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September 18, 2025

Catanzani is GT Worlds Top Qualifier as sterling Mazzeo effort just comes up short

Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani is the Top Qualifier at the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championships in Chile, qualifying coming to thrilling climax at the Club de Aeromodelos de Chile track after a sterling effort in the final qualifier by Raptor’s Alessio Mazzeo. After taking three of yesterday’s four qualifying rounds, Catanzani held the overnight TQ from Q1 winner Mazzeo who needed to TQ today’s two remaining rounds to deny his fellow Italian pole position for Friday’s 1-hour final. Rising to the challenge by ticking the first box and topping Q5, the 33-year now needed to not only TQ the sixth & final qualifier but also to better Catanzani’s Q4 time. With engine his sponsor Gimar fitting a new engine for Q6, Mazzeo earlier saying they had nothing to lose, he put together a brilliant drive and as the 7-minutes started to come to a close it looked like he was about to pull off the impressive feat, his projected time just ahead of Catanzani’s best. It wasn’t to be however, Mazzeo’s engine going lean right at the end and losing power, costing vital 1/10ths of a second. Still taking the TQ for the round and forcing the tiebreaker, unfortunately he was 6/10ths of second short with Catanzani, who has struggled today, securing the honour of Top Qualifier for the 3rd running of the GT World Championships 2-years on from when he announced the arrival of his talent on international stage at the GT Worlds in Sydney. Behind the fight for the TQ there was also a battle for the order of the other two direct spots in the final, Super Pole no longer a thing. It would be Natanaele Senesi who got the better of Alex D’Angelo concluding qualifying with his fastest run that gave him a P2. With it an all Italian Top 4, best of the rest at the end of qualifying in Santiago would be Brazilian WIRC driver Elias Flavio who will lead away one of the Semi Finals while Raptor driver Carli Lopez from Puerto Rico starts on pole in the other Semi.

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September 18, 2025

Mazzeo tops Q5 to remaining in the hunt

Raptor’s Alessio Mazzeo remains in the hunt for the overall TQ at the 1:8 GT World Championships in Chile, the Italian delivering his second TQ run in the fifth & penultimate round of qualifying this morning. With fog delaying the start of Day 2 of qualifying at the Club de Aeromodelos de Chile track by an hour, once the action got underway the sun would come out in force. While it was overnight TQ holder Andrea Catanzani who set the initial TQ pace for the first 6-laps, once Mazzeo’s tyres came in the 33-year-old took charge of proceedings. With Catanzani’s Serpent losing pace in the later part of the run, setting the fastest lap Mazzeo would take the all important TQ by 1.6 seconds forcing the battle to become the Top Qualifier to go to the sixth & final round. While always saying his car worked better in the hotter conditions unfortunately today noticeable increase in temperatures could hamper Mazzeo quest for the overall TQ honours as he needs another TQ run to match Catanzani but needs to do it in the fastest time to deny his fellow Italian the top spot. Catanzani’s Q4 run from yesterday is the fastest so far and Mazzeo’s latest TQ run was some 4-seconds shy of the pace needed. While all the attention was on the Mazzeo/Catanzani battle, behind them it would be Natanaele Senesi who completed the Top 3 after Alex D’Angelo’s Capricorn ran out of fuel on the last lap.

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September 18, 2025

Mazzeo leads way in inaugural eGT World title fight

In contention for the overall TQ in the established IFMAR 1:8 GT Nitro World Championship, Raptor’s Alessio Mazzeo leads the way in the inaugural Electric GT World title race which is also running in Chile. While just 10-drivers make up the entry list for the quieter class, it is again proving to be an all Italian battle at the front. EFRA’s inaugural eGT European Champion back in 2023, Mazzeo would post three TQ runs today with the only other driver to top a round being Natanaele Senesi when he took Q3. Behind them it is Capricorn’s Alex D’Angelo who sits third in the overnight ranking. With the final two qualifiers set to run tomorrow, potentially Senesi still has a shot at becoming the Top Qualifier in Santiago but he’ll need the perfect day to deny Mazzeo the TQ starting position.

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September 17, 2025

Catanzani takes control in Q2 & 3

Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani has taken control of qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championships in Chile, the Italian producing back to back TQ runs as he topped the times in the second & third rounds of qualifying as things warm-up a little in Santiago. With a cold start to qualifying this morning, the sun finally burned it’s way through the earlier fog with the snow capped mountain in the distance making up the back drop to the track as Q3 completed the first half qualifying. Complaining of the cold after Q1, Catanzani would outpace Top Seed and Q1 winner Alessio Mazzeo by 1.1-seconds at the second time of asking, this time three drivers managing to put together 20-lap runs, the third of those being Capricorn’s Alex D’Angelo. With Mazzeo having to pit during Q3 for an engine adjustment, D’Angelo would get a P2 for that round but Catazani’s advantage was now 2.2-seconds as he improved by almost 3-seconds over the 7-minutes despite feeling his car’s performance faded in the later part of the run. Natanaele Senesi completed the Top 3 ahead of the WIRC of Brazilian nitro onroad racing stalwart Elias Flavio which overall means as it currently stands at the half way stage it is an all Italian line-up in the all important Top 4, direct to final, qualification rankings.

