Vejrak tops 2nd Free Practice

Second free practice is complete and once again the fastest man over 5 minutes is Meen Vejrak.  The relatively unknown Thai driver just pipped former World Champion Marc Rheinard to the fastest time posting 18 laps in 05:03.843 compared with the German’s 05:03.891.  The reigning FEMCA 1:10 Nitro Touring Champion, Vejrak is delighted with his early performance reporting his Xray T2 009 as working very well on the controlled Sweep tyres.

Rheinard, who described today’s track conditions as having a lot less traction than when the Tamiya team conducted their Pre-World’s testing, says his car is pushing a little and he will change shock positions & camber links to try and increase steering.  Third fastest for the session, Andy Moore also suffered from understeer but the Englishman said its a compromise as having good turn in causes the tyres to overheat resulting in a loose back end.

On lap times Atsushi Hara was again fastest, this time producing a 16.469 with Rheinard second on a 16.569.  Describing his run as ‘much better than 1:12 scale’, Hara switched cars half way through the session. His first Cyclone TC had a harder front end and although he set his fastest lap with the softer set-up he preferred the feeling of the first car.  Third fastest on lap times was Masami Hirosaka with a 16.696.  The reigning Japanese Champion was another to switch car but his purpose was to try different motors.  Running first a Nosram 4.5 the Yokomo team leader switched to 4.0.  While the latter gave considerable more top speed the 4.5 proved quicker over a lap and this is what Hirosaka will run in the first controlled practice.  Another to switch cars was Xray’s main hope Teemu Leino. The Finn described the track as loose but found the setting on his second car the better of the two.

Controlled practice is up next and as this determines the reseeding for the six qualifiers we will be able to bring you a more in-depth run down of who is at what with a full ranking list set to be issued after each of the two sessions.  From this we will also be able to bring you a summary of which drivers are leading the challenge of each of the manufacturers here in Thailand.

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Two year wait is over

The two year wait is finally over for the world’s best electric touring car drivers as the fifth IFMAR Electric Onroad Championships is go here in Bangkok, Thailand.  Heading the 115 entries from around the globe is defending Champion Andy Moore along with the three champions to go before him, setting the stage for what is certain to be an exciting four days of action at the RCS track.

For the past two world championships it has been the Top Qualifier that has gone on to the take the title.  Driving for Hot Bodies, Moore TQ’d in Italy in 2006 from where the Englishman went on to become the World’s No.1.  German ace Marc Rheinard achieved the same perfect result when he won the 2004 title in Florida for Tamiya.  2002 winner Surikarn,  who now represents Hot Bodies, won the title in South Africa for Tamiya beating pole sitter Barry Baker from the US who is absent this time round.

Atsushi Hara was the first ever Touring Car World Champion winning the title in his home country for Yokomo back in 2000. Also now with Hot Bodies, Hara is statistically the most consistent driver over the four World Championships having been on the podium in three of the four events and this year the Japanese star added the 1:8 Off Road World title to his CV making him one of the sports all round greats.

Outside of those to have achieved the greatest accolade the sport has to offer, one driver to have come so close and who possess a serious treat here this week is Masami Hirosaka.  The five time 1:12 World Champion sat out 1:12 this year so as to focus on winning the title he has come so close to winning in the past but which has frustratingly alluded him.  In 2000 he TQ’d and finished on the podium and last time round he finished runner-up to Moore.

With such a pool of world class talent in the pits here picking the A Final line up is like trying to choose the numbers for the weekly millions lottery draw but two drivers that stand out are young Swede Vicktor Wilck and fellow Scandinavian Teemu Leino.  Wilck won the Pre-Worlds for the Tamiya team here while flying Finn Leino won the TITC event earlier in the year for Xray so they have shown they have what it takes to challenge the famous four and Masami.

