December 4, 2025

Chassis Focus – Tim Wood (Shepherd)

Chassis: Shepherd Velox V8.3
Engine: Hasi Tuned 9R
Exhaust: O.S Speed / EFRA 2196
Radio: Sanwa Exzes ZZ
Servos (Steering/Throttle): Savox SB-3262SG
Body: Blitz Spider
Tires (handout): Matrix
Fuel (handout): Energy

Notes – The leading Shepherd at the end of qualifying here in Chile, Tim’s Velox V8.3 is fitted with Shepherd’s optional carbon chassis inserts front and rear, hard plastics, low friction belts and pulleys, and 9mm carbon Ackermann plate.  He has also opted to run Shepherd’s old HT (high traction) radio plate.  Equipped with Brilliant RC titanium hinge pins, Aluminium Pivot Ball, and Titanium Screw kit, the car runs on a Racing Edge bearing set.  The car is running an Infinity front bumper which larger and lighter than standard Shepherd one for better aero.  On the engine side Hasi Tuned has made a special ‘Chile WC’ head for the occasion and in the clutch he is using a Safety Car Model Proto clutch spring.

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December 4, 2025

Deja vu! Catanzani is Top Qualifier in Chile again

It was a case of Deja Vu at the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship in Chile today as Serpent’s Andrea Cantanzani claimed his second overall Worlds TQ of 2025 in the sixth & final round of qualifying, the super quick Italian having pulled off the same feat 11 weeks ago to the day when he was Top Qualifier at the 1:8 GT Worlds.  With Catanzani equalling Maxine Ripoll with a second TQ run of the event in Q5, this set the stage for a thrilling duel between the two young guns.  The highly anticipate battle however wouldn’t go the full distance.  Steeling time from his rivals with his super quick fuel stops to TQ Rounds 3 & 4, unfortunately this time round Ripoll would have issues in pit lane, his engine flaming out during refuelling.  This ended what has been a super impressive and entertaining to follow challenge from the 19-year-old for the top spot on grid.  With Ripoll out, Catanzani would TQ the round ahead of Capricorn’s Toni Gruber and Mugen Seiki’s Shoki Takahata to secure the overall TQ, the first in a long long time for 1:8 Onroad pioneering manufacturer Serpent.  For Gruber and Takahata the result will see them go directly to the final as Top 4 qualifiers.  One of the favourites ahead of championship, Simon Kurzbuch would end quali with a P4 which wouldn’t be enough and now the 2015 World Champion has a Semi final between him and lining up to try and claim a second World title.

One his Q6 run Catanani said, ‘it was really good but difficult with the wind, the final 4-5 laps the wind came really hard and it was difficult to drive but I managed it well so I am really happy.’  He continued, ‘I’m sorry for Maxime that he flamed out because I think it would have been very close in the quali but yes I am very happy get the TQ.’  On his second Worlds TQ in one year, unfortunately the 1:8 GT Worlds Final not going way after an early engine flame out, the 20-year-old said, ‘I hope that now it will be good for the race,’  Asked what he felt would be the biggest factor for Saturday’s 1-hour final he said, ‘we have to check all the tyre wear on the old sets that we have and then we will make a strategy but I think the most important thing for a 1-hour final is to be consistent and no errors.  It will be hard but I hope that we will do a good job.’  On car set-up he said in general there is no need to change the car for the longer run however he said they may try something in the Top 4 practice session but emphasised it would not be something to different to what they already have.  He concluded, ‘I think the car is really fast and really good and also really easy to drive and in these conditions this is the most important thing.’

Clearly disappointed at missing out on the TQ, on the final qualifier Ripoll said, ‘I had a mistake just before the refuelling and when we make the refuelling the engine stop and so it was finished.  Still P2, and for the final it is good and I will fight for the win.  It is a long race 1-hour so anything can happen even the guy who starts in 10th can win.’  Having never raced a 1-hour final before, the European Championships a 45-minute main, asked if he has thought about his strategy for the final yet he said, ‘We will have tomorrow the whole day to prepare the car and prepare the strategy.’  Putting it to him that he was obviously disappoint to miss the TQ having been right in the hunt but that he is still in his first World final, Ripoll replied, ‘yes I know but when you almost get the TQ and you lose it at the end its a bit disappointing but in 1-hour it will be OK and I will be happy but for the moment it’s tough.’

