Hara tops opening FEMCA Qualifier

Atsushi Hara, who only last Friday made the shock announcement that he was leaving HB, has taken the opening round of qualifying at the FEMCA 1:8 Offroad Championships in China.  Racing a Mugen, which the former World Champion went out and bought himself in a hobby shop in Thailand, the Japanese ace set the pace in the first of six 10-minute runs by just over 5-seconds from Korea’s Dani Choi and with Japanese Kyosho driver Dani Hiroki completing the Top 3 at Beijing Model Sports Association’s freshly built FT Offroad track.  With a difficult Visa procedure keeping defending Champion Kyle McBride away from contesting this year’s FEMCA Championship, the Far East’s equivalent of the EFRA European Championships, and thereby denying the Australian the opportunity to go for a third consecutive title, Hara’s TQ run endorses his status as pre-event favourite to take back the title he previously held.

His first time running the Mugen, Hara said the buggy is working really well but in the run he himself made a couple of ‘stupid mistakes’ which he feels amounted up to about 10-seconds in lost time.  Borrowing top US onroad racer JJ Wang’s pitman AI for this event, Hara has been using the Mugen website to get a set-up for the race which he said is now a combination of the standard MBX7 set-up and the one used by Robert Battle to win last December’s World Championship in Argentina.  Describing the track as a little different to yesterday’s practice, he said it was a little tricky at the start of the run as overnight repairs had changed the angles of many of the jumps, some having less of an angle while others were now launching the buggy much higher than before. Running AKA Grid Iron in Q1, Hara said they made his OS powered buggy easy to drive but they where a little too loose on a track which he described as having lower levels of traction compared to yesterday.  For Q2 he will switch to an Impact tyre.

‘Awesome’ was how Choi described his opening run despite the fact he got a Stop & Go penalty for having been deemed by race officials to have impeded Meen Vejrak when he was released from his fuel stop by mechanic and Sweep frontman Ryan Lee. An employee for Sweep where he was responsible for designing the ‘Birdy’ bodyshell he is running on his Kyosho, Choi was very happy with the performance of his Alpha engined MP9. Planning to just check over the buggy ahead of Q2 rather than make any set-up changes he will also stick with the same soft compound of Sweep’s Exagon tyre.  Lee, who is also competing in the event, took his TLR to the 10th fastest time.  Running Sweep’s Cubix tyre, he said the pin on the new set of tyre was too big and for Q2 he will follow his team-mate and switch to the Exagon.

23-year-old Kyosho Masters Champion Hiroki was very happy with his run to third saying that he really likes the track layout.  Happy with how his Reds Racing powered MP9 is working he plans to run everything as is for Q2 including staying on AKA’s soft Impact tyre.

The best represented country in the event after China, 10 of the 14 FEMCA countries being represented here in China, Thailand’s Chavit Saliguppa took his OS powered Mugen to the 5th fastest time separating the Kyoshos of Hiroki and former World Champion & MP9 designer Yuichi Kanai.  The 18-year-old, who had some mistakes over the run, ran on AKA City Block for his opening qualifier but predicting higher traction for Q2 will switch Prolines Revolver tyres while leaving his set-up as is.

Topping the time in yesterday’s practice Kanai is loving the track describing the layout as ‘super fun’.  Very happy with his pace, the Kyosho legend suffered ‘one big mistake’ but hopes  a clean second qualifier will net a better placing.  Running AKA Impact tyres for the round, he plans to leave everything as is for Q2.

Completing the Top 6 was reigning Nitro Touring Car World Champion Meen Veijrak.  The Thai driver said he drive to aggressive and this resulted in two costly mistake one of which say him get tangled with Kanai.  Also choosing the wrong tyre for the conditions of the opening heat having run Procircuit’s Roadrunner Meen will switch to the Hot Dice for Q2 which he said together with smoother driving should allow him to improve as his OS Speed powered MBX7 set-up feels good.

Round 1 Top 10 Qualifying times
1. Atsushi Hara (JPN) – Mugen/OS Speed – 19/10:07.526
2. Dani Choi (KOR) – Kyosho/Alpha – 19/10:12.696
3. Dani Hiroki (JPN) – Kyosho/Reds – 19/10:22.367
4. Chavit Saliguppa (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 19/10:23.916
5. Yuicki Kanai (JPN) – Kyosho/RB – 19/10:25.016
6. Meen Veijrak (TH) – Mugen/OS Speed – 19/10:27.571
7. Witsarut Rumlarp (TH) – Agama/Bullitt – 18/10:00.082
8. Sheng Chie Huang (TW) – HB/Alpha – 18/10.15.799
9. Aeknurin Kanket (TH) – Xray/FX – 18/10:18.563
10.Ryan Lee (KOR) – TLR/Alpha – 18/10:20.257

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