Dusty start to 1:8 Offroad Euros

There was a very dusty start to 32nd running of the 1:8 Offroad European Championships as drivers took to the Fehring track in Austria today for the first of two free practice runs that make up the opening day’s action for the 5 day event.  Forced to abandon the Main final at the Warm-up event back in April due to rain, conditions this time round are extremely dry with a constant cloud of dust hanging over the track.  Having also hosted the 1:10 Electric Offroad European Championships just over 3-weeks ago, drivers who competed at those championship said brushes where left at each marshaling post so as the track could be cleaned after each run and this worked well and they are cant see why the same process could not be used this week.  Instead the plan for now is to water the track at the end of each night but having been watered last night by the local fire brigade the hot conditions will most likely see any benefit quickly evaporate.

Situated in beautiful countryside in the South East of Austria not far from the borders of Hungary and Slovenia, the track venue itself is an impressive set-up and bucking the trend of many of this year’s European Championships the event has attracted a full 180 capacity entry. One driver to fall fowl of the size of the entry is Team Durango’s Hupo Honigl who like Mugen’s Lee Martin came to the event in the hope of getting one of the reallocation places made once no-shows have been confirmed.  Martin was assured of his place when fellow British racer Craig Drescher was forced to pull out on the eve of the event but Honigl, who races under a German EFRA license and had his pit area all set up to go racing, failed to secure an entry despite him being one of Austria’s most successful international offroad racers. Honigl will stay on at the event and act as mechanic for team mate Joern Neumann, wiiner of the 4WD EP Euros here, who is driving a hand machined prototype Durango buggy.

Sporting a bandage on his left arm following an operation to correct a problem with a muscle that was causing him to lose feeling in his figures, Robert Batlle is very confident about the days ahead as the defending champion seeks to join the rather exclusive club of 3-time European Champions, the only two drivers to be able to lay claim to such an achievement being his great rival Renaud Savoya and fellow Mugen driver Daniel Reckward who was 3rd at last year’s event.  Describing the opening practice as a ‘systems check’ the Spaniard, who was declared the winner of the Warm-up Race, said based on the information gathered at the Warm-up his equipment is up for the job and it is now down to just getting on with the program but added there are 8-10 guys that have just as much a chance at the title as he has.  Expecting much tougher competition this year from Savoya, whom he replaced at Mugen when the French ace switched to Durango, he said with the three time consecutive European Champion now with Xray he is a serious contender for the win.  Regarding other contenders Batlle said newly crowned British Champion Elliot Boots is one driver who has come on a lot in the past 12 months and he will be one to watch.

Having failed to make the final at the Euros last year for the first time since 2005, dropping out in the 1/4 finals with a broken steering servo, Savoya said he has put that ‘nightmare’ firmly behind him and feels he has never been more confident than he is now even when he was on a run of 3 title wins with Mugen.  Quickly building a strong relationship with Xray he said they listen to his input and this has really helped with the development of the XB9.  Forced to run harder Sweep tyres than he wants as his box of tyres for the event have not yet arrived at the track, he said his buggy was overall easy to drive with the triple and corner jump the two areas he will focus on in the next practice as he would like to get the car to settle faster.

Also driving for Team Durango last year but putting his DNX408 into the Main final, Boots is now part of a strong Kyosho line up which also includes last year’s Top Qualifier & Runner up Jerome Aigoin and fast Swede David Ronnefalk.  The 19-year-old, who has dominated this year’s British National Championship wrapping up the title with one round still left to run, said he is really happy to be back driving Kyosho and that the MP9 suits his ‘aggressive balls out’ driving style.

One very noticeable thing in the pits here in Austria is the large manufacturer presence with a number of key American’s over to support their drivers.  One of 1:8 offroad racing’s best known divers, Adam Drake is over together with TLR team manager Kevin Gahan to support their main title hopefuls Darren Bloomfield, who is actually running one of Drakes own buggies, and Miguel Matias along with last year’s fourth place finisher Marcel Guske who just recently signed for TLR Germany from Mugen.  Richard Saxton is on hand to assist Team Associated which is headed up by Neil Cragg and Yannick Aigoin.  Aigoin is the last driver to win the title before the great Batlle/Savoya rivalry began when the French driver took the title for Xray in 2006.  As part of his move to Associated, Aigoin has been involved in developing the US brand’s presence in the French market which particularly earlier in the year left him with no time to devote himself to just driving but added since May he has been able to practice more and this has boosted confidence and understanding of the RC8.2.

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