This time we are happy to welcome Robert Pietsch in our series of „ETS Family Interviews“. Let`s hear from Robert how his job at Mugen looks like and what he is expecting from RC in the future!

ETS:
Hell Robert and welcome to our “ETS Family Interview” . As you live in the south of Germany (Bavaria) and very close to the Austrian border, tell us how you and your family are doing and how you managed to stay healthy and safe in the last months?
Robert:
We are all doing well. Obviously everything is getting a bit closer to usual these days. Basically we were following the advices how to deal with the situation. Once a time, we were in quarantine, but we weren´t infected fortunately. We are living landside, so it was easy for us to go outside and enjoy ourselves.

ETS:
You are racing RC cars since a very long time. Have you ever had such a long break without racing as we have it right now? How much do you miss the competition on the track?
Robert:
No, I haven´t had such a long period without racing in my career yet. As you mentioned above, I race rc cars since a very long time. To be honest I must say due to the lockdown I was able to think about racing a lot. I have the feeling this break brought me back some motivation. I have also tried to find a better mindset in that period of lockdown, which I hope being able to continue later on.

ETS:
In which year you have started the RC Hobby and how long did it take until you raced the first time on a real racetrack?
Robert:  
It was in the early 90´s and I got to the track initially because of my dad and my uncle started with racing at the late 70´s. It was a good time back then and I also have the feeling 1:1 motorsport was way more famous than nowadays.

ETS:
When you grew up in RC racing, which was the driver you liked watching the most – did you had an RC  hero?
Robert:
I didn´t had any real idol. I remember it was always impressive for me, when I saw somebody at the track who was fast. I was waiting each month for the upcoming rc newspapers, loving to see the pictures and news of the races. It was clear to me I want to do the same.

ETS:
When did you made the transition from a competitive racer to professional driver? Was it at the same time you started to design RC cars on the computer?
Robert:
I would describe myself not as a professional racer at any time, because it was always a combination of designing and driving. Only the part of driving might have been a bit more in the past than nowadays. In 2007 I have drawn a 1/8 car in my spare time beside my normal work (CAD CAM in a company producing parts for Airbus). That car has got the Shepherd Velox later on, as they have offered to me to work in their company fulltime back then. So I moved to Heidelberg which was around 450km away from my hometown. It was a pretty successful story coming up with the idea of that car, which kept its base in the following years. After that, I changed to Mugen Seiki where I´m still working these days.

ETS:
When we are looking onto the career you made until now, you are one of the best known Nitro Onroad  racers in the world because you have won a lot of races and titles. The greatest victory for sure was your 2011 world championship title in 1:8 scale which you won in Miami. When you think back to this day, which feelings are coming into your mind first and what was the most emotional moment for you?
Robert:
Basically it has changed my life a bit. It was like reaching the maximum possible. I was on pole position the 3^rd consecutive time at these worlds, so my target for the final was clear. After I was dominating the practice and qualification in 2009, but losing the title to Lamberto who won his 9^th title back then, I was so proud to be the first champ after his several consecutive wins. The most emotional moment was, when I have called my parents after the final telling them I´m the new world champion (btw. it was nighttime in Germany). I also remember several friends of mine told me afterwards, they did public viewing on liverc along with some barbecue. This also made me very proud, because it shows up people and friends are interested in what you do. Also they got the key of my apartment from my parents, and prepared some coming back surprise inside.

ETS:
Last year, after some years passed by, you celebrated another world championship title when Shoki Takahata won it for Mugen at Steel City Raceway/USA with the car that you designed. How thrilling was it to watch the final from the sideline compared to driving on the track by yourself?
Robert:
It was also very emotional for me. Basically I always dreamed about my own designed car would be world champion once with another driver, because in the past some people always thought, I have designed the cars mainly for myself and my own driving style, which was never the truth honestly.
It almost happened before, when Simon Kurzbuch was winning the world´s with the Shepherd Velox, which was produced with the base of my design back in 2007. The same worlds our prototype MRX6 car finished 2^nd with Takaaki Shimo.So it was kind of a weird situation.
Generally it was a big win for me last year too. All our team was so proud and happy. I also have a good relation with Shoki, and I must say he has impressive driving skills.

ETS:
After designing many nitro cars for Mugen, you finally stepped into the electric market in 2017 when the first Mugen 1:10 scale touring car came onto the market. How challenging was it for you and your team to enter the electric racing scene with a brand new electric car after so many years of drawing and racing nitro cars only?
Robert:
It is very difficult, because we were already well known as a nitro manufacturer. I achieved a very strong ETS result at our very first race. That was good on one side, but on the other side it brought along a huge pressure. It was hard for us to get into the market with a consistent and healthy growth. The impact of any mistake we did was way bigger compared to a slow and steady step in. The image of our car never reached its deserved standard, even if we had some more good results with ETS and TITC A-main later on.

ETS:
Do you see any big differences between the nitro and the electric market? Do the customers have specific needs which are completely different?
Robert:
It is obviously completely different. In my point of view it is coming up from huge differences such as testing, preparing, racing mode, and so on.
Due to those kind of things, racers growing up a different mindset to what they want to have, and what is important for themselves. I feel it is simply the result of the time in which category you grow up.

ETS:
The job “RC Car Designer” sounds very unique as it is something special in a niche business. How does a regular work day look for you when you are designing a new car? Do you work more on the computer or does the practical testing on the track finally require more time?
Robert:
I´m working way more on the software. There are a lot more things to do, which customers basically never see, because usually they only see the final product.
I think a normal working day doesn´t look to much different from others, besides the testing. Basically you are growing up an idea bringing it into 3D files, checking everything, choosing material with the resulting production machines…, prepare the drawings with tolerances for the prototype, testing the prototype, doing revisions to the 3D file and drawings, prepare packing lists and manuals and handle it into mass production. I think it is a pretty similar way like any other product development.

ETS:
Are you working on a new project at the moment? If so, can you tell us what it`s all about?
Robert:
Yes, we are working on a new touring car, as well as some other interesting new projects. Soon there will be more information on that.

ETS:
How important is the feedback of your team drivers during the testing stages of a new car? Do you rely more on your own experiences as you really know what you are doing, or is it important to also collect as much data’s as possible from other drivers as well?
Robert:
I think it is very important to hear the other drivers. Especially electric touring car is very difficult to test setup wise compare to nitro because of the tires. You have more parameters on it such as, additive, age of tire, temperature, insert, additive time….
In nitro, even if you use the same tire like the run before, you can realize a setup tendency.
You basically need more information and documentation to realize a tendency in terms of setup, and the drivers need to be very precise on how they do their setup tests.

ETS:
After the 1:8 scale worlds last year you announced that you will race less nitro to focus more on
electric racing. Was it an easy decision for you as you are a real “nitro guy”?
Robert:
I think such a step is never easy, but I think it shows up our motivation to grow up our electric business at the same time.

ETS:
After racing the ETS series now constantly for the last 3 years, what in your opinion makes the series so popular all around Europe and the rest of the world?
Robert:
I guess it is simply a good overall product.

ETS:
During your career you must have raced on a lot of different tracks. What is the best racetrack you raced on with your nitro cars and do you also have a favorite track in the electric touring car class?
Robert:
Nitro: Valencia
Electric: RC addict and Apeldoorn

ETS:
Do you follow any other sports on TV beside RC racing and are you a fan of somebody?
Robert:
I´m following MotoGP and alpine skiing when I find the time. I wouldn´t say I´m a fan of some person, but I`m excited for example of the huge passion and love Valentino Rossi has for his sport, even when results aren´t the same as it has been in the past. In skiing I like the downhill skiers, because they are simply crazy. When you see yourself what type of slopes they drop down and it is pure ice basically, you believe they are from a different planet. Also the physical training they do to hold those huge forces is impressive.

ETS:
You live close to the Alps. Do you go for skiing during the wintertime? If so, on which mountains we can meet you most of the time?
Robert:
Yes, I use to go skiing in the winter. Mostly I´m going to Fieberbrunn/Saalbach and Obertauern. But I usually go once a winter in ski holidays with my closest friends. Then we go to Italy or Switzerland most of the times.

ETS:
The Bavarian and Austrian kitchen is pretty famous all around the world! What is your favorite food when you go out for dinner?
Robert:
As I was in Italy so many times in my life, I like their food a lot.  Also the way how Italians enjoy their food, suits to myself. Also I like barbecue together with my family and friends.

ETS:
Robert, thank you for being a part of our world of racing and for the insight views of your job as a designer for the cars we all like so much. We look forward to see you racing at the highest level for many more years. Now it`s your time to end our nice interview!
Robert:
Thanks a lot!
I wish everyone to stay safe. Let´s hope we get our previous life back soon.

Next in our ETS Family interviews is multi-time ETS winner, Viktor Wilck.  Hailing from Sweden, Viktor has an impressive list of race results against his name, including two Reedy Race titles alongside his many European victories.

ETS:
Hi Viktor, and thanks for taking the time for this interview.  As we’ve asked all the drivers so far, it’s strange time for the world right now, so how are you doing and is the family staying well?
Viktor:
Hi Guys, my family and myself are doing all right. We try to not meet too many at same time and take our distance.  Hope all of you and the ETS crew is staying healthy and safe.

ETS:
So, without racing, how do you keep yourself busy right now?  Sweden seems to be much more ‘open’ than many other countries, so have you still been able to go to the track at all?
Viktor:
I try to promote the brands I’m supported from as much as possible with setup, videos and support to their customers online. As you say Sweden has tried a different approach to the situation with keeping most of our shops and business open as much as possible. We still have a limit of 50 people for an event or gathering, and there is still no official race organized by our federation. We can go to the tracks and there are people coming back for practice now, so I’m very happy about this.

ETS:
Where in Sweden do you live?  How long have you lived there, and do you like that area?
Viktor:
I live in Gothenburg, the second capital of Sweden on the west coast. I lived here all my life and I like our “medium” sized city next to the sea where you can find all necessary brands, shops and restaurants while still not being too big and crowded city. Our airport is 20min from the city, which is also nice with all our travelling.

ETS:
One thing all racers seem to love is seeing each other’s RC space at their home.  Have you got a separate room for your RC stuff?  Where do you do your ‘RC Work’ usually?
Viktor:
Yes, we moved to a new apartment last year that allowed me to get an office and RC room to do my daily work to my cars 🙂

ETS:
Going right back to the start then, how did you first get started in RC racing?  What can you remember from the early days?
Viktor:
When I was about 11 years old I watched an older neighbour playing with his Kyosho car on the parking lot. We later went to the local club and after we started racing we went to races for more than 10 years together; I have a lot to thank Bjorn my old neighbour that taught me a lot and helped me out in my early days racing. My biggest memory when I was young was a podium finish on the off-road nationals back in 2000.

