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May 13, 2026

2026 1:8 Nitro Buggy European C/ship – Stage 2 Report

The organisers of this year’s EFRA 1:8 Nitro Buggy European Championship which will take place in Spain from June 23-27 has published its Stage 2 report for the event. Home to the annual Buggyland race, Club CARTT Fuencarral in Madrid will host the 44th running of the European Championship for the category with Xray’s David Ronnefalk heading the entry as the defending Champion. With the track prepared by Miguelo Izquierdo, the man who successfully brought back the Neo Race this year as Neoland, the race will be directed by Javier Garcia. View the full Stage 2 Report here.

Source: EFRA [efra.ws]

May 11, 2026

Balestri & Groskamp win ENS season opener

The latest season of the Euro Nitro Series kicked off at Minidrom Ettlingen in Germany over the weekend where it was double success for Infinity with Dario Balestri winning 1:8 and Jilles Groskamp winning 1:10. In 1:8 qualifying it was the Mugen Seiki of Simon Kurzbuch that set the pace, the Swiss driver topping all four qualifiers to secure TQ honours ahead of Balestri. Counting two P2 runs it was the Capricorn of reigning champion Toni Gruber who completed the Top 3 on the grid ahead of Serpent pairing Marco Weigerding and Mirko Salemi. In the 45-minute final, Kurzbuch would lead away but with 8-minutes done as the former World Champion exited pit lap after his second stop attempting to keep his lead he and Balestri made contact with the Italian land on his roof. While Kurzbach waited this allowed Gruber to the lead. The German would lead until the 25-minute to go mark when Balestri squeezed passed as the leader exited pit lane after refuelling. Unfortunately just after stopping for new tyres Gruber would suffer a problem retire in pit lane. This left Balestri to lead the race home for the final 20-minutes chased by Kurzbuch. Starting from 11th on the grid, Dutch Infinity driver Robbin Hertong completed the podium ahead Weigerding, Rick Vrielijnck, and ARC’s Silvio Hächler.

Continue reading here

May 11, 2026

Ongaro wins Worlds Warm-up Race at Thornhill

With this year’s 13th annual The Dirt Lonestar Challenge doubling up as the official Warm-Up Race for the 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship later this year it was Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro who took the win. Racing at the covered Thornhill Racing Circuit in Texas, it would be an Italian 1-2 as Ongaro was followed home by Sworkz’s of Mattia Polito while American Ryan Maifield completed the podium for Tekno. In qualifying it was Ongaro who was fastest in the opening two qualifiers to secure the overall RQ ahead of Sworkz’s Mason Fuller who topped the third & final round. Polito would end qualifying P3 ahead of the Kyosho of recent Asian Buggy Championships Indonesia winner Phi-Long Nguyen with European Champion Juan Carlos Canas completing the Top 5. Winning his Semi final from Canas’ Sworkz, Ongaro would like up on pole for the 1-hour final ahead of the Spaniard, Polito and Brandon Rose winner of the first Semi. From the front Ongaro, who will chase a fourth consecutive World title in September, took control of the race to win by 2-laps. He would make it double winning weekend in Hutto, also taking the eBuggy win comfortably ahead of team-mate Spencer Rivkin and Fuller as Top Qualifier Nguyen dropped to fourth.

Image: Matrix Racing Tires [Facebook]

May 9, 2026

Serpent legend Salven joins Ielasi Tuned

Ielasi Tuned engines has welcomed veteran 1:8 Onroad racer & Serpent legend Michael Salven to its team. The announcement was made at this weekend’s opening round of the 2026 Euro Nitro Series at Minidrom Ettlingen in Germany. A World Championship Top Qualifier, a European Champion, and multiple German Champion, Salven has been both successful as a racer, since joining Serpent in 1980, and as chief designer of their cars over the last three decades. In joining Daniele Ielasi’s engine brand, a racer with whom he enjoyed many on track battles, Salven joins Serpent’s star driver Andrea Catanzani in representing the Italian company and running their Pista Team Edition engine.

