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September 14, 2025

1:8 GT World C/ship coverage presented by Sweep, Energy, and Hong Nor

Having covered our first ever 1:8 GT World Championship in Australia 2 years ago, Red RC is excited to be travelling to Santiago, Chile, for the next chapter in IFMAR GT class history. Drivers will not only battle it out to become the 3rd Nitro GT World Champion but also the inaugural eGT World Champion as the electric class gains World Championship status in 2025. Taking place at the very impressive Club de Aeromodelos de Chile (CACH) facility, our coverage of how these championships unfold is being made possible thanks to Sweep Racing, Energy Fuel and reigning GT World Champion chassis manufacturer Hong Nor. Sweep Racing are the official controlled tyre supplier for the event while Italian fuel manufacturer Energy is the controlled fuel for not only the 1:8 GT Worlds but also the 1:8 Onroad Worlds which also take place at CACH later in the year. Red RC is looking forward to travelling to South America, our last trip to this part of the world being for the 2012 1:8 Buggy Worlds in Argentina. Chatting to the winner of that World title, Robert Batlle, at the recent inaugural 1:8 eBuggy Worlds in Portugal about the upcoming GT Worlds, the Spaniard described CACH as the best facility he has ever visited – and he has raced at a lot of tracks around the world! Our coverage of the 2025 IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championships will, after a full day of travel, begin this Wednesday, September 17th, with the first round of qualifying. We hope you enjoy following our coverage as we get to tell the story of how the sport’s latest World Champions are crowned.

September 7, 2025

Kandelhart & Federico European 40+ Nitro Champions

The iconic Gubbio track in Italy played host to the EFRA 40+ European Nitro Onroad Championships where Austrian Gerhard Kandelhart and Italian Zugno Federico took the titles. In 1:10, it was onroad nitro racing stalwart & 2016 Champion Kandelhart who secured the TQ at the former World Championship host track as he topped four of the five qualifying rounds. Fastest in Q4 Swiss racer & 2022 Champion Traugott Schaer qualified second followed by Werner Spannbruckner from Austria. In the 45-minute final Kandelhart would control the race with his Infinity taking the win by a lap from Finnish racer Sammy Pajalin who from 7th on the grid just got the better of Schaer who completed the podium. In 1:8 qualifying went the way Italian Team Shepherd driver Felice Mollo over Zugno and Luca Martinelli. In the final it was Zugno would take the win just ahead of Fabrizio Iori , who started 6th, with 3-time former Champion Martinelli completing the podium ahead of Mollo in 4th.

View 1:8 Podium here

September 1, 2025

Gruber takes second ENS win of 2025

Capricorn’s Toni Gruber has claimed his second win of the 2025 Euro Nitro Series, the German taking the Round 3 victory at Apeldoorn in the Netherlands ahead of Mugen Seiki’s Simon Kirzbuch. Winner of the season opener at Ettlingen in Germany, Gruber would secure the TQ by topping the opening 3 of the 4 rounds of qualifying. Posting a TQ run in the final round, reigning Champion Kurzbuch, who won the previous round at Aigen in Austria, would qualify second on the grid ahead of Infinity’s Teemu Leino and ARC’s Silvio Hachler. Despite tricky weather conditions for finals day, the dry 45-minute Main would see Gruber dominate to win by almost 2-laps from Kurzbuch despite the Swiss driver setting the fastest lap. The big moment of the race would come as it approached the final minute, as Leino’s car had a problem and came to a halt, this allowing Hachler to complete the podium. In 1:10 Nitro Touring Car, Poland’s Jakub Rozycki continued to rule the season as he made it three wins in a row finishing 2-laps clear of defending champion Melvin Diekmann and Tim Benson.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

September 1, 2025

Asian Buggy Championships Indonesia – Cancelled

The organisers of the upcoming Asian Buggy Championships season finale which was set to take place in Jakarta have cancelled the race due to the civil unrest that Indonesia is currently experiencing. The fourth round was scheduled to run from September 10-14th at Westside Raceway in the capital and bring a conclusion to a very successful 3rd season the championship, However, due to safety concerns for racers, track owner Adrian Wicaksono advised championship promoter Scotty Ernst to cancel the race. Having debuted on the championship calendar last year, the dirt track a huge hit with racers, the unfortunate announcement was communicated directly to registered racers in a letter from Ernst who emphasised ‘Everyone’s safety is our number one concern’.

