Red RC » Events

June 19, 2017

Naoki Akiyama wins ETS warm-up race

The German MC Ettlingen club recently held their International Electric On-road Event that was used by many drivers as a warm-up race for the forthcoming ETS event in July. In the premier Touring Modified class it was Yokomo’s Naoki Akiyama who took the overall TQ with Yokomo teammate Christopher Krapp ending the qualifiers on P2, tie on points with Naoki. In the finals Naoki would score wins in A1 and A3 to take the overall win while Tim Wahl (Xray) would score a win in A2 to grab the overall runner-up spot from Christopher Krapp who had to settle for 3rd.

Source: Xray [teamxray.com] | Image: Naoki Akiyama

June 19, 2017

Kaja Novotny TQs & wins Czech Open Rd5

The fifth round of the Czech Open was held in Usti nad Labem. It was the series’ maiden race on astro turf with the very bumpy track conditions making it a challenging race for everyone. Xray’s Kaja Novotny would quickly adapt to the conditions and he would sweep the qualifiers to take the overall TQ from Stepan Silhavy (Xray). The semi A at first didn’t went to plan for Kaja who struggled in the opening stages but once he got into the groove he was able to build a gap and take the win by more than a lap on the 2nd place driver with a time fast enough to get him the pole position for the main final. The A-main than was a smooth sailing for Kaja after an unfortunate Stepan had to retire some minutes in to the race. Ultimately Kaja would bring home the win with Ivo Viktorin (Serpent) 2nd and Martin Zicha (Mugen) 3rd.

Source: Xray [teamxray.com]

June 19, 2017

Adam Drake wins at JBRL Nitro Series Rd3

Round 3 of this year’s JBRL Nitro Series was held at Dialed In R/C Raceway in Victorville, California this past weekend. In the Pro Nitro Buggy class it was Mugen’s Adam Drake who would take the overall TQ and he also came out on top after the 15-minute main final, leaving Team Associated’s Richard Saxton behind in 2nd place, some 19 seconds down. In 3rd 6th place qualifier, Colin Herzig (Kyosho) would round out the top 3 some eight seconds short of Richard. Elsewhere in Nitro Truggy and E-Buggy it was again Adam who excelled by TQing the classes and bringing home wire to wire wins.

View the other podiums here

June 18, 2017

Coelho cruises to A1 win as Matsukura snatches 2nd

Having wrapped up his second consecutive Euro Touring Series title by taking the TQ in Slovakia this morning, Bruno Coelho made light work of his opposition to cruise to the win in A1. Almost immediately the Xray driver would establish a lead while the rest of the field backed up behind team-mate Alexander Hagberg. Spinning out on the curbing at the one & a half minute mark would end Marc Rheinard’s race as he got collected by Infinity team-mate Akio Sobue resulting in the front left corner being pulling off the German’s car. This would take the pressure from behind off Matsukura allowing him to focus on finding his way passed Hagberg, the Japanese driver forcing a mistake from the Swede on the penultimate lap to get passed for second. Despite setting the slowest fastest lap of the race, Ronald Volker would finish 4th behind Hagberg, the World Champion clearly having to dig deep to make up for his car’s lack of pace.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.

June 18, 2017

Coelho wraps up title with TQ at ETS Slovakia

Bruno Coelho has wrapped up his second Euro Touring Series title after the Xray driver claimed the overall TQ this morning in Slovakia. The reigning champion secured his fourth TQ of the season when he again topped the times in the second of the qualifiers at the rain effected 5th round with the bonus championship for the TQ putting amends to his only remaining title rival coming into the weekend, Ronald Volker. Behind Coelho, Alexander Hagberg made it an Xray 1-2 line up for the triple A-Mains as he managed to better the Q1 time of Naoto Matsukura to move ahead of the Infinity driver. Behind Matsukura, team-mate Marc Rheinard will line up 4th with Volker completing the top half of the grid.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.

June 17, 2017

2nd qualifier deferred to final day at ETS Slovakia

Despite efforts to get the track dry to allow for a second round of qualifying today at ETS Slovakia, the decision has been made to defer Q2 to the tomorrow’s final day at the penultimate round of the championship. Having just managed to get the first round of qualifying completed after a wet start to the day and Friday having been a washout, the rain returned to the Hudy Arena as Q2 got underway stopping the action once again. Starting as a light drizzle it worsened and while many drivers took to sweeping and drying the track once the rain stopped, the evening drop in temperature and lack of sunshine mean’t it never completely dried. Opened for free practice, cars struggling to get around, the decision was then made to call it a day. With Sunday’s forecast showing a nice dry day in Trencin, the organisers have set a 07:00 start time so as to get a second round of qualifying in ahead of running the finals. With just two rounds of qualifying, drivers will count their best round with the fastest time the tie breaker leaving overnight Top Qualifier Bruno Coelho in a strong position to take the overall TQ. Such an outcome would secure the Xray driver back to back ETS titles.

View our complete event coverage here.

June 17, 2017

Coelho takes important Q1 from Matsukura at rain effected ETS Slovakia

With rain effectively wiping out yesterday’s action at the Hudy Arena, qualifying at Euro Touring Series finally got underway this afternoon with Bruno Coelho taking an important TQ run in the first of the 3 rescheduled qualifiers from a surprise Naoto Matsukura. With drivers getting only 3-minutes of running yesterday, they would again have to play the waiting game this morning as further rain delayed proceedings at the 5th round of the championship. Getting another 3-minute practice run once the track had dried after the morning downpour the expectation of further rain meant the stakes for Q1 were high. Having topped Thursday’s sun drenched free practice, it would be Marc Rheinard who led away the top heat but a minute in the Infinity driver would make a mistake. This left team-mate Matsukura to go to the top but a strong finish from Coelho, who had issues with his Xray being blown around the track by the wind, allowed the champion elect to TQ by 7/10ths from Matsukura with Alexander Hagberg getting third ahead of Rheinard. For Coelho’s only remaining title contender, Ronald Volker, the event is proving hugely challenging with the Yokomo driver describing his P6 as a ‘miracle’.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.

June 16, 2017

Rain hampers Day 1 at ETS Slovakia

After basking in the sunshine in free practice yesterday, drivers didn’t fair as well on the official opening day of ETS Round 5 in Slovakia as a number of rain showers effectively wrote off any meaningful running at the Hudy Arena. Waking to rain this morning in Trencin with further rain showers over the morning, a dry track finally appeared after lunch allowing a round of 3-minute practice to prepare the track for qualifying. With further rain forecast for the morning, the schedule was brought forward to run two rounds of qualifying over the rest of the day but 9 heats in to the 27 heats the heavens opened again bringing a stop to proceedings.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.