March 2, 2024

Volker takes Q3, TQ to be decided in ‘Rocket Round’

Ronald Volker has taken the third round of qualifying at the TITC, meaning the final ‘Rocket Round’ of qualifying in Bangkok will decide the Top Qualifier for the 20th running of the famed race.  Top Seed for the event, the Mugen driver would take his first TQ run as Bruno Coelho traction rolled his Xray with 1-minute to go while on TQ pace.  This promoted Volker to the top of the timing screens followed by Alexander Hagberg as Coelho ended up with a P3.  Behind the leading trio Awesomatix’s Lucas Urbain finally posted a strong run after a difficult first day of qualifying at RC Addict yesterday.  Behind the Frenchman was team-mate Marc Rheinard with Axon’s Hayato Ishioka completing the Top 6 in today very humid afternoon conditions.

‘This time Bruno handed it to me like I did to him in Q2 yesterday’, was Volker’s reaction after taking the penultimate qualifier.  The former World Champion adding, ‘Q3 was his run but he rolled it.’   He continued, ‘My car felt safe but in the middle of the run I was struggling which was unlike the other two qualifiers.  Still I had a comfortable P2 but then he rolled.  I’m happy because now I get a shot at the overall TQ in the last one.’  Asked about the deciding round, the German said, ‘Q4 will be the fastest run and that is the only reason I have a shot at the TQ.  We will make a small set-up change and go for it.’

Commenting on his effort in Q3, Coelho said, ‘that was a hard one’.  He explained, ‘It started well and by the middle I had pulled away from Ronald but then the car started to generate too much traction.  The first time I got on two wheels I saved, then I got on two wheels in the first part of the chicane and again saved but the third time I couldn’t and I rolled and needed to be marshalled.’  He added, ‘the track was cooler and had a lot more traction and we need to work on the car for the last one as this should be the rocket round.’

‘A steady run to 2nd’ was Hagberg’s summary of his latest qualifying effort.  Last time a winner of the TITC in 2019, the Xray driver said, ‘we changed the car from yesterday which felt pretty good for the first 2-minutes and then it got difficult to drive at the end and I had to be cautious to stay safe’.  For the decider the Swede plans to put yesterday’s set-up back on the car and ‘hopefully fight for the win.’

A relieved Urbain replied ‘I need one more’ when asked how his run went.  He added, ‘It was relief to sort things out and finish one.  Man the nerves.’  Only his second TITC appearance, his first being in 2016, he said, ‘I am currently BQ so I need one more.  P2 in that round for Alex means I can’t now catch him even with a TQ run so I won’t chase him which is a good thing.’  His debut race as a full time professional driver with Awesomatix, he said, ‘my car has been really good in the evening on the other days and I will just work on the tyre gluing and adjust the amount on the sidewalls for the conditions.’

‘I just want to get some points’, was how Rheinard summed up Q3, after finishing over 5-seconds off the pace of Volker.  He continued, ‘the car wasn’t great so I was just trying to keep it on its wheels.  I am not so confident in the car but I have a 4 & 5 so I am safe in the final.  For the last one we will change everything on the set-up and hopefully that will help get the car sorted for tomorrow.’

View our event image gallery here.

March 1, 2024

Chassis Focus – Bruno Coelho (Xray)

Chassis – Xray x4 ’24
ESC – Hobbywing XR10 Pro
Motor – Hobbywing G3 4.5T
Battery – Sunpadow 6500mah
Tires (handout) – Sweep
Radio/Servo – Futaba T10PX / Br1
Body – Xtreme Twister

Image Gallery

March 1, 2024

Izsay & Lauter share spoils in Open Brushless qualifying

Xray’s Adam Izsay and Awesomatix’s Simon Lauter shared the spoils on Day 1 of qualifying for the Open Brushless class at the TITC.  The biggest class at the iconic Asian race with over 120 entires, the two Europeans have been in control of the time sheets in Bangkok.  A class that is hugely popular with electronics manufacturers due to its less restrictive rules, an IR check the only rule for the 13.5T motors, it was the Hobbywing equipped Lauter who took the first honours.  When the event official got underway yesterday he secured the Top Seed status for qualifying ahead of fellow German Thomas Bemmerl with Izay completing the Top 3.  In the first qualifier it would be Izay who would take maximum points, an over cautious drive by Lauter leaving him 2/10ths of a second down on the Hungarian.  Having posted the fastest lap of Q1, Lauter would make amends for his ‘tactical error’ securing the TQ on his second attempt with his cause helped by Izay having an off as he came across traffic.  With the track hotter and therefore slower for Q2, it is currently advantage Izay as he has the faster time but with a P5 to replace on total points it is European Stock Champion Lauter who holds the advantage as Awesomatix seek a fourth consecutive win.

