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January 9, 2026

Serpent’s Catanzani confirmed for inaugural Nitro Party

Currently one of the fastest Nitro Onroad racers in the World, Serpent’s Andrea Catazani is the latest top international driver to be confirmed for the inaugural Nitro Party race in Foshan, China, later this month. The 20-year-old Italian, who was the Top Qualifier at both the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad and the 1:8 GT World Championships at the end of the last year, joins the already stacked entry in making the trip to the new Hongyu GDC facility for its first major nitro onroad event. The reigning Italian GT Champion, he joins compatriots Alessio Mazzeo, Natanaele Senesi, and Filippo Domanin for the first edition of what the 2026 ISTC World Championship host venue plans to build into a major annual event on the nitro racing calendar. Other confirmed entries for the January 24-25th race include Infinity’s Naoto Matsukura and Genius Racing’s Bernard-Alain Arnaldi.

Source: Hongyu GDC [Facebook]

January 8, 2026

Genius confirm Arnaldi for Nitro Party

Italian GT manufacturer Genius Racing has confirmed they are sending 2 time European GT Champion Bernard-Alain Arnaldi to the inaugural Nitro Party race which takes place later this month at the Hongyu GDC track in China. Travelling to the southern city of Foshan for the brand new Asian nitro onroad fixture, the French driver is the latest top international driver to be announced. Taking place over the weekend of January 24-25th, Arnaldi, who is also one of the World’s leading Large Scale racers, joins fellow Genius driver & Spanish Champion Raul Daras Anton on the strong entry list that will also see the Raptor of newly crowned IFMAR 1:8 GT World Champion Alessio Mazzeo, Senesi Motorport’s 2024 European GT Champion Natanaele Senesi, Infinity’s multiple World Champion Naoto Matsukua, Xray’s Filippo Domanin, and Hotrace’s Nicola Marrone race at the multi track Hongyu GDC facility’s 80m X 43m asphalt circuit. Having ended our busy 2025 season coverage at the recent FEMCA Asia Electric Touring Car Championships at the track, Red RC is excited to be returning to this very impressive venue to cover the inaugural Nitro Party when it will echo to the sound of nitro engines.

Source: Hongyu GDC [Facebook]

January 5, 2026

Mazzeo confirmed for inaugural ‘Nitro Party’ race

The organisers of the inaugural ‘Nitro Party’ race, which takes place later this month at the new Hongyu GDC track in China, has announced that newly crowned IFMAR 1:8 GT World Champion Alessio Mazzeo will travel to the city of Foshan for the brand new Asian nitro onroad fixture. Taking place at the 2026 IFMAR ISTC World Championship host track on January 24-25, the Gimar team driver is one of a number of new European entries confirmed for the race which Hongyu GDC has plans to grow & establish into one of the regions major nitro onroad events on the annual international racing calendar. With European GT Champion Natanaele Senesi previously confirmed for the Nitro Party, the latest drivers to join the race also includes Xray’s Filippo Domanin and Attilio D’Angelo, Spanish GT Champion & European Finalist Raul Daras Anton, and Hot Race tyres owner & accomplished 1:8 Onroad racer Nicola Marrone. Racing on the world class facility’s 80m X 43m asphalt circuit, the event has attracted huge interest in the region and beyond, with future high profile entries expected to be announced shortly. Having covered the recent FEMCA Asia Electric Touring Car Championships at Hongyu GDC, Red RC is excited to returning to the very impressive venue to cover the inaugural Nitro Party and to hear it echo to the sound of nitro engines.

Source: Hongyu GDC [Facebook]

December 19, 2025

Nitro Party 2026 China – Registration Open

Fresh from hosting the biggest Asia Touring Car Championship in FEMCA history last weekend, all visiting drivers hugely impressed by the massive multi track facility, Hongyu GDC has announced that registration for the inaugural Nitro Party on January 24-25, 2026, is open. Since the Chinese venue announced it would host the nitro onroad race on its large 80m X 43m track, Nitro Party has attracted world wide interest with 2024 European 1:8 GT Champion Natanaele Senesi the first international driver to confirm he will travel to the city of Foshan to fight for 1:8 GT honours. With a number of manufacturers expressing interest in sending drivers to the race it is expected to be one of the biggest nitro onroad races in Asia. With China lifting Visa entry requirements for many European countries and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) one of the country’s main international airports attending the race is very accessible. Hongyu GDC is also within walking distance of a number of hotel options making it very convenient for racers and their crews. With classes for 1:8 Onroad, 1:8 GT Nitro and Electric, and 1:10 Nitro Touring Car, the race will feature spec tyres and controlled fuel. Teaming up with RC racing registration platform RC Race Pal (RRP), you can register your entry here where you will also find more details about each of the classes that will make up the inaugural Nitro Party. Having just recently covered the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship in Chile, Red RC is excited that we will be returning to the very impressive Hongyu GDC track to cover the Nitro Party and we are very much looking forward to experiencing the unique sounds & smells of top level nitro onroad racing again.

