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August 11, 2016

Surprise TQ run for Takahata in Q4

Syoki Takahata took a surprise TQ in the fourth round of qualifying at Worlds in Italy. Running in the fourth fastest heat, the KM Racing driver would set the fastest time ahead of Dominic Greiner who looked set to take the round as his rivals self destructed in the top heat. Coming to the line on the TQ pace, Greiner would launch his car across the loop believing it would be his finishing time but he got there 0.002 too early. Spinning in his attempt to get the best possible finish time, once he discovered he was still on the clock and recovered he ended the qualifier with 24-second lap time around the 16-second Miniautodromo Internazionale M.Rosati track. With Greiner 8-seconds off Takahata, the pair the only drivers to run 19-laps, best of the rest on 18 would be Greiner’s Serpent team-mate Tadahiko Sahashi who completed the Top 3. Unfortunately a partly stripped rear belt which occurred in the warm-up would leave Q3 Top Qualifier Alessio Mazzeo to struggle around for a P4 for the round.

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August 11, 2016

Mazzeo TQs third qualifier at WC

Alessio Mazzeo has TQ’d the third round of qualifying at the Nitro Touring Car World Championship. After a delayed start to the second day of qualifying as the rain that halted Q2 continued overnight in Italy, the Serpent driver was fastest in the slower track conditions ahead of Robert Pietsch and team-mate Tadahiko Sahashi. Having taken the opening round of qualifying yesterday, Dario Balestri would manage only the 7th fastest time, as he was hampered by a shock issue on his Capricorn. Again Bruno Coelho would show strong running on a TQ pace like in Q1 but this time rather than a mistake of his own the Xray driver would crash into the Shepherd of Simon Kurzbuch which spun in front of him in the windy conditions.

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August 10, 2016

Rain brings halt to opening day of quali at WC

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Rain has brought a halt to the opening day of qualifying at the Nitro Touring Car World Championships, a decision finally made that no more acton will take place today in Gubbio. Just as the top heat started their engines for Q2 forecast rain arrived just 10-minute too early with the Top 10 seeded drivers not even making it out on to the track. An initial heavy shower was followed by more and heavy rain with thunder & lightning thrown into the mix. The plan now to resume with the third round of qualifying tomorrow and then review track conditions with a view to running Heat 13 of Q2 with Round 4 so as the entire round doesn’t need to scrapped. In Q2, as it stands it was Kyle Branson that holds the fastest time. Running in the second fastest group, the Capricorn driver was quickest from fellow British driver Andy Moore, the pair separated by just 1/1000th of a second. As it stands the overnight TQ is held by Capricorn Dario Balestri who TQ’d the opening qualifier from Simon Kurzbuch and Robert Pietsch.

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August 10, 2016

Balestri takes opening qualifier at WC

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Dario Balestri has TQ’d the opening round of qualifying at the Nitro Touring Car World Championships. The top seed took the first of the 6 scheduled qualifiers after a super close battle over the five minutes with Bruno Coelho, a last lap mistake leaving the latter with the 7th fastest time. While Balestri was to cut it ultra close in terms of his run time, his Tesla engine cutting as soon as he crossed the finish line, the Capricorn driver was to take the 5-minute qualifier ahead of Simon Kurzbuch by 2/10ths of a second. One second off the TQ pace, Robert Pietsch would complete the Top 3 followed by the Serpents of Dominic Greiner, Alessio Mazzeo and Mark Green.

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August 10, 2016

Adam Drake dominates Great Lakes Showdown

This past weekend the 2016 Great Lakes Showdown was held at The Track in Michigan. The “The Track” venue offers a large 1/8th off-road track as well as a smaller 1/10th off-road track and it was Adam Drake that was the top qualifier in Nitro Buggy, Nitro Truck, and 1/8th E-Buggy. Drake went on to win both 45 minute Nitro finals as well as the two 10 minute E-Buggy A-main legs to make it a title trifecta.

Source: Mugen [mugenracing.com]

August 9, 2016

Balestri top seed for qualifying at WC

Dario Balestri is the top seed for qualifying at the Nitro Touring Car World Championships in Italy. The Capricorn driver topped today’s controlled practice ranking thanks to setting the fastest times in both the third & fourth rounds with a drivers best two of four rounds determining the qualifying heat order. Topping the final qualifying in a faster time than CP3, most drivers pleased to see an end to practice, Balestri was quickest from Mugen driver Robert Pietsch but in the overall ranking it was the Mugen of CP2 pace setter Takaaki Shimo who would finish up second. Although the final practice would be his worst round as he got a P6, Balestri’s team-mate Luca Redaelli completed the Top 3 ahead of quickest man of the day Dominic Greiner.

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August 9, 2016

Balestri sets pace in 3rd controlled practice

Dario Balestri has set the pace in the third round of controlled practice at the World Championships in Gubbio, the Italian heading a Capricorn 1-2 from team-mate Luca Redaelli. The third different driver to top the time sheets today, Balestri took full advantage of the hot conditions as the morning’s pace setter Dominic Greiner struggled with the rising temperature. Star of yesterday’s free practice, Simon Kurzbuch would complete the Top 3 for a strong points haul, the heat seeding for qualifying being determined by each drivers best two points finishes over the four controlled practice rounds.

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August 9, 2016

Austin & Lightfoot win at Deerdale Summer Series Rd5

This past weekend saw round 5 of the Deerdale Summer Series. Mike Lightfoot was looking to seal the overall electric championship and Carlo De Marco and Dan Austin were both in with a shot at the nitro title with just one round to go. In Nitro Buggy, Dan Austin took the TQ with ahead of team mate Carlo De Marco in second who had suffered engine problems throughout the day. Daniel managed to convert the TQ into a win in the final after an early exit from Carlo suffering engine issues again whilst leading the final.

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