Red RC » International

March 24, 2009

Robert Pietsch takes French EFRA GP win

The opening 1/8th scale EFRA GP of the year was held last weekend outside Paris in a town called Aulnay. The 81 drivers, split between 4wd Open and 2wd Classic, were presented with a fast smooth track and the weather, while cool, stayed dry. Qualifying for the 4wd class saw Mugen racer Robert Pietsch take the pole position in front of the Serpent pairing of World Vice Champion Andrea Cristiani and John Ermen, with another Mugen, that of Rick V. taking the final direct qualifying position in 4th. The 45 minute final started with Robert going straight into the lead, but a mistake behind from Cristiani saw him lose a lot of time in the pits to repair a broken crystal. Behind Pietsch the battle was between John and Rick, but then Ermen too had mechanical problems and had to join early retiree Walter Salemi in watching the race from the stands. With the top 2 positions locked out, the battle was for 3rd spot and this was between Shepherd main man Patrick Schaefer and French racer Louis Christophe with the German holding the 3rd spot, but a crash while passing a lapped car lost the Velox driver over a lap and allowed Louis into the 3rd spot to take the final podium place behind Rick V. in 2nd and Robert Pietsch in 1st, a lap clear up front.

Click here to see the final results

March 23, 2009

Surikarn Chaidajsuriya confirmed at Xray

2002 IFMAR World Champion Surikarn Chaidajsuriya has confirmed that he has signed a deal with Xray for the next 2 years. The former Hot Bodies factory driver had raced a Xray car at this years TITC, but a deal had not been struck at that point and so following some negotiations Surikarn will now race both electric and gas touring car, as well as 1/8th scale off road, for the Slovakian manufacturer. The Thai driver won the ITSC World Championships for Tamiya when the event was held in South Africa, but has struggled to recreate that winning form on the international scene in recent times, something a move to Xray will look to rectify.

March 22, 2009

Cavalieri take 4wd Mod at Cactus Classic

The 23rd Annual Cactus Classic was held this past weekend in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona. The weather was perfect all week reaching up to the mid 80’s and the event attracted all the major race teams from Kyosho, Team Associated, Team Losi, Yokomo, Tamiya, and X-Factory. In the 4wd Modified Class it was Team Orion’s Ryan Cavalieri and Jared Tebo who were on fire throughout qualifying. In the first round Tebo set the TQ, while Cavalieri then went on to TQ rounds 2 and 3, with Tebo coming back to TQ the 4th and final round with an amazing run, being the only driver all weekend long to make it by for the 12th lap. The tie break went to Tebo when the laps and times were added together, with Cavalieri lining up on 2nd on the grid. In A-Main 1 Tebo led from start to finish with Cavalieri finishing in 2nd, only a few seconds back, and Ryan Maifield in 3rd. In A-Main 2 Tebo and Cavalieri once again battled it out but Cavalieri went on to make a late race pass and take home the win from Tebo in 2nd with Maifield in 3rd. In the final A-Main Tebo got a good start and set a fast pace with Cavalieri staying close and not making any mistakes. Cavalieri got around Tebo with a few laps to go and held on for the win from Tebo in 2nd, with Maifield once again bringing home 3rd.

Source: Team Orion [teamorion.com]

March 10, 2009

LRP TCM Live page now online

Our friends at LRP have finalized the Live page for their Touring Car masters race, which takes place in less than 3 weeks time in Eppelheim, Germany. A long time fixture on the Indoor touring car racing scene, the event attracts top names such as Marc Rheinard, Ronald Völker, Viktor Wilck, Alex Hagberg & Jilles Groskamp to battle it out for the crown. On the live site you can already find information on the event as well as vote on who you think will win this year’s TCM, and will provide reports, results and photos from during the actual event.

Check out the event site here.

March 8, 2009

A star is born – Pruemper wins in Poland

Pruemper wins in Poland

In practice he impressed everyone with his super fast laps, in final qualifier he snatched TQ honours from some of the best in the sport and now in the Finals young Yannic Pruemper has completed the perfect weekend by claiming overall victory for Round 3 of the Euro Touring Series. Having won the opening Leg of the A Main, the rising German talent once again beat the quality field behind him for win No.2 and his first big international race win.

Read the full report on the ETS site here.

March 8, 2009

Pruemper takes pole in Poland

He has been quick all weekend but had trouble putting a clean run together however when it counted most 15-year-old Yannic Pruemper topped the final qualifier to secure overall pole here in Poland. With five drivers in with a chance of securing pole for this afternoon’s finals, the Tamiya Junior team driver took his Speed Passion powered TRF416 to the fastest 5 minute run of the 3rd round of the Much More backed Euro Touring Series. Up against some of the World’s greatest RC drivers and yesterday’s four qualifying round winners Marc Rheinhard, Andy Moore, Jilles Groskamp and Teemu Leino, the young German held his nerve to set a time of 27 laps in 302.72 to claim his first international TQ honours.

Read the full report on the ETS site here.

March 7, 2009

Moore goes fastest in Warsaw

Former World Champion Andy Moore put in a great second qualifier here in Warsaw to go fastest overall bettering the Round 1 TQ time set by the current World Champion Marc Rheinard. A widening of the front track width transformed the Englishman’s Hot Bodies allowing him to go top of the overall times as he knocked 3.3 seconds off the previous TQ pace. It was a close fought round between Rheinard and Moore but the German had to deal with the front of his bodyshell, run for the first time in this heat, catching on the carpet. Despite this the Tamiya ace was also able to improve on his opening TQ time by 7/10th.

Read the full report on the ETS site here.

March 7, 2009

EFRA 1/10th IC Track Rule update

Following on from the bad reception that the recent EFRA rule clarification received, which stated that pit stops would become mandatory in 7 minute qualifying heats, EFRA 1/10th section chairman Franky Noens has retracted the clarification. This means the rule will remain as it was originally drafted.

Click here to read the full statement