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Video – Marc Rheinard interview
2010 Touring Car Worlds is GO
Day one of the 2010 IFMAR Touring Car World Championships is underway with 6 rounds of practice on the schedule here in Burgdorf, Germany. The first thing that stands out is how small the track is but all the top drivers have given the layout a big thumbs up. 9 of the 10 Finalists from Thailand are here but only 8 are competing with r/c legend and 2008 podium finisher Masami Hirosaka here only in a supporting role for Team Yokomo.
Marc Rheinard is the defending champion and appears pretty relaxed as he looks to claim his third World title for Tamiya. Although its his home country, the German said he has little racing experience at this track his last race here being back in 2004. With IFMAR rules stating the track layout must be 60% changed for the actual running of the World Championships today is the first time the drivers have driven the track in the correct anti-clockwise direction. Having missed the Warm-up race to compete in the Reedy Race in the US, Rheinard completed a week of testing here in preparation for the event albeit driving it clockwise. Tamiya have a strong line-up here which includes no less than four of the 2008 Finalists with Viktor Wilck, Jilles Groskamp and Elliot Harper joining the World Champion. Harper burst on to the Touring Car scene in Bangkok making the final on his Worlds debut and finishing a very impressive 5th overall. Driving with Xray on that occasion, the young English driver switched to Tamiya this year and has just started to find form with his new team taking his first win for them in his home National championship three weeks ago. Groskamp, who differs slightly from his TRF team-mates in that he runs Team Orion rather than Speed Passion electrics, had a good start to his week here finishing Runner-Up in the 1:12 Worlds and the European TC Champion is positive about the three days ahead.
Runner-up in Bangkok Ronald Volker heads Team Yokomo and has already shown good form here taking TQ honours at the Warm-up race back in May. Another 2008 finalist in the Yokomo line-up is Hayato Matsuzaki who was closest to Volker in qualifying for the Warm-up. The 2007 IFMAR 1:10 2WD Off Road World Champion said he really likes the track and additional testing since the Warm-up went really well. As seen at the 1:12 Worlds, which saw Naoto Matsukura successfully defend his World title using Yokomo’s new R12 chassis, the Japanese manufacturers preparations for this event are very professional with each driver having there own dedicated mechanic with team manager Robert Itoh keeping a watchful eye over the whole operation.
Once again all four previous Touring Car World Champions are here. Hot Bodies are armed with two of those in Atsushi Hara and Andy Moore. Last time round Hara was Top Qualifier but ended up with a less than deserved fourth place finish and he is determined to put that huge disappointment behind him. Running the new TCX chassis, the Japanese ace feels the competition here will be stronger than in Thailand where Rheinard was the only driver who could match him in actually race pace. Hara, who has been running a number of different speedos, is running LRP here put pointed out that he has no deal with the German company. In the battery department he has a new one race deal with Reedy.
Xray were classified as the winners of the Warm-up after Alexander Hagberg was the only driver to run the final due to the wet conditions but the Slovak company have a very strong contender in Paul Lemieux. The American has done all his pre-Worlds preparations for the event at NorCal Hobbies Raceway and after getting his first taste of the Burgdorf track in the opening practice run this morning said the tracks feel very similar. Lemieux missed the Warm-up race winning instead the Reedy Race held at the San Francisco track on the same weekend finishing ahead of none other than Juho Levanen and World Champion Rheinard. Joining him at Xray this year is 2002 World Champion Surikan C.
There is a big buzz in the Team Associated pits as they debut their new TC6 here. Five of the new chassis have been prepared by chief designer Bob Stellflue and will be used by Levanen, Christer Andersson, Keven Hebert, Rick Hohwart and Olly Jefferies. Levanen has only run a few batteries with the new car back home but said it was immediately quicker. Running a lot of the same suspension parts as the TC5 the experienced Finnish driver said set-up adjustments have carried across from the older car. 22-year-old Canadian Hebert, who made the 1:12 Final at his first World’s attempt on Tuesday, has run four batteries with the TC6 and backs up Levanen’s confidence of a good performance here for the team.
