IFMAR International Jury Decision

Following on from the controversy surrounding the use of tyre additive at the 1:8 Onroad World Championship, which has resulted in the cancellation of the first two rounds of practice, IFMAR have issued the following statement –

‘Homestead, USA, 12th of April 2011

Earlier this year a message was send to the blocs regarding tire treatment in 1/8th Scale IC Track. Tire treatment must not be allowed. Like in the IFMAR rules for 1/10th and 1/5th.. This was also discussed in Pattaya last year, but forgotten to be implemented in the rules..

Yesterday April 11th this was discussed once more between the blocs during a meeting. Everybody is still in agreement that tire treatment is a bad development for the sport and must not be allowed. Unfortunately there are a few additives on the market, almost impossible to detect with equipment on the track. The only way to get confirmation about treatment with those additives is by sending them to a lab.

Yesterday we received a protest from one USA driver against the spraying of the tires, which was not accepted.

Today we received another protest from Italy showing that a few brands of tires is suffering of glue getting affected, causing the rings of the tire to split. The Italian protest was also offering help in setting up a controlled tire area. Because of the possible implications of this protest the race was stopped. After discussions within the IFMAR International Jury and with the drivers the following has been agreed with a majority vote.
• Tire treatment is forbidden.
• Today Tuesday 12th, we will not run qualifying rounds. Tuesday afternoon we will run 1-6 and 13 till 7 starting from 14.45 hours as practice
• A controlled tire area will be set up for Qualifying starting at Wednesday. A total of 4 rounds of Qualifying will be run on the remaining Wednesday/Thursday if weather permits.
• The controlled tire Area will be located near the Technical inspection Area.
• Drivers are advised to bring their tires at least 1 hour before their heat to the officials. Tires must be “new”, out of the box, not trued. Minimum diameter 66mm front and 74mm rear. This will be checked and noted.
• They can be trued in the controlled Area to the right size and have to given back to the officials who will check them again and put them in a plastic back with their registration number and heat number.
• They will be stored in boxes with the heat number.
• You can put a maximum of 10 tires in a bag.
• Tires not used stay in the bag and will be available for the next round.
• This box will be available in the controlled pit area when the heat is due to run.
• The checking and controlling in the controlled tire area will be done by IFMAR officials, or appointed IFMAR officials.

Note,
It is very sad to see that tire treatment is available, even here on the track by drivers who know on forehand that it could not be used. They have gambled and hoped that it would be allowed due to the none availability of detecting equipment. It is even sadder that this small group of drivers is responsible for the delays that now have occurred.

In the past a small group of drivers was also the reason we had to make a decision on the use of controlled fuel, because drivers were cheating.
Now this group might be responsible for the introduction of a controlled tire in the future.

An IFMAR World Championship has 150 till 180 drivers. The majority of them being an amateur, who has to pay 4000 till 5000 USD to run in such an event. Without them there is no World Championship. This small group of so called professional drivers should realize this.

Sander de Graaf
IFMAR IC Section Chairman.’

Day 1 of qualification cancelled

The opening day of qualifying has been cancelled at the 1:8 Onroad World Championship with drivers now set to get an extra practice run this evening as a new procedure is adapted for the morning when the first of the reduced 4 rounds of qualifying will finally get underway.  With the paddock having been turned into a series of meeting areas this morning following protests over the handling of the tyre additive issue that is overshadowing the 18th running of the World Championship, IFMAR has made the decision that a controlled tyre prep area will be introduced for the remainder of the event.

Under the new ruling all drivers will have to true a fresh set of tyres under supervision of officials who will then hold the tyres in a numbered bag.  Ahead of each drivers heat the driver must then present their car with no tyres and no fuel to the warm-up area where their tyres will be returned to them for that round of qualifying.

The decision has received a very mixed reaction with the European drivers represented by EFRA welcoming it with a round of applause but in the American pit area the debate continues between drivers and ROAR Officials.  A full statement on how the new procedure will be implemented is to be issued by IFMAR.

This evenings extra practice round start with the running of Group 1 to 6 and then 13 back to 7.

Protest over tyre additive cause cancellation of opening qualifier

The opening round of qualifying for the 2011 IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championships has been cancelled as the issue of tyre additive flared up this morning in Miami.  The use of tyre additive at the 18th running of the championships has been the main talking point in the build up to the event here at Homestead RC Raceway and this morning two protests have brought the championships to a halt.

