With a distinct lack of media coverage of the HUDY World Championships (with IFMAR assistance), many racers not present in Slovakia have expressed concern about the flow of information, and potentially missing out on the stories of these World Championships.
RCNews UnLtd is happy to inform you, that there is no need for concern. Our field reporters are on location in Slovakia, and we will be providing you with full, detailed reports of the event as it unfolds.
Event Preview
The run-up to the event was shrouded in controversy, as rival teams expressed concerns about potential bending of rules, and ungentlemanly conduct by the hosts, after Team Xray forgot to unplug their transponders during a late night practice session before a Hudy Arena EOS earlier this year. The problem was of course that the track was supposed to be closed. This prompted speculation regarding whether or not Xray would abide by the rules for the World Championships, or if they would organize secret practice sessions where they remembered to unplug their transponders. RCNews UnLtd reported on this back in March.
The Track
Despite the politics, the Hudy Arena is well and truly setting the benchmark for RC facilities worldwide, with on-road asphalt and carpet tracks, carpet off-road track, and the covered dirt off-road track that this race is held on. Ample pit space, a restaurant, museum, and relaxing area, and of course the engineering and manufacturing departments, all in one amazing RC heaven.
The track itself is large, and based on the feedback from some drivers, "too big for 10th scale". The surface "could need some water" is the general consensus among the American contingent, who are used to moist clay tracks, and good traction.
Along with media coverage, traction is another thing missing at this event. The dry cracking surface is slippery, and the dust that is created from the degrading track surface makes the conditions even more challenging.
Another point of contention is the layout of the track, which according to the rules should be at least 60% new, but as you can see, is largely the same as the track from the warm up, and all the practice days since then, official and unofficial.
Practice
The first day of these Hudy World Championships was set to run 4 rounds of free practice, followed by 2 rounds of controlled seeding practice. RCNews UnLtd was keen to see if the Xray drivers did indeed have some sort of advantage, and here are the results:
1st Practice, 1st Lap:
1. Bruno Coelho XRAY 38.420s
2. Martin Bayer XRAY 39.102s
3. Kohta Akimoto KYOSHO 39.555s
If the race was indeed only one lap, and that lap was the first lap of practice, then yes Team Xray most definitely would have had an advantage. However, this race is a week long, and with track conditions evolving, it will be interesting to see if this advantage will carry through the whole event.
After 4 rounds of practice, and 2 rounds of seeding, let's see how the drivers stacked up, and analyse the top 5.
1st Joona Haatanen - AE
Joona is no surprise to RCNews UnLtd due to the fact that he is from Finland. He burst onto the scene back in 2014 at the Euros where he ran a mid motor car in a literal ice rink. This is normal for Joona, as Finland is covered by ice for more than half the year. Not only does he race on ice, he navigates it in his every day life, walking, running, riding his bike, and living life. Slippery conditions make Joona feel at home, and it shows. If he can keep a cool head, he could win this race.
2nd Ty Tessmann - XRAY (1/3)
The shy Canadian was his usual steady self, securing a second spot after day one. Asked to comment on the day he mentioned that his shipment of Panda Express is arriving tomorrow, so "tomorrow should be better".
3rd Bruno Coelho - XRAY (2/3)
In an effort to quiet the "unfair advantage" talk, Bruno was instructed to "let someone else win today" by an undisclosed member of Xray management. Bruno was of course not fazed, and simply finished 3rd, in an effort to be sure to not be discredited after he wins. 2wd is his backup class, and with this form in 2wd, his competition are already beginning to worry about 4wd.
4th Ryan Maifield - YOKOMO
Ryan is the reigning double World Champion, and he proved his worth by finishing in the top five, with the only other American in the top 10 being Ryan Cavalieri. Maifield shared his thoughts on the track, saying that it "isn't as shit as last time", and when questioned further remarked that "that doesn't mean that it isn't shit." Two years ago Maifield wanted to go home already after practice, as he felt the track wasn't suited for 1:10th scale cars, and in his anger won both 2wd and 4wd. RCNews UnLtd will be following Maifield's mood swings as the event progresses, and will keep you posted regarding his chances of a repeat performance.
5th Martin Bayer - XRAY (3/3)
Bayer, basically the backup just in case Bruno has a wheel fall off, or something similar. A lot of stress and pressure on his shoulders, as he now works for Xray, and has been involved in both organising the event, and developing the Xray cars. Martin just needs to get through 2wd, and will be a dark horse for 4wd.
RCNews UnLtd Analysis - 2wd Practice
The event is off to a good start, and now it is too late to complain, protest, or cry. It is what it is, and everyone is racing on the same track. The usual suspects will be strong, the top 5 above, along with Lee Martin, Ryan Cavalieri, Michal Orlowski and possibly Daniel Kobbevik being the main contenders.
Finally, we spoke with Martin Hudy, who is the race director, in order to lay to rest any lingering controversies and speculation regarding the fairness of this event. Martin understood the concerns, and he wanted to make it clear, that if he had to, he would indeed give his father Juraj a stop and go, and a firm talking to, just like he would anyone else. Martin went on to explain that "there clearly is no advantage for Xray here, as only 5 of the top 10 are Xray drivers. This basically is a coin toss, a 50% chance of winning".
To be continued...