Red RC » Events

May 23, 2025

Kee to lead FEMCA as Reid calls time on 20-year contribution to racing in Asia

FEMCA, the governing body that represents 15 nations in Asia and Australasia, has announced that Leonard Kee will now head up the federation as Trevor Reid officially calls time on his 20-year contribution to RC racing in the region and around the world. Having held the post of Vice-President, Malaysian Kee has been very active over the last few years with FEMCA events as well as shaping the future of FEMCA including the recently announced rebranding of its title races to Asian Championships. From New Zealand, Reid made the official announcement of his replacement in a letter titled ‘Changing of the guard’. Having got to know Trevor over our many years of covering IFMAR World Championships, and had the pleasure of catching up with him again recently at the opening round of the Asian Buggy Championships in his home country, one thing that always stood out to use was his commitment to the role and his willingness to fight for what was best for the racing and the racers, battles unfortunately he didn’t always win. As the new FEMCA President Kee’s first big event in the role will be the highly anticipated 1:10 Offroad World Championships in Sydney, Australia, later this year. Adding to the official announcement, Kee expressed his appreciation of Reid’s work with a statement in which he said the Kiwi was always “Tirelessly working with the various associations and manufacturers in the goal of bringing the Hobby from recreation to a sport”.

Read full announcement and statement here

May 20, 2025

2 from 2 for Boots in British Championship

Sworkz/Reds Racing factory driver Elliott Boots maintained his perfect start to his BRCA British 1:8 Nitro Buggy Championship title defence with another win at Round 2 which was hosted at a sunny Brookthorpe track. Taking maximum points at the season opener at Herts last month, Boots again ticked all the boxes at the second stop on the 5 race schedule securing the TQ and the win. In qualifying he took the TQ on tie break with the Mugen Seiki of Dom Nunn, both drivers topping two rounds each. Having set the pace in the opening qualifier, the Xray of Jonny Skidmore, who was runner-up to boots at Round 1, would qualify third. Winning his Semi Final to line-up on pole in the 14 car 45-minute final, from there Boots went on to win by 3/4 of a lap over the Agama of junior racer Erik Lykke. Having started P2, unfortunately Jonny Skidmore’s race lasted less than 5-minutes after he collided with another buggy travelling backwards down the straight. Team-mate Lee Martin, who started P7, would complete the podium.

Image: Elliott Boots [Facebook]

May 20, 2025

Ongaro again at Round 2 of Italian Nationals

Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro made it 2 from 2 in the AMSCI Italian National Championship over the weekend taking the win at his home track, the Ongaroring. The World Champion and reigning Italian Champion topped 3 of the four rounds of qualifying to secure the TQ ahead of Kyosho pairing Marco Baruffolo, who topped Q4, and Riccardo Berton. Starting the 45-minute from pole ahead of Berton and Sworkz’s Mattia Polito after winning the faster of the Semi Finals, Ongaro would secure his second win of the 4-round championship by a lap over Berton, who suffered a DNF at Round 1. With the Top 3 finishing as they started the final, Polito claimed his second podium finish of the season having finished P2 at the season opener at River Park RC track back in March.

Image: Mattia Polito [Facebook]

May 20, 2025

Harper wins BRCA Round 2 at Stafford – Report

Schumacher’s reigning British Electric Touring National Champion Elliott Harper took the first win of his title defence with a dominant win at Round 2 of the BRCA Championship held at the Stafford track over the weekend. With the Awesomatix of Round 1 winner Olly Jefferies not making the trip to the Midlands track, Harper would dominate qualifying topping four of the five rounds to secure the TQ. Xray’s Harley Eldridge was his closest challenger counting her three Top 2 times to line up second ahead of multiple champion Chris Grainger while the privately enter Awesomatix of Stefan Chodzynski completed the second row. In the triple A-Mains, Harper continued his dominance by taking all three legs for the overall win, Eldridge took second via her two second place finishes with Grainger completing the podium with a second and a third.

