June 16, 2026

TITC returns to Huge RC for 2027

The biggest international race on the Electric Touring Car calendar outside of the IFMAR World Championships, the organisers of the TITC have just announced that the 22nd running of the iconic Bangkok race will see it return to Huge RC in 2027.  The race was last hosted by indoor asphalt track owned by 2002 ISTC World Champion Surikarn Chaidajsuriya in 2014 with Ronald Volker taking the win on that occasion.  Chaidajsuriya was the winner of the inaugural TITC in 2003 and successfully defended that title in 2004.  Held at the city’s other famous track RC Addict since 2015, after 10 editions there (no races held in 2021 & 22 due to Covid) it now switches to back after 13 years to Huge RC which was just recently awarded this year’s IFMAR ISTC World Championships replacing the cancelled China staging of the 13th running of the Electric Touring Car World title race.  With Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski the defending back to back TITC Champion he will get the opportunity for a hat trick of wins when the race takes place from February 25-27th.

Source: TITC [titc.in.th]


June 8, 2026

Bernsten wins Oslo Open

Adrian Bernsten claimed the TQ & win at this year’s annual Oslo Open 1:8 Nitro Onroad race, the Norwegian taking victory ahead of Denmark’s Martin Lissau at Hverven Raceway located south of the Norwegian Capital.   In qualifying it was former international touring car ace Bernsten who secured the TQ honours at his home track ahead of the Infinity of 2024 Oslo Open winner Francesco Tironi, Alexander Andersson and last year’s Top Qualifier Lissau.  Topping all four qualifiers, and despite setting the fastest lap of the race Bernsten would still have to work for the win as he came under pressure from Tironi in the 45-minute final.  Unfortunately while holding a second spot & battling for the lead a crash on the main straight with a lapped car would put an end to the Italian visitor’s race at the half hour mark.  This promoted former 1:5 World Champion Lissau to second for an Infinity 1-2 with Swedish racer Dennis Jonsson completing the podium.  In the Masters Class, it was Denmark’s Peter Harder who took the TQ & win with Scotty Ernst coming through for second while Björn Ohlson took the final podium step.

Image: Francesco Tironi [Facebook]


June 8, 2026

Polito wins ‘The Italian Race’ ahead of Ongaro

Sworkz’s Mattia Polito was the Nitro Buggy winner at the annual ‘The Italian Race’ hosted by the Ospyteam Offroad track in Gussago in the north of the country.  In qualifying it was Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro who secured the TQ ahead of Polito, WIRC’s Andrea Trevisan and Mugen Seiki’s Kilic brothers, Berkan securing P4 ahead of Burak.  Qualifying in P6 but winning his Semi Final in the fastest time, it would be Kyosho’s Riccardo Berton who started the final on pole ahead of Berkan, Polito and Ongaro, the latter the winner of the other Semi final.  Over the 45-minute final Berton led early on before Berkan took a stint at the front but it was to be Polito and Ongari that would battle it out for the win.  Despite the World Champion’s best efforts over the closing laps he couldn’t deny Polito the win.  Behind it was Berton who completed the podium.  In eBuggy it was Polito who secured the TQ ahead of Ongaro and the Sworkz of Elliott Boots and Berton.  Using the traditional Nitro format of Semi Finals, it was to be Ongaro who after winning his 10-minute Semi secured pole for the final ahead of Polito, winner of the other Semi, Trevisan, Boots and Kyosho’s Marco Baruffolo.  With a single 10-minute A-Main, it would be Baruffolo after taking the lead from Ongaro on lap 6 who took the win.  Boots completed the podium.

Image: Matrix Tires [Facebook]


June 2, 2026

Sobue wins ‘Bali International Race of Champion’

Across all forms of sport ‘Destination Races’ have become a big thing and in terms of destinations Bali has to be up there for the world of RC racing with Axon’s Akio Sobue making the trip to and winning the Bali International Race of Champions.   Famed as a destination for Digital Nomads, the Indonesian Island is also home to the Keramas Aero Park circuit and over the weekend it attracted an international 93 entries to compete over 4 categories of 1:10 Electric Touring Car.  In Modified it was World Championship podium finisher Sobue who took the win ahead of Singapore’s Zak Lam making for an Axon 1-2.  Porsha Mangilit, the first ever female racer to win the Tamiya Asia Cup, would compete the podium.  In 13.5 Blinky it was Lam who took the TQ and win ahead of young Australian RC Maker driver Logan Rintoul who in turn took the win in FWD.  Looking to combine racing with a holiday next season?, look out for the 2027 Bali International Race of Champion.

