“ROC on the Beach 2008”
07-04-2008 13:05
It was just incredible!
The Robitronic Offroad Cup had teamed up with the most popular Dutch race series initiated by the enthusiasts from Truggy.NL (www.truggy.nl ) and the result was a fantastic race weekend on the beautiful sandy beaches from Hoek van Holland.
The “Students” made it complete
A-Finale „Student“ Class
Just the beginning
The “all around feeling” of this fantastic location was just
amazing and breathtaking. Head-organizer Jaap and his crew had created
a huge, demanding and fantastic track, which was a challenging, but
extremely delightful pleasure to drive. The laid-back and always
friendly racing atmosphere and blue skys made this weekend so much more
than “just another race weekend” following the known and little bit
“dusty” pattern. Due to the sunny and very pleasant weather the beach
was filed with family-life and all kind of sporty & fun activities.
And right in the middle of this holiday type surrounding one of the
most fascinating Truggy races of the new season took place. A beach
bar’s balcony was used as rostrum and all the facilities from the same
place created a perfect pitting & support set-up for all the racers
AND their companions. For once this was one of the few times in
“rc-car-life” where the drivers’ companions were absolutely happy that
they had come to “just another one of HIS races”! There was hardly a
better way to spend this fantastic spring Sunday (OK, Saturday was not
so wonderful, but that was fro training only anyway…) than at the
beaches of Hoek van Holland. Either as racer or as
companion…Fascinating, just fascinating…!
Racing Adventure
The track was huge. The best drivers managed to finish a lap
just under 45 seconds, but only, when everything went all right. But
the same drivers could also be very easily well over the 1 minute mark,
when it did not go all right. And this was very easily the case since
the track was a permanently changing challenge. A very clever and
strategic kind of driving tactic was the key to success. The track
layout was fixed, but the conditions changed lap by lap. Anticipation
and a well-balanced feeling for your Truggy in critical situations were
needed. But exactly all this made this event such a unique and pleasure
full rc-car experience. Something with the original “good old spirit”
of our hobby was back, something that is more and more missing in the
“regular” racing scene – unfortunately! Because this adventure kind of
feeling is probably one of the most powerful key factors that make our
hobby so wonderful like it can be. OK, the Truggys were racing still on
a circuit track (logically…), but due to the amazing size of the track
and the beach-sand conditions there was a lot of endurance rally,
classic Baja, desert-challenge FEELING present. EXTREMELY present! Many
thanks to Jaap and his crew: WELL DONE! VERY WELL…and be aware: We will
be ALL back next time!
Two-Way Team-Strategy
In qualifying Bas de Konink, Stefan Petrich and Marc Kreisig
made the pace. In this way Marc and Stefan were demonstrating the new
situation within the Robitronic Racing Team for 2008 in a very
impressive manner. Definitely teammates, but running on two different
Truggys. Stefan as one of the fastest (if not the fastest at all…)
drivers within the German Truggy community in 2007 was racing his
proven and very successful Robitronic MANTIS set-up and Marc was on his
way with the LOSI 8IGHT-T, which is new in Robitronic’s distribution
since the beginning of 2008. Both were extremely competitive and only
Bas was able to follow and finally even top their speed. During the
semi-finals Stefan Petrich was still in control and took the
pole-position, but after 30 exciting finale-minutes Bas finished first
just a little bit more than 3 seconds in front of Marc. The racing
action in this unusual, but very delightful surrounding was fantastic,
but this time the actual race alone was not all. There was a lot more.
This “ROC on the Beach” was a very complete “RC-Car-Fun-Package” in ALL
aspects!
A-Finale „Master“ Class
|
Pos.
|
Qual.
|
Name
|
Laps
|
Time
|
Fastest Lap
|
Average Lap
|
|
1.
|
2.
|
Bas de Konink
|
37
|
30m03.653
|
43.393
|
48.747
|
|
2.
|
4.
|
Marc Kreisig
|
37
|
30m06.336
|
43.328
|
48.820
|
|
3.
|
1.
|
Stefan Petrich
|
37
|
30m36.898
|
45.054
|
49.646
|
|
4.
|
5.
|
Erik Aries
|
35
|
29m51.074
|
45.840
|
51.174
|
|
5.
|
3.
|
Eric Duijster
|
35
|
30m41.744
|
44.443
|
52.621
|
|
6.
|
6.
|
Kevin Cornelis
|
33
|
30m10.129
|
45.866
|
54.852
|
|
7.
|
8.
|
Frans Moor
|
32
|
30m48.486
|
46.617
|
57.765
|
|
8.
|
9.
