Red RC » S-Workz

April 9, 2024

Hara ‘excited’ for Philippine Masters return

A former winner of the Philippine Masters, legend of the sport Atsushi Hara will make his return to the famed Manila based 1:8 Offroad event next week (April 18-21). The offroad and onroad World Champion, last contested the race in 2019 and will return to the Circulo Verde track at the controls of an Sworkz Buggy, a decade on from when he raced for manufacturer full time during the 2014 season. Joining the international entry that includes reigning World & Philippine Masters Champion Davide Ongaro, multiple Worlds finalist Kyle McBride, Asian Buggy Championship points leader & PM debutant Ryan Lutz, and another PM debutant Joern Neumann, on his return to the Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race former FEMCA Champion Hara said, “I am so excited to be back at Philippine Masters, because Philippine Masters is one of the best organizers in the world. This time, Sworkz and Cayote have helped me to enter the race! I am also looking forward to seeing my many friends and fans in the Philippines! See everybody at the track!”

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]

April 8, 2024

Canas wins very poorly supported IFMAR 1:8 eBuggy World Cup

Sworkz and Juan Carlos Canas will go down in the record books as the winners of the IFMAR 1:8 eBuggy World Cup, a precursor to the inaugural eBuggy World Championship, but it was the fact that just 9 drivers contested the World Cup that was the main story from Portugal. Hosted by the Club ACDB “OS BEIROES” at their track in Guarda, the event was originally scheduled for last September but was postponed due to a lack of entries with the date just after the 1:10 Offroad World Championships in Arizona touted as a reason for the poor support. Rescheduled for April 5-7, while the event again failed to attract entries it went ahead with European 1:8 Nitro Buggy Champion Canas the only big international star to attend. While a clash with annual the Psycho Nitro Blast in Tennessee could be attributed to a lack of US drivers making the costly trip to Europe, the previous weekend’s rained off International Buggy Challenge also in Portugal looks to have been a big factor in a lack of top European entries. Winning 3 of the 4 10-minute mains, Canas took the win from the Mugen Seiki of fellow Spaniard David Todd while IBC race organiser João Figueiredo completed the podium with his Tekno.

Image: David Todd [Facebook]

March 18, 2024

Boots takes 25th anniversary Dirt Nitro Challenge win

A landmark year for World renowned track builder Joey Christensen’s signature event, it was Sworkz Elliott Boots who took the big win at the 25th anniversary of the legendary Dirt Nitro Challenge. In Nitro Buggy qualifying it was the British driver who secured the TQ in Perris, California, despite not topping a round with a second and a third fastest times enough to top the ranking after the three rounds from Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin. Having topped the opening qualifier Frankie Contreras Jr. completed the Top 3 for Mugen. The other two qualifying rounds would go to Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz and Tekno’s Ryan Maifield who was chasing his fourth consecutive DNC title having won in 2023, 2022 and 2021. From the front of the 15-car grid, Boots would take control of the 45-minute encounter eventually winning by 10-seconds from the Xray of 2020 Champion David Ronnefalk with TLR’s Dakotah Phend completing the podium. For Sworkz there was double celebrations at the event with Juan Carlo Canas taking the eBuggy win from Rivkin after Top Qualifier Ronnefalk retired. While Maifield’s run of buggy wins came to an end, finishing the final in 10th, the American didn’t leave the DNC empty handed as he crowned Truggy Champion ahead of Phend and Boots.

Image: TheDirt Racing [Facebook]

March 13, 2024

Neumann to lead Sworkz effort at Philippine Masters

Having won the Truggy title at the Philippine Masters last year with Micha Widmaier, Sworkz will be pinning their hopes on Joern Neumann this year at what has become Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race. With Widmaier also finishing runner-up to World Champion Davide Ongaro in the 1-hour Buggy Final, this will be Neumann’s first time to the very 3D Circulo Verde offroad track in the capital city of Manila. The German joins Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz and Sparko’s Ryan Pavidis as the latest international entry for what will be the 12th edition of the race. A race that has a unique vibe that lives up to the nation’s tourism tagline ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’, many of the large international entry combining the race with holidays at the country’s world famous white sand beaches, on the news of his entry Neumann said, “Finally the Philippine Masters fits in my schedule and I am looking forward to racing at this beautiful track. Super excited to meet everyone and it should be a fun race.” The Philippine Masters is the second round of the ambitious Asian Buggy Championship which having already visited New Zealand will also have rounds in Australia and Indonesia.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]

