December 9, 2023

Anderson is 1:12 Worlds Top Qualifier

After a thrilling final qualifier at the IFMAR 1:12 World Championship in Florida, Awesomatix’ Kemp Anderson is the overall Top Qualifier for the 21st running of the sport’s longest running electric category.  Having kicked off Day 2 of qualifying at Beachline Raceway with a TQ run in Round 4, Anderson would go into the sixth round vying for pole position against racing heavy weights Marc Rheinard and Michal Orlowski.  Top Qualifier at the last World Championship, Orlowski’s quest to repeat that result came to a spectacular end after just one lap as he wheelied his Schumacher, the impact breaking a body hanger.  Now it was just Anderson and defending World Champion Rheinard in the shoot out.  With two TQ runs to his credit, a third TQ run would give Rheinard the top spot.  Anderson on the other hand needed to TQ in a new fastest time.  A small mistake by Rheinard meant the German had to push hard to get back on terms with the rapid Anderson but that would lead to a much bigger crash that ended his challenge.  While rivals were no longer a worry, Anderson knew he was now against the clock needing a new fastest TQ time.  While the pressure was enough for his father and newly elected IFMAR President Eric Anderson to stay in the pits, the rest of the those attending the event lined up around the track.  Despite the intensity of the biggest moment of his racing career, Anderson delivered with a time 2.5-seconds quicker than the previous best set by Orlowski securing a very popular home TQ for the host nation.  With all three drivers having two TQ runs each, overall it will be Orlowski who starts second with Rheinard lining up P3 ahead of Alexander Hagberg with Donny Lia competing the top half of the grid.

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December 8, 2023

Orlowski takes penultimate qualifier at 1:12 Worlds

The overall Top Qualifier at the 21st running of the IFMAR 1:12 World Championship is to be decided in the final round after Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski took the penultimate round.  After crashing out of Q4 this morning, the 2020 Top Qualifier redeemed himself by putting down the fastest run of the event finishing ahead of Q4 winner Kemp Anderson by 1.6 second.  A starting order error, drivers called to start based on the results of Q4 instead of the overall qualification ranking, would see Anderson lead away the heat and the American, laying down the fastest lap, looked for a time that he might repeat his previous effort.  It wasn’t to happen however as entering into the final quarter of the run his pace faded considerably.  Having started from the back after his DNF, Orlowski took advantage to move to the top of the timing screen to take a TQ run that puts him in contention for pole position for tomorrow’s title deciding finals.  The only driver who could have wrapped up the overall TQ early, defending Champion Marc Rheinard could claim he fell foul of the starting order error as he had contact with Hayato Ishioka and needed to be marshalled having just passed the Japanese driver.  In the end he Rheinard would recover to P4 over 3-seconds off 2018 Champion Alexander Hagberg.

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December 8, 2023

Anderson opens Day 2 of quali with TQ run

Having knocked on the door yesterday, Awesomatix’ Kemp Anderson finally delivered a TQ run as he opened Day 2 of qualifying at the 1:12 World Championship by topping Q4 ahead of Xray’s Alexander Hagberg.  Opening qualifying yesterday at Beachline Raceway with a TQ, Michal Orlowski would be one of two big retirements in the 4th of the 6 scheduled qualifier as the Schumacher driver broke his car a minute into the run.  Next to go was overnight TQ holder Marc Rheinard, the Awesomatix driver stripping a spur after riding curbs.  This left the battle between Anderson and Hagberg, the Swede closing on the American in the closing stages, the gap just under a second at the end of the 8-minutes.  Like Hagberg, getting promoted to the top heat grouping for Day 2, Donny Lia would run his fastest qualifier so far to complete the Top 3 ahead of fellow US racer Stuart Mason.

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December 8, 2023

Power HD signs Large Scale racer Rodewald

Servo manufacturer Power HD has announced the signing of top large scale racer Sven Rodewald from Germany.  The reigning 1:6 Large Scale 4WD Offroad European Champion, 6 X time National Champion, Multiple European Finalist, and multiple LS Touring Car GP Race finalist, Rodewald will be using Power HD’s high end GTS-6 & GTS-7 servos in his 1:6 Offroad and 1:5 Onroad Cars.  Racing for chassis manufacturer MCD, on his deal with Power HD he said, ‘During the last year I tried the Power HD GTS-6 and GTS-7 servos, and it was a pleasure to use them! The whole time the servos performed just great! Im happy to join the Power HD factory team for the upcoming season!’

