Burch is World Champion

Ralph Burch is the 2010 IFMAR 1/10th 200mm World Champion. The Texan won on home soil in convincing style to become the first American in 9 years to win a nitro onroad World title. The 43 year-old’s first World title, the victory also gives Xray and Max engines their first ever titles at World level. Completing the podium at the Gulf Coast Raceway was  Japanese factory Mugen driver Takehiro Terauchi and electric Touring Car World Champion Marc Rheinard. Top Qualifier Robert Pietsch led the race up until the first pit stop but fuel got into the receiver and his Mugen went out of control ending his race in the pitlane.

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Japanese invasion continues – 2010 World Final Grid finalised

The second of the Semi Finals has seen another of Japan’s super quick teenagers take victory even with his Novarossi powered Mugen suffering a late flame out.  Takehiro Terauchi won the race with the fastest of time of the two Semi’s recording the only 100 lapper to finish ahead of European Champion Dirk Wischnewski.  The race saw three of the last World Championship finalist eliminated with Paul Lemieux and Christopher Tosolini both running out of fuel.  Getting back into the race they managed to battle their way back to finish 3rd and 4th respectively but with faster race times in the earlier Semi it is Team Shepherd’s Marc Rheinard and Australian Champion Philip Woodbury who get the final two places in the Main.  The fifth fastest qualifier overall, Alexander Hagberg started the race from pole but a broken fuel tank lid on his Xray ended his race, the Swede retiring just after the 10-minute mark.  Another finalist who wont be in the 2010 final is Dario Balestri.  The Team Magic driver had a rough race making contact with a number of his rivals before eventually retiring after 21 minutes.

So the grid is set for the 2010 IFMAR 200mm World Championships and the biggest shock is that none of the finalists from Portugal are on it.  Japan looks strongest in terms of number with four drivers lining up for the big race.  Providing the opposition will be three Germans, two Americans and one Aussie.  Regarded as the masters of nitro onroad racing there is no Italian driver in the final.  In terms of chassis, 2006 World Champions Mugen are the best represented with four cars compared to three Xray NT1s and single entries from reigning Champions Kyosho, Serpent and World Championship debutants Team Shepherd of Germany.

Final starting order
1. Robert Pietsch (DE) – Mugen/Novarossi/Matrix/Sanwa/SRC Cruzer
2. Takaaki Shimo (JP) – Kyosho/O.S/Active/Futaba/SRC Cruzer
3. Shinnosuke Yokoyama (JP) – Xray/O.S/Xceed/Sanwa/Xceed Cruzer
4. Ralph Burch (US) – Xray/Max/Capricorn/KO/SRC Cruzer
5. Terauchi Takehiro (JP) – Mugen/Novarossi/ZAC Project/Sanwa/Blitz
6. Takumi Matsuda (JP) – Serpent/Mega/Xceed/Sanwa/Xceed Audi
7. Mike Swauger (US) – Mugen/Novarossi/Enneti/Airtronics/Xceed Cruzer
8. Dirk Wischnewski (DE) – Xray/Orcan/Matrix/Sanwa/SRC Cruzer
9. Marc Rheinard (DE) – Shepherd/Novarossi/Contact/Sanwa/Protoform P56
10.Philip Woodbury (AUS) – Mugen/Novarossi/Matrix/Futaba/Protoform P56

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New World Champion to be crowned in Texas as Ielasi drops out in Semi

A new World Champion will be crowned here at Gulf Coast Raceway after defending Champion Daniele Ielasi failed to make it through from his Semi, the Italian finishing the 30-minute encounter in only 6th position.  The Team Shepherd driver said he took a gamble on harder 47 shore tyres, having done so at the Pre-Worlds when he finished on the podium, but the gamble didn’t pay off and his reign is over. The race was won by young Japanese sensation Takumi Matsuda who bumps up into the Main having come through from yesterday’s 1:8 final.  The 14-year-old Serpent driver got past Mike Swauger’s Mugen as the American clashed with a backmarker as he was about to start his penultimate lap but progress to the Main event. Running at the back of after a number of incidents in the opening part of the race Matsuda put in a stunning recovery and by lap 72 was up to second having found a way passed Electric Touring Car World Champion Marc Rheinard who finished third and should go through to the Main based on his race time. The final two places on the grid will be determined by fastest race time of those not finishing in the top 2 of each Semi.  Starting from pole, Tadahiko Sahashi lead for the first 25 laps until his Picco powered Serpent flamed out ending his chances.  The race saw another of the finalists from Portugal drop out, Francesco Tironi finishing the race in last position after a flame out his Sirio powered Mugen having run as high as fourth.  Pre Worlds winner Paolo Morganti set the fastest lap of the race but a flame out ended the American Team Serpent drivers event.

