June 15, 2026

Morganti wins USGP at new Groove R/C Raceway

The new Groove R/C Raceway track in Sheridan, Illinois, officially opened over the weekend with the hosting of the United States Grand Prix Presented By Ulti Tires and it was Mugen Seiki’s Diego Morganti who took the big win.  Set to host the ROAR 2026 Fuel On-Road Nationals at the end of July, the USGP attracted 80 entries and in qualifying it was 2010 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Champion Ralph Birch who took the TQ honours with his Mugen Seiki ahead of Xray’s Max Kuenning with Morganti completing the Top 3.  Leading away the 10 car 40-minute final unfortunately Birch would come to a stop after just a minute and a half of racing.  That promoted Kuenning to the lead but only for a lap as he ran off the track as he came under pressure from Morganti.  Once in front he would lead the race to the finish.  Dropping to the back of the field, Birch would get restarted and rejoin, and setting the fastest lap of the race would recover to P2 ahead of Kuenning.  In Nitro Touring Car it was Kuenning who took the TQ and win with  Blake Bell and Andrew Quesenberry joining him on the podium.

Image: Mugen Seiki Racing [Facebook]


June 15, 2026

Nagashima becomes new Japanese 1:12 Champion

CRC’s Yugo Nagashima is the new JMRCA Japanese 1:12 National Champion.  Hosted for the previous two years at the Tsukuba RC Park, this year the championship was staged at World Jam Racing track in the Gunma Prefecture.  Four rounds of qualifying would see factory Roche driver Hayato Ishioka secure the Open Class TQ, the 2024 Champion fastest in all rounds.  Behind it was Kazuki Yamashita who would start 2nd with Nagashima lining up P3 ahead of Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu with defending Champion Shota Watanabe completing the Top 5.  In the finals Ishioka looked to continue his dominant form but on the final lap of A1 he would loose his lead with Nagashima getting through for the win along with Yamashita taking 2nd.  A2 would see another Ishioka lead for half the race but again in the closing laps it was Nagashima who came through for the win at the Japanese title.  Holding on to win A3, Ishioka would finish 2nd overall with Roche team-mate Watanabe completing the podium.  In the Sports Class it was Toyoki Yamada who took the TQ and the title.

Image: PowerHD [Facebook] 


June 8, 2026

Bernsten wins Oslo Open

Adrian Bernsten claimed the TQ & win at this year’s annual Oslo Open 1:8 Nitro Onroad race, the Norwegian taking victory ahead of Denmark’s Martin Lissau at Hverven Raceway located south of the Norwegian Capital.   In qualifying it was former international touring car ace Bernsten who secured the TQ honours at his home track ahead of the Infinity of 2024 Oslo Open winner Francesco Tironi, Alexander Andersson and last year’s Top Qualifier Lissau.  Topping all four qualifiers, and despite setting the fastest lap of the race Bernsten would still have to work for the win as he came under pressure from Tironi in the 45-minute final.  Unfortunately while holding a second spot & battling for the lead a crash on the main straight with a lapped car would put an end to the Italian visitor’s race at the half hour mark.  This promoted former 1:5 World Champion Lissau to second for an Infinity 1-2 with Swedish racer Dennis Jonsson completing the podium.  In the Masters Class, it was Denmark’s Peter Harder who took the TQ & win with Scotty Ernst coming through for second while Björn Ohlson took the final podium step.

Image: Francesco Tironi [Facebook]


June 8, 2026

Polito wins ‘The Italian Race’ ahead of Ongaro

Sworkz’s Mattia Polito was the Nitro Buggy winner at the annual ‘The Italian Race’ hosted by the Ospyteam Offroad track in Gussago in the north of the country.  In qualifying it was Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro who secured the TQ ahead of Polito, WIRC’s Andrea Trevisan and Mugen Seiki’s Kilic brothers, Berkan securing P4 ahead of Burak.  Qualifying in P6 but winning his Semi Final in the fastest time, it would be Kyosho’s Riccardo Berton who started the final on pole ahead of Berkan, Polito and Ongaro, the latter the winner of the other Semi final.  Over the 45-minute final Berton led early on before Berkan took a stint at the front but it was to be Polito and Ongari that would battle it out for the win.  Despite the World Champion’s best efforts over the closing laps he couldn’t deny Polito the win.  Behind it was Berton who completed the podium.  In eBuggy it was Polito who secured the TQ ahead of Ongaro and the Sworkz of Elliott Boots and Berton.  Using the traditional Nitro format of Semi Finals, it was to be Ongaro who after winning his 10-minute Semi secured pole for the final ahead of Polito, winner of the other Semi, Trevisan, Boots and Kyosho’s Marco Baruffolo.  With a single 10-minute A-Main, it would be Baruffolo after taking the lead from Ongaro on lap 6 who took the win.  Boots completed the podium.

