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March 9, 2026

Harper wins season finale to lift 7th EWS Title

Elliott Harper won the final round of the 2025/26 Essex Winter Series this weekend – which meant he also secured a record-extending seventh EWS title. Elliott came into the finale tied on points with Kyle Branson, with Alex Thurston just two points back – meaning any one of the three could win the overall series title in the LRP Modified class. Elliott was the class of the field from the start, setting the best time in the opening three qualifying rounds with his Schumacher to secure the TQ position and put the championship outcome firmly in his hands. Despite some mixed results throughout qualifying, the contenders would line up on the grid in championship order – Kyle starting second with his ToniSport-backed Mugen after winning the fourth qualifier when Elliott rolled his car off the track in the final minute, and Alex starting third for Mugen after second-place runs in Q2 and Q4. Harley Eldridge led the Xray charge in fourth, mixing it with Kyle and Alex particularly in the opening few rounds, with Bailey Graves (Schumacher) rounding out the top five on the starting grid. The single-leg A Final saw Elliott determined to win the championship in style – and he quickly opened a gap over the first few laps of the race. The first to effectively drop out of the championship battle was Alex – a mistake on the opening lap saw him drop down the field, promoting Harley up to third in the race. Elliott built a 3-second lead at the front, which allowed him to cruise to the victory and the championship win. Kyle stayed well ahead of the chasing pack – solidifying his position as the championship runner-up, but not able to bring the fight to Elliott this time. Harley rounded out the podium on the day, securing her fourth in the standings. Daniel Robins moved up the grid in the finals to take fourth in the race, with Alex recovering to fifth place and thus completing the championship podium.

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March 9, 2026

IFMAR Statement regarding Electric Onroad World Championships – risk of cancellation

With calls for the postponement of the upcoming 2026 IFMAR Electric Track World Championships in Foshan, China, due to the current unrest in the Middle East, IFMAR has just issued a strong statement on the matter which it opens by saying ‘IFMAR does not support the postponement or cancellation’ of the championships. Having made a statement last week that it planned to go ahead with the 1:12 and ISTC World Championship, on Saturday FEMCA, the Bloc responsible for the staging of the back to back races at Hongyu GDC, posted that it was requesting the postponement of the event. After talks today between FEMCA and IFMAR, the World governing body has now issued a second statement with more insight on the matter after it transpired that approval for the venue to host the event was revoked abruptly. As it stands the track cannot host the event, and therefore the World Championships are presently at risk of cancellation, but talks are ongoing with the newly appointed administration, with full support of FEMCA and IFMAR, to get the regulatory approvals for the event to proceed as originally scheduled. A further update is expected in the next 48-hours.

Read full IFMAR Statement here

March 9, 2026

Desert Classic wins for Phend & Champlin

Xray’s Dakotah Phend and Schumacher’s Broc Champlin where the main winners at the annual Desert Classic presented By Stick It One. One of 2023 1:10 Offroad Worlds host track Hobby Action’s blue ribbon events, the 10th edition of the Arizona race attracted 325 entries and it Modified 2WD Buggy it was Phend who took the TQ from the Team Associated pairing of 2025 4WD winner Aydin Horne and Finnish visitor Joona Haatanen. In 4WD, taking two of the 4 qualifiers it was Champlin who locked in the TQ ahead of Phend, who topped Q4, and last year’s 2WD winner Chase Lemieux. In the Mains, 2WD would got to the third leg. While Phend won A1, he would finish 3rd in A2 with Haatanen taking the win from Horne who had a DNF in A1. Horne would win A3 from Phend but with his A1 winning time faster it was Phend who took the overall, his first 1:10 win with Matrix tyres, with Haatanen completing the podium ahead of Ryan Cavalieri. In 4WD, Champlin executed an early win taking A1 & 2 with Phend taking A3 to claim second as Haatanen again claimed third. In 40+, Team Associated team manager Brent Thielke completed the double taking both 2WD and 4WD as the Top Qualifier.

Image: Dakotah Phend / JConcepts [Facebook]

March 9, 2026

Anderson & Adams claim ROAR Carpet Nats

Awesomatix’s Kemp Anderson and Xray’s Chris Adams are the new ROAR Carpet National Champions, both drivers denying 2025 double champion Sam Isaacs back to back titles at the RC Car Club of America hosted event in Texas. In 1:12, Anderson took the TQ after topping 3 of the 4 qualifiers from team-mate Isaacs who was fastest in Q3. Xray’s Keven Herbert completed the Top 3 on the grid. In the triple finals Andreson opened with a win ahead of Hebert and repeating the win in A2 over Isaacs secured the title. Winning A3, Isaacs took the second step on the podium which was completed by Hebert. In Modified Touring Car, Adams took the opening three qualifiers at his home track to secure the TQ ahead of Isaacs who topped Q4 with Hebert again lining up P3. Winning A1 by 3/10ths from Isaacs, Adams took A2 by a 3-seconds from the defending Champion to lift the ROAR National title. Winning A3, former Champion Hebert would secured P2 with Isaacs on the third step of the podium.

