Dominant day sees Balestri secure TQ honours in Gubbio, again!

A decade after he claimed his first World Championship pole position, Dario Balestri will once again line-up as the Top Qualifier at the IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship after a dominant display of driving on the opening day of qualifying in Gubbio, Italy.  Opening the day with a very convincing Q1 performance ahead of defending World Champion Jilles Groskamp, the Infinity driver would go on top all four qualifiers each time ahead of different driver.  With expected rain tomorrow seeing the schedule revised from 3 rounds to running a 4th round, a rain shower would delay proceedings just before the half way mark of Q4 with 5pm in the evening looking more like night time as some very threaten rain clouds hovered over the track, but they would get the round completed just as the sunset.  While the outcome tomorrow, even if they do get to run the final two rounds, is irrelevant to Balestri’s status as he is locked in as  the Top Qualifier, their could be some movement in the magic Top 4, all directly qualifying into the 1-hour title decider.  Counting a P2 from Q3 with a P3 from Q4, Xray’s Filippo Domanin holds P2 ahead of Naoto Matsukura and Kyle Branson, the British driver jumping ahead of Groskamp as he took 2nd in the final qualifier after a mistake from Matsukura.  Having started out Day 1 of qualifying strongly with a P2, unfortunately that would be the highlight of Groskamp’s day and counting a P5 from Q2, he lies fifth in the overnight rankings.

On his impressive performance today, a very happy looking Balestri said, ‘I would say that was a perfect day’.  He continued, ‘The last round was fast but not as fast as this morning but I already knew I had a lot of points so I just tried to manage the pace to the end because at the end of the straight the sun was strange and it was difficult to see and find the right line.  I didn’t want to make any crash cause I don’t want to work this evening.  So I just bring it to the end.’  His time would be 1.6-seconds off his fastest run set in Q1.  Looking to the final two qualifiers, the 2017 and 2o23 1:8 Onroad World Champion said, ‘We don’t know what will happen but I think it will be raining tomorrow.  Even if not raining I am already locked in for the TQ.’  Reminded of his 2016 TQ at this track, he said, ‘yes but I hope the final will be different’, his race on that occasion lasting just 9-laps before a mechanical failure.

‘I am not super happy for the last quali bit I am happy to be P2’, was Domanin thoughts on Day 1 of qualifying.  Enjoying a very strong Q3 despite a heavy impact with pit lane wall on exiting after his fuel stop, the car unaffected by the loud bang, he said in the last round his car was not to his liking due to a lack of steering.  Asked if that was down to the track conditions changing for what was ‘happy hour’ conditions, he replied, ‘I don’t know because there are many things.  I put on used tyres, many things on the track, so I don’t know.’  Not happy with how the day end, he said for tomorrow, if we get to run, he plans to run a new set of the race’s official handout Hotrace tyres in the first one and then decide what to do for the final qualifier.

Asked about his issues in the day’s final qualifier, Matsukura said, ‘It was a spin but I don’t know why I spin.’  He added, ‘when the sun came down it was a little bit hard to see but I only had the problem for two laps then it was ok.’  he explained, ‘The first time it was a little half spin, then the next lap it was a spin to the inside, then after I drive nothing, it was good.’  On his car he said, ‘I changed the set-up a little for more front steering which was good work but we just missed it with the spin.  I am happy to be direct to the final, if tomorrow rains.  If we do get to qualify I will try to improve my position.  Our pace is not bad but we still need something more.’

A driver who is really impressing on his return to nitro racing here at the World Championships, Branson ended the day strongly with a P2 feeling he made good progress with his Capricorn’s set-up in Q4.  Stiffening up the car’s flex but softening the shock set-up this gave the 2018 Worlds Podium finisher a better car but it was also more tricky to drive.  He had a couple of moments, luckily nothing too costly, earlier in the run as he adapted to the changes as well as reducing his steering on his radio settings going down the main straight.

