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September 10, 2024

Ronnefalk is Top Seed at Offroad Worlds

Coming into the IFMAR 1:8 Offroad World Championship in Spain with some new found confidence, Xray’s David Ronnefalk has further boosted his form for the most important bi-annual racing week of the year by claiming the Top Seed honours for the start of qualifying tomorrow. Fastest in first seeding practice from reigning Champion David Ongaro, the former World Champion went quickest again in the second round motivated by the hard charging back to back reigning European Champion Juan Carlos Canas. Over the counting 3-consecutive laps only 0.038 of seconds separated them. Third fastest for the round, that is where Ongaro finds himself seeded for quali in front of Boots, the British driver struggling with the increased grip and only managed 7th fastest time time for the round. Fourth fastest in the second run of the day, Tekno’s Joao Figueiredo is the 5th seed, one spot ahead of fellow countryman Bruno Coelho, the Xray driver having to pit during the evening run after a rear tyre parted way from the rim.

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September 10, 2024

Ronnefalk fastest in first seeding round at WC

After two days of free practice, today drivers finally got down to some serious business at the IFMAR 1:8 Offroad World Championship with the first of the two seeding rounds that saw Xray’s David Ronnefalk set the pace on the sloping RC Redovan track. The 2016 World Champion was almost a second faster than the Team Associated of defending World Champion Davide Ongaro with Elliot Boots completing the Top 3 for Sworkz. Overall it was a good start to the day for Xray with Bruno Coelho posting the fourth fastest time just ahead of WIRC Racing’s Marco Baruffolo. Having set the pace both on Sunday & Monday, hotly tipped race favourite Juan Carlos Canas opened the day with a P6. The back to back reigning European Champion won the first of those title at the RC Redovan track.

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September 9, 2024

‘We don’t have to show to anyone who we are’ – Ongaro

Two years ago Davide Ongaro reigned in Spain making history as the first driver to defend his IFMAR 1:8 Offroad World Championship, the previous 17 Champions who went before him unable to execute a successful title defence. Having been forced to wait double the length of time to defend his 2018 Perth victory due to the global Covid pandemic, the likeable Italian again finds himself in a unique title defence situation. Originally set to travel to Brazil to chase the title hat trick, São Paulo was cancelled, and now he is this week lining up on the very same dirt he skimmed across for an hour 2-years ago en route to his historic feat of winning 1:8 Nitro Buggy’s biggest prize for the second time. Now a 23-year-old veteran of the sport, this year marks a decade since Ongaro announced himself to the World on his championship debut in Sicily. Having added a 1:10 Offroad World title to his CV last year in Arizona, putting himself into a very exclusive driver’s club, many a driver might find the prospects of lining up for an attempt at three in a row daunting. However with Ongaro one might ask is the Team Associated star a master poker player and just one of the most laid back kids on the block? While Davide was making his final preparations ahead of travelling out to Spain we took the opportunity to have a quick chat with him on the story so far and get his take on where things are at for the second coming of the Worlds at RC Redovan.

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September 8, 2024

‘I feel that I am in the right place again’ – Ronnefalk

In the same year that his official status got upgraded from ‘Kid’ to ‘Teenager’, a then 13-year-old from Sweden would showcase driving skills that marked him as having a talent that was going to take him places. Attending the European Championship that year, his speed on track was enough for US Offroad star Richard Saxton to state to Red RC during our coverage from that Austrian event that EFRA was about to get its first ever B and A Champion. While he didn’t make the Main on that occasion, that hotly tipped talent would go on to become a European Champion not once but three times as well as taking home the greatest prize our sport offers – World Champion. That year was 2009 and that talent was David Ronnefalk and now 15-years on from making that memorable first impression, he goes into the 19th running of the IFMAR 1:8 Offroad World Championship confident he is in the hunt to add a second World title to the one he claimed in Las Vegas in 2016. Just before David made the trip Redovan, Spain, where today (Sunday) drivers hit the track for the first of two days of free practice, we chatted to him to get his take on the race that only comes around every 2-years and that last time round he came rather close to winning.

