Red RC » Gas

August 13, 2023

Gruber takes ENS Round 2 victory

Capricorn’s Toni Gruber took the 1:8 victory at the second round of the ENS in the Netherlands today, the German leading home Dutch driver Jilles Groskamp at the Apeldoorn circuit. As he did at the circuit last year, Gruber would start the 45-minute final as the Top Qualifier. His third consecutive ENS TQ start, this time round the reigning 1:10 European Champion would convert the pole position into victory, setting the fastest lap of the race with his Ielasi Tuned powered LAB C804 to build up a winning margin of almost 2-laps over the Infinity of Groskamp. Winner of the Dutch ENS encounter last year, Dominic Greiner would lead for a number of laps following a tyre stop from Gruber but the former European Champion would be forced to retire as the race reached half way. With the third place qualifier out, Mugen’s Steven Cuypers, winner of the recent Dutch National Championship third round at the track, would complete the podium line-up after a strong race from 8th on the grid. Making it a Capricorn double Melvin Diekmann took the 1:10 win, his second of the season, with Tim Benson runner-up and Top Qualifier Milan Holthuis third.

Image: Jilles Groskamp [Facebook]

August 12, 2023

Gruber Top Qualifier at Dutch ENS

Toni Gruber is the Top Qualifier at the second round of the ENS in the Netherlands. After a dominant performance on Friday when the Capricorn/Ielasi Tuned driver topped all three qualifiers, unfortunately Saturday morning rain forced the cancellation of the remaining two qualifiers at the Apeldoorn track. Top Qualifier at the season opening in Ettlingen, Germany, and at the recent European Championships in Portugal, Gruber will start Sunday’s scheduled 45-minute final on pole from Infinity’s Jilles Groskamp. The Dutch driver was the closest challenger to his German rival setting the second fastest time in each of the three rounds of heats. Capricorn’s Dominic Greiner, winner of the season opener in May, completes the Top 3 ahead of Shepherd’s Lars Hoppe counting a P3 and P4 run as his best two rounds. In 1:10, Infinity driver Milan Holthuis secured the TQ ahead of Round 1 Top Qualifier & winner Melvin Diekmann with Tim Benson set to line up 3rd on the grid.

Image: Toni Gruber [Facebook]

August 3, 2023

1:8 Offroad World C/ship 2024 – Brazil Presentation

Following IFMAR’s publication of a provisional 2024 calendar for next year’s four World Championship events, the proposal received from the listed 1:8 Offroad Worlds host country Brazil has been made public. The Brazil Federation FEBARC together with CASA Raceway in São Paulo has in its presentation put forward September 8-14th, 2024, as the dates for the 19th running of the Championships with it set to be the third South American country in which the title has been decided. In 2002 Uruguay hosted the race where Greg Degani won and more recently Argentina was the location for Robert Batlle’s 2012 title victory. With a facility that can normally cater for approximate 50 racers, the host club will expand the pit area to accommodate 230 racers & mechanics for the Worlds. In terms of location, the track is just 23km from São Paulo’s main international airport – Guarulhos International Airport (GRU). Having made history in Spain last year when he became the first driver to successfully defend the World Championship title, a win in Brazil would give Davide Ongaro a hat trick of title in three different continents, the Team Associated driver having won his first title in Australia in 2018.

Check out the full presentation on the EFRA website by clicking here.

July 31, 2023

Ongaro takes Italian Championship title

Davide Ongaro is the 2023 AMSCI 1:8 Buggy Italian National Champion, the Team Associated driver securing the title with victory at the third & final round of the championship at RC Off Road Volandia track in Somma Lombardo. The Top Qualifier and winner of the opening Round 1 of the Championship, but missing Round 2 due to racing at the Philippine Masters in Asia, Ongaro needed a good run at the season finale. In qualifying it was points leader and Round 2 winner Mattia Polito who took the TQ with his Sworkz ahead of Ongaro with Infinity’s Riccardo Berton. In the 45-minute final the World Champion had the fastest car and was able to take the win ahead Berton and Polito to lift the National title.

