COVERAGE: 2011 International Indoor Championships (IIC) Las Vegas

0 Oct. 6, 2011, 4 p.m.

Eric Swanson
LiveRC.com

LAS VEGAS – “The Strip” in Las Vegas doesn’t quite evoke images of R/C racing in most racers’ minds…not quite yet, anyway. To most of us, The Strip is a place to go engulf yourself in various debauchery and shenanigans… or to try and remake our own version of The Hangover. However, this is all changing right before our eyes.

For the seventh straight year, the International Indoor Championships (IIC) have been held amongst the glitz and glamour of North America’s desert oasis. For an entire week out of every year, the Riviera Hotel and Casino becomes the epicenter of all things related to on-road R/C racing. The track is constructed within one of the many ballrooms located just outside of the main casino floor and underneath the towering hotel. A special “IIC” room rate has ensured that all racers are also guests at the Riviera Hotel, making the event a 24-hour-a-day R/C party.

Organizer Scotty Ernst claims that the race is meant to be different from every other race a hobbyist may attend.

“The focus of this race is on fun,” said Ernst when asked about the race. “We didn’t want the event just to be a ‘racing’ showcase; we wanted to have both the top pros and the average ‘Joes’ be able to get together and have fun in a unique environment.”

Things like poker tournaments, drivers’ socials, and ice cream buffets are amongst the many unique things that take place at the IIC that gives the race its distinctive ‘fun’ feel.

However, while the event caters just as much to weekend warriors as it does to paid professional drivers, there is no denying the race’s rise to international relevance. This year there are over 400 entries, and an overwhelming portion of those are from out of the country.

“I think a lot of the guys here view this as just as competitive as a world championship,” said Ernst. “You would have to think long and hard about who would be at a worlds that isn’t at this race.”

While only a few short years ago the terms “R/C” and “Las Vegas” brought only thoughts of wind-swept dirt tracks, nitro off-road racing, and “The King” Richard Saxton, both current and future generations of R/C racers will eventually come to know “Las Vegas” as the place where the biggest on-road race in the world is held.

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PHOTO GALLERY

RACE BLOG

The circuit

The room

PRACTICE:

I arrived at the track/hotel/casino/floral carpet world headquarters on Wednesday morning- just in time for an exciting day of controlled practice! Actually, I was just in time for a day full of setting up equipment for the broadcast. Practice was...practice. There isn't much to report. Drivers practiced driving their cars around the track. Every single one of them improved in some way. The end. (of the practice report)

Ty Tessmann getting one of his two rounds of controlled practice in. Luckily, most drivers are entered in at least 20 different classes, so don't worry- they're getting plenty of track time...

Keven Hebert just blatantly showing off

Saxton searching for the high-speed needle

QUALIFYING:

The IIC differs from most major races in that qualifying is done under the "rocket round" format, meaning that all a driver needs to do is turn in one good run to make the main. This varies the approach each driver takes to qualifying greatly. Rather than trying to run consistant to save qual points, drivers tend to take a more aggressive approach.

Another aspect of the IIC which sets it apart is the main event format. Drivers get one single A-main sprint to determine their overall placement for the weekend. However, the usual 10 cars do not qualify into the A-main. Instead, nine cars earn their spot in the show and the tenth spot is determined by whomever has the fastest time in any of the lower mains for that class. So theoretically, a person in the last main has a chance to throw it in the show if they go out and lay it down in their main! That's pretty rad, if you ask me.

Since this is a 'blog' (and because I am not able to sit trackside with a notepad all day), I won't delve into the details of every single class. Instead, I will share some pictures and some of the highlights from the day.

Defending, two-time IFMAR 1/12th World Champion Naoto Matsukura- quite possibly has the most "speed" of any driver on the planet...in any class. He showed it by closing out day one of qualifying as TQ in 1/12th mod and 2nd qualifier in modified sedan.

Yukijiro Umino- former master mechanic for Masami Hirosaka, now turning wrenches for Naoto

Hupo Honigl (Left) bench racing with Associated/Reedy's Sean Cochran (Right)

XRAY's Drew Ellis (Left) chats with Gord Tessmann (Ty's Dad) after R1

Tekin owner Jim Campbell (Left) talks with legendary motor man/power producer Jim Dieter (Right)

Right...

Modified Sedan R2 A-Qualifier

OVERALL QUALIFYING RESULTS

(Remember, the top nine drivers automatically qualify for the main. The tenth driver is determined by whichever lower main winner has the best time.)