Image: ROAR [Facebook]

March 9, 2026

No eSIC in 2026 but International Singapore race to return in ’27

Having establish itself as a key race on the international touring car calendar, the organisers of Electric Singapore International Challenge (eSIC) have announced that due to the current conflict in the Middle East and upcoming track works they will not host the event in 2026 but plan to return in 2027 for 4th edition. A race that was the brainchild of top international Singapore touring car racer Nicolas Lee together with Chhua Jookiah and which aimed to bring top level racing to the small country, and over the three editions of the race at the Marine Parade Radio Control Modellers Club track it counted numerous official team entries from Mugen Seiki, Infinity, Awesomatix, Yokomo, ARC, Xpress, with Axon and Xray the latest manufacturers to support the race in 2025. With Ronald Volker winning eSIC in 2023 and 2024, last year Akio Sobue took the win ahead of Alexander Hagberg and Atsushi Hara. In making the announcement, eSIC posted, ‘We regret to announce that we will not be holding ESIC 2026. Due to the ongoing Middle East conflict and the upcoming track resurfacing works. The safety of all participants, teams, and supporters remains our top priority, and current circumstances make it impossible to deliver the event to the standards we expect. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and continued support. Further updates will be shared in relations to ESIC 2027 ! Thank you for being part of the ESIC community.’

Source: eSIC [Facebook]

March 9, 2026

Noble becomes back to back Australian Champion

New 2026 Sworkz signing Caleb Noble has become back to back RCRA 1:8 Nitro Buggy Australia National Champion, the 19-year-old successfully defending his 2025 title at the Canberra Off Road Model Car Club hosted title race over the weekend. Having kicked off his new program with Sworkz with a dominant performance at the opening round of the Asian Buggy Championships in New Zealand a week earlier, Noble would secure the TQ in Canberra ahead of Team Associated’s Alex Bernadzik, both drivers recording two TQ runs each over the 4 rounds of qualifying. A race that attracted 331 entries over the various classes, Aaron Dexter, Christian Wolhunter and Logan Toia completed the Top 5. With Dexter and Wolhunter winners of their resoective Semi finals this would be the Top 3 order for the grid behind Noble. After a number of lead changes in the early stages of the 1-hour final, Dexter, Jarod Mont, Bernadzik and Wolhunter all taking stints at the front, as the race approached mid distance Noble would get to the front and stay there to eventually win by a 2-lap margin over Team Associated pairing Lachlan Donnelly and Bernadzik with last year’s runner up Wolhunter missing out on the podium in P4. In eBuggy Bernadzik took the title from the TQ spot ahead of Noble and Ment while in Truggy Noble added another National title with the win ahead of Felix Koegler and Dexter.

Image: RC Race Media [Facebook]

March 7, 2026

FEMCA requests postponement of World Championship

FEMCA, the bloc responsible for the hosting of this year’s 1:12 & ISTC World Championships in China has officially made a requested to IFMAR for the postponement of the back to back events given the current situation in the Middle East. The Far East Model Car Association (FEMCA), the governing body for RC racing that represents 15 nations in Asia and Australasia, in consultation with the race organiser Hongyu GDC made the following post on its social media, ‘FEMCA has been monitoring the situation developing in the middle east. After serious consideration to the potential safety risk that could impact drivers from the other parts of the world. The organizer and FEMCA looked at the financial impact and decided that the conscious path is to ensure that ALL racers will be able to arrive and return safely and peacefully was the better judgement. With that FEMCA and the Organizer has formally written to IFMAR requesting to postpone the upcoming 1/12 and ISTC World Championships which is scheduled to be held in Foshan, China at the end of March and first Week of April. Pending a decision from IFMAR on their approval for postponement a date will be proposed as an alternative shortly thereafter.’ With IFMAR having on posted yesterday that they planned to proceed with the events, but that they would continue to follow developments of the situation, the registered 1:12 and Touring Car racers now await a decision from IFMAR.

Source: FEMCA [Facebook]

March 6, 2026

IFMAR clarification on Electric Onroad Worlds in China

With the back to back hosting of the 1:12 and ISTC World Championships in Foshan, China, less than 3-weeks away, the World governing body IFMAR has issued a statement to clarify the situation surrounding the event and the current conflict in the Middle East. Having contacted drivers earlier in the week regarding flights, the Middle East a major travel hub for European’s travelling to Asia, today they issued clarification posting that while concerned by the unrest in the Middle East and its potential impact on travel they wanted to make it clear they are not seeking for postponement or cancellation of the event at this time. The Board of Directors added they have also requested to be provided with formal communication from the host local government having been made aware of discussions happening between the host and their local government regarding the Worlds hosting and a request to *consider* postponing the championships. The 22nd running of the 1:12 World Championship is set to take place at very impressive Hongyu GDC facility from March 26-29th followed by the 13th running of the World Championship for 1:10 Electric Touring Car from April 1-4.

View full clarification post from IFMAR here