Image: ModellismoRC [modellismorc.net]

July 31, 2023

Neumann to defend 1:8 GT World title in Australia

Joern Neumann is to defend his IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship title in Sydney, Australia in October. The factory Sworkz driver claimed the inaugural World title for the category in 2020 in Florida just before the World would shut down due to Covid. Better known for his exploits in Offroad racing, the German confirmed his participation over the weekend giving a major boost to the New South Wales Radio Controlled Racing Car Club as they ramp up their preparations for the first of two World Championships that will be hosted at the John Grant international Raceway. Next year the track will host the IFMAR Large Scale World Championship. Top Qualifier in the USA, Italy’s Alessio Mazzeo is another high profile EFRA Bloc entry along with Neumann’s closet challenger 3-years ago Martin Bayer. Newly crowned 1:10 Nitro Onroad European Champion and Top Qualifier at the 1:8 Onroad European Championships over the weekend, Toni Gruber can be counted in being in the mix too. Heading the local challenge will be the Serpent of 1:10 & 1:8 Onroad Worlds Finalist Jeff Hamon who was the winner of the official Worlds Warm-Up race back in April. With the second running of the 1:8 GT World Championships taking place from the 8-15th of October, international drivers intending on making the trip down under are being requested to make contact with the host club regarding fuel and tyre requirements for the race. Red RC will be travelling to Sydney to tell the story of how the race unfolds.

Source: NSWRCRCC [Facebook]

July 31, 2023

Phend, Maifield & VanDalen win at The Wicked Weekend

Another of RaceTime Entertainment’s big 1:8 Offroad events, The Wicked Weekend race in Gainesville, Georgia produced three different wins of the three main categories. Attracting 659 entries, in qualifying it was Tekno’s Seth VanDalen who was the man in form as he secured the overall TQ in both nitro and electric buggy. In Nitro, HB Racing’s Cole Ogden took the opening qualifier but had to settle for P2 as VanDalen took the next two with TLR’s Dakotah Phend P3 with two P2 runs. In eBuggy, VanDalen also posted two TQ runs with second going to Phend, fastest in Q1, with Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz completing the Top 3. In Nitro Truggy, Tekno’s Ryan Maifield took the TQ from Phend, Lutz and VanDalen. In an intense 30-minute Nitro Buggy final, Phend would deny VanDalen the win on the last lap with Sworkz Brandon Rose completing the podium just ahead of WRC Racing’s Ryan Cavalieri. The eBuggy finals saw VanDalen win the first of the two 10-minute encounters from Mason Muller with that order reverse second time round however a faster Race 1 time gave VanDalen the overall win with Phend completing the Top 3. In the half hour Nitro Truggy final Maifield converted his TQ into victory ahead of the HB Racing of Fuller who came through from 12th on the grid. Mayako driver Jared Tebo completed the podium.

Image: JConcepts [Facebook]

July 31, 2023

Takanashi new JMRCA 1:10 GPT-S National Champion

Kai Takanashi is the new JMRCA 1:10 GPT-S Japanese National Champion, the Capricorn driver taking the title at the Sagamido Racing Track (SRT) over the weekend. In qualifying Takanashi took three of the four rounds with his Nuclear engined C04 to become Top Qualifier with Q4 pace setter Katsuhiro Mihara’s Mugen securing P2 to book his direct starting place in the Main final. P3 in qualifying was Kenya Yanai but the Infinity driver had issues in his Semi Final that prevented him from making the 40-minute title decider. Leading the early part of the race race, Takanashi would be passed by Mihara but with 10-minute remaining the new leader would hit problems and drop down the order eventually finishing P5. Up front Takanashi took the win by a lap over Kyosho’s Shogo Tomioka with the Shepherd of Hiroyuki Okumura completing the podium.

Source: JMRCA [jmrca.jp]

July 29, 2023

Balestri wins his 3rd 1:8 Onroad European title

Infinity’s Dario Balestri has retaken the 1:8 Onroad European Championship title today in Portugal with a dominant and control victory in Portugal today. Having lost the title to Dominic Greiner last year in Spain, starting from second on the grid the Italian would take control of the 45-minute final after getting by the Capricorn of Top Qualifier Toni Gruber in the opening lap. Once in front and opting for a single tyre change while his rivals stopped twice, the 2014 & 2019 was able to control the race from the front with the former World Champion eventually winning by lap from Mugen’s Simon Kurzbuch. Looking to emulate Greiner’s 2022 double of winning both the 1:10 & 1:8 Onroad Nitro titles, new crowned 1:10 European Champion Gruber would have issues while chasing Balestri from P2 to eventually take the final step on the podium. Running second in the race for some time, unfortunately as the race reached the final 10-minutes Greiner would retire from the final. Robert Pietsch was another notable retirement, the 2013 Champion at the same Vila Real track seeing his race last only 12-minutes this time round.

Image: Julie Thurston