Red RC » Racing

February 28, 2026

New electronics for Matsukura as ORCA departure announced

Multiple 1:12 and 1:10 Electric Touring Car World Champion Naoto Matsukura has announced his depart from ORCA, the Japanese star having been with the electronics brand since 2020. Having played a big role in ORCA’s recent pre World Championship preparations, including staying on for a number of days of testing with engineer Frankie Lui after his Asia Nitro Party win at Hongyu GDC last month, Matsukura made the announcement on his social media. He posted, ‘I started with Team ORCA in 2020, and after almost 6 years together, my contract will come to an end in February. I’m grateful for all the support and help throughout this time. Special thanks to Michael Lo, Frankie Lui and Keith!’ With the start of the IFMAR Electric Onroad World Championship just a month away, and the Infinity driver having shown some good pace when he TQ’d the opening round of qualifying at the FEMCA Asian Championships hosted by the world’s track in December, it will be interesting to see which brand he will represent given the current battle of the electronics brands for supremacy.

Source: Naoto Matsukura [Facebook]

February 28, 2026

Zalewski top seed in Czech Republic

Xray’s Bartek Zalewski continues to set the pace at MIBO International, the defending 2WD Champion topping Saturday morning’s seeding practice in both 2WD and 4WD. The Polish driver set the pace in yesterday’s free practice with the Schumacher of compatriot Michal Orlowski his closest challenger after the 5-round and it was a repeat of that over the 2 seeding rounds today. In 2WD, Zalewski had almost 3/10ths of a second advantage over Orlowski with European Champion Martin Bayer completing the Top 3 ahead of Czech racer Dominik Vlasek, Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik and Sworkz’s Micha Vidmaier. In 4WD Orlowski was only 4/100ths off, with last year’s runner-up Kobbevik completing the Top 3 despite failing to improve on his SP1 time. British Schumacher team driver Ben Smith seeds fourth ahead of Bayer with Vidmaier again completing the Top 6.

Continue reading here

February 28, 2026

Volker tops seeding at MIBO International

Defending MIBO International Champion Ronald Volker has topped Touring Car seeding in the Czech Republic this morning, the Mugen Seiki driver fastest ahead of Xray’s Adam Izsay who had set the pace in yesterday’s five rounds of free practice. Making his MIBO debut, it was Volker’s young team-mate Sören Sparbier who completed the Top 3. In the first of the two seeding runs on the new for 2026 Racestar’s built track, it was a very Mugen affair at the top of the timing sheets with Volker fastest from Sparbier and last year podium finisher Patrick Gollner with Izsay only managing P4. With the track’s new carpet continuing to grip up, Volker would knock another 2/10ths off his time in SP2 with an improved Izsay the only on to manage to join him on 29-seconds for his 3-consecutive fastest laps. Gollner will carry the No.4 for seeding ahead inaugural 2023 MIBO podium finisher Oliver Havranek with the Yokomo of Christopher Krapp, who stripped a spur gear in SP2, completing the Top 6. In 17.5 Stock, Izsay continued to set the pace in Hrotovice, topping seeding from the Mugen Seiki of German Phil Langer and Austrian Tobias Sutrich.

Continue reading here

February 28, 2026

Noble TQs Asian Buggy C/ships opener in New Zealand

Round 1 of the Team Cayote and VP-Pro backed Asian Buggy Championships is underway this weekend at Counties R/C Car Club, just outside Auckland, New Zealand, where Sworkz’s Caleb Noble has secured the TQ. It’s the third time the series has visited Counties for it’s season opener, with its old-school loamy clay track, and Australian Noble has been the star of the show in qualifying. Sweeping all four rounds across Nitro Buggy, eBuggy and Nitro Truggy he’ll start the A-Mains for all three classes from the TQ position. In Nitro Buggy, it’s his Sworkz teammate, New Zealand’s Jayden Jamieson who’ll line up behind Noble for Sunday’s 45-minute encounter, ahead of countryman, Mayako’s Dylan Toia, and Hotbodies’ Shane O’Connor. For Noble, it’s his first run with new chassis sponsor Sworkz, the switch for the new season also accompanied by a move to JConcepts. In eBuggy, a dominant Noble will line up in front of Jamieson, with Logan Toia (Mayako) starting out third ahead of younger brother Dylan. Mike Stratford has top qualified both 45+ Masters classes, and Shane O’Connor the eTruggy category. The series next moves to Malaysia’s Lap Paradise RC Raceway in late April, with Scotty Ernst today opening entries for Round 2 of the popular high profile Asian based four-round series.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [asianbuggychamps.com]

