Track Focus – MORBC

Track Name – MORBC
Host –  M.O.R.B.C (Model Off Road Buggy Club)
Country – Australia
Location – Whiteman Park, Perth
Direction – Clockwise
Surface – Dirt

The MORBC track, the acronym formed from the club’s very descriptive name Model Off Road Buggy Club, has the honour of bringing the 1:8 Offroad World Championships to Australia for the first time, this being the 17th running of the IFMAR event.  With international drivers flying into Perth for the event, the track is located in Whiteman Park, a 4,000-hectare bushland area located 22 km north of the city.  With an RC flying club as neighbours, the club was originally formed with 5-members in 1996 with it later leasing land from the local government to establish itself at the current track, with the Worlds bringing improvements such as an extended permanent pit area, rebuilt scrutiny area and timing room.  Hosting the FEMCA Championships twice, it was the host of these Asian Championships for the first time in 2015 and that lead to the club securing the world’s biggest race.  Hosting the FEMCA race again in 2017, this prepared the club of approximately 90 members well for the Worlds with the organisation and facilities so far being greeted positively by the RC circus as it pulled into town.  The track design and build was led by former club member Craig Laughton. Having relocated to the east of Australia, the club got him back to do the build because as well as being a 1:8 Offroad driver he is also a bobcat driver by profession – a very handy trade to have when building a track.

In terms of the track Laughton has created and prepared, the feedback back is also positive. A person who gets to visit and study a lot of offroad tracks as he watches his drivers do laps so he can offer tyre advice, JConcepts boss Jason Ruona summed up the general feeling on the track by saying, ‘it is one of the better ones we have been on in a very long time’.  Clinching his first World title in Las Vegas two years ago, when asked his thoughts on the layout reigning World Champion David Ronnefalk said, ‘the track is great and its fun to drive’.  The HB Racing driver continued, ‘they did a great job but we already knew from the warm-up the layout would be cool.  It is tricky in spots out there, in particular the double table top and the double triple.  There is a lot of difficulty which will separate the drivers but once everyone gets their cars sorted, it’s going to be very close’.  The Swede adding that compared to the Warm-up Race, the grip is now higher and that has effected the tyre compounds they are now using but with a number of practice runs completed already he said, ‘I’m not sure the track is going to show any character. I hope it stays close to how it is now as it will make close and exciting racing but I also don’t mind if it breaks up a bit because that suits me too’.

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