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September 13, 2023

Ongaro is 4WD Offroad World Champion

Davide Ongaro is the new 4WD Offroad Electric World Champion, the 22-year adding the title to his back to back 1:8 Buggy World titles in a thrilling battle with Spencer Rivkin that went right to finish line. A somewhat unexpected Top Qualifier at Hobby Action, given the much mooted ‘US home advantage’, Ongaro took the opening A-Main in Arizona but an error filled A2 which would be won by his Team Associated team-mate Rivkin. With second place qualifier Michal Orlowski taking second in the opening two encounters, the trio went into the A3 showdown and what a show would they deliver. Initially the two Europeans would pull clear of the pack but once Rivkin, who started P5, got into 3rd he closed at a pace that even Ongaro said afterwards he couldn’t believe. A mistake from Orlowski 7-laps in put him out of the picture. Closing the gap to his team-mate, two bobbles from Rivkin would give Ongaro short relief from the intensity behind before Rivkin was suddenly back on his rear wing. As much as he tried almost pushing him across the line, the clock was against Rivkin with Ongaro just making it over the line for an extra lap which, once the result sunk in, he didn’t complete. Out going Champion Bruno Coelho would end his reign with a Top 3 in the closing race but overall it was Orlowski who completed the podium repeating his feat from 4 years ago.

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September 13, 2023

Rivkin delivers in A2

Having been widely tipped to add the 4WD Buggy title to his World Championship tally since it was announced his home track Hobby Action would host the 2023 Worlds, Spencer Rivkin has delivered a victory in A2 putting his quest back on track. Finding himself P5 at the end of qualifying, the Team Associated driver opened with a distance P3 in A1 but in A2 he took full advantage of bobbles from Top Qualifier Davide Ongaro and Michal Orlowski. A mistake by A1 winner Ongaro gave Orlowski the lead but a much more racey looking Rivkin was able get within striking distance of the Schumacher driver had a moment. Able to sniff a chance of the win, Rivkin busted out a 18.177 fastest lap of the race, and when the leader ran slightly wide after the double at the end of the straight, the Arizona driver didn’t need to wait for an invitation to go to the front with just 2 laps to go. Winning by 3/10ths of a second from Orlowski, the Top 3 would be completed by Broc Champlin as Ongaro cross the line fourth – a result that sets the stage for a thrilling climax to the Championship we have had to wait four years for.

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September 12, 2023

Ongaro sees off Orlowski challenge to win A1

Davide Ongaro has won the opening A-Main at the 4WD Offroad World Championship seeing off a number of challenges from Michal Orlowski. The Top Qualifier in Arizona, the Team Associated driver would eventually win by 1.4 seconds after Orlowski final challenge for the lead ended when he got his Schumacher up on two wheels. While the two Europeans pulling clear of the field, Spencer Rivkin would get close to Orlowski after each of his bobbles but the Polish driver pulled away again leaving Rivkin to finish a distance third. Starting his title defence from 6th on the grid, Bruno Coelho would have a 23-second lap eventually finish P8.

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September 12, 2023

Big surprise as Tollard takes final qualifier

The final round of qualifying at the IFMAR 1:10 4WD Offroad World Championship threw up a huge surprise this morning as TLR driver Cole Tollard topped Q5 in Arizona. An event in which US driver were expected to lead the way, yesterday it was a European domination on Day 1 of qualifying with Top Qualifier Davide Ongaro who took the opening three rounds and Michal Orlowski closed the day with the fastest time in Q4. Then, when a US TQ run finally materialised it wasn’t from an expected title contender. With the final round of qualifying running in reserve order, Heat 14 was first to lay down their final attempt at improving their grip positions. Marcus Kaerup delivered the fastest time ahead of Orlowski, the European Champions separated by 6/10ths of a second but over half a lap off yesterday’s fastest TQ pace. Running in Heat 13 together with defending Champion Bruno Coelho, Tollard bettered Kaerup’s time by 3 seconds as all the drivers from the top heat watch on anxiously as their times tumbled. Heat 13 would see Aydin Horne go to P2 for the round with Kaerup’s time finally giving him a P13 for the round.

