Red RC » Electric

March 25, 2024

Lemieux & Champlin winners at JConcepts Spring INS

Xray’s Chase Lemieux and Schumacher’s Broc Champlin came out the main winners at the JConcepts Spring Indoor Nationals hosted by RC ONE Racing in Michigan. The second stop on the 2024 INS calendar, Spencer Rivkin having completed the double at the 14th season opener at Trackside Hobbies last month, in 2WD Buggy it was Champlin who secured the TQ ahead of Aydin Horne who opened the three rounds of qualifying with a TQ run before Champlin went fastest in Q2 & 3. Qualifying for 4WD would see TLR’s Dakotah Phend claim the TQ with Horne again lining-up second with Champlin P3. Starting the 2WD finals from P3, Lemieux took A1 from Champlin with that order reversed in A2 meaning it was all to play for in the third encounter. While Champlin made an early break from the chasing pack, Lemieux was chasing him down until he collected a lapped car and while he continued he would retire shortly after, the race now Champlin’s for the taking but it wasn’t to be. With Horne jumping out of lane and head on into the path of Champlin, it would take a corner off his car, handing Tom Rinderknecht the A3 win and the overall victory to Lemieux on tie-break. In 4WD, Champlin would get the overall win taking the opening two A-Mains to wrap things up early with the podium being completed by Phend and Horne.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

March 24, 2024

Orlowki crowned ETS Champion

Michal Orlowski is the new ETS Champion, the Schumacher driver securing the Modified title for the first time with a dominant performance at the Season #16 finale in Austria. With the Polish driver’s busy onroad & offroad schedule meaning he would miss two of the six rounds in the current ETS season it meant every race counted and he delivered on that requirement by winning all four events he attended. In Vienna, he topped all four rounds of qualifying to secure the TQ ahead of Awesomatix pairing of Lucas Urbain and TITC Open Brushless Champion Simon Lauter. In the finals, Orlowski was again the class act with his Hobbywing powered prototype Schumacher winning A1 by 2.5 seconds and then sealing the deal in A2 by a 4-second margin. Winning A3 from Lauter, Urbain would secure second overall for Round 6 to take the runner-up spot in the standings ahead of team-mate Marc Rheinard, the multiple ETS Champion having a tough season finale and finishing P10. In Pro Stock, it was Lukas Ellebrock who took the Round 6 win but it would be Olivier Bultynck that took the title by a single point having finished Runner-up last season to Simon Lauter, the later making the impressive step up to the Modified class this season.

Image: ETS [Facebook]

March 24, 2024

SIGP victories for Coelho & Hamon

The SIGP International RC Car Grand Prix made a return over the weekend with dominant performances from Bruno Coelho in electric and Jeff Hamon in nitro seeing the two international visitors take the victories in China. Established as one of China’s biggest annual international races prior to Covid, defending 2019 Touring Car Champion Coelho was the class of the field with his Xray. Having taken all four qualifiers, from the TQ he secured the overall win with perfect drives in A1 & 2 with his efforts netting him 20,000 Chinese Yuan, approximately €2,500. While Coelho cruised to victory, Yokomo’s Nicolas Lee and the Xray of JJ Wang enjoyed a good battle for the runner up spot. In A1, Wang would get passed the Singapore driver but on used tyres he couldn’t hold the position. In A2, Wang took advantage of Lee being on used tyres and took second setting them up for an interesting A3 battle. With a minute to go in final A-Main a mistake by Wang dropped him to third allowing Chinese National Champion Ma Haoran passed for second behind winner Lee. Overall it was Lee who got second with Wang completing the podium on his return to international competition. In the 1:8 Onroad Nitro Final, Hamon’s Serpent was untouchable over the 45-minute final and the Australian netted himself an easy 20,000 Chinese Yuan. Despite a big crash at the start, Matrix Tires founder Cristian Boni recovered to finish second with fellow Italian Cristiano Sartor joining him on the podium in Xiamen.

