PeterV
12-11-2006, 11:51 AM
http://209.2.68.15:8011/pics/X6ellis.jpg
Latest from www.4WDRC.com
ELLIS STAFFORD JOINS X FACTORY
Ellis Stafford has joined the X Factory Team with an Agreement through the end of 2007. Stafford will do all the U.K. Nationals, the Belgian GP, Euros, and the Worlds in Japan. "Has it really been 22 years? I started racing when I was 10 -- yes, I am that old - and these fresh ideas and a new team make me feel so young!"
Stafford has been at or near the top of U.K. racing for almost 15 years, winning his first National Championship in 1996 with one of the very few perfect scores ever recorded. This development is surprising because Ellis has been driving for Helger his entire career and for Losi the last 12 years. Ellis always seems ready to talk, so we reached him at his home in Essex to ask him, "Why switch now?"
"The xx-4 has been one of the very best 4-wheelers, and I've been itching to drive X Factory's X - 5 since I first saw one. Now I know that Doing The Math is so much fun and so fast; and I'm looking forward to 4WD with new interest this year. A car that's easy to drive yet different and proven fast inspires lots of confidence on the rostrum.
"The X - 6 certainly is different, with certain advantages at different parts of the track. That's what gives me that cool 'new beginning' feeling. As you know, I experimented with a mid-motor car last year, and at least for our U.K. surfaces, this is the way to do a buggy. X Factory have given me a great opportunity to develop my ideas almost from the start, and it's really fun again! Chazz wants the maximum experimentation with the car as X Factory is all about leading edge racing. The car was really fast to start with, and my X - 6 makes me faster with every race. We're exploring new territory - doing The New Math is exhilarating!"
Stafford won his first BRCA National buggy event in his first year of competition on the circuit, and took the buggy title both in 1996 and again in 2000. He has a total of 27 National wins, among the most of any active driver, placing him second on the all-time win list. He's also won the European Championship twice in 4WD, 1992 with a Kyosho and 2005 with a Losi. That '05 win made Ellis the oldest person to win the title, and Stafford had not contested the Euros for 5 years due to family commitments.
We contacted X Factory's Brian Kinwald in California for reaction to Stafford joining the Team. Kinwald was enthused to have Ellis aboard, saying, "We all are faster when someone of Ellis' proven ability is with us. I've known him since the Worlds in England many years ago, and he's one of the most innovative guys in R/C."
X Factory owner "Chazz" Sinclair added, "The Team has improved dramatically with the addition of Ellis Stafford. We've got six talented drivers now with a good blend of youth and experience. It's four-to-six E-mails each day with copies back and forth to everybody. One guy, not just Ellis, will suggest something and everybody responds with copies to all. Ellis brought us up to this level. His regular job is in engineering, and he's very well organized. Our testing has improved and development is accelerating as we all go to the track with certain goals in mind and work methodically on them. Between Ellis and Brian, not to mention Dan, Chris, Paul, and Frank, we've got a dream team."
Latest from www.4WDRC.com
ELLIS STAFFORD JOINS X FACTORY
Ellis Stafford has joined the X Factory Team with an Agreement through the end of 2007. Stafford will do all the U.K. Nationals, the Belgian GP, Euros, and the Worlds in Japan. "Has it really been 22 years? I started racing when I was 10 -- yes, I am that old - and these fresh ideas and a new team make me feel so young!"
Stafford has been at or near the top of U.K. racing for almost 15 years, winning his first National Championship in 1996 with one of the very few perfect scores ever recorded. This development is surprising because Ellis has been driving for Helger his entire career and for Losi the last 12 years. Ellis always seems ready to talk, so we reached him at his home in Essex to ask him, "Why switch now?"
"The xx-4 has been one of the very best 4-wheelers, and I've been itching to drive X Factory's X - 5 since I first saw one. Now I know that Doing The Math is so much fun and so fast; and I'm looking forward to 4WD with new interest this year. A car that's easy to drive yet different and proven fast inspires lots of confidence on the rostrum.
"The X - 6 certainly is different, with certain advantages at different parts of the track. That's what gives me that cool 'new beginning' feeling. As you know, I experimented with a mid-motor car last year, and at least for our U.K. surfaces, this is the way to do a buggy. X Factory have given me a great opportunity to develop my ideas almost from the start, and it's really fun again! Chazz wants the maximum experimentation with the car as X Factory is all about leading edge racing. The car was really fast to start with, and my X - 6 makes me faster with every race. We're exploring new territory - doing The New Math is exhilarating!"
Stafford won his first BRCA National buggy event in his first year of competition on the circuit, and took the buggy title both in 1996 and again in 2000. He has a total of 27 National wins, among the most of any active driver, placing him second on the all-time win list. He's also won the European Championship twice in 4WD, 1992 with a Kyosho and 2005 with a Losi. That '05 win made Ellis the oldest person to win the title, and Stafford had not contested the Euros for 5 years due to family commitments.
We contacted X Factory's Brian Kinwald in California for reaction to Stafford joining the Team. Kinwald was enthused to have Ellis aboard, saying, "We all are faster when someone of Ellis' proven ability is with us. I've known him since the Worlds in England many years ago, and he's one of the most innovative guys in R/C."
X Factory owner "Chazz" Sinclair added, "The Team has improved dramatically with the addition of Ellis Stafford. We've got six talented drivers now with a good blend of youth and experience. It's four-to-six E-mails each day with copies back and forth to everybody. One guy, not just Ellis, will suggest something and everybody responds with copies to all. Ellis brought us up to this level. His regular job is in engineering, and he's very well organized. Our testing has improved and development is accelerating as we all go to the track with certain goals in mind and work methodically on them. Between Ellis and Brian, not to mention Dan, Chris, Paul, and Frank, we've got a dream team."