MB Models King of Clubs 2021 to kick off at the Demon Power Raceway
Aldershot Model Car Club will host over 100 racers representing five clubs to kick off the second running of the popular regional series.
Created during the first lockdown as a collaboration between Adur, Aldershot, Eastbourne, and West London clubs, Colchester Model Car Club joins the series for 2021.
Renamed following the passing of RC legend and Aldershot Club stalwart Nick Adams, the Demon Power Raceway’s famous banked turn one sweeper and ultra-technical right-left-right chicane onto the straight is a unique challenge. Home advantage will be a factor in both the drivers and team championship standings at the end of round one.
The King of Clubs format incorporates an interclub teams championship alongside a more traditional drivers championship. Selected drivers score points for their team depending on where they finish in their final. Tactics play a critical role because a C-final win scores the same as an A-final win. Club team captains need to select drivers in different classes and abilities to maximise their chance of success. Eastbourne Electric Car Club showed the way in 2020, beating Aldershot into second place - a result Aldershot will be looking to turn around this season, starting at their home track.
Aldershots Michael Lee starts the F1 class as favourite ahead of a strong field, including Eastbourne's Aiden Gale and West London's Paul Ellis. A strong entry in the new MTC class is harder to call, with Eastbourne’s Ollie Payne arguably narrow favourite ahead of Eastbourne's Stuart Rand and West London's Dani Young. The Adur team will be hoping touring car drivers Matt Quinlisk (17.5 Blinky) and Liam Hendy (13.5 Blinky) will put their club in contention. Still, Glenn and Jay Westwood (Aldershot, 17.5) and Ash Wiffen (West London, 13.5) will have something to say about that, not to mention two young drivers rapidly climbing the ranks in the faster stock class. Eastbourne's Charlie Colby, 13 years old and Jack Collins, 14, are certain future champions.
Eastbourne’s Charlie Colby and Jack Collins.
The Tamiya Junior-E series also gets underway as part of this year's King of Clubs. The organisers established the series in partnership with Tamiya UK to offer kids with little or no RC experience an easy route into electric circuit racing. A stock class based on the Tamiya TT02 with only a few permitted race hop-up parts, the series is for drivers aged 12 and under. Drivers with fewer than 10 races under their belt race as 'Rookies' while those with more experience compete as 'Juniors'.
In between races, the 16 kids contesting RD1 of the Junior-E will be taking inspiration from a strong entry in the blue riband Modified Touring Car class. A strong entry of factory-backed national drivers includes the three fastest drivers in the UK. Olly Jefferies, looking for his sixth consecutive National Championship in 2021, races multiple national champ Chris Grainger and 26-year-old Schumacher ace Zak Smith and rising Yokomo star Harley Eldridge.
Just like the rookies just starting out on their racing careers, we can't wait to see who will come out on top.
RD1 of the MB Models King of Clubs is on 16th May.
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Series Dates
Round 1 - 16th May 2021 @ Aldershot Model Car Club
Round 2 - 6th June 2021 @ Eastbourne Electric Car Club
Round 3 - 27th June 2021 @ Colchester Model Car Club
Round 4 - 18th July 2021 @ West London Racing Centre
Round 5 - 15th August 2021 @ Adur Model Car Club
2020 Series Roll of Honour
King of Clubs: Eastbourne Electric Car Club
Tamiya Champion Driver: Mark Matthews, Aldershot
FWD Champion Driver: Stu Colby, Eastbourne
F1 Champion Driver: Aidan Gale, Eastbourne
17.5 Blinky Champion Driver: Billy Fletcher, Eastbourne
13.5 Blinky Champion Driver: Liam Hendy, Adur
Modified Champion Driver: Ben Moorey, Eastbourne
Best Junior Driver: Elliott Trinder, Eastbourne
