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February 3, 2023

1:8 GT World Championship Stage 1 Report

New South Wales Radio Control Racing Car Club has published its Stage 1 for the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championships it will host later this year in Australia. Only the second running of a World Championship for the category, the event takes place from the 8-15th of October at the ‘The John Grant International Raceway’. Renowned as the most technically challenging and fast flowing RC racing track in Australia, it is located approximately 28km from Sydney International Airport. The World Championship will have both controlled fuel and tyres with both being provided by Italian companies. The 16% nitro fuel will be supplied by RunnerTime while PMT will supply their Rally 1:8 Q03 tyre to competitors. While designated a Nitro World Championship, the host Country, with support from IFMAR, may, if sufficient interest is found, accommodate an Electric Powered GT class into the event. Joern Neumann is the reigning inaugural 1:8 GT World Champion, taking the title for Sworkz in Florida in January 2020. 1:8 GT has proven a growth area for a number of manufacturers with it enjoying strong levels of racing in certain countries. With plenty of different manufacturers with interests in the class, it is hoped that there will be strong support for the World Championship in Australia so the event can showcase the category. Red RC plan to be on hand to report on all the racing news from Down Under. To view Stage 1 report document click here.

Source: IFMAR [imfar.org]

February 1, 2023

Nitro Warrior EP2 2023 – Report

Nitro Warrior EP2 2023 was held at ORT Oasis Racing Track in the Chanthaburi Province of Thailand over the weekend with 3 classes with 1:8 GP Racing, 1:10 GP Touring and 1:8 GT making up the race programme. The race started on Saturday with 4 rounds of qualifying with extreme cool and windy weather affecting both car set-up and driving provide a great experience for many racers. Sunday’s action with one final round of qualifying after which the Top Qualifiers were confirmed as Nay Eon Lee from Republic of Korea from Team KARS in 1:8 GT,
Thailand’s Meen Vejrak from Team Maxima in 1:8 GP Racing and Anusorn Sirironaharong from Thailand from Team SPF Racing in 1:10 GP Touring.

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January 25, 2023

Batlle confirmed for Philippine Masters

New Mayako team signing Robert Batlle has been confirmed as another star entry for the return of the annual Philippine Masters. The former World Champion joins reigning World Champion Davide Ongaro in returning to the beautiful Circulo Verde track located in the heart of capital city Manila. Taking place on April 28-30th, the Philippine Masters has established itself as one of Asia’s most high profile international events with 2023 marking the 11th running of the QCRCCC hosted event. Again directed by the voice of RC, Scotty Ernst, the draw of both the racing and hospitality in Manila means the sell out event will see drivers representing 14 different nationalities battle it for the 2023 Philippine Masters title.

Source: Philippine Masters [philippinemastersrc.com]

January 23, 2023

Rivkin wins TNR Fuels A-Main Challenge

With the majority of America’s Pro Offroad team drivers in action at the TNR Fuels A-Main Challenge at Thunder Alley RC Raceway over the weekend, it was Spencer Rivkin who the big win. In 1:8 Nitro Buggy Qualifying it was HB Racing’s Cole Ogden who claimed the TQ on a tie breaker with Rivkin, each counting a TQ and 2nd fastest run from the three qualifiers. Tekno’s Ryan Maifield also managed a TQ run opening quaifying with the fastest time and together with a 3 from Q2, secured him 3rd on the grid for the 25-minute A-Main. Ogden lead away the field but would drop to P3 allowing Rivkin to go to the front where he would stay til the finish. While Ogden got back up to second he would lose the position back to Maifield in the closing laps. Behind them Mayako’s Jared Tebo would finish 4th from 6th on the grid. Rivkin would make it a double Buggy victory securing the eBuggy win from Top Qualifier Maifield with the podium again completed by Ogden. In Truggy, Maifield took both the TQ and the win followed home by young gun Phi-Long Nguyen, Ryan Pavidis and Ryan Cavalieri.

