IFMAR publishes ISTC World Championship entry list
IFMAR has just published the latest entry list for the upcoming 1:10 Electric Touring Car World Championship with 6 of the categories 8 World Champions set to make the trip to the US in November. The 12th running of the ISTC World Championship will be hosted by Finishline RC Raceway in Bakersfield, California, from Nov 5-10th where reigning Champion Bruno Coelho will try to emulate Davide Ongaro’s recent 1:8 Offroad feat of three consecutive wins of the biggest prize in racing. With the ISTC Worlds first held in 2000, it is great to see inaugural Champion and all time great of the sport Atsushi Hara back on the entry list. Hara’s last ISTC Worlds was in China in 2016 but this year the Japanese legend has enjoyed a return to competitive international racing.
Giving himself a major boost ahead of the championship by adding another European Championship title to his CV 13-years after last winning the highly competitive title, Marc Rheinard has the potential to extend his status as the categories most decorated driver, a win in Bakersfield would bring his WC tally to four. Winning the title the last time the Worlds was held on US soil, 2014 Champion Naoto Matsukura is also confirmed along with team-mate & 2012 Champion Jilles Groskamp. It was that race in Kissimee where Coelho announced himself to the World. 2016 Champion Ronald Volker completes the line-up of World Champions with Andy Moore (2006) and Surikarn Chaidajsuriya (2202) the only Champions not attending, the latter busy getting ready to host the Nitro Touring Car Worlds at his track in Bangkok, Thailand, one week after the ISTC Worlds.
With 69 Modified driver listed, the entry includes some other interesting World Champions. One of the pre-race favourites for this year’s title, Michal Orlowski races as the reigning 1:12 World Champion joined by another 1:12 World Champion Alexander Hagberg, the Swede also a former Nitro Touring Car Champion. Also from Nitro Touring Car is 2016 Champion Dominic Greiner. Making the crossover from Offroad are 2016 1:8 Champion David Ronnefalk and multiple 1:10 Champion Ryan Cavalieri, the latter a touring car regular having competed in the past at the famed TC Reedy Race of Champions.
In the Spec category one noticeable name missing from the latest entry list is reigning Champion Alexandre Duchet who took the inaugural title in Italy 2-years ago. Red RC will travelling to Finishline RC Raceway to tell the story of how the 2024 Worlds unfold, this being our 8th ISTC Worlds attendance.
View full entry list here.
Source: IFMAR [Facebook]