ETS:
Was there anyone you looked up to when you started racing?  Did you ever think it would become your full time career?
Viktor:
When I started, my first car was a 2WD Team Losi XX. Back then there was no touring car class and the biggest stars were Brian Kinwald, and Masami Hirosaka, so probably those two. I used to check the car action RC magazine and read about all the big races. Of course it was a dream to become full time RC driver, but it was never the goal. It slowly emerged as a possibility when I made the A-final and 5^th place at my first IFMAR world championship back in 2006, when I was 18years old and started to think what to do once school is finished.

ETS:
You are a full time RC driver.  How long have you been “working” as a racer for, and did you have any ‘real’ job before you were a full time driver?
Viktor:
I started to work at local distributor, PROCAR in 2007. Back then it was the Horizon distributor in Sweden. I worked there for a few years on the side until there was not enough time than to go to races. I learned a lot from the staff and the owner Lars helped me a lot with connection to the RC brands and the industry. At the same time I was offered a contract with TAMIYA as a factory driver. I have always tried to keep in contact with distributors or other companies during my RC career. This is something I think can be useful in the future and important to understand the other side of the industry, rather than only racing.

ETS:
If we think about the beginning years of the ETS Championship, you were always a contender and part of the mighty Tamiya team then.  What was this like to work with people like Marc and Jilles every week?
Viktor:
We had a great time together, back then ETS was not so big and just getting started. I think there was a more relaxed feeling in the beginning of ETS and new places for events, so I think everyone was very excited and enjoyed those years. I think later when looking back at it, it was quiet a big deal to race for such a big company as TAMIYA. Everyone at the company was very supportive and I can’t thank enough for the support from Maezumi, Suzuki and Kono. Together with the drivers we made a great team that dominated the touring car class for a few years and built a good friendship until this day.

ETS:
Since Tamiya later decided to cut back (and eventually completely close) it’s racing team, you moved on to Serpent, where you were really their top electric driver.  With a lot of Serpent then based in China, you had quite a lot of trips to Asia then.  What do you remember best from your time with the ‘Orange brand’?
Viktor:
In the last years at TAMIYA I felt I needed to try something new to get back my motivation. About 2 years before TAMIYA started to close down the factory team I made the decision to move to Serpent. I think with Serpent I had a very close relationship to the factory and the people behind the company. It was good to learn a different racing scene in Asia and I got to do more races, which helped my driving, and consistency. Probably the greatest moment with SERPENT was to put a brand new car platform (the Project 4X) on the podium and 3^rd place at the IFMAR World Championship in Beijing, China.

ETS:
And now, you’re with Infinity.  Initially you were re-united with the ‘old Tamiya team’, what was it like to have your old friends and teams all together again?
Viktor:
Yes, it was like getting back to the TAMIYA team feeling but of course with different company. I had a very good welcome and feel I made a successful first year with the INFINITY team.

ETS:
And now, with Marc and Yannic no longer part of Infinity, you have more responsibilities in the European electric scene really – what is the team like for you now?
Viktor:
It was sad to see Marc and Yannic leaving the team. But we have to look forward. We still have a big team. And with myself and Jilles in Europe, and Naoto, Akio and many more in Asia I’m sure we can do good results in the upcoming season.

ETS:
And alongside this, you are also the European Manager for the Dash line of electronics from Arrowmax, a fairly new brand.  What is it like working with them?
Viktor:
I’m really happy to work together with the people at Arrowmax and DASH, they supported me also before and I look forward to take on more responsibility. DASH is fairly new brand but we already made a good stance in the market and I think we can continue to grow the team and develop the products.

ETS:
What race result are you most pleased with if you think back on all your racing?  Perhaps your two Reedy Race titles stand out the most?
Viktor:
Of course my first Reedy title stands out with Tamiya, that one felt special and always was a race I wanted to win. But I’m also really happy to be able to win my second Reedy title last year with INFINITY in my first year with the team. After that I would say my two runs with 3^rd place at the IFMAR world championship and my two ETS wins.

ETS:
And is there any track or race you didn’t go to yet, that you really want to visit?
Viktor:
Perhaps racing in Australia would be nice, I was never able to go to an event there.

ETS:
RC racing has changed a lot over the years.  What has been the most fun or exciting event you can remember being too?  Maybe something you’d like to go back and experience again?
Viktor:
When I was younger and started to go to international events the Snowbirds in Florida was very exciting racing 24/7. IIC in Las Vegas was always very special with so many things to do around the track. And I have to say the ETS in Gran Canaria – that was a special race and something I hope we can go back to in the future.

ETS:
Thinking of when you aren’t at the ‘big races’, do you do much racing in Sweden – either National events or club races?  How is the on-road scene in Sweden usually?
Viktor:
I do the nationals every year and try to do as many races as possible back home, always nice to meet the old friends and race at your local clubs. The on road scene has been on the low but slowly starting to pick up again. 

ETS:
Outside of RC racing, what other hobbies do you have, or what do you like to do in your free time?
Viktor:
Just enjoy hanging out with friends and I try to do some sports occasionally.

ETS:
And what about other sports – is there anything else you play yourself, or follow closely?  Do you have a team or player that is your favourite?
Viktor:
I follow Formula 1, Valentino Rossi in MotoGP, had the opportunity to meet Rossi in Mugello, so he will always be no1, and Tiger in Golf. Try to play Tennis and Padel with my friends as much as possible.

ETS:
And finally, I guess you’re hoping things get back to ‘normal’ soon and we can get racing properly again.  What would you say you have missed most during this COVID-19 time?
Viktor:
Of course racing, that has been too long now. And just meeting all friends around the world, I hope everyone stays safe and healthy and we see us back at the track soon!

ETS:
So Viktor, thank you for your time.  We hope you, your family and friends stay well and look forward to seeing you at the track again soon.  As we close – is there anyone else you want to thank or acknowledge that you didn’t so far?
Viktor:
Thanks for having me and great job with the column Oli! I like to thank my sponsors who still support me in these difficult times, big thanks to: INF1NITY, SMJ, DASH, ARROWMAX, PRO-SPEC, SWEEP, MPE, TD-DESIGN, RACEBERRY

Our interview guest for this week is Francesco Martini from MonacoRC. He is well-known for being the mechanic of Bruno Coelho, but in this interview you will get some other interesting information about Francesco and his life in Monaco. Enjoy this weeks “ETS Family Interview” with Francesco Martini!

ETS:
Ciao Francesco! Thank you for taking the time to be a part of our series of “ETS Family Interviews”. At first we want to know if you and your family are all right in these difficult times we are all going through right now.
FM:
Fortunately, all my closest friends and relatives are fine. I immediately felt that COVID 19 was not something to take lightly and I immediately took steps to distance myself and limited contact with others. It wasn’t easy to stay at home for such a long time for someone like me who is always traveling around. But I was able to enjoy my son and my wife fully. I took the opportunity to work and I think overall good ideas for the future came out.

ETS:
You are from Italy but you are living in Monaco. How many years ago you moved to Monaco and how is it to live in this very special place which most of us only know from watching the Formula 1 race?
FM:
I have lived in Monaco for more than 20 years now and I can say that I have seen it change a lot in these years. Probably I have changed more than the city. Living in a Country/city of this size has its pros and cons. I now appreciate more tranquility and safety compared to a few years ago where I was more interested in nightlife. Living in Monaco for those who love motors is like being in paradise.

ETS:
A couple of years ago you founded the MonacoRC brand where you sell RC stuff and also create some of your own products. But what some people in RC do not know is that you are also the owner of “Enrico Coveri”, an Italian fashion brand based in Firenze. Tell us a little bit about Enrico Coveri, what you are doing there and how that all began with you in the world of fashion!
FM:
For many years I have been the creative director of this historic Made in Italy company. I have always lived in fashion and this is simply my normalcy. I started working when I was very young, directing and organizing fashion shows around the world. I follow what are the most important relationships with licensees and I often enjoy shooting the group’s advertising campaigns.

ETS:
That sounds very interesting. How do you manage to have a good balance between working with Enrico Coveri, MonacoRC and going to all the races with Bruno Coelho during the year?
FM:
Good question! In fact, it is as if I had several lives and those who know me in one of them wonder how I can deal with something else at the same level of professionalism they know. Actually, I don’t even explain it to myself, the only thing I know is that I don’t like doing things just to do them. When I make a commitment I feel the responsibility for having made it and I try to do it at my best. This attitude of mine often leads people to think that I only do one thing but who knows me in my various “lives” knows that I sleep little, research a lot and I always want to do and learn more.

ETS:
When did you get started into the RC Hobby? Can you still remember your first car or the first track you ever raced on?
FM:
I remember it very clearly. As a child I would have liked to run with these models and I also had several but most of the time I couldn’t even assembling them fully. I studied in a boarding school, and how you can imagine, living in a boarding school doesn’t allow to cultivating many interests. I’ve always said that I started making modeling at the age when it would have been better to quit. In 2000 my job absorbed me completely and I wanted to find something that would make me relax a bit. So I remembered this passion that I had never been able to to enjoy completely. I entered a shop and bought my first racing car. The first experiences did not bode well but over time things improved and my passion increased.

ETS:
What was your best personal result in RC, or a race result that you are very proud of?
FM:
My best result certainly does not come from the races. My approach to driving has always been that of a means of understanding the model and how to perfect it. I have won several National titles and collected TQs and excellent placements in noble races but I have always looked for satisfactions in the pits.

ETS:
You still race from time to time and you seem to be always fast on the track. In 2019 for example you were TQ at the EFRA IC 40+ Euros in Monaco. In the end you finished 3rd overall. Was it a special race for you because it was in your home town?
FM:
This race was one of the most fun because it was experienced with extreme lightness and I had the pleasure of being assisted by probably the best Nitro mechanic, Fabio Domanin, who came to Monaco to let me play, As it may seem incredible, despite being my “home track” I never train there, and thinking I made TQ in a category where the hours on the track for preparation are fundamental, fills me with pride. I would have liked to do more, especially for Fabio who worked as well really hard, but in the race I made a stupid mistake that probably compromised our ability to play it.