‘The overall of the TQ was gone so then it was to make Top 4 so the final qualifier was perfect in that way.  It’s good’, that was how Gruber summed up the final qualifier.  Asked his thoughts on the upcoming final, the 2023 runner-up said, ‘I heard that maybe it is a rain day on Saturday, maybe then the grip and track will change completely after the rain.  If it doesn’t rain the track is pretty consistent, if it’s windy, if it’s hot we know how our car works but I think we might have to make something little on the set-up because when the wind was strong it was overall too loose.’  On tyre wear and the number of changes he expects to make, the German replied, ‘I think for everybody it has to be two times full.  Other strategies with tyres makes no sense.  It is strange because in both sides the wear is almost the same.  Of course the left is more tyre wear because of the big right corner but you also have a lot of tyre wear in the front right because of the left corner in the middle.  So it makes no sense to make half (change) because in the end the tyre gets too small and also that makes the car completely difficult and even more with the strong wind, you cannot drive like this.’  With tomorrow (Friday) a car prep day he will use the down time to consider his game plan for the final.

The fourth & final driver securing a direct spot in the final just ahead of his team Kurzbuch, Takahata said his car had ‘no pace’ in the final qualifying round, something that is a little concerning giving it ran at a similar time of day to when the final is scheduled.  Making changes to the car after improving it for Q5, he said the latest change didn’t work.  Asked it his thoughts on the final, the 2019 World Champion’s response was very clear, ‘I want more speed.’  Asked if going back to his Q5 set-up would make him more competitive, he said they need to find something more.  A driver who was in regular contention yesterday but hampered by driver errors, he said today that speed has just disappeared.  The 31-year-old hopes they can come up with some ideas to test in Top 4 practice session.

December 4, 2025

Chassis Focus – Andrea Catanzani (Serpent)

Chassis: Serpent 990R
Engine: Ielasi Tuned Pista
Exhaust: Ielasi Tuned / IFMAR 2196
Radio: Sanwa Exzes ZIII
Servos (Steering/Throttle): Sanwa XR II
Body: Xtreme Hyper Diablo
Tires (handout): Matrix
Fuel (handout): Energy

Notes – With the 990R just recently released Andrea is running it as it comes with the only change being to use a BM Clutch Spring

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December 4, 2025

Catazani takes penultimate qualifier, all to play for in Chile

Serpent’s Andrea Catazani has taken the penultimate round of qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship, his second TQ run meaning it is all to play for in Chile between the Italian and Xray talent Maxime Ripoll.  With both drivers having two TQ runs each, Q6 will decide who will the Top Qualifier at the 24th running of the RC racing’s original World Championship.  With three drivers still in contention going into the fifth round, Toni Gruber’s challenge would end with a bang as he crashed his Capricorn in the fifth minute of the 7-minute heat to be one of a number of cars not to finish the top heat.  Having opened the day with his second TQ run, and a new fastest time, Ripoll would also have a mistake but while he could continued his performance was hampered by his body rubbing off his front left tyre.  With Simon Kurzbuch another non-finisher due to his engine stopping after going too lean, Ripoll would net himself a P3.  Setting the fastest lap of the heat, up front Catanzani would take the heat with a one & a half second advantage over Mugen Seiki’s Shoki Takahata.

‘Super happy with that one’, was Catanzani’s reaction to his second TQ run, the 20-year adding, ‘Now we will see in the last one but I am happy that we can fight until the last round.’  Already a World Championship Top Qualifier at the CACH track, that honour happening at the 1:8 GT Worlds back in September, he continued, ‘I am happy with how the car works with these hot conditions.  We changed a few little things, so little but they makes a big difference.’  Asked if they would make any additional changes for the final qualifier he replied, ‘No, no, we just stay with this and see how the fight goes.’  On his refuelling, Ripoll’s pit stops leaving his rivals scratching their heads as to how they are so fast, he said, ‘it was no problem.  My dad has working on it so I a really happy that he is now good.’

