July 22, 2024

Xu Xi doubles at FEMCA EP Offroad Championship

Xray driver Xu Xi completed the double at the FEMCA EP Offroad Championship which took place at the GDC track in Foshan, China, over the weekend.  FEMCA, the governing body of radio-controlled car racing in Asia and Australasia and which represents 15 nations, brought back the race this year after a long absence with the aim of building back up the race, which like other FEMCA Championships crowns the official Champion of Asia.  With 4WD attracting the largest entry, in qualifying it was leading Chinese international touring car driver Marco Ma who secured the TQ for Xray ahead Xi after topping 4 of the 5 rounds.  In the triple finals however after a poor start in A1, Xi was able to get the better of his team-mate and win A2 & 3 to lift the overall title.  With Ma second, Liu Hai Feng completed the podium.  In 2WD, Xi had the perfect race securing the TQ and wrapping up the overall win in A2.  Second would go to the Team Associated of Ashton Witte with Zhao Ji Chen rounding out the Top 3.

Image: GDC Indoor Race Club


July 21, 2024

Another win for Orlowski at ETS Round 2

Defending ETS Champion Michal Orlowski has made it two from two as the Schumacher driver continued the perfect start to his title defence with victory at Round 2 in Aigen, Austria.  With World Champion Bruno Coelho returning the series as part of his title defence preparations for the Worlds in California later this year, the Xray driver and Orlowski where in a league of their own.  While Coelho topped seeding ahead of Awesomatix’s Lucas Urbain, in qualifying it was Orlowski who went fastest in 3 of the four rounds as Coelho secured P2 on the grid with a TQ run in Q4.  In A1, while Coehlo set the fastest lap, it was Orlowski with the win by a 1.6-seconds margin.  A2 was a closer affair but again the Pole took the win to secure maximum points for the weekend to extend his lead in the standings.  Coelho would dominate A3 winning ahead of the Serpent of former Nitro Touring Car World Champion Dominic Greiner who took advantage of a number of incidents, the result giving the German P4 overall.  The podium would be completed by the Awesomatix of TITC Open Brushless Champion Simon Lauter, the former ETS Pro-Stock Champion’s efforts in moving up to the premiere class again paying dividends as he equalled his best finish from last year’s season finale.  In Pro-Stock, defending Champion Olivier Bultynck dominated proceedings with the Belgian securing the TQ and win ahead of the Xray of Adam Izsay with Round 1 winner Lukas Ellebrock taking the final podium step.

Image: ETS [Facebook]


July 19, 2024

2024 IFMAR 1:10 IC Touring Worlds – Stage 1 Report

The new Stage 1 Report for the IFMAR 1:10 IC Touring World Championship, which was originally due to take place in Costa Rica but last week got switched to Thailand, has just been published.  Great hosts of the 2014 Worlds for the same category, the covered semi indoors Huge RC track in Bangkok which is owned former Electric Touring Car World Champion Surikarn Chaidajsuriya the 10th running of the Worlds for the category will now stage the 10th running of the World Championship from November 15th to 23rd.  Costa Rica’s plans to host the race was dealt a blow over local complaints about noise and it was thought they had overcome that issue to build a sound barrier wall but with the permit required still in doubt FAMAR cancelled the event.  IFMAR, in accordance with its own General rules, quickly contact FEMCA, host Bloc of the previous 1:10 IC Touring Worlds in 2022, and within 5-days were able to announce Huge RC as the new hosts of the race.  While Hotrace Tyres had been confirmed as the control tyre for Costa Rica, the new Stage 1 report highlights that as yet no brand as yet been decided for Thailand.  As with 2022, Maxima together with Rapicon with be the official 16% nitro fuel options for drivers.

View Stage 1 Report here


July 18, 2024

ARC join eSIC grid with new signing Stanley

ARC is the latest manufacturer to confirm it will be on the grid at the Electric Singapore International Challenge (eSIC) on September 14-15th with confirmation that new signing Brayden Stanley will travel to the second running of the event.  The talented Australian joins an impressive list of international factory drivers already confirmed for the race which is headed up by Singapore’s top international touring car driver Nicolas Lee and JK Chhua.  Hosted by the Marine Parade Radio Control Modellers Club, defending Champions Mugen Seiki together with Yokomo, Infinity, Express and now ARC will support the race which has the goal of bringing back racing in Singapore in style with the creation of one big exciting weekend for the onroad racer.

Source: eSIC [Facebook]


July 15, 2024

Krapp latest driver confirmed for eSIC

After the success of the inaugural running of the Electric Singapore International Challenge (eSIC) last September, the organisers have just announced another top international driver with Christopher Krapp confirmed for the second edition.  The World Championship runner-up, will join his factory Yokomo team-mate and event co-organise Nicolas Lee at the RCMC race track in Singapore on 14-15th September as they take on strong international team line-ups from Infinity, Xpress and defending Champions Mugen Seiki.  Ronald Volker took the win last year ahead of Lee and Naoto Matsukura and the former World Champion is already confirmed to defend his title.

