Red RC » Electric Off Road

October 1, 2026

Ronnefalk doubles in Q5 as Ongaro fuel gamble fails

Xray’s David Ronnefalk has taken a second TQ run at the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship, the Swede topping Q5 by more than 2-seconds as his main rivals for the overall TQ honour here in Texas had their issues. In the end it was Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas who was closest to Ronnefalk over the 10-minutes. Up in the first of the Top 3 heat groups, Ronnefalk set the benchmark with a new fastest time of qualifying of 17/10:30.480, doing so as the only driver to run a 35-second lap of the Thornhill Racing Circuit. Having posted his second TQ run in this morning’s Q4, it looked like running in Heat 14 of 15 that Mason Fuller was going to better the Swede’s time. While looking very fast on track, the American Sworkz driver would make a number of mistakes that needed marshalling ending his quest to wrap up an early overall TQ. Considering the time lost his P3 for the round was impressive. With the top heat next up, all eyes were on Ongaro, the defending Champion having TQ’d Round 3 with a fuel stop but now gambling on trying to do the full 10-minutes without a stop. With the noise of the rain on the roof covering the track drowning out the noise of the engine, Ongaro’s engine was to fall silent for other reasons. His fuel gamble didn’t pay off and as he started his last lap his Team Associated came rolling to a halt. With the Top 5 drivers making 17-lap runs it was Associated’s Spencer Rivkin in P4 and Sparko’s Noha Ben Mohamed who completed those position ahead of Ongaro who still took a P6 for his efforts.

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October 1, 2026

Fuller produces second TQ run in Texas

Sworkz’s Mason Fuller has opened Day 2 of the qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship with a second TQ run, the American topping the round from team-mate Juan Carlos Canas and defending Champion Davide Ongaro. Going in the group ahead of Ongaro and Canas, Fuller would be the only driver to run 17-laps of the Thornhill Racing Circuit this morning, Canas missing the mark by 1-second as he snatched P2 from Ongaro on his final lap of the fourth qualifying round. Behind the Top 3 it was David Ronnefalk, who took Q1 yesterday morning, who set the fourth fastest time ahead of Xray team-mate Chase Lemieux both drivers running in Heat 13 of 15. The Top 6 was rounded out by eBuggy World Champion Marcus Kaerup with US Offroad heavyweights Dakotah Phend, who had two DNF’s yesterday, and Ryan Maifield just behind him.

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October 1, 2026

Ongaro comes good in Q3, Ronnefalk holds overnight TQ

Defending World Champion Davide Ongaro has concluded the first day of qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship in Texas with his first TQ run, but it is Xray’s David Ronnefalk who holds the overnight TQ at the Thornhill Racing Circuit. After topping seeding yesterday, Ongaro would not have the best of starts to qualifying as he managed only P5 while Ronnefalk topped Q1. Worse was to come in Q2 as Ongaro posted the 8th fastest time. With the frustration starting to show on the Italian’s face, while Sworkz’s Mason Fuller impressed with the Q2 TQ, the Ongaro smile would return in Q3 as the Team Associated driver just managed to pip the Xray of an impressive Chase Lemieux to the top of the timing sheets. Lemieux has put in a strong day posting a P4 on his first attempt which he duly backed up with a P3 in the second one before closing out the day with a very competitive 2nd fastest time. Overall it was a good end to the day for Team Associated with Spencer Rivkin putting together a P3, the leading drivers breaking 17-laps for the first time. For Fuller, new tyres left him struggling a little in Round 3 and he ended the day by adding a P4 to his TQ & P3 while Tekno’s Ryan Maifield, who surprised with the 2nd fastest time in Q2, completed the Top 5 ahead of Ronnefalk. The Swede felt he had a really fast car in Q3 but admitted he got carried away and this led to a number of mistakes that put him sixth for the round. Elsewhere having looked to have found his way in Q2, America’s pre-event title favourite Dakotah Phend, like he did in Q1, ran out of fuel. European Champion Juan Carlos Canas had been on a strong final run but the Spaniard had a costly last lap his Sworkz getting hooked up on one of the track’s roof support posts leaving him with a P9.

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October 1, 2026

Fuller takes Q2 in Texas

Despite a mistake, Sworkz Mason Fuller has TQ’d the second round of qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship at Thornhill Racing Circuit. Running in the second fastest heat, the American just missed out on a 17-lap run posting a time of 16/10:00.219 to beat Q1 winner David Ronnefalk, the Xray driver having went fastest in Heat 13 from team-mate Chase Lemieux, this the Top 3 order for the round. A qualifying round that would see mistakes from many drivers, having opened with the second fastest time in Q1 Tekno’s Ryan Maifield would need to be marshalled on his second attempt and with 4-seconds lost he ended up P13. While finishing top of the timing screens in Heat 15, Juan Carlos Canas’ effort was only good for P4, the Spaniard like Ronnefalk having the disadvantage of needing to do a fuel stop to get through the 10-minute run. After a torrid Q1 in which he ran out of fuel, a much happier Dakotah Phend would run the fifth fastest time just ahead of 2-time 1:10 Offroad World Champion Spencer Rivkin who was the best Team Associated for the round. For defending World Champion Davide Ongaro he was again not happy with his car, the Italian only managing P8 to go with his P5 from Q1.

