Capricorn RC is to welcome back international 1:8 Onroad Nitro racer & World Finalist Flavio Elias to its team for 2024. After four years away from the Italian manufacturer, the Brazilian stalwart of the category rejoins to race their latest LAB C804R as well as now using their ONE brand of engine.
Source: Capricorn [capricornrc.com]
In a significant driver announcement, Toni Gruber and Capricorn have agreed a new contract that will see the German ace continue with the Italian chassis manufacturer for the 2024 and 2025 nitro onroad seasons. After 4-years with Shepherd, Gruber joined forces with Patrizio Rossi’s team for the 2023 season with the 27-year-old going on to have an outstanding season. In 1:10 Nitro Touring he secured the European Championship title which he then followed up with the TQ and a podium finish at the 1:8 Onroad European Championships. Adding his first ENS Championship title in 1:8 and then becoming the 1:8 GT World Champion in Australia with Hong Nor, he was to be title contender at the 1:8 Onroad World Championships. Having made his first World Final appearance at the previous World Championships in the United States in 2019, in Japan he was in the mix from the start and after one of the most intense and heavily stacked Main Finals in the category’s history he finished Runner-up just 7.5-seconds off Dario Balestri after 1-hour of racing. After such a season the continuity with Capricorn and also engine sponsor Ielasi Tuned should see Gruber become even stronger in 2024.
Source: Toni Gruber [Facebook]
Capricorn has released their their 2024 pivot bushing kits for its 1:8 GT chassis the LAB GT2. It kits come in 4 different options – the 4 piece LAB GT2 Pivot Bushing kit 5MM, Pivot Bushing kit 4MM, Upper Rear Arms Pivot Busing kit, and the 20 piece Pivot Busing Full Kit. The new pivot bushing is made up of an Ergal 7075 hard coated sphere and a PA66 reinforced bushing. The benefits of the new kit is it’s lightness and, most importantly, it is maintenance free.
Source: Capricorn [capricornrc.com]
In another dramatic qualifier at the 1:8 Onroad Worlds in Japan, Capricorn’s Toni Gruber took the second round TQ. Having opened qualifying with a TQ run Dario Balestri wouldn’t even make the start of Q2, his engine expiring in the warm-up. Having led Q1 until he ran out of fuel on the final lap, Simon Kurzbuch would flame out very early on and then when it looked like Naoto Matsukura was on for the TQ of the second round he too ran out of fuel. All this allowed Gruber to take the TQ ahead of the Infinity of Kouki Kato and the Sahashi brothers who ran their times in the second fastest heat – Tadahiko faster than Yuya. After a strong first qualifier, finishing P3, Jessie Davis was on for another Top 3 performance but trying to make a pass on Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani, the Italian made contact with the Infinity driver ruining both their qualifiers and earning Catanzani a time penalty.
Toni Gruber has topped the opening round of timed practice at the 1:8 Onroad World Championship in Japan. The Capricorn driver’s fastest 3-consecutive laps around the Infinity International RC Speedway gave him a 3/10th of a second advantage over his closest rival, the same margin of time then covering the next 7-drivers. Better known for his electric onroad exploits, it was Hayato Ishioka who was second fastest driving a Mugen with factory Mugen driver Simon Kurzbuch completing the Top 3. The best represented brand at this year’s World Championship with over half the field running the Japanese manufacturer’s car, it was Naoto Matsukura who lead their charge with P4 for the first of today’s scheduled four seeding rounds. Just 1/100th off, Serpent young gun Andrea Catanzani, who was up in the second last year to go on track, kick his day off with a P5 ahead of Dario Balestri and reigning World Champion Shoki Takahata.
Two weeks ago Toni Gruber took the biggest prize of his racing career yet. Realising the ultimate dream, he clinched his first World Championship title with a very convincing victory at the 1:8 GT World Championship in Sydney, Australia. The victory didn’t really come as too much of a surprise however as the German is in the form of his life this season. However, despite claiming the 1:10 Nitro Onroad European Championship for a second time during the Summer, following that up a month later by becoming Top Qualifier at the 1:8 Euros where he finished on the podium, and then rounding out the European season with his first ENS title win, the sport’s newest World Champion goes into the 1:8 Onroad World Championship in Japan with the mindset ‘every race we start from zero’.
Capricorn has released a Wide 235mm version of its P10 SR 1:10 4WD Electric pan car. Originally launched as a 200mm standard width chassis configuration they now offer a 235mm kit or the option of a 235mm conversion kit to change your existing P10 SR. The conversion kit includes a longer rear solid axle (235 mm), front carbon structure, rear body support and longer drive shafts.
View P10 SR Wide 235mm chassis renders here
Italian onroad competition chassis manufacturer Capricorn has released CAD images and details of its new up coming 1:8 Onroad kit, the LAB C804 R. Features of the latest design from Patrizio Rossi include a new radio plate that offers an improved weight distribution thanks to the renewed position of the servo. The car get a new fuel tank design for greater tank efficiency and also improving engine efficiency is a new gear shaft which is lighter, yet made from stronger material. New wheel shaft hub, which it is calling ‘The Silent Revolution’, showcases Capricorn’s attention to the detail. With a strong plastic exterior and aluminium bearing inserts, these wheel shaft hub are designed to deliver consistent performance, especially as pressures and temperature rise.
