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| KYOSHO MASTERS 2005 |
Top drivers from around the world thrill everyone with an airborne battle! |
| Kyosho Masters started in France back in 1999 |
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| With the prestigious reputation of the Inferno, the “Kyosho Masters” has been evolving from its beginnings in France into one of the premier R/C buggy racing events in Europe. As the world’s top drivers gather to compete with the world’s best off-road racing technology, it’s easy to understand why this event has become so popular. However, the Kyosho Masters is not just about competition. It is also an event open to drivers of all levels and provides a relaxed and friendly forum for people from all walks of life to communicate and share knowledge and experiences with some of the best R/C drivers in the world. The first “Kyosho Masters” to be held in Japan took place last year at Kagawa, but this year’s event moved to Saitama. This year’s event again featured three race classes: Sports (general), Expert, and an Invitational class for the pros. * Click here for detailed information on the Inferno MP777 SP2. |
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| 85 entrants made up a full field. The first day saw the totally unexpected! |
| A total of 37 names were down for the Sports Class, 34 for the Expert class and 14 for the Invitational class in this year’s Kyosho Master’s in Japan. A very tight schedule was set from the first day of the event. Unfortunately the rain that was falling the previous night continued into the early part of the day so the track was at its worst for the start of the event. The rain liquefied the muddy surface so a decision was made to delay the start. Even though the rain had stopped and the sun popped out every now and again, the track still couldn’t be used by 11:00am. It wasn’t until almost 2:00pm before the first race could get underway. With more than half a day gone, changes to the original schedule were inevitable. All drivers had to forgo practice, and shortened qualifying rounds were run so the event could get back close to the tight schedule. However the difficult conditions also had the effect of bringing the frontrunners back to rest of the field. Also, all the waiting around provided the perfect opportunity for a catch up amongst the drivers, especially with the top drivers from the Invitational class. The layout for the drivers and their equipment made it easy for people to interact so many drivers could take their machines over to the pro-drivers for some advice on setup and even photographs so it was easy to have a good time meeting everyone. |
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| Knockout qualifying process generated plenty of excitement! |
| Best times run during the heats were used to decide the rank for drivers in the Sports and Expert classes for the 15-minute “Round of 16” qualifying finals. Only the top 3 finishers were able to advance to Quarter Finals. Under this system, even drivers who ranked low could make it all the way to the Grand Final. This was actually realized by a driver in the Sports Class. After ranking 32nd, Mr. Minoru Inoue made it all the way through to the Grand Final. In addition, the Deputy Editor of Radicon World, Mr. Yamahana, who retired repeatedly in his qualifying heats, finished 3rd in the Round of 16 and so made it through to the Quarter Finals. This system where only the top 3 finishers in each race from the Round of 16 onwards progress to the next stage continuously builds excitement. In the Grand Final, the strategy of two fuel stops or three weighed heavily on the outcome, and at the end of the day it seemed the drivers that went for 2 fuel stops were able to claim the podium finishing positions. The difference between the Expert Class and the Sports Class could also be seen as nearly all Expert Class drivers followed a set strategy and pitted at about the 7:40 mark. It seems the triple-jump was where the leaders were able to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the pack as they flew the second jump and carefully managed the cars aerial posture after going over the third jump to maintain good traction on landing. It appeared other drivers had trouble getting the right timing and speed over these multiple jumps. The top finishers always seemed to show steady and stable form, right through to the finals. Last year’s winner, Mr. Atsuhiro Ono, looked strong leading into the Semi-Finals, but unfortunately couldn’t make it through to the Grand Final to defend his title. |
| Awesome driving technique takes the Inferno airborne! |
 The last race was the 40-minute Grand Final for the Invitational Class. The drivers from the Sports and Expert classes gathered around the racetrack to focus on the big race. The awesome speeds reached after the start soon pulled in an even bigger crowd. While there was only about 1 second difference between the lap times from the Sports Class to the Expert Class, the Invitational Class was about 3 seconds faster. While watching the race from the sidelines, the secret to the faster lap times seemed to be the triple jump. Drivers in the Invitational Class definitely hit the ground differently when landing compared to the other drivers who came into land with a thud. When drivers from the Invitational Class landed, there was no sound of the chassis plate or suspension bottoming out. With excellent posture through the air, the control of the left-right roll axis and pitch brought the machines in at the ideal angle to the landing point. Due to this, all four wheels made contact at almost the same time and avoided any extreme movement of the center of gravity, even with the throttle open so the Inferno could accelerate smoothly. This skill was especially appreciated by the Sports and Expert Class drivers who were able to see first hand how to master this technique. As these drivers take these learning’s back to their local racetracks around the country, the standard of off-road racing in Japan must surely step up a level. |
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| At times the race resembled a mid-air dogfight.The ability to control aerial posture was the key to victory. |
| American Jared Tebo was cool and steady under the pressure of close marking from qualifying through to his eventual victory. Ryan Cavalieri finished in 2nd, and our own Yuichi Kanai finished 3rd. Stable and controlled racing meant the top three places hardly changed throughout the race. “Kyosho Masters in Japan” is also planned for next year. While the venue has yet to be decided, it will be well worth seeing. We look forward to you joining us to compete or just watch! Setting Data for Yuichi Kanai Setting Data for Jared Tebo Setting Data for Mark Pavidis Setting Data for Ryan Cavalieri |
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| The Welcome Party on the first night started new friendships and renewed old ones.The large number of prizes also gave everyone a pleasant surprise. The karaoke start to the party by Kyosho Chairman and President made everyone relax and get into the party mood. | Each driver from the Invitational Class gave a video interview. Please look for your copy that will be on sale soon. |
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