Red RC » International

September 25, 2017

Akio Sobue takes CETC title with A2 win

During the past 6 months, visiting 4 of the best racing tracks within China, the CETC presented by Infinity has crowned its first Champion with Akio Sobue taking the title at Twin RC Speedway in Hong Kong. In the second round of finals the Infinity factory driver recovered from being passed early in the race by Yokomo factory driver Nicholas Lee to take the title with one round of finals to spare. Using old tires Naoto Matsukura did not pose a threat to Sobue, and only 1.3 seconds ahead of Awesomatix driver Rocket Zhang would finish in 2nd place. Leading the race for the first 3 minutes until a coming together with Sobue, Nicholas Lee would end up on his roof after the Japanese driver made a pass on him. Returning to the track the Singaporean ace could only come back to 4th place, 0.38 seconds behind Rocket Zhang. The two Serpent factory drivers Stick King and Felix Law ended the race in 5th and 6th, with Fai Ho just behind in 7th.

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September 25, 2017

Akio Sobue cruises to A1 win in Hong Kong

The first round of finals at the season finale of the CETC presented by Infinity at Twin RC Speedway has just finished and it was Infinity factory driver Akio Sobue who took full advantage of a crash between 2nd place starter Nicholas Lee and Naoto Matsukura which set of a chain reaction of crashes that affected most of the chasing pack. So without any pressure the Japanese ace won the race with ease and is now only one step away from taking the inaugural CETC season title. Sobue’s team mate Matsukura recovered after the clash with Lee and would finish the race in 2nd place. The first lap incident caused a body tuck for Nicholas Lee, making the start of his race a nightmare, however he kept pushing and would end up in 3rd. Behind the 3 international racers the remaining drivers were involved in an intense battle. Awesomatix driver Rocket Zhang was able to pass Xpress driver Hay 4 laps before the end of the race and took the 4th place with a 1.3 second gap over Hay. Serpent factory driver Felix Law was another 0.4 seconds behind and classified 6th.

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September 19, 2017

2017 TIPS Championship – Announcement

The Tamiya Inf1nity PRCA Singapore Championship will be held on the 21st and 22nd of October at the Marine Parade Radio Modellers Track in Singapore. The race is run in Touring Modified and Open Brushless as well as Tamiya M-Chassis and Racing Truck classes and it will see the attendance of both local driver and guests from abroad with Serpent’s Viktor Wilck, Yokomo’s Nicholas Lee and several Infinity team drivers having already signed in. More information can be found on social media here.

September 18, 2017

Video – IFMAR 1/8th Onroad Worlds Main Final

All the action from the intense and hard fought 60-minute Main Final at the 2017 IFMAR 1/8th Onroad World Championships in Monteux, France. With race commentary from the great Oli Meggitt.

September 18, 2017

Balestri finally gets deserved World title

Dario Balestri is finally a World Champion. One of nitro racing’s unquestionably fastest & most talented drivers, the Italian delivered a long overdue victory at the 21st running of the 1:8 Onroad World Championships in Monteux, France. Top Qualifier for the 1-hour main, the Infinity driver would waste that opportunity with a very bad start from pole that saw him swallowed up by the pack and off onto the grass. Rejoining a distant last, while new team-mate Naoto Matsukura led from the defending champion Simon Kurzbuch, Balestri set about his recovery eventually going to the front when Matsukura, who he had in his sights, hit trouble. With Matsukura’s championship debut ending with a P8 DNF, it was Kurzbuch who would finish runner-up, 5-seconds back after an hour of intense racing. While not the result the Shepherd driver was after it does complete an impressive run of three consecutive 1:8 World Championship podium finishes. Claiming the final step on the podium would be Shoki Takahata, the Mugen driver having a good recovery after an incident with 2015 runner-up Takaaki Shimo cost him a lot of time due to a tucked body.

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September 16, 2017

Kurzbuch set to defend title after Semi win

Simon Kurzbuch is set to defend his World title this evening in France, the Shepherd driver winning his Semi Final to progress to the 1-hour final that will decide the winner of the 21st running of 1:8 Onroad World Championships. Starting from pole in the second of the Semi encounters have lost out on the TQ to Dario Balestri and the Super Pole to Naoto Matsukura, Kurzbuch would win the 30-minute encounter from Jilles Groskamp and Silvio Hachler with the fastest race time to secure 3rd on the grid. Winner of the first Semi ahead of fellow Japanese driver Shoki Takahata, Takaaki Shimo will line up third ahead with Takahata completing the top half of the grid ahead of Groskamp, Hachler, Alberto Picco, Alessio Mazzeo and Lars Hoppe. Coming into the event as one of the pre-event favourites along Kurzbuch and Balestri, there was cruel luck for Bruno Coelho. Starting from pole the Xray driver was in clear control of the race until he suffered a suspected partial engine seize at the end of the straight. While the engine fired back up in the pits he title hopes were done. Also suffering similar faith was former World Champion Adrien Bertin. With the large French crowd fully behind the HB driver, cheering loudly his every pass, he worked his way to the front leading for a time but with 8-minutes to go his engine stopped. A heartbreaking end to what was to be the veteran racers retirement from competitive racing.

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September 16, 2017

Semi final line-up complete for 21st WC

The 21st running of the 1:8 Onroad World Championships is down the final 22 drivers with the 1/4 finals completing the line up for the two Semi finals which will decide the 8 drivers to join Dario Balestri and Naoto Matsukura in the fight to become the World Champion. In the first of the 1/4 encounters it was JJ Wang who took the win ahead of Takaaki Shimo after the 2015 Vice Champion was given a penalty for bad refuelling. Behind them John Ermen was holding third but the ARC driver came under intense pressure from 2013 World Champion Tadahiko Sahashi in the final laps. With the Serpent driver all over the Dutchman the pair made contact at the final corner with Ermen ending up on the grass. While Ermen protested the result, after watching video footage of the pass officials deemed the result would stand with Sahashi progressing to the Semis.

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September 15, 2017

Matsukura claims Super Pole in Monteux

Naoto Matsukura will feature in the final of the 1:8 Onroad World Championships in Monteux, France tomorrow after the Infinity driver won the Super Pole shoot out to directly join Top Qualifier Dario Balestri on the grid. The first time Super Pole has been used at the 1:8 World Championships, having been introduced at last year’s 1:10 Worlds in Italy, Matsukura would come out best of the four drivers setting the fastest lap from reigning World Champion Simon Kurzbuch who was last to run his 6-laps. Also taking part, Super Pole open to the drivers who qualify 2nd through 5th, Bruno Coelho would set the third fastest single lap ahead of Jesse Davis who was first to go and set a time.

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