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September 28, 2024

Kato goes top again in Q3 at Asian Buggy Championships

Having kicked off Day 1 of qualifying at the Asian Buggy Championships Finale in Indonesia with a TQ run, Kouki Kato repeated the feat at West Side Raceway as he opened the second day’s action at the top of the Q3 time sheets. The Infinity driver would set the new fastest time of qualifying by a massive 6-seconds, overnight track maintenance and a better tyre choice by the Japan National Champion contributing factors. With Q2 winner Naoto Matsukura setting the early pace in the 5-minute qualifier, until the first of two mistakes dropped him to P6 for the round, it was local racer Jason Nugroho who continued to be Kato’s closest rival. Setting a new fastest lap and getting very close to being the first driver to go 39-seconds, the Sworkz driver finished 2.6-seconds back on the Pro driver with the similar car of Christian Wolhuter completing the Top 3.

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September 27, 2024

Matsukura ends Day 1 of ABC qualifying with TQ run

Day 1 of qualifying at the Asian Buggy Championships season finale in Indonesia closed with Naoto Matsukura hitting the top of the time sheets. With Infinity team-mate Kouki Kato taking Q1 as Matsukura found himself P7 after a costly last lap mistake, the No.2 seed made amends in the second of the 5-planned qualifiers to post the fastest 5-minute run so far ahead of the Sworkz of Christian Wolhuter, the young Aussie another driver to benefit from eliminating driver errors. Despite improving his Q1 time by 1-second Kato found himself P3 with the Japanese Champion feeling he didn’t have the right tyres for the condition of the last run of the day. A close 2nd to Kato in the opening qualifier, Jason Nugroho would run the fourth fastest time despite suspected radio problems. Seeding fourth fastest but not having a good Q1 attempt, Kyosho’s Rama Tribudiman completed the Top 5 with his second effort.

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September 27, 2024

Kato takes Q1 in Indonesia

Having set the pace in seeding practice, Kouki Kato carried that form into qualifying to TQ the opening round at the season finale of the Asian Buggy Championships in Indonesia, but only just. While putting together a perfect error few 5-minute run, the Infinity driver didn’t have the same outright pace as the morning with local Sworkz driver Jason Nugroho coming to within 0.1 of a second of denying him the top spot. With visiting drivers still finding their way in terms of how the track conditions change over the day, another local to open qualifying with a strong showing was track owner & builder Adrian Wicaksono who took his Team Associated to third ahead young Australian Christian Wolhunter.

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September 27, 2024

Kato Top Seed at Asian Buggy Championships Finale

Kouki Kato is the Top Seed at the season finale of the Asian Buggy Championships, the Japanese driver leading an Infinity 1-2 in Indonesia from fellow countryman Naoto Matsukura. Racing on the completely natural dirt West Side Raceway track which is proving a big hit with the visiting drivers, Kato set the fastest two consecutive laps in the single seeding round. The only driver to dip into the 40-second lap times, Kato ended up almost 1-second quicker than Matsukura over the 2-laps. A regular in the Asian Buggy Championships finishing on the podium at the previous round in Brisbane, Sworkz driver Christian Wolhuter opened his third race of the current season with a Top 3 time. Just 3/10th back on the Australian, Indonesia’s own Rama Tribudiman took his Kyosho to fourth fastest time, the local racer saying afterwards that the traction is completely different to what he used as a result of the large entry who have made the trip to Jakarta this weekend so bring a close to the second season of Scotty Ernst’s Asian Buggy Championships.

