Red RC

November 10, 2024

Coelho pulls off ISTC World Champion Hat Trick

10-years and 1-month after his father took the gamble on bringing him to the 2014 IFMAR ISTC World Championships in Florida, Bruno Coelho has today become one of RC racing’s greatest drivers of all time after pulling off a hat trick of consecutive electric touring car World titles. Travelling to Finishline RC Raceway in Bakersfield, California, for the 12th running of the Championships two years after dominating the last World Championship in Italy, this time round the Xray driver faced a fierce competitor in Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski. With the duo the class of the field from the getgo, they would battle it out right through the week and into a title deciding A3 showdown. After they clashed in A1, handing touring car legend Marc Rheinard the win, A2 would see Top Qualifier Orlowski lead home the defending Champion and the stage was set for four days of action to come down to the very last 5-minutes of a very well executed Worlds. Leading away A3, Orlowski looked in control but after the first minute the Polish ace was struggling and making a small mistake on his 10th lap, Coelho didn’t need a second invitation to take advantage and go to the front. Still it was game on, the next lap however, Orlowski had another moment which dropped him back to 5th, Coelho now with a clear lead he was never going to relinquish. While Orlowski fought back, contact with Alexander Hagberg on the penultimate lap as they battled over second sealed the deal for Coelho as he also ran the fastest time of the three A-Mains meaning his 29th lap was a victory lap for his latest World title. Having both had an outside chance of the title going in the closing race former Champions Marc Rheinard and Ronald Volker would come together in A3 resulting in P7 and P8 finishes respectively. Overall however Rheinard would complete the podium ahead of his fellow countryman, itself an impressive result for a driver who won his first World title 20-years ago also on US soil.

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November 10, 2024

Lauter ‘Spec’ World Champion after dominant display

Awesomatix’s Simon Lauter is the new ISTC ‘Spec’ World Champion, the German putting on a dominant display of driving at Finishline RC Raceway in California to secured the title in A2. Only the second running of the World Championship for the 17.5 Spec class, having finished runner-up to Alexandre Duchet 2-year ago at the inaugural event in Italy, Lauter made the trip to the US with just one goal in mind and executed a near perfectly campaign. Securing the TQ and winning A1 with ease, the back to back European Champion once again pulled clear of the field in A2 with one onlooker commenting that his race was the definition of the ‘perfect driving’. The only driver to top Lauter over the 6 qualifiers, Max Mächler would win A3 to make it a 1-2 for Awesomatix, the latter having given the manufacturer their first World title when he won the 1:12 Spec title in Florida last year. As the outgoing ‘Spec’ Champions Xray would complete the podium in Bakersfield with Jan Ratheisky, the German driver chasing home Mächler in A3 having taken P3 in the second A-Main after his body tuck in A1.

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November 10, 2024

Orlowski wins uneventful A2

After the drama of A1 at the ISTC Worlds in California, A2 was to be a very straight forward affair with Top Qualifier Michal Orlowski taking the win ahead of defending World Champion Bruno Coelho. The biggest moment of the race would be the bad start by the Awesomatix of A1 winner Marc Rheinard, the multiple World Champion getting off line and dropping down the order to 6th before eventually recovering to his P4 starting position. As Orlowski was again shadowed by Coelho, the Portuguese however not looking as racy this time round, Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker joined the mix at the front. Looking very competitive, unfortunately the 2016 World Champion would go wide coming off the end of the main straight drop off the lead battle. While Orlowski would have 1 or 2 bobbles he maintained station to win and set a showdown for the third & final A-Main here at Finishline RC Raceway in Bakersfield.

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November 9, 2024

Rheinard wins A1 after Coelho-Orlowski contact

Awesomatix’s Marc Rheinard has taken the opening A-Main at the Electric Touring Car World Championship, the 3-time ISTC World Champion capitalising on contact between defending champion Bruno Coelho and Top Qualifier Michal Orlowski. With the Top 2 initially pulling clear, as they scrapped over the lead Rheinard closed in to make way it a three way flight of RC titans, the closeness of the action generating plenty of ‘ooohs’ from the onlooking crowd. Having got alongside leader Orlowski a number of times, Coelho would attempt a pass in the corner coming on to the main straight but contact was made with Orlowski ending up in the corner with a body tuck as Rheinard slipped through unscathed for a comfortable lead he will hold to the finish ahead Ronald Volker and Akio Sobue with Coelho finishing back in fourth. Orlowski would finish P8, his car suffering damaged in the incident.