Asked to sum up his day, Groskamp said, ‘the first run was good of course with a second position.  The 2nd one was quite nice as well with a 5th and then I started to try somethings and I spun in Q3 but I was not fast in this one.’  He continued, ‘In Q4 then the weather changed a lot so I had to take a gamble on set-up and I went a little bit softer in everything and I think it didn’t really work out for me.’  The Dutchman added, ‘I tried to push but some guys really improved, you see Kyle improved, Alex improved, of course Naoto made a mistake and that is why Kyle got the second and I am fifth overall.  It’s still not bad but of course I would like to hope for fourth overall because maybe tomorrow is rain.  But if it happens Kyle goes directly into the final I mean he has shown he is fast.’  On his car, he said, ‘I need to improve the car for Saturday for the finals because it’s simple a bit too slow.  It’s not bad but I need to find a little bit more pace.’

2 from 2 for Balestri as Matsukura closest challenger

Dario Balestri made it 2 from 2 in qualifying at the IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship in Italy, the Infinity driver again leading a 1-2 for the reigning World Champion manufacturer, this time however the gap much smaller to second fastest Naoto Matsukura.  With an overcast Q1, the sun broke through the clouds for Q2, making for a slower track but learning from his mistakes in the first one Matsukura put in a error free run to get to within a second of Balestri who again was the only driver to manage 27-laps.  Taking the same approach as Matsukura after he had two mistakes in the morning, Xray’s Filippo Domanin completed the Top 3, the finish order the same as how they seeded after practice after a missed lap for the Italian was picked up on the backup timing computer. With their star driver Toni Gruber struggling so far this week, an improved Q2 netting him a P6 for the round, it was returning 2018 podium finisher Kyle Branson who lead the Capricorn challenge.  He would post the fourth fastest time ahead of defending Champion Jilles Groskamp while Alex Thurston who took his Mugen Seiki to P3 in the opening round set the 7th fastest time.

‘Good points’ was how Balestri summed up his second TQ run.  The reigning back to back European Champion continued, ‘the track was much slower, much slower.  The traction became low front and rear because of the high temperature.  Of course I made no change in the set-up but the balance was still good just a little bit understeering.’  Asked what changes he might make for Q3, he confidently replied, ‘absolutely nothing and just keep it like this. It is working how it is so no need to change anything.’

Asked about his second effort having thrown away a potential strong Q1 when he took too much curb and spun out, Matsukura replied, ‘No mistake that time but that time the temperature was much higher and the traction was a little bit low.’  He continued, ‘Still the car was OK for me.  We didn’t change anything because I needed the points after my mistakes in Q1.  I just did a safety drive.’  Looking to Q3, the multi classes World Champion plans a change to his IF15 saying, ‘I think we will make a little change cause it is more hot and my car is pushing a little.  We talked and agreed to do a small change for a little more steering.’  Asked about his pace in comparison to Balestri, the general feeling here being that only he and Domanin are any match for Balestri on outright pace, he said, ‘My first lap was not perfect and .4 slow but once the engine came up our times were almost the same so the pace is good so it is just the little things but we try to next one.’

‘That was better and I could make P3 now’, was Domanin’s reaction after Q2.  The 18-year-old continued, ‘It was a clean run.  I drove more safely and more calm and it made for a good run.’  On the slower track conditions, the son of 2006 European 1:8 Onroad Champion Fabio Domanin, this year’s 1:8 European Championship podium finisher said, ‘my car was still good, we didn’t change anything from Q1.  I want to make another good run with this pace so we will not change anything for Q3.  I want to get another P3’.

