VP-Pro has released this new 1:8 GT bodyshell which features a streamline shape and special design that focuses on the high downforce to enhances the vehicle’s stability at high speed. Made from high-quality clear polycarbonate with protective film, the lightweight model of 0.8mm thickness helps to improve the vehicle’s speed and handling. The comes with a 1.2mm rear wing, hardware, decals and window masks.
Mugen Seiki can ship its upcoming new MTC-3 electric touring car as a Championship winning car after Soren Sparbier claimed the win of the Open Brushless class at the famed TITC. Experiencing his first ever time on a plane in order to make the journey to Bangkok, the German returns home with extra luggage in the form of his winning & TQ trophies having wrapped up the title in A2, a race that would prove somewhat controversial. Having secured pole position by topping two of the four qualifier at the challenging Infinity RC Addict Circuit, the 18-year-old took a very straight forward A1 win on Saturday evening. In Sunday morning’s A2 however, what was shaping up to be a great battle ended with a body tuck, yet again a great race destroyed by the modern day flimsy lightweight body shells. After leading away, setting the fastest lap in the process, Sparbier was soon under pressure from Lukas Ellerbrock, the German carrying Awesomatix’s hopes of a fifth consecutive TITC win. Ellerbrock would find a way passed to take up the lead but Sparbier wasn’t quite done and made a re-pass but contact resulted in Ellerbrock suffering a body tuck. While Sparbier initially waited, as Ellerbrock pulled off to a marshal for attention, he then resumed the lead. Taking the A2 win ahead of Fong King he would claim the victory. In A3, the lively crowd having lot of reasons to ooh & aah, the race eventually going to last year’s Open Brushless podium finisher Adam Izsay ahead of Ellerbrock, the later getting the overall runner-up spot with Izsay’s Xray completing the podium.
It won’t be remembered for the intense racing action like we witnessed last year, but the 21st edition of the TITC will go down in the history records as the year the Rookie Michal Orlowski turned up and absolutely nailed the win at the legendary race. Completing a clean sweep of all four qualifiers, starting the finals from the TQ, Orlowski armed with his Schumacher was the class act gapping the second place qualifier & defending Champion Bruno Coelho almost immediately in both A-Mains. Having taken the opening encounter on Saturday, in A2 the Polish ace looked even stronger with Coelho finding himself having to deal with Marc Rheinard on his rear bumper for the entire race. With almost 3-seconds on his rivals, he cruised to the win and with it the title to become its 11th different champion of the Bangkok race. A race that is often referred to by drivers as ‘the toughest touring car race in the world’, Orlowski’s performance this weekend was something special and for the World Championship Top Qualifier a major psychological boost.
They say data is king, but that is only true if you know what data you are looking at and what to do with it, and that is what today’s topic of conservation from the TITC is with Salton Dong from Hobbywing. Attending major races as technical support for drivers using Hobbywing electronics, Salton often finds himself more involved with drivers and chassis manufacturers than just purely for electronics. Data logs from the ESC show a lot of information and some of the details can be quite interesting if you know where to look and not just in terms of what the electronics are doing but also the inputs coming from the drivers stand!
While Michal Orlowski starting on the TQ directly in front of Bruno Coelho has produced fireworks in the past, the opening A-Main at the TITC in Bangkok proved a total procession as the Schumacher driver took an easy & dominant win over his rival. Sending a clear message to his rivals on his TITC debut by topping all four rounds of qualifying at RC Addict, Orlowski looked even stronger in A1 quickly pulling clear of the field to win a massive 3.3-second margin. While Coelho’s Infinity would record the fastest lap of the race, the defending Champion was never a threat to the rookie. Instead a small mistake left Coelho having to fend off a challenge from Marc Rheinard but that battle faded away with the Awesomatix driver, who before a driver error looked to have found something in the final qualifier, crossing the line almost a 1-second back in P3.
Mugen Seiki’s Soren Sparbier is the Top Qualifier in the Open Brushless class at the TITC, the German taking the fourth & final qualifier of the Bangkok race’s largest class. With the opening three rounds of qualifying producing three different winners, it was all to play for in Q4 with Sparbier, who was fastest in yesterday’s third round, leading them away in the decider. From the front, the 18-year-old would edge out a 1.4-second advantage to top the round from Q1 winner Lukas Ellerbrock and Q2 winner Olivier Bultynck P3, this the order they will line up for the finals. Runner-up last year, Xray’s Adam Iszay starts P4 the first of the A-Main being run this evening at the Infinity RC Addict track.
While it was officially only Day 2 of racing at the TITC, for Hobbywing’s Salton Dong today (Friday) marked his seventh day in Thailand supporting drivers at the famous Bangkok race. With the bulk of his heavy work done earlier in the week in terms of testing and getting optimal ESC & motor settings dialled in for racing, catching up with Salton for a run down of what he got up to today would led to him to shedding some interesting light on driver’s motor habits and the playing of mind games with motor timing. In terms of dealing with any issues today, it was a massive crash in the top seeded heat third round qualifier of Open Brushless that had Salton busy at his work station located in the centre of the pits here at RC Addict. With Game Mongkolphan’s Xpress coming to an unexpected sudden stop on track, unfortunately there was no time for first on the scene Lukas Ellerbrock to react leading to a massive impact that left both cars heavily damaged. The aftermath gave the Awesomatix team 5-hours of work to completely rebuild Ellerbrock’s car for tomorrow’s final qualifier in which the overall TQ is still up for grabs. With both drivers involved running Hobbywing, the crash triggered Salton into action to assess the electrics of both cars, in particular the motors.
Michal Orlowski has claimed the overall TQ honours at the TITC in Bangkok, the Schumacher driver securing pole position for his debut at the legendary touring car race when for the third time in a row he topped qualifying. While it might be the Polish driver’s first time at the race that has earned itself the title of the unofficial World Championship of Touring Car, the race is proofing to be very much a repeat of last November’s official IFMAR World Championship where Orlowski and Bruno Coelho were the class of the field with their rivals fighting over 3rd position. The third & penultimate afternoon time qualifier would prove slower than Q2 but in terms of order the Top 6 were identical. While it was Coelho who had the outright fastest car on track this time round he once again could not better Orlowski, the gap the closest yet though at 0.058 of a second. Getting his tyre gluing correct this time round, Marc Rheinard got the closest he has been yet to the Top 2 as the Awesomatix driver got a P3, 2.9-seconds off Orlowski’s TQ time. Summing up the round’s finishing order as ‘boring’, Lucas Urbain added another P4 to his tally with Akio Sobue and Hayato Ishioka completing the Top 6 for Axon.
