Red RC

May 9, 2025

2025 Philippine Masters – Chassis Focus Index

Last weekend we attended the world class 1:8 Offroad race that is the Philippine Masters. Asia’s premier annual offroad event akin to what the TITC is to the world of Electric Touring Car, 2025 marked the biggest edition of the Manila based race yet in terms of total entries, the number of countries represented, and the dept of top level team drivers. The second round of the Cayote backed Asian Buggy Championships, it was Philippine Masters regular Davide Ongaro who took the TQ from first time visitors Burak Kilic and Kouki Kato. In the 1-hour main however Ongaro suffered a rare mechanical (receiver failure) while fuel tank issues also ended Kilic’s race early. Putting in a super consistent drive Infinity’s Kato took the win, the Japanese talent making it 2 from 2 in the Asian Buggy Championships adding to his win at the season finale in Indonesia last year. In eBuggy, A1 proved the entertainment highlight of the weekend as Ongaro, having being passed for the lead by Pekko Iivonen, tried to retake the lead on a thrilling final lap. With Iivonen holding on for a hugely popular win, Ongaro took A2 before Ryan Lutz took the third however overall it was Ongaro’s victory. During our time at the Circulo Verde Track we got the chance to photograph 9 buggies from 6 different manufacturers including Mayako’s all new prototype eBuggy. In case you missed any of the Chassis Focus’ during our coverage of the race, we have compiled them all in our latest Chassis Focus index.

View Chassis Focus Index here

May 9, 2025

Phat Bodies M.A.D. Mini MAX

British 1:12 Mini Stock bodyshell specialists Phat Bodies has released a new updated MAX version of their M.A.D. Mini. The new version of the body is now wider to cover all wheel options from Mardave and Battcave and also includes a raised wing mount position with a wider and deeper wing to help cope with the power from the new brushless systems. They have also revised the moulding process enabling them to reduce the overall weight by 10% but still being moulded from genuine Lexan polycarbonate means these bodies are still very durable. It comes complete with pre cut vinyl window masks and light/grill stickers sheet, external overspray film and ‘Phat Bodies’ stickers. The bodyshell and wing come clear and require cutting, trimming and painting to fit and finish.

Source: Phat Bodies [phatbodies.co.uk]

May 9, 2025

Core RC JC 6-spoke Vintage Racing Wheels

Under its Core RC brand, Schumacher has released these JC 6-Spokes wheels intended for vintage racing fans who own a CAT or Cougar 2000. Available as a 2.2 rear, 2.2 4WD front, and 2.2 2WD Slim front, they are offered in a choice of yellow, white or black colours. Fitting the CAT 2000/3000 and Cougar 2000, the 2.2″ diameter wheel works for all modern tyres and has a 14mm HEX drive. The rears are 36mm wide, the 4WD fronts are 26mm while the 2WD front is 21mm in width.

View more colours here

May 9, 2025

Hara confirmed for Asian Buggy C/ships visit to Brisbane

With two hugely successful rounds of the Cayote backed Asian Buggy Championships already in the books, Round 3 hosts Pine Hill Dirt Racing in Brisbane have received the exciting news that they will get to welcome legend of the sport Atsushi Hara to their track for the July 16-20 event. The former 1:8 Buggy and Electric Touring Car World Champion, who has for the last 2-years attended the Philippine Masters round of the championship, will make his first ever trip to Brisbane thanks to his sponsor Cayote. Having not raced 1:8 Buggy regularly in recent years, his racing programme more focused on electric touring car outings, the Japanese driver is relishing the opportunity of back to back ABC outings after his double Top 10 finish in Manila last weekend. With the last two visits to Australia sell out races, entries for Round 3 at Pine Hills Dirt Racing (PHDR) track open May 10th. Just like Hara, Red RC are excited to be making our first visit to Brisbane in July to cover the latest action from the Asian Buggy Championships.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]

