29.08.2014   2 comments   Category: Event publications   Video: 1 available

Round 2 of 2014 Season 2 saw a first time winner: Markku ‘THE DOCTOR’ Honkanen from Finland. Starting from the number 3 spot on the grid he had to battle with all the top-runners to finish some 4 seconds ahead of Candy in 2nd and Wollanka in 3rd. Candy had a bad start and wasted his 2nd spot on the grid completely being dead last at lap 1. With a late pitstop and some incredible driving he was able to clinch the lead in lap 11, but then started making mistakes. Also Wollanka suffered some serious crashes and wasn’t able to hold on to his early lead. Swedish off-road racer Tobias Isaksson also dropped back after leading the race in lap 8 and even saw US Kirby Backemeyer pass him for 4th.

The reversed direction for the Buenos Aires track was a tough ride for all but ‘THE DOCTOR’ drove an impeccable race with surgical precision.

1 Markku Honkanen FI 29 20:13.520
2 Javan Candy GB 29 20:17.557
3 Martin Wollanka AT 29 20:21.674
4 Kirby Backemeyer US 29 20:24.800
5 Tobias Isaksson SE 29 20:33.154
6 ... read more

15.08.2014   0 comments   Category: Event publications   Video: 1 available

Team Associated work driver Rob Gillespie has taken victory at Round 6 of the 2014 Season 2 series at Bash Pit Long. Until the 5 minute mark it was door-to-door between Rob and Team XRAY works driver Martin Wollanka from Austria, but it was Wollanka who blinked first and lost some 3 seconds on Rob when he clipped the inside curb coming from the quad section. Martin had to make up for the lost ground and put his car on its side and used some cross country style driving to get his car back on the track, loosing another 3 seconds. Gillespie had a comfortable 6 second cushion with a minute to go but then lost some 3 seconds himself letting Wollanka back in again. But there was not enough time left for the 2 to go head to head again so it was Rob Gillespie taking the win at the Bash Pit with Wollanka in second and Loriot (France) in 3rd.

A-Main Pro modified
1 Rob Gillespie US 42 10:00.938
2 Martin Wollanka AT 42 10:04.703
3 Nicolas Loriot FR 41 10:00.460
4 Kirby Backemeyer US 41 10:03.437
5 Austin ... read more

12.08.2014   9 comments   Category: Site news

I think VRC Pro has helped me a lot. Since I use VRC I drive much more consistent and make not many mistakes. So I could do the 1 hour final at the Euros without mistakes! I made only two mistakes, I let Ronnefalk pass too easily at the beginning of the race and when Robert Battle was one lap behind me I also gave him a free pass but not at the right moments because at the next jump I landed on his car. I myself made not a single mistake in the whole 1 hour final!

In VRC Pro you must also drive perfect lines so it is a very good practice for real rc racing. After VRC practice I race with my real car. In VRC you don’t need to work on your car so you save a lot of time and can use all you free time to practice, that helps me a lot to make the gap with the ‘profis’ smaller.

During the Euros some reporters came to me and asked me about the VRC Worlds, and in the pit several racers came to me and asked ‘are you Martin Wollanka from VRC Pro?’ That was a nice experience too!

Martin

11.08.2014   8 comments   Category: Site news

VRC Pro ace David Ronnefalk from Sweden has won his 2nd European title in 1:8 nitro buggies during the EFRA Euros in Sand Germany. After a difficult start he had to work his way to the front and from then on dominated the race controlling his lead until the finish flag dropped. David is using the Kyosho buggy powered by the Orion engine and fueled by Runnertime, the 2014 Season 2 sponsor for the VRC Pro nitro on-road events! Austrian Martin Wollanka, the 2013 VRC Pro World Champion in 1:8 nitro buggies and 1:12 electric sportscars, finished in the same lap as David with his FX powered Xray buggy.

David’s victory doesn’t come as a surprise as he is rated one of the world best racers in all off-road classes. David picked up on VRC Pro in 2012 after we introduced the short course trucks and later the nitro buggies. He has raced and won several major VRC Pro events in the past. Of course his incredible busy racing schedule makes it difficult for him to be racing VRC Pro during the season. Runner up Martin Woll... read more