ETS:
Since some years now you work together with Bruno in a very successful way. How did it happen that you became his mechanic and how is it, to work together with one of the best drivers on the planet?
FM:
For several years now, Martin Hudy has taken the reins of the Xray On-Road projects. I had the pleasure of experiencing this handover step from Juray and I had the honor of participating in the development team. We have worked for years trying to make the best car on the market. The results started to arrive with Alexander but our Team was in fact the only one who had only one driver who could play it while the others could count on more drivers. One day in Spain Martin tells me that he would have liked to invest in a young driver and shows me Bruno. I looked at this “young man” who was sitting on the track as if by the pool on a deckchair with slippers on and his girlfriend next to him. I turned back to Martin burst out laughing in his face. That weekend Bruno between a swim in the pool and a heat on the track risked winning the European championship … Bruno has always been followed by his dad Cesar who was much more prepared on the nitro categories than the electric ones. We soon understand at the World Championship in the USA, where Bruno almost took the win that Martin had seen right and that he could do very well. The problem was that the electric is a difficult category to approach at certain levels and it was necessary that someone with a “know-how knowledge “had to follow Bruno. So Martin came to me and asked me if I could help him out. As I said before, I do not have the character of doing things halfway and therefore taking the commitment we started working together. The most beautiful discovery was to know Bruno’s greatness as a person rather than as a pilot. We have become very close friends and I think this is the magic formula that makes this collaboration possible.

ETS:
During a race weekend you always have to find the perfect setup to go really fast and compete against the other top drivers. But when you are there as a mechanic only, you only can work with Bruno`s feedback after the run. Is it sometimes difficult to imagine how the car feels on the track when Bruno is driving or can you see easily which changes you have to do to get the car even faster?
FM:
Over time the tuning has refined and Bruno’s feedbacks have become clearer to me. The role of the mechanic is a bit like that of the goalkeeper of a football team. Things get even more complicated if Ronaldo is attacking because when the team loses you tend to think that the goalkeeper is to blame. Being always spot on to everything is really difficult especially because compared to others we spend less time on the track testing since Bruno drives many categories and can hardly be there for tests. The fast drivers all look for the same two things, traction and steering. Bruno is a driver who, when the race starts, can put his effort into making a difference, my job is to try to create for him the means to enable him to do so.

ETS:
Is it harder for you to stand on the side line and watch Bruno in a thrilling race or do you feel more stressed when you are racing yourself on the driver stand?
FM:
For sure following Bruno’s races is way more stressful than driving myself.

ETS:
Bruno missed the world’s title in 2016 in China after he was TQ. Can you describe your feelings after he finally got the job done in 2018 in South Africa, starting from P2 and winning against Ronald who is always very hard to beat?
FM:
China was hard. Everything was working out correctly. Our first WC together prepared with such care and that saw us comfortably in command for all the qualifications. A final won and several seconds ahead halfway through the second final when in a moment everything changed. Even the weather made us understand that that was not our day. It was not so difficult to not win but to try not to lose that determination that we had created and that led us to be ready to win. But there the champion that Bruno is came out, and he started again with his head down with even more desire to win. In South Africa, at the warm up, we had found an excellent set up for our car with particular solutions. At the world championship we arrived with the same set up but we were not as confident as before. Bruno was there and head-to-head with Ronald but we knew we could ask for more and with all due respect to others we didn’t want to finish second place. The night before the finals in agreement with Bruno, I changed the set-up to the model by making difficult decisions and counterclaims compared to our experiences on that track. In the first final test we understood that it was the right decision, still a few small changes and then the rest is history.

ETS:
Tell us how the party was after Bruno won the race in South Africa?
FM:
The feeling felt for this title is something unique, also thanks to the fact that it is a victory that has been sought with all the energies and that came with a splendid win to crown years of commitment by the whole Team, not only mine and Bruno.

ETS:
Compared to the world of fashion you work in, how would you rate the ETS in RC? Is the ETS kind of a “fashion week” of RC because everybody is there to get the best show of RC racing down on the track?
FM:
In a way, the example you have given can fit but if I have to be honest, I see ETS more as a trendy party than the show where usually the atmosphere is less carefree and more employed. So maybe ETS is the cool fashion party and the World Championship is the catwalk.

ETS:
What do you like more: Racing yourself or winning a big race as Bruno`s mechanic?
FM:
For some time now I have only been driving for fun or to try new parts, which gratifies me but not how to get an important result with Bruno.

ETS:
Do you have other things you are passionate for beside fashion and RC?
FM:
It may seem incredible but I also find time for other things. I love good food and I really like discovering new places. I have a great passion for photography that I pour both on my work and in my personal life. The family is at the center of everything and I have always tried to keep my mind hungry every year by studying something new. I have collected diplomas and certifications developing skills that I will never use just for the desire of learning something.

ETS:
As you live in Monaco you might have experienced the Formula 1 race there for multiple times. How special are the vibes in the city of Monte Carlo during the F1 race weekend?
FM:
Montecarlo in some periods of the year becomes even more special, the Formula 1, the boat show and the Tennis attract the jet set from all over the world creating a unique and surreal atmosphere at the same time.

ETS:
Thank you for your time and the very nice interview Francesco. It was really interesting to find out some things about you and your life in Monaco. We look forward to see you on track soon!
FM:
It has been a pleasure for me to talk about different things than the usual. Thanks for the great questions.

Next one up in our series of ETS Family Interviews is Frederik Broløs Mikkelsen from Denmark. He is one of the fastest Pro Stock racers of the last years making the A-main at almost every race!

ETS:
Hello Frederik and welcome to our series of “ETS Family Interviews”. How are you and your family doing at the moment? Has the Covid-19 lockdown affected your life in Denmark a lot or was it not so bad in the area you are living?
Frederik:
Thanks a lot for having me. My family and I are doing fine at the moment and are nearly back to “normal” life again. The Covid-19 lockdown came a bit quick in Denmark, but on the positive side it meant that we could still go outside and enjoy the weather. It seems like the virus outbreak, for now at least, is under control and we have been able to go to the track and race RC again.

ETS:
You live in Tølløse which is located somewhere between Copenhagen and Odense. Tell us a little bit about your home town and what you are doing there when you are not racing RC cars!
Frederik:
Tølløse is a nice relaxing and quiet city, with many farm areas around. When I’m not racing RC cars or preparing them for the next race, I’m spending some time running. I’ve never really been good at running, but it’s a good challenge and I like to try and improve and see the progress.

ETS:
You are 22 years old right now – at what age you started the RC hobby and how did it happen? Who was the person who got you involved in the RC hobby?
Frederik:
I was 13 years old when I went to the local hobby shop in Tølløse to buy an RC car. The owner told about a club where they had a track that I could run and I thought that might be fun instead of using it on the road at home. At first it was once a week that I went to the track at club nights, but I got addicted to it quite fast and once a week, became quickly 2-3-4-5 times a week.

ETS:
What was your first RC Car?
Frederik:
My first RC Car was an LRP S10 Blast TC. Already after a couple of months, I decided to buy a more advanced car. I had been to a couple of races as a spectator and thought it would be fun to try, so I bought a used Tamiya TRF 416 to compete with.

ETS:
Do you still remember the first official race you attended and how it turned out for you?
Frederik:
I don’t remember my first official race in Denmark, but I do remember the first time I went to an ETS. I had been racing for almost 2 years at that point, when my father and I decided to go. It was the 2^nd round of the ETS in Hrotovice/Czech Republic in 2013. I had some technical issues where the car would run fine for 4 laps and then go into limp mode and go really slowly. We found out the issue a little late, but for the last two finals the car drove all 5 minutes and I could win the N-final overall. So apart from the technical issues it was a really nice experience.

ETS:
How big is the RC racing scene in Denmark? Do you have a lot of tracks to practice and race around you or do you always have to travel larger distances to get your car down on a track?
Frederik:
There is not too many drivers unfortunately but we do have quite a few tracks around in Denmark. I’m quite lucky to have a track only 1km away from home, so normally when I want to practice, I can take all my stuff in a bike trailer and then cycle down to the track, which has both an indoor and an outdoor track. On Zealand (the east side of Denmark) there are 5 tracks for asphalt racing and 3 tracks for carpet.

ETS:
When we look on your last couple of years racing RC cars, it is easy to see that you improved a lot as you now make the A-main in Pro Stock at the ETS very constantly. What, from your perspective made you that much better? Was it just more practice or did you also learned more about the perfect car setup and stuff like that?
Frederik:
I think it’s a bit of both as well as huge support from my sponsors. Toni Rheinard from Tonisport has been a big part of my racing career supporting me since 2014 and has helped a lot both on and off the track, pushing me in the right direction. In 2018 Jürgen Lautenbach from LRP also came in the picture and supported me. I had been using LRP products for quite some time, so being able to drive for him was quite special and working together with him has been a pleasure.
Practice wise I already from the beginning, when I started racing, I had been eager to go to the race track and practice. I think that consistently practicing every week has helped, maybe not if you look at it short term, but in the long run, it has definitely helped me. One key thing that has helped me the last couple years was finding the right car that suited my driving style and also had more setup opportunities. Going to many of the big international events has also helped me a lot as that’s where I have learned a lot setup wise, but also watching the fast guys to see where I could improve.

ETS:
The Pro Stock class at the ETS is ultra-competitive and especially when you are fighting for an A-main spot there is no space for mistakes. As almost everybody is kind of nervous before qualifying, what do you do to keep calm and focused before an important heat?
Frederik:
I try not to think about the end result too much and instead just focus on the racing lines and when to brake and accelerate, because otherwise it can be extremely stressful when you are tied with 5 other people in a qualifying run. So instead of thinking I need to be that fast or in that position, I try to think that I just need to do my best and then I can see the result afterwards and then make changes accordingly.

ETS:
It seems that a lot of successful Pro Stock drivers don`t want to make the next step in entering the modified division.  Is this caused by the limited amount of other modified races (compared to stock races) they can do during the year or do some of them rate the competition in modified as “too high” for them?  What is your opinion about that and do you plan to race modified at some day?
Frederik:
I don’t look at modified as the next step from Pro-Stock. I look at them as two different classes, which both has their own unique feel. I think the reason many Pro-Stock drivers don’t race modified instead, is because they enjoy the feel of Pro-Stock and like the balance in power. When I started racing RC it was only after 1 year that I decided to race modified and did that for a couple of years. I do still enjoy racing modified but I do prefer Pro-Stock and the close competition at ETS.

