August 17, 2018

Volker top seed in South Africa

Practice at the Electric Touring Car World Championships in South Africa has finally concluded and it is the reigning champion Ronald Volker who is the top seed for qualifying.  The Yokomo driver topped 2 of the three rounds of controlled practice but it it was his 3-consecutive laps from CP1 that was the time to beat. Bruno Coelho would top the final practice getting much closer to Volker than before, the fastest time separated by 0.073 of a second.  While Coelho was happier with his CP3 pace, it was his team-mate Alexander Hagberg who made the biggest improvement in the final practice as he was second fastest with a time that moved him up to the No.3 seeding position.  Like Volker, Viktor Wilck’s best time would come from CP1 leaving him 4th overall ahead of Christopher Krapp, who suffered a huge crash in CP2, and Freddy Sudhoff.  In a change to the previously reported rule that drivers who have to run a set of tyres from CP1 or 2 in the opening qualifier all drivers will now have the option to run new tyres.  There were complaints following the first two controlled practices regarding the definition of the ruling and the 95% race pace ruling.  A number of drivers backed off considerably after posting 3-laps which would have seen a large percentage of drivers disqualified.  Another issue arose from the fact the ruling was in the Stage Report but was deleted from the IFMAR rule book.  In the end it was decided all drivers would be allowed new sets of tyres for CP3 and Q1 after which the new ruling regarding when a driver must choose new and used tyres will be implemented.

Finding himself only 5th fastest in CP3, Volker said, ‘the car was a bit better in CP2, it was more comfortable, so I think we will do another fine adjustment for Q1’.  The German continued, ‘As you can see it is very close between the Top 6 and you need to get an edge over the others and we are still looking for that’.  On being top seed, he said, ‘I like to start in the front but I think the gap between cars should mean qualifying is the driver just against the clock.  It is a large track and everyone is so close on pace so there should be no need for anyone to need to be getting out of the way.  Hopefully we can find that edge and be on top but it wont be easy’.  Asked about tyre ruling which delayed the schedule by 45-minutes, with himself and team-mate Krapp accused of backing off too much, he replied, ‘the rule wasn’t clear before the start of controlled practice and I think the change was the right choice after some complaints’.

Summing up his final, and fastest, practice run, Coelho said, ‘It was ok. I think we are back to a good pace but again it is not perfect so we will try to improve for qualifying’.  The Xray driver said, ‘we changed the car a lot between CP2 and CP3 and now we will try something small for Q1.  The car is good but just not 100% what we like to have but I’m sure we will find something’.  Asked about the changing of the tyre ruling, the Portuguese driver said, ‘It fair because it they continued to the rule many drivers would be disqualified after CP1.  Me and Alex where the only one to push for the 5-minutes but I don’t want to see anyone disqualified so its fair for everyone’.

‘A lot better’ was how a pleased looking Hagberg summed up his improved CP3 pace.  The newly crowned 1:12 World Champion continued, ‘we are closer to the pace now and the race starts now. We are where we want to be and hopefully we can fight for the TQ’.  Asked how he improved the car the Swede replied, ‘we changed a couple of details like geometry changes and I will probably leave it as is for Q1 and work on my driving’.

Summing up his CP3, being third fastest behind the two Xrays, Wilck said, ‘It was almost the same as before.  There was a little less grip but not a big difference’.  A podium finisher in China 2-year ago, he added, ‘5-minutes is very close so it should be interesting.  I will leave the car the same for Q1 and just drive clean’.  Asked if the track presented a challenge to making a clean 5-minutes he said it was pretty good but pointed out some drivers have suffered ‘spins on the curbs’.

Ending up P5 in the seeding, Krapp said, ‘I am just happy to survive my crash in CP2. It was horrible’.  Explaining the high speed crash he continued, ‘I had a short circuit in the battery and the speedo shut down when I was on the straight and I went full punch into the wall’.  Having to replace the car’s chassis and top deck, the chassis having to be re-marked by technical inspection he thanked his team for effectively building him a new car for CP3, ‘my team did a really good job to rebuild me a new car’.  Running the car in CP3 he said, ‘I am happy with the car, overall it felt good and I was third fastest over 5-minutes.  I lacked a little steering so I will make some changes for that for Q1’.

Completing the Top 6 in seeding, Sudhoff said, ‘I think the track changed quite a lot that time.  We made a small set-up change but the car was sliding about on all four tyres. I think this was the track conditions’.  The Awesomatix driver  now plans to ‘go back to CP2 set-up for the first round’ describing it ‘more safe to drive’ and ‘it should work’ given ‘it is cooler now’.  Behind Sudhoff, Meen Vejrak and Loic Jasmin complete the 8 car line-up for the top heat.

