Red RC » Gas

August 6, 2026

IFMAR publishes bumper 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship entry list

With the countdown underway to the 2026 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship in Italy, IFMAR has published a bumper entry list for next month’s 11th running of category’s biggest race. A decade since Club Automodellistico 5Colli hosted the 7th running of the championship, 129 drivers will travel to Gubbio with reigning World Champion Jilles Groskamp heading the entry for Infinity. The Dutch driver added the nitro title to his 2012 Electric Touring Car World title when he took the win at Huge RC two years ago, the Bangkok venue stepping in as a late replacement host for the race after Costa Rica was forced to cancel due to noise issues. Due to the original location and subsequent change of host in 2024, the entry was just 58 drivers but returning to the nation that is the spiritual home of nitro racing, this is one of the highest entries the category has enjoyed. While Portugal 2008 attracted 133 entries, this year sees more nations represented with 21 countries making up the entry. Winner of the 2018 Worlds in Florida, Naoto Matsukura is the only other past champion in the field. Two-time 1:8 Onroad World Champion and reigning back to back European Champion Dario Balestri, who was Top Qualifier 10-years ago in Gubbio, will be looking to try complete the nitro title set on home soil but he’s faces some others searching for that first title. Representing Capricorn, Toni Gruber is always fast and a title contender and Serpent will be looking to 1:8 Onroad World Championship Top Qualifier Andrea Catazani to try regain the title they won last time out in Gubbio thanks to Dominic Greiner. As the current 1:8 GT World Champion and a hugely popular runner-up in 2016, Alessio Mazzeo will be one of the hopes of 2014 Champions Xray. Mugen Seiki’s challenge is expected to come from British Champion Alex Thurston and O.S Speed’s Shinnosuke Yokoyama. Running from September 4th to 12th, the IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championships kick starts Red RC’s 2026 World Championship coverage with us looking forward to returning to the medieval town of Gubbio and telling the story of how things unfold at Miniautodromo Internazionale M.Rosati.

View entry list here

August 3, 2026

Morganti adds ROAR 1:8 Onroad National title to CV

Diego Morganti is the new ROAR 1:8 Onroad National Champion, the new for 2026 Mugen Seiki signing adding the title to his CV at the new Groove R/C Raceway track in Sheridan, Illinois. Winner of the track’s opening race in June, the United States Grand Prix presented by Ulti Tires, qualifying would see the 21-year-old secure second as Michael Palazzola secured the overall TQ on the completion of the three rounds. RC legend Joel Johnson completed the Top 3 on the grid ahead of Christopher Tosolini, the Top 4 direct qualifiers, with the Xray of 2023 Champion Max Kuenning ending up P5. Unfortunately a stripped second gear prevented Kuenning from progressing from his Semi final, Ralph Birch winning that to start the Main P5. In the 45-minute final, Morganti would quickly go to the front with Palazzola unfortunately retiring from second spot after just 6-minutes. This promoted Tosolini to second, the World Championship finalist managing to run at the front in the second half of the race for 40-laps before Morganti re-took the lead with his Ielasi Tuned powered MRX7 to eventually win by almost 3-laps. Birch, a 32-time ROAR US National Champion, would make it an all Mugen Seiki podium. In 1:10 Nitro Touring it was also a Mugen Seiki success with Jacob Cerrato securing the win while the 1:8 GT title went to Serpent’s Jose Almonte.

Image: ROAR Racing [Facebook]

August 3, 2026

Hamon crowned inaugural FEMCA 1:8 GT Asia Champion

Jeff Hamon has become FEMCA’s inaugural 1:8 GT Asia Champion, the new Capricorn signing winning the title at England Park Raceway in Australia over the weekend. An event that the Asian governing body had originally awarded to Vietnam, the switch to the Brisbane track would see the city’s top international racer set the pace from the off. Fastest in seeding, the 1:8 GT and 1:8 Onroad World Championship finalist would secure the overall TQ after topping 3 of the 4 rounds. Topping Q2 as Hamon suffered a DNF, former 1:5 World Champion Russell Grenenger would secure P2 for Hong Nor with team-mate Rick Bartolozzi completing the Top 3 ahead of New Zealand’s Lockie Roachie. In the 45-minute final, Hamon controlled the race with his Ielasi Tuned powered GT2 setting the fastest lap of the race en route to a convincing victory. With Grenenger holding second for much of the race, unfortunately he would retire with 5-minutes to go promoting Roachie to second. Starting from 12th on the grid after fighting issues in qualifying, Serpent’s Anthony Wasson would work his way up through the field to complete the podium ahead of Bartolozzi.

Image: Jeff Hamon [Facebook]

August 1, 2026

D’amico new 1:5 Touring Car World Champion

Italian Mecatech driver Emanuele D’amico is the new IFMAR 1:5 Touring Car World Champion, the 2024 European Champion winning the 12th running of the World Championship today at Lostallo in Switzerland. Qualifying P2 behind compatriot and team-mate Edoardo Repetti, D’amico would win the 1-hour final ahead of the Top Qualifier by a margin of almost 10-seconds with 2016 European Champion Giovanni Verbrugghe from Belgium completing the podium, the Semi Final winner having started from P3. Repetti lead away the 10-car grid but 8-minutes in had a mistake that allowed D’amico to go to the front while defending Champion Markus Feldmann had worked his way into 3rd from P5 on the grid. Coming up to the half way distance, D’amico advantage was 5-seconds as Repetti was coming under pressure from Feldmann. Unfortunately for the German, who was chasing a third World title, he would run out of fuel with 32-minutes remaining on the clock. With everyone else pitting at the half way distance, once the race settled after the fuel stops it was D’amico who still controlled the race, his last lap a victory lap as Repetti’s time had already expired. While Feldmann would rejoin the race and go about setting the fastest lap, he would not complete final ending up classified P7.

