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February 23, 2023

Defending Champion Sobue is Top Seed at TITC

Defending TITC Champion and 2022 World Championship podium finisher Akio Sobue is the top seed going into qualifying at the legendary Bangkok touring car event. One of the World’s most significant international touring car races outside of the World Championships, this is the 19th running of the TITC which returns after a forced two year break during the Covid Pandemic. After days of free practice for the strong international field to dial themselves into the unique traction of the Infinity RC Addict track, it was two time Champion Sobue who set the fastest 3-consecutive laps in the single controlled practice. Behind, Axon team-mate and 2022 Worlds Finalist Ishioka Hayato was second fastest ahead of the Awesomatix of Marc Rheinard and returning former TITC Champion Bruno Coelho, the Xray driver having last contested the event in 2019. Winner that year, Alexander Hagberg completed the Top 5 as the drivers now face into 2 rounds of qualifying tomorrow (Friday) with Rounds 3 :& 4 scheduled for Saturday.

Image: Axon [Facebook]

February 16, 2023

MIBO International Race onroad track layout

The organisers of next month’s brand new MIBO International Race in the Czech Republic has released the track layout on which the titles of inaugural Champions will be decided over the two and half day event that runs from March 3-5th. Featuring a 30 metre long straight, the track is 19 metres deep and is the creation of touring car racer Enrico Jung with input from man behind this event Michal Bok. A follow on from the very popular pre-pandemic Mibosport Cup held at the Sports V Hotel venue in Hrotovice, the first running of the MIBO International Race has already attracted an entry of more than 200 that includes star international drivers such as Mugen’s Ronald Volker, Yokomo’s Christopher Krapp and Xray’s Bruno Coelho.

See top view of onroad track layout here

February 13, 2023

Schumacher Winter Series Rnd 6 – Report

Round 6 of the Schumacher Indoor Winter Series presented by the Louth Radio Control Car Club would conclude the series over the past weekend. With a strong number of entrants it would turn out to be a frantic day of racing. Chris lovely would sow up qualifying taking all four rounds with his Xray x4 23, with Series Champion Alex Brocklebank locking out 2nd with his Schumacher Mi8. The fight for third included six drivers all with scores that could put them in the prime position. In the end Matthew Cook with his Mugen chassis would have two 3rd round scores, behind him two more Schumacher Mi8’s of Daniel Burks and Joseph Cocking. Daniel Leonard would place his Awesomatix into 6th ahead of Peter Craig with his Schumacher.

Continue reading report here

February 12, 2023

Hagberg wins penultimate round of EWS

Alexander Hagberg has won the fourth & penultimate round of the Essex Winter Series. The Swede continued Xray’s winning streak in the popular indoor British based series as he became the third different winner of the current season on a guest appearance at the Deanes Sports Centre. In qualifying it was Xray team-mate Harley Eldridge who got out of the blocks first as she topped the opening qualifier. Hagberg got up to speed by Q2 to take control, and secured pole position. In the Final, Alexander had a unchallenged lights-to-flag win, whilst behind some close racing led to some side-by-side action, allowing Schumacher’s Chris Grainger to take second from reigning champion, & winner of the previous two rounds.

Continue reading & more podium photos here

February 12, 2023

Orlowski wins 2023 Charity Race

Michal Orlowski has won this year’s ‘Charity Race’, the 2023 edition of the Italian race marking the 12th running of the annual event that has raised thousands of euros for local charities. Racing at the RC Landia indoor carpet track in Scandiano, the Schumacher driver took the TQ from team-mate Mattia Collina, both drivers notching up two TQ runs each from the four rounds of qualifying but with his Q2 pace the fastest time recorded it was Orlowki who would line up on pole position. In the finals, the Polish driver completed a clean sweep of wins while behind Collina and Luca Romagnoli had a close battle for P2. In the end it would be a Schumacher 1-2 with Collina getting the tie breaker to secure second with Romagnoli’s Xray completing the podium ahead of Germany’s Marco Kaufmann.

Image: Michal Orlowski [Facebook]

February 5, 2023

Coelho & Rheinard win Snowbirds

Bruno Coelho and Marc Rheinard are the two big winners of this year’s Snowbird Nationals. In Modified Touring Car, defending Champion Coelho took the overall TQ for Xray from the Awesomatix of Rheinard with Alexander Hagberg lining up 3rd. With just a single A-Main to decide the winner of the 29th running of the iconic American race, World Champion Coelho would hold off his German rival taking the win by 2/10th of a second. A further 1.6 seconds back, Hagberg made it an all European podium line-up. Top American finisher would be ROAR National Champion Sam Isaacs in fourth. In the 1:12 GTP Modified it was Rheinard who was Top Qualifier. The reigning 1:12 World Champion lead the 8-minutes from start to finish posting the fastest lap in the process. Behind former World Champion Hagberg came through from 5th on the grid to finish 2nd ahead of 2nd and 3rd place qualifiers Donny Lia and Iaascs.

View 1:12 Podium here

February 4, 2023

RC Vision & CML partner for youth racing & STEM fun

RC Vision, the organiser of the King of Clubs RC Series, has announced a new partnership with CML Distribution to provide a free “arrive and drive experience” for children and young people at each race meeting. With the aim of promoting the benefits of RC racing to the next generation, the series will be offering an exciting and educational experience to young people in 2023. “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with CML Distribution and FTX,” said Andy Hyde, RC Vision Director. “The King of Clubs RC Series has always been about promoting the exciting and educational aspects of RC racing to children and young people. With this partnership, we are taking things to the next level and providing a unique opportunity for young people to experience the thrill of RC racing.”

Continue reading here

February 3, 2023

Coelho to contest 1:12 World title

In a major boost for the IFMAR 1:12 World Championship, reigning Touring Car World Champion Bruno Coelho has announced his intentions to travel to Florida for the 21st running of the IFMAR’s second longest running World Championships. The factory Xray star unveiled his intentions at the famous Snowbirds National which is taking place this week when he revealed that in addition to racing Touring Car he would be also contest 1:12 at the iconic Florida race. Known for his ultra successful relationship with Francesco Martini of MonacoRC as his mechanic in Touring Car, the Portuguese driver has teamed up with 1:12 expert Paul Ciccarello to guide him through his first foray into the pan car category. Known for his versatility that includes being the reigning 4WD Buggy World Champion, Coelho has had no trouble adapting to 1:12 as he claimed a TQ run in the opening round of qualifying together with a TQ run in Touring Car. In the past 1:12 kicked off the week of onroad electric World Championships action and most of the touring car stars raced for the title but after South Africa in 2018, where Alexander Hagberg was the only touring car front runner to take on the event, which he duly won, it became a standalone event. In 2020, touring car legend Marc Rheinard took the title in England for a second time. With the US, where Marc won his first 1:12 title in 2014 ending Naoto Matsukura’s 6 year reigning of the category, a hot spot for 1:12 and now Coelho committing to the event, the category looks set to garner plenty of additional attention in 2023. Red RC will as part of our extensive 2023 World Championship coverage be travelling to Florida to tell the story of how the race unfolds.

Image: Xray [Facebook]