In yesterday’s controlled practice IFMAR officials started to spray tyres with denatured alcohol in an attempt to cancel the effort of the additive but this led to problems such a reaction with the gluing on some tyres and a huge increase in tyre wear.  Some drivers reported tyre wear increasing from 2.5mm over the 10-minute run to 5.5mm after tyres were sprayed by IFMAR officials.

IFMAR would not comment on the matter other than saying they will issue a full statement shortly but speaking with some of the team managers the matter seems far from over with both German and Italian teams set to withdraw from the event if IFMAR do not come up with a better solution to the problem.  It has been proposed to IFMAR that drivers true brand new tyres in a controlled area but this idea has been rejected as the event is already understaffed.

As it stands currently drivers will be able to use tyre additive as there is no way of policing what many drivers say was in the first place a stupid rule. We have been told that there is an offer on the table from American driver Josh Cyrul to ship in enough tyre additive to make it available to all of the 127 competitors.

We will bring you an update once things become more clear but as it stands now drivers will get one round of qualifying this afternoon running from Group 1 through to 13.

Pietsch tops final practice in Miami

Just as he did at the last 1:8 Onroad World Championship before going on to become the Top Qualifier, Mugen’s Robert Pietsch has set the pace in the final practice in Miami, Florida.  After the 37 lap run, the reigning European Champion said the run was not perfect.  Running his engine slightly safe it was too rich and switching to softer shock oil he said he got the order wrong with the softer oil better suited to cooler morning conditions. Pietsch also felt his driving could have been better as he made a number of small mistakes and ran too much over the kerbing.

The only other driver to post 37 laps and setting the fastest lap with a 15.958, Serpent’s Paolo Morganti was happy with his day.  The American said while he would like a little more rear traction on his Novarossi powered 966, the new parts Serpent have for the car here this week are working really well.  Not planning to change his set-up for tomorrow, when the faster half of heats will run twice in the evening, he did express slight caution about tomorrow’s weather which is set to be even warmer than today which will mean the cars are going to slide around a lot more.

Atsushi Hara was fastest of the drivers on 36 laps, the Japanese ace missing out on 37 laps by just .523 of a second. Really happy with the third fastest time Hara ran only one stop after his pitman changed the original plan of two fuel stops to a single refuelling unknown to the driver.  Having reverted back to a set-up he tried in an earlier practice session he said the Mugen was much better than in CP1 when he was eight fastest.  Making a couple of mistakes during the run the former electric Touring Car World Champion said he needs to run more consistent laps tomorrow.

Running Capricorn’s LAB-C801, Dario Balestri was very happy with his new car as he set the fourth fastest time in CP2.  Sixth in Lostallo, the Italian says he expects he can get more from the car in qualifying tomorrow.

Making his 1:8 Worlds debut here at the Homestead R/C Raceway Takehiro Terauchi ended the day sixth just behind Brazil’s Flavio Elias whose CP1 topping time was good enough for fifth overall. The 19-year-old, who was one of the stars of the 200mm Worlds in Texas last year where we was runner-up, said he was happy with how his MRX-5 was working but gave the impression he was slightly disappointed to not have been nearer the top of the time sheets.  Mugen team-mate Keisuke Fukuda was eight fastest for the day, the 2006 200mm World Champion suffering a little understeer in CP2 which he hopes to cure for tomorrow by running a softer front spring.

Not featuring strongly on the time sheets defending champion Lamberto Collari described his day as ‘average’ but the Italian who is chasing an unprecedented tenth 1:8 Onroad World title said it is better to look now at solutions for the coming days.  Confident for tomorrow he said the aim is make the magical Top 4 in qualifying so as to guarantee his place in Saturday’s main race.  Asked if 22-years after winning his first World title he his getting bored of racing, the Kyosho/Novarossi driver replied, ‘Of the racing I am not bored but the politics I am starting to get tired’.  Collari feels as the Formula 1 of our sport 1:8 should have little rules and be the place for manufacturers of the various products to showcase their goods and innovate like it was in the early days.  With tyre additive still the big talking point in Miami despite IFMAR spraying every competitors tyres with alcohol before they go out on track, the nine time World Champion feels the subject will overshadow the final result.

