Bloomfield to leave Horizon/TLR

[bomber]

Source Horizon Hobby UK Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/HorizonHobbyUK

It is with great disappointment and sadness that Horizon / TLR announce the departure of pro-racer Darren Bloomfield after a long 16 year association with the brand that dates back to the early 1990s when he was a young child. His on-track speed and prowess has always been a characteristic trademark for all to see but we wish to acknowledge and thank Darren for his unerring commitment to us as his sponsors throughout the years. Darren has been a great asset to the team and an ambassador for TLR / Horizon and we wish him all the very best for the future, both personally and professionally.

[spud31]

a shock was running the 22 yesterday at maritime

[racingdwarf]

Hmmm splashet, now bloomers:confused:. funny as he spent a few years running some quite old cars, now they have the 22 2.0 and the new 4wd comming, possibly the best cars they have had for a long time, and he's off, strange

[DAVO]

Big loss for losi bloomers is one of the best drivers in the world

[hotrodchris]

Very suprised the big question is where or who is he off to?:confused:

[Zippy G]

Great Guy :thumbsup:
Great driver :drool:
Great Loss For Losi :(

Wish him all the very best wherever he hangs his transmitter :woot:

[DAVO]

X-ray ,hot bodies,associated,Kyosho ????would prob need 1/8th and 1/10th

[leeboy44]

Or he might do the same as lee martin

8th with 1 team and 10th with another?

[mikeyscott]

Or he might do the same as lee martin

8th with 1 team and 10th with another?

That's my first thought.

[DAVO]

Strange thing though is the fact that bloomers was actually employed by losi horizon so it's not just like he is changing sponsor but more his actual employer as well

[hotrodchris]

Xray or Kyosho, 2 proven brands with support in the UK?

[xfactor]

Now Tamiya and Mugen would be great.Especially for Lee Martin, what a team that would be.

[DAVO]

Hara poss be driving for kyosho so unless the grabbing every one lol

[AfroP]

Big loss for losi/horizon
Surprised by this.....
Good luck in the future

[mikeyscott]

Hara poss be driving for kyosho so unless the grabbing every one lol

Blooms to HB to replace Hara then?

I think who can afford to a) have lots of the world's best on the squad

[James Pritchard]

Darren will be a big loss to the team.
He has been a massive help to many of us in the team and also all the club racers who race with Losi products.
I for one would like to thank him for all the great work he's done to promote the brand, and wish him well in the upcoming season.

[hotrodchris]

Blooms to HB to replace Hara then?

I think who can afford to a) have lots of the world's best on the squad

Possibly Durango then?

[DAVO]

Not if he takes advice from Boots :eh?:

[racingdwarf]

put my biggest money on kyosho, great 8th and 10th package and I think kyosho could just do with him in 10th at the min as altho boots pops in now and again 8th is were his main intests are.....things could be a bit cosy in the 8th pits tho:lol:.

HB could be a wild card good 8th, good 4wd 10th on the way that drives like an 8th car apparently but the 2wd needs some work

[Chris Larner]

Be surprised if he goes to Kyosho as they probably havnt got the deal/money he would be after.
Hot Bodies is probably the best shout so far.

[rcpower]

You think so? I can be wrong but I think they have very deep pockets...

Be surprised if he goes to Kyosho as they probably havnt got the deal/money he would be after.
Hot Bodies is probably the best shout so far.

[knighthawk]

Any votes on Yokomo ?

[spud31]

Hot bodies or Mugen
Maybe 8th only

[DAVO]

My votes Xray

[bigred5765]

no ones mentioned yokomo

[mark christopher]

no ones mentioned yokomo

take it you missed post 22?

[badger5]

Hot bodies or Mugen
Maybe 8th only

I doubt he will do only 8th as all the top drivers seem to do multiple classes these days. Maybe he will go with HB/HPI but I thought they were low on money and that's why Hara left. My vote would be either X Ray or a Yokomo/Mugen mix, but where ever he goes it must be a big move as he wasn't sponsored as such by TLR but a direct employee.

[Gavin Collingwood]

My bet is kyosho

[Origineelreclamebord]

I'm curious why he left in the first place... Everyone's talking money, maybe there are other reasons? Being that Horizon Hobby/TLR is a large operation (for the RC business, anyway) and the location of TLR, I can imagine even at his level he may have (had) a limited role in the development of the 22 and 22-4 because it's more practical for TLR to test all their stuff in the USA (at least, for all I know that generally has been the case with the 22-4).

I don't know much about Darren, but I can imagine after such a long time you're looking to do something new, work with new people, vent your ideas on buggy design... Whatever it is, I'm just saying money doesn't have to be the driving factor for his departure, his spot at TLR was probably a well payed one :)

[s22jgs]

Anyone considered the fact he might not want to be a "full time" driver any more? Darren is a nice bloke, he does have a normal job and a baby - Perhaps the toy cars are taking a back seat.