ETS:
The ETS series seems like a magnet for so many racers as a lot of them are doing more than only one or two ETS races per season. What keeps you racing at the ETS and always makes you travel to the races again?
Frederik:
I think it’s the good atmosphere and the high level of competition. It’s nice meeting up with friends from all around the world and enjoy the hobby that we all enjoy. I’m also learning a lot every time I have been to an ETS. I haven’t been going home from an ETS without learning something new and I do really enjoy the whole trip, driving to the different countries and as the competition is very high, I like to try and improve and do well at every race.

ETS:
What was the best racing experience you had until now in your RC racing career?
Frederik:
Definitely the ETS in Apeldoorn last year where I ended up 2nd. Got 3^rd earlier that season so being able to move one step higher on the podium was special for me and has given me more confidence going forward. The weather was extremely good and the track in Apeldoorn is really enjoyable to race on especially when it`s sunny.

ETS:
Do you have an all-time favorite RC racer you look up to?
Frederik:
I would say Marc and Ronald. I remember when I started racing RC I always enjoyed watching them whenever they were driving.

ETS:
What is the best Racetrack you have ever raced on?
Frederik:
Definitely Apeldoorn. The grass is always green and the facilities are really well maintained. The asphalt gives a really good amount of grip and the curbs are perfectly build so they can be driven on, which is perfect for racing.

ETS:
Is there any special race around the world on your bucket list that you would like to attend someday?
Frederik:
TITC in Thailand has always looked special and maybe also the World Championship some day in the future.

ETS:
Do you have any other hobbies beside RC racing?
Frederik:
I do run quite a bit when I’m not racing RC cars. I try to run 4-5 times a week depending on how my legs feel. My ultimate goal would be to complete a marathon in under 3 hours, but that is still a bit out in the future.

ETS:
What style of music do you call your favorite?
Frederik:
I don’t have any particular favorite, but I’m not really a fan of heavy metal and rock.

ETS:
What is your favorite destination for some relaxed Holidays?
Frederik:
As I was younger, I really enjoyed going to southern France with the caravan. We used to start our holiday at midnight and then started the journey driving through Europe, spending some days at different campsites in different countries, with the end destination being southern France.

ETS:
Which typical Danish food do you enjoy the most?
Frederik:
That would be a chopped steak or Danish pork meatballs with potatoes and Danish brown sauce.

ETS:
As we are coming to an end now we want to thank you for your time Frederik! We really appreciate having you in our ETS Family and if you like to thank somebody you can do this right now!
Frederik:
Thanks a lot for having me and making these great Interviews. I want to thank my Mom and Dad as well as my sponsors Toni Rheinard from Tonisport and Jürgen Lautenbach from LRP for making all this possible!

For this week’s „ETS Family Interview“ we welcome Yokomo driver Martin Hofer on stage. Martin is racing RC cars since many, many years and he has a very interesting view on RC racing due to his huge amount of experience from the good old days of racing! Check out the interview and enjoy Martin`s view onto our amazing sport!

ETS:
Hi Martin!  We hope you are doing well in these times. How has it been for you?
MH:
Servus!
Up to this point I’m holding up fine I think. I’m in the lucky situation that I can continue working from home, so weekdays at least remain really rather busy.
And you know that people say ‘if you own the place you live it it’ll never be fully finished’? Mine is finished now. Like done done. I’ve even gone through the hassle of changing light switches and sockets and stuff. They are all modern now and colour coordinated to their respective wall.
It appears that with enough spare time and limited (read: none) going out options and RC not happening, I can refocus my perfectionist energy onto almost anything.
So yeah, keeping busy to get through this.
Also: Disney + helps on bad days.

ETS:
So, as we know that there are all sorts of different situations around the world, can you explain how things are for your area?
MH:
Well, here in Bavaria we started to experience first signs of a lock down on Friday the 13^th of March (fun date right?) with night clubs being urged to not open. I know that date by heart because I met friends for a private dinner party that night and then went dancing. And it was at that dinner party when I caught COVID-19.
The next two weeks made this entire weird black mirror episode we live in right now feel a lot more real.
Got through it ok though.
But Bavaria has been shut down ever since with a shelter in place order established and quite some limitations.
You may take a walk with your family / significant other but not any other person whatsoever – I’m single so DUH – cannot. You may also not have visitors – again DUH. Or get closer than 1.5m to anybody else. And since last week you are ordered to wear a face mask in public transport, stores, or whenever a 1,5m perimeter cannot be established. And you are fined 150€ if you are not wearing one.
Having 3 friends over for a little drinks evening in your flat? 5000€ fine.
Sharing a ride with 3 other people? 5000€ fine.
So, it is all really rather serious here. Other parts of Germany decided for less strict rules and are already lifting restrictions again. But with Munich having been the epicentre of the infection in Germany and its proximity to Austrian and Swiss borders there really wasn’t any other good way.

But on a more positive note, I think that the societal deceleration we experience right now has some very fundamental positive effects, not only on my flat 😛 but the public in general.
Before we were caught in an overstimulated upward surge that needed to terminate in one way or another. With this perspective in mind, I think we got let down easy once the economy has recovered.
The only think we need to remember then is the positive things we experience now.
Like having time to actually talk to people. Find new hobbies. Learn new things and be creative.
And Tiger King of course!

ETS:
Thinking now of happier times for us all – you live in Munich, one of the most exciting cities in Europe.  How do you find it living there?
MH:
Paris has the most amazing light, London the highest intercultural diversity and Madrid has ham and Spaniards. In comparison, Munich manages to retain a very small and cozy vibe despite being a large city with the most stock listed companies in Germany. It’s busy but you never quite feel it.
You can experience amazing art, interesting culture and amazing food. Or you go and watch bottle blonde plastic surgery babes hunt their next husband on Maximilianstraße, which is basically a life action interpretation of the best and worst reality TV you’ve ever seen.
Munich is just a very nice city to live in. It’s different to anything else you’ll find in Germany which leads to people either loving or hating it. But I happily call it home.

ETS:
Have you always lived in Munich?
MH:
I grew up in a super small village in a dark part of Bavaria. Internet was scarce, public transport non-existent, and social contacts nearly null due to the lack of other children my age. It was an OK but very protected childhood which resulted in amazing grades and very bad social skills.
So, I left for the next big city to go and study when I was 19 and never turned back.

ETS:
Of course you’re not a full-time RC racer, what is it you do for a job?
MH:
I’m a business process consultant at BMW responsible for the prime vehicle development process. It’s a lot more fun than it reads in the description and my team is amazing. Luckily my boss allows me the freedom to pursue multifaceted side projects that challenge me creatively. It’s fair to say I’m not getting bored. And once I’ve managed to finish the last correction loop of my PhD thesis that is still pending, that’s done as well. So all in all I’m in a happy place.

ETS:
You’ve been involved in RC racing for a long time, in fact pretty much since the start of the ETS.  Back in previous years, you had some amazing results, including an overall ETS championship.  What are your best memories of that time?
MH:
I’ve actually almost done every single ETS race there ever was including the Orion Speed Weekends and stuff that predated it. So many experiences it’s hard to pick which were best. I enjoyed the year I made my mark in modified racing. In 2008 I lost the German National title in Modified to Marc Fischer on a tie break, but I managed to overtake Ronald round the outside and that memory almost makes up for it. Then I had a really good year in 2009 with the then new Yokomo BD5 qualifying 4^th in Apeldoorn and having a few other A-Main appearances. Back then my life only consisted of studying, racing and literally nothing else at all.
5cell Modified will forever be the best racing ever. The cars never handled better afterwards. The power never felt as good. And with me having been an integral part of the GM Racing team, we were always at the forefront of power and runtime which helped a lot.
Thinking about it I feel that this one key aspect is missing from modified racing now. You do not have to manage your resources anymore at all. Back then making 5 minutes was tough as hell. Push too hard and you’ll dump. Don’t push hard enough and you’ll not finish high enough. You could really concentrate on your racing lines and your rhythm because you would not and could not race flat out every single lap.
This also meant that racing was so much more interesting, because like in offroad racing, you could actually make up time by driving more spirited and thereby closing gaps, attacking, spending that little bit more energy for 2 or 3 laps to make it past and then conserving energy to make it to the finish.
With Lipo as we use it now, that’s all gone. And for me, so is the excitement. Racing has become less fun ever since it’s all out all the time.
I proposed the concept of limiting modified drivers to using 165g LCG shorty batteries only. Since the energy density of the cells we use has plateaued, a weight limit puts a easily checkable limit on the energy that is available to the driver. Voltage cut off my not be set to anything lower than 3V (easy to check by the tech if a car dumped) to prevent people from destroying their batteries on purpose.
Introduce that and all of a sudden you will have to manage resources again.
The last 30 seconds of a race will be that much more interesting!
And I’d expect results at big races to be very different again.

Formula E works the same way. Smart racing. A question of resources.

ETS:
Since then, competition of course has got stronger, and whilst it has been a while since your last ETS win, you’ve still had great results including a German National title too.  How do you reflect on the changing RC scene?
MH:
Everyone is so serious now. Practicing weeks ahead of an event. We have reached a level of professionalism that is close to saturation at ETS level racing. It can be perceived that there is no easy and fun way for anyone to enter anymore.
And also, back in the day people would use Stock racing to prepare for Modified and then graduate and move up.
I feel that the young guns don’t want that anymore. There is no aspiration anymore to become a modified hot shot.
And that’s sad.
At the last German Nationals we were there to have fun. The atmosphere was far more relaxed. The track suited me very well. It was the first time I was allowed to use a mid-motor car and it turned out amazing.
Those times I remember that I’ve not lost my talent, or my spark.
Other times however, I’m not sure I enjoy racing on the big stage as much as I used to. It is an experience alright, but a less fun one?
That said, I’d murder to be allowed to enter FWD! Boy that class is epic.

ETS:
And also, throughout that time, you’ve raced in both Stock and Modified (and now back to Stock again) classes.  How do you compare the two?
MH:
Back with Schumacher I stepped down to Stock because it made sense to have me compete there. That’s what the majority of customers is doing. Because it’s manageable. Modified has become hard to watch at times. Go on YouTube and revisit old RC videos. Modified then resembles stock racing now, which says a lot about the technological progress.
That said, ETS Stock is special. Due to the high amount of low end torque of the ETS combo we’ve been using there is less need for proper racing lines anymore. Acceleration for the first 5 meters is almost on par with modified which shows in peoples driving styles. It has become point and shoot so much that I have to use positive expo throttle curves to artificially make my modified driving style hard enough.
I think that we could easily rectify that by using a 12.0 x 5 or even 7.25 mm rotor in the handout motors. That would take away that crazy torque and return to a more natural feeling power curve. It would force people to care about their racing line again and would make for a lot more interesting racing.
Or, just write an artificial power curve in software and make it mandatory at the ETS. Would not require new motors. Can be done easily. Same effect.

