Masami retired from competition.

[Jonathan]

Is this old news ? I was hoping to see how Masami went with the Bmax.

http://www.redrc.net/2009/03/yokomo-sign-world-champion-hayato-matsuzaki/

Fourteen time World Champion Masami Hirosaka, who has announced his retirement from competition, will oversee operations for Yokomo and has put together the current team in preparation for this years World Championships that take place in South Africa

[telboy]

Wow, thought he might have waited until he won the TC world championship.

[jono83]

i was sure he wouldnt let that elude him

[vinny20]

He's the one of the best rc racer's ever and he has done it all

[MChandler]

Well i dont agree, he has not won the TC world championship? but yes he is one of the best!

[niggs98]

is it 14 other world championships he has won tho ????? either way i cant wait for someone else to try and beat his tally. i know every racer ever would like that amount of world titles to his/her name

[jondell]

is it 14 other world championships he has won tho ????? either way i cant wait for someone else to try and beat his tally. i know every racer ever would like that amount of world titles to his/her name

Kinda already has been in my eyes.... Lamberto Collari 8 times IFMAR champ in 1/8th circuit. That is 8 times in same class. Masami's have come from different classes with some over the same week when he's been unbeatable and therefore collected 2 titles in one go.

[bert digler]

Well i dont agree, he has not won the TC world championship? but yes he is one of the best!

he is the best:o

[Welshy40]

The best by far

[ashleyb4]

Name a driver who is as good as him or has come any where near him he is the best.

A

[jim76]

Kinda already has been in my eyes.... Lamberto Collari 8 times IFMAR champ in 1/8th circuit. That is 8 times in same class. Masami's have come from different classes with some over the same week when he's been unbeatable and therefore collected 2 titles in one go.

isn't that the point. Masami has won so many classes. no one else has his verstility.

[bert digler]

Well i dont agree, he has not won the TC world championship? but yes he is one of the best!

masami could beat you driving with little masami and his two veg ;)through a mirror :D

[MChandler]

Hahaha:D:D:D he most probs could

[Welshy40]

masami could beat you driving with little masami and his two veg ;)through a mirror :D

Actually your not far off the point here, as I recall at one of the worlds he was allowed to do a display drive for the public and guess what he used to drive the buggy around the track with....his feet. They said that the lap times he was putting in were driving with his feet would not have put him in last position at the worlds, and kindof shows just how good he is.

[jondell]

isn't that the point. Masami has won so many classes. no one else has his verstility.

i'm not saying collari is a better RC racer than masami, just his achievements are equal or maybe better. Collari has TQ the 1/5th worlds and should have won one as well, so his ability to crossover to other classes is there. 8 worlds wins in one class shows consistency and domination. collari and masami have never and will never race against each other so we will never know.

also in terms of longevity. Masami's first won in 1987 and his last win was 2004, collari first was 1989 and is current 1/8th world champ.

its a discussion!!!!

[showtime]

i'm with you on this one Delboy :)

[bert digler]

Actually your not far off the point here, as I recall at one of the worlds he was allowed to do a display drive for the public and guess what he used to drive the buggy around the track with....his feet. They said that the lap times he was putting in were driving with his feet would not have put him in last position at the worlds, and kindof shows just how good he is.
i watched him do it at the basildon worlds yeah he was off the pace but it was mesmorising;)

[showtime]

pfffft!


i don't even watch the right car sometimes :rolleyes:

[Crazy L]

i'm not saying collari is a better RC racer than masami, just his achievements are equal or maybe better.

its a discussion!!!!

It most certainly is, not all of Masamis were from off road surely (correct me if I'm wrong here). So for me, it's Masami.

[SlowOne]

masami could beat you driving with little masami and his two veg ;)through a mirror :D

Actually your not far off the point here, as I recall at one of the worlds he was allowed to do a display drive for the public and guess what he used to drive the buggy around the track with....his feet. They said that the lap times he was putting in were driving with his feet would not have put him in last position at the worlds, and kindof shows just how good he is.I first saw him drive with his feet at Romsey in 1987, when he won the 4WD title for Schumacher. During the same display, he turned his stick transmitter upside down, and proceeded to drive the car as if it were the right way up!

It is told that, to practice, he would put about eight of those toy cars (the ones that whizz along, and when they hit something, roll over and go back the way they came) into a pen, and drive his car around some cones without hitting the toy cars. When that got too easy, he would turn around, and drive the car looking in a mirror.

Collari might be good (but remember he was disbarred from EFRA for cheating at a big event!) but no one was ever as good as Masami. His greatest achievement, in my view, was that he raised the bar for every other electric driver, and they rose to the challenge - he didn't win every WC he entered over 20+ years - and beat him.

Good luck, Masami-san, and thank you for the privilege of being able to watch you. :)

[super__dan]

Ohhhhh, what did he do to cheat?

[telboy]

I 've only seen him drive once and that was at the Worlds in south sheilds, 1998 I think. He was awesome to watch, but he (and everyone else) were slaughtered by Mr Spashett in all 3 classes!!

Still a shame he didn't stay on for the TC title though.

[StuartC]

It is told that, to practice, he would put about eight of those toy cars (the ones that whizz along, and when they hit something, roll over and go back the way they came) into a pen, and drive his car around some cones without hitting the toy cars. When that got too easy, he would turn around, and drive the car looking in a mirror.

That sounds like a Stig intro…..

"Some say that when he goes to the toilet he craps out flat Ni-Mh cells, and if he points his thumbs at you you suddenly uncontrollably go where he says. All we know is………… He’s called Masami” :o

[SlowOne]

:D :D The Stig of RC...

[Gonky]

"Some say that when he goes to the toilet he craps out flat Ni-Mh cells, and if he points his thumbs at you you suddenly uncontrollably go where he says. All we know is………… He’s called Masami” :o

:lol::thumbsup::lol::thumbsup: