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July 7, 2026

IFMAR Large Scale World C/ships Stage 2 Report

Set to kick off IFMAR’s 2026 World Championship season, the world governing body has published the Stage 2 report for Large Scale World Championships which take place in Switzerland later this month. The first running of the World title race since 2022 after the 2024 hosting of the championship in Australia was cancelled, the 12th running of the Worlds looks set to be close to capacity with 145 drivers registers over the two categories – 100 for the Open/Mod class and 45 drivers for the restricted sportsman class. With the MRTM Lostallo track the home of Large Scale racing in Europe, reigning World Champion Markus Feldmann from Germany heads the entry and will chase his 3rd World title having won his first Worlds at the iconic track when it last hosted the race in 2013. With driver registration on July 26th, the first of IFMAR’s 4 World Championship events this year officially run from July 27th to August 1st.

View Stage 2 Report here

July 6, 2026

Kurzbuch wins Dutch ENS Encounter

Mugen Seiki’s Simon Kurzbuch has won the second round of the Euro Nitro Series, the Swiss driver getting the better of Round 1 winner Dario Balestri at the Rucphen track in the Netherlands. As at the season opening in Germany, it was Kurzbuch who secured the overall TQ honours as he took his Ielasi Tuned powered MRX-7 to the fastest time in 2 of the 4 rounds. Fastest in Q1, it was the Infinity of multiple World Champion Balestri who lined up P2, ahead of ARC’s Silvio Hächler and Dutch Serpent Jesse Keller who posted a TQ run in Q3. In the 45-minute main, the two World Champions would pull clear of the field and battle it out from the front for the win. While Balestri set the fastest lap of the race and led a number ocassions at the end it was Kurzbuch who took the win by 6.4-seconds over the Italian. While Hächler strong qualifying came to nothing in the final as he suffered an engine failure, it would be Infinity’s Francesco Tironi from P7 in the grid who completed the podium ahead of the Serpent of Marco Weigerding. In 1:10 200mm reigning World Champion Jilles Groskamp took the home win to make it two from two having won the season opener. The infinity driver was joined on the podium by team-mate Carmine Raiola and French Capricorn driver Quentin Leroux while having qualified P2 reigning champion Jakub Rozycki finished P4 for Capricorn ahead of Melvin Diekmann.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

July 2, 2026

IFMAR statement on Xtreme Aerodynamics CZ1 Nitro Touring Body

With the 11th running of the 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championships coming up this September in Gubbio, Italy, World governing body IFMAR have issued a statement in relation to compliance of the Xtreme Aerodynamics CZ1. It was found that the EFRA Homologation No. 2064 body produced in 0.75 mm thickness did not comply with the applicable regulations concerning measurement point “M”. As a result the current current CZ1 body carrying EFRA Homologation No. 2064 will not be eligible for use at the World Championship, regardless of material thickness. Italian manufacturer Xtreme Aerodynamics has accepted this decision and committed to manufacturing a revised version of the EFRA 2064 body fully complying with Measurement “M” (118 mm). These bodies will carry a specific IFMAR engraving identifying them as approved for use at the 2026 IFMAR World Championship. The Italian manufacturer has also committed to supplying these revised bodies free of charge to all competitors who intended to participate in the IMAR World Championship using the current EFRA 2064 body.

View full IFMAR statement here

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 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 1, 2026

Baruffolo wins 26th edition of Kyosho Masters

Italy’a Marco Barufollo has won the 26th edition of the Kyosho Masters which took place at the RC94 track in France over the weekend. In qualifying it was multiple European Champion Renaud Savoya who took the Nitro Buggy TQ ahead of 2025 Champion Riccardo Berton, both drivers posting two TQ runs each but Savoya getting it on the tie-break. Barufollo would claim 3rd ahead of German driver Tim Kraus and Sweden’s Jessica Palsson. With Berton and Barufollo winning the Semi Finals, Barufollo’s win ahead of Savoya the faster, the Top 3 on the grid for the 45-minute final would be the reverse of qualifying order. From the front and setting the fastest lap of the race Barufollo would take the win by half a lap from Berton despite rain making an appearance during the final. Savoya would gamble on changing tyres for the rain but it didn’t last and with the track drying quickly he struggled to eventually finish P4 behind British racer Olivier Nattress who completed the podium. In eBuggy it was Barufollo who took qualifying but retiring from the first of the four 10-minute finals, he would lose out to Berton on tie-nreak after the both counted two wins and 2nd each.

Image: Marco Barufollo [Facebook]

May 27, 2026

Philippines ‘True North RC Raceway’ track nearing completion

Having reported back in March on the ground preparation work for the new True North RC Raceway in the Philippines, track builder Edward Sio has now shared aerial images showing the track nearing completion. Built on the grounds of the El Masfino Hotel and Resort in San Rafael, which is around 50km north of the capital city, True North RC Raceway is a completely new build to replace the iconic Circulo Verde Race Track which has hosted Asia most famous offroad race the Philippine Masters, which was last held in 2025. On the latest work to the track, Sio, who is known for his 3D track builds, posted, ‘Track is almost ready! Initial surface treatment is done, driver stand is up, and next up are pipe layout and pit lane. Dogbone Hobby Shop is coming soon. Excited to get back into RC after more than a year away – back to being a NEWBIE again!’ We are excited to see the final build and look forward to an announcement on the return of a ‘new’ Philippine Masters and the Philippines once again being back on the Asian Buggy Championship, the Scotty Ernst promoted championship born out of the success of the original Philippine Masters.

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