Choi tops penultimate FEMCA qualifier

Sweep team driver Dani Choi has topped the fifth round of qualifying at the FEMCA Championships in China, a result that leaves the Korean tied with Atsushi Hara in the qualification ranking with just one round remaining.  Topping Q2 yesterday, Choi took his Kyosho to the top of the time sheets in the penultimate qualifier ahead of Meen Vejrak who rolled his Mugen right in front of the timing loop as he was about to finish his qualifying, losing over 4-seconds as he waited to be marshaled.  Japan’s Dai Hiroki completed the Top 3 for the round which saw Hara finish 4th after a bad tyre choice.

‘Unbelievable’ was how Choi summed up his second TQ run of the event at Fengtai Raceway.  Reverting back to Sweep’s Exagon tyre and fitting a harder rear spring to his Alpha engined MP9 having chosen too soft a spring for Q4, he was much happier with the buggy the combination giving him better corner speed. Describing the traction as being in between that of yesterday’s dry Q3 and this morning’s damp Q4, he said he expects it to be pretty much the same for the final run and so he will leave set-up and tyre choice as is.  While he is in with a chance of securing the overall TQ honours, he said Hara is one of the best in the world and so his focus for Q6 will be on trying a few different lines with a view to the final but added should Hara have any problems at the start of the 10-minute qualifier that plan could quickly go out the window!

Vejrak was understandable a little frustrated by his last corner roll.  Having made a number of mistakes at the beginning of the qualifier he said the second half of the run went really well and he was able to close the gap to within 3-seconds of Choi.  Running Procircuit’s Hot Dice tyre in soft compound on his OS Speed powered Mugen he plans to change to super soft for his final heat.  Having lengthened his wheelbase during yesterday’s qualifying and liked the change, the versatile Thai ace plans to further extend his MBX7 taking it out to the maximum length possible.

Repeating his P3 result in Q1 but this time in a faster time, Hiroki was pleased to be back up towards the front of the field having only been 8th in Q4.  Switching to a red insert in his super soft compound AKA Impact tyres he said he liked the change but for the final qualifier he will change the compound to soft.  Fellow countryman and Kyosho legend Yuichi Kanai also tried the same tyre combination.  While the opening 5-minutes went ok, the former World Champion said it was too soft giving him a very nervous buggy in the second half of the qualifier leaving him to post only the 8th fastest time.  For his final heat Kanai will revert back to the black insert which he used to good effect in Q4 when he was 3rd.

Hara said his main mistake in Q5 was his tyre choose.  Also changing spring to the standard kit version he said it was too hard for a track that was much drier than he had anticipated. With a hard spring and too soft a tyre he said this was the worst combination possible.  Reverting back to the springs he ran in the earlier qualifiers he will also change tyre for the Top Qualifier deciding run going to HB’s red compound Grid Lock tyre.

Setting the fifth fastest time, just missing out on a 19-lap run, Chavit Saliguppa said he had difficulties with his driving in the low traction conditions. Feeling the set-up on his Mugen is good, he plans to change tyre for his final qualifying switching from AKA City Block to Proline’s Revolver in M3 compound.  The Top 6 was completed by Taiwan HB driver Sheng Chie Huang.

Setting the 10th fastest time Li Cong became the first Chinese driver to break into the Top 10 at the first FEMCA Championships to be held in the country.  Driving a Novarossi powered Kyosho, the 29-year-old was delighted by the result.  Having moved his rear shock position and changed to a lighter oil along with running less front caster, he said the buggy was much improved.  Happy with the feeling he now has with the MP9 he will run the same set-up for the final qualifier hoping to consolidate his current 15th position as the Top 16 qualify directly for tomorrow’s Semi Finals.

Round 5 Top 10 Qualifying times
1. Dani Choi (KOR) – Kyosho/Alpha – 19/10:13.544
2. Meen Vejrak (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 19/10:19.136
3. Dai Hiroki (JPN) – Kyosho/Reds – 19/10:20.485
4. Atsushi Hara (JPN) – Mugen/OS Speed – 19/10:29.205
5. Chavit Saliguppa (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 18/10:00.291
6. Sheng Chie Huang (TW) – HB/Alpha – 18/10.03.048
7. Charlee Phutiyotin (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 18/10:09.711
8. Yuichi Kanai (JPN) – Kyosho/RB – 18/10:13.009
9. Tommy Chung (UK) – Kyosho/Novarossi – 18/10:13.093
10.Li Cong (CN) – Kyosho/Novarossi – 18/10:15.423

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