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September 14, 2022

Coelho sets the pace as free practice concludes

Reigning World Champion Bruno Coelho set the early pace in Gubbio, Italy, the Xray driver posting the fastest 3-consecutive laps of the four rounds of free practice at the ISTC World Championship. With a full 1-second advantage, his closest rival would be multiple Champion Marc Rheinard with Ronald Volker and Jilles Groskamp making it a very familiar picture at the top of the time sheets. Setting the fifth fastest time, Yannic Prumper was the fastest of those in search of their first World Title.

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September 14, 2022

Impending bad weather sets early tone at ISTC World Championship

After a long 4 year wait the ISTC World Championship is finally here but the 11th running of touring car’s biggest prize is off to a tense start as impending bad weather looks set to dictate the running of the 4 day event. With the majority of drivers expressing their dislike of the dots added to a number of corners to meet the rule requirement of being 60% different to that which drivers tested on, the protest to allow the iconic circuit to run in its original layout was rejected by the IFMAR International Jury. The next issue for drivers was the packed Day 1 schedule that will end with the running of the first of the six rounds of qualifying. The opening day of the Worlds is normally a much slightly more relaxed affair with drivers easing themselves into things with just controlled practice runs. The rules also state the timetable can’t be altered from what was originally published.

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September 13, 2022

Coelho “less prepared” but “there to fight” to retain ISTC World Championship

In 2014, the world unearthed a then mostly unheard of young Portuguese driver. Initially it was the wiring on his car that had the internet buzzing, but as the ISTC World Championship in Kissimmee progressed people started to realise this guy was something a bit special as he started mixing it with Touring Car’s elite. RedRC actually knows Bruno Coelho a lot longer than most of the current crop of top drivers. His father Cesar was responsible for organising the 2008 Nitro Touring Car World Championships in Lisbon and was a great host to us as we report on the event with Bruno this slightly wild kid jumping around in the background.

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September 12, 2022

“My goal is now more focused on win than just making A-Main”, Krapp confident for World Champs

14-years on from making your World Championship debut some might wonder if you can still have the same level of hunger and mental drive to compete at the highest level of your sport. In a category that requires extreme precision and 110% concentration for intense 5-minute periods, electric touring car is full on from start to finish – no time for easing yourself into it! A class, especially in more recent years, in which it has proven difficult for newcomers to crack the establishment, one driver to progress into the top ranks and be a consistent race contender is Christopher Krapp. Now entering into his 7th World Championship, it is two 4th-place World Championship finishes that make this German more motivated that ever to become IFMAR’s 9th different ISTC World Champion this week in Italy.

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September 12, 2022

Woods wins 1:8 Onroad BRCA Cotswolds encounter

The penultimate round of the British 1:8 Onroad National Championships took place over the weekend at the Cotswolds Circuit where Shepherd’s Tim Wood took the win. In qualifying it was the Capricorn of reigning BRCA Champion Alex Thurston that would secure the TQ, but in the 30 minute final multiple champion Wood would come out on top after a very close battle with Thurston. Identical fastest 10-laps showing how closely matched the duo were. Having qualified third, Andrew Hasting’s and his Capricorn would complete the podium ahead of the Shepherd of John Carr. The seventh & final round of the championship travels to Brooklands on October 6/7th where last year Thurston took the win from Mark Green and Wood.

Image: Tim Wood [Facebook]

September 12, 2022

Raiola wins ‘Gara dei Costruttori’

Mini Autodromo Jody Scheckter in Fiorano played host to the annual Italian ‘Gara dei Costruttori’ race over the weekend with Carmine Raiola taking a narrow victory over Silvio Hächler. The popular manufacturers trophy race, saw ARC driver Hächler take the overall TQ after he topped all four rounds of qualifying. Infinity driver Raiola would secure P2 with young up & coming talent Filippo Domanin, son of former European Champion Fabio, securing third on the grid. In the half hour final while Hächler would set the fastest lap of the race, strong pitstops from Raiola’s crew would allow him to work his way to the front and cross the finish just less than 3-second in front of the Swiss driver. All finishing on the same 119 laps, Domanin would complete the Top 3 one lap up on Francesco Tironi with Alberto Picco claiming fifth.

Image: Silvio Hächler [Facebook]

September 10, 2022

“I always want to add another title”, Rheinard excited about WC return

Six years ago the electric touring car scene looked very different. We still had one of RC’s best known brands fielding a high profile factory race team. Tell anyone you race RC cars and they’ll most likely reply ‘I used to have a Tamiya’. Unfortunately the TRF squad is gone from being a major force in A-Mains around the globe but the driver who lead them on one of their most successful streaks is back for his first World Championship battle since Beijing 2016. The Touring Car World Championship without 3-time champion Marc Rheinard was a strange experience but that’s what happened in 2018, the German missing his first Worlds since bursting onto the scene with victory on his 2004 debut in Kissimmee, USA.

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September 9, 2022

“No pressure” as Volker carries Mugen hopes on ISTC World Championship debut

Ronald Volker says there is “no pressure” despite the German carrying the hopes of Mugen as they make their electric touring car World Championship debut in Italy next week. After a hugely successful run of seasons with Yokomo that finally culminated in him claiming the sport’s greatest prize in China in 2016, Volker believes he goes into the 11th running of ISTC Worlds “a better all round driver”. The years of the Umino and Ronald partnership at Yokomo were the envy of many. Ronald simply drove the car that was meticulously engineered & prepared by Yukijiro Umino.

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