February 17, 2024

Widmaier holds overnight 2WD TQ at MIBO International

Sworkz’s Micha Widmaier holds the overnight TQ in 2WD Buggy at MIBO International with today’s four rounds of qualifying producing TQ runs from four drivers all representing different manufacturers.  Having opened the second edition of the Czech event with a TQ run, Widmaier holds a 1 point advantage over the Xray of Martin Bayer who topped the time sheets in Q4.  Equal on points with Bayer, having taken max points for Q3, is Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik for whom a last lap error cost him a potential second TQ result as he finished just 2/10ths back from Bayer.  Setting the pace in Q2, Team Associated’s Joona Haatanen is one of four drivers in contention for the overall TQ in Sunday mornings fifth & final qualifier.

Reacting to his overnight TQ status at the Sports V Hotel in Hrotovice, Widmaier said , ‘It’s a great feeling, I’ll try for another in Q5 tomorrow and try to stay at the front’.  Describing Q2 and Q4 as ‘both good’ he said Q3 was challenging being on third run tyres and having many mistakes.  The German’s debut at MIBO International he said irrespective of the final qualifying outcome he feels the ‘finals are going to be very interesting’ adding everyone is ‘super close’.

On his 2WD TQ, adding to the two he had already posted in 4WD, Bayer said he made a’ big push for the last four laps’ adding he ‘surprised myself with the performance.  Responsible for the design of Xray’s Offroad vehicles, the Czech driver added, ‘I have not been changing anything on the car since coming here.  I am trying to better myself driving and just enjoy the day and being with friends’.  Asked about tyres, he said the difference between new and used is significant and tyre strategy could be important tomorrow.

On second run tyres in Q4, Kobbevik said he lost out by not adjusting his Schumacher’s set-up for the tyre wear.  The 19-year-old explained that is car is normally good on second run tyres without any set-up adjustment on this occasion he found himself ‘fighting for (his) life not to drift on the last laps’.  The Norwegian is excited about the final qualifier saying it ‘Q5 should be fun.  Four guys get take the (overall) TQ’.

On his Q2 topping run, Haatanen said, ‘it was the first time the car felt fast and easy to drive.  It was a comfortable run’.  The Finn was not too happy with his follow up performance in Q3 explaining, ‘I was on old tyres but I was giving up because of that so the result could have been better’.   Starting out Q4 on new tyres and noticing a lot of other drivers did the same, the 20-year-old said after an early mistake he pulled up to save the tyres for Q5.  Confident he will have better tyres than his rivals and happy with how his car is working he said Q5 will be ‘me rather than the car now’.

View our event image gallery here.

 

February 17, 2024

Chassis Focus – Daniel Kobbevik (Schumacher)

Chassis – Schumacher LD3
ESC – Hobbywing G2S
Motor – Hobbywing G3 4.5
Battery – Nosram Graphene 4.1 4200mah
Tires (handout) – Schumacher
Radio/Servo – Sanwa M17  Gold/ Sanwa LH2
Body – JConcepts F2

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February 17, 2024

Chassis Focus – Ronald Volker (Mugen Seiki)

Chassis – Mugen Seiki MTC2R
ESC – LRP FlowX
Motor – LRP x22 5.5T
Battery – LRP Graphene 4.1 4200mah
Tires (handout) – Rush 30
Radio/Servo – FlySky Noble Pro / Highest Prototype
Body – Xtreme Twister

Notes
Having last featured Ronald’s MTC2R in a Chassis Focus at the Foshan Invitation RC Championship in China just before Christmas, he was keen to highlight three differences on his car here in Hrotovice.  The first of these is a new LRP Flow X Aluminium LCG ESC Upper Plate.  Suitable when racing in classes that don’t need an ESC fan, racing here on carpet is the perfect opportunity to run it as it offers a weight saving over the traditional set-up.  It will be released by LRP shortly.  Another change is the use of a prototype servo from Highest RC.  Describing it as having a ‘different look’ he is not sure if this will be retain when it goes into production as a replacement for the BLP650.  One advantage of the servo on the MTC2R is that it gives him more space for a motor fan and receiver.  Announced as a team driver FlySky at the end of 2023, he is now using their new FGr4D receiver.

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February 17, 2024

Widmaier & Bayer take opening MIBO qualifiers

Sworkz RC’s Micha Widmaier and Xray’s Martin Bayer have taken the opening round of offroad qualifying at MIBO International.  In 2WD Widmaier took the TQ ahead of Bayer by less than 2/10ths while Bayer got the better of Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik to TQ the first 4WD encounter by 7/10th of a second.  Having opened Day 2 of the event by topping seeding in both 2WD and 4WD, mistakes on both of his opening qualifying runs would see Bartosz Zalewski end up third fastest in both categories.

Reacting to his TQ run, Widmaier said, ‘So far so good.  I just tried to do a clean run and not take too much risks as I knew Zalewski was faster in outright speed’.  The German, who along with team-mate Joern Neumann is making his debut at this the second edition of MIBO International, said for Q2 he will make some changes to get a bit more steering to try to obtain more corner speed.  That said he emphasised that a clean run was key but added ‘a clean run is not so easy here’.

Pleased with his 4WD TQ, Bayer felt he might have been able to better Widmaier’s 2WD time if he had known it was so close.  ‘I didn’t know where I was and was on my own on the track and if I knew I was only 2/10th off Micha maybe I could have pushed harder at the end’.  Describing both his cars as ‘very good’ he said his Q1 performance in both classes was ‘a very good start’ adding ‘the speed is there’.

Second to Bayer in 4WD, Kobbevik said he had ‘a clean run with no mistakes’ but as a result of the clean run he feels there is more speed to be got from his buggy.  The Norwegian said, ‘I will change the car for sure as there is more speed in it.  I will make it more aggressive and give it more steering’.  Setting the fourth fastest time in 2WD,  he said ‘it was pushing like never before so I go will also change the set-up to make it more aggressive too.’

Asked about his start to qualifying Zalewski said in 2WD his ‘car was good but I made a stupid mistake’.  The 17-year-old added he had ‘bad luck’ when he crashed as the marshal could see his buggy and he lost 6-seconds.   Describing the car as ‘really fast’ he said he just needs to improve his driving for the next one.  Also suffering a ‘stupid mistake’ in 4WD, he said a change to his XB4 after seeding had made the car harder work to go fast, ‘I had to push to get fast laps like Martin (Bayer) and Daniel (Kobbevik) so we will go back to the set-up we had before’.

View our event image gallery here.