Image: Team Associated [Facebook]

January 17, 2023

Greiner joins Hotrace Tyres

Italian tyre manufacturer Hotrace Tyres has announced that Dominic Greiner has joined their factory team. Widely regarded as one of nitro onroad racing’s fastest drivers, the former World Champion and reigning double European Champion joins Nicola Marrone’s company after a long stint with rival Italian brand Matrix Racing Tires. The German will contest a number of open tyre events in 2023 to represent Hotrace products and it is expected that he will represent Marrone’s latest venture, Lens Bodies, as they release their first 1:8 and 1:10 Onroad bodyshells into the market.

Source: Hot Race Tyres [hotracetyres.com]

January 17, 2023

Sunpadow International Grand Prix (SIGP) returns in ’23

Sunpadow has announced that the SIGP International RC Car Grand Prix will be resumed in 2023. The Sunpadow International Grand Prix (SIGP) event had established itself as one of the leading annual international RC event and attracted many of the sports top drivers. World Champion Bruno Coelho was the winner of the onroad edition in 2019 while in 2018 Ryan Lutz won the Offroad edition and a year earlier Joern Nuemann took the win from Atsushi Hara. While actual race dates are still to be finalised Offroad is expected to be held in August, along with on-road in In October or November. Taking place at the 2017 Electric Offroad Championship venue in Xiamen, the SIGP will continue to offer one of the biggest prize as before with the total bonus for the two series as high as $ 70,000. We will bring you further announcements of the 2023 SIGP in the coming weeks.

Source: Sunpadow [sunpadow.com]

January 14, 2023

Phend Top Qualifier at Southern Indoor Championship

TLR’s Dakotah Phend has secured the big TQ at the Southern Indoor Championship in Alabama. The first big major on the annual US 1:8 Offroad calendar, the Racetime Entertainment organised indoor event is a big weekend in terms of new driver/manufacturer pairings following some significant driver announcements over the New Year break. In Nitro Buggy, it was Phend who kicked off qualifying with the fastest time ahead of the Ryans, Maifield’s Tekno taking P2 followed by Lutz’s Kyosho with third. Q2 would see Maifield top the time sheets from Sworkz’s Joe Bornhorst with Lutz again completing the Top 3. For Phend it was a bad round 2 as he ended up P5. All coming down to the third & final qualifier, Phend was back to form laying down the outright fastest time of qualifying to secure the overall TQ, 2 rounds from 3 to count. Maifield locked in 2nd overall from Lutz, Team Associated’s Lee Setser and Joe Bornhorst with new team-mate Brandon Rose rounding out the Top 6. In Nitro Truggy, it is Jared Tebo who is Top Qualifier. As the reigning SIC Champion, winning both Buggy & Truggy last year from the TQ, Maifield took the first qualifier from Sworkz’s Camden Lime, Phend and new Mayako signing Jared Tebo. Runner-up last year in Truggy, Tebo would find his stride in the next two qualifiers topping them both for the overall TQ. Again Maifield ends up P2 with Phend 3rd ahead of Lime, Lutz and the TLR of youngster Phi Long Nguyen.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

January 8, 2023

Polito wins ‘OneRace OneMan’ at IBR Padova

Having only announced his move from Kyosho to Sworkz just after Christmas, Italy’s Mattia Polito has opened the 2023 season with the Pro Buggy victory at the annual ‘OneRace OneMan’ event at IBR Padova in Italy. In qualifying it was Mugen’s Berkan Kilic who claimed the overall TQ, but winning his Semi from Berkan’s brother Burak, Polito took pole for the 45-minute final. Finishing second to Berkan in the other Semi, Kyosho’s Renaud Savoya would split the German brothers on the grid with 3rd. In the final it would be Burak who would prove to be Polito’s closest challenge moving up to finish 2nd with Berkan completing the podium. Behind HB Racing’s Theo Lemaire took fourth from Max Hesse and fellow Frenchman Savoya. For defending champion Riccardo Bertin, it was a tough opening to the new season as he had to win the LCQ final to make the A-Main. Despite setting the fastest lap of the final, the Infinity driver would finish P13 and last. In E-Buggy it was again Berkan who took the TQ, this time being able to convert that into the win ahead of his brother and the Tekno of former Champion Marco Barufollo.

Image: Burak Kilic [Facebook]