Track Focus – Road Race Riccione
Name – Road Race Riccione RC Circuit Marco Simoncelli
Country – Italy
Location – Riccione
Host Club – Road Race Riccione
Surface – Asphalt
Direction – Anti-clockwise
Key previous races hosted – ETS 2015
With Italy returning to the ETS calendar last season after many years of attempting to get a race back in a country so passionate about racing, a new gem in tracks was discovered by drivers from around the world when Road Race Riccione RC Circuit Marco Simoncelli hosted the race in April. Located in the touristic seaside city of Riccione on the east coast of Italy, this time round the track hosts the race one round later marking it as the official start of the outdoor half of the season. The race is also one month later than last year however Europe’s current uncharacteristic weather means the shorts packed by racers are looking likely to spend the weekend left in the suitcase.
Winner on the first visit to the circuit last year, then heading a Yokomo 1-2, VBC Racing’s Yannic Prumper is, like many drivers, a fan of the track saying, ‘I like the layout a lot’. Asking what was the key to a good lap the German said ‘risking a lot going on to the straight’. Covering an area 70 metres wide by 60 metres deep, a good entry onto the 56 metre long straight is made more challenging by a bump which last year caught out many drivers resulting in some spectacular crashes. Commenting on the bump, Prumper said, ‘I thought they fixed the bump onto the straight but they didn’t’, adding his only complaint of the place was ‘it’s too bumpy’. With it possible to avoid the bump by taking an outside line he added you have ‘to get it absolutely right as its a small gap, otherwise your done’. Asked about the winds, which overnight managed to rip many of the Yokomo banners from the fencing along the straight, he said ‘the wind is making it even more dangerous’ with it greatly increase the risks needed to get a quick lap.
Located not too far from the full size Mugello MotoGP circuit, the rc track was built in 1999 and is run by the Road Race Riccione club which has a membership of 50. Originally a club for onroad nitro racers in recent years has seen electric become the main class. With MotoGP legends such as Valentio Rossi, Loris Capirossi and the late Marco Simoncelli from the area it is not surprising that rc bike racing is also popular, the track having hosted the 2012 1:5 Bike World Championships. The club is rather proud of the fact that Rossi has driven the track with a photo in the main building of the 9-time World Champion driving a 1:8 nitro car. The club has an association with Marco Simoncelli Foundation after raising money for the charity during the 1:5 World Championships and remembers the #58 rider by officially incorporating his name in the track title and placing a tribute to him on the top of the drivers stand.
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