View Race Organiser’s communication here

August 18, 2025

Noble crowned 2025 Australian National Champion

Caleb Noble is the new RCRA Australian 1:8 Nitro Buggy National Champion, the Tekno driver declared the winner based on his pole starting position after rain brought an early halt to the main final at the oil treated Batemans Bay track in the South East of the country. In qualifying it was 18-year-old Noble who secured the TQ after topping 3 of the 5 qualifiers. Behind him having taken the opening qualifier, 2023 Champion and recent Asian Buggy Championships Brisbane race winner Alex Bernadzik would end qualifying in P2. The only other driver to post a TQ run, Mayako Youth Mentoring Program driver Jayden Edmunds completed the Top 3 ranking ahead of Ari Bakla. With Noble winning the first of the Semi Finals in the fastest time, that would prove critical as reigning Asian Buggy Championships Champion Christian Wolhuter won the second of the Semi’s to secured second on the grid third. A third place in that same Semi meant Bernadzik’s Team Associated would start the scheduled 1-hour from P5. With the final getting underway, an early mistake from Noble allowed Wolhuter to go by and lead the field around briefly with Bernadzik in third. With Noble making a pass back to the lead, the arrival of rain turned the oiled track surface into icy conditions. With Noble and Bernadzik locked in battle for the lead, Bernadzik the leader at the time, the race was stopped after just 13-minutes. After much deliberation, and marshal safety a concern, the race wouldn’t restart with the result declared on the starting grid order meaning Noble is the new Champion from Wolhuter with the Associated of Jarod Ment completing the 2025 podium.

Image: Caleb Noble [Facebook]

August 16, 2025

Balestri defends European title to go 3-in-a-row

Dario Balestri has successfully defended his EFRA 1:8 Onroad European Championship title, the Infinity driver going 3-in-a-row when he clinched the 2025 title at the Halifax track in the UK today ahead of Top Qualifier Simon Kurbuch and Carmine Riola. Qualifying 2nd, Balestri would make the pass for the lead on Kurzbuch coming onto the main straight as the race approached the 8-minute mark and once in front the Italian controlled the 45-minute encounter to win by over 9-seconds. While Balestri established his lead, the only time the reigning World Champion relinquished that lead being when he was the first driver to pit for a full tyre change, the main entertainment came from the battle between Kurzbuch’s Mugen Seiki and Riola’s Infinity as they swapped position. In the dying moments of the race Riola was all over the back of the Swiss driver but attempting a pass with half a minute left on the clock he went off the track rejoining a distance third to complete the podium ahead of Capricorn’s Mirko Salemi. The fourth of the direct qualifiers Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani would fail to finish due to engine issues, Teemu Leino would crash out just after 5-minutes, and a difficult day for Capricorn’s Toni Gruber would end with a DNF, the German having had issues in his Semi and had to come through the Last Chance Final to line-up P11 on the grid. For Balestri today’s title win means he is again the double nitro onroad European Champion having won the 1:10 Nitro Touring title in the Netherlands in June and brings his EFRA European Championship tally to 11.

Image: RC Racing TV [rcracingtv.com]

August 15, 2025

Kurzbuch is European Championship Top Qualifier

Mugen Seiki’s Simon Kurzbuch is the Top Qualifier at the 2025 EFRA 1:8 Onroad European Championship in England, the Swiss driver topping 3 of the 5 qualifiers to secure pole position ahead of the Infinity of defending Champion Dario Balestri. With Balestri holding the overnight TQ, both drivers having posted a TQ run each on Day 1 of qualifying at the challenging Halifax track, today Kurzbuch kicked things off by taking his Energy fuelled Ielasi Tuned powered prototype Mugen to the fastest time in Q3 ahead of Capricorn’s Mirko Salemi as Balestri DNF’d. With the penultimate qualifier lastingt less than a minute for Kurzbuch, it was Infinity’s Carmine Riola who took that TQ ahead of Balestri. The fifth & final round however Kurzbuch just got the better of reigning World Champion Balestri, the separation 4/10ths of a second, to lock in the overall TQ. With the Top 4 going directly through to tomorrow’s 45-minute Main 3rd and 4th on the grid went to Raiola and Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani. Top British contender Alex Thurston just missed the cut and he will lead out the first of the Semi Finals while Toni Gruber is on pole for the other Semi.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

August 14, 2025

Balestri holds overnight TQ at 1:8 Onroad Euros

Infinity’s defending Champion Dario Balestri holds the overnight TQ at the 2025 EFRA 1:8 Onroad European Championship which is taking place at the Halifax track located in the centre of the UK. The 23rd running of the championships, the Italian posted the fastest time of today’s opening two qualifiers after a mistake led to a P8 run in Q1. The first of the five scheduled qualifiers would see Mugen Seiki’s Simon Kurzbuch top the times ahead of Top Seed Carmine Riola, the Infinity driver the most consistent as he posted the second fastest time for both rounds. While Balestri set the pace in Q2, a moment for Kurzbuch in the second half of the 4-minute qualifier meant the former World Champion ended up 14th fastest but with 1 of 2 counting he sits second, his Q1 TQ time over 2-seconds slower than the reigning World Champion’s Q2 effort. Riola sits third going into tomorrow’s three remaining qualifiers ahead of Capricorn’s Toni Gruber, counting a P3 from Q2, and Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani, who was third fastest in Q1. Reigning British Champion Alex Thurston completes the Top 6 with his Mugen Seiki with 3 of 5 set to count for the final qualification ranking.

Image: Red RC File