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April 12, 2011

Day 1 of qualifying in Miami cancelled

The opening day of qualifying has been cancelled at the 1:8 Onroad World Championship with drivers now set to get an extra practice run this evening as a new procedure is adapted for the morning when the first of the reduced 4 rounds of qualifying will finally get underway. With the paddock having been turned into a series of meeting areas this morning following protests over the handling of the tyre additive issue that is overshadowing the 18th running of the World Championship, IFMAR has made the decision that a controlled tyre prep area will be introduced for the remainder of the event.

View our complete event coverage here.

April 12, 2011

Thomas Günsel joins Capricorn

German Capricorn distributor Race-Center-Munzig have announced the signing of former German Champion and European ‘B’ podium finisher Thomas Günsel to their team. The German driver signed a 2 year deal, which will see him running the latest version of the Capricorn LAB-C01 and the whole product range including Capricorn LAB-E01 engines, Capricorn fuel and HardLight tires. He will attend both European Championships, as well as the German EFRA GP and German Championship. Thomas has the following to say:

After 5 successful years running Xray, I´m looking for a new competition with Capricorn. I would like to thank Xray/Hudy and SMI/Bertram Kessler for their support in the past. Having tested the Capricorn LAB-C01 in the last weeks, I was really satisfied with the performance and handling. I’m looking forward for a good partnership with Capricorn / Race-Center-Munzig.

Source: Race Center Munzig [race-center-munzig.de]

April 12, 2011

Pietsch tops final practice in Miami

Just as he did at the last 1:8 Onroad World Championship before going on to become the Top Qualifier, Mugen’s Robert Pietsch has set the pace in the final practice in Miami, Florida. After the 37 lap run, the reigning European Champion said the run was not perfect. Running his engine slightly safe it was too rich and switching to softer shock oil he said he got the order wrong with the softer oil better suited to cooler morning conditions.

View our complete event coverage here.

April 11, 2011

Maifield & Tessmann win Silver State titles

The 2011 Silver State Nitro challenge couldn’t have ended on a better note. The sun came out and gave us what seemed like the 4th season in 4 days, summer. The wind was tame but I think everyone would check on the horizon for another freak storm to show up. The track has some overnight repairs, but didn’t look to be quite as smooth as Saturday. None-the-less, it wouldn’t take long to rut up and slow even the best drivers in the world down.

Continue reading the report here

April 11, 2011

Collari goes for 10th World title in Miami

Kyosho’s Lamberto Collari is going after his 10th World title this week at the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championships which are underway at the Homestead Raceway in Miami, Florida. The Italian legend, who won his first title 22 years ago, is chasing a fifth consecutive title in r/c racing’s ‘Formula 1′ category and for his rivals its more a case of aiming to beat Collari rather than aiming to win a World title.

View our complete event coverage here.

April 10, 2011

Tessmann & Tebo TQ 2011 Silverstate

Saturday kicked off with the 3rd and final round of qualifying. The track was well groomed by the crew after Friday’s rounds of racing. All of its gaping wounds were patched up and a healthy dose of water was laid down on the dirt. Cody King and Ty Tessmann were looking to get TQ’s for round 3 of expert truggy and wrap up the overall TQ, but it was Jared Tebo with an excellent run leading from the first lap to the finish. Although his efforts were grand, Tessmann won the overall TQ with his best two finishes being a 1st and 2nd. Many of the truggy drivers were switching between smaller pin tires and larger pins. The smaller pins seemed faster and a bit more forgiving in the ruts, but the larger pinned tires had more traction, especially when driving in the fluff outside the lines. I asked Ty about his tire choices throughout the race and he was going between the Proline Holeshots and Calibers. He thought the Calibers were a bit “edgy” but had more traction so those would most likely be his choice for the main.

Continue reading the report here

April 9, 2011

Tessmann heads difficult Silverstate qualifying

Friday morning was looking promising for the racers. It was a bit cool, but the clouds looked sparse and the wind would cause much more than a rustle in the bushes. The R/C gods wouldn’t let that last long though. After a few hours the winds picked back up and racing got just a bit more interesting.

Continue reading the report here

April 8, 2011

Silver State Nitro Challenge practice update

If you ever wondered what nitro off-road racing next to a tornado would be like, then you should have been at Boulder City RC during practice for the 2011 Silver State Nitro Challenge. The forecast was 50mph gusts of wind but I am positive it was howling at that rate the entire day. Goggles were a necessity, hats often turned into tumble weeds rolling through the desert, in fact, there were a few of those rolling across the track during practice.

Continue reading the report here