February 10, 2025

MIBO International A-Main Video Index

Watch how the A-Mains at this year’s MIBO International unfolded and how Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker, Team Associated’s Marcus Kaerup, and Xray’s Bartek Zaleswki left Hrotovice in the Czech Republic with the main titles and the biggest trophies on offer.  Unfortunately some internet issues delayed our normal video posting on YouTube but so you can easily catch up we have compiled each of the triple A-Mains for Modified Touring and 2WD Buggy, both titles decided in A3, as well as 4WD Buggy which was the first title decided at the third edition of the unique combined double track onroad/offroad event.

Modified Touring Car
A-Main Leg 1 – click here
A-Main Leg 2 – click here
A-Main Leg 3 – click here

2WD Buggy
A-Main Leg 1 – click here
A-Main Leg 2 – click here
A-Main Leg 3 – click here

4WD Buggy
A-Main Leg 1 – click here
A-Main Leg 2 – click here
A-Main Leg 3 – click here

February 9, 2025

Kaerup wins on MIBO debut, Zaleswski adds 2WD title

Travelling to MIBO International for the first this weekend Team Associated Danish talent Marcus Kaerup returns home from the Czech Republic with an updated CV and additional silverware after securing the win in 4WD and runner-up spot in 2WD, that title going to the Xray of last year’s 4WD Champion Bartek Zaleswski.  While Michal Orlowski’s plans to race both onroad and offroad at Michal Bok’s unique event didn’t materialise, the competition on the offroad track was still fierce between Kaerup, Zaleswski and Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik the end result seeing the trio play music chairs in terms of the podium other between categories.  In 4WD, Kearup secured the TQ honours while Kobbevik secure the 2WD pole but Zaleswski sent of message of intent with his double TQ run in Sunday morning’s fifth & final qualifier ahead of the triple finals.  In 4WD a gamble on new tyres gave Kaerup the A1 win ahead of Zaleswski.  While his rivals brought out their new rubber for A2, a calculated performance on his one run older tyres saw Kaerup stretch an early lead which he then worked on maintaining to the end to wrap up an early overall win.  While Sworkz’s Micha Widmaier won A3, leaving three drivers equal of 5-points, the tie breaker gave Kobbevik 2nd and Zaleswki third ahead of the Austrian.

2WD would provide the more entertaining action with Kaerup, after recovering from a mistake of his own, out-jumping Kobbevik with 2-minutes to go to win A1.  A2 saw the duo at it again but a mistake when he jumped his AE into a corner marker looked to be the break Kobbevik needed.  However having held a huge gap over his closest rival, with 1-minute to go the Norwegian caught a corner and rolled off the track handing Zaleswki the lead and win meaning it was all on the line in A3.  That encounter saw a Kaerup pull off a great pass as Kobbevik got slightly wide but a later slight error from the new leader resulting in the pair tangling with Zaleswki there to take over the lead and see it out to win the title.  In celebration of the victory a slightly over exuberant run at the jump after the loop saw the 18-year-old’s buggy launched out of the track, something he apologised for shortly afterwards over the race control PA.  With another P2 for the round, Kobbevik would again have to settle for second overall with Kaerup completing the podium line-up.

Pleased with his 4WD win on his first MIBO appearance, especially given he felt his rivals had the advantage of doing the race previously and knew ‘the tyre game’ better than he did, Kaerup explained, ‘the first A-Main was quite good I had new tyres where everyone else had the used ones so I just got out and got some comfort in the car.  After the first 2-laps I had a pretty good lead and then I just keep it on all four wheels and made to the finish line first.’  On the second A-Main, he said, ‘this time the other guys had the new tyres and I had the old ones.  This surface has no grip so the tyres get used pretty hard on just one run but I got a small gap after 2-minutes and I just kept that for the last 3-minutes.’  Content with backing up his 4WD win with a podium in 2WD, asked for a summary of his performance there he said, ‘In A1 I just kept the pressure from the start on Kobbevik and I noticed he was slightly off line in one of the corners so I took advantage one time and jumped by him and then went on to win it.  The second one I blew it and decided to pull over and save the tyre so now for the last one we were equal on tyres cause he used his new tyres in the second one.’  The 17-year-old continued, ‘I again made pressure on Kobbevik from the start and he made a small mistake on the side jump at the rostrum and I got to his inside and made the overtake so I was leading.  With 1 and a half minutes left I slightly clipped the pipe and lost momentum at the end of the straight.  Kobbevik couldn’t slow down and we tangled.  It was just racing and he waited for me.’  On the tyre games he felt he may have put on his final new set too early but he knows that for next time.  Asked his impression of the 2 and half day event, he said ‘it was busy but enjoyable, I enjoyed the event.’

Coming the fore with his 4WD at last year’s MIBO International, on this year’s performance Zaleswki said, ‘I am very happy with the 2WD win because I start from the 3rd place, in 4WD I was very close to the second place but it is how it is and I am still happy with the result.’  Having started off the first serious business of the event by topping seeding in both categories, but then struggling to convert that pace into good qualifying results over Saturday, asked what resulted in the Sunday return to form, he said pointing to his head, ‘I think my mind was better for the final and also for today we changed something on the cars and it worked very well from the fifth qualifier.’

