Red RC » R On Road

June 9, 2024

Orlowski opens ETS title defence with Dutch win

Schumacher Racing’s Michal Orlowski got his ETS title defence off to the perfect start with a victory at the season opener at the Dutch Apeldoorn circuit. Having secured the TQ at the first of this season’s reduced 5-round Championship calendar, the Pole continued his winning ways into the 17th season with victory over the Awesomatix pairing of Lucas Urbain and Marc Rheinard. In A1, which was held Saturday evening, Orlowski would struggle initially with the colder and windier evening conditions on the opening lap with second place qualifier Rheinard attempting a pass that saw the pair touch slightly allowing both Urbain and Akio Sobue to go through. Urbain would then have a spin handing the Axon of Sobue the lead. Pushed hard by Rheinard and Orlowski, Sobue was in defence mode and as Rheinard attempted to execute a pass both cars touched on the straight resulting in them both going flying off the track. Back in front Orlowski then cruised to a 2.5 second win over Urbain. Sunday morning’s A2 was a much more straight forward affair for Orlowski as he lead from start to finish setting the fastest lap as he took his Hobbywing powered Mi9 to the win. The winner of all four of the 6 rounds his busy schedule allowed him attend last year, his second consecutive Apeldoorn victory it marks his sixth ETS race win and sees him leave with maximum championship points for the weekend. Rheinard would win A3 as Urbain & Sobue battled for second, the pair coming together at the final corner, but Urbain’s second places in A1 & 2 gave him second overall with Rheinard completing the podium. In Pro Stock Top Qualifier Lukas Ellebrock took the win for Awesomatix, the Top 3 qualifiers finishing as the started with Tim Benson the runner-up and Champion Oliver Bultynck opening his title defence with the final step on the podium.

Image: ETS [Facebook]

June 8, 2024

Orlowski cruises to TQ at ETS season opener

Defending ETS Champion Michal Orlowski has claimed the TQ at the opening round of the 2024/25 season which is taking place at the Dutch Apeldoorn circuit. Having secured his first ETS title with an indoor victory at the season finale in Austria back in March, the Schumacher driver looks to have picked up where he left off taking his Mi9 to the fastest time in all four rounds of qualifying. One of the great outdoor touring car tracks which is a favourite among many top drivers, Apeldoorn was the location of Orlowski’s first ETS win on asphalt last year. Providing the biggest challenge to the Pole in qualifying was Marc Rheinard will start P2 for Awesomatix thanks to a pair of P2 runs. Team-mate Lucas Urbain, who joined the ranks of ETS Modified race winner last season, will start 3rd ahead of the Mugen Seiki of multiple Champion Ronald Volker and the Axon of Japanese ace Akio Sobue. In Pro Stock, Awesomatix’s Lukas Ellebrock also continued his winning finish to last season by securing the TQ ahead of Tim Benson, TQ run in Q3, and reigning Champion Oliver Bultynck who was fastest in Q3.

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]

June 6, 2024

Iris team repeat FWD sweep at Austrian Nationals Rd 2

After a clean sweep at the opening round of the Austrian Nationals which was held at the MRC Wr. Neustadt track last month, the Iris Team enjoyed further success in FWD Touring Car category at Round 2. Racing at the MACG Steiermark track, this time it was Iris driver Philipp Stadler who went one better than Round 1 to take the TQ and the win. Loris Buchhalt and Round 1 winner Matheo Buchhalt would make it another podium clean podium sweep for the Iris ONE.05 FWD. In Modified, Patrick Gollner took his Xray to the win having start from the TQ with Tobias Sutrich and Daniel Tomaschko completing the podium.

Source: IRIS [iris-racing.com]

June 5, 2024

Ehrbar & Lee win at FFFF1 RC Race

The FFFF1 RC Race took place over the weekend at the Riccione track on Italy’s Adriatic coast where Xray duo David Ehrbar and Luke Lee took the wins, Lee winning a rather innovative ‘Long run’ 20-minute final. Attracting a number of international drivers a field of capacity 72 competitors from 7 nations made for an impressive F1 gathering with all cars running to the same technical regulations of using Hobbywing’s Justock 21.5 combo, minimum ratio of 2.4, and very resistant Fenix A rubber tyres. In the qualify German Ehrbar secured the TQ ahead of local star Gianni Zonzini and Dutch F1 stalwart Jitse Miedema. With 12 different brands of car represented at the event in the finals it was Ehrbar who completed a clean sweep to win ahead of Fenix Racing’s Miedema with Lee coming through from P6 on the grid to complete the traditional format finals. To complete the weekend in Riccione, drivers had the opportunity to try something different with a single 20-minute that include two mandatory pit stops. Drivers had a pit stop window with the first stop needing to take place between 2nd and 9th minute and the second between the 12th and 18th minute. Ehrbar would make a early mistake and unfortunately for Miedema his race was done after 5-laps as drivers faced a few drops of rain. All the while Lee was leading the way chased by a train of drivers but at the end of the 20-minutes the British racer had 2-second advantage over Luca Buono who was closely followed by Gonzalo Garcia for the final podium place and all all Xray Top 3.