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November 9, 2024

Orlowski Top Qualifier at ISTC World Championship

Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski is the Top Qualifier at the IFMAR ISTC World Championships in California, the Polish driver securing pole position with his fourth TQ run of the event in this morning sixth & final qualifier. With only back to back defending World Champion Bruno Coelho in a position to deny Orlowski pole position at Finishline RC Raceway, the Xray driver looked on target to take the overall TQ as his Xray sat at the top of the timing screens. With Orlowski having a moment and loosing time to arch rival with a moment on lap 11, things looked to be going in the favour of Coelho but with 2-minutes to go his Xray would have two moments getting up on two wheels. With the Portuguese driver needing all his skills to save it, the moment was enough for Orlowski to go to the top and lock in the overall TQ as he chases a first ISTC World title to go with the 1:12 title he won in Florida last year. While Coelho would end up with a P3 for the round behind the Mugen Seiki of Ronald Volker, he will start his quest for a record three in a row from second on the grid. With Orlowski and Coelho the class of the field, behind them a resurgent Volker will line up third followed by the Awesomatix of Marc Rheinard with the Axon of 2022 podium finisher Akio Sobue making it five different manufacturers at the front end of the grid.

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November 9, 2024

Orlowski holds overnight TQ in California

Michal Orlowski holds the overnight TQ at the IFMAR ISTC World Championships in California, the Schumacher driver ending the second day of qualifying with a trio of TQ runs as defending World Champion Bruno Coelho continued to struggle with the difficult track conditions following his strong start in Q1 & 2. With Coelho traction rolling as the penultimate qualifier came up to half distance and eventually finish 8th for the round, up front Orlowski found himself under pressure from Ronald Volker, the German’s new Mugen Seiki at the top the timing screens for 3-laps. In the end however Orlowski took the round from the former World Champion by 7/10ths with a very impressive run from the previous heat netting the Serpent of former Nitro Touring Car World Champion Dominic Greiner third for the round. Xray’s Alexander Hagberg recorded his 3rd consecutive run to the fourth fastest time. Overall the day’s results sees Orlowski’s Hobbywing powered Mi9 at the top of the qualification ranking on 0 points, 3 from 6 to count. Second on 5 points Coelho however has two TQ runs and more importantly the fastest time of qualifying meaning he still has a shot of going for his third consecutive Touring Car World title from pole position. After his impressive day, Volker holds third with the 2016 title holder set to line-up in that position for tomorrow’s final at Finishline RC Raceway.

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November 9, 2024

Schumacher L1R Optional Alloy Hub and Driveshaft Set

Schumacher is offering this new tuning option for their CAT L1R 1:10 4WD Buggy. The L1R Optional Alloy Hub and driveshaft set moves the driveshaft joint outboard 2mm, moving it further out into the wheel. This will soften the car in roll and reduce on power understeer and improve bump handling. All other geometry remains the same. This hub assembly is intended to be used with the outer wishbone hole only. There are two driveshaft versions available. The CVD Version gives great forward drive and straight line stability, usually suited to low grip surfaces. The UJ Version is used on high grip surfaces such as carpet and astro giving improved rotation. It is also good on bumpy surfaces.

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November 9, 2024

Lauter ‘Spec Class’ Top Qualifier at ISTC Worlds

Awesomatix’s Simon Lauter is the Top Qualifier of the ‘Spec Class’ at the IFMAR ITSC World Championships in California. The reigning back to back European Spec Champion secured pole position for what is only the second running of the class as a World Championship with one round to go when he recorded his fourth TQ in the fifth & penultimate round of qualifying at Finishline RC Raceway. Going into qualifying as the Top Seed, the German, who earlier this year added the TITC Open Brushless title to his impressive CV, opened with a TQ run which he would back up in Q2 with another. Also a competitive international Modified Touring Car competitor, the third round would be the only glitch of the day as he rolled his Hobbywing powered A800R on a curb, a mistake that allowed team-mate Max Mächler to post a TQ run. In Q4, Lauter returned to the top moving one step closer to locking in his first goal of the week, a new Spec World Champion going to be crowned as inaugural winner Alexandre Duchet hasn’t made the trip to Bakersfield.

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