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IFMAR World Championships 2008
This years IFMAR world championships are held in Bangkok. The best rc touring car drivers from top manufactures have come over to Thailand to race this years most prestigious touring car event. The 12th scale pan car Worlds have already been held and the 15-year-old Japanese Naoto Matsukura has won it. The chances for the touring class are still fully open though it looks like the Atsushi Hara and Masami Hirosaka are the candidates for the win. Hara has already won the 8th scale nitro buggy worlds in the USA, and has tested his Hot-Bodies Cyclone thorough here at the RCS track. Masami Hirosaka is also in good shape, and has really concentrated on this event. Masami has never won the touring car worlds, it's really missing on his very impressive curriculum vitae. Yet there are many more candidates for the victory, so let's see what's happening at the track: Thursday the 13th, Practice day:
Thursday were the first official practices held. The drivers liked the new changed (after the 12th scale) track lay-out, though some were a bit struggling with the traction. XRay driver Meen Vejrak topped the first two practices rounds at his home track. As expected had Masami found his set-up and was setting the pace further on at the practice. The Dutch star Jilles Groskamp was pleased with his Tamiya TRF416WC and finished at the end of the day in second place. Shinosuke Adachi had made a bit of a gamble on his Kyosho Prototype car set-up after it didn't run that well at the beginning of the practice. The changes had worked surprisingly great out, and fished third. In fourth place in was Atsushi Hara who hadn't had a spotless day, but manage to finish fourth. Here's the top-ten result after the first day of practice:
Friday the 14th, Qualifying day:
Friday were three qualifiers held after one round of yet an other controlled practice. The conditions were tougher, the track was hotter and slower. Atsushi Hara was really setting a great pace from the beginning of the day. He toped all three qualifiers having the overnight top-qualifying position. Hara hasn't secured the pole position for Sunday finals yet, but he has got it practically in his hands (there are some unlikely theoretical chances for the other drivers). It looks like the only guy who can stop Hara right now is the German teammate Ronald Völker, he's running a good pace with his LRP powered Hot-Bodies Cyclone. Marc Rheinard finished third using just one of three permitted sets of controlled tires, he will have some fresh rubbers for the next qualifiers tomorrow. Current World Champion Andy Moore is getting slowly faster and is pleased with his car. Jilles Groskamp has finished the day in sixth position while his teammate Viktor Wilck had some bad luck. Viktor was very fast but didn't finish two of the three round, he will have to give everything tomorrow to get into the A-Main. Here are the top-ten qualifying results with the best two rounds of three counting:
Saturday the 15th, last qualifying day:
Atsushi Hara's domination came to an end on Saturday. Marc Rheinard, who had fresh tires for each run, took the pace over from Hara. The hot condition where a slight disadvantage for the Hot-Bodies team, though Hara could secure his TQ. Ronald Völker had some understeer at the beginning of day, he finished second at the last qualifier when the condition where a bit colder which gave him an overall third position. Viktor Wilck had to give today a 110% after he hadn't the luck yesterday, but today things were different, he finished in fourth overall. Masami Hirosaka couldn't keep his head cool yesterday, though he was pleased with his car, he finished fifth overall. Reigning World Champion Andy Moore is sixth and was suffering also, like his teammate Ronald, from a bit of understeer. In seventh place is the great 15-year-old talent Elliot Harper, who just started racing rc cars four years ago. Japanese star Hayato Matsuzaki in ninth and Tamiya driver Jilles Groskamp in tenth position. Here are the final top ten qualifying standings:
Hupo Honigl took the BQ followed by Shinosuke Adachi and Surikarn. Best American driver is Paul Lemieux with an 15th position. The highest ranked Corally driver is the Australian Simon Nicholson who took a blistering seventh position in the first qualifier and had some bad luck afterwards which gave him a seventeenth position overall. Best Associated driver is the American Rick Hohwart who took the eighteenth position. Sunday the 16th, D-Day:
It's Sunday and a World Champion will be crowned today. Before the first A-Main was held, there was a practice to warm the drivers up. The first final was won by Masami Hirosaka, who made his intension for the title very clear. Marc Rheinard and Atsushi Hara touched on the third lap, which allowed Masami to have an early lead. Ronald Völker had a bad start but managed to finish third in front of the young Elliot Harper. Atsushi and Marc rejoined the top in fourth and fifth postion. Here are the full A-Main leg one standings:
After the big sensation of the first leg the second final was way more calm. Atsushi Hara took a quite comfortable win in front of Marc Rheinard and Ronald Völker. Masami Hirosaka had touched Viktor Wilck in the third minute, Viktor couldn't go on and Masami took the fourth spot. At the end of the race Masami was setting some big pressure on Ronald, but he could get past him. Here are the full A-Main leg two standings:
The third decisive final was lead from the start by Atsushi Hara who set under big pressure by the German Marc Rheinard. Marc waited patiently to make a move on Hara until the last minute of the race where he squeezed his way past Hara in the hairpin. Hara was following carefully and Marc got out of his pace making a opportunity to pass. Hara tried to pass Marc but hit a kerbstone to hard which rolled his car into the fifth position. Here are the final standing of the third leg:
With a first and second place in the finals has Marc Rheinard won for his second time the IFMAR ISTC World Championships. Ronald Völker finished second in front Masami Hirosaka. Atsushi Hara bumped down to the fourth spot in front of Elliot Harper. Viktor Wilck is sixth in front of the 2006 World Champion Andy Moore. Hayato Matsuzaki in eight place, Meen Vejrak and Jilles Groskamp in ninth and tenth.
Other live coverage's:
Atsushi Hara interviewed by HPI.TV
Pictures made by hpi-express.com and redrc.net |
