posted Oct 10th, 2014 - It has not even been two weeks that the Sun Path Products NSL News brought the ISR Grand Prix 2014 to the attention of the audience on 2 October 2014, and the number of registered teams has gone up from 45 to 51. There is no doubt that the hosting wind tunnel in Roosendaal will once again have record participation this year.

The previous update presented the teams that are coming back this year after also competing at the ISR Grand Prix 2013. Many of them have signed up in the next higher category of the four competition classes. The new update now includes all teams that are currently registered.

There has been a very interesting addition to the AAA Class field in the meantime, as Italy's national 4-way team eX3MO will compete in Roosendaal this year. Thunder ISR will eventually face a stronger contender in the AAA Class than in the past three years.

Registered AAA Open: Thunder ISR (BE), Creeps (BE), M4trix (NL), Murphy Mania (NL), Airfix International (DE), Les Stunts (BE), 2 Drunk 2 Drop (BE), Jazz Republic (ZA), 610 Fano (IT) (UK), Energy Cumiana (IT), Undecided (BE), Nytro Team (IT), Turbo Team (NL), eX3MO (IT), Tipping Point (BE)

Registered AA Class: ISR Yamashigi (NL), MACH4 (NL), Gravity Abuse (NL), Dimension (NL), Crash Test Dummies (BE), Fast Forward (BE), Blue Rebels (GR), Cool Runnings (NL), Cosmic Noise (BE), 4igami (NL), Spritz (IT), Team Rudi (BE)

Registered A Class: Winging It (NL), Hoppaaaa (NE), Shinobi (NL), Bad Habits (NL), Erramima (NL), Newton's Maniacs (BE), Spacials (BE), Out Of Focus (NL), Zero (IT), Off Topic (NL), Bubbels (NL), Escort Fly (IT), Inside Out (NL)

Registered Rookie Class: Lightning (NL), FlyBij (NL), Super Heroes In Training (NL), Jeps (NL), Try Out (NL), Springverbod (NL), Bias Flying Circus (NL), The Falling Stones (BE), Ghost Team BFU (IT), Jetmax (BE), Brainlocks All The Way (NL)

Creeps was in 2nd place last year (18.5) and Amethys Maubeuge, with 4-way Women world champion Christine Malnis in the lineup, finished in 2nd place with a 20.6 average in 2012. ISB Air Remscheid, Germany's national team in 4-way Women at that time, was 2nd with 21.2 in 2011 when Thunder ISR won with a 25.6 average.

Thunder ISR actually posted the team's highest Grand Prix average (26.4) at the inaugural event in 2010 - and placed only 3rd. NMP-PCH Hayabusa attended the first Grand Prix and won easily. It was the team's first competition with new point Dennis Praet and the future world champion lineup.

Former Dutch Fource member Paul Hofstee had switched to Thunder after the World Meet 2010, and coach Gary Smith filled his Dynamic Fource slot. It was the Dutch national team's last competition, and they finished 2nd behind Hayabusa while outscoring Thunder.

ISR Grand Prix 2010		Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	G,7,3	F,B,P,D,6	15,Q,16	H,M,C,9	L,2,18	21,11,10	E,17,N,4	Total	Avg
1	NMP-PCH Hayabusa (BE)	28	43	25	52	23	20	39	230	32.9
2	Dynamic Fource (NL)	24	35	22	49	18	17	34	199	28.4
3	Thunder (BE)	23	33	22	41	19	18	29	185	26.4
4	Skytrax (NL)	20	28	19	38	17	15	25	162	23.1
5	ISB Air Remscheid(DE)	20	32	18	33	15	15	26	159	22.7
6	Tunnel Vision (UK)	17	24	16	28	14	11	20	130	18.6
7	Turbulence (NL)	14	23	14	26	12	11	15	115	16.4

Thunder ISR won all three following Grand Prix events in 2011, 2012 and 2013 without much competition. The question this year is how close Italy's national 4-way team eX3MO can get to Thunder's scoring level.

There is a wealth of 4-way experience in the current Italian lineup, including former Sinapsi PD member Marco Arrigo. Placido Udine and Fabio Lorenzetti have been training and competing together for over ten years, including the 8-way bronze medals for Italy at the World Meet 2008 in France. The Sun Path Products NSL News will introduce the eX3MO lineup more carefully very soon.

Italy has a large delegation of 4-way teams for the ISR Grand Prix 2014. Three other Italian teams (610 Fano, Energy Cumiana, Nytro) join eX3MO in the AAA Class competition, while Spritz is a new AA Class team. Zero and Escort Fly compete in the A Class, and Ghost Team BFU in the Rookie Class. Italy has the third largest delegation in Roosendaal, behind Netherlands and Belgium.