May 7, 2026

LAP Paradise Int. Buggy Party 2026 – Announcement

With its track going viral on the internet when the world tuned in for its hosting of the Asian Buggy Championships two weeks ago, Malaysian track LAP Paradise RC Raceway has announced details of its annual International Buggy Party Race which takes place December 11-13th.  With the track undergoing huge development works in preparations for its first hosting of an Asian Buggy Championships round, its large 3D layout and sealed surface, contrasted by its blue infield, was a huge hit with visiting racers including young Kyosho star Phi-Long Nguyen who took the double win and his main rival & Top Qualifier Mayako’s Pekko Iivonen.  Situated in the south of the country in Johor Bahru, LAP Paradise RC Raceway is only an hour drive from major international hub airport Singapore Changi Airport.  The amazing Malaysian hospitality also makes LAP Paradise RC Raceway a must visit race destination for 1:8 Offroad racers.

View more track images here


May 5, 2026

Arnaldi wins EFRA 1:5 GP in Luxembourg

Genius Racing’s Bernard-Alain Arnaldi took the win at the first EFRA 1:5 Grand Prix of the season, the Frenchman claiming victory in a rain effected finals day at the Mini Circuit “Ville de Luxembourg”.  In Touring Car qualifying it was the Mecatech of Belgium’s Giovanni Verbrugghe who secured the TQ honours, his final run of the three qualifiers the fastest.  With Arnaldi second fastest, behind him the qualifying order was Cédric Prevot, Norwegian Marius Hetland, and reigning European Champion Carsten Keller from Germany.  Winning Super Pole, Prevot booked his direct spot on the final grid as the rest had to battle it out in their respective Semi Finals.  With Arnaldi winning his in the faster time, the 2-time European Champion would line up 3rd on the grid ahead of  2022 European Champion Edoardo Repetti from Italy who won the other Semi.  In a wet 20-minute final, weather conditions extremely challenging, setting the fastest lap of the race Arnaldi would come out tops to win by a comfortable margin over Repetti and the Top Qualifier Verbrugghe.  The second of the three 2026 scheduled EFRA Grand Prix’s will take place on June 6/7th in Macon, France.

Image: Mecatech Racing Components [Facebook]


May 4, 2026

Kobbevik doubles at INS16 Round 2

Making the trip Stateside, Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik completed the double at the second round of the JConcepts Indoor National Series.  Racing at the RC One Racing offroad facility in Michigan, the Norwegian would secure the TQ in 2WD on the carpet track ahead of team-mate and reigning INS Champion Broc Champlin, the World Champion topping the opening of the three qualifier.  Team Associated’s Aydin Horne completed the Top 3 on the grid.  In 4WD it was season opening double winner Chase Lemieux who claimed the TQ, the Xray driver topping Q1.  While Kobbevik topped Q2, it was team-mate Brennan Schimmel, fastest in Q3, he lined up P2.  In the finals, while Lemieux took A1, Kobbevik took A2 & 3 to secure the overall win with Lemieux and Schimmel completing the podium.  In 2WD, Kobbevik took A1 ahead of Horne, but from 4th on the grid 2023 2WD World Champion Tater Sontag took the win from the visitor.  Staying out front in A3 Kobbevik completed the double with Sontag and Horne joining his on the podium.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]


April 27, 2026

Balestri wins Campionato Costruttori at MyCandy Arena

Infinity’s Dario Balestri has won the annual Italian ‘Campionato Costruttori’ which was this year staged at the MyCandy Arena in the north of the country.  In qualifying it was new Max Power engines signing Carmine Raiola who took the TQ with a dominant run topping all four rounds.  Behind it was Balestri who claimed second on the grid ahead of Jonathan Gandin, Francesci Tironi, Lamberto Collari, and Silvio Hächler.  In the 45-minute final however Riola’s form in qualifying wouldn’t continue as he retired 30-minutes into the encounter joining Collari and British visit Alex Thurston as retirees.  At the front, putting in the only 13-second lap of the race, it was 2-time World Champion Balestri who took the win by 11-seconds over the Xray of teenager Filippo Domanin.  Swiss driver Silvio Hächler would complete the podium for ARC half a lap ahead of Gandin.  In the 1:8 GT Nitro Class, it was Genius Racing’s Leonardo Valente who took the TQ ahead of the Sworkz of Austrian Tobias Sutrich but with Valente’s race lasting just 5-minutes it was third place qualifier Adam Izsay who took the win for Xray by a lap over Sutrich.

