Cody is the new ‘King’ of Buggy

Cody King is the new IFMAR 1:8 Off Road World Champion after a thrilling battle with outgoing champion Atsushi Hara that ended with the pair separated by less than 2 seconds after an hour of intense racing.  Only his second World Championships, the 23-year-old from California was pushed right to line but kept his cool to claim the biggest prize in the sport ahead of Hara and his Kyosho team-mate Jared Tebo.

Commenting on the race of his life, the reality of which he doesn’t expect to hit him until the morning, the factory Kyosho/Orion driver said he had always expected that if he was to lead the World Championships that he would be very nervous but he wasn’t and when he landed off the table top just before the last corner when he knew it was job done did he started to think about the being World Champion.  Having come into this week’s championship on the back of a great run of success in the US, King paid tribute to his dad and Tebo whom he said was responsible for making the MP9 so good here this week.  Bringing the tally of 1:8 Off Road World titles for Kyosho to eight, the King’s victory secured the first  for Team Orion and it was a very proud day for Adrien Bertin who is the man behind the engines and who was also part of the new champions pit crew for the race.

One of the sport’s greatest all round racers, Hara said he wanted to put on a race people would remember and that while he was a little disappointed at not being able to become the first driver in the history of 1:8 Off Road to defend the World title he was very happy for Cody, a driver he believes has the potential to achieve such a feat in Brazil in two years time.  The Hot Bodies driver said his D8 was perfect but with all the cars so evenly matched in the final it was all down to mistakes something Cody made very few of. Unable to feel his fingers after the race, Hara admitted that unlike the last Worlds when remained super calm he got nervous for the first time today.

The Top Qualifier for the event and the pre-event favourite Tebo was clearly disappointed to only finish third.  The 23-year-old US Champion was in the hunt right up to the half way point but with 20-minutes remaining got the double single wrong and landed on a track marker which cut his engine.  Afterwards the Kyosho driver said he raced too hard in the beginning to try keep up with big rival Ryan Maifield and this left his front tyres like slicks.  Maifield ran a very fast pace at the start and was leading 1/3 of the way through the race but at the half way point when many of the drivers were making scheduled fuel stops his Reedy power Associated ran dry ultimately ending his chances of the World title.

He was pretty much an unknown before the event but after today he is one of the hottest properties in Buggies, 14-year-old Kyle McBride finishing a stunning fourth overall just one and a half seconds behind Tebo.  Not phased by lining up against the biggest names in the sport, the Aussie Mugen driver said he just did his own thing in the race. Admitting that he never expected to finish in the Top 4 on his World Championship debut and said he is already looking forward to Brazil.

Finishing fifth Billy Easton helped debutant team Serpent to claim the honour of best new manufacturer with Hobao driver Jeremy Kortz completing the top 6.  It wasn’t a good race for the Europeans with 2008 podium finisher Renaud Savoya the first to hit trouble, his steering servo going 8-minutes in.  Rejoining the race he broke a second servo calling it day with 19 minutes to run and was classified last of the 12 starters. Others failing to make the full distance were Maifield and team-mate Ryan Cavalieri who lost a wheel off his RC8B.  In the end Robert Batlle was the best placed driver from Europe in 8th position ahead of German Joern Neumann’s LRP buggy.

Final Result
1.(2) Cody KING (USA) – 78 laps in 60:28.802
Kyosho MP9 TKI2/Orion ABI/AKA/Byron/Kyosho
2.(1) Atsushi HARA (JPN) – 78 laps in 60:30.727
Hot Bodies D8 Hara Edition/OS Speed/HB/Cosmo/HB
3.(3) Jared TEBO (USA) – 76 laps in 60:02.373
Kyosho MP9 TKI2/Orion ABI/AKA/Byron/Kyosho
4.(9) Kyle MCBRIDE (AUS) – 76 laps in 60:03.943
Mugen MBX-6/OS Speed/AKA/Byron/Mugen
5.(5) Billy EASTON (USA) – 76 laps in 60:13.829
Serpent S811/RB/Proline/Byron/Serpent
6.(7) Jeremy KORTZ (USA) – 76 laps in 60:38.027
Hobao Hyper 9/Werk B6/AKA/Werks Racing/JConcepts
7.(12) Adam DRAKE (USA) – 75 laps in 60:05.294
Losi 8ight/Novarossi/Losi/Nitrotane/Losi
8.(11) Robert BATLLE (ESP) – 74 laps in 60:18.355
Associated RC8B/Novarossi/Proline/Nitrolux/Proline
9.(10) Joern NEUMANN (GER) – 73 laps in 60:19.059
LRP S8BXR evo/LRP/LRP VTEC/LRP Energy Power/JConcepts
10.(6) Ryan CAVALIERI (USA) – 63 laps in 49:45.200
Associated RC8B/Orion ABI/Proline/Sidewinder/Proline
11.(4) Ryan MAIFIELD (USA) – 56 laps in 44:40.226
Associated RC8B/Reedy/JConcepts/Sidewinder/JConcepts
12.(8) Renaud SAVOYA (FRA) – 33 laps in 40:50.924
Mugen MBX-6/RB/Proline/RB/Proline

chassis/engine/tyres/fuel/bodyshell

Red RC would like to thank all the crew at RCP, particularly Charlie, for their hospitality during our stay in Pattaya and congratulate them on putting on a fantastic World Championships. Special thanks also to Team Durango, LRP, Reds Racing and Team C, for enabling us to bring you our live event coverage.