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Bertin & Hudy crash out in first 1/4 Final

The first 1/4 final has seen the demise of two of last year’s finalists with Adrien Bertin and Martin Hudy both crashing out.  Former World Champion Bertin, who bumped up from yesterday’s 1/8 final, made contact with the boards coming onto the main straight breaking his Kyosho with just four minutes on the clock.  Shortly after 2008 podium finisher Hudy broke his Xray exiting the pits at the first round of fuel stops.  Taking the win was impressive 14-year-old Japanese driver Takumi Matsuda who bumped up from yesterday’s 1/8 final.  The 2008 Japanese National Sportsman Champion has been quick all week here in Texas but suffered run time issues.  Doing all the work on his Mega powered Serpent 733 he is definitely one to watch.  Finishing behind Matsuda to progress to the Semi were Mugen drivers Philip Woodbury, the current Australian National Champion, and 2008 finalist Francesco Tironi.  The race also saw the end of the event for rapid Belgian Jerome Renaux, Japan’s Yuya Sahashi and American Josh Cyrul.

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Lower finals complete, 38 remain

The lower finals of the 2010 World Championships have been run today and the six drivers who will progress to the big day here in Houston, Texas, have been decided.  Ending the day with the 1/8 Finals, two big names to see their event come to an end are 2006 World Champion Keisuke Fukuda and 2008 Finalist Teemu Leino. Winning the first of the 20 minute 1/8 finals was young Serpent driver Takumi Matsuda.  The rapid 14-year-old Japanese kid won from Jerome Renaux who in yesterday’s final qualifier secured himself a direct placing in the final only to have his time disallowed when his Xray was found to be under weight.  There was big drama in the final minute of the race when Leino hit a backmarker who had spun out at the end of the straight.  With the Finn’s NT1 damaged and practically undriveable, the factory Xray driver made a valiant effort to get the broken car to the finish line but former World Champion Adrien Bertin found a way passed on the last to take the last bump up place to progress to tomorrow’s 1/4 final.

In the other 1/8 Final, Norwegian Adrian Bernsten was in a class of his own lapping the entire field taking his Xray through to tomorrow.  Behind him Austrian Gerhard Kandlehart took second while Chinese youngster JJ Wang claimed 3rd despite massive pressure from Australia’s Steven Jovanovic who ran out of fuel 2 corners before the finish.  This is Wang’s second bump up having progressed from the earlier 1/16 final in which he also finished 3rd.  The winner of that final was Team Shepherd owner Patrick Schaefer but his 1/8 final lasted just three laps when his car was hit from the rear. Others to see their World Championship campaign end today was Xray’s Juraj Hudy, who went out in the 1/16, engine tuner Uriah Murnan who retired just after the half way distance of his 1/8 final and British Champion Kyle Branson whose his Serpent stripped 1st gear with just  2 and a half minutes to go.

The final day of the fourth running of the IFMAR 200mm Touring Car Worlds is almost upon us and 38 drivers remain in with a chance of glory.  Our coverage, which is supported by Matrix tires, Team Titan and Red Racing engines, will continue in the morning with 1/4 finals getting the proceedings underway at 10:00.

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Pietsch is Top Qualifier in Texas

Robert Pietsch has become only the second driver to TQ both nitro onroad World Championships after he was declared Top Qualifier for the IFMAR 1/10th 200mm World Championship at Gulf Coast Raceway in Houston, Texas, late tonight.  Held under flood lights the fifth and final round of qualifying failed to see anyone better the time set in Q4 by the factory Mugen driver who last year was the Top Qualifier at the 1:8 Worlds in Switzerland.  Pietsch retired from Q5 with radio interference but the German said under the artificial lighting a better time was never possible for him.  Only his second 1:10 Worlds appearance, the man responsible for designing Mugen’s onroad cars failed to make the final in Portugal after he hit problems in the Semi, but today he showed while his Matrix shod MTX-4R is one of the older chassis competing it is still competitive.  Having set himself a target of qualifying in the 1/4 Finals coming into the event, the European 1:8 Champion feels the track layout has really played to his advantage as he has been able to set-up and drive his car very much like an 1:8 scale.  Asked for his thoughts on the final, Pietsch said he hadn’t given it any thought yet and for now he just want to enjoy taking TQ honours by having a few beers and winding down after what has been an 16 hour day at the track.

