Red RC » International

July 3, 2013

Paul Lemieux confirmed for ETS Season Finale

Xray have confirmed that multiple US National Champion Paul Lemieux will compete at the season finale of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series at the Hudy Arena in Slovakia from the 19th to 21st of July. The Factory Xray driver has made a number of appearances at the World renowned series, his most recent coming last year at the fifth round of the championship in the Netherlands, prior to him winning the Worlds warmup race. Fielding a strong factory team, Xray are looking to put on a good showing at what is the company’s test track, with Paul being joined by ETS regulars Alexander Hagberg, Magnus Vassmar & Martin Hudy and in Pro Stock, Championship leader, Marek Cerny who is looking to wrap up the title. Set to be a spectacular battle on track, the Hudy Arena have been pulling out all the stops to ensure that everything is equally spectacular off track as well, going so far as organising tours of the Xray factory to all racers wishing to get a rare glimpse behind the scenes of this state of the art facility. For those wishing to compete in this the final race of our sixth season, entries are still open here and more information can be found here.

July 2, 2013

2013 IRCC Airport Race – Report

2013 IRCC Airport Race – report

The annual IRCC Airport Race took place at the Chubu International Airport in Japan. The carpet race track was set-up in the airport’s event place making it easy for foreign competitors to enter the race. A total of seven classes was run at the meeting that saw legend RC driver Masami Hirosaka attending both in the Stock Touring and 1/12 GT class. The race catered mainly for Japanese drivers but the attendance of Scotty Ernst, who not only announced several of the finals but who also attended the meeting as a driver, gave the IRCC an international touch. Another noticeable international contender was Jonathan Chia, a Singapore Airlines pilot who landed on Sunday morning and joined the race straight after. Although he missed the first day of the event, he enjoyed the race and considers to come again next year when the organisers aim to create an even more international race.

Thanks to Atsushi Hasegawa for sending the report.

July 2, 2013

Control tires for IFMAR 1/8th Worlds

IFMAR have made a surprise announcement that they will run control tires at this year’s 1/8th Worlds in Japan. This is in response to the ongoing tire treatment story which it says “…is a poison that keeps drivers at home and for sure also the reason a lot of drivers stopped in 2012. Although we are able to detect the majority of the products that are available there is still a market and this market tries to make products that are more and more difficult to detect. It is like doping in all sport activities, there will always be people that want to try it and people that produce it.” It will however not be a single brand control tire but in fact a control tire from multiple manufacturers as long as they will be supplying at least 10 drivers at the event. All tires from all brands must be identical in diameter as well as shore and they will be accepting applications from tire companies in the next 2 weeks. Read the full statement here (PDF).

July 1, 2013

2013 Nordic Championships – Announcement

2013 Nordic Championships - Announcement

This year’s Nordic Championships for 1/8th offroad will be held in Vantaan Vauhtikeskus, Finland from the 2nd to the 4th of August. Your standard Nordics format, best 2 from 4 rounds of qualifying with EFRA style finals, the track has a clay surface with approximately 5 jump combinations with lap times of about 39-40 seconds. Entries are open until the 27th of July so if you wish to compete against the best Scandinavians then get signed up. You can find more information here (PDF).

July 1, 2013

Robert Batlle wins 2013 Trofeo Novarossi

Last weekend was the annual Trofeo Novarossi took place on the fantastic Gussago track in Italy and World Champion Robert Batlle (Mugen/Novarossi/ProCircuit/Nitrolux) sent us this report. ‘We arrived on friday morning to visit Novarossi Factory as every year, amazing factory for one of the best engine manufacturers in the world. The weather on Thursday was terrible and we had to wait until Friday afternoon to start practice. We could make only 4 or 5 tanks due to the day was finished. Saturday was sunny and the race could start. There were a lot of good drivers like the well known 2013 French champion Jerome Aigoin, the 2013 European B Champion Marco “Vale tutto” Baruffolo, Italian Champion Davide Tortorici, the young Italian star Davide Ongaro, Alex Zanchettin, Alessandro Stocco, Novarossi’s engineer Federico Sala, and more… also Mrs Grazia, Mr Cesare Rossi and all Novarossi crew were watching us during the race. Qualyfing was a fight for TQ between Jerome and myself, the first round was won by Jerome, second, third and fourth went to myself, and the last round was the Italian driver Del Petre who got it. Sunday was even warmer than Saturday so we had to drive on hard compounds to be able to make a whole semi or final. There was a fight during almost all Semi A for the win between Tortorici and myself, he had a mistake which allowed me to win so Davide finished second. In Semi B the two fast guys were Aigoin and Baruffolo but both had problems so they couldn’t win, even though they were able to bump up to the main final. In the final we started really well with no mistakes while all the others got together, so we could take advantage which allowed us to win this race. Second spot went for Jerome Aigoin and third the young Ongaro.’

Thanks to Robert Batlle for the report.

June 30, 2013

Groskamp wins ENS in Austria

Jilles Groskamp has won Round 2 of the Euro Nitro Series ‘Pilot Series’ in Austria, the Shepherd driver taking the victory over Round 1 winner Eric Dankel, just 3-seconds separating them at the end of the 45-minute encounter. Former European Champion Dirk Wischnewski competed the Top 3 for the race which saw Top Qualifier Robert Pietsch suffer two on-track engine flame outs, the first of which happened on lap 3 while the Mugen driver was leading the 12-car field. Eventually finishing 8th, there was some consolation for the German as he claimed victory in 1:8 ahead of former European Champion Jernej Vuga.

View our complete event coverage here.

June 29, 2013

Pietsch ‘Top Qualifier’ for ENS Race 2

Robert Pietsch is the Top Qualifier for Race 2 of the Euro Nitro Series ‘Pilot Series’ taking place in Austria after he completed a hat trick of TQ runs in the third round of qualifying to wrap up early pole position for the tomorrow’s 1:10 and 1:8 A-Main finals. The German’s closest rivals in the opening two qualifiers, Jilles Groskamp and Eric Dankel, both crashed in Q3 and retired allowing him to take the round unchallenged ahead of Serpent’s Dominic Greiner and a much improved Dirk Wischnewski. In 1:8 which is lacking the dept of field seen at Race 1 in Hockenheim, Pietsch was easily the class of the field topping the times by over 6-seconds from the Shepherd of Euro B Champion Daniel Sieber and Xray’s Jernej Vuga.

View our complete event coverage here.

June 29, 2013

Pietsch tops opening ENS qualifier in Austria

Robert Pietsch set the pace in the opening round of qualifying at Race 2 of the the Euro Nitro Series in Austria this morning, the Mugen driver topping the 4-minute qualifier ahead of Shepherd’s Jilles Groskamp. The only drivers to record 14 laps of the Stöhr-Ring track, the pair were separated by just 3/10ths with Capricorn’s Eric Dankel the fastest driver on 13 laps in third. Pietsch would make it the perfect morning by also topping the times in 1:8 from Serpent’s Toni Gruber with the Xray of former European Champion Jernej Vuga completing the Top 3.

View our complete event coverage here.