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March 7, 2026

FEMCA requests postponement of World Championship

FEMCA, the bloc responsible for the hosting of this year’s 1:12 & ISTC World Championships in China has officially made a requested to IFMAR for the postponement of the back to back events given the current situation in the Middle East. The Far East Model Car Association (FEMCA), the governing body for RC racing that represents 15 nations in Asia and Australasia, in consultation with the race organiser Hongyu GDC made the following post on its social media, ‘FEMCA has been monitoring the situation developing in the middle east. After serious consideration to the potential safety risk that could impact drivers from the other parts of the world. The organizer and FEMCA looked at the financial impact and decided that the conscious path is to ensure that ALL racers will be able to arrive and return safely and peacefully was the better judgement. With that FEMCA and the Organizer has formally written to IFMAR requesting to postpone the upcoming 1/12 and ISTC World Championships which is scheduled to be held in Foshan, China at the end of March and first Week of April. Pending a decision from IFMAR on their approval for postponement a date will be proposed as an alternative shortly thereafter.’ With IFMAR having on posted yesterday that they planned to proceed with the events, but that they would continue to follow developments of the situation, the registered 1:12 and Touring Car racers now await a decision from IFMAR.

Source: FEMCA [Facebook]

March 6, 2026

IFMAR clarification on Electric Onroad Worlds in China

With the back to back hosting of the 1:12 and ISTC World Championships in Foshan, China, less than 3-weeks away, the World governing body IFMAR has issued a statement to clarify the situation surrounding the event and the current conflict in the Middle East. Having contacted drivers earlier in the week regarding flights, the Middle East a major travel hub for European’s travelling to Asia, today they issued clarification posting that while concerned by the unrest in the Middle East and its potential impact on travel they wanted to make it clear they are not seeking for postponement or cancellation of the event at this time. The Board of Directors added they have also requested to be provided with formal communication from the host local government having been made aware of discussions happening between the host and their local government regarding the Worlds hosting and a request to *consider* postponing the championships. The 22nd running of the 1:12 World Championship is set to take place at very impressive Hongyu GDC facility from March 26-29th followed by the 13th running of the World Championship for 1:10 Electric Touring Car from April 1-4.

View full clarification post from IFMAR here

March 3, 2026

Elias doubles at South American Championships

Brazilian Nitro Onroad stalwart Flavio Elias completed a double at the long running South American Championships winning both the 1:8 Onroad and 1:8 GT titles in Argentina over the weekend. Going into this year’s event as the defending GT champion having won that title, and finished 3rd in 1:8 Onroad, at the World’s host track CACH in Chile in 2025, the Capricorn/Ielasi Tuned driver kicked off the action at the Mendoza track by securing the GT TQ from Chile’s Alvaro Jara. In 1:8 Onroad he would also take the TQ this time ahead of Argentina’s Emilio Lanzilotta. In the 45-minute GT final, the 2025 IFMAR GT World Championship podium finisher would take a dominant win ahead of Jara who had a close battle with third place Franco Anderlucci. The 1:8 Onroad final would also see the 1:8 Onroad World Finalist be the class of the field to lead home Lanzilotta with Alexandro Giardino completing the podium.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

March 2, 2026

Noble wins Asian Buggy C/ships opener in New Zealand

Sworkz’s Caleb Noble has won the opening round of the fourth season of the the Team Cayote and VP-Pro backed Asian Buggy Championships which was hosted by New Zealand’s Counties RC over the weekend. Having top qualified three classes, Noble went on to win all three – Nitro Buggy, eBuggy, and Nitro Truggy. It was a powerful performance from the Australian marking his move to Sworkz and JConcepts over the off-season. Noble led home Sworkz teammate, New Zealand’s Jayden Jamieson, in both buggy classes, and Kiwi Hotbodies driver Shane O’Connor in Truggy. The Nitro Buggy final was a straight shootout between Noble and Jamieson, with Jayden grabbing an early lead before Noble struck back on the cusp of the first fuel stop and, from there, driving away to a one-lap win. Kiwi veteran Mike Stratford drove a brilliant race from 9th on the grid to round out the podium and make it an Sworkz sweep. eBuggy was an easy win for Noble, dominating A1 and A2, with Jamieson trailing him home, and countryman Jonathan Coluccio (WIRC) an excellent third. Darren Perry (Masters 45+ EP and Nitro) and Shane O’Connor (eTruggy) were the other class winners. The series now moves to Malaysia’s Lap Paradise RC Raceway for April’s second round of the 2026 series.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [asianbuggychamps.com]