View the complete event results here.

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August 17, 2018

Volker tops first controlled practice at Worlds

Ronald Volker has set the pace in the first controlled practice at the Electric Touring Car World Championships in South Africa. With finally things turning official after 10 rounds of free practice, the Yokomo driver set the fastest 3-consecutive seeding laps ahead of yesterday’s free practice leader Bruno Coelho, the pre-race favourites separated by just 2/10ths around the large Welkom track.  Behind, Viktor Wilck put in the 3rd fastest time, the 2016 podium finisher only 8/100ths off Coelho. Christopher Krapp was next up with the fourth quickest time ahead of Alexander Hagberg with Freddy Sudhoff completing the Top 6.  Tyre management was an important element of CP1 with drivers having to run new tyres in the opening two controlled practices before reusing them for CP3 and more importantly the opening qualifier which takes place this evening.

‘It is close between all of us’, was Volker’s reaction after CP1 adding, ‘It not just me and Bruno but Freddy & Christopher have pace so it should be an interesting day’.  The reigning champion continued, ‘I focused on the 3-laps at the start and then backed off within the rules to save the tyres for later or the first qualifier’.  Running new tyres for CP1 & 2 drivers must complete the run and do so within a minimum pace in order to prevent drivers from saving tyre to have an advantage for Q1, which must be run using tyres from the earlier controlled practice runs.  On his car Volker said, ‘we keep changing small things and it is getting slightly better but there is still room for improvement but overall I’m happy together with Christopher to be on the pace’.

In contrast to his rival Volker, Coelho summed up the first of the three controlled practice runs with ‘it was so so’.  The Xray driver added, ‘we tried to find out our pace and it was not as expected. We are missing some speed’.  Winner of the Warm-up Race, he continued, ‘basically we are looking for steering without losing the rear. We will try something different and still have some ideas but for sure it is difficult at the moment.  We try many things and can’t go fast but nothing is easy so we will work to find the solution’.

‘Better’ was Wilck’s thoughts on CP1.  The Serpent driver said, ‘we change many small things and went back to what I thought would work and finally improved our pace a bit’.  Asked about changes for his next run, the Swede replied, ‘I think for now it is OK and maybe I will just drive to check which set of tyres is best’.

Krapp described his first seeding practice as ‘a solid run’ adding ‘I have been happy with the car since a few runs now’.  The German said, ‘It is pretty close up front but 3-laps are not really what count its the 5-minutes and my car is good on that.  We have had too much practice and now I just want to go racing’.

‘Decent but still looking for more pace’, was Hagberg’s summary after CP1, the Xray driver added, ‘I am still looking for a bit more steering’.  Running an all green bodyshell, he said, ‘it had a different mounting position. It was more forward and initially it was better but I need to check the overall lap times’.

Sudhoff was pleased with his pace saying, ‘we made a small set-up change and it felt very balanced and consistent’.  The Awesomatix driver concluded, ‘I think everyone saved tyres a little because we have to use them again but I am very confident with our car’.  Behind the German, Thailand’s Meen Vejrak posted the 7th fastest time ahead of France’s Loic Jasmin wth Nicholas Lee and Jan Ratheisky completing the Top 10.

View the complete event results here.

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August 17, 2018

Chassis Focus – David Ehrbar

Chassis – Serpent F110 S4 (Prototype)
Motor – Hobbywing (handout)
ESC – Hobbywing (handout)
Batteries – Arrowmax 6000
Tires – Hudy (handout)
Radio/Servo – Sanwa
Bodyshell – Gonzo ODP

Remarks – This year’s Electric Touring Car World Championship also features the Formula World Cup and Serpent have brought a brand new car to battle for honours in South Africa.  David had his first roll out of the car in China in the days before making his way onto Welkom for the race.  Officially still a prototype, it was finished just the night before he arrived to test in China, the car is the basis for their upcoming kit release which will be known as the F110 S4.  Key features of the car are a new rear wing mounting system which is now mounted to the main chassis plate and not to the pod as before.  A new battery mount means you no longer need to remove the shock but can remove the battery from the bottom of the car.  The car has also moved away from using side links to using bearings which David says makes the car more linear especially when cornering and accelerating at the same time.  With their previous car having no top deck the new car does which makes the car ‘drive more precise’. The servo mount is all new and mounts vertically to the top deck and has two servo positions.  The shock is also new to the car.

