mistake, while Infinity driver Naoto Matsukura and Xpress driver Hay Lai again completed the top 6. Sitting in 2nd place for the first minute and half, Xray driver Gary Huang retired after 2 mistakes.

Continue reading this report here of view the full event coverage here.