March 18, 2024

Harper takes Essex Winter Series title

Elliot Harper is the new Essex Winter Series Champion, the Schumacher driver taking the title in fashion with TQ & victory at the fifth and final round.  Going into the season finale with two wins to his credit, Harper would open the title decider by taking the overall TQ with two TQ runs.  Behind him on the grid having topped the other two qualifiers would be Alex Thurston, winner of last season’s final round, who since Round 4 has made the switch from Yokomo to Mugen.  The Xray of defending Champion Kyle Branson completed the Top 3 for the single main.  Setting the fastest lap of the race, Harper would edge out a 4-second gap on Thurston who was busy keeping winner of the season opener Branson behind.  In the championship that 3rd was enough for Branson to finish runner-up ahead of Thurston with the season’s 3rd different winner over the popular 5 round series Harley Eldridge ending the season 4th.

Image: Schumacher RC Racing [Facebook]


March 18, 2024

Mazzeo dominates Italian GT Championship opener

Alessio Mazzeo put in a dominant start to the Italian 1:8 GT National Championship, the Capricorn driver completing a double victory at the season opener at Mini Autodromo Stradivari in Cremona in Northern Italy.   Securing the TQ for both nitro and electric, in the triple main electric finals defending Champion Mazzeo would secure the win ahead of Genius Racing’s Alex D’angelo and Schepis Model’s Rosario Giaimo.  In the 45-minute Nitro final, the former European 1:10 Nitro Onroad Champion and World Championship podium finisher would set a new track record enroute to winning by almost a full lap from Giaimo with Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani completing the podium from 6th on the grid.  Qualifying 5th for the final, that was where defending Champion D’angelo would finish the race.

Image: Alessio Mazzeo [Facebook]


March 11, 2024

Isaacs takes ’24 ROAR Onroad Carpet National title

Sam Isaacs is the 2024 ROAR Onroad Carpet National Champion in Modified Touring Car, the Awesomatix driver taking the title from last year’s Champion Keven Hebert.   Hosted by 997 RC Raceway in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, qualifying say Isaacs secure an early TQ as he topped the opening three of the four qualifiers.  Going fastest in Q4 with his Xray, Hebert would secure 2nd on the grid for the triple A-Main ahead of last year’s Vice-Champion Chris Adams.  Completing the 2023 podium, 1:12 World Championship Top Qualifier Kemp Anderson would line up P4.  In the finals Isaacs continued his form winning the opening two to secure the title.  Winning A3 from Adams, Hebert would have to settle for the runner-up spot this year with the Adams completing the podium.  Hebert wouldn’t leave Pennsylvania empty handed however securing the 1:12 National title from the small field over Anderson and Isaacs.

Image: 997 RC Raceway [Facebook]


March 10, 2024

Wins for Kaerup & Coelho at British Offroad Grand Prix

Team Associated’s Marcus Kaerup and Xray’s Bruno Coelho took the wins at this year’s BRCA British Offroad Grand Prix in Milton Keynes.  The annual 1:10 carpet track event which takes place in the Centre:MK shopping centre and attracts a strong international field saw last year’s double winner Michal Orlowski head the entry.  The Schumacher driver would get his weekend off to a good start securing the 2WD TQ.  Behind European Champion Kaerup secured second with Coelho completing the Top 3 after the 5 rounds of qualifying.  In the opening final, Schumacher driver Ben Smith capitalised on errors from the leaders to secure the win ahead of Coelho.  In A2 and A3, Kaerup took charge winning both encounter as Orlowski grip rolled out of the lead in both and that gave the Dane the overall win with Orlowski and Smith completing the podium.  In 4WD,  Coelho secured the TQ with 3 TQ runs compared to Orlowski’s two while Kaerup made up the Top 3.  Leading the field in A1, a moment on the track’s big table top for Coelho allowed Orlowski through for the win but the former World Champion made amends in A2 & 3 staying at the front for the overall win.  Once again it was the runner-up spot for Orlowski with team-mate Daniel Kobbevik completing the podium.

Image: Xray [Facebook]