Practice times (Controlled Practice 1 & 2 combined)
1. Robert Pietsch (D) – Mugen/Novarossi – 37L/10:14.490 (2)
2. Paolo Morganti (US) – Serpent/Novarossi – 37L/10:15.143 (2)
3. Atsushi Hara (JP) – Mugen/OS Speed – 36L/10:00.523 (2)
4. Dario Balestri (IT) – Capricorn/Novarossi – 36L/10:01.395 (2)
5. Flavio Elias (BR) – Mugen/Max – 36L/10:05.081 (1)
6. Takehiro Terauchi (JP) – Mugen/Novarossi – 36L/10:05.525 (2)
7. Walter Salemi (IT) – Motonica/Max – 36L/10:06.401 (1)
8. Keisuke Fukuda (JP) – Mugen/Novarossi – 36L/10:07.088 (1)
9. Daniele Ielasi (IT) – Shepherd/Picco – 36L/10:07.089 (1)
10.Mark Green (GB) – Serpent/Novarossi – 36L/10:07.905 (1)

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Brazil’s Elias tops first controlled practice

Seven time Brazilian National Champion Flavio Elias was the surprise name at the top of the time sheets in the first controlled practice for the 2011 IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championships. The 25-year-old Mugen driver topped the 10 minute run from factory Motonica driver Walter Salemi and former 200mm World Champion Keisuke Fukuda. Elias was delighted to top the run but was quick to point out that tomorrow when qualifying gets underway and the times count for something it will be a very different game. Running Max Power engines, he said his MRX-5 was very stable and other than running a different engine he plans to leave the car the same for this afternoon’s final practice run. A finalist at the 2007 Worlds in Argentina, Salemi had little to report as did Fukada who were both happy with their set-ups.

Team Shepherd’s Daniele Ielasi was fourth fastest ahead of fellow Italian Dario Balestri. The former 200mm World Champion ran a harder 37 shore tyre on the rear of his Velox V8 but said it didn’t suit the conditions as he had expected and will revert back to 35 shore for his next run. The Italian, who was only 1/1000th off Fukuda’s time, will try another engine in the final practice after which all drivers must nominate three engines for the remainder of the event.

Setting the fastest lap time and 6th overall for the round, Serpent’s Mark Green was happy with his Novarossi powered 966 but said ‘mental issues’ meant he was slow at the start but once he woke up everything was really good. Team-mate, and designer of the 966, Michael Salven changed his car for the run but it wasn’t as good as yesterday. Not sure if it was down to a change in the track conditions, which he said are about a lap slower than when they tested here, he will revert back to the earlier set-up. The German used the run to try a 5-minute engine but admitted it was really on the edge to go the distance. He will run a qualifying engine next time out. Paolo Morganti and Andrea Cristani made it three Serpents in the Top 10 with the 7th and 9 fastest times respectively.

Making his 1:8 Worlds debut Atsushi Hara took his OS powered Mugen to the 8th fastest time. Saving his race engines, which he ran yesterday, the Japanese ace said of all the classes he has raced 1:8 is just down to one thing, engines. The former Touring Car and 1:8 Off Road World Champion said he was told prior to the event about the importance of engines, ‘Now I know, engine changes everything, not just speed but the better the engine the more steering, everything is effected by the engine.’

Fastest in the reseed Robert Pietsch used the first run in the new heat order to try a different manifold and working on his refueling. Top Qualifier at the last Worlds the German ace felt the traction was not as good today as yesterday. He also urged race officials to extend the warm-up now that they are spraying alcohol on the tyres prior to the run to deter the use of tyre additive. Running Contact tyres Pietesch said it took 3 or 4 laps before his tyres came in after the treatment.

Vice World Champion Mike Swauger, who was second fastest yesterday, tried a different clutch set-up on his new Xray RX8 but said it ‘didn’t work’ forcing him to pull up after 4-minutes. The American said the composition of the springs, shoes and flyweights on the Xray are new to him and they are currently lacking the knowledge to get the right combination.

Top 10 times – Controlled Practice 1
1. Flavio Elias (BR) – Mugen/Max – 36 laps in 10:05.081
2. Walter Salemi (IT) – Motonica/Max – 36 laps in 10:06.401
3. Keisuke Fukuda (JP) – Mugen/Novarossi – 36 laps in 10:07.088
4. Daniele Ielasi (IT) – Shepherd/Picco – 36 laps in 10:07.089
5. Dario Balestri (IT) – Capricorn/Novarossi – 36 laps in 10:07.669
6. Mark Green (GB) – Serpent/Novarossi – 36 laps in 10:07.905
7. Paolo Morganti (US) – Serpent/Novarossi – 36 laps in 10:08.345
8. Atsushi Hara (JP) – Mugen/OS – 36 laps in 10:09.379
9. Andrea Cristiani (IT) – Serpent/Max – 36 laps in 10:13.801
10.DJ Apolaro (US) – Capricorn/Novarossi – 36 laps in 10:14.131

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