Red RC » Electric

March 1, 2023

Mibo International Race – Preview

This weekend the small town of Hrotovice in the Czech Republic will play host to the inaugural MIBO International Race, a race that is a long time dream of international touring car racer Michal Bok. While the venue has been visited by some of the best drivers in the world as Bok hosted rounds of both the ETS and EOS in years passed, this weekend he brings both classes together as a follow on to his hugely successful pre pandemic Mibo Cup Series. Two tracks under one roof with onroad and offroad action taking place side by side, the first edition of what is planned to be a major annual event on the European race calendar kicks off on Friday evening with practice. In touring car Mugen’s Ronald Volker and Yokomo’s Christopher Krapp lead the entry while Offroad is headed by Xray’s Bruno Coelho. The World Champion makes the switch to buggy after a very successful start to 2023 in Touring Car that includes victory at the legendary TITC in Bangkok last weekend. With 240 entries reflecting the competence racers have in Bok’s Mibosport race organisation’s ability to put on quality events, there is set to be plenty of exciting race action right across the classes.

Continue reading here

March 1, 2023

Payne crowned BRCA 1:12 National Champion

Ollie Payne is the new 2023 British 1:12 National Champion after making it four wins from as many races over the weekend in Tamworth. Securing the TQ for both the third and fourth rounds of the six round BRCA National Championship, the Schumacher driver took victory over young Daniel Robbins on the Saturday and Louis Parker on Sunday, his perfect weekend securing the overall Modified title. In 13.5, the weekend produced two first time winners. On Saturday Sam Coult secured the TQ before going on to take his maiden National win from Andy Smith and 1:12 veteran Mark Stiles. Day 2’s action was lead by Michael Bolt who topped qualifying before securing his first win leading home 3rd place qualifier Andy Murray with Andrew Smith completing the podium.

View 13.5 Podiums here

February 27, 2023

Wahl wins Open Brushless at TITC

He has been more involved in the background lately acting as mechanic for multiple World Champion Marc Rheinard, but over the weekend Tim Wahl added a significant title to his own CV with victory of Open Brushless class at the TITC in Bangkok. The biggest category at the legendary Touring Car race with 118 entries, the German took his ORCA OE1 WLE powered Awesomatix A800R to a dominant victory. Securing the TQ early on his way to topping all four qualifier at the Infinity RC Addict track, Wahl won the opening two A-Mains comfortably from fourth place qualifier Natthawat Rungcharat. With Wahl sitting out A3 that went to no.2 qualifier Kriengsak Suttiprawat to give them second place on the podium ahead of Rungcharat.

Image: ORCA [orcarc.com]

February 26, 2023

Coelho wins TITC on legendary race’s return

Bruno Coelho has won the legendary TITC in Bangkok which after a forced two year break returned over the weekend as one of the highlights of the annual Touring Car race calendar. The reigning back to back World Champion, who was absent from the last running of the famed Asian event in 2020, returned to the Infinity RC Addict track in style starting off with securing the TQ. From there he would win the event for a third time with wins in the opening two A-Mains. As a result of today’s win Coelho becomes the races second most successful champion with only Atsushi Hara having more wins, a record the Portuguese driver has the opportunity to equal next year. For Xray it was their 7th TITC Modified title, the most of any manufacturer. With Coelho qualifying on pole from the defending champion Akio Sobue and Ishioka Hayato, he took his Xray to the win over Sobue in A1 and Hayato in A2 to wrap up the 19th edition of the race. With the win in A3, Sobue would take second overall from his Axon team-mate Hayato. Just off the podium Infinity’s pairing Yamamoto Ryosuke and Jin Sawada finished 4th & 5th with former double champion Alexander Hagberg completing the Top 6.

Image: Bruno Coelho [Facebook]

February 25, 2023

Coelho is Top Qualifier on TITC Return

Making his return to the TITC having missed the last edition of the race in 2020, after which the race itself was forced into a 2-year Covid break, Bruno Coelho is the Top Qualifier for the 19th edition of the famed Bangkok race. The Xray driver held the provisional TQ after the first day of qualifying at Infinity RC Addict, but went even better on Day 2 taking both the remaining rounds of qualifying. Behind the reigning World Champion, with the second fastest times in both Q3 & 4 having TQ’d the opening round, Axon’s Akio Sobue will start his TITC title defence from P2. With a strong Japanese showing at the event, Ishioka Hayato will start third behind his team-mate while Yamamoto Ryosuke led the Infinity charge securing P4 on the grid. Double TITC Champion Alexander Hagberg lines up 5th for Xray ahead of Marc Rheinard’s Awesomatix with the A-Main line-up completed by Naoto Matsukura, Jin Sawada, Jilles Groskamp and Chavit Sligupta. Unfortunately for RC Maker’s Ryan Maker just missed the cut, equalling his previous TITC qualifying best with the BQ honours.

Image: Xray [Facebook]

February 24, 2023

Coelho holds provisional TQ at TITC

Bruno Coelho holds the provisional TQ after day 1 of qualifying at the TITC in Thailand. The reigning World Champion opened the morning’s qualifying at the Infinity RC Addict track with the third fastest time while top seed Akio Sobue continued to be the pace setter for Axon ahead of team-mate Ishioka Hayato. However in Q2, the former Champion took his Xray to the top of the times bettering Sobue’s Q1 time by almost a second with a 5-minute run that was over 3.3-seconds faster than own first attempt. With 2 from 4 rounds of qualifying to count, tomorrow’s action in a very hot Bangkok with conclude with Q3 & 4 for Modified running in the afternoon into evening.

Image: Xray [Facebook]

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