February 18, 2024

Neumann takes surprise 2WD win at MIBO

Joern Neumann came out the surprise winner of 2WD Buggy at MIBO International, the Sworkz driver having lined up 5th on the grid for the three action packed A-Mains at the Czech Republic race. With team-mate Micha Widmaier leading the challenge of the Sworkz team in qualifying, holding the overnight TQ and one of four drivers to go into Sunday morning’s fifth & final qualifier in contention for pole position, Neumann was running well under the radar. The first of the finals changed all that as the multiple European Champion picked up the pieces as those ahead cracked under the pressure and he took the win, even the German himself having a smile of surprise on his face as he went to out marshal afterwards. A2 was a similarly incident filled race, this time Neumann following home the Xray of fourth place qualifier Martin Bayer to finish P2 helped by late contact between the top 2 qualifiers Daniel Kobbevik and Joona Haatanen. Top Qualifier Kobbevik would finally deliver in A3 taking his Schumacher to the win ahead of Widmaier but a late incident between Bayer and Haatanen who define the outcome of the podium. Running second at the time and with a faster winning time than Neumann, the incident cost Bayer the overall win as he finished 3rd on tie break with Kobbevik as Neumann became the Champion of the second edition of the MIBO International.

Continue reading report here

February 17, 2024

Widmaier holds overnight 2WD TQ at MIBO International

Sworkz’s Micha Widmaier holds the overnight TQ in 2WD Buggy at MIBO International with today’s four rounds of qualifying producing TQ runs from four drivers all representing different manufacturers. Having opened the second edition of the Czech event with a TQ run, Widmaier holds a 1 point advantage over the Xray of Martin Bayer who topped the time sheets in Q4. Equal on points with Bayer, having taken max points for Q3, is Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik for whom a last lap error cost him a potential second TQ result as he finished just 2/10ths back from Bayer. Setting the pace in Q2, Team Associated’s Joona Haatanen is one of four drivers in contention for the overall TQ in Sunday mornings fifth & final qualifier.

Continue reading report here

February 17, 2024

Widmaier & Bayer take opening MIBO qualifiers

Sworks RC’s Micha Widmaier and Xray’s Martin Bayer have taken the opening round of offroad qualifying at MIBO International. In 2WD Widmaier took the TQ ahead of Bayer by less than 2/10ths while Bayer got the better of Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik to TQ the first 4WD encounter by 7/10th of a second. Having opened Day 2 of the event by topping seeding in both 2WD and 4WD, mistakes on both of his opening qualifying runs would see Bartosz Zalewski end up third fastest in both categories.

Continue reading report here

February 12, 2024

Spower Japan B7HP ‘Soul’ Hand Modified .21 Offroad

Following on from the release of its first hand modified racing engine that was specifically for 1:8 GT, Spower has added a second engine to the ‘Soul’ series with the popular B7TT .21 offroad engine undergoing the special treatment. Based on long-stroke B7TT, the new B7HP piston/liner comes with hand modified conventional 3-ports type enabling more torque the power range. The stronger DLC coating on new crankshaft has also hand modified with 2 tungsten counterweights contributing to consistent idling and quicker RPM response according to the throttle movements. It also comes standard with Spower’s Boost rear cover plate which helps this high RPM engine work more stable from the top speeds to the lower range. The new printing technology not only makes the cooling head colourful but also makes it blend in with your car. The factory combo setup with Spower Japan 75mm Exhaust Manifold + EFRA 2089 pipe, B7HP will provide a lot of power plus best fuel mileage for your offroad racing needs.

View Spec and mores images