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March 16, 2026

DNC double for Tekno’s Van Dalen

Tekno’s Seth VanDalen completed the classic double at the Dirt Nitro Challenge over the weekend winning both Nitro Buggy and Nitro Truggy as the Joey Christensen signature event. The 27th edition of US race, it was the second year in a row the now California based event has been a happy hunting group for the US manufacturer, Ryan Maifield (Nitro Buggy) and VanDalen (Nitro Truggy) last year’s winners. With a 755 entries over all classes this year, in qualifying it was the Xray of Dakotah Phend who secured the Nitro Buggy TQ after three rounds of qualifying ahead of Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas and Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin with VanDalen securing P4. In Truggy it was Maifield who took the TQ from team-mates VanDalen and Spencer Heckert. In Saturday’s Truggy final, Maifield led the way until he crashed and took a wheel off his Tekno just before the 2/3rd mark of the 45-minute encounter allowing VanDalen to take over the lead and successfully defend his title. The Sworkz of Silver State Indoor Champion Mason Fuller and Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz completed the podium. In the main event, Nitro Buggy final bringing racing at The Dirt at Peris track to a conclusion, it was Phend who led away from pole for more than half the race until a mistake. Winning the B Final to book 15th spot on the A-Main grid, Maifield would work his way into contention running second within 5-seconds of Phend, but at the 28-minute mark he flamed out and his race was done. After Phend’s error it was VanDalen who was out front where he wold stay to complete the DNC double. In eBuggy it was Sworkz’s Camden Lime would took the TQ and win, winning the 10-minute final from Canas and Phend.

Image: Tekno [Facebook]

March 10, 2026

Paloschi wins Senesi GT International GP

Hosted by 2024 EFRA European GT Champion Natanaele Senesi, the Senesi GT International Grand Prix took place over the weekend where Capricorn’s Gabriele Paloschi took the win. The third edition of the race which takes place at the Pista Leno track in the north of the country, qualifying in the Pro Nitro class would see Senesi and his Senesi Motorsport Raptor secure the TQ ahead of Paloschi. The WIRC of 2020 IFMAR GT World Champion Joern Neumann completed the Top 3 ahead of 2023 Worlds Top Qualifier Alex D’angelo. In the half hour final, the Pro class running a controlled Sweep GT2-D40 tyre, after the early retirement for Neumann it was Paloschi who took the win by 5-seconds from the Genius of Leonardo Valente. Having led for the opening 12-minutes unfortunately contact from behind saw Senesi end up on the grass. Losing half a lap, he rejoined in 5th place from where would work his way back up 3rd to complete the podium just ahead of D’angelo. In electric GT, Neumann took the TQ and win while in Open Nitro Manuel Baruzzi took the win from pole.

Image: Senesi Motorport [Facebook]

March 9, 2026

Noble becomes back to back Australian Champion

New 2026 Sworkz signing Caleb Noble has become back to back RCRA 1:8 Nitro Buggy Australia National Champion, the 19-year-old successfully defending his 2025 title at the Canberra Off Road Model Car Club hosted title race over the weekend. Having kicked off his new program with Sworkz with a dominant performance at the opening round of the Asian Buggy Championships in New Zealand a week earlier, Noble would secure the TQ in Canberra ahead of Team Associated’s Alex Bernadzik, both drivers recording two TQ runs each over the 4 rounds of qualifying. A race that attracted 331 entries over the various classes, Aaron Dexter, Christian Wolhunter and Logan Toia completed the Top 5. With Dexter and Wolhunter winners of their resoective Semi finals this would be the Top 3 order for the grid behind Noble. After a number of lead changes in the early stages of the 1-hour final, Dexter, Jarod Mont, Bernadzik and Wolhunter all taking stints at the front, as the race approached mid distance Noble would get to the front and stay there to eventually win by a 2-lap margin over Team Associated pairing Lachlan Donnelly and Bernadzik with last year’s runner up Wolhunter missing out on the podium in P4. In eBuggy Bernadzik took the title from the TQ spot ahead of Noble and Ment while in Truggy Noble added another National title with the win ahead of Felix Koegler and Dexter.

Image: RC Race Media [Facebook]

March 4, 2026

Neumann joins XTR for accessories & fuel

Spanish brand XTR has announced that new WIRC signing Joern Neumann will use their accessories and Shoot fuel as part of his race program for the upcoming seasons. The highly accomplished offroad racer and former 1:8 GT World Champion, joined Italian manufacturer WIRC for 2026 after an 8-year stint with Taiwanese manufacturer Sworkz. Running Reds Racing engines, Neumann joins multiple time European Champions Elliott Boots and Reno Savoya in representing XTR and running Shoot fuel.

