March 5, 2023

Coelho takes 2WD at MIBO International

Bruno Coelho has taken the 2WD Buggy title at the inaugural MIBO International Race, the Xray star making his return to racing on carpet after more than 3-years and took the overall win ahead of up & coming talent Bartek Zalewski and Jessica Palsson.  Starting from second on the grid behind Top Qualifier Zalewski, Coelho would wrap things up early by taking the opening two A-Mains.  After a rough A1 and diff issues in A2, with a fresh diff in his Xray Zalewski would win A3 to secure the runners-up spot while a very consistent performance netted Schumacher driver Palsson a trio of second place that saw her complete the podium line-up.

‘It’s super nice to be back’, was how Coelho summed up his 2WD performance.  The Portuguese ace continued, ‘We were testing a lot here and getting back the feeling for racing on carpet so it has been a good weekend of racing’.  Asked about the performance of Zalewski, the World Champions said, ‘Bertek is driving well but we have known already for 4-years that he is a huge talent. He is getting better and better and I’m super happy for him’.

While Zalewski felt he ‘just made too many mistakes’ in the finals, the 16-year-old from Warsaw did have issues in A2.  Struggling with his Xray being very loose in the rear, an inspection afterwards revealed his diff had gone soft.  Replacing it for A3 he was able to deliver the win to secure second spot.  Summing up the result, he said, ‘I am very happy with my own performance and want to thank my sponsors Xray, Hudy, Hobbywing and Sundpadow for this supporting but especially Transfer Multisort Elektronik who help make it possible to attend these races’.

‘I’m happy with the weekend so far but I always want more.  Still it’s a podium’, was how Palsson summed up her third place in 2WD.  Asked how she felt her finals had gone, the 20-year-old Swede replied, ‘they all went good, 3 second places is good consistency so I had to pleased with that’. Behind Palsson, Max Gotzl took his Xray to fourth overall followed by Zsolt Bajusz and Martin Bayer.

View our event image gallery here.

March 5, 2023

Chassis Focus – Dionys Stadler (IRIS)

Chassis – IRIS ONE
Motor – Ruddog
ESC – Ruddog RXS
Battery – Ruddog 150c/75c
Tires (handout) – Rush
Radio/Servos – Sanwa/MKS
Body –Xtreme Speciale

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March 5, 2023

Volker takes TQ from Brunet at MIBO International

Ronald Volker is the Top Qualifier for the inaugural MIBO International Race.  The Mugen driver claimed pole position in the Czech Republic when he posted the fastest TQ run of the weekend in the fifth & final qualifier this morning (Sunday).  His second TQ run equalling the tally of Xray’s Antoine Brunet, it was the only 25-lap run of the weekend that gave the German the tie break over his French rival here in Hrotovice.  Summing up the deciding run, Volker said, ‘there was some pressure going on as I needed to TQ that one.  In the beginning Eric (Dankel) was all over, he had great pace.  I managed to keep it a clean run and as I hoped the track was slightly quicker than yesterday’.  Looking to the triple finals, the former World Champion said, ‘this is a very very tough track because of the boards so it is important to have as easy a car as I can.  As always on carpet it is not too easy to pass so once I have a car I can hold my line I should be good. Obviously I am hoping to not find myself in the position of having to defend’.

Commenting on his final qualifying attempt having held the overnight provisional TQ, Brunet said, ‘It was so, so, the car changed a lot and I struggled with my driving.  The car was too aggressive for me’.  Putting in an impressive performance yesterday, the 25-year-old’s struggled start to Day 3 of the event was also compound by some traffic issues despite the two drivers involved getting plenty of warning from onroad track announcer and former racer Zdenko Kunak.  Asked given his car been aggressive in Q5’s morning conditions if he would change it for the opening A-Main he said he would leave it unchanged as he expects the track to change again and his focus will be on his driving and trying to overtake Volker.

After the high of last night’s penultimate qualifier, which he topped, Oliver Havranek described Q5 as ‘terrible’.  He continued, ‘I didn’t change my set-up but the car felt strange at the beginning which led to me making some mistakes.  I destroyed the car’.  Asked what he can do starting from 3rd on the grid, the Slovak driver replied, ‘It depends if Antoine goes after Ronald and attacks.  We will see what happens’.  Behind Havranek, Dankel starts fourth ahead of Christopher Krapp and Dionys Stadler.

View our event image gallery here.