Summing up his qualifying efforts, Izsay said, ‘Q1 I had a slow start but at the end I did not have such a drop off as the others and I could win from Simon.’   He continued, ‘conditions were hotter for Q2 so we changed a few things on the car but that gave more steering and made the car harder to drive’ but his problems were to get bigger.  Coming up on lapped car in the chicane he said in trying to avoid hitting the car he touched the curb which sent his car off into the tyres.  Asked his plans for Day 2 of qualifying, the Open Brushless class completing their two runs in the second half of the day having opened the action today, he said, ‘we will wait and see how the track conditions are and see if we need to change the car but I will try to fight for the TQ.’

‘I’m quite happy’ was Lauter’s response when asked how he felt about his performance today.  He added, ‘The car is great all week but I made a tactical mistake in Q1.  I was a little too safe to not make mistakes.  I thought I was in front so maybe if I knew it was so close I could have pushed a little harder at the end’.  His first time attending the TITC, he said, ‘everyone tells you how difficult this race is and you can think you are prepared for it but you have no idea.  When you actually drive here you realise it is super difficult but challenges are there to overcome.’  Describing his Q2 topping run as ‘super good’ he said, ‘With a P1 & P2 nothing bad can happen so I will fight for the TQ for sure tomorrow’.

View our event image gallery here.

March 1, 2024

Chassis Focus – Souta Goto (Tamiya)

Chassis – Tamiya TRF 421
ESC – Hobbywing Xerun XR10 Pro
Motor – Hobbywing Xerun V10 4.5T
Battery – G-Style 6200mah
Tires (handout) – Sweep
Radio/Servo – Sanwa M17 / Sanwa SXR PGS-LH II
Body – Xtreme Twister

Image Gallery

March 1, 2024

Coelho holds overnight TQ in Bangkok

With Day 1 of qualifying at the 20th edition of the TITC complete it is Bruno Coelho who holds the overnight TQ in Bangkok.  The Xray driver would take both rounds of qualifying on today’s schedule helped by top seed Ronald Volker having a 360 spin while on TQ pace run in Q2.  The second of the four qualifiers would be a repeat of the opening round in terms of the Top 3 with Alexander Hagberg 3rd fastest having been the pace setter for a time during the 5-minute run.  After an early mistake and a bad set-up choice in Q1, Naoto Matsukura would get a P4 on his second attempt ahead of Souta Goto driving the new Tamiya TRF421 which is making its race debut here.  With many of the leading drivers having moments it was the Xray of Shin Sawada who was running in the second fastest along with Goto who completed the Top 6.

‘It was a tight qualifier with Ronald at the beginning’, was how Coelho summed up Q2.  Chasing a record equaling 4th win at the TITC, he said, ‘at the start of the run he is strong but in the middle my car is better. It was close but then he spun out.  Everything is super tight’.  A slower run than Q1 by almost 2-seconds, asked if he was able to improve his car between rounds having found his X4 ‘tricky to drive’ in the middle of round 1, he said, ‘it was still difficult to drive so if we can solve that for tomorrow we have a very good chance.’

Asked about his run Volker replied, ‘to be honest I am very disappointed.  I was in the lead and everything seemed fine but then I did a 360.  I’m not sure how.  I lost it on a bump I guess and handed it to Bruno.’  The Mugen Seiki driver continued, ‘I shouldn’t be too disappointed because it’s complaining on a high level but it would have been nice to get a TQ and go into the next day even (with Coelho).  One year ago I was having one of my worst races so it is great how well things are going this year so far but I need to do a better job tomorrow.’  Setting the fastest lap of Q2, on his MTC-2R’s performance he said, ‘the car was great.  Like everyone it is not easy to drive but it had the pace.’

While repeated his Q1 result Hagberg was very positive about his second effort.  A double winner of the TITC, he said, ‘that was really good.  I was able to lead for a bit.’  He continued, ‘I was able to push the car very hard but maybe I pushed too hard and overheated the tyres because I started to struggle with staying on my lines and lost contact with the Top 2.’   Explaining he had a bit of a scare before the start when his car got hit by another driver, he said ‘luckily the car was ok’ and looking to tomorrow’s concluding two rounds of qualifying he said if he can ‘maintain (his) driving lines’ for the 5-minutes he is confident he can be in the mix.

Explaining that a set-up change for Q1 left him with a ‘very nervous’ car resulting him traction rolling on the first lap, Matsukura reverted back to his previous set-up and everything was ‘fine again’.  Suffering a crash at the chicane the former World Champion lost 1.5-seconds admitting he was luck to get 4th for the round over 3-seconds off the TQ pace.  With 2 of the four rounds to count, he said the focus for tomorrow is to get another good points finish in Q3 as he needs the points to try and lock himself into the A-Main.

After an additive mistake in Q1, Goto said he was able to realise the improved set-up they found for his car in this morning’s free practice.  16th fastest in seeding he said yesterday his car was ‘so, so’ but today it is working very good and some overnight set-up changes.  The 23-year-old said, ‘For Q1 I left the additive on for too long and I had no grip’.  The first race for the latest competitive touring car from the iconic Japanese brand, it great to see TRF’s Kiyokazu Suzuki and Takayuki Kono here and both racing, Goto said Q2 was a clean run and with the car working now he will stay with the same set-up for Q3 tomorrow.

View our event image gallery here.