Source: Ielasi Tuned [ielasituned.com]

May 7, 2026

Baird wins Irish Championship opener

Mugen Seiki driver Bradley Baird got his RCCAOI 1:8 Nitro Buggy Irish National Championship title defence off to a perfect start taking the win at the NIMCC hosted season opener. Round 1 of the 5 round new look championship took drivers to Ballymena in Northern Ireland and on the astro track it was Baird who dominated a rain effected qualifying. Topping all 5 rounds he would secured the TQ ahead of Dylan McBurney and Alan Scroggie. In the 45-minute final, Baird continued his form to win ahead of Andrew McClean, who started 4th, with McBurney completing the podium. Round 2 of the championship will see racers compete on dirt at the RCNI track in Bandbridge on June 20/21.

Source: RCCAOI [rccaoi.com]

May 7, 2026

LAP Paradise Int. Buggy Party 2026 – Announcement

With its track going viral on the internet when the world tuned in for its hosting of the Asian Buggy Championships two weeks ago, Malaysian track LAP Paradise RC Raceway has announced details of its annual International Buggy Party Race which takes place December 11-13th. With the track undergoing huge development works in preparations for its first hosting of an Asian Buggy Championships round, its large 3D layout and sealed surface, contrasted by its blue infield, was a huge hit with visiting racers including young Kyosho star Phi-Long Nguyen who took the double win and his main rival & Top Qualifier Mayako’s Pekko Iivonen. Situated in the south of the country in Johor Bahru, LAP Paradise RC Raceway is only an hour drive from major international hub airport Singapore Changi Airport. The amazing Malaysian hospitality also makes LAP Paradise RC Raceway a must visit race destination for 1:8 Offroad racers.

View more track images here

May 5, 2026

Arnaldi wins EFRA 1:5 GP in Luxembourg

Genius Racing’s Bernard-Alain Arnaldi took the win at the first EFRA 1:5 Grand Prix of the season, the Frenchman claiming victory in a rain effected finals day at the Mini Circuit “Ville de Luxembourg”. In Touring Car qualifying it was the Mecatech of Belgium’s Giovanni Verbrugghe who secured the TQ honours, his final run of the three qualifiers the fastest. With Arnaldi second fastest, behind him the qualifying order was Cédric Prevot, Norwegian Marius Hetland, and reigning European Champion Carsten Keller from Germany. Winning Super Pole, Prevot booked his direct spot on the final grid as the rest had to battle it out in their respective Semi Finals. With Arnaldi winning his in the faster time, the 2-time European Champion would line up 3rd on the grid ahead of 2022 European Champion Edoardo Repetti from Italy who won the other Semi. In a wet 20-minute final, weather conditions extremely challenging, setting the fastest lap of the race Arnaldi would come out tops to win by a comfortable margin over Repetti and the Top Qualifier Verbrugghe. The second of the three 2026 scheduled EFRA Grand Prix’s will take place on June 6/7th in Macon, France.

Image: Mecatech Racing Components [Facebook]

May 4, 2026

Double success for Wood at British 1:8 Onroad Nationals

Shepherd’s Tim Wood completed a double win at the latest BRCA 1:8 Onroad British National Championship, Brookland Raceway hosting a double header weekend of the BRCA Championship. After a tough opening race to the season at Halifax last month, that race was won by defending champion Alex Thurston, the World Championship finalist took the Round 2 TQ and win ahead of team-mate David Spashett with Craig Hook completing the podium. Resetting for Round 3, again it was Wood who was the benchmark this time taking the TQ ahead of the similar package of Andrew Hastings. In the half hour final, Spashett unfortunately an early retirement, Wood completed the perfect weekend to claim maximum championship points that put him top of the standings and giving an absent Thurston work to do over over the rest of the season. Craig Hook and Neil Driver completed the Round 3 podium. Round 4 of the championship takes drivers to the Cotswold track on June 6/7.

Image: Shepherd Micro Racing [Facebook]