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September 12, 2023

Volker wins inaugural eSIC – Report

The inaugural eSIC (Electric Singapore International Challenge) race took place over the weekend in Singapore at the RCMC race track. Attracting a number of high profile professional racers around the globe, the race was made more special with Scotty Ernest on the mic. The sold out event was challenged by poor weather forecast. The organieers adjusted the rain disrupted schedule on Saturday, and cut qualifying short to 4 minutes for modified and 13.5t Open brushless touring cars, FWD class and 6 minutes for the 5th scale Superbike to keep as many qualifyings as possible without needing to remove qualifyings. In Modified Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker would set the TQ pace in Q1, followed closely by Yokomo’s Nicholas Lee in 2nd, Infinity’s Viktor Wilck in 3rd, Jilles Groskamp in 4th, and Chavit in 5th. In Q2, Lee would take TQ using his second set of new tires along with Wilck, Groskamp, Volker and Naoto. In Q3, Volker would set a new fastest time with a TQ run using his second set of new tires. Naoto coming in 2nd, followed by Lee, Groskamp and Wilck. In Q4, Volker takes another round, to take the overall TQ ahead of Lee and Naoto. Unfortunately, Mother Nature would disrupt the finals. The final results would be based on qualifying.

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September 12, 2023

Orlowski fastest in Q4

Having impressed with a P2 behind already confirmed Top Qualifier Davide Ongaro in Q3, Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski went one better in the penultimate round of qualifying to post his first TQ run of the 1:10 Offroad World Championships. The reigning European Champion joined Ongaro as the only driver to run 17-laps being just 3/10th off the Italian’s Q3 time. With Ongaro having a mistake in the centre triple which cost him 3-seconds, Orlowski took control of the fourth qualifier with Dustin Evans and Dakotah Phend in tow but the Polish driver was never really challenged by the Americas. His team-mate Broc Champlin would post the fourth fastest time backing up the same result registered in the previous round. Having recorded his best run of P3 in the third round, pre race favourite Spencer Rivkin would set the fifth fastest time 4/10ths up on on reigning Champion Bruno Coelho who completed the Top 6.

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September 12, 2023

Ongaro Top Qualifier at 4WD World Championship

Davide Ongaro is the Top Qualifier for the 2023 Offroad Worlds, the Italian securing the pole position for tomorrow’s 4WD finals with his third TQ run in as many rounds at Hobby Action RC Raceway. Having had a good battle with Dakotah Phend for the fastest time in Q2, Ongaro made Q3 his own being the first & only driver to run 17-laps over the 5-minutes. On a track that many expected would strongly favour the US drivers and challenge the Europeans, the round would see a European 1-2 as Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski set the second fastest time ahead of Spencer Rivkin and Broc Champlin. Having shown promise with a P3 in the second round, defending Champion Bruno Coelho had a rough round finishing well down the order and it was a similar case for Top seed Phend, the TLR driver classified 21st for the round.

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September 12, 2023

Ongaro again in Q2 after back & forth battle with Phend

Davide Ongaro has made it 2 from 2 in qualifying at the 4WD Offroad World Championship. The Italian had a back and forth battle with top seed Dakotah Phend for the TQ as the round saw a huge improvement in form from defending champion Bruno Coelho. With an early mistake putting Phend on the back foot in Q1, the TLR driver was a mission to get the job done in Q2 but exiting the whoops he would roll promoting Ongaro to the top of the timing screen. A mistake however from the Team Associated driver on the triple before entering the main straight evened things out until a bad penultimate lap from Phend handed the advantage back to Ongaro. Having topped the second fastest heat, Coelho looked like he might have done enough to TQ the round but in the end he was over a second shy of the time laid down by Ongaro.

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