Image: Matrix Tires [Facebook]


June 2, 2026

Sobue wins ‘Bali International Race of Champion’

Across all forms of sport ‘Destination Races’ have become a big thing and in terms of destinations Bali has to be up there for the world of RC racing with Axon’s Akio Sobue making the trip to and winning the Bali International Race of Champions.   Famed as a destination for Digital Nomads, the Indonesian Island is also home to the Keramas Aero Park circuit and over the weekend it attracted an international 93 entries to compete over 4 categories of 1:10 Electric Touring Car.  In Modified it was World Championship podium finisher Sobue who took the win ahead of Singapore’s Zak Lam making for an Axon 1-2.  Porsha Mangilit, the first ever female racer to win the Tamiya Asia Cup, would compete the podium.  In 13.5 Blinky it was Lam who took the TQ and win ahead of young Australian RC Maker driver Logan Rintoul who in turn took the win in FWD.  Looking to combine racing with a holiday next season?, look out for the 2027 Bali International Race of Champion.

View track image here


June 2, 2026

Double win for Canas at Campeonato de España

Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas did the double at Campeonato de España near Barcelona over the weekend with wins in the 1:8 Offroad event’s Nitro and Electric Buggy classes.  Racing at the Racbsa Montjuic track, the multiple European Champion stamped his authority on proceedings in the nitro class topping seeding and all three qualifiers before going on to win the 45-minute nitro final.  In that final it was recent National Championship Round 2 winner Daniel Pariente who was the closest challenging, the No.2 qualifier’s Sparko finishing 5-seconds off the winner.  Mugen Seiki’s David Todd completing the nitro podium ahead of 3rd place qualifier Robert Batlle.  In eBuggy it was the former European B Champion who secured the TQ honours ahead of Canas and Parente, but win A1 & 2 it was Canas who took the win.  Todd won A3 to finish runner-up with Parente making it a podium double in third.

Image: Modelix [Facebook]


June 2, 2026

Johansson doubles at Swedish Nationals opener

Schumacher’s Elias Johansson completed the double at the opening round of the Swedish 1:10 Offroad National Championships hosted by MHF Skarpnäck.  Racing on the blue astro surface track and in sunny conditions all weekend, Johansson would TQ the 33 car field of 2WD Buggies on Saturday taking his LD3 to the fastest time in all 4 qualifiers.  In the finals his domination continued as he won the opening two A-Mains to secure maximum championship points,  Winning A3 Team Associated’s Alexander Landén finished second with Edwin Angseryd completing the podium.  In Sunday’s 4WD it was again Johansson who again claimed the TQ ahead of Landén, the latter managing a TQ run in Q1.  Ludwig Albertz lined up P3 and that was the same order as they would step onto podium, Johansson able to sit out A3 afters win in A1 & 2.

Image: Elias Johansson [Facebook]


June 1, 2026

British Buggy Nationals R3 wins for Holdsworth & Smith

It was a double success for Schumacher at Round 3 of the British 1:10 Offroad National Championships with Josh Holdsworth and Ben Smith taking the wins at the Robin Hood Raceway hosted event.  In 2WD on Saturday it was Team Associated’s defending BRCA Champion Tommy Hall who secured the TQ ahead of Smith, winner of the opening two rounds, Holdsworth and the Xray of Lee Martin.  While Hall opened the finals by winning A1, it was Smith who took A2 forcing the overall battle for the win to go to A3.  This was duly won by Holdsworth and with a winning time just 0.024 of a second faster than that of Smith, this gave Holdsworth the overall win on tie break from Smith and Hall, all three drivers recording a win, a 2nd and a 3rd.  In 4WD, Smith took the TQ after topping 3 of the 4 rounds with Scottish Team Associated racer Daniel Pole taking P2 after setting the fastest time in Q4.  In the finals Smith led home 3rd place qualifier Hall as Pole dropped to the back of the field after a mid race mistake.  Pole made up for his error in A2 with a brilliant last lap pass on Smith to take the win.  In A3 Smith would keep Pole at bay to claim his first 4WD win of the 2026 season with Hall completing the podium.  Round 4 of the BRCA Championship takes place at Southport on June 20/21st.

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]


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