A Message From Tamiya Racing Factory ( TRF ) Future plans
After all the rumour, we now have the following statement from Tamiya Japan regarding its Tamiya Racing Factory operation. 'TR...
https://www.thercracer.com/2016/12/a-message-from-tamiya-racing-factory.html
After all the rumour, we now have the following statement from Tamiya Japan regarding its Tamiya Racing Factory operation.
A frustrating lack of information there, although I am sure more information will come soon. So what can we deduce from the above and the other small tidbits we have heard?
We can take from that statement that TRF will continue as a brand. It is the most successful 1/10 touring manufacturer with 5 world titles, no one has come close to that. From other sources such as Tamiya USA we do know that all the designers and engineers are still remaining and continuing to develop new parts and new TRF cars.
However we do not know if they will actually attend any more world championships.
However we do not know if they will actually attend any more world championships.
To race in the worlds they will need some top level drivers. We know that they let Marc Rheinard go, so they are at the very least scaling back on their professional racers. However they must still retain a few, otherwise how can they develop chassis and parts that are competitive? Maybe they will keep Akio Sobue (**Update 31/1216 Sobue has also left:( ) and some of their other Japanese world class talent. It makes sense as they can represent them at the proposed events in the statement above, and importantly still represent them on a world stage.
Personally, I can see why a company like Tamiya does not want to heavily invest in a top tier race team. They have a wide product range and they are not a pure race brand like X-Ray who have a huge investment in their racing team. It must be remembered that in comparison the TRF Team has always been very small compared many other teams. Their achievements have always made them seem bigger than they were, thanks to their fantastic driver line-up and their strong team ethic.
The TRF cars have always had a strong core fan-base, and it is crucial that TRF doesn't fail at this critical period as it changes its focus. The statement says that they want to invest in creating a closer bond with local (Club) racers. So let's hope that in the coming weeks and months that Tamiya give us more detailed information. In the meantime we will all just need to work together sharing info and set-ups for the Tamiya cars we race to ensure that we keep battling for the wins.
Personally, I can see why a company like Tamiya does not want to heavily invest in a top tier race team. They have a wide product range and they are not a pure race brand like X-Ray who have a huge investment in their racing team. It must be remembered that in comparison the TRF Team has always been very small compared many other teams. Their achievements have always made them seem bigger than they were, thanks to their fantastic driver line-up and their strong team ethic.
The TRF cars have always had a strong core fan-base, and it is crucial that TRF doesn't fail at this critical period as it changes its focus. The statement says that they want to invest in creating a closer bond with local (Club) racers. So let's hope that in the coming weeks and months that Tamiya give us more detailed information. In the meantime we will all just need to work together sharing info and set-ups for the Tamiya cars we race to ensure that we keep battling for the wins.