Having made a comeback to nitro racing, the ENS in Germany in May the total sum of his preparations for his Worlds return, Branson said this week has been about learning.  Racing an Xray in Germany, here is running Capricorn, a brand he represented previously for many years before switching to Electric Touring.  He explained, ‘Obviously I ran Capricorn for years but I am still learning the car again.  It’s actually going well but practice went better than how qualifying started so hopefully we can find something to get us back there.  A 4th and a 7th is not bad and I think there is only going to be four rounds cause it is going to rain tomorrow.’  Asked about the comeback having switched to EP as well as taking a year out after the birth of his first child, the 32-year-old said, ‘I missed it a bit I guess and it’s more fun (than electric).  On his car set-up he said, ‘now the car is just loose and unpredictable were as at the beginning of the week I could just throw it around and it was super good everywhere.  Today is the only day it has felt this bad to be honest.’  Asked then if the P4 was a lucky run, the British driver replied, ‘No I think that was genuine.  The first run I lost a bag of time because I came out of the pits and then Dario came behind me and Filippo made a mistake and rejoined so I lost a lot of time and got a 7th.’  He concluded, ‘it is frustrating when last night ended really well and the car this morning just doesn’t work.  It’s pretty annoying but that the track, the track is a living thing.’

Balestri takes opening qualifier at Worlds as rain looms in Gubbio

Infinity’s Dario Balestri has taken the opening round of qualifying at IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship, the run even more important with the threat of rain looming at the Gubbio track in Italy.  The top seed after yesterday’s timed practice which took place in sunny conditions, the first day of qualifying at Miniautodromo Internazionale Mario Rosati saw racers greeted by overcast conditions with very slight drops of rain even falling as the top two heats completed their the first of their six scheduled run.  Originally set to be a day consisting of 3 rounds, with tomorrow looking like it will be rained out, the organisers have now revised the schedule to run four rounds today with the best 2 of 4 to count.  Behind Balestri, it was reigning World Champion Jilles Groskamp who was second fastest but some bit back on his team-mate who was the only one to run 27-laps over the 7-minutes.  Seeding P5, British driver Alex Thurston completed the Top 3, saying like Groskamp, it was a result of consistency rather than outright speed.  Second fastest in seeding 2018 World Champion Naoto Matsukura had a mistake on his opening run that left him P20 of the 114 drivers to post a time.  Competing the Top 3 on seeding, up & coming Italian talent Filippo Domanin would also have two mistakes on his run one involving another driver leaving the quick Xray driver to register a P8.

‘Perfect’ was how Balestri summed up his Q1, ther 2-time 1:8 Onroad World Champion adding,’It was a perfect run, clean, everything worked in the right way.  It was all on point.’  With drops of rain at the start on that he said, ‘that was why it was even more important to take one round and be safe.  Tomorrow rain is 100% so they will make four rounds today so it is important to not make mistakes and to make everything clean to take at least 2 (TQ runs).’  On his car, the Italian the Top Qualifier here when the track hosted the Worlds a decade ago, he said, ‘all the package works great.  I think it is the best car I ever drive in this category the one I have here.’  A driver who doesn’t race much 1:10 Nitro, focusing his efforts on 1:8 Onroad, he explained, ‘the preparation is not like 1:8 because I make no races this year with 1:10 so I am even more surprised to be so competitive and to have this great feeling with the car.’  He added, ‘This is also thanks to my team-mates and all the factory work in Japan who have brought some new updates for this race.’

Summing up his opening effort, Groskamp explained, ‘Just a consistent run.  I was not fast for the lap times but I knew it was 7-minutes and I just wanted to have a run in cause the rain which is expected to arrive tomorrow so we might have only 4-rounds with 2 to count so I thought I just need to get this one in.’  The new 2025 Euro Nitro Series Champion continued, ‘In practice I was always around P5, P6, P7, so I was thinking just finish the round but when I was in P3 and very close to P2 I pushed more and got the P2 so I am very happy.’  One of the most experience drivers in the category he added, ‘Of course the gap to Dario is very big, he is super fast here.  He found something that works really good for him and he is the man to beat but I think the second place is really good and it will count at the end of the day.’  On his IF15, the Dutch driver said, ‘It is a little bit too easy to drive, I think it is a final car not really a qualification car and I also drove it like a final so I will try to push a little bit more to go faster.’  For Q2, he said, ‘I want to try some small changes cause I am not that slow of course, I don’t want to mix up the set-up but also today is the first day we have shade on the track so the track is a lot cooler so than means more traction.  The first four days we had full sun and it was super hot but at the end of each day we had happy hour and I feel the information for that when the track was cooler is good.  For sure the track has changed a lot and now some people are going faster cause there is more traction now.’