Image: AMSCI [Facebook]

July 27, 2026

Phend doubles at Wicked Weekend

Xray’s Dakotah Phend pulled off the buggy double at the ‘The Wicked Weekend’ in Gainesville, Georgia, RaceTime Entertainment’s annual event attracting over 750 entries. Phend would secure the TQ in both Nitro and Electric Buggy. In Nitro qualifying after a DNF in Q1, he would topped Q2 & 3 to secure pole for the final ahead of Tekno’s Ryan Maifield and Team Associated pairing Spencer Rivkin and Brandon Rose. In eBuggy qualifying Phend took the overall TQ with the fastest time in the final qualifier with the Sparko of Jonah Wilson, fastest in Q1, lining up second ahead of Rivkin and Sworkz’s Mason Fuller, winner of the Nitro Buggy final last year. In the single 10-minute eBuggy Main, Phend would win by a comfortable 11-seconds over Rivkin with last years Top Qualifier Rose again completing the electric podium. In the earlier half hour 18 Buggy Nitro Final, Phend cruised to the win with the battle for who joined on the podium going the way of Rose in second and Tekno’s DNC double winner Seth VanDalen in third. In Nitro Truggy Maifield would take the win ahead of Phend and Fuller.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

July 25, 2026

4 in a row as Balestri defends European title in France

Infinity’s Dario Balestri has successfully defended his EFRA 1:8 Onroad European Championship title, the Italian taking his Max powered IF18-3 to a fourth consecutive victory in France today. Racing at the Bourg-en-Bresse track, qualifying opened with French ace Maxime Ripoll topping the first of the five rounds with his Xray. New 2026 Serpent signing & 2023 Euro Nitro Series Champion Mirko Salemi would set the pace in Q2 before Top Seed Balestri went quickest in Q3. Another TQ run from Salemi in Q4 and Balestri in Q5 left the compatriots tied but on tie break it was 2-time World Champion Balestri who was the Top Qualifier. 2nd in qualifying would secure Salemi together with Infinity’s Carmine Raiola and 4th placed Ripoll direct spots into the Main final. The 2026 1:8 GT European Champion, Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani would qualify fifth to secure pole in his Semi with the other Semi pole going to the Capricorn of Toni Gruber. Unfortunately for the 2025 World Championship Top Qualifier, Catanzani would be given penalties over his refuelling that would leave him 4th at the end of the 20-minute encounter with only the Top 3 progressing. In the Last Chance Final he would retire with the Xray of Filippo Domanin becoming the 11th car on the grid. In the 45-minute final Balestri showed just why he is such a decorated 1:8 racer, eventually securing his 6th European title by almost 3-seconds from team-mate Riola with an impressive drive from Domanin seeing him come through the field to complete the podium at the 24th running of the championships just ahead of Salemi. Gruber would finish P5 with Ripoll, who ran as high as second & set the fastest lap of the race, completing the Top 6 at his home track.

Image: EFRA [Facebook]

July 20, 2026

Kato takes back Japanese National 1:8 Buggy title

Kouki Kato has taken back his JMRCA Japanese 1:8 Nitro Buggy National title, the Infinity driver declared the winner of the weather curtailed championships over the weekend. Racing at the Honzawa Off-Road Park, in Kitami city on Japan’s Hokkaido island, unfortunately bad weather would halt the action half way through qualifying forcing the result to be declared based on the 2 two of the 4 rounds they managed to get completed. Fastest in controlled practice ahead of Mugen Seiki designer Shin Adachi, it was 2024 Champion Kato who topped both rounds giving him back the title he lost to Yusuke Sugiura last year. Second fastest over his two qualifiers Adachi would be declared the runner-up with Ayato Tsuruta, 3rd fastest in Q1, completing the podium. Making his return to his National Championship for the first time in 9-years, 2008 World Champion Atsushi Hara would be classified 6th based on his P5 run in Q1.

Image: Kouki Kato [Facebook]

July 13, 2026

Boots takes British Championship Round 4 win

Sworkz/Reds Racing/GRP factory driver Elliott Boots came away with the win at the fourth & penultimate round of the BRCA 1:8 Nitro Buggy Championship held at Brookthorpe track over the weekend. Winner of the season opener at Herts, the defending British Champion claimed his second win of the season after starting on pole having won his Semi Final in the fastest time. In Qualifying it was Xray’s Jonathan Skidmore, winner of the Round 2 of the Championship, who secured the overall TQ, with Boots securing P2 ahead of the Agama of Round 3 winner Erik Lykke. In the 45-minute final, with Skidmore lining up P2, Boots lead from start to finish as Skidmore suffered a steering issue that cost him 5-laps to fix and left him with a P9. At the end it was Lykke who claimed second to lead the championship standings with WIRC’s Jack Willets completing the podium. The final round of the 2026 championship takes place at Shrewsbury on August 15/16.

Image: Elliott Boots [Facebook]