Red RC » Mugen

November 2, 2023

Kurzbuch is Top Qualifier in Japan

Eight years on from TQ’ing in Brazil on en-route to becoming the 2015 World title, Mugen Seiki driver Simon Kurzbuch is again the Top Qualifier at the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship. Four drivers, all World Champions, went into the sixth & final round of qualifying at the Infinity International RC Speedway in Japan with a chance of the overall TQ. Q1 winner Dario Balestri was the first driver to go by the wayside, his car coming to stop half way through the qualifier. Next it was Q2 pace setter Toni Gruber who came to a halt a minute later. That left just Kurzbuch and Shoki Takahata in the battle although the later wasn’t on a good run. All the while 17-year-old World Championship debutant Kouki Kato surprised them all snatching the TQ for the round ahead of Kurzbuch but with two TQ runs to go with his P2 it was the Swiss ace who goes into the history books as the Top Qualifier of the 23rd running of the sport’s original World Championship. With his TQ run, him being the fifth different driver to do so over the six rounds, Offroad racer Kato put his Infinity into the Super Pole. This was duly won by Dario Balestri who denied defending World Champion Takahata a direct spot in the final alongside Kurzbuch. First to go the Mugen driver ran a best lap of 13.633 which neither Kato or Toni Gruber could better but last to go Balestri needed just three laps to produce a 13.518 to win a feat he also achieved at the 1:10 World Championship in Thailand 12-months ago.

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November 2, 2023

Kurzbuch repeats in penultimate qualifier

Mugen Seiki’s Simon Kurzbuch has become the first driver to repeat a TQ run at the 1:8 Onroad World Championship as he made it two in a row in the penultimate round of qualifying in Japan. The Swiss driver managed the run perfectly as Infinity’s Naoto Matsukura pushed him for the TQ but on the last lap the Japanese driver once again ran out of fuel. This handed Dario Balestri the second fastest time, the Infinity driver just 3/10ths off. More than a second back, a big margin at these World Championships, Toni Gruber would complete the Top 3 just ahead of defending Champion Shoki Takahata with everything still to play for in the sixth & final round of qualifying at the Infinity International RC Speedway.

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November 2, 2023

Kurzbuch finally delivers TQ run in Q4

After difficult first day of qualifying in Japan, Top Seed Simon Kurzbuch finally delivered on his speed with the Mugen Seiki driver taking the TQ for the fourth round of 6 at the 1:8 Onroad World Championship. The 2015 World Champion would be more than 1.4 seconds quicker than his closest rival Yuya Sahashi as the first of the day’s three qualifiers saw a number of drivers in the top have issues. Infinity team-mates Jessie Davis and Naoto Matsukura were in the mix for a Top 3 run until they both ran out of fuel. Having TQ’d the second round yesterday, Capricorn’s Toni Gruber would make a driver error and end his run early. All this meant that running in the 3rd fastest heat Takaaki Shimo would complete the Top 3 for the round ahead of Dominic Greiner, Shoki Takahata and Dario Balestri. Having TQ’d the final qualifier yesterday but having had poor results in the previous two, reigning World Champion Takahata described Q4 as a ‘safe run’ adding he would ‘push more’ in the next one.

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October 31, 2023

Kurzbuch is Top Seed in Japan

Simon Kurzbuch is the Top Seed at the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship, the Mugen Seiki driver setting the fastest 3-consecutive laps of the day in the fourth & final round of timed practice in a great battle with Capricorn’s Toni Gruber. The duo swapped position at the top of the timing screens, their engine tuner Daniele Ielasi finding it hard to keep up with which of drivers was currently fastest, but at the end of the 7-minutes it was Kurzbuch who was 2/10ths faster than Gruber. That time would give the very much back in form 2015 World Champion the tiebreaker in the final seeding points ranking as himself and Gruber both count a P1 & P2 each. Fastest in the second round, Infinity’s Naoto Matsukura would put himself out of contention for the confidence boosting Top Seed status when he crashed out just before the final 2 and a half minutes of the run which is when the times start to tumble. Another contender, having topped Round 3, Dario Balestri could not match the lead pace and finished with the third fastest time just ahead of Infinity team-mate Jesse Davis. Overall that would seed Balestri third.

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October 26, 2023

Mugen Seiki MTX7R 1:10 nitro touring car

Mugen Seiki has announced their new MTX7R 1:10 nitro touring car kit. The car gets new front and rear suspension geometry with longer arms to reduce the unexpected behavior and make the vehicle more predictable. The front arms are 1mm longer and the rear arms are 4.5mm longer, and the front/rear wheel offset has been optimised. The car also gets a new Chassis plate, new Rear Lower Bulkhead, new Rear Anti-Roll Bar Φ2.1, Axle Shaft, and 5mm Alu Wheel Hub.

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October 11, 2023

Jae Kuk Yoo crowned Korean 1:8 National Champion

Mugen/KARS driver Jae Kuk Yoo is the new KMRCA 1:8 Onroad Korean National Champion. Racing at Hwangsan Park in South Korea, in qualifying it was Mugen team-mate Moo Sung Kuk who secured the TQ with his MRX6X with Yoo going on to lock in his place in the 45-minute Main by taking the Super Pole having qualified 4th overall. In the final, despite an early spin, Yoo would get passed Kuk to win the title by almost 2-laps with Lee Sung Hyo making it an all O.S Engines powered Mugen podium.

Source: Jae Kuk Yoo [Facebook]

September 26, 2023

Callens retains French TC title with Round 5 win

Mugen Seiki driver Rémi Callens retained his French Modified Touring Car title over the weekend when he took victory at the 5th & final round of the championship held at Circuit Emerainville Mesrc. Securing the overall TQ ahead of the Xray of French international touring car stalwart Cyril N’Diaye, Callens took his his LRP electronics equipped MTC2R to the win for back to back title success. The podium in Emerainville was completed by Ben Jebira. In an exciting Stock finals, the Round 5 win went to the Awesamtix of Top Qualifier Jeremy Delalondre. Winner of A2, the Capricorn of Kévin Rasquin claimed the runner-up spot with the Xray of A1 winner Benjamin Elbisser completing the podium.

Image: Rémi Callens [Facebook]

September 25, 2023

Cruz wins 3rd annual 1Up Cup at CenCal Speedway

Mugen Seiki driver Jacob Cruz took the win at the 3rd annual 1Up Cup hosted by CenCal Speedway in Fesno, California, over the weekend. An event that attracted almost 100 entries, in Mod Touring Car it was the Awesomatix of Lex Tyler who took the TQ on tie-breaker with Cruz, each driver having a TQ and P2 while a TQ in Q1 put Aaron Lewis third on the grid. In the triple A-Mains, Cruz was able to get by Tyler in the first encounter and again win A2 to wrap up the overall win. With a DNF in A2, victory in A3 kept Tyler ahead of Lewis on the final podium. Cruz would enjoy a double victory at the event securing the win also in Nitro Touring Car having started as the Top Qualifier.

Image: Jacob Cruz [Facebook]