17.5 1-12 Scale
   1) Lambert, Kenny (43/8:01.074 R3)
   2) Bean, Kelly (43/8:02.139 R3)
   3) Robinson, Peter (43/8:05.435 R4)
   4) Hanulec, Michael (43/8:08.185 R2)
   5) Goetter, Ronald (43/8:08.295 R2)
   6) Copp, Tim (43/8:10.002 R1)
   7) Grosse, Randy (43/8:10.391 R1)
   8) Bodine, Brian (43/8:10.458 R3)
   9) Borgheiinck, Ryan (43/8:10.857 R4)

Expert World GT 10.5
   1) Cyrul, Josh (30/5:02.377 R4)
   2) Honigl, Hupo (30/5:04.336 R2)
   3) D Agnolo, Pete (30/5:09.050 R1)
   4) Knapp, Andrew (29/5:02.221 R2)
   5) Evans, EJ (29/5:05.158 R2)
   6) Blackstock, Mike (29/5:05.509 R4)
   7) Calandra, Frank (29/5:05.802 R4)
   8) Grosse, Randy (29/5:07.930 R1)
   9) Ehrlich, Dave (29/5:08.197 R3)

Amateur 17.5 Rubber Tire Sedan
   1) Zorn, David (25/5:01.963 R1)
   2) Henson, Chris (25/5:04.406 R3)
   3) Espina, Roel (25/5:08.271 R3)
   4) Breuer, Steve (25/5:08.363 R3)
   5) Spencer, Darrald (25/5:10.916 R3)
   6) Carter, Josh (24/5:01.353 R1)
   7) Krysinski, Joey (24/5:03.329 R2)
   8) Lederer, Leighton (24/5:07.639 R3)
   9) Green, Nick (24/5:07.805 R1)

Super Stock 17.5 Rubber Tire Sedan
   1) Hara, Atsushi (28/5:09.605 R3)
   2) Hebert, Keven (27/5:03.050 R3)
   3) Graversen, Steen (27/5:04.357 R4)
   4) Haynes, Mike (27/5:04.471 R4)
   5) Moore, Andy (27/5:04.850 R1)
   6) Johnson, Brad (27/5:08.329 R4)
   7) Vassmar, Magnus (27/5:08.749 R1)
   8) Tessmann, Ty (27/5:09.048 R4)
   9) Fairtrace, Larry (27/5:09.105 R4)

13.5 1-12 Scale
   1) Fairtrace, Larry (48/8:08.149 R1)
   2) D Agnolo, Pete (47/8:01.338 R4)
   3) Honigl, Hupo (47/8:01.886 R4)
   4) Knapp, Andrew (47/8:03.867 R3)
   5) Ciccarello, Paul (47/8:05.076 R3)
   6) Matsuskura, Naoto (47/8:05.142 R1)
   7) Blackstock, Mike (47/8:06.071 R1)
   8) Haynes, Mike (47/8:06.165 R1)
   9) Anderson, Eric (47/8:07.223 R4)

World GT 13.5
   1) Morehead, Patrick (27/5:06.259 R3)
   2) Kellner, Fred (27/5:07.714 R4)
   3) Borgheiinck, Ryan (27/5:09.108 R4)
   4) Hess, Monte (27/5:10.747 R2)
   5) Day, Mark (27/5:11.103 R4)
   6) Klingforth, Brent (27/5:11.278 R3)
   7) Ficco, Mario (27/5:11.531 R2)
   8) Ashby, Steve (27/5:11.819 R3)
   9) Klingforth, Kyle (26/5:03.701 R3)

Formula 1
   1) Matsuzaki, Hayato (24/5:04.923 R4)
   2) Kasuya, Hiroyuki (23/5:01.050 R3)
   3) Wilck, Viktor (23/5:01.110 R3)
   4) Rheinard, Marc (23/5:04.423 R4)
   5) Berger, Dave (23/5:04.723 R3)
   6) Borgheiinck, Ryan (23/5:04.831 R3)
   7) Martini, Francesco (23/5:05.038 R4)
   8) Arakawa, Tsutomu (23/5:07.055 R2)
   9) Ernst, Scotty (23/5:08.651 R2)

