Crawler Park - Off Road To The Limit!

Jamie Clancy reports from the Euros B with his Team Associated RC8B3 Debut

As most of you know the Euros B championship this year was held in the UK at the fantastic Herts Nitro Model Club facility in Ware, Hertfordshire. The club had been putting in a huge amount of effort to get the track and venue up to the highest standard possible and the result was amazing!

Leading up to this event we had been running a prototype RC8B3 with some excellent results, especially at the recent Kent BRCA national with us making our first semi-final. Recently we got a box delivered and inside was a pre-production sample RC8B3 it was a dream come true! During the following week we built the car up and as to be expected the build quality was fantastic with so many clever features and details. Without it hitting the track it looked like it meant business!

With not much time to test before the Euros and my Dad assisting with the track we only had half hour track time so the Euros was going to really be its first real run.

On arriving at the Herts venue the reality started to kick in and I felt the nervous as I knew so many people were waiting to see the car go, at same time I was eager to see how it would go round my home track. It was exciting but scary at same time for both myself and my Dad. We fired car up and warmed her up, Dad just said “take it easy it’s just practice”

Once the car went round the first corner I was on it full bore and straight away the car just felt awesome, it just did everything you expect a car to do. The steering was awesome, the grip it generated was insane and I’ve never driven a car that brakes so straight, to say I was impressed would be an understatement!

After my first run I knew in my head I could do well, I had so much confidence in the car that it was going to do what I asked of it. By the end of the first day of timed practice I had the tenth fastest time overall with a car that was new to me!

I was pumped, and this meant I would now be seeded in a decent heat for qualifying, I knew this is where I would have to give it my all!

We arrived at the track and qualifying day would not be the lovely sunny conditions of practice but instead it was raining and the track looked so sorry for itself. The track crew were out there with brooms working hard to get it into a race-able condition. We were in heat one so we were first out. Oh joy! but Dad said “just get a solid run in, don’t worry about going crazy” so that is just what I did putting in  a solid run top twenty run, and then round two another solid run putting me sixteenth.

I wanted to make semi-finals and to do this I knew I needed two top ten runs but with the competition being so high it would be a tough call. After round two Dad and I spoke about our Pro-line tyre choice and tweaked a few things on the car, I knew I had to just go for it in round three.

Round three came up and Dad threw me out, I just lit her up and pushed the car harder everywhere. I took a few chances that if I got it wrong I would be risking the car but the car just did what I wanted it to do lap after lap and I got job done.

I got my top ten in round with an eighth, Dad and I were so pleased and I knew at this point I was in a real good position to make the semis but I would still need to put one more super good run!

Round four and we were the last heat out, I started to feel the nerves and walking up the stairs I felt myself shaking with everyone I knew there around the track waiting to see if I could do it again and I so wanted the semis! Once again Dad threw me out, I just lit her up and drove it as hard as I could lap after lap. Half way through the heat I knew I was on it and just kept telling myself to keep it on its wheels, keep it on its wheels!

Once I heard those magic words “race over drivers” I knew I’d made no mistakes and felt it’s got to be fast enough, it’s got to be!

As I walked down the stairs Mark Stitson told me those happy words “eighth in round” I couldn’t believe it as this meant I was eleventh overall on my first meeting with the RC8B3, the set up was pretty much out the box with a few minor adjustments! The car was fantastic and everyone who saw it go round said the same. It had been a fantastic first two days.

Sunday was finals day and track was starting to feel the full force of 140 cars battering it but at least the rain was gone and track starting to dry.

We were not due to go out on to the track until around 3pm for the semi practice so this meant I got to watch some of the finals and witnessed some great races.

We tried Pro-line X4 fugitives for the semi practice as track was dry. I went out but the car didn’t quite have the feel that it had on blockades, so for semi-final I knew I would be running blockades again.

The time had come for the Semi, the car had felt good in practice and if I could make the main it would be a dream come true and a great first outing with the RC8B3.

I was starting in sixth so I felt I was in with a good chance, the countdown started and the buzzer went and we were off!!

I got off to a reasonable start with a few bobbles as you do sometimes at the start of a race but I was running ok and I felt comfortable, I knew if I just kept it on its wheels I might just make it.

Disaster would strike and after the 5 min mark the engine stopped, I could not believe it. Dad managed to get it fired it back up after but after losing close on two laps at this level it would take a hero drive to coming back from. I gave it my all but it was not to be, I was gutted but at same time I had qualified eleventh and made the semis so that lifted me.

After my friend’s race we were right by where my engine had shut down, someone mentioned that a stone had fallen from bottom of the car as a marshal picked it up and on inspection there was a nice gouge in chassis and flywheel so looks like I was robbed by a stone!

After that it was all about last few finals and a friend of mine Lewis Jones was up in the junior final and he was flying and got a solid second place, with few more laps he probably could have won he was still would be happy to get second.

Onto the main and well what an awesome race that would turn out to be.

Loads of action, drama and good racing for the full forty-five minutes, definitely one of the best finals I’ve watched for action.

After the time expired it was Riccardo Berton who went on to take the win in front of my friend Callum Niblett and Tony Truman who went on to take third.

It was great to have two Brits on the podium, next time Team GB will be on the top step.

Overall the weekend was a great experience, the new RC8B3 was fantastic and I am really looking forward to getting some more good results. I want to say a big thank to Craig Drescher for believing in me and helping to get the new car early.

And lastly thank you to CML, Team Associated, Pro-Line, Savox and Herts RC Models for supporting me for so long, my Dad Garry for building and prepping my cars and everyone else that’s helped me along the way!

Next up is Slough BRCA national for the RC8B3, so let the games begin!

Jamie Clancy