The Vibe TC Challenge is officially underway, with two drivers now having completed rounds of the FPL 8 Championship using our new challenger – the Schumacher Vibe Touring Car.
Huge thanks to Schumacher RC and the ongoing support from Schumacher Racing for supplying the club with a brand-new Schumacher Vibe chassis. Over the next three rounds, we’ll be pushing the car to its limits right here on our Killamarsh circuit to see how it performs in real race conditions.
Round 3 Driver: Chris Ratcliffe
Our Friday Night Race Director, Chris brings decades of touring car experience and was eager to see how the new Vibe platform stacked up.
So far, the Vibe chassis itself has been 100% reliable. The only interruptions to timed runs have come from electrical gremlins (user error) or tyre issues – not the car.
A Tricky Start… but a Strong Finish
Chris’s round didn’t start as smoothly as Steve Baggley’s debut two weeks earlier. Right out of the gate, the car appeared to lack grip and was proving difficult to manage, particularly at the rear end.
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After two challenging qualifying rounds, Chris opted to fit fresh Volante tyres to find more traction.
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Unfortunately, Volante rubber requires at least 5 minutes of running before reaching peak performance, which hindered his final qualifying attempt.
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This left him starting from the C Final.
The final, however, showed the Vibe’s true potential. As the tyres came into their own, Chris was able to settle into a competitive rhythm and enjoyed a great battle with Peter Gill, who was also running a Vibe chassis.
Although the pace came a little too late to change his overall result, the car looked far more planted and promising when everything finally clicked.
Chris’s Take on the Meeting
How did it go for you?
“After a great start to the FPL 8 season, this was my worst meeting. I just couldn’t get the rear end to grip with the standard setup. Eventually I managed to get the car to respond, but it was too late. I had a great final with Pete and really enjoyed the car when it started working. Credit to the car’s durability too – it took a few knocks and just kept going.”
Strengths & Weaknesses?
“It’s well balanced and much stronger than it looks. It reacts well to setup changes and has just enough options without feeling overwhelming.”
How does it compare to your Mugen?
“Hard to compare – my Mugen has been strong this season. I think it’d take a few meetings to match its pace, but I do think it’s possible with the right electronics.”
What would you change?
“New tyres from the start. The lack of grip made setup testing frustrating – and every time I got back on track, I felt like I was starting again.”
How will others find it?
“I think it’ll be close. It’ll come down to who manages traffic better and who turns up best prepared.”
Driver Voting Results
Chris received a similar volume of votes to Steve’s previous round. Here’s how the club rated the Vibe during his meeting:
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Setup appearance | 3 – OK |
| Slow corner grip | 2 – Poor |
| Fast corner grip | 3 – OK |
| Balance & consistency | 3 – OK |
| Meeting management | 3 – OK |
| Qualifying performance | 2 – Poor |
| Final performance | 4 – Good |
Club feedback highlights:
“It just looked like it lacked a lot of grip.”
“Chris struggled with the setup of a new car and was finding it difficult to reach his usual pace.”
Up Next – Round 4 with James Herring!
The Vibe Challenge continues at Round 4, where James Herring takes the wheel (or rather… the transmitter!)
James is the reigning FPL champion, so he’s potentially the fastest racer on the grid. However, he’s returning after a short break, which means he might be a little rusty. He’s also the youngest driver in the field, with the least amount of RC racing experience — but that hasn’t stopped him from proving he has serious pace.