RCCrawler Forums - Unofficial 2018 Worlds Photos (Bells Rapids, Western Australia)

(Here's my story and pics from last weekends' Worlds comp. Please feel free to add yours or to merge my thread with wherever else it better fits. Cheers, -Craig, Melbourne Australia)

The World Radio Controlled Crawler Association (WRCCA) presented the 2018 World Championship, an event which happens every two years. For the First time ever, this event was held in Australia. This year saw 5 different classes of rock crawlers: 1.9 Mini, 2.2 Sportsman, 2.2 Pro and Super; as well, for the first time ever, the Worlds event included 1.9 Performance Scale. The Championship was held across the weekend of November 16-18 at Bells Rapids in Brigadoon, Western Australia.

What follows are just my photos and story from the event from my perspective (I travelled over to Perth from Melbourne, 3000km away on the south-east Australian coast), but I hope others might want to share here their own pictures and stories too.

Spoiler first: Samu took the event by storm, achieving his goal many years in the making, with first place in Mini, Sportsman, Pro and Super AND third in Performance Scale! Phenomenal effort!

Here are the top three of each class:

Performance Scale:
1.Tom Kilvert, AUS
2.Marc Smith, AUS
3.Samu Sarka, FIN

Mini:
1.Samu Sarka, FIN
2.David Vayrette, FRA
3.Matthew Buck, USA

Super:
1.Samu Sarka, FIN
2.Erik Dye, USA
3.Steve Hudy, AUS

Sportsman:
1.Samu Sarka, FIN
2.Dion Voogt, AUS
3.Erik Dye, USA

Pro:
1.Samu Sarka, FIN
2.Erik Dye, USA
3.Steve Hudy, AUS

Overall:
1.Samu Sarka, FIN

All that hard work has, finally, paid off. What is next for you, Samu?

DAY 1 - We had an amazing first day, I learned heaps, found quality sportsmanship in the guys I drove with. In that unrelenting heat, everyone in our group kept his cool and showed exemplary sportsmanship even in 42+ degree heat and scorching sun. It was such a good day! Thanks guys :)

DAY 2 - Today was 26 degrees with cloud cover - so much easier to take than yesterday's 42+ degrees and punishing, unrelenting sun.

Day 2 of Worlds was for Super and Pro (MOA) classes. Super ran first, with six entrants each getting 6 minutes apiece to complete the 5 courses. Probably the most mentally-demanding class to drive, entrants are managing a big vehicle (the size of your typical 1:8 monster truck, but more narrow) and coordinating MOA (Motor On Axle) at each end AND with steering at each end. Reverses are counted and with so much maneuverability, the possible lines are often more varied and thus, more difficult to complete cleanly.

The guys put up a good fight and the decider will be tomorrow from the three best-scoring entrants..

After lunch, Pro class (MOA with 2.2 and front-only steering) began. I was one of 16 entrants, divided into 5 groups of 5 or 6 and taking turns working through each course as a group, one driver at a time, in rotating order (ie. most of us went first on one course, then last, then second last, then third, then second, ensuring equal opportunity and disability as much as possible).

I’m still coming to grips with my Pro rig so have set up the front and rear motors as essentially DIG units, giving me full forward axle only, full 4x4 and full rear axle only, switchable on my radio. The more seasoned drivers (and me also, after today - got a spare MT-4 to sell me?) use proportional control, allowing the driver to vary throttle input balance between front and rear using a thumb dial next to the wheel. I borrowed Yad Yad’s rig after Pro was done and attempted one of the Pro courses that pwned me earlier in the day – it was much easier to coordinate the axles to match what I actually wanted to see happen. I'm sold.

Some of the five Pro courses were diabolical while a couple of the others were a more simple affair. I think I finished 2 and had a DNF on 3, securing what I expect will be a middling to lower result in the group (ed. yep, 11th). Anything better than last in this class would exceed expectations, given I’m new to it, but I might be hooked! They’re a LOT of fun when driven well.

The highlight for me this afternoon was not the driving, as good as that was to enjoy. Better, my group of 5 included a previous year national champion for this class AND Erik, the D-Lux guy (his knuckles are on my Pro). Amazingly good company and super educational. I was honoured to be critiqued after most of the courses by these two guys, it was just mind-blowingly good and the kind of thing you’d have trouble even paying for (though I’m sure Cameron takes cash, cheques and credit card, if you ask him :P).

Pro classes ended just before 7pm. Tomorrow promises to be just as long, with finals for Mini, Pro and Super to be driven, along with the 28-strong field of Sportsman (‘shafty’), its own final, presentations and sponsor raffles and announcements. I’m shagged right now but can’t wait for tomorrow.

DAY 3 - Worlds Day 3 was so much better than Friday’s 46 degree scorcher (not a typo!!) and even more pleasant than Saturday’s 29 with mild cloud cover. A few international visitors even had hoodies on in the afternoon. Nice.

Today saw qualifiers run with the 29-strong field for Sportsman (‘Shafty’) class and then after lunch, the grand final drive for the best 3 in Super and the best 5 in each of Mini, Pro and Sportsman.

Shafty qualifiers ran first. I was privileged to be able to drive with Yad Yad again (David of France – we shared my Scale truck on Friday until it gave up on Course 4) running with his Sportsman. I was honoured he let me drive it alongside him given the likelihood of his entrance to finals. Also in our group of 5 was Tristan, Jason and Dion (the last of whom owns that amazing aqua-blue/green rig with the wide front stance and narrower rear, overdriven and underdriven like you wouldn’t believe).

We made our way through the 5 courses and with a few exceptions, had a very enjoyable morning. Mistakes were made and crushing disappointment was endured on the odd screw-up that would affect a few of us in the overall points accumulation. From our group, two of the five made the final 5 for the afternoon’s grand final drive: Dion placed 2nd and David/Yad Yad ran 4th. Well deserved, both – and you bet I was absorbing as much as I possibly could about driving in this class, just as I did yesterday when driving with Erik (D-Lux) and Cameron in Pro qualifiers. I placed 16th from the field of 29, this being the first time I’d ever driven a shafty. Credit to David’s prep and setup skill with his rig, which I found familiar and easy to pilot from the first course.

Credit to Jason Weiman for his intention to put me into the field with a rig. After a rough couple of evenings with various mishaps befalling him and friends, I had him halt his prep of a second rig for me in favour of getting himself running in the tiny window he had left this morning. Teaming up with David suited all three of us best – but Jason, mate, thank you for your generosity in offering a rig without a moment’s hesitation. I remain humbled and grateful, thank you.

Finals ran after lunch: Mini, Super, Pro then Sportsman. Samu worked for 6 years in 3 worlds to win 3rd, then 2nd, then this year, finally, first place. In Mini (2nd Matt, 3rd David). And Super (2nd Erik, 3rd Steve). And Pro (2nd Eric, 3rd Matt – I *think*, pardon my memory on this one). And Sportsman (2nd Dion, 3rd Erik). These guys were the height of sportsmanship throughout the day and it was my privilege to drive for half a day (more in some cases) with Erik, Cameron, Dion, David and others. What an experience!

Huge thanks to the organisers who pulled this thing together and also to the sponsors, without whom this event couldn’t have happened. I came for the experience. Got more than I bargained for with new friends, intense few days of schooling on drive theory, crash course in big competition administration, and best of all, a fantastic few days in amazing company. Worth it? Bells yeah. Time to start planning, practising and saving for the next one in 2020, because I’ll be there!!

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