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March 14, 2024

Kato joins O.S Engines

Promising Japanese onroad and offroad talent Kouki Kato has been announced as a O.S Engines supported driver for 2024. The 17-year-old Japanese driver has put in some very impressive international results recently including making the Final on his debut at the 1:8 Onroad World Championship last November, after TQ’ing the final round of qualifying, and making the A-Main at the ultra competitive TITC electric touring car race in Thailand earlier this month. The reigning Japanese 1:8 Offroad Champion, he is also the double 1:10 Offroad National Champion, and his Team Associated Offroad and Infinity Onroad nitro programmes will be powered by O.S. Speed engines and Nitro Fuel.

Source: O.S. Engines [os-engines.co.jp]

March 14, 2024

Matrix announced as 1:8 Onroad European C/ship tyre

Italian tyre manufacturer Matrix has been announced as the official tyre supplier for this year’s EFRA 1:8 Onroad European Championship. The 22nd running of the Championship, the category an evolution of the European Federation’s original European Championship, reigning World Champion Dario Balestri will aim to defend his European title on September 18-21 when the championship is hosted at the Miniautodromo Locorotondo track in Southern Italy. Infinity driver Balestri secured his third 1:8 Onroad European title in Portugal last year ahead of Mugen’s Simon Kurzbuch and the Capricorn of Top Qualifier & 1:10 European Champion Toni Gruber. Miniautodromo Locorotondo peviously hosted the Championship in 2010 where Robert Pietsch took the victory for Mugen ahead of Balestri, then driving for Motonica, and the Kyosho of Lamberto Collari.

Source: Miniautodromo Locorotondo [Facebook]

March 13, 2024

Neumann to lead Sworkz effort at Philippine Masters

Having won the Truggy title at the Philippine Masters last year with Micha Widmaier, Sworkz will be pinning their hopes on Joern Neumann this year at what has become Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race. With Widmaier also finishing runner-up to World Champion Davide Ongaro in the 1-hour Buggy Final, this will be Neumann’s first time to the very 3D Circulo Verde offroad track in the capital city of Manila. The German joins Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz and Sparko’s Ryan Pavidis as the latest international entry for what will be the 12th edition of the race. A race that has a unique vibe that lives up to the nation’s tourism tagline ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’, many of the large international entry combining the race with holidays at the country’s world famous white sand beaches, on the news of his entry Neumann said, “Finally the Philippine Masters fits in my schedule and I am looking forward to racing at this beautiful track. Super excited to meet everyone and it should be a fun race.” The Philippine Masters is the second round of the ambitious Asian Buggy Championship which having already visited New Zealand will also have rounds in Australia and Indonesia.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]

March 11, 2024

Pavidis confirmed for Philippine Masters

Sparko Racing’s Ryan Pavidis is the latest driver to be confirmed for the annual Philippine Masters which takes place in just over a month’s time in the country’s capital city of Manila. The American joins fellow countryman Ryan Lutz as they both make their debut at what has become Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race. Son of 2006 World Champion Mark Pavidis, a title he won in Asia, this will be Ryan’s first trip to the continent and the first of two appearances he will make in this year’s Asian Buggy Championship of which the Philippine Masters is the second round. Confirming his entry for the April 18-21 event, Pavidis said, ‘The trip to Manilla will be my 2nd international event (his first one being the 2023 Worlds in Spain) and my first time to Asia. The track there is world famous for its unique surface and technical sections, definitely a bucket list race for any serious racer. I’ve never raced on molasses before but with the confidence I have in my equipment and the experience I’ve gained over the past few years, I expect to run at the front. I can’t wait to meet a bunch of new people and experience a different country/culture!’

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]

March 10, 2024

Phi-Long Nguyen crowned FEMCA Champion

Up & coming offroad star Phi-Long Nguyen added the most significant win yet of his promising career with the Kyosho driver taking the 2024 FEMCA 1:8 Offroad Championship title today in Vietnam. The 12-year-old secured the overall TQ during qualifying where youth and the promising talent pool of Asia shown through at the front of the field. Going on to win his Semi Final from second place qualifier Hyunkyu Jung from Korea, the Vietnamese born & now American based driver secured pole position for the 1-hour final at the L.A Track. In the other half hour Semi, former Nitro Onroad World Champion Meen Vejrak from Thailand took the win ahead of third place qualifier & another of the championship’s young guns Christian Wolhuter. In the title deciding final, Nguyen would take his Ielasi Tuned powered MP10 TKI3 to victory recording the fastest lap of the race as he lapped the field up to second place which would go to Team Associated’s Jung. Getting his Sworkz passed Vejrak, 17-year-old Australian Wolhuter would complete the podium which has a combined age of just 42-years!

Image: Martin Wolhuter

March 9, 2024

Hotrace announced as 1:10 IC Worlds tyre supplier

The organisers of this year’s IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Onroad World Championship to be held in Costa Rica have announced Hotrace Tyres as the official controlled tyre supplier. Scheduled to take place from November from 14-24 at the Mini Autodromo Las Cruces just outside the capital city San Jose, the Italian manufacturer will supply a 37sh front and a 40sh rear tyre for 10th running of the championship which was first hosted in 2004 in Brazil. While still to finalise the best diameter for the tyres, it is 90% expected that based on information provided by the track that they should be 64mm rears and 62mm fronts. This will be second consecutive 1:10 Nitro Onroad World Championship that Hotrace has been awarded the supply of the controlled tyre. In 2020, Nicola Marrone’s company supplied the tyres for event when it was held at RC Addict in Thailand where Infinity’s Tadahiko Sahashi gained Nitro Onroad’s elusive ‘Double Champion’ status with victory over Dominic Greiner and Jilles Groskamp.

Source: 2024 IFMAR 1/10 Touring World Championship [Facebook]

March 9, 2024

Phi-Long Nguyen TQ at FEMCA Championship

Kyosho’s Phi-Long Nguyen is the Top Qualifier at the 2024 FEMCA 1:8 Nitro Offroad Championship which is taking place at the L.A Track in Vietnam. The federation race crowns the Champion of Asia with this year attracting an impressive entry of more 110 drivers from across the largest continent in the World. Counting Atsushi Hara and Kyle McBride amount its past champions and this year it appears to be a battle of the future stars of the sport in qualifying. Over the six rounds 12-year-old Nguyen topped four qualifiers to secure the overall TQ with 17-year-old Australian Christian Wolhuter getting P2 after topping Q2 & Q3 with his Sworkz. Completing the Top 3 for qualifying would be new Team Associated signing Hyunkyu Jung, the Korean teenager having finished runner-up at last year’s championship in Taiwan. With reigning FEMCA Champion Jeff Wang not present in Vietnam the race will decide a brand new champion.

Image: Martin Wolhuter

February 28, 2024

SNOR’24 by PicNic – Announcement

The opening round of the SNOR (Serial Nacional de OffRoad RC de México) National Series takes place in Guadalajara, Mexico, on March 8-10 with the host club PicNic Royal Club unveiling the track that awaits racer. Wanting to kick off the four round 1:8 Offroad series with one of the most impressive tracks ever built in Mexico, the club brought in US track builder Anthony Westergaard of Factory Tracks to create it. As well as national racers the event has attracted a number of international race who will make the trip to Guadalajara city to race on the sugared track.

Source: SNOR RC México [Facebook]