[DAVO]

Last time I spoke to him he was a pro raced for a living and was working for horizon losi

[DAVO]

I have noticed he has not been to Many oversea races when the likes of Martin boots cragg have been this could be his personal choice with having a young child but it could be losi/horizon being tight and not sending him as they think they don't need to they have American racers ;) how can he be competitive if they won't send him to warm ups etc
Just my opinion prob nothing to do with why he left but I have noticed this.
I remember when Robert battle left AE for mugen he said he wanted to be with a company that treat him as there main racer and not just some one to do Spanish nats
Once again this is purely speculation and it prob millions of miles from the truth as to why he is really leaving losi

[TARTMAN]

he was a full time driver. employed. for 16 years as that.

curious what he's doing next:eh?:

top bloke and awesome racer. wish him the best where ever or he goes and what ever he does.............

[paulj]

He's getting Adam Skeldings job the new 1/8th needs promoting ;)



disclaimer: I have no clue where he's going - err no wait - I have no clue at all :thumbsup:

[Chris Elworthy]

Quite a shock to say the least,

For me, speculating of course I see him joining Kyosho. Kyosho need more top drivers on the world stage to support Tebo and Ronnefalk if they are to break the long running AE dominance, Kyosho certainly have massively competetive cars in the major classes too.
On the domestic front Kyosho have recently lost their premier driver in Kev Lee who hasn't been replaced as far as I'm aware which again would just make sense.
Xray seems another strong possibility but my money's on the K brand.



Chris

[s22jgs]

Quite a shock to say the least,

For me, speculating of course I see him joining Kyosho. Kyosho need more top drivers on the world stage to support Tebo and Ronnefalk if they are to break the long running AE dominance, Kyosho certainly have massively competetive cars in the major classes too.
On the domestic front Kyosho have recently lost their premier driver in Kev Lee who hasn't been replaced as far as I'm aware which again would just make sense.
Xray seems another strong possibility but my money's on the K brand.



Chris

Elliot Boots - Worlds TQ?????

[mikeyscott]

Unless another top driver is making a move from AE/Kyosho/TD etc.

I understand he has re-signed for Orion for electrics, so that would indicate he's carrying on in 1/10th.

[Chris Elworthy]

Boots priorities lay in 8th scale, so far anyway so Im sure Kyosho will want somebody else.




Chris

[AfroP]

my money is on him going to schumacher to help them develop a 1/8th buggy
possibly xray as they have next to no driver support in the UK

[rcdunk]

Unless another top driver is making a move from AE/Kyosho/TD etc.

I understand he has re-signed for Orion for electrics, so that would indicate he's carrying on in 1/10th.

with the signing for orion would tie in nicely with savoya at xray

worth a punt new 2wd buggy just out 4wd in its second year and the 8th is coming along nicely in savoya's hands another top driver on their books would not be a bad thing

[Chris Larner]

Bet Darren is laughing to himself while reading all this speculation.:woot:

[racingdwarf]

This bit on Neo may shed some light:confused:, this and some other news I have heard makes you wonder a bit what the future holds:confused:

Full story found here:
http://www.neobuggy.net

Rumour has it that the racing branch of the Horizon Hobby empire, ‘TLR’ is due to reduce in size, with the RC grapevine in overdrive with claims that the ‘Team’ part of ‘TLR’ will be the first to see the changes. The news comes only a week after the Darren Bloomfield’s shock split from the company and we hear that Mike Truhe may be the latest driver to have agreed a deal to drive for another company in addition to rumblings of severely reduced budgets for existing drivers on the team.

It remains to be seen, 2014 looks uncertain for the company that was once riding expertly on the crest of the 1/8 offroad wave, TLR’s 22-4 (4WD 1/10th) is due for release in January but hasn’t quite found favour within the team as of yet and despite Adam Drake’s Nats win this year giving TLR a hat trick of ROAR 1/8 buggy titles it seems the team budget’s belt has tightened.

NeoBuggy contacted TLR for a response but did not receive any comment at time of publishing

[gainsy]

http://www.neobuggy.net/2013/11/29/darren-bloomfield-exclusive/

[racingdwarf]

well thats 8th taken care of now for his 10th ride

[Ross]

well thats 8th taken care of now for his 10th ride

Who says there will be one..........

[DAVO]

Bloomers to Schumacher

[Chesty]

Racingdwarf will love that:lol:

[mark christopher]

http://www.redrc.net/2013/12/darren-bloomfield-to-race-schumacher-110-buggies/