Source: eSIC [Facebook]


July 14, 2024

Noble sweeps Asian Buggy Championships Rd 3

Tekno driver Caleb Noble has dominated finals day at the third round of the Asian Buggy Championships, winning Nitro Truggy, EP Buggy and the premier Nitro Buggy class at Pine Hills Dirt Racing in Brisbane, Australia.  In Nitro Buggy the talented Australian overcame Top Qualifier Alex Bernadzik, hitting the front early with his NB48 2.2, a lead he would hold almost throughout in a powerhouse display. Bernadzik’s Team Associated RC8B 4.1 challenged mid-race, leading briefly before dropping back over the last ten minutes, almost caught by Christian Wolhuter in the SWorkz – the podium dominated by Australian drivers.  Having missed two rounds of qualifying due to food poisoning, Ryan Pavidis drove through the field from his 12th place starting spot, having earlier transferred through the B final, to an excellent fourth from Team Associated’s Jayden Edmunds.  Noble had early completed the win in the triple-leg EP Buggy finals, second in A1 to fellow Tekno driver Walker Spinrad before winning A2 in a thrilling battle with Bernadzik.  A3 went down to the wire, Kyle McBride (Kyosho) getting to the lead late when Noble and Bernadzik clashed, Caleb’s second place enough to ensure he would take the overall win from McBride and Bernadzik.  Completing the swept, Noble completely dominated the Nitro Truggy class, leading throughout ahead of local Jackson Beale (also Tekno) and New Zealand’s Shane O’Connor (HB).  The championship now heads to West Side Raceway in Jakarta, Indonesia in late September where the 2024 season concludes.

Source: Scott Guyatt/Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]


July 14, 2024

Hoppe wins ENS Round 2 in Austria

Shepherd Micro Racing’s Lars Hoppe took the win at the second round of the Euro Nitro Series, the German winning the final in Aigen, Austria, ahead of reigning Champion Toni Gruber.  In qualifying it was the Mugen Seiki of 2024 Championship leader Simon Kurzbuck who took the TQ.  Winner of the season opener in Ettlingen, Germany, the former World Champion topped 3 of the 4 qualifiers with Hoppe the only other driver to top a round with the fastest time in Q2 to secure P2 on the grid.  In the 45-minute final, Kurzbuch looked to have the race under control leading from Hoppe and the Capricorn of third place qualifier Gruber however the Swiss driver’s engine would stop approaching the 20-minute mark.   Taking over the lead, Kurzbuch losing over 4-minutes in the pits, Hoppe would see off the challenge of Gruber eventually winning by 3/4 of a lap from the Gruber with the Infinity of Teemu Leino completing the podium a further 8-seconds back.  Kurzbuch would finish P8.  In 1:10 it was the Infinity of Jilles Groskamp who took the win from the TQ spot ahead of the Capricorn of reigning Champion & Round 1 winner Melvin Diekmann.  Infinity’s Milan Holthuis completed the podium.

Image: Lars Hoppe [Facebook]


July 14, 2024

Huge RC in Thailand new hosts of Nitro Touring Worlds

Following the cancellation of the 1:10 Nitro Touring Worlds in Costa Rica due to noise issues earlier this week, IFMAR has announced that event will now take place in Thailand at the Huge RC Circuit in Bangkok.  With the FAMAR Blok informing the World Governing Body that it was unable to host the 10th running of the Worlds for the category, previous hosts FEMCA, as per IFMAR’s own General rules, was contacted about staging it.  As a previous host of the championship, former Electric Touring Car World Champion and Huge RC track owner Surikarn Chaidajsuriya quick off the mark in offering to take on the event which is less than 5-months out, the original dates remaining unchanged.   The decision to award the championship to Huge RC is a safe option for IFMAR who have had a challenging 2024 season in terms of World Championship events.  Earlier in the year Brazil failed to get permits to run the 1:8 Offroad Worlds resulting in its cancellation before the Redovan track in Spain, hosts of the previous Worlds, was awarded the race – a first in the history of the sport of a track hosting back to back Worlds for the same category.  Last week IFMAR also had to deal with the complete cancellation of the Large Scale Worlds.  This will be the fourth time Thailand and the city of Bangkok has hosted the 1:10 Nitro Touring Worlds.  RC Addict hosted the 2012 & 2022 editions and now Huge RC, where in 2014 Alexander Hagberg took the title , will run the race for the sport’s greatest prize for a second time.

View IFMAR announcement here


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