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October 31, 2023

Gruber tops first time practice in Japan

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.

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October 29, 2023

‘Without knowledge you can drive but you can’t win’ – Jilles Groskamp

It’s easy to think that the top drivers in the World have a special ability to just show up at an event and put their car on the track and be quick straight off the bat. While there are one or two exceptions who do possess this super power, for the most part the success comes from combining that natural talent with a lot of hard work, that mostly goes unnoticed, between races. Racing at the top level is relentless because when you are not putting in the work your rivals are, and they are making marginal gains that combined can be the difference between them winning or you not. One driver who has always stood out as one of the hardest working drivers in our sport is Jilles Groskamp. Even back in the dominant years of the Tamiya TRF team in electric touring car it was Jilles who was doing most of the ground work for the entire team. That effort was justly rewarded when he became the 2012 Electric Touring Car World Champion at his home track of Heemstede. Now at the age of 43, Jilles admitting himself ‘I’m not the youngest guy anymore’, putting in the work is even more vital than before and through that comes knowledge which he points out ‘without knowledge you can drive but you can’t win’.

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October 28, 2023

‘Every race we start from zero’ – Gruber

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’.

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October 27, 2023

Xray X12 ‘24

With the IFMAR 1:12 World Championship just over a month away Xray has released their latest 1:12 chassis, the X12 ’24. What Alexander Hagberg will use at Beachline Raceway in Florida in his quest for a second World title in the category, the most visual difference on the new car is the all-new 3D printed rubber bumper. This improves body shell support for more aerodynamic efficiency and the 3D printed material doesn’t fold or break, and improves front grip by allowing more airflow under the body. Also new are graphite front lower suspension arms that are 2mm wider each side and improve cornering speed and handling precision. Thinner 2.0mm side braces increase traction for more forgiving handling and new side spring retainers, made from steel instead of composite, produce more precise and more consistent side dampening action. Another improvement on the X12 ’24 is the centre shock gets new geometry with the mounting point moved further back for quicker direction change, as well as improved on-power steering. The shock features a new stiffer spring for improved steering and response.

View the full X12’24 presentation here

October 26, 2023

‘I think Dario was racing European Championships before I was born’ – meet Serpent’s 1:8 Onroad young gun Andrea Catanzani

The last time the 1:8 Onroad World Championship was held in Japan it was Serpent who came away with the title thanks to Japanese driver Tadahiko Sahashi. At the same time almost 10,000km away in Italy an 8-year-old was embarking on his journey into RC Racing. Inspired by his father, one of the country’s top Rally Game drivers (the precursor to what we now know as 1:8 GT), this driver started to master his skills driven by view of his father, ‘for me he was the best and I wanted to be like him’. Now a decade later, that up & coming talent is part of a small select factory Serpent team that will compete for the title at the 23rd running of IFMAR’s original World Championship at the Infinity International RC Speedway in Japan. That driver is recently turned 18-year-old Andrea Catanzani, who earlier this month marked his arrival on the international stage with some stunning displays of outright speed and hunger for success at the 1:8 GT World Championship in Sydney.

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October 26, 2023

MXLR ONE/TT01/TT02 FlexBumpers & T-shirt

MXLR has extended its FlexBumper production line with addition of models for the Iris Racing ONE / ONE0.5 / ONE0.5 FWD and Tamiya’s TT01/TT02 1:10 Electric Touring Cars. The ONE FlexBumper matches the original footprint but has a lower overall profile. A direct replacement for the kit foam it lowers overall profile helping to keep the weight in an acceptable range. Featuring two MX logos on the backside to prove the originality the MXLR FlexBumper weighs 8.5grans compared with the original kit bumper at 6grams. The MXLR FlexBumpers are 3D printed with thermoplastic polyurethane for the optimal strength and flexibility and bsorbs hits better and don’t transfer them as much into the chassis structure. For the Tamiya TT01/TT02 they are also a direct replacement with a small and large option available. In addition to new stuff for your car MXLR has something forthe driver with the release of their first ever t-Shirt. Inspired by a famous motorsport design, the MXLR RC Motorsport T-Shirt is made from 100% cotton with a high quality DTF transfer print on the front and back side.

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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 25, 2023

ONG Team Associated Apparel

Back to back 1:8 Offroad World Champion Davide Ongaro has released new apparel under his ONG brand. Featuring the Italian’s ONG logo, the back also carries the branding of his long time chassis sponsor Team Associated for whom he recently claimed the iconic American manufacturer’s 32nd IFMAR World Championship title with his 1:10 4WD Buggy victory. If you fancy getting your hands on an ONG t-shirt or hoodie you can contact Davide’s father Mauro directly.

View hoodie here