Source: PowerHD [chd.hk]


December 8, 2023

Greiner rejoins Serpent for electric racing program

Following his announcement earlier this week that he was retiring from nitro competition after 15-years, former nitro World Champion Dominic Greiner is set for a electric touring car race program with the news he has rejoined his former sponsor Serpent.  Greiner won his 2016 World 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World title with Serpent and will now try his hand at electric racing with the manufacturers X20/24 electric touring car.  Commenting on the announcement said, ‘I’m very happy to join back to my family Serpent and very excited to use and help the team with the X20/24.  As I decided to stop nitro I thought electric is the best option I have, and as I saw the first pictures from the new 1:10 electric car it was an easy decision to use Serpent.  I’m pretty sure the car has a lot of potential, could test it already indoors on the carpet and was very surprised and happy about the performance. I want to thank Joaquin and Mr. Lau for the warm welcome back.’

Source: Serpent [serpent.com]


December 8, 2023

Rheinard holds overnight TQ at 1:12 Worlds

With Day 1 of qualifying complete at the 1:12 World Championship, it is defending World Champion Marc Rheinard who holds the overnight TQ in Florida.  The Awesomatix driver wrapped up the day’s action at Beachline Raceway with by backing up his Q2 performance with a second TQ run in the third round.  Having taken Q1, Michal Orlowski was looking on target for repeat performance until he bounced his Schumacher off the boards promoting Rheinard to the top of the timing screens.  A strong recovery that even Rheinard admitted caught him off guard, would see the Pole getting to within 0.493 of a second by the end of the 8-minutes.  Overall the Polish ace holds second in the qualification points ahead of Kemp Anderson and Alexander Hagberg.  Hagberg would end the day with his best performance setting the 3rd fastest time and together with his two P4 runs from earlier, the former World Champion gets promoted up to the top heat grouping for Day 2 of qualifying.

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December 7, 2023

Orlowski takes opening 1:12 Worlds qualifier

Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski has taken the opening round of qualifying at the 1:12 World Championships in Florida.  Top Qualifier at the last running of the Worlds in 2020, he would TQ the first of the 6 rounds at Beachline Raceway by 0.25 of a second from Top Seed & defending Champion Marc Rheinard.  A very closely contested 8-minute qualifier, Rheinard’s Awesomatix team-mate Kemp Anderson was right in the mix.  Posting the fastest lap of the round, the American was laying down the TQ pace before dropping off the top spot with a bad lap and eventually completing the Top 3.  Running in the second fastest heat having nor featured in seeding yesterday, Xray’s Alexander Hagberg took a confidence boosting P4 for the round ahead of the Awesomatix of Sam Isaacs and Snowbirds podium finisher Donny Lia.

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December 7, 2023

Rheinard top seed at 1:12 Worlds

Current 1:12 World Champion Marc Rheinard is the top seed at the 21st running of IFMAR’s original electric category.  The Awesomatix driver set the fastest 3-consecutive laps in the second of the 3 seeding rounds today at Beachline Raceway in Florida.  Having won the first of his two Worlds titles in Florida nine years ago, the multiple Electric Touring Car Champion will lead away tomorrow’s opening qualifier ahead of Schumacher pairing Ollie Payne and Michal Orlowski.  Payne was just 0.053 off the pace of Rheinard, the British driver’s best time also coming in the second controlled practice.  With Rheinard fastest in the opening two rounds, Orlowski would top the third & final practice breaking into the 32-seconds for the first time, with the Top 3 separated by just 8/100ths of a second.  Leading the home challenge Sam Isaacs made a significant improvement in CP3 to end to up 4th ahead of fellow American and Awesomatix team-mate Kemp Anderson.  Completing the Top 6, Germany’s Jan Ratheisky was the highest placed Xray.

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