View the official event results here.

View the event photo gallery here.

Line-up for the ‘Big Race’ decided

The 12 drivers that will battle it out later today for the 2010 IFMAR 1:8 Off Road World Championship here in Pattaya Thailand has been decided with reigning champion Atsushi Hara the man that will start the 1-hour encounter from pole position.  Hara took victory in the first of the Semi finals which was the faster of the two with Cody King, who was in the same race, securing second on the starting grid.  The winner of the second Semi A final, Top Qualifier Jared Tebo will line up third followed by Ryan Maifield and Billy Easton. Serpent’s Easton, who came up from the 1/4 finals, pushed Tebo hard for the win in the 30-minute race showing he could be a real threat this evening.

The biggest casualty of the Semis was 2008 Top Qualifier and runner-up Mike Truhe who flamed out coming up to his first fuel stop ending his chances of getting through.  Losi team-mate Adam Drake just made it through after a battle to the line with France’s Jerome Aigoin and will start on the 12th and final spot on the grid as the sole 8ight entry.  Others to fall by the wayside were 2008 finalists Ty Tessmann and Travis Amezcua.

Team Associated are the best represented manufacturer with three RC8Bs on the grid, Ryan Manifield best of those in fourth, despite damaging his car.  The find of the 13th running of the World Championships, debutant Kyle McBride from Australia has put his name firmly on the map and will join 2008 podium finisher Renaud Savoya in carrying Mugen’s hopes of a third title.  Eight different manufacturers will compete for the sport’s biggest prize, Jeremy Kortz putting his Hobao through to carry No.7 and the 2nd of the buggy newcomers LRP also making the cut with young German talent Joern Neumann to start 10th.

A-Main starting grid
1. Atsushi HARA (JP) – Hot Bodies/OS
2. Cody KING (US) – Kyosho/Orion
3. Jared TEBO (US) – Kyosho/Orion
4. Ryan MAIFIELD (US) – Associated/Reedy
5. Billy Easton (US) – Serpent/RB
6. Ryan CAVALIERI (US) – Associated/Orion
7. Jeremy KORTZ (US) – Hobao/Werks
8. Renaud SAVOYA (FR) – Mugen/RB
9. Kyle MCBRIDE (AUS) – Mugen/OS
10.Joern NEUMANN (DE) – LRP/LRP
11.Robert BATLLE (ES) – Associated/Novarossi
12.Adam DRAKE (US) – Losi/Novarossi

View the official event results here.

View the event photo gallery here.

1/4th Finals Update

In the first of the 1/4 finals 2008 Finalist Robert Batlle cruised to an easy victory to book his place in the Semis ahead of the young star of these World Championships Kyle McBride.  The 14-year-old was involved in a great three car battle with Americans Taylor Petersen and Travis Amezcua for what looked like being the final two bump spots.  Entering the last lap locked together McBride went to the front of the group with Amezcua looking like his event was about to come to an end, but a flame out for Jesse Robbers, who was holding a solid second, would see the Mugen driver scrape through.  Finishing fifth, Robbers’ exit is the second 2008 Finalist who will play no part in the big race later today, Taylor James’ event having come to an end in the 1/16th final yesterday.  We also lost Pre-Worlds race winner Meen Vejak, the Thai driver hitting engine trouble 4-minutes in.

The second of the 1/4 finals also saw a clear winner, this time Kyosho’s Jerome Aigoin taking it comfortably from Martin Bayer who bumps ups for a second time today with Matt Castellano finishing third.  The final bump up spot was decided by a thrilling battle between Serpent’s Billy Easton and Mugen driver Borja Hernandez.  Having swapped position throughout the final part of the 30-minute encounter, the pair fought right to line but both made mistakes in the final two corners, Easton recovering fastest to secure himself the last available spot in the Semis.  The race reduced the field down to just one remaining World Champion with 2006 Champion Mark Pavidis’ campaign coming to an end.  Running safely in the Top 4 and setting the fastest lap of the race his OS powered Kyosho flamed out at the 20 minute mark.  British teenager Elliot Boots was another looking on target to bump up until the steering servo in his Mugen packed in.

24 drivers remain and going on what we have seen so far this morning with engine cuts and servo failures, the Semis are going to be a case of which 12 can survive the 30 minutes rather than who are the fastest 6 drivers in each.