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September 25, 2024

Orlowski adds 1st 2WD Offroad European title

Michal Orlowski has added the EFRA 1:10 2WD European Championship title to his CV for the first time, the Schumacher/Hobbywing driver taking the win in Sweden where the championships are being hosted indoors for the very first time. The reigning 4WD European Champion would secure the overall TQ in Malmo topping 4 of the 5 rounds of qualifying. Schumacher team-mate Daniel Kobbevik took Q5 to secure P2 on the grid with Team Associated’s defending Champion Marcus Kaerup claiming 3rd ahead of the Xray’s of Bruno Coelho and David Ronnefalk. In the triple finals, Orlowski took A1 by almost 4 seconds over Norwegian Kobbevik as Ben Smith came through for third. A2 would be a much closer finish as Kaerup with the only 18-second lap of the race tried to force the fight to A3 but coming up 9/100ths short it was Orlowski who took A2 and the title. With a number of drivers in contention for the other podium placing in A3, it looked to be Kobbevik who would fill the second step but chased down by Kaerup, a mistake with 30-seconds to go, allowed Kaerup through for the win and runner-up spot. Kobbevik completed the podium ahead of Smith. Orlowski will now try to go for his first Euros double as the rest of the week switches to the 4WD title fight.

Image: Hobbywing Technology [Facebook]

September 23, 2024

Matsukura wins 2024 Singapore Open

Naoto Matsukura was the winner of the annual Singapore Open race which once again took place over the same weekend as Formula 1 took to the streets of the small country’s capital. Attracting drivers from 12-countries, qualifying would see former winner Matsukura, fresh from the 1:8 Offroad World Championship, take his Infinity to the TQ at the Marine Parade Radio Control Modellers Club track. Fastest in 3 of the 4 rounds, the multiple category World Champion secured the top spot from former Electric Touring Car World Champion Jilles Groskamp who set the pace in Q4. Takaaki Shimo end qualifying 3rd ahead of reigning Nitro Touring Car & former 1:8 Onroad World Champion Tadahiko Sahashi but wining Super Pole Shimo joined Matsukura directly in to the 45-minute Main. In the race, Groskamp would be an early retirement as Matsukura lead all the way to win by a lap from Shimo with Thailand’s Chavit Saligupta completing the podium.

Image: Infinity [Facebook]

September 23, 2024

2025 FEMCA 1:8 Offroad C/ship returns to Vietnam

The FEMCA 1:8 Offroad Championship is to return to Vietnam in 2025 with March 13-16th scheduled as the dates for the crowning of the official Champion of Asia. With the FEMCA Championship returning last following its forced break due to Covid, it was Kyosho’s up & coming offroad star Phi-Long Nguyen who added the most significant win yet of his promising career. Having made the investment that lead to it successfully hosting the race in 2024, with over 110 drivers from across the largest continent in the World attending, FEMCA has awarded the L.A Track the championship for a second year so as the organisers Vi Nguyen Hobbies can further recoup that investment. This decision by FEMCA has the potential to help with the development of tracks across the region if hosts know that their investment and a well executed event could lead to a second opportunity to host the prestigious race. Counting Atsushi Hara, Kyle McBride and Shin Adachi among its past champions, the 2025 FEMCA 1:8 Offroad Championship will be limited to 150 drivers.

Source: FEMCA [Facebook]

September 22, 2024

1:12 WC Top Qualifier Anderson set for MonTech NYGP

2023 IFMAR 1:12 World Championship Top Qualifier Kemp Anderson is the latest title contender to be confirmed for the upcoming MonTech New York Grand Prix. Taking place from October 10-13th at 360v2 RC in New Rochelle, 2024 marks the sixth edition of the high profile US indoor race. Recently turning his attentions to becoming a full time RC racer having graduated college, Anderson was runner-up to last year’s double NYGP Champion Sam Isaacs in 1:12, also joining his Awesomatix team-mate on the Touring Car podium. The 22-year-old returns to take the fight for victory in both Mod 1:12 and Mod Touring Car to Isaacs, Xray’s Keven Hebert and 1:12 Spec World Champion Max Mächler with more high profile driver announcements expected. With 12 class titles up for grabs, Touring Car is divided into Modified, 17.5T SuperStock, 21.5 Stock, and 25.5 LMH (LeMans Hypercar) while 1:12 is divided in Modified GTP, SuperStock GTP, Stock GTP, and GT12R. Additionally there will be racing for USGT, PRO10, USVTA, and FWD. To book your entry for the 2024 MonTech New York Grand Prix click here. Red RC are excited to traveling to the 360v2 RC track for the first time to cover this year’s NYGP.

Source: Fordham 360 Hobbies & Raceway [Facebook]