View track image here


June 1, 2026

Garcia appointed IFMAR Interim IC Section Chairman

Well respected race referee and former EFRA President Javier Garcia has been appointed the IFMAR Interim IC Section Chairman.  Making the announcement over the weekend, the Spaniard will take over the role for the remainder of the 2026 season from Sander de Graaf.  After decades of service to the World governing body, Dutch native Graff made his final appearance in the role at the 1:8 Onroad World Championship in Chile last December.  Garcia, who has vast experience of the sport having served as president of the European governing body for 5-years and referred numerous World Championships, has always been respected for his approachability and his ambition for the better promotion of racing and the RC hobby in general as well as always striving for a better racing experience for racers attending sanctioned events.  In being appointed to the role, Garcia has promised to prepare a 4-year plan with the goal of leading IFMAR into a much needed new era as an organisation.

Read full announcement here


June 1, 2026

Baruffolo wins 26th edition of Kyosho Masters

Italy’a Marco Barufollo has won the 26th edition of the Kyosho Masters which took place at the RC94 track in France over the weekend.  In qualifying it was multiple European Champion Renaud Savoya who took the Nitro Buggy TQ ahead of 2025 Champion Riccardo Berton, both drivers posting two TQ runs each but Savoya getting it on the tie-break.  Barufollo would claim 3rd ahead of German driver Tim Kraus and Sweden’s Jessica Palsson.  With Berton and Barufollo winning the Semi Finals, Barufollo’s win ahead of Savoya the faster, the Top 3  on the grid for the 45-minute final would be the reverse of qualifying order.  From the front and setting the fastest lap of the race Barufollo would take the win by half a lap from Berton despite rain making an appearance during the final.  Savoya would gamble on changing tyres for the rain but it didn’t last and with the track drying quickly he struggled to eventually finish P4 behind British racer Olivier Nattress who completed the podium.  In eBuggy it was Barufollo who took qualifying but retiring from the first of the four 10-minute finals, he would lose out to Berton on tie-nreak after the both counted two wins and 2nd each.

Image: Marco Barufollo [Facebook]


May 31, 2026

Coelho wins ETS season opener

Fresh from getting married last week, Infinity’s Bruno Coelho has won the opening round of the 2026/27 ETS at Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.  The World Champion would secure the overall TQ honours ahead defending series champion Michal Orlowski with two TQ runs compared to the Schumacher driver’s single TQ run in the fourth & final round.  Fastest in Q3, Awesomatix’s Simon Lauter completed the Top 3 on the grid ahead of Serpent’s Dominic Greiner and Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker.  Making his high profile debut for Xray at the Dutch race, Marc Rheinard would line up 7th on the grid.  In the opening A-Main on Saturday evening it was Orlowski who came out the winner.  Having got by Coelho on lap 1 when the pole sitter lost the rear of his car coming onto the straight, Orkowski would then run wide on the final lap.  With Coelho going for the pass as Orlowski came back across to try get the line for the next corner the pair made contact.  With Lauter in third, this should have played into his favour but as Coelho’s car landed the German made contact and was out with a broken car – Orlowski getting through for the win ahead of Volker with Coelho in third.  Sunday’s morning’s A2 saw a dominant win by Coelho which he again repeated in A3 to take the overall ahead of Orlowski with Volker, winner of the previous ETS’s season finale, completing the podium ahead of Lauter, Greiner and Rheinard.  In Pro Stock Olivier Bultynck got his title defence off to the perfect start, the Awesomatix driver securing the TQ and win ahead of the Xray of Jan Ratheisky and Dutch Awesomatix driver Timon Coenen.

Image: Bruno Coelho [Facebook]


May 31, 2026

Catanzani finally crowned European 1:8 GT Champions

Having led with 3-minutes to go in 2024 only to lose 2nd gear and the win, then crossed the line in 1st place only to have his fuel tank fail post tech in 2025, Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani is now finally the new EFRA 1:8 GT European Champion.  Racing at the Vila Real track in Portugal, the rapid Italian would become the fourth champion of the nitro category with victory over the Genius racing team-mates of outgoing champion Filippo Beretta and two time champion Bernard-Alain Arnaldi.  In qualifying it was the Raptor of World Champion Alessio Mazzeo who took the TQ honours ahead of World Championship Top Qualifier Catanzani, both drivers recording two TQ runs each but Mazzeo getting the tie-breaker with his Q5 time.  Joining them directly onto the A-Main grid, Arnaldi secured 3rd, with the Q3 TQ run, ahead of Beretta.  In the 45-minute final Mazzeo led them away and was leading at the half way mark when he broke a tyre and spinning out he was collected by another car which resulted in a broken servo ending his race.  While Beretta took over the lead for a number of laps, it was Catazani, who set the fastest lap of the race, who led them home winning by a lap and a half.  With 2024 Champion Natanaele Senesi finishing P4, it meant Catanzani’s win came ahead of all previous three champions.  In GTE, Mazzeo would completed the perfect campaign securing the TQ and wrapping up the title with straight wins in A1 & A2.  He was joined on the podium by the similar car of Burak Kilic, winner of A3, and Senesi.  Xray’s defending Champion Adam Izsay would finish P5.

Image: Filippo Beretta [Facebook]


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