Rabitti top seed for qualifiers

Day 1 of the 2009 Arena Offroad Meeting has been completed here in Italy with drivers each getting two practice sessions in which to learn the track and set a time for a reseed of the heats for qualifying.  Based on a driver’s three best consecutive laps it was Italy’s own National Champion Ricardo Rabitti that will carry the No.1 in the top heat tomorrow for both the nitro and brushless buggy categories.  Driving Losi 8ight chassis’ the European finalist managed a best time of 2.16.966 in the nitro class.  Behind him it was former Austrian Champion Martin Karner on 2.18.358 with Italian Matteo Dapporto third for Mugen. Former back to back European Champion Davide Tortorici was fourth ahead of Carlo Jacopini with Spain’s Borja Hernandez completing the top 6.  Managing only the 13th fastest time Yannick Aigoin with line up in the second fastest heat.

Favourite for the 1:8 Brushless Buggy win, Rabitti did his fastest three laps in 2:24.011 to top fellow countryman Fabrizio Teghesi who managed 2:27.363 with his Kyosho.  Karner completed the Top 3 with Mugen’s Fabio Boero fourth.  Tomorrow is a busy day for the Brushless drivers as they have four rounds of qualifying, a Semi and triple A-Main finals to complete.

In the Truggy class Martin Bayer topped the reseed from Losi/Novarossi team-mate Yannick Aigoin.  Setting a time of 2:15.763, the Czech ace was some 4.5 seconds faster than Aigoin but the French ace has a good excuse in that he hasn’t driven his 8ight T for almost six months.  Completing the Top 3 was Kyosho UK driver Simon Willets who is making his debut with Team Orion engines here.

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Offroaders go to the Rodeo Italian style

Normally a Rodeo Ring is where a cowboy puts on an exhibition of his skills at rounding up cattle but this weekend the ‘Arena of Cowboys’ will play host to a very different form of taming the wild as some of Europe’s best r/c drivers exhibit their skills at controlling 1:8 Offroad cars. Situated on the outskirts of Voghera, which is around one hours drive south of Milan, the organisers of the Arena Offroad Meeting have created a fantastic US style dirt track and after the opening practice drivers are full of praise for the large indoor track.

The biggest off road meeting on the Italian race calendar, this year is only the second running of the event indoors which was won last year by Austrian off road star Hupo Honigl.  Unfortunately the LRP team driver isn’t here to defend his title but the success of the inaugural indoor ‘Offroad Meeting’ has meant a number of the sports big names have made the trip to Italy to experience the much talked about track for themselves.

While the big focus is on winning Sunday’s Main final and lifting the 2009 Arena Offroad Meeting title there is a lot of excitement among the top drivers about the ‘Race of Champions’.  Based on qualifying for the main event, the Top 16 drivers will line up for this special event on Saturday night.  With a reversed starting grid, the race will see the last placed driver eliminated after 5-minutes and every 2-minutes there after until just three remain when they will have a further five minutes to try stake their claim on the ROC trophy.

Fresh from his Pierrefeu GP win Yannick Aigoin is making his first appearance at the indoor event along with his Losi/Novarossi team mate Martin Bayer.  Competing in both buggy and truggy, the pair described the track as very technical but former European Champion Aigoin said the American style of the track should really suit the 8ight and if they dont get a good result it wont be the fault of the car.  Afterwards he said he hoped he would not regret that statement come Sunday evening.

Current European Junior Champion Elliot Boots is another on his first visit to the Arena and after just one practice run he feels this event could very well become a regular fixture on his annual schedule. The young British driver said the size of the track is very impressive and he is confident of putting in a good performance with his RB powered Mugen.

Having made the trip from Spain, Borja Hernandez is here representing GS Racing.  Running the CLX fitted with BBF diffs all round, the Spanish Championship Runner-Up believes his package will be strong this weekend.  Another leading Spaniard here is Richi Gomez who has informed us that this will be his final outing for Hong Nor.  Gomez, who is running Reds Racing engines, has a yet to be announced chassis deal in place for 2010 but this weekend is focused on ending his relationship with Hong Nor, with whom he claimed a podium finish at the 2008 Euros, on a high.

Italian National Champion Riccardo Rabitti has to be one of the best home hopes.  The race is very much a family affair as both his brothers Stefano and Davide, the guys behind bodyshell design/painting company Bitty Designs, are also racing in the event.  Riccardo is also competing in the new 1:8 Brushless class and is one of the favourites having finished runner up at the similar Neo race earlier this year.

‘I wish I could drive myself’, was Adrien Bertin’s reply when asked about the track.  The man responsible for the Team Orion engine program is here to support new Kyosho/Team Orion signings Simon Willets from the UK and up & coming Italian Stefano Cantoni. The accomplished all round racer was full of praise for the track and thinks its US style would really have suited him but he will have to be content with being an onlooker, for this year anyway.

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