View track images here

December 12, 2025

Neoland 2026 – Announcement

In an age when 1:8 Offroad had just a select number of high profile races that every driver & manufacturer wanted to win, the Neo Race being one of those, the race’s spiritual home Harper Adams in the UK is set to echo to the sound of nitro engines once again with Neoland. Well known track builder and Buggyland race promoter Miguelo Izquierdo Rodriguez is bringing the race back after a decade, with the agricultural indoor hall hosting the race on Neo’s traditional Easter date, which in 2026 is April 3-6. In announcing the race, the original Neo Race the brainchild of Philip Mortstedt and earning itself the unofficial title of the ‘Indoor World Championships’, Izquierdo Rodriguez said, ‘After almost a decade, we have decided to revive one of the most incredible races in the world. With great enthusiasm, we are thrilled to announce the return of Neoland.’

Source: Neoland

December 12, 2025

Sugiura crowned Japanese 1:8 Buggy Champion

Last weekend saw the running of the 2025 JMRCA Japanese National Championship for 1:8 Nitro Buggy where it was the Mugen Seiki of Yusuke Sugiura who took the win ahead of the defending champion Kouki Kato. Held once again at Futaba Buggy Track located in Ichihara, Chiba, with three rounds of qualifying it was Sugiura topping two rounds, who took the TQ ahead of Kato’s Infinity which was fastest in Q2. With the Top 2 progressing directly to main, with the rest of the 10 car grid having to come through the Semi Finals, after the 1-hour Main Sugiura, setting the fastest lap of the race, would take the win by half a lap over 2025 Asian Buggy Championships Champion Kato. In third Semi final winner Juriya Kajiwara would completed the podium for Kyosho just ahead of Ayashi Tsuruta and Youwei Huiye, the 3-waty battle covered by just 1.5-seconds.

Source: O.S. Engine [Facebook]

December 7, 2025

Takahata becomes 2-time World Champion in Chile

It’s a very elusive club and up to now it has been exclusive to Italians, but today in Chile Mugen Seiki’s Shoki Takahata became a multiple 1:8 Onroad World Champion with a perfectly executed 1-hour main. Starting from fourth on the grid, once the 2019 World Champion worked his way to the front he would take control of the race eventually winning by over a lap from Simon Kurzbuch to give the new MRX7 a 1-2 finish. Takahata’s win would be made all the easier after issues for Top Qualifier Andrea Catanzani, who needed to make a body change in the race, and star of this week’s action Maxime Ripoll, the French teenager robbed of a second place finish as reward for his impressive efforts when his engine came to halt with 6-minutes remaining. While Kurzbuch benefited from this, with a fast charging Catanzani recovering ground, there would be a late & intense battle for the runner-up spot that also involved Capricorn’s Toni Gruber, the trio all running together on track. As the race approached the final minute, Catanzani having just got passed Gruber would then attempt a pass on Kurzbuch but contact was made resulting in his Serpent having a spin as the other two continued. The super fast Italian, who was the only driver to run a 17-second lap in the Main, would however get back up to Gruber and snatch the final podium position on the last corner of the last lap.

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December 6, 2025

Kurzbuch cruises back into contention in Chile with Semi win

Having missed out on a Top 4 direct to final qualifying position as he ended P5 at the end of the 6-rounds, Mugen Seiki’s Simon Kurzbuch has put himself back in contention for a second IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship title by cruising to victory in his Semi final this morning in Chile. Winner of the World title in Brazil in 2015, a decade on the Swiss racer returned to South America as one of the pre-race favourites but on arriving at the CACH track in Santiago he struggled to find his true form. Leading away the second of the half hour Semis, Kurzbuch drove a calculated race with his crew executing a swift tyre change en-route to him winning by over a lap from the similar car of Britian’s Alex Thurston who together with third placed finisher Christope Louis progresses to their first World Championship final. The 24th running of IFMAR’s original World Championship, the first of the Semi Finals woulds see 15-year-old German driver Leon Fuhrmann head a Capricorn 1-2 from team-mate Thilo Diekmann, the separation 4.7-seconds at the finish. In third, a driver who needed the Last Chance Qualifier race to make Main here at the 1:8 GT Worlds back in September, Brazil’s Flavio Elias booked himself another 1:8 Onroad Worlds final appearance after recovering from a plug change during one of his pit stops to overtake leading Shepherd driver Tim Wood for the bump up position. Wood however would take the win in a very close finish to the 15-minute LCQ, 2/10ths of a second ahead of a Ricardo Hofmeijer, to become the 11th car on the grid and make it five different manufacturers in the final.

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