‘Definitely the strongest team we have ever had’, says Orlowski
Michal Orlowski goes into the IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championship at the end of this week confident his Schumacher team is fielding what is ‘definitely the strongest team we have ever had’ for a Worlds. 12 years on from making his World Championship debut in Vaasa, Finland, the Polish driver is expected to be a leading contender in the European challenge to deny the US drivers victory on their very own doorstep. Only racing 2WD at the 2011 WC because he couldn’t get hold of Tamiya’s 511 4WD kit at the time, the recently turned 22-year old heads up a strong Schumacher team going to Hobby Action RC Raceway in Arizona. With the vastly experienced Ryan Cavalieri & Lee Martin, a very on form Broc Champlin, and Daniel Kobbevik as team-mates, he is also coming off the back of his own very successful run of results, in both off and onroad. Winner of last weekend’s most recent Euro Touring Series encounter at Marc Rheinard’s home circuit Arena33, he travels to the US as the European 4WD Offroad Champion having regained the title back in July 8-years on from first holding it.
Describing 2015 as ‘a break through year’, he attributes that to joining his Schumacher team that year after leaving Team Durango and it is fair to say that his relationship with the British manufacturer, and in particular engineer Trish Neal, has gotten stronger and stronger with each season. As European Champion in 2015, Orlowski qualified P2 in Japan behind 4WD Champion elect Bruno Coelho but finished the finals in 4th. Now looking back on that chapter he says, ‘I way too nervous. I couldn’t deal with the pressure behind me from Naoto (Matsukura), and (David) Ronnefalk. I had just turned 14 before worlds.’ Two years later the best in the business went to China and what started out looking like a very promising championship for Orlowski. Topping seeding & Q1, he form was washed away in the rain, literally, and he found himself struggling to adapt to the new track conditions finishing P8 while Ryan Maifield finally got the monkey off his back with double World titles in Xiamen. With an early prototype L2 for 4WD, reliability issues meant Orlowski could only end the week in the C-Main. After another 2-year wait Slovakia in 2019 didn’t get off to the start he hoped for but come 4WD he would achieve his first World Championship podium finish behind repeat Champion Coelho and Dakotah Phend.
Having now served a doubly long 4-year wait for the 19th edition of the IFMAR Worlds, Orlowski is aiming high for the title that so far eludes him. He said, ‘In 2015 it was only me (in the team). Then Joern (Nuemann) but never a top American driver. Ryan (Cavalieri) has so much experience. Our cars are the best they have ever been. We have had our best preparation – lots of work and passion have gone into this.’ Asked about the track and in particular reigning 2WD Champion Spencer Rivkin’s home advantage, he replied, ‘I know it is his home track but loads of us have been there plenty of times and there is only so much you can do. No one is expecting a European to win. The surface, the tyres are so different there to what we usually race. The pressure is on the Americans to win it, I go there with no pressure.’ He continued, ‘(I am) not really bother it’s his home track. It’s always different at the Worlds. The three main guys are Broc, Spencer and Dakotah from our trips there and I’m excited to battle with them. Remember in Slovakia everyone said Xray would dominate, they didn’t.’
On the importance of his working relationship with Schumacher’s engineer Neal, he said, ‘Trish and I have developed an amazing friendship. I have grown into a man spending a lot of time with him. I spend 3 weekends a month working with him. When I come off the driver stand we usual have the same idea of what we need to do. He’s very good at watching the car and understanding what it is doing and how I can improve my driving.’ Asked about his travel plans to Chandler and any final preparations he need to make, Orlowski concluded our chat with, ‘We will go straight to the event. Going early and doing testing at another track would put a lot of pressure on myself. We have the work done – arrive fresh and relaxed. I’m doing a lot of races this year and that approach has worked well.’
2023 IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championship coverage presented by Ruddog
The first of four World Championships Red RC will attend this year, our coverage from 1:10 Offroad in Arizona is being supported by Ruddog. Founded in 2006 by Sven Rudig, himself an avid offroad racer, Ruddog is steeped in offroad racing history being a distributor for 31 times World Champion manufacturer Team Associated and iconic offroad tyre brand JConcepts to name but a few. In addition, they have developed their own product ranges such as Ruddog Racing, a new line of electronics offered by the German company that already has a European Championship title to its credit in touring car. Revolution Design Racing Products has established itself as a designer & producer of high-quality tuning parts and are popular upgrades among offroad racers. Red RC’s trackside coverage of the 1:10 Offroad World Championship will kick off on September 10th with the start of the 4WD action and conclude on September 16th when the 2WD Champion is decided.
World Championship Schedule
4WD Buggy
September 9 – Check-in, Pit Setup, Tyre purchase and tyre tech
September 10 – Open Practice and 2 rounds of controlled practice
September 11 – 1 round of controlled practice and 4 rounds of qualifying
September 12 – 1 round of controlled practice, 1 round of qualifying and Mains2WD Buggy
September 13 – Track Closed, 2WD Buggy Tyre purchase and tyre tech
September 14 – Open Practice and 2 rounds of controlled practice
September 15 – 1 round of controlled practice and 4 rounds of qualifying
September 16 – 1 round of controlled practice, 1 round of qualifying and Mains