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May 2, 2023

Polito wins Italian National Championship Round 2

Sworkz driver Mattia Polito took the win at the second round of the ultra competitive Italian 1:8 Offroad National Championship over the weekend. With Round 1 Top Qualifier & Winner Davide Ongaro in Manila where he would dominate the Philippine Masters for his third win of Asia’s premiere offroad race, this was an opportunity for his rivals to secure valuable points in his absence. Hosted by the AOL Club in Policoro, a charming town on the Ionian coast, qualifying would see Infinity team driver Riccardo Berton secure the TQ. Strike one for Hotrace Tyres in the big Italian tyre manufacturer rivalry with Polito second for Matrix Tires. Behind, Alex Zanchettin completed the Top 3 ahead of Marco Ravaglia while Marco Baruffollo found himself qualifying down in the B-Main. In the 45-minute final, Polito would get by Berton setting the fastest lap of the race with his Gi-mar powered Sworkz on his way to victory by 19-seconds from the pole sitter. Having bumped up to the A-Main to start 11th, Baruffollo would takes his Tekno through the field to complete the podium by just four seconds over Leonardo Valente with Zanchettin fifth.

Image: Modellismo RC [Facebook]

May 2, 2023

Vejrak wins Hotrace Asia Cup

Meen Vejrak was the winner of the the inaugural Hotrace Asia Cup which was hosted at the Tom Racing Circuit in Hong Kong over the weekend. Attracting an international field, in qualifying it was the former 1:10 200mm World Champion who set the pace topping all four rounds of qualifying. Driving a Capricorn, the Maxima team driver would start from the TQ ahead Italy’s Carmine Riola, Australia’s Jeff Hamon and Hong Kong’s Lolo Sam. In the 45-minute final, Vejrak continued that form leading throughout the 45-minute encounter. Initially chased by Riola, the factory Infinity driver would retire with engines issues just as the race reached 1/3 distance. Promoting the Serpent of Hamon to second, Vejrak would win by a lap with the Infinity of Sam completing the podium. In 1:8 GT Wong Wai Kin took the win driving a Capricorn while in the 1:10 235mm final KK made it a clean sweep for the Italian manufacturer.

Image: Team Corona [Facebook]

April 30, 2023

Ongaro takes dominant Philippine Masters win

Back to back World Champion Davide Ongaro gave a master class performance today in Manila to become Champion of the Philippine Masters, Asia’s premiere Offroad race making its return this weekend after a Covid hiatus. The Team Associated driver’s third trip to the Circulo Verde track, the win of today’s 1-hour final gives the Italian a 100% winning record in the Capital City. Starting from the TQ, having topped all four rounds of qualifying, with Mayako’s Robert Batlle lining up second, the huge crowd of onlookers were anticipating an intense battle between the two World class drivers based off Batlle’s faster pace but lack of luck in qualifying. Unfortunately the finals day wasn’t to be a luckier day for the Spaniard. Early into the race, his buggy stopped on track as if he had flamed out before throttling up again but this was the start of the failing of his throttle servo. He would retire just as the race entered the second half. While Ongaro was in control out front, despite having of moment himself when he flamed out during second fuel stop, it would be freshly crowned Truggy Champion Micha Widmaier who came through for second while a delighted Christian Wolhuter made it two Sworkz on the podium after a good battle with fellow Australian Aaron Dexter.

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April 30, 2023

Widmaier crowned Philippine Masters Truggy Champ

Sworkz’ Micha Widmaier has been crowned Truggy Champion at the Philippine Masters. Taking the TQ honours having topped all four rounds of qualifying, the German dominated the 30-minute final despite loosing a front wheel. One driver expected to push Widmaier for the win, unfortunately young Australian Jackson Beale’s challenge was over before it had really ever had a chance to happen. The only driver to match Widmaier’s 40-second lap time in the final, the 17-year-old suffered very early troubles, an electrical lead issue eventually leading to his retirement. With fellow Aussie Jordan Van taking over as the leading challenger behind the German, he too would have issues eventually dropping down the order to finish 9th of the 15 starters. In the end, having opened up a comfortable lead, Widmaier cruised home for the title. Behind, local racer Daniel Miranda took his HB Racing Truggy to second with the similar chassis of Kiwi Shane O’Connor completing the podium on the return of the Philippine Masters following a Covid forced hiatus.