Asking Kobbevik to sum up his finals, on 4WD he said, ‘It ended the best possible way after Marcus took the first two A-Mains.  I obviously wanted to compete with him in the mains but I didn’t have the pace now cause I did some bad decisions with the car and the tyres for the mains, and I am also exhausted after three days of racing and a lot of runs, there is not much time in between rounds.  It’s the same for everyone but I am tired now and glad the race is done.’  On 2WD, this his second year to secure the overall TQ, the 20-year-old said, ‘the pace was really good because I had one set of new tyres and a set that was only run one time so obviously I should have used new tyres like Marcus did in A1 but it was a wrong call from my side and some mistakes cost me the win.’  Giving hid thoughts on A3 he said, ‘Marcus did a great pace on me but then he touched the pipe after the straight, obviously I didn’t really see that. It’s racing what happened after that but I am sorry it ruined his chance for the win and mine as well.’

View full offroad results here.

February 9, 2025

Volker dominates in Czech to retake MIBO title

Ronald Volker has dominated the third edition of MIBO International, the Mugen Seiki driver sending his rivals a clear signal that the former World Champion and his new MTC3 are going to be a serious force to be reckoned with in 2025.  With Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski calling the German’s performance in Czech ‘a wake up for us’, after topping all five rounds of qualifying it looked like the finals were just going to be a Sunday formality to Volker picking up his second MIBO International winners trophy.  Even contact with a lapped car couldn’t help his rivals get anywhere near challenging him for the lead let alone the win.  A2 however would be the first time we wouldn’t see the MTC3 top the result sheets, a pile up on another section of the track sending Adam Iszay’s Xray into Volker’s path and with a body tuck he feel down the order before pulling off.  Orlowski took the leg win as a result of the chaos ahead of Patrick Gollner, the new Mugen signing further highlighting the potential of the Robert Pietsch designed car.  With outside trouble managing to avoid him in A3, Volker sealed the deal with half a lap advantage over Orlowski – widely recognised as the current benchmark in touring car especially on carpet.  Giving Mugen double reason to celebrate, Gollner secured the final step on the podium ahead of Yokomo’s Christopher Krapp and Xray’s Adam Iszay, the latter, like Volker, retaking the Pro Stock title he won at the inaugural MIBO International in 2023.

Congratulating Volker on his dominant performance and highlighting the only foot put wrong was not his fault, he replied, ‘Thank you very much.  A2 was very unfortunate, I got taken out by someone else’s accident, otherwise it was a perfect weekend.’   He added, ‘we got the car even better each day and I couldn’t imagine to have such a gap so we are super happy with the new car.  I couldn’t ask for more so we are heading in the right direct.’  At the top level of the sport a long time he knows however that the result will motivate his rivals saying, ‘for Orlowski for sure it also motivating, he will come back strong.  I think the last time I beat him was 2022’.  He continued, ‘the way my car felt and my whole package I am confident for the upcoming races and also for Thailand even though everything is different over there.’  Asked when he expects the new car to be released, he replied ‘within a few months I think is the most accurate answer, it could be a month earlier or later’, Volker clearly not wanting to over promise on people getting a hold of the car for themselves.  He concluded by referring to the car as ‘a masterpiece by Robert Pietsch.’

Coming into the weekend as the defending Modified Touring Car Champion, asked to sum up his performance against Volker, Orlowski said, ‘Ronald was really strong this weekend and we have work to do.’  The Pole continued, ‘we had a really good car last year and we keep trying to find new things for the set-up but I can’t seem to be able to improve further on from there so we need to look somewhere else.  I was second in the end but the gap was huge, we’ll work towards the next race and see but it was a wake up for us.’  With that next race being the TITC, this year being the first time he will travel to Thailand for the iconic Bangkok race, he replied, ‘not the best feeling right now going into TITC but it is a different story so we will try to enjoy the almost 2-weeks in Thailand for the first time for me and hope to enjoy the race and see what we can do there.’

Summing up his podium finish, Gollner said, ‘for me it is a perfect start to the new season with the new team.  I am pretty proud and thankfully to Ronald for his help.’   The Austrian continued, ‘I think we made the right steps and found some new things on the new car.  The basic is amazing but I think we are only at 90% of the car’s potential and we can figure out more.  I am proud to be in this team here.’

In Pro Stock Adam Izsay claimed Xray’s third straight MIBO title in the race’s biggest category but he did have it all his own way.  Securing the overall TQ, he won A1 ahead of David Ehrbar and Martin Hudy, the Xray designer looking to be really enjoying being in the mix against his team drivers.   A2 would see Hudy take the win as an altercation ended Izsay’s race early.  Double up with Modified Touring Car duties, in A3 lead home Hudy to take back the title he previous won at the inaugural MIBO International 2-year ago.  A very pleased Hudy joined him on the podium with Ehrbar making it an all Xray affair.  In FWD, German’s Phil Langner becomes the new champion holding outgoing champion Stefan Schulz at bay in both qualifying and the finals. Gergö Valent completed the podium.

View full onroad results here.