> News
The Peo perspective - Serpent Nitro Tour Thailand (21/01/2007)
- By:
- Laurant
- Linked to:
- 2007 Serpent 'Nitro Tour' Bangkok
Our Swedish team driver Per Ola Hard travelled to Bangkok for the recent Serpent Nitro Tour Thailand event and afterwards he sent us this report......
Not being able to do any nitro racing since September it was great to be on the track again. Starting my trip in Sweden with a quick stop at the Serpent factory in Holland on my way to Bangkok Thailand and the Serpent Asia Nitro Tour of 2007. While at the track it was great fun to meet up old friends again, especially the old buddies from Korea who I hadn't seen for several years! Also talking a lot with my good friends from Serpent Indonesia was great. The race looked to be a big success with so many drivers from all over Asia! Already here I would like to thank Mr Shiu from World Model for inviting me also this year.
The Race
The Sirikarin track was fun to drive at with a nice layout and smooth tarmac, and the organisation was very good the whole weekend! I was a bit unlucky in my race as I see it. In the first qualies I had some traction-roll, the second one went ok but to much understeer (but the traction-roll problem was solved), unfortunately this heat was run in the middle of the day when the track was slower and conditions very hot, but I had now a result and felt confident for the remaining. In heat 3 and 4 I had some problems finding the correct setting of my engine, either to lean or too rich and could therefore not improve my result and make the A-main even if I felt the chassis to perform for it. Ok disappointed now, was only in the B-main together with the Sahachi brothers and others like Lau Chi On who won last year in Hong Kong who also had been unlucky during the qualifications in the very hot and demanding conditions.
In the beginning of the B-final the engine was to rich so at the first pit stop Michael made it a bit leaner, it died and could not restart, race over. Taking the engine apart I found some evidence of overheating probably caused already at the heat 3 on Saturday. Well anyhow I had a very good time and learned a lot with the setup. Speaking with good drivers like Surikarn and Suruth from Thailand and the Japanese brothers gave me input I will benefit from in coming races I am sure! I used the new option chassis and if felt good, I also used the new 18t pulley for increased front overdrive and that worked out good as well, so did also trying the new floating GTP bodymount in the rear that can be used for touring bodies as well.
New friends from this race are Koz Hamada from Central in Japan and the Sahachi brothers, or "the kids" as we called them. In the 1:8IC A-final I was mechanic for the older brother Yuya Sahachi, refuelling etc and he got 3:rd place after his younger brother Tadahiko and Michael so it was great to be part of that. A nice ending to a fun trip to Thailand!
The event ended with a very nice banquet Asian style at the excellent driver’s hotel!
Thanks to all Asian Serpent drivers for making the race a big success!
Of course also big thanks to Serpent Motorsport in Holland and Mr Shiu of World Model for making this trip possible for me!
See you again next year somewhere in Asia, happy racing in 2007!
// Per-Ola “Peo” Hard
New racer from Serpent for Thai market
Peo Hard and the Sahachi brothers before the final
The large gathering of Serpent racers in Bangkok
News