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August 17, 2018

Chassis Focus – Freddy Sudhoff

Chassis – Awesomatix A800X MMCX
Motor – Hobbywing V10 G3 4.5T
ESC –  Hobbywing XR10 PRO
Battery – Team Silverback Siren HV 6400
Tires (handout) – Team Powers
Radio/Servo – Sanwa/MKS HBL 575 SL
Body – Protoform Type S PRO-Lite

Remarks – Freddy is running the latest Awesomatix A800X equipped with the MMCX Middle Motor conversion set here at the Welkom RC Arena. The car is also equipped with the just released new additional Long Arm Set. Freddy has chosen to use the Mid Motor car reporting a better steering response and more overall rotation. Freddy is also using a new rear Stiffener on the Chassis which is specifically designed for the MMCX to offer more flex options. Diff and dampers are built with the new Rubber Ball pistons which are made of special anti sticking Rubber for a better volume compensation.

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August 16, 2018

Coelho fastest after Day 1 in South Africa

Bruno Coelho is the fastest man in South Africa at the end of the opening day of the 10th running of the IFMAR Electric Touring Car World Championships.  The Xray driver was fastest with his time from the penultimate round of the day’s eight rounds of free practice moving ahead of reigning champion Ronald Volker. Volker who was fastest for the first part of the day with his Round 4 time standing his best of the day would top the final practice but overall was 3/10ths off Coelho, a margin that is smaller that it sounds given the fastest 3-consecutive laps is 1:10.736. Christopher Krapp backed up Yokomo’s form at the Welkom RC Arena by posting the 3rd fastest time of the day posting his best laps in Round 7.  While drivers reported the otherwise pretty consistent track to be slightly slower for the final practice, Freddy Sudhoff managed to improve on his time ending the day 4th ahead of Swedes Viktor Wilck and Alexander Hagberg.

Summing the first day of four at the Worlds, Coelho said, ‘It was OK.  Our 5-minutes is very good. We tested this in the second last round but we are still trying new stuff on the car. It’s practice and we have plenty of it to try things so no point making excuses later that we didn’t find the right set-up.  For the last practice we tried two different things on two different cars but both were not so good.  Tomorrow we will go back and take a different direction in the final two free practices but we also plan to test in the controlled practices too’.  Winner of the Warm-up Race, he said with conditions different to that race held in April, they are ‘trying to find a better set-up for the conditions now’.  Asked about traction levels today the ETS Champion said, ‘I think they will stay like this so that is why we need to improve the set-up’.   Pointing out ‘rear traction’ as the main area they need to improve he said, ‘when you hit the throttle the first few metres are the problem so we need to make it easier to drive’.

Having been running two aluminium chassis versions of the BD8 which feature a number of new parts, Volker said, ‘I decided on a car and while I was not always running on new tyres I feel pretty confident its good for all conditions, new or used tyres’.  With Yokomo’s new touring car designer Matsuzaki Hayato as his mechanic here in Welkom, the German added, ‘we keep changing small things on the car but overall its going well but there are still a few small things combined we need to try to find the set-up I want.  Bruno doesn’t have the gap like at ETS so it is looks promising’.

Krapp was pleased with his first day of action saying, ‘we improved every round except the last one but the track was slower’.  Having tried both aluminium and carbon chassis cars in the early practices he opted to run carbon because ‘it felt more comfortable’.  Describing himself as pretty close to the lead pace, the German added, ‘the plan is not to change much on the car now. I think I can gain a lot of time on the right side of the track.  In the fast chicane you can gain a lot but there is also the risk you lose it all. I already improve there and I am happy with my first day but the right side of the track is an area I can still be better and I will work on that tomorrow’.

‘The car is excellent’ was Sudhoff response when asked to sum up Day 1.  The Awesomatix driver continued, ‘we have been making small differences in the set-up and it feels more confident every round. If we could get a small amount of mid corner steering then it would be perfect’.  The German added, ‘Over 5-minutes it is super consistent’.  On track conditions he said, ‘the last one was slower, everyone was slower but I think that was because the hall was colder, before that it was pretty consistent’. The final practice ended just before 19:00 local time when there is a sharp drop in temperatures with it getting particularly cold at night.

Summing up the first day, Beijing podium finisher Wilck said, ‘It is hard to improve.  We tested many things but didn’t improve and that’s a little frustrating’.  The Serpent driver said, ‘we need a little more steering.  We tried many things but then it starting getting loose and we didn’t have enough forward traction.  We have two more (free practices) to go so we will go back to our set-up from earlier and then go in a different direction.  Today we only made shock and spring changes’.