March 7, 2024

2024 TITC Chassis Focus Index

Last weekend thanks to the support of Hobbywing, Red RC made a return to the TITC for the 20-edition of this legendary Bangkok race.  The biggest one yet, it has truly become the most significant annual electric Touring Car race in the World.  It was extremely positive for the category to see so much manufacturer support for the race.  Of all the major car brands, only Schumacher had no official team presence but here’s hoping the British manufacturer gives us the opportunity to see Michal Orlowski take on the challenging RC Addict track conditions for the first time next year.  Such was the quality of the field, the B-Main was full of World Championship Finalist drivers and it was great to see six different manufacturers represented in the A-Main of Modified.  Call us old school, but putting the iconic Tamiya logo in our results graphic was a nostalgic moment.  In another positive for electric touring car we had three new cars at the race.  We had the latest prototype from Yokomo, the Japanese brand going for a name change as the BD name is dropped in favour of MS for Master Speed.  Nicolas Lee did try to get us permission for a chassis focus but we couldn’t get it across the line.  Kyosho had two prototypes of what is expected to be their TF8.  That news generated massive excitement, so much so Kyosho requested we take down the story we ran on their return to the category.  Finally Ryan Maker debuted his exciting new SP1 that will see him realise the dream of his RC Maker brand becoming a fully fledged car manufacturer.  While both RC Maker and Kyosho allowed us to look at their new creations, we were not granted permission to photograph them for a Chassis Focus which we fully understand given the cars’ designs are still to be fully finalised.  Over the event we did however photograph 12 cars from seven different manufacturers and we have compiled them all here in our latest Chassis Focus index.

View Chassis Focus Index here


March 3, 2024

Record equalling 4th TITC win for Coelho

Bruno Coelho has taken a record equalling fourth TITC win but his victory at the 20th edition of the race is set to be remembered for incidents rather than the result equalling record achieved in Bangkok.  Having qualified second behind Top Qualifier Ronald Volker, the Xray driver would make contact with his Mugen Seiki rival in the opening two A-Mains resulting in a wide open race going into A3.  This time however Volker would spin on his own early on allowing Coelho to take the leg ahead of team-mate Alexander Hagberg, winner of A2.  Giving Xray an overall 1-2 in the legendary touring car race, it also sees Coelho join Atsushi Hara as the races most winning driver.  The benefactor of the Top 2 qualifiers’ clash in A1 but retiring from A2, Marc Rheinard would complete the podium at RC Addict for Awesomatix with a P3 in the final encounter ahead of Volker.  For Volker, the high of taking the TQ honours after his B-Main appearance last year was overshadowed by the disappointment of being classified 6th overall.  As a race that has become the most significant in the World for touring car racing & its manufacturers, and which is on par if not exceeding the dept of competitiveness of the World Championship, going forward it might be time for ‘the World’s biggest local race’ to consider appointing a referee to ensure the amazing atmosphere that surrounds the TITC is not overshadowed by incidents on track.

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March 3, 2024

Lauter gives Awesomatix 4th consecutive TITC Open Brushless win

Simon Lauter executed the perfect TITC race debut by taking the win in the Bangkok race’s biggest class Open Brushless realising a fourth consecutive win for his chassis sponsor Awesomatix.  Having secured the overall TQ at RC Addict over the Xray of Adam Izsay, it took all three A-Mains to decide the overall winner with some intense and at times aggressive driving with even the crowd getting involved in expressing their disappointment for a lack of respect being shown by drivers.  In A1, Izsay armed with new tyres would take the win ahead of Lauter after late contact from the Hungarian robbed the Top Qualifier of what was looking like a well defended win.  In A2, Lauter capitalised on new tyres to take a convincing win by over 3-seconds from team-mate Louis Kretschmer as Izsay dropped down to 4th.  With all to play for in A3, it was again advantage Izsay as he had new tyres.  While the German again tried to defend from the front, Izsay made contact with him again ruining Lauter’s race and earning Izsay a Stop & Go penalty.  With Kretschmer taking the third win, Lauter’s A2 winning time would give him the Title ahead of his fellow countryman with Izsay completing the podium.  With an unwritten TITC rule that the winner of the Open Brushless can’t race the category again, Lauter has already confirmed his intentions to return to the TITC in 12 months time and step up to the Modified class.

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March 3, 2024

Coelho & Volker clash again handing Hagberg A2 win

Having made contact in A1 and handed the win to Marc Rheinard, A2 at the TITC once again saw a clash between Bruno Coelho and Ronald Volker only this time it was Alexander Hagberg who was there to pick up the pieces.  A result that leaves the 20th edition of the legendary Bangkok based race wide open going into A3, the second encounter saw Top Qualifier Volker and Coelho again the class of the field with a much improved Hagberg able to hang with them as they pulled clear.  Watched on by a huge crowd at RC Addict, as the race approached the final minute mark, Coelho was putting huge pressure on Volker who ran wide in a number of corners.  As they exited the S section on the right side of the track on Lap 15, Coelho attempted a pass on the inside of the German with a tighter line but as they got on the power contact was made sending both cars into a spin.  While Coelho again allowed Volker to resume position, with Hagberg going by to take lead, another broken anti tuck rod meant Volker’s race was done.  Pulling up in front of the drivers stand the former World Champion vented his anger & frustration at Coelho, the current World Champion and defending TITC Champion continuing the final to finish P2 ahead of Infinity’s Naoto Matsukura.

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