And while you are at it, have the top 5 of each year are automatically banned from re-entering Stock for the following 3 years.
Go modified! Mix up those ranking list and end careerist stock racers.

ETS:
One of the biggest changes is the whole advent of Social Media.  I think it’s fair to say you’ve made a lot of people smile a lot with some of your brilliant blogs – combining racing facts with jokes and humour too.  How do you see this part of RC racing?
MH:
I think the role of team drivers / supported drivers has changed dramatically. For companies it used to make sense to support hot shots in local clubs in order to promote the brand among the locals said driver was racing with. Because back then club racing was the only form of social media platform people had access too.
Team drivers were therefore more like a trusted friend.

But now everyone can be a star online. And everyone has an outlet for their voice. The issue with that is, how do customers pick the voice they trust and why.
Team drivers need to realise that they have to become micro influencers in our small RC world. Xray is doing a good job in pushing their drivers to do social media properly, but in doing so personality and relatability sometimes gets left behind.

And if you as a team driver don’t manage to elevate yourself or your voice to the level of micro influencer, you fall into one of two categories:          Product prostitute, or contracted customer.

The difference being loyalty, or lack thereof.

I believe that there are some people in our industry that really understood that shift in customer interaction. MonacoRC for example did an amazing job at reporting from the ETS in Germany, because they covered what was happening on and off the track! Go use the internet to help people experience all of what makes those races great!

Now more than ever we find that physical distance does not mean you cannot be mentally present and I hope this will elevate RC coverage from here on out.

ETS:
You’re not someone who is afraid to voice their opinions – so tell us, what are the best and worst things about RC racing right now (well, not right now, as there isn’t any racing, but you know what we mean!)
MH:
Right now – worst: no racing
Right now – best: for the first time in years the skin on my hands is amazing.

Overall – worst:

I think the ETS indoor tires would be better with thinner inserts.
I do respect that automating the gluing process with an insert that provides a sufficient air gap is a lot harder due to carcass distortion. However, I believe that it can be done and would improve indoor racing massively. If people are traction rolling, there is no need for anyone to try to do anything “clever” with tyres, because too much grip is always better than not enough.

The ETS outdoor tire should also come in a 32 shore variant, because most of the outdoor races last year (maybe because of the pathetic weather we had?) showed the 36 to be too hard for some racing conditions. And with the ETS influencing almost all levels of racing, it would benefit smaller racing series as well.

I already spoke about why modified needs limited energy and why stock needs a different power band.

Overall – best:

Racing has become very approachable. You don’t need to be a team driver anymore to have access to competitive material. You simply walk into a store (well not now you don’t) or buy the stuff Ronald, Bruno and Marc are using online.
It might be different with the gas-racing guys, but that’s not my forte.

There is less rivalry amongst teams than is used to be. It seems we as racers realised that we are only few, and not going extinct is a lot more important than team grudges. But I wrote an entire blog article about RC racers being an endangered species if you want to read more about why. (https://hofaaa.wordpress.com/2020/02/21/endangered-species/)

ETS:
You’ve been one of the lucky people who has got to travel the world with RC racing – what was the most enjoyable race you can remember and would love to re-live again?
MH:
The single most enjoyable race?
My first world championships in Bangkok, Thailand in 2008 I think. I was so young, so chubby, and so excited because it was the first time, I travelled intercontinental all on my own. I was with Yokomo back then and we had so much fun at the race.
Also, the RCS track was epic.
But I put a lot of effort into making every race an enjoyable experience and mostly succeed.

ETS:
Looking ahead to getting back to racing – you tend to be someone who does the majority of their practice through race events rather than private test sessions.  We guess you are looking forward to getting back to a track soon?  Do you have any plans of venues nearby you will try to visit first?
MH:
Since I live in downtown Munich, there is no track anywhere nearby I could practice on unfortunately. Therefore, all my track time comes exclusively from races I attend. But as soon as we are allowed to I’ll go back to my old home track in Mettenheim and do some practice laps.
I also hope for some more events from things like the RC Kleinkram racing series, because the classes and the club racing atmosphere are giving me life!
But times are uncertain right now, so let’s just wait and see.

ETS:
And thinking of bigger races, it seems it will take longer before we might be able to re-start those again, but do you have any thoughts on how the ‘big race’ RC scene is right now?  The ETS was really the first series that created that ‘big race’ atmosphere and you’ve been part of it for many years, so you must have some interesting thoughts!
MH:
I believe that similar to our society in general the big racing series have also reached a point of overstimulation. They can feel too big, too serious and not always as much fun as they used to be. And since they are so big and all mightily important, club racing and smaller racing series are dying because if you need to allocate your resources, may it be time or money, or usually both, you rather spend it on 4 big races than 10 small ones, because ‘only the big races matter’. I don’t have a cure for that at hand, but I think restarting gives organisers the opportunity to reboot and rethink their event concepts. Finding the right balance between size and importance, and fun, is difficult though. I haven’t figured it out yet!
Maybe the overall deceleration of life we experience right now will have positive effects in the years to come.
I would love club racing to experience a comeback.

So, let’s make club racing great again!

ETS:
We’ll finish off with some quicker questions.  What’s been your favourite RC car you’ve built?
MH:
The Yokomo BD-3 prototype we used in 2008. It was based on a regular BD-Masami Special but nearly every single part was alternated, or hand made. Because of its fragile nature it felt very special and unique. Almost like a pet you really love because of its weird quirks.

ETS:
What RC track is on your ‘bucket list’ that you’ve not yet visited?
MH:
Kakegawa, the old indoor tarmac Yatabe Arena that sadly isn’t anymore and Lostallo.

ETS:
Who do you most look up to as an RC driver?
MH:
There are two, but can you guess?

Back when I started racing there was one driver that stood head and shoulders above everyone else, not because he was the fastest (which he was), but because he never took racing all that serious.

And then there was another driver I admired because of his absolute professionalism and dedication to the hobby.

Two very different characters that really inspired me.

The first is Alexander Stocker, who back in his Xray heydays used a flip flop coloured body with underfloor lighting and chrome wheels to still win the race but having fun doing so.
The second is Chris Grainger for whom I have nothing but respect both from an engineers’ point of view, but also from a teammates’ perspective.

And I am in the lucky situation to call my childhood heroes friends now which is one of the wonderful sides of our hobby.

ETS:
And finally – if you could change one thing from your own RC history, what would it be?
MH:
Not having that stupid bowl hair cut when I won my ETS Stock Title. That was not a cute look …

ETS:
Thank you for the time – now we give you a chance to thank anyone else you haven’t done so far!
MH:
It’s been a blast!

And thanks to anyone who actually managed to read the entire interview which turned out to be a lot longer than I thought it would.

Lots of Love
Martin & Jack

Today`s guest in our series of „ETS Family Interviews“ is Loic Jasmin from France.  Loic is racing at almost every ETS and we asked him about his RC racing program and his private life in the northern region of France!

ETS:
Hello Loic, and a warm welcome to our series of “ETS Family Interviews”. When you followed some of our interviews until today, you might know the first question: How are you and your family doing and how is the situation in your hometown Longwy at the moment?
Loic:
First of all, thanks a lot for having me and continuing your super nice series of interviews, really appreciated to be a part of it ! Everything is going well for us here, life is finally returning to a normal situation the last few days, slowly but safely. We still have to take care and respect the restrictions, that I completely understand, but it’s nice to finally be allowed to visit my family and friends and to do things outside the house, others than only cleaning it or taking care of the garden…

ETS:
What is your job and how is it affected by Covid-19? Are you able to work in your company or from home office right now? 
Loic:
I am working as an engineer-adviser in a Luxemburgish office specialized in renewable energies and all the technical stuffs (heating system, sanitation, electricity, lifts, etc…) you need in a new building. Basically, I am drawing plans together with the architects and then planning the stuffs lists. Then, I am visiting the building when the companies are working in to check and control if they did wrong, but I’m not this guy that everybody don’t like because he’s always complaining about!
Luckily I was able to work at 100% from home the first 5 weeks, almost nothing changed in terms of amount of work, only the fashion style was quite different (if you see what I mean…) But since May, I am working half a week at the company office and I have to say it’s finally quite enjoyable to go there sometimes!

ETS:
We know that your older brother Mika is also racing RC cars. Is he the person who brought you close to the hobby or was it you who got him hooked up in RC? At what age you started with your first RC car?
Loic:
Mika is definitely THE person who brought me in this hobby back in 2001, 19 years ago, as he started first ! At that time I was not passionated by RC-cars actually so I did not race at first and I just followed him at some club’s races, watching and helping him a bit, for almost one year. Once he let me try his own car and then everything started: I got my first RC car the next Xmas and I was already almost 15 years old, which is quite late compared to many others. I can’t thank him enough for what he did at the very beginning for sure but mostly after the loss of our dad back in 2008. Since then, he always has eyes on my results, always sending me a text during a race, always supporting me. He’s sometimes garish but I feel lucky to have a brother who is so much involved and passionate by this hobby and he is mainly the reason why I’m still playing toys at 33.

ETS:
Do you remember your first car and the feeling of driving around with it?
Loic:
My very first car was a TAMIYA TB-01 with a Ford Focus bodyshell and M2 grip tires. The first time I drove it was already in Longwy, Cosec. At that time, we raced directly on the ground of the hall without any carpet. Traction was very low and it was more about drifting but I loved this car, so much fun. I still have it at home!

ETS:
How long after you started driving RC cars you hit a racetrack for the first time? Did you become a member of your actual club MRC Longwy at a very young age or later during your RC career?
Loic:
I straightly drove on a racetrack at my very first race, and I becamea member of the MRC Longwy club at the same time. I’ve always been a member of this club since day one (and hopefully it stays like this forever) and since my brother has taken the official chiefship, I really started to be involved at 200%. This club means a lot to me as this is kind of a “Family Affair” as we know each other for many years and that’s one of the secrets of our success I guess!

ETS:
At one day you might have noticed that you maybe have “a little bit more skills” than some others!  What was your first memorable race result which you now think gave you kind of a boost for your future in RC?
Loic:
Maybe when I won my very first RC race with 2 laps in front of the top-driver of the club. For sure, it was a boost, not only for me but also for my dad who was not totally convinced by the RC-cars as he was more a real 1:1 motorsports lover and this decided him to invest more time and money for me in this hobby. I can also remember my first A-main at the Euros in France in 2007. This gave me a huge boost for my future as well!

