> News

Serpent EP buggy Prototypes in World Championship final (20/09/2007)

By:: Eoghain O'Briain

Serpent drivers Billy Easton (USA) and Joern Neumann (Germany) have both placed their Serpent Durango based prototype 4wd buggies into the World Championships A-Main held last weekend. Billy went on to finish 5th overall while Neumann, in his 1st ever WC event, claimed 10th. Considering the level at World Championship events this was a fabulous achievement for both drivers, and the Serpent prototype buggy.

This years World Championships were held in the skiing area of Komatzu, Japan and the event was attended by all the major brands in this market, almost all with brand new cars and all with their world-class drivers present. The hosts did a perfect job in organizing the IFMAR Worlds!

Gerd Strenge (Mr. Durango), the designer of the Serpent prototype, supported both drivers in their quest for the WC title. Neumann has been racing the prototype for a long time already, while Easton, who joined Serpent in August only did 12 packs of testing before he needed to leave for the Worlds, his vast experience racing at the highest level paid off though! Even with very ample time to test and get used to the car, he got it dialed in quickly and with even more testing in advance his chances for a podium finish would have been bigger.

Serpent’s president Mr. Ronald Baar visited the event in Japan to follow the teams progress as well as getting a feel for the competition at this level of racing too. Serpent would like to congratulate new World Champion Jared Tebo of AE and also to congratulate the organization in Japan for staging a very well organized event. Also we like to thank Jimmy and Vicky for the nice reports in oOple.com covering much of the worlds and more. Check out the site: www.oOple.com/rc

1. Jared Tebo (USA) - 20 [10/10/0] AE B44
2. Ryan Maifield (USA) - 19 [9/4/10] AE B44
3. Ryan Cavalieri (USA) - 18 [8/9/9] AE B44
4. Masami Hirosaka (Japan) - 15 [6/8/7] Yokomo
5. Billy Easton (USA) - 12 [5/7/3] Serpent
6. Atsushi Hara (Japan) - 12 [7/5/2] Hot Bodies D4
7. Rick Hohwart (USA) - 12 [2/6/6] AE B44
8. Hayato Matsuzaki (Japan) - 11 [1/3/8] Hot Bodies D4
9. Naoto Matsukura (Japan) - 8 [3/2/5] Yokomo
10. Joern Neumann (Germany) - 8 [4/1/4] Serpent

Both Easton and Neumann will be doing their own race-report with more detailed information, which we will publish here soon. Both drivers will next need to get ready to race the Serpent 1/8 scale prototype buggy at the Worlds warm-up in the USA soon.

Although the design of this new 1/10 buggy is pretty much final, the development of the Serpent prototype will continue. The final car will have all the best features of the prototype and more, in a complete new design and look. Release to the market is scheduled for early 2008.

EP Off Road WC