Coming to within one second of Pietsch’s time, factory Kyosho driver Takaaki Shimo was fastest for the final round of qualifying.  Improving his previous best time by 8/10th of a second, the Japanese ace said his updated V-One RRR was capable of a TQ run but he did not like his first experience of night racing struggling with the lighting.  This was an element most of the top drivers had difficultly with.

Setting the second fastest time for the round following the exclusion of Jerome Renaux, whose car was found to be under weight, RC America’s Ralph Burch was very happy to record his first 35 lapper despite the fact he ‘cant really see in the dark’.  The Xray driver said his Max powered NT1 was really dialled in and he only wished he had the same car when racing was run during normal day light.  The American, whose time was good enough to bump him up to fourth, to secure him a direct placing in the main final, said it wasn’t very nice to get in at the expense of a fellow Xray driver but is he very happy to be in with the chance of becoming the first American to be crowned the 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Champion.

Unfortunately after making major changes to his Novarossi powered NT1, that allowed him to run the second fastest time of Q5, Renaux’s car was found to be underweight.  A direct qualifier at last year’s European Championships, the loss of a 35 lap time means the 26-year-old drops from 3rd to 40th leaving him with a lot of hard work to do if he his to bump up and make the big final. The Belgian driver attributed his disqualification to excessive tire wear and switching from a hard to a softer front bumper, which left his car 10 grams under.

The fourth & final direct qualifier is Shinnosuke Yokoyama, the 17-year-old Xray driver being the real star of these championships.  Failing to improve his time in Q5, the up & coming Japanese talent is delighted to claim himself a place in the final. Admitting to being a little nervous ahead of making his World Championship final debut he is determined to try and back up his impressive qualifying performance with at least a podium finish on Saturday.

Hampered by his Max engine running too lean Alexander Hagberg dropped to fifth after Q5 but the 20-year-old Xray team driver is confident he can bump up from his Semi which he will start from pole. Starting the opposite Semi from pole will be Tadahiko Sahashi. The Japanese driver failed to improve on his Q4 time but as the sixth fastest qualifier he is the top Serpent driver with Scott Kimbrow the next best 733 in 13th position.

Defending champion Daniele Ielasi will line up in the same Semi as Shepherd team-mate Marc Rheinard as he improved in Q5 to set the 14th fastest time.  Having been in a Quarter Final position at the end of Q4, the Italian said he drove a safe last qualifier with the aim of moving himself into higher final.  Rheinard took the honour of being the fastest Velox V10 as he improved his time to place 8th.  The electric Touring Car World Champion was on target to match Burch’s pace but exiting the pits following his fuel stop he clipped a corner marker loosing valuable seconds. Top qualifier at the last World Championships, Jilles Groskamp had a difficult day, failing to complete any of his 3 runs and the Dutch ace finds himself on pole in the quarter finals.

So after one of the longest days we’ve ever experienced in the sport, qualifying is complete and apart from the Top 4 qualifiers the other 122 competitors will have to depend on bumping up if they wish to fill the other 6 places on the grid. Tomorrow kicks off the first of the lower finals running through to the 1/8 final.  Our coverage which is supported by Matrix tires, Team Titan and Red Racing engines will commence tomorrow afternoon and continue again on Saturday when the 4th IFMAR 200mm World Champion will be crowned.

Final qualifying order
1. Pietsch Robert (Mugen/Novarossi)
2. Shimo Takaaki (Kyosho/OS)
3. Yokoyama Shinnosuke (Xray/OS)
4. Burch Ralph (Xray/Max)
————
5. Hagberg Alexander (Xray/Max)
6. Sahashi Tadahiko (Serpent/Picco)
7. Wischnewski Dirk (Xray/Novarossi)
8. Rheinard Marc (Shepherd/Novarossi)
9. Terauchi Takehiro (Mugen/Novarossi)
10.Andersson Christer (Carpricorn/Sirio)
11.Balestri Dario (Team Magic/Novarossi)
12.D’Angelo Giuseppe (Mugen/Reds)
13.Kimbrow Scott (Serpent/Novarossi)
14.Ielasi Daniele (Shepherd/IDM)
15.Lemieux Paul (Xray/Max)
16.Morganti Paolo (Serpent/Novarossi)
17.Salven Michael (Serpent/Mega)
18.Swauger Michael (Mugen/Novarossi)

Complete final qualifying listing can be found here (PDF)

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