Semi Final A starting grid
1. Jared TEBO (US) – Kyosho/Orion
2. Adam DRAKE (US) – Losi/Novarossi
3. Billy FISCHER (US) – Losi/Novarossi
4. Renaud SAVOYA (FR) – Mugen/RB
5. Miguel MATIAS (PT) – Losi/RB
6. Tyler TESSMANN (CAN) – Hot Bodies/OS
7. Yannick AIGOIN (FR) – Losi/Novarossi
8. Joern NEUMANN (DE) – LRP/LRP
9. Jerome Aigoin (FR) – Kyosho/Novarossi
10.Martin Bayer (CZ) – Losi/Novarossi
11.Matt Castellano (US) – Losi/OS
12.Billy Easton (US) – Serpent/RB

Semi Final B starting grid
1. Atsushi HARA (JP) – Hot Bodies/OS
2. Ryan MAIFIELD (US) – Associated/Reedy
3. Cody KING (US) – Kyosho/Orion
4. Ryan CAVALIERI (US) – Associated/Orion
5. Mike TRUHE (US) – Losi/Orion
6. Darren BLOOMFIELD (UK) – Losi/Novarossi
7. Jeremy KORTZ (US) – Hobao/Werks
8. Joshua WHEELER (US) – Xray/OS
9. Robert BATLLE (ES) – Associated/Novarossi
10.Kyle MCBRIDE (AUS) – Mugen/OS
11.Taylor PETERSEN (US) – Mugen/Ninja
12.Travis AMEZCUA (US) – Mugen/Ninja

View the official event results here.

View the event photo gallery here.

1/8th Finals Update

The opening race on the big day here in Thailand, the 1/8th B Final, saw Pre-Worlds race winner Meen Vejrak take victory from South African Dean Steenmans, who bumped up from yesterday, with  Joseph Quagraine third.  Having led the race early on a flame-out for 2000 World Champion Yuichi Kanai ended his chances, although he got running again the Kyosho driver would retire 18 minutes into the half hour encounter.  The big battle of the race was for the final bump up spot between 2004 Champion Guillaume Vray and the recovering Levi Jackson who suffered a flame at the 22 minute mark.  Holding the spot with a minute to go Vray broke his Mugen allowing Jackson to bump up for a second time and into the 1/4 finals.

In the 1/8th B final up front Czech Team Losi driver took a comfortable win ahead of Spain’s Borja Hernandez and America’s JR Mitch.  There was heartbreak for Korea’s Dani Choi as he was on target for his fifth bump up but with less than three minutes to go the front right hinge pin on his Agama came out. Trying to continue on three wheels he was easy pray for Chad Bradley who, despite hitting tyre problems on the final two laps, took the all important fourth place. Another to suffer cruel luck was Swedish Kyosho driver Linus Thern,  holding a bump up position he went out at the half way mark with a throttle servo failure.

View the official event results here.

View the event photo gallery here.

Lower finals provide thrilling action

Day 6 of the 2010 IFMAR 1/8th off road World Championships saw the running of the lower finals, but with 8 lucrative places in the big day tomorrow still up for grabs there was plenty of thrilling hard fought action.

Starting with the 2048th final and ending with the running of the 16th finals the day saw the end of the event for one of the five Buggy World Champions competing here in Pattaya. After a torrid qualifying 2002 Champion Greg Degani ended up qualifying in 106th, leaving him to start out the day in the 128th final. Driving his Z-Car, the American was on a roll bumping up 4 times and into the 16th B final where he would join 2004 Champion Guillaume Vray. While the battle up front saw American teenager Levi Jackson win over veteran Associated driver Richard Saxton and South African Dean Steenmans, the battle for fourth was the focus of attention, with commentator Scotty Ernst really putting on a show as the two former World Champions battled it out for the last bump position. With two laps to go in the 20-minute encounter Degani moved to fourth briefly, but a mistake allowed Vray to regain the spot. Despite intense pressure, with Chad Philips also getting involved, the French Mugen driver held on to progress to tomorrow morning’s 1/8th B final.

The last race of the day also saw the battle for the final bump up spot go right down to the line – literally. Having been a reserve for the event, former Touring Car World Champion Surikan C, who bumped up from the 1/32nd final, would get the win with his Xray but only just from Jammin team driver Chad Bradley. Two corners from finish Korea’s Dani Choi, who started off in the 1/128th final went on his roof. Getting going just ahead of fourth placed Richi Gomez they touched slowing the latter slightly, which allowed France’s Jerome Sartel to dive down the inside of the Spaniard at the final corner. Gomez’s Mugen rolled just before the loop and Sartel took the last bump up position of the day.

Also racing in the last final of the day was 2008 World Finalist Taylor James, but the American went out just after the half way stage of the race ending his 2010 World Championship campaign. One driver deserving a mention for his efforts today is Hong Kong’s Wei Ping Hu who raced five finals having started out in the 1/1024th and worked his way up to the 1/64th. 56 drivers remain in the event and our coverage, which has been possible thanks to the support of Team Durango, LRP, Reds Racing and Team C, will continue in the morning with updates after each of the finals.

View the official event results here.

View the event photo gallery here.