February 27, 2026

Zalewski & Izsay top first day of MIBO International

Xray’s Bartek Zalewski and Adam Izsay have set the early pace at MIBO International, Zalewski proving quickest in 2WD & 4WD Buggy while on the opposite side of the sports hall it was Izsay who mastered the onroad track to top both Modified and Stock Touring Car. A race concept that Michal Bok came up with when racing at the 2022 IFMAR ISTC World Championship in Italy, 2026 marks the fourth edition of MIBO International and has again attracted a capacity entry who this year have been treated to two new tracks prepared by Polish track builders Racestars. Switching from last year’s red infield to blue, drivers on both sides of the central drivers stand have been complimentary of the layouts created by Pawel Kowalski. With fresh new black carpet and completely new jumps, on the offroad track it was the Schumacher pairing of Michal Orlowski and 2WD Top Qualifier of the last two MIBO races Daniel Kobbevik who were closest to Zalewski over the half day of practice. Officially a 2 & a half day event, practice only gets underway at 15:30 local time to allow racers use Friday morning for travelling to Hrotovice in southern Czech. In Modified Touring Car it was defending Champion Ronald Volker and his Mugen Seiki team-mate Sören Sparbier who were closest to Izsay’s fastest 3-laps which he set in the 5th & final round of free practice.

Continue reading here

February 25, 2026

O.S. Engines announces Kaerup signing

Iconic Japanese engine manufacturer O.S. Engines has announced that electric offroad World Champion Marcus Kaerup has joined its official factory team. With 2026 a World Championship year for Nitro Buggy, the reigning 1:8 eBuggy and 1:10 4WD World Champion joins defending Nitro Buggy World Champion & Team Associated team-mate Davide Ongaro in using O.S. engines to power his nitro programme. The Danish teenager had been running Ruddog Racing branded engines and his new deal with O.S. is a significant one ahead of the 20th running of the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championships which will be hosted by Thornhill Racing Circuit in Texas and run from September 26th to October 3rd.

Source: O.S. Engines [oos-engines.co.jp]

February 24, 2026

Sester wins Buggy & Truggy at Motorama

Running as part of Motorama’s Custom Car, Truck and Bike Show and attracting just shy of 300 entries it was Sparko driver Lee Setser who was the big winner at the now all electric class event. The long running annual event which takes place in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and with 2025 winner Chase Lemieux not returning to defend his win, it was Setser who ruled proceedings taking all four rounds of 1:8 eBuggy qualifying and three of the four eTruggy rounds. Xray driver Ethan MacKanick setting the fastest time in the opening Truggy qualifier. From the TQ, Setser would win the first of the double A-Mains in Buggy but had to settle for second behind MacKanick in A2. Overall however it was Setser for the win ahead of MacKanick who had a bad A1. The Xray of Jacob Hardison completed the podium. In Truggy, Setser won both A-Mains with 5th place qualifier Ben Decker finishing run up ahead of Hardison. In the Buggy Masters class it was Xray’s Paul Ciccarello who took the TQ and win.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

February 23, 2026

Sturdy & McMillan win South Australian State Titles

Schumacher’s Christopher Sturdy and Team Associated’s Jack McMillan are the RCRA 1:10 Buggy South Australian State Title Champions for 2026. Racing at Adelaide Radio Controlled Raceway, it was Sturdy who took the TQ honours in both 2WD and 4WD, the race having to be condensed down to 3 qualifiers and a hectic single day of race action due to rain forecast for Sunday. In 2WD, starting on pole ahead of McMillan, Sturdy took his first title for new for 2026 chassis sponsor Schumacher by winning A1 and A3 with A2 winner & team-mate Jayden Edmunds making it 1-2 for the British manufacturer. McMillan would complete the podium. In 4WD, starting on pole ahead of Phoenix Eggleton and McMillen, while Sturdy won A1, errors in A2 & 3 denied him a shot at the double. Winning A2 and finishing second to Edmunds in A3, McMillan took the overall title. With Edmunds again runner-up it was Sworkz driver Eggleton who completed the podium having won the SA State title in Stadium Truck.

Image: Christopher Sturdy [Facebook]