‘Average’ was how Hagberg described his day’s performance.  The Xray driver added, ‘we are still trying to fine tune the set-up and the track is changing a bit so it’s hard to keep up but hopefully tomorrow we will figure it out.’  Asked what was the key element he was chasing in the set-up he responded ‘more steering’ continuing ‘the base set-up was better towards the end of the day but we are still missing 1/10th to fight for the top position’.  Behind the newly crowned 1:12 World Champion Awesomatix’s Loic Jasmin ended the day 7th fastest ahead of Xray’s Dominic Quek, Yokomo’s Meen Vejrak and Jan Ratheisky, the Xray driver setting the pace in the Formula World Cup class that is running along side the Touring Cars here in South Africa.

View the complete event results here.

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August 16, 2018

Volker sets early pace at World Championships

Ronald Volker is the early pace setter at the 1:10 Electric Touring Car World Championships in South Africa. With four of the opening day’s 8 scheduled free practice sessions complete, the reigning Champion’s Yokomo was fastest over 3-consecutive laps of the impressive Welkom RC Arena track from Bruno Coelho. The 10th running of the Touring Car World Championships, this will be the first title to be decided indoors since the inaugural Worlds back in 2000 but such is the size of the brand new facility the fastest laps seen so far are taking a rather lengthy 23-seconds. Behind Volker and Coelho it was Freddy Sudhoff who was third quickest ahead of Viktor Wilck who completed the Top 4 to represent the fourth of the manufacturers with factory team representation at the event. Behind Wilck, Christopher Krapp was 5th fastest ahead of new 1:12 World Champion Alexander Hagberg.

Summing up his first half of the day, Volker said, ‘we are testing two cars every run and both are quite different in set-up, more than usual’.  Running a BD8 which feature a number of new parts and material, both expected to form part of Yokomo’s upcoming new touring car kit release, the German added, ‘this is the first time running this car so we are trying many things.  One car has a lot of potential and just needs some fine tuning so overall it going not too bad’. He concluded, ‘I’m confident for the rest of the day’.

Winner of the Worlds Warm-up race back in April, the track then not completely finished, Coelho described practice as ‘going ok but not perfect yet’.  The Xray driver continued, ‘we are working on the car to get it better. It is not like the Warm-up.  Then the rear was sticky and the car was pushing a little. Now the rear is loose and there is not a lot of steering so its the opposite.  We are working on fixing that but we still have four runs today to so I think we can do it’.

‘So far so good’, was Sudhoff’s thoughts on the early practice.  The Awesomatix driver who didn’t attend the Warm-up race but subsequently travelled with the Russian manufacturer for testing at Welkom RC Arena, said, ‘we almost using the same set-up we used at the practice session here and now just need some fine tuning’  He added, ‘You don’t know who is running new or used tyres so its hard to compare but appears to be going good for us’.  Starting off running two cars, both the rear motor and mid motor set-ups, he said, ‘I liked the mid motor because it had a little more initial steering so I will keep this for now and fine tune the set-up’.

Wilck described the first four practices as ‘a little up and down’ due to ‘trying things’ adding the traction increasing a little each run was adding to the challenge of fine tuning his car’s set-up.  The only one of the leading drivers to not have travelled to South Africa prior to today for track time, the Beijing podium finisher said he is still looking for the balance between steering and rear grip. Running Serpent’s 4X EVO with the same new rear end he used in the ETS, he said the set-up is ‘pretty close, I think and it is now down to the finer details’.

‘It’s going pretty good up to now’ was Krapp’s reaction at the halfway stage of today’s practice.  The Yokomo driver added, ‘we are still trying both alu and carbon chassis car so I’m actually happy to be up there in the Top 5 but I am not sure what (chassis) to use.  Ronald is running just alu but I am trying carbon too.  The times are the same on both but I think if the traction comes up carbon will be good.  I hope to decide tonight’.  Commenting on the ‘super smooth’ surface, the German feels the Worlds layout is better than that when he attended the Warm-up race saying, ‘for me this layout is better. It is not as risky as the Warm-up was. I like it’.

Wrapping up the 1:12 World Championship earlier in the week here at Welkom RC Arena, Hagberg said, ‘its not too bad so far.  I am trying to find a good feeling for the car’.  Asked if the switch from his 1:12 car to touring car had caused him much issues he said, ‘the first run felt a bit weird. It was like driving a bus but I got used to it quickly.’  Asked his thoughts on the layout, the Swede replied, ‘It a great layout. It’s technical and it’s still fast.  They improved the curbing from the Warm-up and they are more forgiving for the average guy.  The organisers did a great job with the track’.  Running two cars each run, he said, ‘we are still trying to decide which is better’.

View the complete event results here.

View our event image gallery here.