UF1 RC Podium interviews
Drivers: Dave Berger (1st), Lee Passehl (2nd), Aaron Lane (3rd)
Driver: Dave Berger
Q: Congratulations on your win in Race 1. Now that you’re out front, what is the goal for the rest of the season?
A: To lay down the best 15m x 3 each race, working with my team mate, improving our driving technique, and our cars settings.
Q: You were tied in points at the end of the day, but your extra 2 TQ points put you out front. Do you think the extra 2 TQ points could become a major factor later in the season?
A: The 2pts could be crucial for the driver Championship, but do not count for the Team Championship, which is always the main goal.
Q: I know it’s early in the season, but who do you think will be your toughest rival?
A: The track and the clock are always what we are competing against. There are also many drivers who could win each race, as well as the championship. UF1 is providing a very deep field of competition, I imagine that is the reason so many top drivers have joined including the 3X world 12th scale Champion, Mr T. Neisinger! 😉
Driver: Lee Passehl
Q: Welcome back to the UF1,Lee. You were the Winter Series champ back in 2011 right here at TQ Raceway. How does it feel to be back?
A: It feels great! Two weeks after I won the 2011 winter series,I started running nitro touring sedan all over the west coast. At the beginning of this year,I started running in the Tamiya Championship Series again. They are letting past champions compete for the trip to Japan again so this year has been an all Tamiya year for me. I have been itching a bit to run the UF1 series again after watching the excitement at this year’s UF1 summer series. Congrats Tony by the way on your hard earned victory!
Q: The cars,tires and electronics have evolved a little since your win in 2011. Is this something that you’ll need to adapt to or are you ready to rock?
A: The technology has changed a bit,but to me it’s still the same as the last time I ran. There are a few things here and there that have changed such as the Shimizu tires and the 190mm rules but nothing really that big. It’s still as exciting and full action as before. I love the 15 minute format and the pit stops. You never really know who is the leader until the last pit stop is made. You have to just keep your head down and race!
Q: You’ve teamed up with Ron Shuur as Team Patron Honda. Do you think having a guy like Ron (and ShurrSpeed Racing) will greatly benefit your chances of a repeat win?
A: It think it does help a bit. It doesn’t guarantee us a victory,but it is a plus. He is a former IFMAR world finalist in 1/10th scale pan car and he has been racing as long as I have been alive! LOL He may not be as quick as he was 20 years ago,however he can still lay it down and knows when to make the right move. Age is just a number and Rocket Ron is living proof of that. He’s forgotten more setup knowledge than I’ll ever learn in a lifetime! Our goal is to win the team Constructors championship and let the individual standings take care of themselves. He’s a great team mate and I love the friendly smack talking that goes on between us during our practice sessions. Bring it on “Old Man”!
Driver: Aaron Lane
Q: You had a great showing last year in the 2012 Summer Series, even if you didn’t complete the entire series. Now that you’re running a chassis more suited to carpet, what do you think your chances are of pulling off a season-ending podium finish?
A: My chance of making the podium for the winter series greatly depends on my ability to drive consistent and clean races. I feel that anyone in the top two races has the ability and speed to do very well in the series. Since points are being assigned per heat it is critical to score as highly as possible so throw-outs do not knock you out of a possible podium position.
Q: You had a unique pit stop strategy in R1, waiting until the end to complete your two compulsory stops. Was that part of a strategy or a simple end-race decision?
A: I was wondering if anyone would notice my pit stop strategy. My decision to pit late was both strategic and an end-race decision. I was in a groove and just wanted to make as many clean laps as possible. I also noticed that many drivers were finishing pits early into the race. Waiting allowed me to be able to escape traffic in the closing laps.
Q: You seemed shocked that you actually took 3rd place overall. Were you not aware that you had some good run going during the day?
A: I knew that all three of my mains were strong. But I also knew that they were not at the very front of the pack. I assumed that I would have been farther down in the points as other drivers finished ahead of me. I did not take the consistency of other drivers into account, and was surprised that I placed third. There is a lot to be said for being consistent!
Thanks guys. Great racing and good luck in Race 2!