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September 30, 2026

Ronnefalk from Maifield in opening Worlds qualifier

Xray’s David Ronnefalk has taken the opening round of qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship in Texas, the Swede topping the 10-minute run from the Tekno of Ryan Maifield. Having expected he might have been at a disadvantage for the first of the six scheduled rounds of qualifying at Thornhill Racing Circuit by running in Heat 13 of 15, even with a fuel stop Ronnefalk topped the round by 3.4-seconds over Maifield, the American the big surprise of the morning. Three of the Top 6 would eventually come from the 3rd fastest heat group with Maifield and Ronnefalk’s team-mate Chase Lemieux also in there, the young American opening his championship with a P4 run just behind fellow countryman Mason Fuller who topped Heat 14. For defending Champion & Top Seed Davide Ongaro, it would only be a P5 first run, the driver being delayed exiting the pits after his fuel stop but overall not happy with his tyre choice. Running in the top heat alongside Ongaro, Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas completed the Top 6.

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September 30, 2026

Ongaro Top Seed at Nitro Buggy World Championship

Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro is the Top Seed going into qualifying tomorrow at the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship, the defending World Champion setting the fastest time in the second of the seeding rounds today in Texas. Having set the pace in free practice yesterday, in the opening seeding round the Italian broke a front arm but on a much faster track for Round 2 he produced the fastest 3-consecutive laps of the three days being the only one to break 1:50 with a time of 1:49.983. Xray’s David Ronnefalk would be his closest challenger on the hot track running 1:50.126 but the 2016 World Champion seeds P3 behind Sworkz’s Mason Fuller. Fastest in SP1 from Ronnefalk, the points system puts the American second in the seeding ranking as he completed seeding with the third fastest time. Again fourth fastest in the second seeding round, Juan Carlos Canas seeds P4 for Sworkz while a big turn around in form from Kyosho’s Phi-Long Nguyen sees the youngster claim 5th with Nate Sutherland completing the Top 6.

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September 29, 2026

Gateway RC Park, Florida to stage 2027 eBuggy Worlds

The 2nd running of the IFMAR 1:8 Electric Offroad World Championship will take place in Florida next year with new build Gateway RC Park in Lake City the host track. Describing itself as North Florida’s premier 250′ × 150′ covered 1:8 and 1:10 offroad RC racing destination, Gateway RC Park is run by Lance MacDonald and has just recently put the final touches to its rebuild, the grounds having formerly been the home to Southside RC Raceway. The works include a newly constructed roof structure meaning like the Nitro Buggy World Championship, which is currently underway at Thornhill Racing Circuit in Texas, the racing will take place under cover from the elements. A hugely important category for the industry, eBuggy only got World Championship status last year when the World governing body hosted the inaugural Worlds in Portugal. Attracting almost 120 entries, it would be Team Associated’s Marcus Kaerup who claimed the inaugural title at the Barcelos Buggy Arena located in the north of the country. In terms of a date, it is expected that the 2027 1:8 Electric Offroad World Championship will be scheduled for mid November. The track will stage the 4th Annual Elevate presented by Exalt for 1:8 Offroad from December 11-13th this year.

September 29, 2026

SPower XS7TT TAKUMI Factory Edition Offroad Engine

Spower, the engine brand of chassis manufacturer Sworkz, has introduced a completely new performance platform in the XS7TT Takumi. The Factory Edition 1:8 Offroad engine follows the success of the hand-modified SOUL II engine series with the name “匠” (Takumi), meaning master craftsman, represents the dedication, precision, and engineering excellence behind this exceptional racing engine. Developed in close cooperation with O.S. Japan, the XS7TT Takumi features a square-stroke piston and liner design with a conventional 3-port configuration. This setup delivers an extremely smooth and linear power curve, giving drivers outstanding throttle control and confidence on any off-road track. At the heart of the engine is a DLC-coated crankshaft equipped with dual tungsten counterweights. This advanced design provides exceptional idle stability and ultra-responsive throttle feel, translating every steering and throttle input into precise and controlled acceleration. The XS7TT Takumi is equipped with the proven SPower carburetor, allowing highly precise tuning and adjustment. The responsive carburetor design enables racers to fine-tune the engine for varying track conditions, temperatures, and fuel types while maintaining consistent fuel delivery and outstanding drivability throughout every run. Combined with its highly efficient combustion chamber design and optimised internal components, the engine delivers outstanding fuel mileage, allowing longer run times, fewer pit stops, and maximum consistency during demanding main events without sacrificing performance. To further enhance performance, the engine comes standard with the exclusive SPower Boost rear cover plate, helping to stabilise airflow and improve engine consistency across the entire RPM range, from low-end torque to maximum top-end power. A specially designed inner seal featuring an O-ring significantly improves gas sealing efficiency, contributing to greater reliability and more consistent performance over extended racing conditions.

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