May 9, 2025

Xray RX8’26 1:8 Nitro Onroad car

Xray has unveiled their latest 1:8 Nitro Onroad car, the RX8’26. A category in which Xray founder Juarj Hudy has deep roots, the latest car from the Slovakian manufacturer gets an all-new chassis design which features new flex characteristics & a lowered centre of gravity. This all-new chassis uses M4 screws throughout, for quick and reliable assembly and maintenance. The chassis sides and engine position have been milled down for laydown servo mounting & lowered engine position. In the drivetrain the rear solid axle & front one-way outdrives are lightened to reduce drivetrain rotational mass while the front aluminium one-way axle is now hard coated for improved durability & reliability. The CVD rear driveshafts are matched to the lightweight aluminium wheel axles and super lightweight rear solid axle
2nd gear shaft has been strategically lightened to reduce rotating mass, and heat treated for maximum lifespan. All-new 3 ball-bearing equipped belt tensioners increase reliability and prevent belt skipping. The RX8’26’s piston brake system features an aluminium stand, and brake pads with special material, glued in-house. New adapter for brake disc and pulley is made from a hard coated, lightweight aluminum 7075 T6 material. A new carbon radio plate features a unique flex system with two flex alternatives and it uses a laydown throttle servo configuration to lower CG. A new linkage system is mounted on top of the radio plate which allow the servo to be installed super low on the chassis.

View the full RX8’26 presentation here

May 8, 2025

SkyRC MC5000 Pro-grade Cylindrical Cell Charger

SkyRC has introduced their all-new MC5000, a pro-grade cylindrical cell charger for serious enthusiasts and battery professionals. Building on the success of the MC3000, it adds wider chemistry support, a vibrant TFT screen, revamped UI, and powerful analysis features. The MC5000 features 4 fully independent slots for charging, discharging, analysing, or refreshing cells – covering NiMH, NiCd, Li-ion (incl. 4.35V LiHV), LiFePO4, Na-ion, and more. It supports 44+ cylindrical battery sizes, with up to 5A charge and 1.5A discharge per slot—perfect for testing, recovery, and serious cell management. The charger supports multiple modes including Charge, Storage, Discharge, Cycle, Refresh, and Break-in. It also offers near-zero* current fluctuation, 0.01V voltage accuracy, and built-in internal resistance measurement for precise performance analysis. With Bluetooth connectivity and app control via SkyCharger, the MC5000 offers full monitoring, advanced logging, and streamlined operation—making it a true battery management system. Whether you’re maintaining transmitter cells or testing flashlight batteries, SkyRC MC5000 delivers the precision and control hardcore users demand.

View features list and more images here

May 8, 2025

TLR 22X 1:10 2WD Race Buggy

Team Losi Racing has released their latest 1:10 2WD Buggy in the form of the 22X, with the kit offered in a DC (Dirt/Clay) and AC (Astro/Carpet) option. The reigning 2WD World Champion manufacturer started with lessons learned from the title winning 22, and from years of further 22 platform development plus valuable racer feedback. The result is a brand new buggy design that’s easier to maintain and comes optimised for dirt and clay or astro and carpet tracks, with a ton of adjustability that makes it easier to drive faster on today’s high-grip surfaces. Key improvements include a hard-anodised 2mm 7075-T6 aluminium chassis that’s lengthened and optimised for today’s higher grip tracks, plus larger 13mm big-bore shocks with 13mm springs for plush landings and quick cornering. Two front caster block and spindle options let you tune the steering feel to what you want and need on different surfaces; options for wide or narrow king pin locations are available. The wide location provides a more linear feel and keeps the buggy flatter through the corners. For a more aggressive steering feel, you can choose the narrow king pin location. The TLR 22X has a new laydown gearbox design with an easy-access differential and idler gear. You can maintain the differential and idler gear quickly without disassembling the entire gear box which is a big advantage given that the suspension uses the gearbox for all of its mounting points.

View more images here

May 8, 2025

Capricorn LAB GT2 Differential Conversion Kit

Italian onroad chassis manufacturer Capricorn is offering a new complete Differential Conversion Kit for their LAB GT2 1:8 GT Nitro Competition car. The new ratio changes from 45 to 46 for a quicker response and a more aggressive transmission. The differentials have the internal system with steel cross shoes.

View more images here