August 20, 2016

Chassis Focus – Marc Rheinard

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Chassis – Yokomo YRX12
Motor – Muchmore Fleta ZX 3.5T
ESC – Muchmore Fleta Pro
Battery – Muchmore 8000mAh
Tires – Yokomo
Radio/Servo – Sanwa/Xpert
Body – Protoform AMR

Remarks – Reigning World Champion in the 1/12th scale class, Marc Rheinard is racing the YRX12 chassis from Yokomo here in Beijing. Having tested on ETS carpet in Korea back in July in preparation for this race, he says the traction is lower here as the carpet is new and this is causing the car to slide around which means tire wear is high. Focussing on tire diameters to find the perfect balance, once that has been sorted he will move onto the perfecting the car’s setup.

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August 20, 2016

Track Focus – Fengtai Sports Center

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Track Name – Fengtai Sports Center
Host –  Car Modelling Association of China
Country – China
Location – Beijing Fengtai
Direction – Clockwise
Surface – ETS Carpet

RC Racing’s biggest prize is to be decided in the world’s biggest economy for the first time as China plays host to the 18th running of the 1:12 IFMAR World Championships.  Held in the Fengtai district of Beijing, the indoor race, which will be followed later in the week by the outdoor Electric Touring World Championships, is taking place at the Fengtai Sports Centre.  Built originally to house the softball stadium used during Beijing’s hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games, the centre is also home to the Fengtai Science, Technology and Sports building in which the Car Modelling Association of China have built an superbly presented temporary carpet track.  Such is the level of organisation for the Fengtai government funded running of the World Championships there is a staff of 30, half of whom are volunteers, to look after the 56 entries which is actually a 25% increase on the entries for the last 1:12 World Championship which were held in the USA.

Under the guidance of the Race Director Max Lim, the 6-day build has resulted in a meticulously detailed track that covers and area 30 metres wide by 24m deep. Positioned 4 metres in front of the driver stand, the layout was penned by Lim who said much of the track’s influence was based on driver feedback who favoured ‘a more technical’ layout. Using ETS black carpet, which they had brought in especially from the Netherlands, Lim said the considerable depth of the track has allowed the layout to also be ‘really fast’.  As a structure, the track sits 15 centimetres off the ground with each square metre of the track standing on 4 feet.  As lane dividers the track uses locally made plastic box piping which has been screwed into place.  Cut to 1-metre lengths Lim said this allows for quick & easy replacement should they get damaged by cars, him adding ‘we used this material so it takes the impact rather than breaking the cars’.   With the hall having 5 rows of sky lights providing natural light, this also presented a shadowing problem.  With the addition of banks of lights not a option as the building’s roof is not certified for the weight load, two star shaped light balloons hang above the track instead.  With two 2kw bulbs in each they provide a well defused light.

Giving his first impression of the track, reigning World Champion Marc Rheinard described it as, ‘a pretty nice track and it’s a good size’.   With the early fastest lap times in the region of late 12-seconds, the German continued, ‘the layout is tricky, there are many chicanes and everyone is crashing.  I think consistency is the focus rather than being fastest over a lap because every time you crash you risk tweaking the car’.  Thinking further ahead, he concluded, ‘its missing some passing points for the finals’.

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May 30, 2016

3rd Reedy Race of Champions title for Volker

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Ronald Volker is the 2016 Reedy Race Champion, the Yokomo driver securing the title at the iconic touring car race for a third time as the tie breaker was required to give him the victory over Christopher Krapp.  The 19th running of Mike Reedy’s unique heads up racing format, it would end up an all German podium at Tamiya Raceway with outgoing champion Marc Rheinard completing the Top 3 in California.  While Volker would effectively lay claim to the famous Reedy Race trophy with a 2nd in the penultimate round of racing, there was still a mathematical chance that a 26-lap winning time from Krapp could secure the Tamiya driver the overall victory.  Krapp would deliver the win but couldn’t manage the required time confirming Volker as the new champion before the 2009 & 14 Champion completed his 12th & final race out of which he would spectacularly crash after a coming together with Rheinard.  The best non-European finisher would be Japan’s Akio Sobue who finished 4th ahead of the Ryan Cavalieri who upheld the host nations honours.

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‘I’m super happy with the win. This is one of the toughest races and also one of the best races to enjoy what we do’, was Volker’s reaction to what is his second win at the driver favourite Tamiya Raceway track, his first RROC win being at the Speedworld track before the race returned to what many feel is its spiritual home in 2014 when he won again.  The reigning ETS Champion said the event showed his team have made improvements to the BD7 and thanking his engineer Umino Yukijiro for his help he said ‘After this win I feel ready for the next ETS’.  Commenting on the concluding round of races, he said, ‘Originally I thought Chrissie had to beat my time but when I found out he needed to do a 26-lap run I know I could just go out and enjoy my races as the result wouldn’t influence anything’.  On that race, he added, ‘I was just trying to make a safe pass but got in a drag race down the straight with Marc, we touched and I went flying into the wall’.  Knowing the title was decided it was his second car he was using in the race adding it ‘felt great’ up until trying to exit the track boundaries.

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‘In the end I was close’ said Krapp with a huge grin.  He continued, ‘After last year’s experience I just took it race by race. I can’t believe it yet’.  A driver who has struggled somewhat to find full form since moving to the Tamiya team, the multiple World Championship finalist said, ‘I want to thank Tamiya for giving me a great car and I hope I can bring this form into future races, especially the Worlds’.  Matching Volker for the most number of wins over the three days of racing, winning 7 of the 12 encounters, he said to stand on the podium at the Reedy Race of Champions on only his second attempt ‘feels good’.  Asked about his slim chance of taking the title and starting from P4, he said, ‘I knew if I could passed on the first lap I could try for it but I got stuck in second for a few laps and knew it was over.  After that I could just enjoy the race’.

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Reflecting on his event, Rheinard said, ‘with all that happened, 3rd is a good result’. The race’s most winning driver, the 5-time champion was referring to the draw picking out Rounds 7, 8 & 9 as the deciding factor of the race.  Racing against Volker in each, Rheinard would line-up at the back while Volker started up front adding this ‘gave him easy wins’.  Describing the race ‘a lottery’, the 4-time World Champion said a fairer system was needed for compiling the grids adding, ‘there is a Swedish guy who created a program that create grids that sees drivers all meet the same number of times, this would make for a much better battle for the title’.  Moving on from his issues with the draw, he said, ‘As a team we showed our new car is good.  Getting a 2, 3 and 4 shows all our cars are good and not just one’, that comment aimed at Yokomo.

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While finishing two places better than last year, matching team-mate Rheinard on race wins, Sobue was disappointed with fourth overall.  The 21-year-old who is over shadowing his World Champion fellow countryman Naoto Matsukura as Japan’s top driver, said he came to the Reedy Race aiming to at least finish on the podium.  ‘A good race for the team’, he said ‘driver and set-up issues on Day 2’ cost him a shot at the podium but he would ‘come back next year’.

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Recording a Top 5 finish, having been 15th last year, Offroad ace Cavalieri said, ‘I’m very happy with my performance all week. I got a solid score’.  The multiple Reedy Offroad Champion continued, ‘I’m a little disappointed with some of my passing but it was a great event’.  Asked if he enjoys racing touring car, the Californian, the reigning US National Champion having won that title at Tamiya Raceway, said, ‘everyone keeps telling me to keep racing onroad but its hard with my schedule’.  He concluded, for sure I will come back next year’.  Behind Cavalieri, Rick Hohwart would enjoy one of his best finishes, the Reedy boss completing the Top 6.

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