Previously noted here as a great example of how one can take RC racing knowledge to a Formula 1 Championship-winning racing team, Mark Styles is now also a champion himself! After nearly 2 decades of trying, 12th scale racer Mark Styles took home his first British National Championship just recently – that’s amazing!
EFRA Media Partner CTRL Sport caught up with Mark in our exclusive Facebook Live video to check in and find out his thoughts on the upcoming Euros in Eastbourne, UK – in just a few days’ time!
EFRA: So, Mark, nice and busy.
Mark: At the minute.
EFRA: BRCA Champion Mark Styles.
Mark: Yeah. After nearly two decades of trying. Yeah. Finally it’s happened. So I thought it might never. But yeah, thankfully all the stars aligned at the end of the championship and I want it by point without actually winning a race.
EFRA: Wow. So just being consistent and always been there.
Mark: Yeah, my counting scores were 2 seconds and two thirds. So yeah.
EFRA: That’s amazing. And does that give you a lot of confidence going into the Euros?
Mark: Yeah, it does. You know, naturally, if you, if you get a good result, you’re on a bit of a high because you buzz so you go to the next race meeting thinking ‘oh yeah I can really compete in this one’. So it’s actually been really close the BRCA nationals this season going into the last race of the championship, there were five of us that could win it mathematically. So there’s been five or six of us have all been in the top five or six at every meeting jostling for position. It’s been really, really close on on times. So yeah, there’s there’s a handful of people from the UK at least could challenge at the euros in the stock class, and hopefully I’ll be one of those.
EFRA: So we could get a Brit right at the top, taking the Euros!
James Stewart, interviewing for EFRA: I think so, yeah. I don’t see any reason why not. Certainly in modified I think both the Ollies, Olly Jefferies, Olly Payne, are in with a good shout. In stock, Michal Orlowski is going to be quite tough to beat I think, as defending champion. But yeah we’ve got a well-stocked field full of people who know the carpet, who have done plenty of practice, so absolutely. It’s a Euros, it’s round by round qualifying, anything can happen going into it. So we’ll see what happens.
EFRA: Mark, you are familiar with the Eastbourne Club, no doubt. Is it going to be great to go racing there and compete for the Euros?
Mark: Yeah, we had one of the BRCA national rounds was at Eastbourne, and we also had an EFRA GP at the back end of last year, end of 2022. So yeah, it’s a club and a track and a carpet that all the Brits that race at a national level are familiar with. It’s actually the same carpet that we’ve got here tonight. So yeah, I think all the Brits have got reason to be confident and yeah there’s there’s nothing quite like the home advantage, is there, so hopefully the Brits can get in there and mix it a bit.
EFRA: Absolutely. Absolutely could happen. Yeah, definitely is what we’re looking forward to looking forward to seeing. Obviously, we have Marc Rheinard out over as well, joining us for the meeting. And you’re working on Marc’s car, right?
Mark: Yes.
EFRA: Is that the one?
Mark: This is my car. Marc actually sent me his car that he ran a year ago at the Euros. He basically said, can you can you build that and set it up as you would run it in the UK. So yeah, I’ve got his car, I’ve prepped it for him, so I can just see it now if it doesn’t go well for him, I know who the first person he’s going to blame is going to be.
EFRA: It’s going to be you. Yeah, but then if it goes really well for him, then he might take he might take the position off you.
Mark: Well, yeah, I mean Marc’s racing modified, I’ll be doing stocks. So there’s no danger that he’ll beat me with my own car. That would be funny, but yeah. Mark recently went to America to race in the Snowbirds and dominated that event in 12th scale modified and he gave credit to Sam Isaacs, one of our American team mates and colleagues for building and the car for him. So hopefully if he does well at the Euros, then, you know, he’ll give me a few plaudits. So we’ll see.
EFRA: Nice one. Thanks a lot, Mark.