Takahata was much happier with his second run of this the second day of qualifying saying a change to his MRX7’s shock package had improved the car.  After a number of driver error’s yesterday while on potential TQ runs, the 31-year-old said today the focus is on putting in ‘safe drives’ as the 2019 World Champion looks to lock a Top 4 qualification ranking so as to go directly into Saturday’s 1-hour final.  Planning another change for Q6, while not disclosing what that change would be he did confirm it wasn’t a further change to the shocks but a different area of the car.’

Giving a rundown on his Q5, 19-year-old Ripoll explained, ‘I made a mistake at the beginning and my body was stuck in the tyres so the car was pretty strange to drive but we will see in the last one, it’s all in.’  Asked further about his mistake, getting his body to show the damage, the European Championship podium finisher said, ‘I touched the inside of the corner and the body was stuck in (from the impact) and touching the tyre.’

December 4, 2025

Another TQ run as Ripoll take Q4 just ahead of Catanzani

Xray’s Maxime Ripoll has become the first driver to repeat a TQ run at the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship, the French talent opening Day 2 of qualifying in Chile with the fastest time for the fourth round ahead of Andrea Catanzani and Toni Gruber, the trio the only drivers who can now take the overall TQ honours.  A slightly warmer morning that yesterday in Santiago, Ripol would break 23-laps for the first time over the 7-minutes bettering Catanzani’s Q1 time by over a second, something that could prove key in deciding the Top Qualifier with the second two runs of the day normally proving slower.  With Ripoll’s advantage over Catazani’s Serpent 0.233 of a second, while he set the fastest lap for the round, it is his father’s performance in the pit lane that is the big talking point among his rivals, Team Ripoll making up over a second on refuelling.  Behind Gruber’s Capricorn, it was the two factory Mugen Seiki’s of Simon Kurzbuch and Shoki Takahata who completed the Top 5.  The two former World Champions said afterwards they just lacked pace this round, Kurzbuch reacting with, ‘Only 5th, I don’t know how to find the speed’, the Swiss driver adding they are going to have to try something different for Q5.

Reacting to his second TQ run, Ripoll said, ‘All OK.  We didn’t change anything on the car but this morning it was maybe a bit more warm so it was more easy for me compared to (Q1) yesterday.  Now we just need to keep cool and keep going and get one more to secure the TQ.’  On his fuel stop the 19-year-old said, ‘Ah it was super.  This time we gained 5/10ths compared to our best yesterday.  We did 24.6 (seconds) and yesterday out of all the drivers the best was 25.1 so yeh super fast.’  With 2 rounds remaining he said the will go into Q5 with everything ‘exactly the same’.

‘It was a good run, a clean run, safe’, was how Catanzani summed up his first effort of the day adding, ‘we know the car works really good in these conditions but Maxime is really fast.’   The 20-year-old continued, ‘I am happy about the 2nd position because now we are little bit more safe (in terms of the Top 4) and have two more rounds.’  After issues during his pit stops yesterday asked how the refuelling went today he said, ‘It was OK.  Compared to the other ones it was better but compared to Maxime it was not so great.’  Having had an engine flame-out in Q3, asked about his engine today he said, ‘We took out that engine because we don’t know the reason it stopped and just to be safe we put another one in and this is also really fast so I am happy.’

Ending yesterday’s action with a TQ run in Q4 Gruber said, ‘It was a closer race than compared to the first round yesterday and this was the best we can do for the conditions.  Now I am waiting in hope for the temperature of the track (to rise).’  Runner-up in Japan 2-years ago, the German added, ‘the feeling of the car was also better than yesterday in the first round but it still was not enough but we know the car is slow in the morning.  If you are 1-second behind for 7-minutes you sometimes need the race luck but yes we are looking forward to the next two.’