Source: XTR Racing [xtr-rc.com]

March 3, 2026

Canas wins Spanish Nationals opener

Champion of the highly competitive AECAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy Spanish National Championship, Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas opened his 2026 campaign with a TQ and win. The Circuito RC Fernando Robles track in San Jose de la Rinconada played host to the first race of the 4-round championship with Canas taking 4 of the 5 qualifiers. Behind Robert Batlle made it an Sworkz 1-2 with a string of P2 runs while Tekno’s Joao Figueiredo completed the Top 3 having TQ’d the final qualifier. Winning his Semi final from Mugen Seiki’s David Todd Nieto, winner of the 2025 season opener, Figueiredo, and Sparko’s Daniel Pariente, winner of 2025 season finale, it was Canas who would start on pole, the Top 4 on the grid coming from the Semi A. Winner of the Semi B, Battle would line up P5. In the 45-minute final, Canas steered his Reds Racing powered Sworkz to the victory half a lap clear of Mugen’s Jose Miguel Sanchez with Adrian Pariente’s Sparko completing the podium ahead of Battle and Xray’s Oscar Baldo with Todd Nieto finishing sixth. In F2 category, the race attracting a combined 81 entries between F1 and F2, Saul Ordonez Ortiz made it a double celebration for Sworkz by also taking the TQ and win.

Image: Sworkz [Facebook]

March 3, 2026

Elias doubles at South American Championships

Brazilian Nitro Onroad stalwart Flavio Elias completed a double at the long running South American Championships winning both the 1:8 Onroad and 1:8 GT titles in Argentina over the weekend. Going into this year’s event as the defending GT champion having won that title, and finished 3rd in 1:8 Onroad, at the World’s host track CACH in Chile in 2025, the Capricorn/Ielasi Tuned driver kicked off the action at the Mendoza track by securing the GT TQ from Chile’s Alvaro Jara. In 1:8 Onroad he would also take the TQ this time ahead of Argentina’s Emilio Lanzilotta. In the 45-minute GT final, the 2025 IFMAR GT World Championship podium finisher would take a dominant win ahead of Jara who had a close battle with third place Franco Anderlucci. The 1:8 Onroad final would also see the 1:8 Onroad World Finalist be the class of the field to lead home Lanzilotta with Alexandro Giardino completing the podium.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

March 2, 2026

Noble wins Asian Buggy C/ships opener in New Zealand

Sworkz’s Caleb Noble has won the opening round of the fourth season of the the Team Cayote and VP-Pro backed Asian Buggy Championships which was hosted by New Zealand’s Counties RC over the weekend. Having top qualified three classes, Noble went on to win all three – Nitro Buggy, eBuggy, and Nitro Truggy. It was a powerful performance from the Australian marking his move to Sworkz and JConcepts over the off-season. Noble led home Sworkz teammate, New Zealand’s Jayden Jamieson, in both buggy classes, and Kiwi Hotbodies driver Shane O’Connor in Truggy. The Nitro Buggy final was a straight shootout between Noble and Jamieson, with Jayden grabbing an early lead before Noble struck back on the cusp of the first fuel stop and, from there, driving away to a one-lap win. Kiwi veteran Mike Stratford drove a brilliant race from 9th on the grid to round out the podium and make it an Sworkz sweep. eBuggy was an easy win for Noble, dominating A1 and A2, with Jamieson trailing him home, and countryman Jonathan Coluccio (WIRC) an excellent third. Darren Perry (Masters 45+ EP and Nitro) and Shane O’Connor (eTruggy) were the other class winners. The series now moves to Malaysia’s Lap Paradise RC Raceway for April’s second round of the 2026 series.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [asianbuggychamps.com]

February 28, 2026

Noble TQs Asian Buggy C/ships opener in New Zealand

Round 1 of the Team Cayote and VP-Pro backed Asian Buggy Championships is underway this weekend at Counties R/C Car Club, just outside Auckland, New Zealand, where Sworkz’s Caleb Noble has secured the TQ. It’s the third time the series has visited Counties for it’s season opener, with its old-school loamy clay track, and Australian Noble has been the star of the show in qualifying. Sweeping all four rounds across Nitro Buggy, eBuggy and Nitro Truggy he’ll start the A-Mains for all three classes from the TQ position. In Nitro Buggy, it’s his Sworkz teammate, New Zealand’s Jayden Jamieson who’ll line up behind Noble for Sunday’s 45-minute encounter, ahead of countryman, Mayako’s Dylan Toia, and Hotbodies’ Shane O’Connor. For Noble, it’s his first run with new chassis sponsor Sworkz, the switch for the new season also accompanied by a move to JConcepts. In eBuggy, a dominant Noble will line up in front of Jamieson, with Logan Toia (Mayako) starting out third ahead of younger brother Dylan. Mike Stratford has top qualified both 45+ Masters classes, and Shane O’Connor the eTruggy category. The series next moves to Malaysia’s Lap Paradise RC Raceway in late April, with Scotty Ernst today opening entries for Round 2 of the popular high profile Asian based four-round series.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [asianbuggychamps.com]