March 9, 2026

No eSIC in 2026 but International Singapore race to return in ’27

Having establish itself as a key race on the international touring car calendar, the organisers of Electric Singapore International Challenge (eSIC) have announced that due to the current conflict in the Middle East and upcoming track works they will not host the event in 2026 but plan to return in 2027 for 4th edition.  A race that was the brainchild of top international Singapore touring car racer Nicolas Lee together with Chhua Jookiah and which aimed to bring top level racing to the small country, and over the three editions of the race at the Marine Parade Radio Control Modellers Club track it counted numerous official team entries from Mugen Seiki, Infinity, Awesomatix, Yokomo, ARC, Xpress, with Axon and Xray the latest manufacturers to support the race in 2025.  With Ronald Volker winning eSIC in 2023 and 2024, last year Akio Sobue took the win ahead of Alexander Hagberg and Atsushi Hara.  In making the announcement, eSIC posted,  ‘We regret to announce that we will not be holding ESIC 2026.  Due to the ongoing Middle East conflict and the upcoming track resurfacing works.  The safety of all participants, teams, and supporters remains our top priority, and current circumstances make it impossible to deliver the event to the standards we expect.  We sincerely appreciate your understanding and continued support. Further updates will be shared in relations to ESIC 2027 !  Thank you for being part of the ESIC community.’

Source: eSIC [Facebook]


March 9, 2026

Noble becomes back to back Australian Champion

New 2026 Sworkz signing Caleb Noble has become back to back RCRA 1:8 Nitro Buggy Australia National Champion, the 19-year-old successfully defending his 2025 title at the Canberra Off Road Model Car Club hosted title race over the weekend.  Having kicked off his new program with Sworkz with a dominant performance at the opening round of the Asian Buggy Championships in New Zealand a week earlier, Noble would secure the TQ in Canberra ahead of Team Associated’s Alex Bernadzik, both drivers recording two TQ runs each over the 4 rounds of qualifying.  A race that attracted 331 entries over the various classes, Aaron Dexter, Christian Wolhunter and Logan Toia completed the Top 5.  With Dexter and Wolhunter winners of their resoective Semi finals this would be the Top 3 order for the grid behind Noble.  After a number of lead changes in the early stages of the 1-hour final, Dexter, Jarod Mont, Bernadzik and Wolhunter all taking stints at the front, as the race approached mid distance Noble would get to the front and stay there to eventually win by a 2-lap margin over Team Associated pairing Lachlan Donnelly and Bernadzik with last year’s runner up Wolhunter missing out on the podium in P4.  In eBuggy Bernadzik took the title from the TQ spot ahead of Noble and Ment while in Truggy Noble added another National title with the win ahead of Felix Koegler and Dexter.

Image: RC Race Media [Facebook]


March 7, 2026

FEMCA requests postponement of World Championship

FEMCA, the bloc responsible for the hosting of this year’s 1:12 & ISTC World Championships in China has officially made a requested to IFMAR for the postponement of the back to back events given the current situation in the Middle East.  The Far East Model Car Association (FEMCA), the governing body for RC racing that represents 15 nations in Asia and Australasia, in consultation with the race organiser Hongyu GDC made the following post on its social media, ‘FEMCA has been monitoring the situation developing in the middle east.  After serious consideration to the potential safety risk that could impact drivers from the other parts of the world.  The organizer and FEMCA looked at the financial impact and decided that the conscious path is to ensure that ALL racers will be able to arrive and return safely and peacefully was the better judgement.  With that FEMCA and the Organizer has formally written to IFMAR requesting to postpone the upcoming 1/12 and ISTC World Championships which is scheduled to be held in Foshan, China at the end of March and first Week of April.  Pending a decision from IFMAR on their approval for postponement a date will be proposed as an alternative shortly thereafter.’  With IFMAR having on posted yesterday that they planned to proceed with the events, but that they would continue to follow developments of the situation, the registered 1:12 and Touring Car racers now await a decision from IFMAR.

Source: FEMCA [Facebook]


March 6, 2026

IFMAR clarification on Electric Onroad Worlds in China

With the back to back hosting of the 1:12 and ISTC World Championships in Foshan, China, less than 3-weeks away, the World governing body IFMAR has issued a statement to clarify the situation surrounding the event and the current conflict in the Middle East.  Having contacted drivers earlier in the week regarding flights, the Middle East a major travel hub for European’s travelling to Asia, today they issued clarification posting that while concerned by the unrest in the Middle East and its potential impact on travel they wanted to make it clear they are not seeking for postponement or cancellation of the event at this time.  The Board of Directors added they have also requested to be provided with formal communication from the host local government having been made aware of discussions happening between the host and their local government regarding the Worlds hosting and a request to *consider* postponing the championships.  The 22nd running of the 1:12 World Championship is set to take place at very impressive Hongyu GDC facility from March 26-29th followed by the 13th running of the World Championship for 1:10 Electric Touring Car from April 1-4.