ETS:
When we look at your list of titles and great results today, we can see the amount of eight French TC National Championships and one in the 1:12 scale class. In which year did you win your first one? Can you remember where it was and who stood beside you onto the podium?
Loic:
I got my first French TC National title back in 2009. I don’t remember who finished 2^nd and 3^rd, sorry!

ETS:
How are the French nationals held? Is there a series of races which get added together or do you have to qualify during the year for one deciding main event? How would you rate the competition in 1:10 scale electric onroad in france?
Loic:
The French Nationals are a series of 5 races all around the country, with 4 out 5 counting at the end for the overall ranking. It’s a 2-3 days event at every race, so this makes the season long, exciting and exhausting but really fun at the end! The competition is really good actually, with many experienced and talented drivers – most of them getting already many strongs results at the ETS, ENS or EFRA races – like Lucas Urbain, Cyril N’Diaye, Antoine Brunet, Alexandre Laurent, Alexandre Duchet, Remi Callens, Thomas Vigneron, etc… Races are always close and interesting, and the atmosphere is super nice as we know each other for a while.

ETS:
Your national title in 1:12 scale was a single event accident, or did you race 1:12 scale more often in the past?
Loic:
I raced 1:12 scale for 3 seasons I guess, 8-10 years ago. I even made the 2012 Worlds in Heemstede. It was fun but I did not had time to focus more as touring car racing is taking already all my free time!

ETS:
In 2012 you qualified for the A-Main at the IFMAR worlds in Heemstede/Netherlands where you finished 6^th overall. The field of drivers was second to none and the competition was extreme as it was a world championship race. Tell us a little bit about your memories from these worlds?
Loic:
That is one of my best RC memories for sure! I was already racing for Yokomo at that time and they sent me the BD7-prototype a few days before the event. I did not have enough time at home to get the car 100% ready, so I spent the one-day break in between trying to finish the car, the bodyshell, setting up the car and the new speedo from LRP as well, with the help of my friend and mechanics for this race, Kevin. When the first practice started, of course many things on the car were wrong and so was the setup. The first and a half day were not the best, until I copied Dominik Fleishmann’s car setup. After that, the car was flying! I did not change anything on the car for the rest of the event, even not rebuilding shocks. Q1 came and I scored a P6. So good! At the end, I qualified P8 thanks to the Q6-story with the rain, where I had to wait for 1-2 hours for the final decision to maintain Q6. I also remember the drivers’ presentation where the A-main drivers were called one by one, taking official pictures in front of the rostrum and finally have a walk around the track: I really felt like a rock star for a few minutes! That was really fun and I will always remember.

ETS:
Then, in 2018 you finally showed up in the A-Main again at the IFMAR worlds in South Africa. The facility there looked great and the racing was good as well. What would you say, how far has RC racing changed in development of the cars, electronics, tires and other stuff compared to 2012 when you raced your first worlds A-Main?
Loic:
The 2018 Worlds was held in one of the best facility I ever went. Everything was crazy good organized and it’s really a shame that many drivers/sponsors did not want to send their drivers there! Compared to 2012, for sure many things changed and improved a lot, sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a bad way in my opinion; even if in 2012 it was still not as hardcore as nowadays. Every things became easier and more accessible at some point for the new /“standard” drivers now but on the same way, it’s also becoming really picky as every details is counting and everybody is looking for the tiny details that makes you win thousands and can make the difference on the track.

ETS:
Beside the IFMAR worlds, which is the highest rated “single event race” for sure, the ETS has established itself as the world’s most important racing series for 1:10 scale electric touring cars.
As you are racing in the series since many years now, what in your opinion makes the ETS so special for so many people?
Loic:
In my opinion, the ETS series is so special for many because on one side, you can see the best drivers in the worlds racing against each other SIX TIME a year! Sometimes, when you are not too bad, you can also racing against them or if you f*** up, you can still be at least in the same ranking list! On the other side, on the same event and racing on the same track, you have also many “hobby” drivers who can fight for the win in the multiple classes that ETS is proposing, so everybody can find the best class for himself to enjoy the race at its best. Rules are quite simple and always related with the current situation. The atmosphere is also clearly one of the best, with Scotty making the show whatever main is running, and all the drivers feeling like they are winning big! It’s always hard to find the good balance between “hard competition” and “hobby” on a same event and the ETS series is clearly doing well.

ETS:
After a successful 2 years stint with Awesomatix you returned to your previous chassis sponsor Yokomo in 2020. On the electronic side you are a part of the LRP factory team since a very long time now. Can you tell us a little bit about working with the LRP team?  What do you think is the biggest benefit from staying with a sponsor or a product line for a long period of time?
Loic:
I have the chance to get the support from LRP and Jürgen Lautenbach for almost a decade now. Working with him is always rewarding as he is one the best in his job and his knowledge is incredible. We are talking quite often about the settings and improvements we can do. He always takes care of his drivers during an event (or even a practice session), watching our runs, asking how the electronics is feeling and giving his advices and his point of view about the changes. Then I’m trying to give him the best feedbacks to keep moving forward. We improved a lot the last few months and this is the results of our LRP teamwork.
For sure, staying with a sponsor for a long time gives many benefits. To me, the biggest is the confidence in all the ways, making things easier and respectful for both sides. You cannot win alone and the confidence you give and you get from a sponsor is one the most important key to success.

ETS:
Your club, the MRC Longwy, is organizing the Longwy Winter Series and the very famous GP3F race which is one of the first big indoor races in January each year. Is the GP3F your favorite event because it`s held in your hometown or is it more stressful for you than other races because of the work you have to put in setting up the event?
Loic:
Of course, it’s my favorite event! (Not objective). I really like to race at home in front of my family and friends. This gives me more confidence and makes me more relaxed. While it’s always a bit stressful before the event, as I have to help the guys to prep and set up everything for the event itself and at the same time preparing my RC stuff for the race, I’m always enjoying the race itself as a driver. I have the chance to be able to focus on my race and taking care of (almost!) nothing during the event like a normal driver as Mika and the guys are doing an outstanding job. But after A3, I have to help them again!

ETS:
Which driver you like watching the most  when he is driving on the track? Did you had an “RC hero” when you were young?
Loic:
I cannot name only one driver, as there is nothing sexy and exciting when a driver is driving alone. I would prefer to mention more than one, with Ronald, Marc and Bruno. These 3 guys showed us some memorable races! I was already too old to get an RC hero!

ETS:
Do you prefer carpet or asphalt racing?
Loic:
Definitely asphalt racing! Carpet is way too stressful…

ETS:
What is the best RC track you have ever driven on?
Loic:
I would say RCS Bangkok at the 2008 Worlds. Shame it does not exist anymore, but it’s still my best track on VRC!

ETS:
Do you have other hobbies outside the RC racing scene?
Loic:
I like doing sports : I’m playing a lot of Badminton, 2-3 times a week and also running, 1-2 times a week as well, depending on the motivation!

I also like gaming when I have free time, like during the lockdown for example. When I was younger, I was used to play a looot.

ETS:
Do you follow other sports or support any kind of team around the world?
Loic:
I’m a fan of motorsports racing in general, Formula 1 and MotoGP especially as these are the most publicized but I can watch whatever having an engine and making some laps around a track with a chronometer. Basically, I like competition!
I also like Football (Paris-Saint-Germain) and Tennis (Roger Federer) as well!

ETS:
Your friend Lucas Urbain told us, that he doesn`t like cheese which is kind of unusual for French people! What about you? How does your perfect meal look like?
Loic:
Just look at us and compare both : You can easily see which one is liking cheese!
Even if I’m French, Italians food is the best, and especially the pasta from my mum!

ETS:
When we finally can return to the racetracks, what are your goals in RC racing for the future?
Loic:
My goals are just to be back in the A-main as much as possible, with the 202(0)1 Worlds being the most important of course! Competition is tough nowadays with top7 always locked by the same drivers usually, so places are quite limited but I will do my best for sure!

ETS:
What would you recommend to younger people when they just started RC or when they want to try it out?
Loic:
They need first to enjoy it and take the time to improve step-by-step. For the youngest, they need to work well at school to convince their parents to buy all the stuffs and to travel and race.

ETS:
Thank you for your time and for being a part of the ETS family for such a long time Loic! We wish you all the best and we look forward to see you soon on the track!
Loic:
Thanks for the nice interview and also thanks to all of the ETS series’ crew for the job they are doing since a while, giving us the possibility to enjoy our hobby at its best and race all around Europe with friends. Take care, and I am looking forward to play cars very soon! Danke Ciao!

This week the guest in our series of “ETS Family Interviews” is Awesomatix team manager and one of the best Stock Touring Car racers of the last years – Mad Max Mächler! Find out when RC Car became more than a hobby and he finally ended up in leading the Awesomatix team.

ETS:
Hi Max, welcome to our series of interviews!  Firstly, we will just start by asking how you are doing in these strange and often difficult times?
Mad Max:
First of all, thanks for the interview! Currently I am doing well, and hope everyone of our RC Racers community is too. The whole situation isn’t easy for anyone, but we need to take it and do the best we can.
As my very little hometown is in middle of “nothing” with a lot of nature around, the limitations don’t feel so bad like in bigger cities.

ETS:
Obviously, as most people know, your job is really as the main Awesomatix representative in Europe and the official Team Manager for all your drivers.  Would you be able to explain what (in more normal times!) your day-to-day work consists of?
Mad Max:
I’m in a very lucky situation to have had the chance to transform my hobby into my actual job in 2018.
My main job is working at RC-KleinKram (RC-Shop) where I am doing mainly customer service and taking care about Awesomatix related tasks. In cooperation between Awesomatix and RC-KleinKram as official German Distributor my job includes the Awesomatix representative and Team Manager role.
As I am in very close contact with Oleg (The genius behind Awesomatix!) and all my team drivers, I bundle all the important information for both sides and allocate them. Taking care of the team drivers needs and requests, as well as organize for example the pit area at bigger races for the team and also racers who wish to pit with us, is just another task of many.
Furthermore is development and testing and important part of my job to further improve the products.
Because we all know: “stagnation means regression”

ETS:
And then, what is happening for you with work now, with the lack of racing around the world?
Mad Max:
In the current situation my tasks just moved more to the customer service area. In these times we receive a lot of requests about parts and products, as people have time to dig out the RC stuff from the past or want to buy something new to enjoy the lockdown time at home.
Beside this we still work on future project as well as on the finalization of the Awesomatix A12 1/12^th scale car.
 

