Red RC » Gas

July 11, 2024

Japanese Champion Kato joins Infinity Offroad Team

Reigning Japanese 1:8 Offroad National Champion Kouki Kato has announced he has joined Infinity for his nitro offroad programme. The 18-year-old, who last month successfully defended his 1:10 2WD Buggy National title, had already been racing for Infinity in onroad achieving impressive results including making the final at the 2023 IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championships. Winning the 2023 JMRCA 1:8 Offroad title without a chassis sponsor, following the recent release of Infinity’s long await first ever 1:8 Buggy, the IFB8, the deal between Kato and the Japanese manufacturer is a logical one.

Source: Kouki Kato [Facebook]

July 11, 2024

1:5 Large Scale FEMCA International – Announcement

New South Wales Radio Control Racing Car Club has announced the inaugural running of the 1:5 Large Scale FEMCA International at the John Grant Raceway in Sydney on October 23rd to 27th. The club, which did a superb job of hosting the 1:8 GT World Championships last year, was due to host this year’s IFMAR Large Scale World Championship however due to low numbers of entries the race was cancelled. A major disappointment for the Asian Large Scale scene, the club approached FEMCA with the idea that with all the fantastic tracks located throughout the Asia/Pacific that they would try to build 1:5 scale throughout the region, and allow their side of the world to travel to a championships with a lot less cost. Making use of the racing facilities throughout the Asia/Pacific that would only otherwise be chosen on the IFMAR rotation cycle, and, as shown over the past 14 years then get underutilised as the European countries due to cost etc. As a result NSWRCRCC will host the inaugural 1:5 FEMCA International at its track on the week the Worlds was due to be held, providing all competitors who booked tickets/ accommodation a big race meeting.

Continue reading here

July 9, 2024

1:10 Nitro Touring Worlds in Costa Rica – CANCELLED

The IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship which was due to be staged in Costa Rica in November has been cancelled. In the last few hours FAMAR informed the World governing body, IFMAR, that due to issues surrounding noise from the track effecting local residences that the government will not permit the running of the event. Red RC was aware of the noise issues but was informed that host club ADDAP had planned to build a sound barrier wall after concerns were raised about the high noise levels for the duration of the Worlds. IFMAR is now scrambling to seek an alternative host so the 10th running of the Worlds for the category can hopefully still go ahead this year. As the last host of the 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship in Thailand in 2022, the FEMCA Blok has been offered the opportunity to host it again but with the date only 5-months out this could be a challenging time frame for any tracks interested. It has been a very challenging 2024 for IFMAR, first with the 1:8 Offroad Worlds in Brazil being cancelled before being moving to Spain and then last week the Large Scale Worlds in Australia was cancelled.

View IFMAR statement on cancellation here

July 2, 2024

Thurston makes it 4 out of 4 at British Nationals

Alex Thurston’s impressive 2024 BRCA 1:8 Onroad British National Championship season continued as he made it four from four at the Halifax track over the weekend. In qualifying it was the Shepherd of reigning Champion Tim Wood who secured the TQ with the fastest time from the four rounds of qualifying. 1.2-seconds off the new nitro track record set by Wood, Thurston would line up P2 for the half hour final with his YMC Racing Mugen Seiki with Karl Dransfield’s Shepherd completing the Top 3. A great battle between Wood & Thurston would see the championship leader eventually coming out on top with Wood just holding off team-mate Dransfield. The win puts Thurston on 402 points out of a potential maximum of 404. With three rounds still remaining, and 5 to count, Thurston will be aiming to get the title wrapped up at the fifth round at Wombwell on August 3/4th. Wood won in Wombley last year en route to the title but a year early it was Thurston who took the win at South Yorkshire track.

Image: Alex Thurston [Facebook]

July 1, 2024

Catanzani wins Italian National Constructor C/ship

Factory Serpent driver Andrea Catanzani took the win at the AMSCI Italian National Constructor Championship which took place in Gubbio over the weekend. Racing at the always immaculately presented multiple World Championship host Club Automodellistico 5 Colli track, qualifying would see the Xray of Luca Romagnoli secure the TQ on tiebreak with Catanzani, both drivers posting two TQ runs each over the four rounds. Capricorn’s Mirko Salemi would complete the Top 3. In the 45-minute final, the opening 10-minutes saw good battle as Romagnoli lead the way closely chased by Catanzani and Salemi. Having got to the front unfortunately Salemi would eventually have to retire from the race leaving Catanzani who set the fastest lap of the race to take the win by 2/3rd of a lap over Romagnoli. Having qualified P9, the Mugen Seiki of Massimo Aliprandi would come through to complete the podium ahead of the Serpent of Mattia Collavo. In the Sport Category young Mugen Seiki talent Luca Betti took both the TQ and the win.