December 3, 2025

Gruber takes Q3 as Ripoll holds overnight TQ in Chile

Day 1 of qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship has been completed in Chile and it has provided plenty of variety with the three rounds producing TQ runs from three different drivers, Capricorn’s Toni Gruber coming good on his status as one of the title favourites to TQ the day’s final encounter.  With Top Seed Andrea Catanzani steering his Serpent to the opening TQ, the second round saw the number 2 seed Maxime Ripoll deliver on his impressive practice form with a TQ run and together with a P2 in the last run of the day the 19-year-old French driver leaves the CACH Facility this evening as the overall TQ holder.  With Gruber having highlighted the afternoon runs were he was strongest, the German was locked in a tight battle for the Q3 top spot with it going down to the wire with Ripoll, and Mugen Seiki’s Shoki Takahata until the latter had a bad lap.  In the end Gruber would have an advantage of 3/10ths of a second over Ripoll at the end of the 7-minutes with Takahata competing the Top 3 ahead of the Capricorn of Thilo Diekmann.  For Catazani the day wouldn’t finish as it started as his car came to stop on track.  Having had his crew practice pit stops during the lunch break, this time it would be Catanzani’s own error during the stop as he came in too fast and got out of shape under braking.  Still in TQ contention however, a driver error on track at the same spot as his contact with Ripoll a round earlier, would cancel that potential.  With his engine running very lean in the qualifier it would eventually stop just shy of the 7-minutes.  With the 7-minute heats bringing an extra element to the qualifiers and piling the pressure on pit crews, Simon Kurzbuch would end the day with a bad stop.  With his pitman unable to catch the car properly, the fuel was released all over the car causing the former World Champion to spin on release and with no fuel taken on he would have to revisit the pit lane, the result being a P9 for the round.  Despite this the Swiss racer holds P3 just ahead of team-mate Takahata with Catanzani fifth.

Not wanting to celebrate his TQ too much, his engine sponsor Daniele Ielasi joking he needs to be more happy about the result, summing up the performance Gruber said, ‘Like I said in the morning our package works better in the hotter condition so the feeling was good.  The wind was not really a problem, for sure sometimes it hits you in the corner, but overall the feeling was good and I can focus on myself.  I could hear it was a super close race with Ripoll and Shoki but in the end you just need to push your laps and hope in the end it is enough.  It was good.’  Asked his game plan for tomorrow, the replied, ‘same like today’, and on whether he will start looking yet at set-up for the finals, he explained, ‘We have the set-up for the final if we are directly in the final because now was the maximum hot, the temperature was really hot today more than the previous days.  The wind was not so extreme like the last days but for sure there was more shit today and for this my package was really good so we don’t need to change anything.’  He did add however, ‘maybe you know if we have one or two super good ones to maybe fight for overall TQ then maybe the last rounds we can try something.  The goal is Top 4 but for sure if it’s possible we go for the TQ which for now is still a possibility.’

Asked if holding the overnight TQ at the Worlds was something he had even considered before flying out to Chile for these his third 1:8 Onroad World Championship, Ripoll replied, ‘No, not at all.  We made a joke with my dad that it would be amazing if we did a TQ but coming here my goal was to be  Top 4 and directly to the main but to be P1 for me was almost unimaginable.’  On his Q3 run he said, ‘the car was good but maybe when Andrea made his mistake after that I was alone and I lost a bit of pace so that meant P2.’  Explain that having Catazani in sight was a good gauge of how much he needed to push, he said ‘with a P2, TQ and P3 normally I would be directly to the main so that is good.’  On his car and Max engine he said, ‘It is the same as yesterday, we have made no changes.’

One of the only European drivers to have previously raced 1:8 Onroad at CACH when he was invited to attend the South American Championship and see the facility earlier this year, Diekmann was very happy to finish the day with P4.  Summing up his qualifiers, the German said, ‘The first run was a safe one and I make 6th place which was just OK for me with the pace I am on.  The second one I had problems with engine, it stopped because the glow plug broke, and for that one I kept it between the lines in the fight with the wind and was a little bit lucky with the others in front of me having problems.’   Looking to the remaining three qualifier Diekmann said, ‘I think in the morning I will take a risk a little bit to put more steering to try make another Top 5 and from there we will see how it is going.’  On his car, he said, ‘I am struggling with traction, I seem to overheat the tyres in the run.  The first 5-minutes are good and then it starts to dance a little bit on power.’