ETS:
How are you personally finding things now with no racing?  What are you doing in your “free time”?
Mad Max:
Feeling pretty OK currently, as I had the feeling of an “racing overload” towards the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020. The break will help to gain back power and motivation for racing.
I my free time I work on a very special project which I have in mind for quite long time.
The plan is to “go live” with this project in 2020! I can’t tell more about it by now, beside that it’s clearly RC related.

ETS:
Let’s go back to happier times and think about racing in better times.  How did you get started in R/C?  What are your earliest memories of racing?
Mad Max:
It’s all my father’s fault (laughing).
I was like 4 years old when my father bought himself a Tamiya TA-02 BMW 318i STW kit which we raced on a parking lot. I was fascinated and wanted to have my own! In the same year, Santa Claus was very pleasant and brought me a Tamiya Fighter Buggy. After some time, we checked for clubs and tracks around us. We found the indoor asphalt track with included hobby shop called “MTC Schäfer”. We joined the club and practiced and raced there for several years. Today this hobby shop is transformed to an own RC brand and called “SHEPHERD”.

ETS:
We’ve seen from pictures you posted on Facebook over time that you did a lot of racing in the HPI Challenge in Germany.  How are your memories of that time and those racing events?
Mad Max:
Basically the whole racing thing started for me in the LRP-HPI Challenge back in the days.
My first race with around 5-6 years was in the HPI MINI RS4 class at MTC Schäfer track in Sandhausen.
I collected a lot of experience in this racing series by attending for several years in different classes.
Great memories, especially to the biggest events of that time, called the “Touring Car Masters” in Eppelheim.
See guys who travel from Japan or USA to Germany to race with RC Cars was super impressive for me, and I had always the wish to do same. Travel around the world and race rc cars!

ETS:
So that leads on to the next obvious step – how did you then end up driving an Awesomatix, and working for them?
Mad Max:
In 2012 my current club had still an own indoor track where Freddy Südhoff visited us often for practice and testing.
At this time, I used another car brand and was close to quit the hobby. But Freddy convinced me to try the Russian car and give racing another chance. I switched to Awesomatix in 2012, right before the ETS in Mulheim-Kaerlich (Season 6, Rnd.1). My first ever run with this car was the free practice on Friday morning. The car was like a bullet from lap one, just super impressive. At the end I finished 5^th overall in the ProStock class and made my first ever A-Main at the ETS!!!
After this race, I sent an email to Awesomatix, to say thank you for the masterpiece of an rc car which helped me to claim an ETS A-Main and keep me in the hobby. After this I had regularly conversations with Oleg and we became very good friends also outside RC. From 2011 till 2014, Freddy was the Team Manager of Awesomatix (till he switched to HB). At the end of 2014, Oleg visited me in Germany for a test week at my local track.
There he asked me if I feel ready to be the future Team Manager of his Brand. This all moved along till today and got more serious year by year.

ETS:
For you, thinking of all your time in racing, what changes are the most obvious to you?  Maybe with all the improvements in technology, is there anything that perhaps isn’t so good now?
Mad Max:
Most significant improvements IMO: 2,4ghz Transmitters, Brushless Motors, LiPo Batteries, pre-glued tire sets.
Also the RPM limit for handout stock classes is a great thing! But I see some negative points of racing which don’t relate to “technology”. I know some will disagree with it, or don’t like what I say, but I don’t fear to speak out loud my own opinion. I see a problem that bigger events need too much “days off”. In the past we had 3-day events. Nowadays they are often 4 days which means including traveling ~5 days. But the average of racers is limited with holidays at work. It’s a huge difference for the most, if they need to spend 2-3 days of holiday or only one! Another point is the weather fact. Nobody can influence on the weather, that’s obvious (well China and Russia are somehow good at this). I would love to see if more races and events would work on “rain race rules”.
If you look to the cost of a “wet car” and compare it with the costs to travel to races its kind of minor. Waterproofed electronics do exist and work very well. For sure we need to take care of the safety aspect for the participants and all the staff, but I think there can be creative solutions to make it work.

ETS:
Going back to your work with Awesomatix, you must be very proud of where the brand has got to now – one of the premier and most popular brands, and one of the most successful too – not bad for what is a very small company compared to the other competitors?
Mad Max:
Yes, I think we did a good job as Team and Brand in the past time. I am hyper proud of the progress and how things went! Awesomatix is still a very unique and small brand, which I think is also part of the success. We can decide and change things faster in case its needed.

ETS:
And your own racing successes have been very impressive recently – what do you look at your own best result or race event?
Mad Max:
Most exciting was the EC win in 2018 and the TITC win in 2019. To win an official EFRA title was always a dream, and it was an incredible feeling to achieve this goal. The TITC race in Bangkok was my first outing in Asia region, which I really enjoyed. Totally new culture, also the race organization and racing style was somehow different.
When I flew over, my goal was to make the A-main. To win this race in the end was a big surprise which I realised first the day after. Had such a great time there with Ryan Maker and Salton Dong who helped me so much at this race!

ETS:
As well as the success of the Awesomatix brand, and your own racing results, you’ve also recently spent more time as a mechanic for your leading Modified class drivers too.  How did that come about?  How did you learn the key skills to be a great mechanic as well as a driver?
Mad Max:
The mechanic thing is something I am used to. I worked long time as 1:1 car mechanic where I wrenched on really expensive and fast cars and highest precision and reliability was key! In RC I had also a very good and strict teacher who showed me a lot of tricks and how a perfect car should be (Marcel Geiger aka. MacGeiger).
The key to be fast on the track is a perfectly built car. This is the needed basis to work further on the setup.
As I am keen to build “perfect” cars, Oleg asked me if I can take care of some cars before events.

ETS:
And do you enjoy that side of the sport?  If you had to choose between winning a race yourself and building the car for another driver to win, which would you take?
Mad Max:
I really enjoy both sides for 100%. Kind of impossible to make a decision on this.
In the end I would choose what’s the best for my Team!

ETS:
In the six months or so before the virus pandemic closed so much down, you seemed to do more racing than ever – even traveling to China for a race there.  Do you think you found the ‘maximum’ it was possible for you to ever do in your racing calendar?
Mad Max:
2019 was a pretty cool year with more traveling than ever! I learned a lot, made many new friends, and experienced many different cultures. Overall, I spent over 120 days on tracks and events for testing and racing.
This was for sure on the upper limit! I had the plan to slow down a bit in 2020, but now the COVID-19 stuff slowed it down even further.

ETS:
And of course, in amongst that, was all the work on Awesomatix’s new 1:12^th scale car.  How did that project start off, and are you happy with the progress that was made?
Mad Max:
Kinda funny story. At the EFRA TC EC in Trencin 2019, Oleg sent me and Freddy a message to make our entry for the 1/12 World Championships. We were surprised, as we didn’t talk about 1/12 before. But Oleg told us he will finish a prototype for the WC and we should attend with it. We received the car 2 weeks before and spent 2 days testing before we headed to the UK. The car already worked fantastic at the first outing, and we improved the performance during the race.
So far, we are very happy with the A12 project.

ETS:
I guess that the shutdown of racing really came at a bad time for the 1:12^th project?  Do you have any ideas on what the next steps for the project will be now?
Mad Max:
Yeah kind of bad timing, but it gives us some time to further refine the A12 with the collected data from the WC and EC attendance. We collected a bunch of useful data which Oleg transform now into improved drawings and design. The release of the A12 is still planned for 2020.

ETS:
Looking ahead then to getting back to racing, which we all hope can happen soon on one level or another, what are you most looking forward to?
Mad Max:
Definitely the company with my team and friends! And for sure testing and racing myself. Nothing frees up the mind more than the 5min (or the very long 8min in 1/12^th scale) on the rostrum!

ETS:
And finally, has this enforced break from racing made you think of any races or events that you really miss, or maybe didn’t make it to yet, and now know you absolutely need to visit soon?
Mad Max:
There are still events on my “bucket list” which I couldn’t attend so far. Some were planned for 2020…
On top of this list is a trip to Japan to visit the Yatabe Arena for a race, as well as meet some of my Japanese friends.

ETS:
Thank you for your time – just to close, is there any last thanks or anyone you didn’t mention you should do??
Mad Max:
Big thanks to my Father who always support me, as well as Marcel Geiger, Oleg Babich, Freddy Südhoff, Salton Dong and Stefan Klein. Without you many things wouldn’t be as they are!
Shout out to all my sponsors for all their trust and support they put into Mad Max!

This week our media team talked to Freddy „The Green Machine“ Südhoff. He is one of the fastest non-professional onroad racers in the world and we tried to find out what Freddy is doing when he is not racing his Awesomatix touring car!

ETS:
Hi Freddy, great to have you here in our series of “ETS Family Interviews”. As we asked all drivers in the previous interviews, we also want to know how you and your family are doing at the moment in this very special life situation. Is everything fine at home?
Freddy:
Thanks for having me here and Hi to all readers! Yeah, everyone is doing fine so far. We try to get used of wearing a mask during shopping and stay as good as possible in quarantine. But that’s how it is. In the end this pandemic will help us all to stay even closer together, thankful for how good our daily life is/ was before and that we can only survive if we all act in concert.

ETS:
Most of the people out there think that RC racing is your job – but that is not the truth. Tell us a little about your real day job and how it is affected in any way at the moment due to the Covid-19 virus?
Freddy:
Right, the past 7 years I was used to be a service technician for industrial diode laser systems which means I travelled through the whole world to install and repair these lasers. The lasers are used for material processing such as plastic welding, soldering, hardening etc. most likely for the automotive industry. It was a great opportunity to get a “view behind the scene” of the big names in the industry. Lasers are used nearly everywhere nowadays. But since mid of 2019 I changed my internal position in the company and work now as a technical trainer/ instructor so all service technicians can benefit from my experience. The amount of travelling before was immense, together with RC I had kind of 40-50 flights a year! Now everything has calmed down and I most likely work only from our headquarter in Mainz, Germany. Currently I am working from home office till at least end of May. But his may change depending on government and company decisions.

ETS:
As we know, you lived in Mainz (Germany) for a couple of years and you bought your own house last year. Have you already moved to the new location? How does it feel to become a house owner at least?
Freddy:
Yes, my girlfriend and I moved around 6weeks ago into our own house, around 15-20min away from Mainz. Not the best time as it was the Covid-19 break out time but together with our closest friends we managed the movement to get done within a weekend. “Luckily” we are all in quarantine so immediately after work we can work on the house, in the garden etc. For sure there are no boring days for the next time! If you finish work on one side of the house/ garden you can start again on the other side.

