September 20, 2022

Feldmann crowned IFMAR 1:5 Touring World Champion

Markus Feldmann is the 2022 IFMAR 1:5 Touring Car World Champion, the German becoming the first repeat champion in the category. As the ISTC World Championship was taking place in Italy, across the Atlantic the large scale World Championships was taking place at Steel City R/C Speedway, Fontana, USA, the same venue that hosted the 2019 1:8 Onroad World Championship. In qualifying it was Marius Hetland who secured the TQ with his fastest time from the six rounds of qualifying coming in Round 5. Also setting his best time in Q5, 2013 Champion Feldmann qualified P2 to book his place directly into the 1-hour A-Main. Having qualified 6th, track owner Kyle Goodwine would win the first of the Semi Finals ahead of 2019 Champion Marko Grigic and Martelli Gianmarco. In the 2nd Semi Final, pole sitter Andrea Catalani would retire from the lead with less than 10 minutes to go allowing Edoardo Repetti to take the win ahead of Austin Sarnelle. The 11th running of the championship, in the final Feldmann would go to the front after just a few laps and while Hetland got back to the lead twice, Feldmann stayed at the front for the second half of the race to take the title. Enjoying a strong performance on home soil, Goodwine would finish on the same lap as Feldmann to become Vice-Champion with Martelli Gianmarco third for an all Mecatech podium.  Hetland would eventually finish 5th after late issues.

Image: IFMAR [ifmar.org]


September 18, 2022

Coelho defies ‘the haters’ with successful World Title defence in Italy

Having waited 4-years, Bruno Coelho has successful defended his ISTC World Championship Title with yet another dominant drive in A-Main No.2 in Gubbio, Italy.  Topping the time sheets from the first time cars hit the track on Wednesday and right through the event, Coelho again won A2 from Christopher Krapp to become to retain the crown he won in South Africa in 2018.  A driver who has faced much allegations regarding his speed advantage on this track, the Portuguese driver took shot at his detractors saying, ‘It is a huge relief not only for the World Title but almost for all “the haters” who are not able to understand the hard work behind this result’.  Winning A3 from 9th place starter Marc Rheinard, Christopher Krapp would finally get his much deserved first World Championship podium finish with the Top 3 for the 11th running of the championship being completed by Akio Sobue.

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September 18, 2022

Coelho cruises to A1 win at World Championship

Bruno Coelho has cruised to victory in the opening A-Main of the ISTC World Championship in Gubbio, Italy.  The one delay in proceedings at the 11th running of the championship had no effect on the pace show by the defending Champion in qualifying.  Taking all 6 qualifiers, from the pole position Coelho was able to pull clear of his rivals, the closest of those being No.2 Christopher Krapp,  Krapp in turn had a big advantage of Akio Sobue who finished third ahead of Ronald Volker, who came through from 8th on the grid.

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September 17, 2022

Bad weather pushes finals to Sunday at ISTC WC

Bad weather has pushed the running of the finals at the ISTC World Championship to Sunday.  Originally scheduled for running today (Saturday), a team managers meeting this morning got agreement that due to bad weather in the area that the controversial ‘Rain Day’ would be used to complete the 11th running of the Electric Touring Car World Championship.

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September 16, 2022

Grid Set for 11th ISTC World Championship

The grid for the 11th running of the IFMAR ISTC World Championship is set with Christopher Krapp securing the No.2 spot on the grid behind defending Champion Bruno Coelho. Despite the heavy rains that played havoc with the timetable, the organisers managed to get all six rounds of qualifying completed just before the arrival of yet more downpours this evening. A grid comprising of seven different manufacturers and 4 World Champions, the big question on everyone’s mind for the finals is what conditions they will face. Currently it is looking like a wet finals day here in Gubbio, Italy, something many of the drivers have never experienced before.

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September 16, 2022

Duchet is Spec World Championship Top Qualifier

Alexandre Duchet will lead away the first ever ISTC Spec World Championship A-Main in Gubbio, Italy, tomorrow. The Xray driver secured the overall TQ in a battle that went to the final qualifier.  The French driver went into Q6 with just one opponent remaining, Awesomatix driver Simon Lauter.  While Duchet had three TQ runs on the board, his German rival had 2 but the advantage of the fastest qualifying time.

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September 16, 2022

Sobue & Rheinard shine in Q4 Rerun

While it was business as usual at the front with Bruno Coelho posting his fifth TQ run in the re-run of yesterday aborted Q4, the two drivers to enjoy strong performances would be Akio Sobue and Marc Rheinard.  Both driver would posts their best runs around the Gubbio track, Sobue setting the second fastest time and getting within 8/10th of Top Qualifier Coelho while Marc pulled off a P3.  Behind, Q1 surprise Michal Orlowski would getting another P4 ahead of former champions Jilles Groskamp and Ronald Volker.

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September 16, 2022

Coelho to defend World title from TQ

Reigning ISTC World Champion Bruno Coelho is to defend his title from the TQ, the Xray driver making it 4 out of 4 in the latest round of qualifying in Gubbio, Italy.  A delayed start to Day 3 of the Championship following the heavy rain yesterday that left a very slick track. When qualifying did finally get underway at lunchtime it looked like the new conditions might result in some changes at the top.  While Coelho led off the qualifier, it was Christopher Krapp who set the early pace. However, once Coelho adapted to the lower traction, he resumed normal service despite Krapp’s impressive effort for the closest TQ battle we have seen so far.  Behind the big surprise of the round was Serpent’s Alessio Mazzeo, the 2016 Nitro Touring Car World Championship podium finisher here at the same track, posting the 3rd fastest time ahead of Alexander Hagberg, Hayato Ishioka and Ronald Volker.

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