Red RC

February 18, 2024

Zalewski heads Xray 1-2 at MIBO International

A driver who showcased his talents at inaugural MIBO International last year finishing runner-up in both buggy classes, Bartek Zalewski elevated himself up a step on podium this year heading an Xray 1-2 in 4WD. Starting out the weekend in Horotovice by topping seeding in both 2WD and 4WD, it was to be the later that proved his better hunting ground. Fresh from his EOS podium finished in Germany, the 17-year old would secure the overall TQ in the final round of qualifying denying his XB4’s designer Martin Bayer the top spot in his native country. Carrying his morning Q5 form into A1, winning by 3.6-seconds from Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik, he was looking to seal the deal in A2 as he gapped the field but a brush with the tracks rubber dividers popped a steering link, as it had done in one of Saturday’s qualifiers, and the dream of packing up early for the trip back to Poland was over. With Bayer taking the win from Kobbevik and new 2WD Champion Joern Neumann, A3 was now a pressure situation for Zalewski but despite the best efforts of Bayer he would remain claim and hold his senior off until the multiple European Champion crashed out as the race reached 2-minutes. Managing his lead he would take a comfortable win over Team Associated’s Joona Haatanen to become a popular Champion of this year’s MIBO International. Bayer made it a 1-2 for Xray, the event a truly family racing affair for the Hudy family with three generations competing. Kobbevik would complete a podium double at the Sport V Hotel adding 3rd in 4WD to his earlier 2nd in 2WD.

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February 18, 2024

Neumann takes surprise 2WD win at MIBO

Joern Neumann came out the surprise winner of 2WD Buggy at MIBO International, the Sworkz driver having lined up 5th on the grid for the three action packed A-Mains at the Czech Republic race. With team-mate Micha Widmaier leading the challenge of the Sworkz team in qualifying, holding the overnight TQ and one of four drivers to go into Sunday morning’s fifth & final qualifier in contention for pole position, Neumann was running well under the radar. The first of the finals changed all that as the multiple European Champion picked up the pieces as those ahead cracked under the pressure and he took the win, even the German himself having a smile of surprise on his face as he went to out marshal afterwards. A2 was a similarly incident filled race, this time Neumann following home the Xray of fourth place qualifier Martin Bayer to finish P2 helped by late contact between the top 2 qualifiers Daniel Kobbevik and Joona Haatanen. Top Qualifier Kobbevik would finally deliver in A3 taking his Schumacher to the win ahead of Widmaier but a late incident between Bayer and Haatanen who define the outcome of the podium. Running second at the time and with a faster winning time than Neumann, the incident cost Bayer the overall win as he finished 3rd on tie break with Kobbevik as Neumann became the Champion of the second edition of the MIBO International.

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February 18, 2024

Orlowski adds MIBO International to tally

Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski has added the MIBO International race to his 2024 winning tally with victory ahead of 2023 Champion Ronald Volker. The current benchmark in both onroad and offroad carpet racing but unable to do offroad at the unique Czech event due to a lack of mechanic, Orlowski dominated proceedings in Modified Touring Car. Taking TQ honours after 3 round of qualifying, but completing the clean sweep by taking Q4 & 5, in the opening A-Main he checked out early his prototype Schumacher finishing 2.5-second clear of Volker’s Mugen. A2 would start with Volker looking a lot more of a challenger and running close enough to give Orlowski the first bit of pressure of the weekend. A tyre additive driven improvement, unfortunately the advantage faded in the second half of the race and Orlowski again cruised to win and the overall MIBO International from Volker with Xray’s Jan Ratheisky completing the podium in Hrotovice.

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February 18, 2024

Kobbevik & Zalewski secure TQ honours at MIBO

Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik and Xray’s Bartosz Zalewski are the buggy Top Qualifiers at MIBO International. While the TQ honours on the onroad track were settled yesterday with Michal Orlowski dominating proceedings, it was an intense fifth & final qualifier this morning on the offroad track with four drivers vying for pole position. In 2WD Buggy it was Sworkz’s Micha Widmaier who led away the decider from Xray’s Martin Bayer, Kobbevik and Team Associated’s Joona Haatanen. Under pressure, with Kobbevik quickly on his rear wing, it was Bayer who was first to bow out with a mistake. Shortly after Widmaier’s challenge was over with the two Scandinavians continuing the battle with Kobbevik getting it done by 6/10th as P2 secured Haantanen second on the grid ahead of Widmaier and Bayer. In 4WD, it was a three way battle which quickly became two as Kobbevik pulled up after a mistake. A mistake from Bayer then took the pressure off Zalewski and last year’s 2WD Top Qualifier took the round and a 4WD pole position this time round.

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February 17, 2024

Bayer on provisional MIBO TQ in 4WD

Martin Bayer is the provisional Top Qualifier overnight at MIBO International, the Xray driver being denied locking in the overall TQ with a mistake that allowed Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik to top the fourth round and be part of the battle for pole position tomorrow morning in Q5. Posting a TQ run in Q1 and Q3, Bayer was on target for a third in Q4 but keying an eye on the very fast Sworkz of Micha Widmaier and distracted by a mistake from the overnight 2WD TQ holder, Bayer made a mistake that cost him more than 3-seconds allowing Kobbevik to grab max points. With Bayer still managing a P2 2.6-seconds off Kobbevik, the Top 3 would be completed by Team Associated’s Joona Haatanen but the Finn won’t contend for the overall TQ in Q5, instead it will be Bartosz Zalewski who is part of the three way fight. The double runner up here last year to Bruno Coelho, the young Polish talent was on a competitive Q4 run until be popped a steering link.

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February 17, 2024

Orlowski Top Qualifier at MIBO International

Based on recent form there was never much doubt he’d be a force on his MIBO International debut and in a dominant performance that is exactly what Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski has done securing the overall TQ in Modified Touring Car. Starting the day in the Czech Republic with a TQ run, the Pole continued to make the top of the times sheets his own locking in pole position with a third TQ run in Q3 but not done he would cap off the day with a fourth in the day’s final onroad action. Shadowing the 1:12 World Champion every run but never close enough to mount a challenge, defending inaugural MIBO International Champion Ronald Volker will start 2nd on the grid with one final qualifier on Sunday morning to determine how the rest of the grid will line up behind the World Champions.

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February 17, 2024

Widmaier holds overnight 2WD TQ at MIBO International

Sworkz’s Micha Widmaier holds the overnight TQ in 2WD Buggy at MIBO International with today’s four rounds of qualifying producing TQ runs from four drivers all representing different manufacturers. Having opened the second edition of the Czech event with a TQ run, Widmaier holds a 1 point advantage over the Xray of Martin Bayer who topped the time sheets in Q4. Equal on points with Bayer, having taken max points for Q3, is Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik for whom a last lap error cost him a potential second TQ result as he finished just 2/10ths back from Bayer. Setting the pace in Q2, Team Associated’s Joona Haatanen is one of four drivers in contention for the overall TQ in Sunday mornings fifth & final qualifier.

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February 17, 2024

Widmaier & Bayer take opening MIBO qualifiers

Sworks RC’s Micha Widmaier and Xray’s Martin Bayer have taken the opening round of offroad qualifying at MIBO International. In 2WD Widmaier took the TQ ahead of Bayer by less than 2/10ths while Bayer got the better of Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik to TQ the first 4WD encounter by 7/10th of a second. Having opened Day 2 of the event by topping seeding in both 2WD and 4WD, mistakes on both of his opening qualifying runs would see Bartosz Zalewski end up third fastest in both categories.

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