PRE-WORLDS FRIDAY WRAP: Donnelly and Kaerup Top Seeds

Australia’s Lachlan Donnelly (2wd) and Denmark’s Marcus Kaerup (4wd) have topped seeding here at Hills Off Road RC Offroad RC for the 2025 Worlds Warmup race making it an AE double at the top of the timing charts. Donnelly led AE teammates Spencer Rivkin (USA) and Jarod Ment (Aus), while Danniel Kobbevik (Norway) was second quick for Schumacher in 4wd, Donnelly in P3.

Conditions have been perfect this afternoon, the track evolving and lap times tumbling through the last few rounds of controlled practice. A rubber groove started to emerge late in the day, but with high grip and somewhat abrasive conditions has come higher levels of tyre wear for the control Raw Speed tyres in use both this weekend and for the World Championships later this year. It’s been the usual, expected, evolution of track conditions today, a pattern we’ll see repeated across the weekend.

What has been noticeable is that the first-time visitors to Hills have adapted much more quickly to 4wd, international drivers regularly featuring in the top positions (Kobbevik and Kaerup the standouts), while over in 2wd, it’s been Australian drivers, and those who visited previously (Rivkin and Lemieux, for example) who’ve been consistently quick. That is, perhaps, the learning curve of driving 2wd buggies in the lower grip conditions experienced here.

In terms of the track itself, and things to watch out for tomorrow, 2wd day, the front double-double is the highest-risk part of the track. For 2wd buggies, clearing the first double is a far-from-easy task, with forward drive hard to find particularly in morning conditions.

Off track, rumours swept through the pits today about prototype buggies, 4wd in particular, in use. Both Schumacher and Team Associated hot on the lips of those watching closely. We’ll see if we can ask drivers from those camps about their rides across the weekend. For now, though, let’s take a quick look back over this afternoon’s action.

PRACTICE 1: Kobbevik Fast Out of the Gate

Daniel Kobbevik, with Schumacher teammates has made the big trip down under, and was perhaps a surprise fastest driver in early 4wd (on a 3-lap basis), ahead of local XRAY fast-man Matthew Couper, Australian champ Lachlan Donnelley and Spencer Rivkin. Over in 2wd, locals were strong – Ari Bakla fastest from Couper, Rivkin third, and the only non-Australian driver in the top six. In this round, conditions were quite moist - making it hard going particularly for the first couple of 4wd heats.

PRACTICE 2: Donnelly on Top

Lachlan Donnelly knows the fast way around this track better than anybody and showed the field a clean pair of heels in P2 – quickest in both 2wd and 4wd. Likewise, fellow AE driver Jarod Ment was super quick – second fastest across both classes. Marcus Kaerup jumped up the order to P3 in 4wd, Kobbevik in four ahead of Bakla, and Japanese AE pilot Kouki Kato. In 2wd, behind Donnelly and Ment it was again the faster Australian drivers up front – Bakla third, Jordan Isergin and Lachlan Munday ahead of Rivkin. In Round Two, as we mentioned earlier, the track went through its slick drying phase, conditions particularly tricky for 2wd.

PRACTICE 3: Here comes Orlowski?

Before the midday break came the third round of 4wd practice, Michal Orlowski a new name in the top three. He sat in just behind Donnelly (again fastest) and Kobbevik, and ahead of the late-arriving Chase Lemieux. Aydin Horne is also working into proceedings, pushing into the top ten in 4wd, and looking more comfortable. Round three of two-wheel-drive practice took place after the break, track conditions changing rapidly in the warm midday sunshine. Spencer Rivkin took full advantage of being in the last heat of round 3, going fastest from Donnelly and Orlowski. Jarod Ment was nearby again, Kato in P5, and Kobbevik capping an impressive morning to be in the top six yet again.

PRACTICE 4: Lemieux and Donnelly

Perhaps proving the point made above, Lemieux, Kaerup, Kobbevik and Orlowski were the top three in practice four for 4wd, not much to pick between them in terms of overall pace. 2wd went the way of the super consistent Lachlan Donnelly, Rivkin in two, but Australia’s Ari Bakla, Matthew Couper (both XRAY) and Jarod Ment (AE) rounding out the top five. Kouki Kato continued to look good, Martin Bayer also into the top ten on his first visit.

PRACTICE 5: Kobbevik Again, Donnelly Continues

Daniel Kobbevik continued a very strong day in 4wd, quickest in Practice Five, with Spencer Rivkin a tenth back, and Lemieux making it three different manufacturers in the top three. Bakla was there again, Kato into the top five ahead of Orlowski. Over in 2wd, the class that will run tomorrow, Donnelly again looked strong, a half-second ahead of Rivkin as the pair continued their day-long duel. Bakla went P3, Kaerup in fourth and Davey Batta starting to find his feet on his first time running in these kinds of conditions – fifth for the American.

PRACTICE 6: Kaerup, Donnelly to the Top

The final round of practice showed that what we’d seen all day holds true. In 4wd it’s been easier for those with no prior experience on the tract to adapt. Marcus Kaerup threw down, going fastest by 0.3 over Daniel Kobbevik, Lachlan Donnelly a further tenth back to demonstrate that the Australian Champion will definitely be one to watch in both classes. Orlowski continues to quietly work on setting up the 4wd platform, going P4, with Rivkin likewise on a 4wd learning curve for P5. Lachlan Donnelly has been peerless in 2wd today and will carry a pace advantage and high levels of confidence into tomorrow’s 2wd event. Second? No surprise that it’s Spencer Rivkin. The two finished up just two-tenths apart over three laps, with Jarod Ment a further 0.4 back after a day that will delight the local driver. Lachlan Munday calls Australia home, but hails from Melbourne – he’ll be happy to finish top four, and Chase Lemieux rounds out the five.

TOMORROW: 2wd Day

The Worlds Warmup follows the sequence of the Worlds itself, the full 2wd event running first, ahead of 4wd on Sunday. That means the agenda tomorrow includes all five rounds of qualifying, plus three finals for all – and by the end of Saturday we’ll have a 2wd winner for the Warmup event. Donnelly, Rivkin, Bakla, Lemieux, Ment might just be the drivers to watch.

Coverage ramps up tomorrow, Scotty Ernst and Mitch on the Mic bringing live commentary, along with the full coverage package from RC Race Media. Join us live from 7.45am Sydney time and we’ll track through the action all day long.