Choi Top Qualifier at FEMCA Championship

A delighted Dani Choi claimed his first ever international race TQ honours this evening in China when the Korean topped a exciting final round of qualifying at the FEMCA 1:8 Offroad Championships.  The Sweep tyres team driver took his Kyosho to a third TQ run around the Fengtai Raceway track after mixing it with Atsushi Hara and Meen Vejrak in the dying moments of the 10-minute heat.  In the end tyre issues cost Vejrak a potential second TQ run on the final lap leaving him to post the 4th fastest time while a series of mistakes dropped Hara back to third behind Kyosho’s Dai Hiroki.

‘Can’t believe it’ was Choi’s reaction to the result.  Going into the final qualifier tied on points with Hara he said he just tried to ignore Scotty Ernst’s commentary but towards the end of the race he found himself battling with two world champions.  Running the same set of Exagon tyres he used to TQ the penultimate round of heats, he said his MP9 was really good and the hardest thing was actually trying to stay calm as he ran wheel to wheel with Hara and Vejrak.  Looking forward to Saturday’s Semi Finals, Choi said with his buggy performing so well and also being extremely good in terms of tyre wear, his tyres after two 10-minute qualifiers still looking like new, he said the plan is just to fully rebuild the buggy and for the race itself keep calm.

Set to start on pole position for the other Semi final having qualified second overall, Hara said he just made too many stupid mistakes in Q6 after which he then started to overdrive.  Annoyed with himself for his first crash he said it just got worse after that but in terms of the buggy he said it was the best feeling he had with the Mugen since the start of the event.  Having brought a 50/50 mix of AKA and HB tyres, Hara said he had to switch to HB’s tyre in the final qualifiers as he had run out of Impacts but he said the red compound Grid Locks worked really well.

Qualifying third overall Nitro Touring Car World Champion Vejrak said extending his wheelbase improved his MBX-7 for the low traction but unfortunately bad tyre gluing let him down.  With the front left tyre going first he said he was still able to control the buggy easily enough but when two more of his Procircuit Hot Dice tyres came undone it was impossible to stay in control.  This led to the talented Thai star to get out of shape right in front of Choi causing the the Mugen to end up on its roof.  Asked about his Semi-final plans Vejrak joked that better gluing of his tyres was his main goal!

Finishing second in Q6 was enough for Hiroki to out qualify Kyosho legend Yuichi Kanai and secure 4th overall. Running in the second fastest heat grouping he was surprised by the result as he had made a few mistakes.  Happy with his Reds Racing engined MP9 he said he plans to stick wit the same set-up for his Semi half hour Final.  Ending qualifying with his worst run of the six rounds, posting only the ninth fastest time, Kanai ended qualifying fifth overall but driving well this week he should be competitive in his Semi final in which he starts 3rd behind Top Qualifier Choi and Vejrak.

Ending qualifying with another Top 5 finish, despite his engine being too rich, Chavit Saliguppa secured 6th overall which will see him in the same Semi as Hara and Hiroki.  Completing the Top 6 in the final qualifier was 17-year-old Wataru Takashiro who after a tough start to qualifying yesterday was delighted to be able to turn things around today and qualifying into the Semi finals with 11th overall.  The Japanese driver will be joined in the Semi Finals by his father Manabu who posted his first Top 10 time in Q6 to leave him 14th overall.

For the host Nation qualifying saw Hu Wei Ping ensure that at least one Chinese driver will be represented in the final.  The S-Workz driver who will be hoping to secure his 5th Chinese National title in the morning matched his best run of 11th fastest in Q6 to secure 15th overall.  Unfortunately for Li Cong the only Chinese driver to post a Top 10 time, he missed the cut by a single point with Thai driver Akarachai Boontham securing the 16th and final direct Semi final qualifying position.  Ending up 17th Cong will starting the even 1/4 Final from pole position.

Round 6 Top 10 Qualifying times
1. Dani Choi (KOR) – Kyosho/Alpha – 19/10:26.067
2. Dai Hiroki (JPN) – Kyosho/Reds – 19/10:30.773
3. Atsushi Hara (JPN) – Mugen/OS Speed – 19/10:32.078
4. Meen Vejrak (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 19/10:35.435
5. Chavit Saliguppa (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 18/10:04.837
6. Wataru Takashiro (JPN) – Kyosho/OS Speed – 18/10:04.874
7. Charlee Phutiyotin (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 18/10:08.951
8. Ryan Lee (KOR) – TLR/Alpha – 18/10:10.633
9. Yuichi Kanai (JPN) – Kyosho/RB – 18/10:12.211
10.Manabu Takashiro (JPN) – Kyosho/OS Speed – 19/10:23.628

Final Qualification Top 16 (Semi Finalists)
1. Dani Choi (KOR) – Kyosho/Alpha – 465 pts
2. Atsushi Hara (JPN) – Mugen/OS Speed – 463
3. Meen Vejrak (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 460
4. Dai Hiroki (JPN) – Kyosho/Reds – 457
5. Yuichi Kanai (JPN) – Kyosho/RB – 455
6. Chavit Saliguppa (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 452
7. Sheng Chie Huang (TW) – HB/Alpha – 447
8. Charlee Phutiyotin (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 444
9. Witsarut Rumlarp (TH) – Agama/Bullitt – 444
10.Ryan Lee (KOR) – TLR/Alpha – 443
11.Wataru Takashiro (JPN) – Kyosho/OS Speed – 441
12.Tommy Chung (UK) – Kyosho/Novarossi – 438
13.Trin T (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 433
14.Manabu Takashiro (JPN) – Kyosho/OS Speed – 430
15.Hu Wei Ping (CN) – S-Workz/S-Power – 430
16.Akarachai Boontham (TH) – Mugen/Alpha – 427

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