View full clarification post from IFMAR here


March 3, 2026

Canas wins Spanish Nationals opener

Champion of the highly competitive AECAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy Spanish National Championship, Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas opened his 2026 campaign with a TQ and win.  The Circuito RC Fernando Robles track in San Jose de la Rinconada played host to the first race of the 4-round championship with Canas taking 4 of the 5 qualifiers.  Behind Robert Batlle made it an Sworkz 1-2 with a string of P2 runs while Tekno’s Joao Figueiredo completed the Top 3 having TQ’d the final qualifier.  Winning his Semi final from Mugen Seiki’s David Todd Nieto, winner of the 2025 season opener, Figueiredo, and Sparko’s Daniel Pariente, winner of 2025 season finale, it was Canas who would start on pole, the Top 4 on the grid coming from the Semi A.  Winner of the Semi B, Battle would line up P5.  In the 45-minute final, Canas steered his Reds Racing powered Sworkz to the victory half a lap clear of Mugen’s Jose Miguel Sanchez with Adrian Pariente’s Sparko completing the podium ahead of Battle and Xray’s Oscar Baldo with Todd Nieto finishing sixth. In F2 category, the race attracting a combined 81 entries between F1 and F2, Saul Ordonez Ortiz made it a double celebration for Sworkz by also taking the TQ and win.

Image: Sworkz [Facebook]


March 2, 2026

Noble wins Asian Buggy C/ships opener in New Zealand

Sworkz’s Caleb Noble has won the opening round of the fourth season of the the Team Cayote and VP-Pro backed Asian Buggy Championships which was hosted by New Zealand’s Counties RC over the weekend.  Having top qualified three classes, Noble went on to win all three – Nitro Buggy, eBuggy, and Nitro Truggy.  It was a powerful performance from the Australian marking his move to Sworkz and JConcepts over the off-season.  Noble led home Sworkz teammate, New Zealand’s Jayden Jamieson, in both buggy classes, and Kiwi Hotbodies driver Shane O’Connor in Truggy.  The Nitro Buggy final was a straight shootout between Noble and Jamieson, with Jayden grabbing an early lead before Noble struck back on the cusp of the first fuel stop and, from there, driving away to a one-lap win.  Kiwi veteran Mike Stratford drove a brilliant race from 9th on the grid to round out the podium and make it an Sworkz sweep.  eBuggy was an easy win for Noble, dominating A1 and A2, with Jamieson trailing him home, and countryman Jonathan Coluccio (WIRC) an excellent third. Darren Perry (Masters 45+ EP and Nitro) and Shane O’Connor (eTruggy) were the other class winners.  The series now moves to Malaysia’s Lap Paradise RC Raceway for April’s second round of the 2026 series.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [asianbuggychamps.com]


March 1, 2026

Volker adds third MIBO International win

Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker has won a third MIBO International, the Touring Car Champion successfully defending his title with another dominant performance in the Czech Republic.  Securing the overall TQ after 3 rounds of qualifying, the German kicked of finals day with a 5th TQ run before going on to win all 3 A-Mains on this year’s new Racestars designed & built track.  While the former World Champion had the edge of the rest of the field, the big battle of the weekend would be really for the other two podium places with Xray’s Adam Izsay the only one to mix it against Mugen team in Hrotovice.  While 2025 TITC Open Brushless Champion Sören Sparbier managed to get by Izsay for second in the opening encounter, Iszay, helped by a mistake from Sparbier, held position in A2 and again in A3 to finish overall runner-up.  Making his MIBO debut Sparbier complete the podium denying team-mate Patrick Gollner a repeat of his 2025 result.  While Volker notched up his third Modified title this year ahead of Iszay, the Hungarian who really impressive in the opening two Modified qualifiers, would achieve the same in Stock.  Winning A1 & 2 to defend his title, Iszay was joined on the podium by A3 winner Jaroslav Kriz with Tobias Sutrich claiming the 3rd step.  In FWD, Phil Langer was another to defend his 2025 win leading home Loris Buchhalt and previous FWD winner Stefan Schulz.

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March 1, 2026

Zalewski defends MIBO 2WD title

Xray’s Bartek Zalewski has successfully defended his 2WD Buggy title at MIBO International, the young Polish racer wrapping up the overall win with two straight wins in the opening A-Mains at the Czech Republic event.  Having secured the TQ for the fourth edition of the Michal Bok organised race ahead of Michal Orlowski, A1 would see his compatriot armed with fresh tyres mount a strong challenge but a cool headed drive from Zalewski meant he kept that challenge at bay.  In A2 it was the 19-year-old who had the tyre advantage and he was able to cruise to win by a comfortable margin to lock in a very popular overall victory.  With another second place to Zalewski securing Orlowski the overall runner-up but the upcoming 4WD title still up for grabs, Orlowski would along with the re-crowned Champion sit out A3 to focus on his 4WD quest.  This left team-mate & 3rd place qualifier Daniel Kobbevik to lead away the 8-car field.  Despite coming under the close attentions of Sworkz’s Micha Vidmaier for most of the race, the 2025 Top Qualifier & Runner-up would win A3 to complete the podium line-up in Hrotovice.

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