View ‘Long Run’ podium here

June 5, 2024

Veseli wins European Large Scale Series Round 2

The second round of the European Large Scale Series took place at Lostallo in Switzerland over the weekend where MCD Racing’s Dario Veseli took the win. In qualifying it was the Mecatech of Emanuele D’Amico winner of the season opener in Bologna in March who took secured the TQ. The Italian set the fastest time in the 3rd round of qualifying with reigning World Champion Markus Feldmann second fastest ahead of fellow German Veseli. With the Top 2 locked into the half hour final, reigning European Champion Veseli would win his Semi final to secure P3 on the grid while World Championship Top Qualifier Marius Hetland won the other putting the Norwegian fourth on the grid for the main event. In a rain effected final, the rain arriving as the race enter the second half, a decision to switch the wet tyres would pay dividend for Veseli allowing him to take the win by almost a lap from D’Amico with Hetland getting passed Feldmann to complete the podium.

Image: MCD Racing [Facebook]

June 4, 2024

Canas wraps up National title with 3 from 3

Factory Sworkz star Juan Carlos Canas has wrapped up the Spanish 1:8 Nitro Buggy National title early with his third win of the season in as many races. The reigning European Champion, who this year has the potential to consecutively hold a National, European and World title, secured the TQ and win at the third round which was hosted at the Circuito de Alhaurin de la Torre over the weekend. Winner of the Silver State Indoor Championships in the US last month, starting from pole after winning his Semi Final in the fastest time, Canas was chased home over the 45-minute final by the Tekno of João Figueiredo, who after qualifying P18 after a tough five rounds of heats, started 4th on the grid. Posting the fastest lap of the race, in the end he would finish just 4.7-seconds back from Canas. Despite a bad tyre choice, Daniel Pariente made it a second Tekno on the podium as he finished third.

Image: Sworkz [Facebook]

June 3, 2024

Harper leads Schumacher 1-2 at British Nationals Rd2

Having announced his return to racing competition last September following a 3-year break, Elliot Harper led a Schumacher 1-2 at the second round of the British 1:10 Electric Touring Car National Championship over the weekend. Racing at the West London track, the former World Championship podium finisher secured the TQ with fastest times in 2 of the four qualifiers. Topping Q2 multiple Champion Chris Grainger secured P2 with teenager Daniel Robins making it a Schumacher Top 3 on the grid. Having made history recently as she became the first female driver to make a BRCA Offroad A-Main, Xray’s Harley Eldridge lined up P4 followed by Andy Murray and the Mugen Seiki of Alex Thurston who secured his first ever National win at Round 1 last month at Halifax. In the double mains, Harper lead home Grainger in A1 and Eldridge in A2 for the overall win from Grainger and with his third from Round 1 now leads the championship standings. After an intense battle in A2 to take second from Grainger, Eldridge would completed the podium ahead of Thurston with Robins finishing up P5.

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]

June 3, 2024

Sawada wins Hobbywing Cup

Attracting a number of international factory team drivers, it was Xray’s Shin Sawada who took the big win at the Hobbywing Cup which took place at the Shanghai International Model Auto Racing Arena (SIMARA) in China over the weekend. Qualifying would see the Japanese driver top 3 of the 4 rounds of qualifying to secure the TQ ahead of team-mate Alexander Hagberg who went fastest in the final qualifier. Team Yokomo’s Nicolas Lee would complete the Top 3 in the feature Open Brushless class ahead of China’s very own JJ Wang. Representing Awesomatix and a driver who does a lot of development work for Hobbywing, 1:12 Spec World Champion Max Mächler lined up 6th on the grid. In the triple final Sawada continued his form setting the fastest lap of the race to win A1 repeating the feat again in A2 for the overall win. Winning A3, Hagberg would finish runner-up while P2 in A3 promoted Wang to third overall for an all Xray podium. Lee was best of the rest taking his Yokomo to fourth ahead of Mächler who moved up one spot to finish fifth.

Source: Hobbywing [hobbywing.com]