ETS:
You are racing at the ETS and almost any other major events since many, many years now. When and how did you get started in the RC hobby?
Freddy:
If I remember correct, I started racing around 1999/ 2000. My dad came home from work and told my mum and me we need to come to his car and help him carrying out something from the car trunk (my mum had no idea!). Of course, as a 10year old boy, I was totally excited when I saw the small RC Car and all the equipment. It was a Kyosho TF2 kit, equipped with Aluminium chassis AND gear diff! Seems like nothing changed the last 20 years J The car had two super nice bodys with it. A Mercedes AMG DTM and an Audi TT DTM. Luckily, the beautiful track of MCC Rheda-Wiedenbrück e.V. was only 5min away located from my home. We went there for some “training” and after a super short time I did not want to give the radio out of my hands anymore. So my dad lost his new RC Car and I entered the RC world from that day on!

ETS:
Who was the most important person in your beginning stages of RC? How long did it take you to reach the level which allowed you to qualify for A-Main finals at the bigger races?
Freddy:
I would say it is not fair to mention only one person here. Of course, my parents, as they helped me on the financial side. But also, the club members were very helpful, and I felt integrated immediately. Specially the first chairman of the club at that time, Franz Göllner, who unfortunately passed away some years ago, but also Bernd Wellerdiek (Raceberry owner!) or Christoph and Olaf Thiele and many more. In the early beginning my dad built me a small trailer for my bicycle so I could carry all my equipment by myself. It was not an easy ride to the track as we still used automobile batteries to power up our chargers etc 😀 I was nearly every day at the track, especially during school holidays, drove 4-6 batteries and went home again. At the weekends I tried to race against Christoph Thiele and lost heavily. But he was so kind to help me growing at the track. When I used a Mabuchi 540 brushed motor, he used a 12T brushed and chased me down the track as long as I made a mistake and so on. I really still have great memories to that time and am sure to benefit till today from it! To be consistently in A Mains I would say it took me 6-8 years. The material was more important than today, and it took long until I received the support I needed. I would like to mention here the “Young Diamonds”, not many may remember. But it was group of young German drivers: Christopher Krapp, Yannic Prümper, Felix Bischoff and me. We got support from Orion and Tamiya (if I remember correctly) and if you see were those drivers lined up today, I would say it was a good call from those companies to help us!

ETS:
Now you are one of the fastest electric touring car drivers on the planet and you are in contention for the a-main and the top spots at almost every race you show up. In 2019 you won your first ETS race in Madrid after being very close for many times. What went right at this ETS in Madrid to finally get the job done?
Freddy:
I will never ever forget this weekend anymore! When we (Max and I) checked the weather forecast before the event, the motivation was not the highest. A lot rain was expected and cold, windy weather. But from little pre practice at home, we did know that our car worked excellent under tricky conditions. At that time, we were still the only company with a mid motor concept. From the very first practice run the pace was good and with the help of Max, who takes care of my cars as I am very limited in preparation time due to my normal job, I felt more confident from run to run. And once you are in flow, almost nothing can stop you and from mental power I felt superb. It is still very emotional, and I still get goosebumps when I see the video from A-Main 2. When a dream came true and you are able to win one of the biggest events in the world. As I said to redrc after the race, the competition is nowadays so high and you cannot win on your own, you win as a team. So many things need to come together.

ETS:
As we mentioned before, you are not a full time RC racer. Do you think you could be even faster when you would act as a professional driver, or is it better for you to have a normal job and take some steps away from the RC life during the week?
Freddy:
Very interesting question. For me, mental power is one key for success. Doesn’t matter which kind of sport, but when your mind is not clear, you cannot perform on a high level. So practice will help to get stronger mentally but also more routine in driving. The less you think the faster you are! Also, talent is key to success. If you let Ronald, Marc or Bruno drive with a shoe box, they still will perform on a high level, because they have pure talent and can drive with whatever has a radio!
But I kind of enjoy knowing that after the race, doesn’t matter if I made the A-Main, podium or even win, I can go on Monday morning to work and continue with my “normal” life. As a professional, you have a higher pressure as your sponsors pay your monthly bills and you really need them. On the other side you have to spend many weekends away from home as it is your job, so the private life changes as well. People most likely think they have an easy life, but once your hobby is your job, it won’t be that easy anymore.
I enjoy being semi-professional and still can decide if I want to go racing on the weekend or not.

ETS:
You are a very important part of the successful Awesomatix team which is fully packed with top drivers like Marc, Lucas, Max and many others right now. But you can remember the beginning of Awesomatix as well because you raced with one of their first platforms back then. How would you describe the way of Awesomatix from a newcomer company up to the top of the industry?
Freddy:
It was a tough way. Imagine a single Russian person, engineer, coming from a totally different job has a dream to create his own RC Car without having huge financial support in the background. That’s how Awesomatix was born! Oleg Babich, the man behind Awesomatix. Today one of the best in business if not the best designer. I think we received a lot of laughs in the beginning, especially with the art of shocks, shaft car, floating gear boxes etc. But already in the early beginning, small details made the difference. If Oleg sees that most brands go the same way, he has the ambition to still go his own, different, way. Copy paste is something you cannot find on Oleg’s keyboard. Being part of this development feels great. I stay 100% behind Oleg’s philosophy and I think this philosophy is what the customer likes the most. Going a different way with a big amount of creativity and engineering innovations is key to success. But also, customer support is something what Oleg and the team cares about. We listen to every racer’s feedback and Max as a team manager is almost 24/7 available not only for the team, also for customer support. 

ETS:
As we look on different classes right now, let`s talk about 1:12 scale racing. You attended the last euros in the Netherlands (4^th place) and the worlds in Great Britain as well. Have you ever raced in this class before or was it a start from zero for you? Will you continue to race in this class?
Freddy:
I raced 10 years ago the last 1/12 scale race. The class is huge fun, 8min. precise driving with those little cars is amazing and not as easy as it looks like. Last summer, Max and I got a message from Oleg that we should make our entry for the 1/12 worlds in January ’20. We replied like: “hey, ähm okay, but we do not have a car?!”. Oleg said: “Don’t worry, make your entry”. By the end of 2019, I think it was a race at the Hudy arena, Oleg were present as well and showed me the first drawings. I was stoked. I still don’t know from where he gets this inspiration, but it is amazing. As Max and I at least want to practice one or two days in advance of a World Championship, we tried to push the final development steps and production. So, here we are, 6 weeks in advance of the WC. Driving 10 years ago the last time a 12 scale car (I felt lucky as Max never ever touched a 12 scale car before). So, we went for some practice without any expectations for the Worlds and arrived in Milton Keynes. The event was full success for us. You wonder why, even we did not make the main in Modified? Because racing at the worlds is the highest level you can get. All companies send their best drivers. Without having any big knowledge, we got Max on Podium in Stock and I in the B-Main in modified. But even more important, we collected a high amount of data for further development. The EC in Holland went already a lot better for us so we are on the right way with the car. Of course I plan to continue to race 1/12. Our car isn’t released yet and I am looking forward to it, continuing developing the car and myself in this class.

ETS:
You have raced on a huge number of different tracks during your RC racing career. Which one do you like the most and is your “best RC racetrack”?
Freddy:
I would like to mention 3 different tracks: Apeldoorn, Welkom Arena SA and Luxembourg. All of them are special. Apeldoorn is like a real racetrack. Great curbs, infield with grass. The club takes care on every detail. The Welkom Arena in SA from Antonia is the craziest indoor arena I have ever seen. He put so much effort into this Arena and it’s a shame the number of drivers during the WC there was so low…And Luxembourg? I guess no explanation needed.

ETS:
Who is the best RC driver of all time and who is the driver you like to watch the most?
Freddy:
I don’t want to name only one driver. There are plenty I watched as a kid and with some of them I still have the pleasure to race and sometimes beat them! Back in the days like Baker, Spashett, Hara, Surikarn, Hirosaka or nowadays Völker, Rheinard, Coelho, Hagberg just to name a few. But independent of who is behind the radio, watching races is always fun. Doesn’t matter if A or Z main, seeing drivers racing there pants off without crashing, door to door is what makes our hobby so nice to see. I am sometimes more nervous watching friends racing then racing by myself!

ETS:
The area in which you are living is well known for good German wine. Do you like wine or would you choose a beer instead?
Freddy:
Whatever I answer now will cause discussions privately, so I say 50% / 50%.
As one of my closest friends is owner of a winery, I get a very detailed view into the process of wine growing. I often spend my free time there and help wherever I can such as driving tractor, helping in the vineyard, etc.
Drinking different wine or different beer sorts is a great experience. Everyone’s taste is different so there are always nice discussions who prefer what, what’s the flavor etc.

ETS:
A couple of years ago you made your private pilot license. Where does your love for aviation came from and how does it feel to fly a plane all by yourself?
Freddy:
Already as a kid I was very interested in planes and helicopter. I was amazed how they can “fly”. When I moved to Mainz I found out they have a small airfield where you are able to make the noncommercial pilot license. Immediately after the first seconds in the small plane I did know I want to make this license. So I started to collect some money and finally my dream came true! Flying is a nice adventure and I like to say: A mile on a highway brings you one mile away. But a mile on a runway brings you everywhere. Unfortunately, due to my racing and job schedule, I did not fly for a long time. But I hope to return as soon as possible!

ETS:
When you are not working or racing RC, how do you spend your days off at home?
Freddy:
As I said before, I often help in the winery of a friend. It’s actually very nice to calm down after a busy day at work. Being in the vineyard or sitting on the tractor in the field is always nice. In the evening, after the work we often sit together, enjoy a cool beer or glass of wine (or two) and do some barbecue. As we just bought a house at the countryside of Mainz, we also like to do some nice evening walks and just enjoy the nature. There is plenty to discover!

ETS:
Freddy, it was a pleasure to talk to you and we are looking forward to see you racing with the best in the business for many more years. Thank you for being a part of the “ETS Family” and now it`s your turn to finish off our nice interview!
Freddy:
Thanks for having me here. I hope we are able to return to racing soon. Even big events may not be held soon, make sure to support your local tracks in the near future. They need our racing fees and we all want to make sure they survive these hard times! We lost already a few tracks during the last years.
Stay safe and see you hopefully out there, soon!