Image: Club Automodellistico 5 Colli [Facebook]

June 26, 2024

Brazilian Paulista Championship Round 2 – Report

The 2nd Round of Paulista Championship took place recently at AARC Speedway in Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil where a large number of racers energised the scene in the country, with many surprises and the consolidation of a new generation of racers. In the 1:8 Onroad it was well known international racer Flavio Elias and his Capricorn that led the race from start to finish, breaking the record for the fastest lap at AARC Speedway with 14.021 seconds. Behind the multiple champion, the Mugen Seiki of Pedro Fausto delivered a consistent performance, handling his car to second spot while the similar car of Marcos Pinheiro completed the podium despite some difficulties. In 1:10 young João Dulac took the win. The 8-year-old Capricorn driver, who is the son of international 1:8 racer Eduardo Dulac, amazed everyone with his skill and consistency, taking advantage of opponents’ mistakes to win the race. Setting a new lap record for the 1:10 category at AARC Speedway, 15.867 seconds, Cesar Salvador took his KM Racing chassis to second while Issao Takara overcame significant overgrip challenges late in the race to secure third place. In 1:8 GT Final Hernan Uner took his WIRC Racing chassis to victory with consistency and strategic overtakes, using the Senesi GT engine tuned by Jefferson Elias. Behind him the Hong Nor of Cesar Passaretti, the Top Qualifier in 1:10, took second place with Top Qualifier Sandro Cabrera driving a WIRC completing the podium having set a new fastest for the category around the track. The event highlighted the high level of competitiveness and emerging talent in Brazilian RC motorsport.

View 1:10 and GT podium here

June 26, 2024

Cucalon wins Copa Del Pacifico 2024

The 14th edition of the Copa Del Pacifico took place last weekend in the city of Machala in the south-west of Ecuador. Hosted by Club Radio Control el Oro, where the annual event started out, the three day event saw drivers racing at the Virgen de la Merced Onroad Raceway where after three rounds of qualifying it was the Serpent of Paul Carrion from Cuenca who secured the 1:10 Nitro Touring Car TQ. In 1:8 GT that honour went to the IGT8 of Herman Saa from Ambato. On Sunday morning showers meant that that finals had to be shortened from 15 to 10 minutes, and the A-Mains from 45 to 30 minutes. In the 1:10 A-Main, the Mugen Seiki of second place qualifier Alex Cucalon found its way to the front to beat pole sitter Carrion by a 2-lap margin. Having started P3, the Xray of Oswaldo Pena took the final podium spot. In the 1:8 GT Final Saa converted his pole position into a comfortable victory over the Hong Nor of Fabrizio Pesantez with Damian Proano completing the Top 3.

View GT Podium and track here

June 25, 2024

Maifield does the double at ROAR Nationals

Tekno RC’s Ryan Maifield pulled off the double at the ROAR 1:8 Nitro Offroad Nationals over the weekend taking both Buggy and Truggy titles at the Hayden Radio Control Raceway (HRCR). In Buggy qualifying it was defending back to back Champion Dakotah Phend who secured the TQ, his TLR topping all four qualifiers, with Maifield second ahead of team-mate Jared Wiggins. In Truggy it was the Sworkz of Mason Fuller who took the TQ ahead of defending Champion Maifield and Phend but in the 45-minute final Maifield would find a passed Fuller to retain his title as Phend completed the podium. In the 1-hour Buggy final, Maifield lining up P4 after the Semi-Finals, there was an intense four way battle with Kyosho’s Phi Long Nguyen, Muller and Phend all having stints at the front. In the end, it was Maifleld who took over the lead in the final quarter of the race and stayed there to win by 14.801 seconds over Phend and Nguyen.

Image: JConcepts [Facebook]