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September 16, 2025

Awesomatix confirm Urbain for MonTech NYGP

Awesomatix has confirmed that their factory driver Lucas Urbain will travel Stateside for next month’s MonTech New York Grand Prix, the seventh edition of the high profile US indoor race taking place at 360v2 RC in New Rochelle from October 16-19th. The French Touring Car driver, who secured the TQ and a podium at the most recent round of the ETS in Luxembourg, is the first international entry announcement for this year’s edition and will be looking to take the fight to North America’s leading drivers. Last year it was Awesomatix’s Kemp Anderson and Xray’s Keven Hebert who came away as the big winners securing victory in Mod 1:12 and Mod Touring Car respectively. The vision of long time 1:12 racer Donny Lia, the NYGP is the nearest thing RC will get to having a race in Time Square, the track just a 20-minute train ride from the centre of the City That Never Sleeps. Counting multiple World Champions Marc Rheinard (2022 NYGP Winner), Ronald Volker (2019 NYGP Winner), Alexander Hagberg, reigning 1:12 Stock World Champion Max Mächler and Ollie Payne as previous participants, 360V2 is one of the biggest indoor tracks in the US with racing takes place on a track layout covering an area of 105 X 48 feet.

Source: Fordham 360 Hobbies & Raceway [Facebook]

September 16, 2025

Haatanen becomes new German 2WD Champion

Top Finnish offroad racer Joona Haatanen is the new DMC German National Champion in 1:10 2WD Mod Buggy. Now based in Germany, having joined Ruddog Distribution earlier this year as an ambassador for the Team Associated Distributor and option parts producer, Haatanen was the the Top Qualifier at the previous 4WD Buggy Nationals but after a battle with defending Champion Joern Neumann that went to A3, he ended up third overall as Neumann claimed yet another DMC National title. With RC Cars Köngen hosting the 2WD Buggy title race it was Xray driver Moritz Lautenbach who secured the TQ ahead of Haatanen and Marcel Schneider with Neumann’s Sworkz fifth. Getting the better of Lautenbach in A1, Haatanen repeated again in A2 to clinch the title as he truly settles into his new German lifestyle. Winning A3, former German Champion Lautenbach would finish second with Schneider’s Associated completing the podium. In 2WD Stock it was Sascha Frühwirth who took the TQ and title win.

Image: Ruddog [Facebook]

September 15, 2025

Maifield does the buggy double at 2025 SikCross

Tekno RC’s Ryan Maifield did the buggy double at the 2025 SikCross over the weekend winning both Nitro Buggy and eBuggy at The Drake Raceway hosted race. A track that was saved earlier this year thanks to the intervention of RC racing’s most famous couple, Adam & Ronda Drake, SikCross made its returned to the Southern California venue with 200 entries looking to enjoy the races unique start/race format. With two 15-lap races determining the grid for the finals it was to be Kyosho drivers who came out on top – Ryan Lutz taking the eBuggy TQ with his young team-mate Phi-Long Nguyen the Top Qualifier in Nitro Buggy, Maifield ending up P2 in both categories. In the triple 30-lap each finals, Lutz would have a tough time in eBuggy, Maifield winning A1 and A3 for the overall win with Nguyen winning A2 to claim second as the Team Associated of Tyler Fenster completed the podium ahead of Lutz. In Nitro, Nguyen opened with a win ahead of Maifield but suffered a DNF in A2 as Maifield took the win and repeated again in A3. Jimmy Fishback made it a Tekno 1-2 overall with Nguyen having to settle for third as Lutz again missed the podium with fourth. Nguyen would get a win however taking the title in Nitro Truggy ahead of Fenster, Lutz and Adam Drake.

Image: Tekno RC [Facebook]

September 15, 2025

Lee wins Hudy Series Australia

As 1:8 GT drivers descend on Santiago, Chile, this week for the IFMAR World Championships, the venue of the previous GT Worlds hosted the Australian Hudy Series over the weekend where it was Nicholas Lee who took the Mod Touring Car win. Racing at the New South Wales Radio Controlled Racing Car Club’s track in Sydney, Lee would take his Xray to the TQ ahead of ARC’s Brayden Stanley on tie break as the pair recorded two TQ runs each over the four qualifier. The only drivers to go 20 laps (in Q3) around the John Grant International Raceway, it was Lee who got the pole position with his faster time. Behind them RC Maker’s Jeff Hamon completed the Top 3 in front of team-mate Damon Davis-Perry. In the finals Lee took the first one with Stanley winning A2 after a DNF in the A1. Unfortunately local star Stanley would again fail to finish in A3 and with Lee taking it it was the Singapore driver with the overall winner down under. Hamon got second with Schumacher’s Simon Nicholson, from 8th on the grid, grabbing the final step on the podium ahead of Davis-Perry. Hamon would take the win in 13.5 Stock ahead of Cristian Silva and Top Qualifier Markus Askell. In FWD, John Puse took the TQ and win while in 1:12 Michael Stone was the winner having started from the TQ.

Image: RC Maker [Facebook]