Rabitti on pole for Arena race

Italian National Champion Riccardo Rabitti will start the 2009 Arena Offroad Meeting from pole position ahead of Losi team-mate Yannick Aigoin.  Aigoin took the win in the first of the Semi Finals but Rabitti’s win in the second produced a faster time to see him carry the number 1 on his Sirio powered 8ight for the 45-minute Main here at the ‘Arena of Cowboys’.  Both Rabitti and Aigoin had to work hard for their wins.  Aigoin saw his Novarossi engine cut on the start due to the idle being set too low and once restarted  he had to work his way up through the field.  Running one fuel stop compared with the two of young British talent Elliot Boots he eventually found a way passed the Mugen/RB driver who will line up fourth on the grid.

Switching from a 7 to 3 port engine for his Semi, Sirio team driver Rabitti made a lot of mistakes as he had to readjust his style to suit the different power unit. Swallowed up by the pack in the early part of the 20-minute race the Italian found his rythm and came through to eventually pass the battling Spaniards of Borja Hernandez and Richi Gomez to take the win despite running out of fuel on his last lap. Rabitti will continue with the same engine but is opting for a different clutch.

Finishing second in the Semi B, GS Racing’s Hernandez will line up third on the grid but admits a podium finish will be difficult as the track doesn’t really suit his RB powered CLX. The main casualty of the Semis was Czech ace Martin Bayer who went out early when another car T-boned his Losi, breaking the cars steering.  While Martin will play no further part in the event there will be Bayer interest in the final with younger brother Alex making it through to the Main lining up eight on the 12 car grid.  Another of the big name to go down in the Semi was Kyosho/Novarossi team driver Fabrizio Teghesi when he retired three minute from the finish.

Semi Final A results
1. Yannick Aigoin (FR) – Losi/Novarossi – 27L/20:00.872
2. Elliot Boots (UK) – Mugen/RB – 27L/20:11.887
3. Davide Tortorici (IT) – Crono/OS – 27L/20:25.364

Semi Final B results
1. Riccardo Rabitti (IT) – Losi/Sirio – 27L/19:55.672
2. Borja Hernandez (ES) – GS Racing/RB – 27L/20:01.167
3. Richi Gomez (ES) – Hong Nor/Reds – 27L/20:20.543

Buggy A-main starting grid
1. Riccardo Rabitti (IT) – Losi/Sirio
2. Yannick Aigoin (FR) – Losi/Novarossi
3. Borja Hernandez (ES) – GS Racing/RB
4. Elliot Boots (UK) – Mugen/RB
5. Richi Gomez (ES) – Hong Nor/Reds
6. Davide Tortorici (IT) – Crono/OS
7. Martin Karner (A) – Kyosho/Team Orion
8. Alex Bayer (CZ) – Losi/Novarossi
9. Simon Willetts (UK) – Kyosho/Team Orion
10.Fabio Boero (IT) – Mugen/SM
11.Carlo Jacopini (IT) – Mugen/Team Orion
12.Alessandro Magi (IT) – Mugen/SM

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