March 1, 2026

Volker adds third MIBO International win

Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker has won a third MIBO International, the Touring Car Champion successfully defending his title with another dominant performance in the Czech Republic. Securing the overall TQ after 3 rounds of qualifying, the German kicked of finals day with a 5th TQ run before going on to win all 3 A-Mains on this year’s new Racestars designed & built track. While the former World Champion had the edge of the rest of the field, the big battle of the weekend would be really for the other two podium places with Xray’s Adam Izsay the only one to mix it against Mugen team in Hrotovice. While 2025 TITC Open Brushless Champion Sören Sparbier managed to get by Izsay for second in the opening encounter, Iszay, helped by a mistake from Sparbier, held position in A2 and again in A3 to finish overall runner-up. Making his MIBO debut Sparbier complete the podium denying team-mate Patrick Gollner a repeat of his 2025 result. While Volker notched up his third Modified title this year ahead of Iszay, the Hungarian who really impressive in the opening two Modified qualifiers, would achieve the same in Stock. Winning A1 & 2 to defend his title, Iszay was joined on the podium by A3 winner Jaroslav Kriz with Tobias Sutrich claiming the 3rd step. In FWD, Phil Langer was another to defend his 2025 win leading home Loris Buchhalt and previous FWD winner Stefan Schulz.

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March 1, 2026

Zalewski defends MIBO 2WD title

Xray’s Bartek Zalewski has successfully defended his 2WD Buggy title at MIBO International, the young Polish racer wrapping up the overall win with two straight wins in the opening A-Mains at the Czech Republic event. Having secured the TQ for the fourth edition of the Michal Bok organised race ahead of Michal Orlowski, A1 would see his compatriot armed with fresh tyres mount a strong challenge but a cool headed drive from Zalewski meant he kept that challenge at bay. In A2 it was the 19-year-old who had the tyre advantage and he was able to cruise to win by a comfortable margin to lock in a very popular overall victory. With another second place to Zalewski securing Orlowski the overall runner-up but the upcoming 4WD title still up for grabs, Orlowski would along with the re-crowned Champion sit out A3 to focus on his 4WD quest. This left team-mate & 3rd place qualifier Daniel Kobbevik to lead away the 8-car field. Despite coming under the close attentions of Sworkz’s Micha Vidmaier for most of the race, the 2025 Top Qualifier & Runner-up would win A3 to complete the podium line-up in Hrotovice.

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February 28, 2026

MIBO International TQ double for Zalewski

Xray talent Bartek Zalewski will go for the buggy double at MIBO International as the Top Qualifier in both 2WD and 4WD. The Polish racer who is the reigning 2WD Champion of the annual Czech event and the 4WD Champion from the year before, will chase his first double title looking to emulate Bruno Coelho’s achievement at inaugural running of the race in 2023. Zalewski had the perfect event up to Q3, when Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski knocked him off the top of the timing sheet for the first time by delivery the TQ run in both 2WD and 4WD after a not so great start to qualifying. While Orlowski would of course liked to have push the TQ battle to Sunday morning’s fifth & final qualifier, Zalewski produced the fastest runs of the day in Q4 to lock in pole position for the triple finals. Daniel Kobbevik however push him hard in 2WD missing out by just 4/100ths and the Schumacher driver holds P2 overnight in both classes. In 2WD Sworkz’s Micha Widmaier sits in P2, the Austrian back up his second fastest time in Q2 with another in Round 3. Orlowski is tied on points with team-mate Kobbevik in 4WD but with the Norwegian having the faster individual qualifying time he is ranked 3rd.

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February 28, 2026

Volker Top Qualifier at MIBO International

As a two time winner of MIBO International, Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker will chase a third win of the Czech race tomorrow from pole position after claiming the overall TQ honours will a perfect day on the carpet. While it was Xray’s Adam Izsay who set the pace in Friday’s free practice, Volker made Saturday his own kicking off official proceedings by topping the 2 seeding rounds. Leading away the top heat of Modified qualifying, the German then completed a clean sweep securing the TQ in Q3 before capping off the day with a fourth TQ run in the penultimate round. With one last qualifier in the morning, Volker will look to repeat the 5 from 5 he took last year on his way to victory over Michal Orlowski. Behind the 2016 World Champion it is Iszay who holds second overnight but three drivers recorded runs to the second fastest times and between Iszay, the reigning Stock Champion who will defend that title from the TQ, MIBO International debutant Sören Sparbier, 2025 podium finisher Patrick Gollner it is still all to play for to see who starts directly behind Volker.

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