Arena Race Report
The Hobao Hyperstar shined brightly at the Arena Race in Italy last weekend.
Team HoBao took to the road last week and took the 20 hour drive across the channel to Voghera in Italy to race at Arena Offroad Meeting. Set in a Cowboy Ranch with the Hotel, Restaurant and Bar on site made life easy and also a fantastic place for a International meeting.
Thursday started with booking in at 11.30 and then 2 Rd?s of open 10 minute practice giving all the drivers the chance to run the track and get a feel for the surface.
HoBao Captain Jon Howells. Picture courtesy of Red RC.
Day 2 and Friday being Qualifying and Team HoBao having a strong entry over in Italy made for a busy day for the team as the drivers where split all over the place a pitting seemed as though we would be living in the pits for the day.
Rd 1 and off to a flying start and set the pace in the F2 and to take the Rd was 19 year old Team HoBao driver Ashlee Owen.
Rd 2 and again Team HoBao dominating the F2 class with Mr HoBao himself Jon Howells putting a faster time in with team mate Ashlee finishing behind in 3rd leaving Jon to buy the drinks for the night.
Picture courtesy of Red RC.
Day 3 and this was to be a busy day, final rd?s of Qualifying and Race of Champions meant a early start and a late finish.
Rd 3 and to take the overall TQ was young Hobao Driver Ashlee Owen, another good run by Ashlee meant he took the top spot in F2 class and also straight into the Semi Finals with Jon Howells 3rd overall and other team HoBao driver Clive Maland also getting in the Semi?s as well.
HoBao driver Ashlee Owen. Picture courtesy of Red RC.
Saturday evening and a 10 pm start of Race of Champions in F2 class, reverse grid Meaning Ashlee and Jon at the rear of the grid and all to fight for, 16 cars Qualified and a 25 minute race with the last car after each lap being called off the track until there was 5 cars left so they could find the fastest top 4 drivers so they could race off over 2 laps with the 4 cars split into pairs so the fastest from both races going head to head for the race of champions, Clive on Poll and a cut on the grid didn?t help and a the usual first corner pile up made the drivers at the back got through the mayhem and away with ash quickly breaking through the pack and 10 minutes in Ash in the lead until he got tangled on the rope and the car upside down and took nearly 15 seconds at least before he was marshaled and stuck him back down to 6th where he finished leaving Jon the only HoBao left in which he finished 4th and qualifying for the race off, Jon won his 1st race putting him through to the ultimate race the Race of Champions which he won with ease.
Jon and Lloyd. Picture courtesy of Red RC.
Day 4 and Finals day, Team Hobao driver Lloyd Pitt bumping up from a lower final and getting his Hyperstar into the semi Finals. With the finals being xmas tree finals 4 HoBao Hyperstars where split with 3 in B semi final and 1 in the A Semi Final, A Semi Final and Ashlee Owen was to finish 4th and getting the all important place and a spot in the F2 A Main, B Semi Final and Jon Howells walked it finishing 1st with Lloyd Pitt also getting the last important spot and making the back of the grid in the F2 A Main.
F2 A main and 45 minutes long and 3 HoBao Hyperstars in this Final and the only manufacturer to have 3 cars in the F2 A main was going to be a busy day for us pitting, Jon Howells was car 2 and Ashlee Owen Car 5 and Lloyd Pitt car 11.
Lloyd drove a good race to bring the HoBao home in 8th with Ashlee bringing the car home in 3rd and Jon 2nd.
Picture courtesy of Red RC.
Also Congratulations to Jim Boulton and Andy Tobutt who both driving the HoBao Hyperstars bumped up from the 1/32 finals to the 1/16 where Andy had radio problems and Jim just missing the bump up spot into the next final. All the Team HoBao Drivers ran RB engines and Byron Fuel with Savox Servos and Proline tyres.
HoBao Captain Jon Howells. Picture courtesy of Red RC.
Day 2 and Friday being Qualifying and Team HoBao having a strong entry over in Italy made for a busy day for the team as the drivers where split all over the place a pitting seemed as though we would be living in the pits for the day.
Rd 1 and off to a flying start and set the pace in the F2 and to take the Rd was 19 year old Team HoBao driver Ashlee Owen.
Rd 2 and again Team HoBao dominating the F2 class with Mr HoBao himself Jon Howells putting a faster time in with team mate Ashlee finishing behind in 3rd leaving Jon to buy the drinks for the night.
Picture courtesy of Red RC.
Day 3 and this was to be a busy day, final rd?s of Qualifying and Race of Champions meant a early start and a late finish.
Rd 3 and to take the overall TQ was young Hobao Driver Ashlee Owen, another good run by Ashlee meant he took the top spot in F2 class and also straight into the Semi Finals with Jon Howells 3rd overall and other team HoBao driver Clive Maland also getting in the Semi?s as well.
HoBao driver Ashlee Owen. Picture courtesy of Red RC.
Saturday evening and a 10 pm start of Race of Champions in F2 class, reverse grid Meaning Ashlee and Jon at the rear of the grid and all to fight for, 16 cars Qualified and a 25 minute race with the last car after each lap being called off the track until there was 5 cars left so they could find the fastest top 4 drivers so they could race off over 2 laps with the 4 cars split into pairs so the fastest from both races going head to head for the race of champions, Clive on Poll and a cut on the grid didn?t help and a the usual first corner pile up made the drivers at the back got through the mayhem and away with ash quickly breaking through the pack and 10 minutes in Ash in the lead until he got tangled on the rope and the car upside down and took nearly 15 seconds at least before he was marshaled and stuck him back down to 6th where he finished leaving Jon the only HoBao left in which he finished 4th and qualifying for the race off, Jon won his 1st race putting him through to the ultimate race the Race of Champions which he won with ease.
Jon and Lloyd. Picture courtesy of Red RC.
Day 4 and Finals day, Team Hobao driver Lloyd Pitt bumping up from a lower final and getting his Hyperstar into the semi Finals. With the finals being xmas tree finals 4 HoBao Hyperstars where split with 3 in B semi final and 1 in the A Semi Final, A Semi Final and Ashlee Owen was to finish 4th and getting the all important place and a spot in the F2 A Main, B Semi Final and Jon Howells walked it finishing 1st with Lloyd Pitt also getting the last important spot and making the back of the grid in the F2 A Main.
F2 A main and 45 minutes long and 3 HoBao Hyperstars in this Final and the only manufacturer to have 3 cars in the F2 A main was going to be a busy day for us pitting, Jon Howells was car 2 and Ashlee Owen Car 5 and Lloyd Pitt car 11.
Lloyd drove a good race to bring the HoBao home in 8th with Ashlee bringing the car home in 3rd and Jon 2nd.
Picture courtesy of Red RC.
Also Congratulations to Jim Boulton and Andy Tobutt who both driving the HoBao Hyperstars bumped up from the 1/32 finals to the 1/16 where Andy had radio problems and Jim just missing the bump up spot into the next final. All the Team HoBao Drivers ran RB engines and Byron Fuel with Savox Servos and Proline tyres. 