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September 4, 2024

RC Redovan reveals 1:8 Offroad Worlds Track

The track that will determined the 2024 IFMAR 1:8 Offroad World Champion has just been revealed in a video that shows off the latest track build by the team at RC Redovan. Setting a new benchmark as hosts of the World Championship two years ago, RC Redovan was again thrusted with hosting the event after a late cancellation by Brazil on staging the 19th running of the sport’s biggest prize. Taking on the task of having to rebuild the track for the return of the Worlds to Spain, despite the short lead in time the Baldo family have executed it stating, ‘It gives us enormous pleasure and pride to present the new design of our track, host of the next World Championship. Months of hard work in record time now bear fruits “We are going to give you the best world championship in history.” And we firmly believe we have done everything to achieve that! Welcome to RC Redován, welcome to the World Championship 2024.’ Having supported our coverage of the 2023 1:10 Offroad World Championships in Arizona, we are delighted to be teaming up with Ruddog for the trip to Redovan to attended our sixth 1:8 Offroad World Championship. Our coverage will kick off with news from seeding practice on Tuesday, 10th September. Click here to view track reveal video.

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September 2, 2024

Next generate of Groskamp takes first National win

It is always great to see the next generation of racers coming through the ranks with Valentino Groskamp, son of former ISTC World Champion Jilles, taking his first National Championship race win over the weekend. Round 5 of the NOMAC 1:10 Nitro Dutch National Championship took place at the Modelbouw Club De Sluis track in the famous cheese producing city of Gouda, where the 13-year-old took his Infinity to victory in the 30-minute. Towering above Valentio on the podium, Tim Bosmann would finish 2nd half a lap down with third going to Tim Bosmann.

Image: Infinity [Facebook]

August 28, 2024

Sahashi to defend Nitro Touring Car World title

While the cancellation of Costa Rica staging the IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship this year was a blow for the racing community in the FAMAR Bloc, the switch to the Huge RC Circuit in Thailand has given a major boost to the 10th running of categories biggest race with reigning Champion Tadahiko Sahashi confirmed to defend his title. With a number of manufacturers confirming at the time they would not be sending team drivers to Costa Rica, the Worlds was set to be void of many of its top drivers including those of reigning back to back Champions Infinity. Following the announcement in July that the Worlds was to return to the FEMCA Bloc, the previous hosts, the switch to the second of Bangkok’s international circuits has resulted in a ‘Who’s who’ of onroad racing entry list topped by Sahashi. Infinity’s reigning 1:8 World Champion Dario Balestri is also confirmed meaning the potential for crowning the first ever reigning 1:8 & 1:10 Champion. Sahashi gained the elusive ‘Double Champion’ status with victory at RC Addict in 2022 to go with his 2013 1:8 WC title. In doing so he became only the second ever driver to win both IFMAR titles, Adrien Bertin’s feat finally being matched 18-years after the Frenchman became the first to achieved it in 2004. While entries are still open for the November 15th to 23rd event, there are already 7 IFMAR World Champions confirmed with it widely expected Huge RC Circuit owner & former Electric Touring Car World Champion Surikarn Chaidajsuriya will bring that number to 8. Other factory entries include Capricorn, with current 1:8 GT World Champion Toni Gruber, 2012 World Champion Meen Vejrak & 2016 Worlds Runner-Up Alessio Mazzeo, while Serpent are sending Jeff Hamon and Bryce Butterfield. Red RC will travelling to Huge RC for the final stop on our 2024 World Championships coverage schedule.

Source: IFMAR [ifmar.org]

August 22, 2024

Niko Saarinen crowned Finnish 1:8 Onroad Champion

Mugen Seiki driver Niko Saarinen is the 2024 Finnish 1:8 Onroad National Champion, the title being decided at the fourth & final round which took place in Hyvinkää over the weekend. Three drivers went into the final race still with a chance of the overall with drivers counting 3 from the four races with Pekka Koivula leading the standings from Niko Saarinen and the defending Champion Jere Saarinen. The race was run in tricky conditions with the track changing from wet to dry. Practice was run on a drying track but luckily when qualifying came around the track had dried up allowing for 2 rounds in the dry before the rain returned. Based off the dry runs it would be Niko Saarinen who took the TQ, from Panu VehniäinenI and Jere Saarinen. The main final was driven in drying conditions meaning everybody had to be very careful to not push over the limit. Niko took the early lead followed by VehniäinenI while there was a collision on the straight between Jere, Joona Lempiäinen and Koivula, which forced the Champion to change tyres due to a broken rim and while Lempiäinen required a bodyshell change. After 20 minutes Niko was till leading followed by Vehniäinen until the second placed driver ran into transmission problems and was forced to retire. Allowing Niko to take the win ahead of Jere with Lempiäinen completing the podium, overall Niko’s Max Power engined Mugen took the title ahead of the similar O.S powered car of Koivula. Also driving a Mugen, fitted with a Max Power engine,the outgoing champion complete the Top 3 ahead of the Infinity of Lempiäinen with Vehniäinen’s Mugen 5th.

Source: Teemu Saarinen