Track Focus – Miniautodromo Internazionale M.Rosati

Track Name – Miniautodromo Internazionale M.Rosati
Club – Club Automodellistico 5Colli
Country – Italy
Location – Gubbio
Direction – Anti-clockwise
Surface – Asphalt

A somewhat surprising fact given the country is the spiritual home of nitro racing, Italy plays host to its first 1:10 200mm IFMAR World Championships this week with the picturesque medieval town of Gubbio the location for the 7th running of the nitro touring car Worlds.  Built in 1982, Miniautodromo Internazionale M.Rosati is certainly a track worthy of this World Championship with teams and drivers praising the facility.  Named after one of the instigators of the track build Mario Rosati, the track has undergone just one layout change when the section in front of the permanent grandstand was added in the 90’s. Government owned, the track is operated by Club Automodellistico 5Colli, a club of around 40 nitro racing members which took over the track in 2002 with the 5Colli reference to the five hills which over the look the the track.  Since then the track has been resurfaced 3 times the most recent being in 2009 when a very fine asphalt used.  With its most significant previous race being the 2009 European 200mm Championships, a race which 7 years on competitors still talk about due to its professional organisation & presentation, the club haven’t rested on their laurels with extensive work having been carried out for hosting of the Worlds.

An electronic pass entry systems is going down well with drivers, their passes opening access barriers at either side of the pit area which has new covered pitting space for 200 drivers. A completely new race control and press centre complete with a block of toilets has only been constructed for the event.  Two key features of the track are the raised pitlane and a rather clever system for getting dead cars back to pitlane.  The recovered car is placed in a tray and delivered to the end of the pitlane via a track crossing, eliminating the need for a runner to cross the main straight.

In terms of racing on the track, reigning World Champion Alexander Hagberg described the layout as ‘a typical Italian nitro track, wide open’.  The Xray driver who won his title at the very different covered Huge RC track In Thailand added, ‘it’s still pretty demanding in terms of car set-up trying to get high speed steering’.  Describing the track facility as ‘one of the best in the World’, the Swede said ‘the chicane in the middle is a place you can win or lose a lot of time’.  Asked about the track he said, ‘the surface is getting old and there is less grip than at the Euros but the traction level is still medium’.  Hagberg was runner-up at the 2009 European Championship behind then team-mate Dirk Wiscknewski.  Making his first trip to Gubbio, 2012 World Champion Meen Vejrak, who also won his title in Thailand but at the RC Addict track, described the track as, ‘totally different to Thailand’ adding ‘the facility is fantastic’.  A more high speed layout than he is used to he said the surface however is the same as his home track of RC Addict in Bangkok and that made it ‘easy to set-up (the) car’ on his arrival for the International Driver Practice days.

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