Continue reading here

May 19, 2025

Double win for Canas at International Buggy Challenge

The seventh edition of the International Buggy Challenge took place in Portugal over the weekend where Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas took a double victory. With the Barcelos track in for a busy 2025 as its hosts the inaugural IFMAR 1:8 Electric Buggy World Championship and the EFRA 1:8 Nitro Buggy European Championship, this year’s IBC would also double up as the official Warm-up race for both championships. Having been forced to rescheduled the race, originally set for May 2-4, as a knock on effect of a major national power outage that effected both Portugal and Spain recently, the race attracted just over 90 racers as a number of top drivers had other race commitments. In qualifying it was Spanish youngster Adrian Pariente who took the nitro TQ ahead of his older brother Daniel after they each TQ’d a round. Canas TQ’d the opening round but ended up P6 on the grid with the Infinity of Bruni Coelho completing the Top 3. In the 45-minute final, reigning European Champion Canas would lay down the fastest lap of the race as he worked his way to the front to win by just under half a lap from Adrian. Former World Champion Robert Batlle competed the podium with his Sworkz 20-seconds behind Pariente. Local hero Joao Figueiredo would finish fourth ahead of Coelho. In eBuggy, Canas dominated topping all three qualifiers before winning all three A-Mains with Coelho and Adrian Pariente joining him on the podium.

Image: Robert Batlle [Facebook]

May 19, 2025

Schimmel & Phend crowned ROAR 1:10 Dirt Champions

Xray drivers Brennan Schimmel and Dakotah Phend are the new 2025 ROAR 1:10 Modified Buggy Champions, Schimmel lifting the 2WD title and Phend taking 4WD at Hoosier RC Hobbyplex in Indiana. In qualifying it was 23-year-old Schimmel who dominated topping all four 4WD qualifiers and three rounds in 2WD. With Team Associated’s Davey Batta and Phend, who topped Q4, starting behind him in 2WD, A1 would see Schimmel and Batta touch wheels with the Top Qualifier coming off worst and eventually posting a DNF – Batta winning the encounter from Phend. Schimmel was back in control in A2 taking the win from Schumacher’s Broc Champlin and then sealing the title in A3. With the Top 3 finishing as they started, that would be the same order they would line-up on the podium. In 4WD, Schimmel took A1 but had a rough A2 which went to Phend. With all on the line in A3 it would be defending double champion Spencer Rivkin who took the win after Schimmel, having established a comfortable lead made a mistake with 1:30 to go. Also getting passed by Champlin, he would finish P3 handing the title to Phend with his earlier A1 win and A2 second. Champlin completed the podium.

Image: Brennan Schimmel [Facebook]

May 9, 2025

2025 Philippine Masters – Chassis Focus Index

Last weekend we attended the world class 1:8 Offroad race that is the Philippine Masters. Asia’s premier annual offroad event akin to what the TITC is to the world of Electric Touring Car, 2025 marked the biggest edition of the Manila based race yet in terms of total entries, the number of countries represented, and the dept of top level team drivers. The second round of the Cayote backed Asian Buggy Championships, it was Philippine Masters regular Davide Ongaro who took the TQ from first time visitors Burak Kilic and Kouki Kato. In the 1-hour main however Ongaro suffered a rare mechanical (receiver failure) while fuel tank issues also ended Kilic’s race early. Putting in a super consistent drive Infinity’s Kato took the win, the Japanese talent making it 2 from 2 in the Asian Buggy Championships adding to his win at the season finale in Indonesia last year. In eBuggy, A1 proved the entertainment highlight of the weekend as Ongaro, having being passed for the lead by Pekko Iivonen, tried to retake the lead on a thrilling final lap. With Iivonen holding on for a hugely popular win, Ongaro took A2 before Ryan Lutz took the third however overall it was Ongaro’s victory. During our time at the Circulo Verde Track we got the chance to photograph 9 buggies from 6 different manufacturers including Mayako’s all new prototype eBuggy. In case you missed any of the Chassis Focus’ during our coverage of the race, we have compiled them all in our latest Chassis Focus index.

View Chassis Focus Index here

May 9, 2025

Hara confirmed for Asian Buggy C/ships visit to Brisbane

With two hugely successful rounds of the Cayote backed Asian Buggy Championships already in the books, Round 3 hosts Pine Hill Dirt Racing in Brisbane have received the exciting news that they will get to welcome legend of the sport Atsushi Hara to their track for the July 16-20 event. The former 1:8 Buggy and Electric Touring Car World Champion, who has for the last 2-years attended the Philippine Masters round of the championship, will make his first ever trip to Brisbane thanks to his sponsor Cayote. Having not raced 1:8 Buggy regularly in recent years, his racing programme more focused on electric touring car outings, the Japanese driver is relishing the opportunity of back to back ABC outings after his double Top 10 finish in Manila last weekend. With the last two visits to Australia sell out races, entries for Round 3 at Pine Hills Dirt Racing (PHDR) track open May 10th. Just like Hara, Red RC are excited to be making our first visit to Brisbane in July to cover the latest action from the Asian Buggy Championships.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]