Kyosho will be hopeful of a good showing with their new TF6 touring car and have a new LiPo chassis for the event. Shin Adachi, who is responsible for the development of the car, is joined by fast young German Christopher Krapp who is being tipped by many to show really strongly here on a track he knows very well.
View our event image gallery here.
New in the Pits – Part 2
Lots of new releases in the big pit tent here in Burgdorf at the ISTC Worlds, starting with the new Futaba 4PK Super. This updated version of the very popular transmitter and corresponding receiver, features faster response times over the previous version as well as a new multi direction menu controller which is highlighted with an awesome ring of red light. Another feature of this new radio is the ability to control rear wheel steering, something of interest for rock crawlers. Due for release in a month or so.
KO Propo have their new RSX servo, which will come in 4 versions. Coming with either a plastic or metal casing, each type is available in high torque or high speed versions and are suitable for either touring or 1/8th buggy. Expect them to be in the shops in a few months.
We bumped into Shin Adachi who was carrying around his TF6 with an all new prototype LiPo chassis plate, which like others in the pits have the battery slots removed for a clean look and more even flex. No word on when it will be released.
Schumacher have some new parts for their Mi4LP in the shape of a new rear shock tower that has 2 additional shock mounting holes allowing for a more lay down angle. They also have new rear upper link mounting plates which offer a new mounting position, one of plates also sports an additional hole at the rear that allows the anti-roll bar to be mounted higher in the car and pointing towards the front of the car, with the connecting rods mounted to the front of the wishbone.
Much More are here testing their new prototype electronic speed controller. Its so new it doesn’t even have a name and we know very little about it it other than it has a gold anodised metal casing, is very low and comes supplied with a cooling fan, which in this case is mounted next to the ESC, not on top as in most other speedos.
View our event image gallery here.
New in the Pits – Associated TC6
With the 1/12th Worlds now over, focus has now switched to touring car and on today’s preparation day we sat down with Team Associated who gave us the scoop on their new TC6 chassis, that is making its international debut at this race. Retaining the same lower front and rear wishbones, C-hubs and rear uprights from the TC5, the rest of the car is different. A focus on LiPo and brushless the most noticeable change is to the chassis which is very narrow and no longer sports battery slots. Mounted on top of the chassis is new bulkheads, which set closer together allow the track width to be made narrower. The spur gear has been set lower and the motor is now positioned 13mm closer to the centre line, which in turns means the LiPo sits further to the outside which means that the car is perfectly balanced down the centre line straight out of the box.
The new top deck is now longer and narrower but stays at the same height as on the TC5. It acts as the top mount for the steering bell crank, which sports an adjustable bell crank arm which can be swapped out for a 2nd version which gives the driver 6 positions of Ackermann, which when then combined with the 2 mounting points on the steering arm and the second mounting position for the centre pivot of the bell crank give a huge number of Ackermann adjustments. The input lever on the bell crank has also been updated, giving it more linear and therefore slightly slower reacting steering.
Other changes include extra positions on the shock towers giving you 6 options on the front and 7 on the rear. And although not seen on this car as it wasn’t ready in time, there will be all new shock absorbers that feature a bottom mounted assembly with increased stroke length, which gives 2mm more up travel at the wheel. The front bumper has also been updated, lowering the entire construction something they believe gives the car more steering by reducing the air flow under the car and it also now integrates a transponder mount. Revised lower suspension arm mount screw positions allow you to get at the screws easily as the head is now positioned on the outside. A neat feature is the use of universal parts on the car, meaning that all 4 front and rear bulkheads are interchangeable meaning you can cut down on the amount of spare parts needed for the car. These prototype TC6 cars are only in use by team drivers for now, but we are told to expect an October release.
View our event image gallery here.