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March 23, 2024

Coelho & Hamon Top Qualifiers at SIGP

Xray’s Bruno Coelho and Serpent’s Jeff Hamon are the Top Qualifiers at the SIGP in China but the second day of qualifying saw very different fortunes for the two drivers. Having topped the opening qualifier yesterday, defending SIGP Electric Touring Car Champion Coelho continued that form going fastest in the remaining three rounds for a clean sweep In Xiamen. In Q2, it was Chinese National Champion Ma Haoran also driving an Xray who was his closest challenger. Driving a prototype of Yokomo’s upcoming MS1.0, Nicolas Lee repeated his Q1 performance with another P2 in Q3. Having missed Q1 yesterday due to a fever, while still under the weather it was a much better day for JJ Wang with him wrapping up qualifying with the second fastest time in Q4. Overall that puts him P3 on the grid for the A-Main behind Lee and ahead of Haoran. With qualifying in 1:8 Nitro Onroad based on each driver’s single fastest time from the four rounds, Hamon’s Q1 pace was to prove important for the World Championship Finalist. After a morning rain shower, Hamon would top Q2 but in a slower time and then in Q3 & 4 he suffered one-way bearing failures that resulted in two DNFs. Hong Kong’s Ray Poon would top Q3 from Italy’s Cristiano Sartor with Wang third and he was again fastest in Q4, this time from Matrix Tires’ Cristian Boni. Overall the Q1 times of Boni and Sartor gave them 2nd and 3rd overall with Poon set to line-up P4 on tomorrow Main final grid.

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March 22, 2024

Coelho & Hamon top Q1 at SIGP

Having established itself as one of China’s biggest annual international races prior to Covid, the SIGP International RC Car Grand Prix makes it return this weekend with Xray’s Bruno Coelho and Serpent’s Jeff Hamon topping the opening rounds of qualifying in Xiamen. Hosted at the huge double track facility next to the Sunpadow battery factory, in electric Touring Car qualifying it was World Champion Coelho who set the pace ahead of the Yokomo of Nicolas Lee and Hamon. Bringing together both electric and nitro racing at the 2017 1:10 Offroad World Championship venue, in 1:8 Onroad Nitro it was Hamon who was fastest. Behind the Australian, Matrix Tires owner Cristian Boni was second fastest with fellow Italian & Hasi Tuned engines co-owner Cristiano Sartor completing the Top 3 on the first day of action at the SIGP. Qualifying continues tomorrow Saturday with three more rounds.

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March 18, 2024

Harper takes Essex Winter Series title

Elliot Harper is the new Essex Winter Series Champion, the Schumacher driver taking the title in fashion with TQ & victory at the fifth and final round. Going into the season finale with two wins to his credit, Harper would open the title decider by taking the overall TQ with two TQ runs. Behind him on the grid having topped the other two qualifiers would be Alex Thurston, winner of last season’s final round, who since Round 4 has made the switch from Yokomo to Mugen. The Xray of defending Champion Kyle Branson completed the Top 3 for the single main. Setting the fastest lap of the race, Harper would edge out a 4-second gap on Thurston who was busy keeping winner of the season opener Branson behind. In the championship that 3rd was enough for Branson to finish runner-up ahead of Thurston with the season’s 3rd different winner over the popular 5 round series Harley Eldridge ending the season 4th.

Image: Schumacher RC Racing [Facebook]

March 18, 2024

Mazzeo dominates Italian GT Championship opener

Alessio Mazzeo put in a dominant start to the Italian 1:8 GT National Championship, the Capricorn driver completing a double victory at the season opener at Mini Autodromo Stradivari in Cremona in Northern Italy. Securing the TQ for both nitro and electric, in the triple main electric finals defending Champion Mazzeo would secure the win ahead of Genius Racing’s Alex D’angelo and Schepis Model’s Rosario Giaimo. In the 45-minute Nitro final, the former European 1:10 Nitro Onroad Champion and World Championship podium finisher would set a new track record enroute to winning by almost a full lap from Giaimo with Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani completing the podium from 6th on the grid. Qualifying 5th for the final, that was where defending Champion D’angelo would finish the race.

Image: Alessio Mazzeo [Facebook]

March 11, 2024

Isaacs takes ’24 ROAR Onroad Carpet National title

Sam Isaacs is the 2024 ROAR Onroad Carpet National Champion in Modified Touring Car, the Awesomatix driver taking the title from last year’s Champion Keven Hebert. Hosted by 997 RC Raceway in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, qualifying say Isaacs secure an early TQ as he topped the opening three of the four qualifiers. Going fastest in Q4 with his Xray, Hebert would secure 2nd on the grid for the triple A-Main ahead of last year’s Vice-Champion Chris Adams. Completing the 2023 podium, 1:12 World Championship Top Qualifier Kemp Anderson would line up P4. In the finals Isaacs continued his form winning the opening two to secure the title. Winning A3 from Adams, Hebert would have to settle for the runner-up spot this year with the Adams completing the podium. Hebert wouldn’t leave Pennsylvania empty handed however securing the 1:12 National title from the small field over Anderson and Isaacs.

Image: 997 RC Raceway [Facebook]