|
Harald Cremer
|
22
|
19m26.659
|
45.216
|
53.030
|
|
9.
|
10.
|
Richard van Gelder
|
19
|
22m24.033
|
50.420
|
70.739
|
|
10.
|
7.
|
Sasha Nelson
|
11
|
9m07.570
|
46.845
|
49.779
|
The “Students” made it complete
And there also was just the right kind of racing for
EVERYBODY. A special entry-class, called the “Student” was offered to
everybody with no or just a little race experience. This way every
driver had the possibility to experience this extraordinary event
without feeling “somehow misplaced” because of his skill-level. The
happy faces of the “Students” all over the weekend were prove enough
that this is exactly the right way to go. Racing should be FUN, even
when you are a beginner!
A-Finale „Student“ Class
|
Pos.
|
Qual.
|
Name
|
Laps
|
Time
|
Fastest Lap
|
Average Lap
|
|
1.
|
3.
|
Jeffrey van der Vaart
|
31
|
30m06.661
|
51.715
|
58.279
|
|
2.
|
2.
|
Brenda Schutten
|
31
|
30m14.405
|
51.949
|
58.529
|
|
3.
|
9.
|
Lars Verkerk
|
29
|
30m22.324
|
52.121
|
62.839
|
|
4.
|
6.
|
Mink van der Sar
|
21
|
29m59.790
|
55.021
|
85.704
|
|
5.
|
4.
|
Anthony van de Sneppen
|
20
|
29m44.432
|
53.609
|
89.222
|
|
6.
|
7.
|
Jelle Wis
|
18
|
30m52.110
|
49.563
|
102.895
|
|
7.
|
8.
|
Markus Heitman
|
12
|
23m41.719
|
72.557
|
118.477
|
|
8.
|
5.
|
Roy Peters
|
8
|
9m52.729
|
56.763
|
74.091
|
|
9.
|
1.
|
Marnix Bul
|
1
|
1m43.261
|
0.000
|
103.261
|
|
10.
|
10.
|
Matthias Harp
|
0
|
NO TIME
|
0.000
|
0.000
|
Just the beginning
There could have been no better start into the new season of
the Robitronic Offroad Cup (ROC) 2008. The ROC was already the most
popular Offroad event-series for Truggys, Buggys and Monster Trucks in
Germany 2007 and the schedule for 2008 is quite impressive. The ROC
event-tour is extended to an amazing number of 11 and actually every
tour-stop is something special in it’s very own individuality. Let’s
just have a look at some of the highlights: Bistensee in the very north
of Germany has one of the most extraordinary tracks in Europe and
hosted already German and European Championships. The “ROC Worlds” as
an open international Race is held at the “rising star” of European
nitro Offroad racing, the “Rhein Main Circuit” in Bischofsheim nearby
Frankfurt; well known for example from the Kyosho International Race.
Very impressive facility! The “Grande Finale” of this year’s ROC season
will take place indoors and at a very traditional Offroad date of the
past. In the “good old days” the first weekend in December “was always
booked” for the famous “LRP Christmas Offroad Challenge”, nowadays we
have switched from 1:10 scale to 1:8, from electric to nitro power and
from Eppelheim to Quakenbrück. But the results will stay the same:
“Events to remember!” The organizing crew from Quakenbrück has already
proven their capabilities more than once in hosting great events on
their permanent indoor Offroad track and the “ROC International
Championships” will be not only the Finale of the ROC series, but also
one of the most exciting nitro-races within the winter. One good
advise: “Book your entry early! The past showed that the open places
will go fast, very fast…!”. See you!
The ROC Tour-Stops 2008
|
Month
|
Date
|
What?
|
Where?
|
Info
|
|
April
|
12. - 13.
|
ROC-Lauf 2
|
Bistensee
|
|
|
June
|
21. - 22.
|
ROC-Lauf 3
|
Braunschweig
|
|
|
July
|
05. - 6.
|
ROC-Lauf 4
|
Bremen
|
|
|
July
|
19. - 20.
|
ROC-Lauf 5
|
MSC Sand
|
|
|
July
|
26. - 27.
|
ROC-Lauf 6
|
Bad Langensalza
|
|
|
August
|
09. - 10.
|
ROC-Lauf 7
|
Hiltern
|
|
|
September
|
13. - 14.
|
ROC-Lauf 8
|
Silixen
|
|
|
September
|
26. - 28.
|
„ROC Worlds"
|
Bischofsheim
|
|
|
October
|
18. - 19.
|
ROC-Lauf 10
|
Kirchentellinsfurt
|
|
|
December
|
05. - 07.
|
“ROC Int. Championchip”
|
Quakenbrück
|