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April 29, 2023

Widmaier is Philippine Masters Truggy Top Qualifier

Micha Widmaier is the Truggy Top Qualifier at the Philippine Masters. The factory Sworkz driver dominated qualifying topping all four rounds at the challenging Circulo Verde track in the capital city of Manila. The German will start tomorrow’s half hour A-Main ahead of the Tekno of Jackson Beale, the Australian posting three P2 runs after a difficult opening qualifier on Friday. With the Philippine Masters his first ever race outside of Australia, Jordan Van will line-up third also at the controls of a Tekno chassis having produced Top 3 runs every round. Korean driver Apex Kim will start 4th ahead of Kiwi Shane O’Connor and Philippines diver Daniel Miranda. Set to be a 15 Truggy A-Main starting grid, 12 directly qualifying, the final 3 driver are set to bump up from the B-Main.

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April 29, 2023

Ongaro locks in overall TQ at Philippine Masters

Davide Ongaro is the Top Qualifier at the Philippine Masters, the Team Associated driver making it three TQ runs in a row in the third and penultimate round of qualifying in Manila. With 2023 marking the return of Asia’s premiere 1:8 Offroad race, the former champion looked his strongest in Q3 playing a tactical game of taking the rolling heat start just behind main rival Batlle. Pushing the Mayako driver, Batlle would have a bobble but worse was to come. Coming up on the same buggy that cost him the TQ run in the previous round, this time the driver opened but as Batlle went by he raced him and ran into the former World Champion causing him to end up on his roof and rob the event of a potential TQ showdown in the fourth & final round. After the on lookers got over the disappointment of the incident, their attention turned to Ongaro who suddenly looked to be having issues with his buggy but everyone was looking to be in same trouble, the track turning to an ice rink as an almost unnoticeable light rain shower very briefly fell. This played into the hands of the driver at the sharp end of the second fastest heat with Jason Nugroho ending up with a P2 for the round in between Ongaro and Batlle with up & coming Australian talent Jak Parsey fourth.

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April 29, 2023

Batlle denied again as Ongaro goes 2 from 2

Still the fastest driver on track, Robert Batlle was once again denied at TQ run at the Philippine Masters with Davide Ongaro there to collect the top spot to make it 2 from 2. With Saturday’s action kicking off with Round 2 of qualifying, Batlle looked set to deliver on yesterday’s speed but this time rather than lose out due to his own error, the Mayako driver had traffic issues on the penultimate lap. The contact resulted in a 40-second lap time allowing Ongaro to take it by 6/10ths of a second. Behind, a great run from Jackson Beale saw him secure the third fastest time ahead Daniel Miranda, Dino Jacinto and Harry Simms. After a strong Q1 performance, 13-year-old Jak Parsey would suffer two flame outs while Sworkz’ Micha Widmaier, P2 in yesterday’s opening round, had ‘a bad run’ which left him only 9th fastest.

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April 28, 2023

Ongaro takes Q1 after late Batlle mistake

Davide Ongaro has taken the opening round of qualifying at the Philippine Masters but only after a late mistake from top seed Robert Batlle. The last lap error would not only cost Batlle the TQ but also allow Micha Widmaier to jump him on the timing screen at the end of the 5-minute qualifier. The only driver to lay down a 38-second lap time in the first of the four scheduled rounds of qualifying, Batlle had a comfortable gap over his rivals and was taking a cautious approach to his final lap when he caught some dirt on the track causing the first of two mistakes that left him with a 49-second final lap! Behind the Top 3, Aaron Dexter, who is running in the second fastest heat, would post the fourth fastest time ahead of local Manila driver Dino Jacinto with young Aussie Jak Parsey completing the Top 6.

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