Drivers have just completed their first free practice, which has been randomly grouped, with most just using the 5 minute run to settle in and get rubber down on the track which is a different layout to that used for the 1:12 World’s earlier this week.  In terms of laps it was Thai driver Meen Vejrak at the controls of an Xray who topped the charts from Wilck with 18 laps in 05:05.286 while the fastest lap was from Hara who posted a 16.531.  One more free practice followed by two controlled practices, which will determine the reseed for tomorrow’s qualifiers, make up the rest of today’s timetable.

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Thailand unearths exciting new talent

Three years ago he was taken under wings of one of rc racing’s greats Masami Hirosaka and today aged just 15-years-old Naoto Matsukura has become the youngest ever IFMAR World Champion after a dominant performance at the 1:12 Onroad Worlds in Bangkok, Thailand. The Japanese driver came here with an already impressive CV with back to back titles in his National Championship but faced with the best in the world, including all four Touring Car World Champions, he rose impressively to the challenge.

Hot property of Japanese manufacturer Team Yokomo, Matsukura was running Associated’s RC12R5 and from the first practice his laps times were impressive. That pace was converted into overall TQ honours after he claimed the fastest time in four the six qualifiers, his only opposition coming from Associated team-mate Juho Levanen. Leading Leg 1 of the A Main, an incident while lapping cost him the win but the impressive youngster didn’t let the misfortune get to him and came right back with two superb drives in the second and third Mains to claim a very popular and historic win.

For mentor Hirosaka, himself a five times 1:12 World Champion, it was a very proud moment but one which he always believed would come for his young protege. Opting not to race himself in the 14th 1:12 scale Worlds, so as to focus fully on the Touring Car title which has so far alluded him, Hirosaka said from the first time he witnessed Matsukura at the controls of an rc car he knew this kid was special.

For Matsukura he descibed his first World title as being ‘like a dream’ and for sure it is going to take a few days for the reality of what he has just achieved to sink in. A true professional he is already thinking about the Touring Car Worlds which get underway on Thursday but said his win has given him a great boost for the event. Asked if he can challenge his mentor when the pair will lead Yokomo’s touring car hopes, he said it would be very difficult but he will trying.

While Matsukura was the star of the show Finland’s Juho Levanen’s performance was also impressive. Working closely with the new World Champion throughout the event, the factory Associated driver was really pleased with the runners up spot which was far greater than his expectations coming out to Thailand. The 23-year-old was equally happy to lose out to his younger team-mate on what was a great day for the RC12R5.

With the Matsukura & Levanen domination from the start, the rest of the field were always battling for the final podium place and that honour fell to CRC team driver Hupo Honigl. The Austrian had set himself the target of making the A Main coming here and despite finishing a lap down to his rivals was very happy to take third overall. After practice the IIC Champion looked far from making it into the A Final but come qualifying he turned things around to secure third on the grid. Leg 1 ended almost as soon as it started but two good runs, which saw him fend of serious attention from Marc Rheinard in Leg 2 and his CRC team Jilles Groskamp in Leg 3, helped him claim a well deserved place on the overall podium.

So the dust has settled on a historic 1:12 World Championship. One of the main talking points of the 1:12 World’s return to asphalt will be how critical tyres & additive were and that seems to have been reflected in the small 49 car entry. Hopefully lessons have been learned and in the interest of this great class measures will be put in place for 2 years time to make for a more level playing field. That said the 2008 Worlds will be best remembered as the moment the sport unearthed an exciting new talent. Enjoy the celebrations Naoto.

Final official results
1. Naoto Matsukura – 20pts (9,10,10)
2. Juho Levanen – 19pts (10,9,9)
3. Hupo Honigl – 16pts (1,8,8)
4. Marc Rheinard – 14pts (7,7,1)
5. Hideo Kitizawa – 12pts (8,4,4)
6. Jilles Groskamp – 11pts (4,3,7)
7. Simo Ahoniemi – 11pts (6,5,3)
8. Andy Moore – 11pts (5,6,5)
9. Teemu Leino – 9pts (3,2,6)
10. Dasiuke Yoshioka – 4pts (2,1,2)

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