Alessandro Pafundi has been a popular sight at European 1:8 On Road races for decades, and in the service of EFRA and AMSCI (the Italian RC federation) has been to European Championship races for nearly 15 years. Recently, he was voted by EFRA members to head the 1:8 On Road Section. EFRA sat down with him to learn more about him and his vision for the future of the section!
EFRA: Buon giorno Signore Pafundi! How are you?
Alessandro: Hi, at the the moment it’s all good, I’m back from the AGM with this new duty and I’m getting ready for the challenge. Let me just say, I’m Alessandro or Paf to everyone, not Mister Pafundi 🙂
EFRA: OK! Alessandro it is. So, in no more than 5 words, describe the job you do for EFRA…
Alessandro: I’m the new Chairman for the 1/8 On Road Section.
EFRA: And now what’s the longer version?
Alessandro: I’m hoping to bring new ideas to improve the 1:8 On Road Section to improve things for the racers, and of course I’ll be following up on any of the problems we’ve experienced in the past.
EFRA: Excellent! So prior to this, what was your role in EFRA?
Alessandro: I’ve been an EFRA referee for 1:8 since 2009!
EFRA: Wow! That’s quite some time for sure. And what is your favourite class of RC racing?
Alessandro: I’ve been a model car racer since 1981 or ’82, always in 1:8 on road. Thanks to my dear friend and teacher Stefano Solaroli, I got to know model racing at a very deep level. I’ve followed Stefano for many racers over many years up and down Europe, learning a lot from him, and above all having a lot of fun.
I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I have live and seen many stories in 1:8 on road races! Also, where I live in Ravenna, within just a few kilometers there are three world-class drivers: Collari, Fantini and Solaroli, plus several young people with great racing potential.
EFRA: So are you a good racer?
Alessandro: The good racers in Italy are in another category! Unfortunately they’re much better than me. My passion and will has led me to the 40+ European Championship Final many times, and twice I’ve been on the podium. For me, that is great satisfaction.
EFRA: What would you said is your proudest moment in RC, then?
Alessandro: As a referee, the final of the 1:10 Track World Championship in Gubbio, 2016, for sure. In the last 4 minutes, following 4 cars all within 4 seconds of each other – very close and intense racing! Of course we have to give credit to the drivers on track for their excellent work. And together on the rostrum with me was who I consider the “Grand Master” referee of us all: Dallas! Hello to my dear friend.
EFRA: Of course! Dallas was a legend! Now what can you tell us about you that we don’t already know!
Alessandro: There’s not much to say! I work in my jewelry shop, I repair watches, I’m married and have two children… I am a very calm person, but also very direct, if I must say!
EFRA: And what is your favourite sport outside of RC?
Alessandro: I was a technical coach for 25 years in Formula 1, at Imola and of course I follow F1 a lot. I also like soccer and tennis.
EFRA: What was the last song you listened to?
Alessandro: I don’t exactly have a favourite music genre, I like good music in general!
EFRA: What do you do to relax?
Alessandro: As well as cars, I like helicopters – I fly nitro-powered helicopters in 600 and 800 size!
EFRA: OK, wow! Those are very intense machines for sure! Now, what advice would you give someone wanting to compete in an EFRA Euros for the first time?
Alessandro: This is a good question! And I have many things to say about it, I am working on a project to present to EFRA and we’ll see what happens. But my advice? Never give up. The first races in Europe are often difficult for anybody, because of the level of the racers you will compete against, and also because of the lack of experience on new tracks. Anyone who knows me knows my thoughts on this: if you buy a tennis raquet, do you get to Centre Court at Wimbledon? No of course not – in model racing it’s the same thing. You need passion and will. Never give up!
EFRA: How did you make the jump from EFRA Referee to Section Chairman?
Alessandro: I was asked if I would be interested in taking over from Javier as 1:8 Section Chairman earlier this year, along with my team (Teodoro Spagnolo and Vito Geraci) into a new adventure. We decided to accept the candidacy and I was voted in as Section Chairman at the 2022 AGM in Brussels. I look forward to the challenge and making racing even better for the section!
EFRA: What is the number 1 thing you would like to see in RC in Europe in the future?
Alessandro: The first thing I want to say is that Javier has worked in strong direction with the EFRA Development Plan and we must not leave it for any reason. Today, we are in a world where media coverage is very important. All organizations must participate in things like social media and I’m not saying anything new or groundbreaking here but if all the RC companies, manufacturers and federations all work in the same direction we could really hit a major turning point for the RC world. “Advertising is the soul of commerce” is a clear slogan for me. Too many times we have seen Championship Finals with only RC insiders, other racers and very few people around, and in the local city they didn’t even know anything was happening. So improving the spread and reach of RC media for everyone is what I’d like to see for sure.
EFRA: That’s a great insight, Alessandro! And we are sure we can improve things for the future. Thank you so much for your time and for answering all our questions!
Alessandro: Thank you for the interview and best regards!