Stock 17.5 Rubber Tire Sedan
   1) Hardman, Andrew (26/5:02.411 R1)
   2) Johnson, Brad (26/5:02.512 R3)
   3) Bergstrom, Kyle (26/5:05.755 R2)
   4) Yu, Keith (26/5:05.853 R4)
   5) Layne, Dustin (26/5:05.970 R4)
   6) Block, Tony (26/5:06.947 R3)
   7) Scrimo, Arthur (26/5:07.670 R3)
   8) Patterson, Devin (26/5:07.860 R4)
   9) Jenkins, Danny (26/5:08.394 R2)

Modified 1-12 Scale
   1) Matsuskura, Naoto (51/8:00.389 R2)
   2) Levanen, Juho (51/8:01.968 R2)
   3) Volker, Ronald (51/8:04.083 R4)
   4) Hebert, Keven (51/8:04.120 R3)
   5) LeMieux, Paul (51/8:06.348 R3)
   6) Blackstock, Mike (51/8:08.786 R3)
   7) Moore, Andy (51/8:09.021 R4)
   8) Hl, Hupo (51/8:09.463 R1)
   9) Hagberg, Alexander (50/8:01.716 R2)
   10) Cyrul, Josh (50/8:02.475 R4)
   11) Hohwart, Rick (50/8:02.682 R2)
   12) Henderson, Walter (50/8:03.718 R4)
   13) Haynes, Mike (50/8:04.290 R4)
   14) Sieber, Daniel (50/8:04.603 R2)
   15) Ciccarello, Paul (50/8:05.641 R3)
   16) Kuenning, Max (50/8:08.988 R3)
   17) Ellis, Drew (49/8:03.060 R3)
   18) Ehrlich, Dave (49/8:09.411 R4)
   19) Knapp, Andrew (48/8:01.557 R2)
   20) Kellner, Fred (47/8:02.391 R2)

Modified Rubber Tire Sedan
   1) Matsuskura, Naoto (28/5:02.252 R4)
   2) Volker, Ronald (28/5:02.925 R3)
   3) Rheinard, Marc (28/5:03.257 R4)
   4) Hagberg, Alexander (28/5:05.675 R4)
   5) Wilck, Viktor (28/5:06.790 R3)
   6) Hebert, Keven (28/5:07.173 R4)
   7) Moore, Andy (28/5:07.630 R4)
   8) Hohwart, Rick (28/5:07.850 R3)
   9) LeMieux, Paul (28/5:07.870 R4)
   10) Hara, Atsushi (28/5:07.898 R4)
   11) Matsuzaki, Hayato (28/5:09.086 R4)
   12) Vassmar, Magnus (28/5:09.795 R4)
   13) Tessmann, Ty (27/5:00.764 R4)
   14) Levanen, Juho (27/5:01.297 R3)
   15) Haynes, Mike (27/5:01.463 R3)
   16) Sieber, Daniel (27/5:02.805 R4)
   17) Nilsson, Niclas (27/5:03.646 R4)
   18) Graversen, Steen (27/5:03.675 R3)
   19) Crisp, Martin (27/5:04.737 R2)
   20) Ellis, Drew (27/5:05.663 R1)

UPDATE:

Naoto Matsukura wins mod 1/12th and mod sedan!

The youngster from Japan showed us plenty of his patented ballistic speed on Saturday afternoon. But he also showed some of the consistency that netted him the past two IFMAR 1/12th World Championships.

Hardly threatened in each main, the Yokomo driver calmly drove away from the field without getting rattled at any point.

Overall, this year’s IIC was an outstanding success. Every aspect of the event- from the laid-back atmosphere to both the planned and non-planned extra curricular activities- was met with rave reviews from both racers and families. Scotty Ernst and his crew did an outstanding job organizing this event and seeing it through to its end. What race have you ever heard of that has 400 entries and gets done in the early evening?

That will do it for the race blog- it’s now time to pack up! We would like to thank you for tuning in to this years International Indoor Championships! We hope to be back again next year!

-LRC

Stay tuned this week for videos from the main events!

Modified Sedan
1. Naoto Matsukura
2. Ronald Volker
3. Vicktor Wilck
4. Andy Moore
5. Marc Rheinard
6.Paul LeMieux
7. Keven Hebert
8. Alexander Hagberg
9. Rick Hohwart
10. Atsushi Hara

Modified 1/12th
1. Naoto Matsukura
2. Keven Hebert
3. Mike Blackstock
4. Paul LeMieux
5. Alexander Hagberg
6. Juho Levanen
7. Hupo Honigl
8. Andrew Knapp
9. Ronald Volker
10. Andy Moore