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 18, 2024

Boots takes 25th anniversary Dirt Nitro Challenge win

A landmark year for World renowned track builder Joey Christensen’s signature event, it was Sworkz Elliott Boots who took the big win at the 25th anniversary of the legendary Dirt Nitro Challenge.  In Nitro Buggy qualifying it was the British driver who secured the TQ in Perris, California, despite not topping a round with a second and a third fastest times enough to top the ranking after the three rounds from Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin.  Having topped the opening qualifier Frankie Contreras Jr. completed the Top 3 for Mugen.  The other two qualifying rounds would go to Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz and Tekno’s Ryan Maifield who was chasing his fourth consecutive DNC title having won in 2023, 2022 and 2021.  From the front of the 15-car grid, Boots would take control of the 45-minute encounter eventually winning by 10-seconds from the Xray of 2020 Champion David Ronnefalk with TLR’s Dakotah Phend completing the podium.  For Sworkz there was double celebrations at the event with Juan Carlo Canas taking the eBuggy win from Rivkin after Top Qualifier Ronnefalk retired.  While Maifield’s run of buggy wins came to an end, finishing the final in 10th, the American didn’t leave the DNC empty handed as he crowned Truggy Champion ahead of Phend and Boots.

Image: TheDirt Racing [Facebook]


March 14, 2024

Matrix announced as 1:8 Onroad European C/ship tyre

Italian tyre manufacturer Matrix has been announced as the official tyre supplier for this year’s EFRA 1:8 Onroad European Championship.   The 22nd running of the Championship, the category an evolution of the European Federation’s original European Championship, reigning World Champion Dario Balestri will aim to defend his European title on September 18-21 when the championship is hosted at the Miniautodromo Locorotondo track in Southern Italy.   Infinity driver Balestri secured his third 1:8 Onroad European title in Portugal last year ahead of Mugen’s Simon Kurzbuch and the Capricorn of Top Qualifier & 1:10 European Champion Toni Gruber.  Miniautodromo Locorotondo peviously hosted the Championship in 2010 where Robert Pietsch took the victory for Mugen ahead of Balestri, then driving for Motonica, and the Kyosho of Lamberto Collari.

Source: Miniautodromo Locorotondo [Facebook]


March 13, 2024

Neumann to lead Sworkz effort at Philippine Masters

Having won the Truggy title at the Philippine Masters last year with Micha Widmaier, Sworkz will be pinning their hopes on Joern Neumann this year at what has become Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race.  With Widmaier also finishing runner-up to World Champion Davide Ongaro in the 1-hour Buggy Final, this will be Neumann’s first time to the very 3D Circulo Verde offroad track in the capital city of Manila.  The German joins Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz and Sparko’s Ryan Pavidis as the latest international entry for what will be the 12th edition of the race.  A race that has a unique vibe that lives up to the nation’s tourism tagline ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’, many of the large international entry combining the race with holidays at the country’s world famous white sand beaches, on the news of his entry Neumann said,  “Finally the Philippine Masters fits in my schedule and I am looking forward to racing at this beautiful track.  Super excited to meet everyone and it should be a fun race.”  The Philippine Masters is the second round of the ambitious Asian Buggy Championship which having already visited New Zealand will also have rounds in Australia and Indonesia.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]


March 12, 2024

Andy Bishop wins Large Scale Pre-Worlds

This year’s IFMAR Large Scale World Championship hosts New South Wales Radio Controlled Racing Car Club held their Pre-Worlds Race over the weekend where it was the MCD chassis of Andy Bishop that took the win.  Having hosted a hugely successful IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship in October, this year the John Grant International Raceway in Sydney, Australia, will be that battle ground for the 12th running of RC Racing’s biggest scale World Championship category on October 20th to 27th.  Due to the location of this year’s championship with many of its top drivers coming from Europe, the Pre-Worlds Race was dominated by local racers and in qualifying it was Mectech driver Andrew Shapland who took the overall TQ ahead of Bishop.  Having had engine issues in qualifying an overnight engine rebuild for the final qualifier allowed Shapland to post the fastest run of the 6-rounds to take pole for the final.  Incurring a penalty for the engine rebuild, he would have to serve an early Stop & Go in the race.  In the half hour Semi Finals there were wins for Ben Dunn and Craig Hawkins who would line-up 3rd and 4th respectively for the 1-hour main event.  While Shapland lead away until he served his Stop & Go,  as he tried to chase back down Bishop his tyres suffered allowing Bishop to take a convincing win.  With track records being broken throughout the event, Shapland’s efforts in the final would see him leave as the new lap record holder with a 19.944 fastest lap.  The Mecatech of Mike Davis would complete the podium.

Image: NSWRCRCC [nswrcrcc.org.au]


March 11, 2024

Pavidis confirmed for Philippine Masters

Sparko Racing’s Ryan Pavidis is the latest driver to be confirmed for the annual Philippine Masters which takes place in just over a month’s time in the country’s capital city of Manila.  The American joins fellow countryman Ryan Lutz as they both make their debut at what has become Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race.  Son of 2006 World Champion Mark Pavidis, a title he won in Asia, this will be Ryan’s first trip to the continent and the first of two appearances he will make in this year’s Asian Buggy Championship of which the Philippine Masters is the second round.  Confirming his entry for the April 18-21 event, Pavidis said, ‘The trip to Manilla will be my 2nd international event (his first one being the 2023 Worlds in Spain) and my first time to Asia.  The track there is world famous for its unique surface and technical sections, definitely a bucket list race for any serious racer.  I’ve never raced on molasses before but with the confidence I have in my equipment and the experience I’ve gained over the past few years, I expect to run at the front.  I can’t wait to meet a bunch of new people and experience a different country/culture!’

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [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]