Naoto Matsukura doubles at Buggy Asia Madness

The inaugural BAM Buggy Asia Madness electric off-road race kicked off at Shanghai’s SMP AstroTurf race track this past weekend. The Scotty Ernst Production event in cooperation with SMP and RCI aims to replicate the success of the AOC series and grow electric off-road racing in Asia and China. The 3-day pilot race attracted 60 drivers from all over China as well as several top world class drivers from abroad including current 2WD World Champion, Spencer Rivkin from Team Associated, Japanese drivers Shin Adachi and Young Kaito Kodera from Yokomo, Czech Xray driver Kaja Novotny, and multi-time World Champion Naoto Matsukura from Team Infinity. The local top drivers included Yokomo’s Wang Hai Feng and Serpent’s Lin Le Hua. The BAM was held in a total of five classes, 2WD Modified and Stock, 4WD Modified, 2WD Truck, and a Tamiy Lunch Box fun class. The race format five rounds of qualifying with the best two to count, followed by triple bump-up A-mains.

In order to organise a world class event, SMP and RCI joined forces to provide the best venue arrangements possible. SMP put new astroturf on its track as well as proper driver stand lighting while for pitting, the indoor RCI on-road track was laid out with astro turf. In the premier 2WD Modified class, Infinity’s Naoto Matsukura driving an Team Associated buggies swept qualifying to TQ the class. Yokomo’s young and talented Kaito Kodera and veteran Shin Adachi also showed brilliance in qualifying to line up second and third on the starting grid. Team Associated’s reigning World Champion Spencer Rivkin qualified 4th. In the finals, Matsukura dominated the field and took the win after just two legs. Sitting out the third and final A-main allowed Rivkin and Kodera to battle it out for the runner-up spot. With mistakes by the young Yokomo driver and superb driving from the current world champion, Rivkin finished 2nd overall with Kodera coming in 3rd.

In the 4WD Modified class Naoto Matsukura was equally dominant on the astro turf track. Matsukura, driving a Team Associated, TQ’d the class with Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin second and Yokomo driver Kaito Kodera qualifying third. In the finals, Matsukura won the first main but in the second, made a mistake allowing Rivkin to take the lead and it looked as if the battle for the 4WD title may need to go another round. Matsukura went all or nothing in his usual style while Rivkin stayed consistent. However, with two laps remaining, race leader Rivkin came up on traffic and was tangled up for a few seconds, enough to allow Matsukura to regain the lead and take the overall win after two legs. Again sitting out the 3rd and final A-Main, it was a 3-way battle for the remaining podium spots between Rivkin, Kodera and Xray’s Kaja Novotny. The third final proved to be exciting but with mistakes made by Kodera, Novotny finished second behind Rivkin to seal his overall podium finish at his first race in Asia.

2WD Stock saw some close races between the local drivers. Yokomo’s Tommy Dai won two rounds of qualifying while Xray’s Lao Zhang took three, but in the tie breaker, Tommy took the overall TQ honours to start from pole position. Xiamen’s An Jing qualified 3rd and in the finals, Tommy showed tremendous consistency to take the overall win after the first two legs. Sitting out the third final, it was between Xray’s Lao Zhang and Ai Luo driving his Team Associated buggy to fight for overall runner up. The racing was close and exciting, drawing roars for the crowd at times, but at the end, Lao Zhang made a tremendous pass on Ai on the final lap to take second with Ai in third.

The 2WD Truck TQ and win belonged to Alvin Xu, PP took second with GY finishing on the podium. Next year’s BAM race will be held on July 6th to 8th.

Thanks to Rick Wang for the report. Images: Richard Yang