RC history will record the bare facts of the day: Broc Champlin is the 2025 IFMAR 2wd World Champion, driving a Schumacher to the British company’s first-ever 2wd IFMAR title.

But along the way, there were some moments that could have gone either way. The cumulative impact of those moments is un-knowable, of course, and that’s the way the world is. We’ll never know what might have been in an alternate universe.

What if Spencer Rivkin hadn’t pulled over early in Q3 on Wednesday afternoon, just maybe missing a TQ run? What if Michal Orlowski hadn’t gotten caught up in Marcus Kaerup’s tumble in Q4 when on TQ pace? What if Champlin hadn’t managed a thrilling recovery to take Q5 from Ronnefalk this morning, guaranteeing him a second-place starting spot? What if the overlap between Kaerup and Champlin’s car when they tangled mid-air late in A1, an overlap measured in millimetres, hadn’t been there, and both had landed safely? What if Champlin had made the smallest different setup choice this afternoon, or Kaerup had? What if the temperature had been five degrees higher? What if Champlin believed deep down he was just a carpet guy? What if? What if? What if?

The world is full of “what ifs” and sometimes we can get caught up in them. Maybe the truth is that the what ifs are, in the end, irrelevant. Each of us can only play with the cards we’re dealt, only respond to what’s in front of us.

And Broc Champlin did exactly that. Having just missed the mark in seeding, he made the most of every opportunity that came his way in qualifying. He worked both with the team and with the courage to follow his own convictions, finding setup changes today that brought him right into the game, clearly with superior speed over Kaerup after it had most definitely been the other way around yesterday. He got alongside Kaerup in A1 when it mattered, then held off Davey Batta in a wild side-by-side sprint down the front straight. In A2, he pulled a bold around-the-outside pass after Kaerup tagged a concrete kerb and, for the briefest of moments, rode high on two wheels.

After Kaerup’s qualifying heroics on Wednesday, this was an outcome nobody really expected – two straight wins and a first World Championship to the lanky American. But, somehow, it feels exactly like the outcome that was meant to be.

All those sliding doors, all that hard work, all that grabbing of opportunity. All of that led to this moment. And, as Scotty Ernst said during the trackside presentation this afternoon, Broc Champlin will now forever be a World Champion.

As with every day this week, there are a million other stories we could pursue. The resurgence of XRAY with overnight changes (too late for 2wd, but good signs for Saturday’s beginning of 4wd?), for example. Or the thrilling C final fight between Ben Smith and Nate Sutherland. Or the gusty winds that swept through with a weather front late in the afternoon. Or the best-junior-in-the-world performance of Daniel Pole. Or the Australian contingent perhaps missing pre-race hopes but still almost all putting in their own personal best Worlds finishes. Or, for the third day in a row, the extraordinary Hills Off Road RC track that has been so enjoyed by everybody.

So many stories. Such a great day.

There are two final thoughts rolling around in my head tonight.

First, for Schumacher R/C Racing to pick up a first 2wd IFMAR win, and only their second off-road title since Masami’s 1987 victory, is a pretty nice story. The British manufacturer is a long stayer in our industry, a truly race-focused company full of passionate RC designers, racers, and engineers. Kudos to them.

And second...how amazing is live sport? The script is never finalized. The answer is truly never known until the finish line. You would have bet buckets on Kaerup taking the win today. And that outcome would also have been deserved, felt right. And yet here we are. The doors slid the way they did, and Broc Champlin RC outplayed, outraced, and outlasted. A worthy champion. The right winner. The IFMAR legend lives on.

📷Red RC