August 23, 2016

Kyle Branson teams up with Infinity

Kyle Branson teams up with Infinity

Creation Model has announced that British talent Kyle Branson has signed to join their factory race team. Branson, who was the runner-up at the 2013 1/8th EFRA Euros, joins a line up of experienced racers, to compete in the on-road nitro classes with Infinity’s 1/8th scale platform and the recently revealed 1/10th scale prototype. Branson will also be continuing to race electric on-road, and contributing to the development of Infinity’s future projects. Branson, a multi-time ENS and Euros A-finalist, made the top ten at this month’s IFMAR Worlds in Gubbio, has the following to say about the deal:

I’m really excited to join creation model to be running their infinity brand car’s. The dedication the team has shown in its short time to establish itself as one of the leading manufacturers is amazing, and I can’t wait to hit the track with their cars. I want to thank Kenji and every body at creation model for the opportunity to represent the team, and look forward to achieving more great results with them.

Source: Creation Model [creationmodel.net]

August 22, 2016

Matsukura is 1:12 World Champion

Matsukura is 1:12 World Champion

Naoto Matsukura is the 1:12 World Champion for a fourth time.  The Japanese ace, who burst onto the international r/c scene when he won his first World title in 2008 aged 15, took back the sport’s biggest prize with an impressive recovery drive to make it 2 wins from 2 in the second A-Main in Beijing.   Starting P2, China being his first Worlds not being the Top Qualifier, Matsukura came out best from a third lap pile up involving the Top 3 to go to the lead but almost immediately threw it away with a mistake of his own dropping back to fifth. With Sobue the new leader, Matsukura set about his recovery with his Roche clearly the fastest car on the track.  On the limit trying to keep his lead and under pressure from Matsukura, Sobue would too lose the lead with a mistake and once passed Matsukura took complete control of the race to win ahead of Rheinard to put himself into the history books as the first driver to hold both the 1:12 and Electric Touring Car World titles simultaneously.  A win of a very entertaining A3 would give Rheinard the overall runner-up spot with 1:12 Worlds debutant Sobue completing the podium for the 18th running of the championships.

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August 22, 2016

Matsukura takes A1 in Beijing

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Naoto Matsukura has won the opening A-Main at the 1:12 World Championships in Beijing.  After shadowing Top Qualifier Marc Rheinard for 3-minutes, the former champion went to the front as the defending champion got sideways right in front of the drivers stand. With Rheinard then left to fend off Sobue, the touring car team-mates coming together, it was clear that the German was struggling.  With Sobue eventually getting through, Rheinard would drop to fifth by the end of the 8-minutes with Hideo Kitazawa getting through for third as well as Keven Hebert.  An inspection of his Yokomo afterwards would find the diff had broken in Rheinard’s car.

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August 22, 2016

Rheinard Top Qualifier at 1:12 Worlds

Rheinard Top Qualifier at 1:12 Worlds

Reigning Champion Marc Rheinard will defend his 1:12 World Championship from the best position possible, the Yokomo driver claiming the honour of Top Qualifier in China this morning.  Having kicked off the final day of the 18th running of the championships with a second TQ run in Q5, the German initially looked set to take pole position with the perfect score of 0 points as he set the pace in the sixth & final qualifier.  On target for a 40-lap run with 4 of the 8-minutes complete, a mistake in the fast chicane on the right side of the track would put him out on the spot as he popped off a trailing link.  With Akio Sobue, the only one who could deny Rheinard the overall TQ, the new pace setter Rheinard would have to watch nervously from the drivers stand as his touring car team-mate looked on target to beat his Q5 which would have given him the overall TQ on the tie break but the CRC driver would make a mistake promoting Naoto Matsukura to the top of the timing screens.  Taking the round by 1.6-second from Sobue, Matsukura’s second TQ run would also see the Top Qualifier of the last four World Championship bump his fellow countryman back to third on the grid.

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August 22, 2016

Rheinard doubles up in Q5

Rheinard doubles up in Q5

Marc Rheinard has become the first driver to double up in qualifying at the 1:12 World Championships in Beijing.  Having ended Day 1 of qualifying by becoming the fourth different driver to top the times when he took Q4, the Yokomo driver picked up were he left off to open the final day of the championship with a TQ run in the penultimate qualifier.  Posting a new fastest time, he would be 3-seconds clear of Akio Sobue, the CRC driver now the only one who can deny the reigning champion the overall TQ. After a bad start to Q5, Naoto Matsukura would recover to complete the Top 3 but the result means that the Top Qualifier of the last four World Championships will for the first time in his career not start the A-Main from pole position.

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August 21, 2016

Rheinard takes Q4 to hold overnight TQ in Beijing

Rheinard takes Q4 to hold overnight TQ in Beijing

Reigning World Champion Marc Rheinard holds the overnight TQ at the 1:12 World Championships after he became the fourth different driver to top the times on the opening day of qualifying in Beijing.  Second fastest in the opening two rounds but retiring from Q3, the Yokomo driver finally took the day’s final qualifier after battles with both Naoto Matsukura and Akio Sobue, Sobue taking the fight to the line finishing 0.152 off the German.  Having allowed Rheinard into contention for a TQ run with two smaller mistakes, Matsukura would make bigger mistakes trying to retake control eventually pulling off in the final minute after a mistake that saw him cut the track.  With Matsukura out of the picture there were plenty more Japanese drivers in waiting with Hayato Ishioka finishing the day with his best run to complete the Top 3 ahead of Hideo Kitazawa who topped the previous round and holds 3rd overall behind Sobue.

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August 21, 2016

Kitazawa 3rd different driver to post TQ at 1:12 Worlds

Kitazawa 3rd different driver to post TQ at 1:12 Worlds

Hideo Kitazawa became the third different driver to post a TQ run at the 1:12 World Championships in Beijing, China, the 2014 podium finisher topping Q3 ahead of the pace setters of the opening two qualifiers.  The Morotech driver snatched the qualifier after a late mistake from Q1 winner Akio Sobue with Q2 topping Naoto Matsukura completing the Top 3 despite his car falling apart over the 8-minutes.  With earlier mistakes from Matsukura and Sobue handing Hayato Ishioka the lead for a time until he too became a victim of the difficult track to eventually finish 4th.  After run time issues in both opening qualifiers, Jilles Groskamp would be the only non Japanese driver in the Top 8, the Dutchman getting a sixth while the top European of the first two qualifiers Marc Rheinard retired after damaging his car.  With two P2 runs to his credit, the reigning World Champion was less then complimentary of the driving standards of Matsukura who he felt should have opened for Sobue but instead caused ‘a mess’.

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August 21, 2016

Matsukura gets it done in Q2

Matsukura gets it done in Q2

Having faded badly after a blistering start to Q1, Naoto Matsukura was able to go the full 8-minutes in the second qualifier at the 1:12 World Championships to TQ the round ahead of Marc Rheinard.  The Roche driver would be the only one to run 39-laps of the tricky Chinese track with Rheinard losing out on the extra lap as he failed to complete the full distance as his car dumped and came to a halt as he tried to complete the 39th lap. Having taken the opening qualifier, Akio Sobue would retire with a broken diff just before the 6-minute mark with Keven Hebert making up for his Q1 retirement to complete the Top 3.  Just 0.056 behind Morotech’s Hideo Kitazawa who would enjoy a P4 run with Juho Levanen again getting securing a fifth for the round.

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