Pleased to open with a Top 3 run, on his event so far, Thurston who is running a Mugen Seiki chassis as an independent said, ‘It has been a bit of a mix of ups & downs.  We started and immediately the car was really up to speed, the first 2 or 3 days was really good but we lost our way a little bit yesterday, not sure why.’  The multiple British National Champion continued, ‘we rebuilt the car this morning and put the diffs in from the practice car, and the shocks, and the car felt a lot better this morning so I had a steady start and got into the groove a bit.  Obviously there were a couple of mishaps for other people, but when it is 7-minutes anything can happen, but dad did a nice clean fuel stop and I was consistent and stayed out of trouble.  I ran at the back on my own out of everyone’s way.’  Not far off Groskamp’s time he said, ‘It was really close in the end just 2/10ths off Jilles but after the day we had yesterday we will absolutely take that one.’  On his car asked if it was back where he want it he replied, ‘the car still doesn’t feel quite as good as it has done in the earlier days but it’s definitely gone back in the right direction.  It still needs a bit more steering but we can certainly work with it, its got more potential.’  On the weather he explained, ‘It looks like tomorrow it is going to rain for most of the day, if that’s the case and we don’t get any running it will be 2 from 4 so at least I have a solid run from the first one and we’ll try get another banker in for the next one and then throw caution to the win at the end of the day.’

1:10 Nitro TC Worlds coverage presented by LensBodies, Energy, Gimar, and PowerHD

The 2-year wait is over with the week on which IFMAR will crown the latest World Champion of 1:10 Nitro Touring Car having finally arrived, and thanks to LensBodies, Energy fuel, Gimar engines, and PowerHD servos, Red RC are travelling to Gubbio in Italy to tell the story of how these championships unfold.  Racing in the ‘world capital of nitro onroad racing’, the 2026 World Championships has attracted a bumper entry and one of the biggest nation counts in the classes history with over 120 entries from 21 countries.  A decade since Club Automodellistico 5Colli previously hosted the championship, it is reigning World Champion Jilles Groskamp who heads the entry for Infinity on the return to the beautiful Gubbio track which is located in central Italy.  The Dutch driver added the nitro title to his 2012 Electric Touring Car World title when he took the win at Huge RC two years ago, and he has been enjoying great form leading into the event claiming the Euro Nitro Series title with an emotional win in Austria last month.  With numerous drivers capable of winning come Saturday, all looking to put heir names into the RC racing history records, we also must remember that particular at a World Championship things need to go right.  As Jared Tebo famously said at the 2023 1:10 Offroad Worlds in Chico, USA, where he won the 2WD title, ‘To win you have to have so many things go right, to lose you only have to have one thing go wrong.’  With Nitro Touring Car you have so many inputs, and that’s what makes it so exciting.  Red RC’s coverage will begin on Tuesday (Sept 8th) with Controlled Practice before we quickly get down to the serious business of 2 days of qualifying with it all culminating with the crowning of a new World Champion on Saturday (Sept 12th).

IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Champions Roll of Honour

2024 Jilles Groskamp (Infinity) – Huge RC, Bangkok, Thailand (View Coverage)

2022 Tadahiko Sahashi (Infinity) – RC Addict, Bangkok, Thailand (View Coverage)

2018 Naoto Matsukura (Infinity) – Homestead, USA (View Coverage)

2016 Dominc Greiner (Serpent) – Gubbio, Italy (View Coverage)

2014 Alexander Hagberg (Xray) – Huge RC, Bangkok, Thailand (View Coverage)

2012 Meen Vejrak (KM Racing) – RC Addict, Bangkok, Thailand (View Coverage)

2010 Ralph Burch (Xray) – Porter, USA (View Coverage)

2008 Daniele Ielasi (Kyosho) – Lisbon, Portugal (View Coverage)

2006 Keisuke Fukuda (Mugen Seiki) – Brisbane, Australia

2004 Adrien Bertin (Kyosho) – Jundiai, Brazil