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October 30, 2019

Jerome Sartel teams up with SWorkz

SWorkz have announced the addition of French 1/8th off-road frontrunner, Jerome Sartel to their team. The long-time TLR racer joins SWorkz both as driver and also as European team manager and he will campaign SWorkz machinery along TPro tyres at national and international events. Jerome says:

I’m really proud to join Sworkz as their European team manager! Their quality products, great racing spirit, in addition to their motivation to bring satisfaction to customers makes me think it was the right choice. I would like to thanks Max and Georg for making this project happen. I’m looking forward to meet and talk to all drivers in order to share our passion around that awesome brand! European Drivers, who want to join SWorkz can contact me under teameurope@mwrcproducts.com beginning from 1st of November.

Source: MW RC Cars [mwrccars.at]

October 30, 2019

High winds force cancellation of qualifying at Worlds

The opening day of qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championships has been cancelled due to high winds in California. The gusting winds forced officials to make the call on the grounds of safety with concerns over the integrity of the huge tent in which everyone is pitting at Steel City RC Speedway. Despite being held in position with large concrete weights such was the power of the wind it exerting huge forces on the tent frame making it too dangerous to pit under. With the winds that are causing huge issues for fire fighters dealing with wild fire in the California area not expected to pass until this evening, IFMAR president Jeff Parker confirmed that due to safety concerns caused by the conditions today’s qualifying would be cancelled. He added that the track would open as normal tomorrow morning at 07:00 with one hour of practice from 08:00 to 09:00 to ‘groove the track’ which would be followed by the opening round of qualifying. Parker was quick to make it clear that ‘at this point we are not going into Sunday’, Sunday being a reserve day but only for should there be issues with the Saturday Main Finals programme. So far no details have been released as to whether it will be possible to run all 6 rounds of qualifying as originally schedule but it is expected that today’s cancellation will see that number reduced.

View our complete event coverage here.

October 30, 2019

Balestri Top Seed at 1:8 World Championships

Dario Balestri has got the defence of his 1:8 Onroad World title off to a strong start by becoming the Top Seed for qualifying at Steel City RC Speedway in California. The Infinity driver capped off today’s seeding practice by posting the fastest time of the day in the fourth & final round with a considerable advantage over second fastest for the round Toni Gruber. Behind the Italian, Naoto Matsukura made it an Infinity 1-2 in seeding being the only other driver to top the time sheets when he went fastest in the third round. Having a tough day by his normal standards, Simon Kurzbuch would manage to complete seeding in the Top 3 but openly admitted the gap to his great rival Balestri was quite a big one. Having surprised with his second fastest time in the opening seeding round, JJ Wang is the 4th seed ahead of young Italian talent Jonathan Gandin with former Champion Tadahiko Sahashi completing the Top 6.

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

October 30, 2019

Matsukura fastest in 3rd round of seeding

Finally there was a change at the top of the timing sheets at the 1:8 World Championships as Naoto Matsukura set the pace in the third round of seeding. Having suffered a heavy crash in the previous round, the Infinity driver came back to set the fastest 3-consecutive laps of the day ahead of a much improved Simon Kurzbuch. Having been the benchmark up to now, Dario Balestri would set the third fastest time ahead of fellow Italian Alessio Mazzeo with Jesse Davis and Robert Pietsch completing the Top 6.

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

October 29, 2019

Balestri continues to set the pace at Worlds

Dario Balestri continues to set the pace at the 1:8 World Championships with the Infinity driver topping the second round of seeding practice at Steel City RC Speedway. Slightly slower track conditions saw Balestri go fastest over 3-consecutive laps as Japanese drivers came to the fore with Infinity team-mate Takaaki Shimo putting in the second fastest time ahead of Shoki Takahata and 2013 World Champion Tadahiko Sahashi. While Carmine Raiola had an improve run setting the fourth fastest time, for some of the expected title contenders it was a tough round. Simon Kurzbuch was only 28th as he struggled with his car traction rolling, a problem which also left Dominic Greiner uncompetitive for the round. Star of the last 1:8 Worlds, Naoto Matsukura had a spectacular exit from the round when his steering came off as he turned off the straight resulting in his car being firmly buried under the track barrier.

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

October 29, 2019

Balestri tops opening seeding round

Dario Balestri has picked up from where he left in free practice yesterday to go quickest in the opening round of seeding at the 1:8 Onroad World Championships in California this morning. The Infinity driver set his fastest three laps before getting caught out by the extra high morning traction with a roll that chunked at rear tyre and ended his run a minute & a half early. Behind the reigning Champion, JJ Wang surprised even himself with the second fastest time, the Mugen driver running in the heat before that of Balestri. Making a return to World Championship action after some time out from the sport, Steven Jovanovic was another surprise at the front of the times sheets as he posted the 3rd fastest time for the first of the 4 rounds of seeding practice. Next up it was Dominic Greiner in fourth place followed by Silvio Hachler and 2011 World Champion Robert Pietsch. For 2015 World Champion Simon Kurzbuch the extra traction caused him problems and his Shepherd made contact with the Steel City RC Speedway barriers leaving him 8th fastest.

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

October 29, 2019

Alain Sarafyan doubles at Turkish Off-road Nats

The Turkish National 1/8th Off-road Championship was hosted by the Luleburgaz RC Yildizlar track last weekend. The 3-day event was held in 1/8th Nitro and Electric classes and when the dust had settled it was Alain Sarafyan with the overall in Nitro Buggy as Can Soykal and Emre Bozdoğan came in 2nd and 3rd respectively. Over in E-Buggy it was again Alain Sarafyan with the overall win as Bora Mumcu and Serkan Tumer completed the top 3 result.

Source: Xray [teamxray.com]

October 29, 2019

Wesley van Helmond wins at Winter is Coming Race

The Mach-One Helmond track in Helmond, The Netherlands held their 2019 Winter is Coming race last weekend in 1/8th nitro and electric off-road classes. In the Nitro Buggy category, attracting 44 drivers, it was Jarno Pijpers (SWorkz) with the overall TQ after taking two of the three qualifying rounds. Wesley van Helmond (SWorkz), who won a single qualifying round, came in 2nd. The 30-minute A-main event then saw Wesley getting past Jarno on the second lap and from there he never looked back to take the win a lap in front of Jeffrey Halsema (Team Associated) while Jarno Pijpers rounded out the top 3 results.

View the final results here