Image: Infinity [Facebook]


April 26, 2026

Nguyen does double on Asian Buggy Championships debut

Young Kyosho star Phi-Long Nguyen has completed the double on his Asian Buggy Championships debut adding the main Nitro Buggy win to his eBuggy victory from earlier in the day in Malaysia.  Starting from second on the grid behind Top Qualifier Pekko Iivonen, the American would benefit from the Mayako driver running out of fuel as the second round of fuel stops approached during the 45-minute encounter.  Having built up a 12-second advantage over Nguyen and the rest of the 15 car field, a flame out during Nguyen’s first fuel stop adding to the Finn’s advantage, it looked like it was finally going to Iivonen’s big day.  A driver who has looked like he has progressed a step up in his driving every time he took the impressive LAP Paradise RC Raceway track here at the second round of the ABC, unfortunately it wasn’t going to be a case of third time lucky.  His third appearance in the Team Cayote/VP-Pro backed championship, having raced in the Philippines and Australia last season, he would run out of fuel just before the loop meaning he lost an entire lap on the field.  This gave Nguyen, who on taking the win was quick to state his rival was the faster driver in the final despite posting the fastest lap himself, a comfortable lead that he could manage and would never relinquish.  9-seconds back at the finish, Sworkz’s Caleb Noble backed up his win of the season opener in New Zealand with a second place while fellow Aussie Jayden Edmunds completed the podium.  Dropping back to fifth after his flame out, a clearly disappointed Iivonen would only be rewarded with a P4 for his otherwise impressive showing with Jared Ment and Ken NG completing the Top 6 on what has been a hugely successful debut visit to a track whose elevation has been a huge hit with racers.

Continue reading here


April 25, 2026

Jones wins high attrition rate ABC Malaysia Truggy Main

Australian Tekno driver Liam Jones has won a high attrition rate Nitro Truggy A-Main at Round 2 of the Asian Buggy Championships in Malaysia.  The championship’s first visit to the country and the impressive LAP Paradise RC Raceway, which located just an hour across the border from Singapore, it was expected that the half hour final would be just a formality for Top Qualifier Caleb Noble.  The Sworkz driver dominated the opening round of the Team Cayote/VP-Pro backed championship last month in New Zealand, and no one would have bet against the Aussie going back to back here in Johor Bahru.  Starting on pole ahead of the Sparko of Ken NG, Noble quickly established a lead but as the race approached half way distance the 19-year-old suffered a diff failure, his race was done.  This promoted NG to the lead with Jones, who qualified P4, running in second.  However he too would hit mechanical problems, losing rear drive after just a few laps out in front – something he said may have been the result of his truggy taking a heavy hit to the rear early on in the final.  With Noble down in pit lane cheering on his compatriot, along with Jones’ elated father, the Melbourne driver would stay out front to take the win ahead by 2/3 of a lap over fellow Aussie Jayden Edmunds.  Chinese Kyosho driver Francis Guan completed the podium while with only 2WD NG managed to finish down in P6.


April 24, 2026

FEMCA Asia 1:8 GT Championships relocated to Australia

The inaugural FEMCA Asia 1:8 GT Championships, which was originally awarded to Vietnam, will now take place in Australia with England Park Raceway in Brisbane awarded the race.  Earlier this month the Asian governing body for RC racing announced that the championships was being relocated from the impressive new X-RC Complex in Lam Dong due to the delayed opening of the area’s new airport.  QRCCRA, the club behind England Park Raceway, has secured the race to decide both the GT8 Nitro and GT8E Champions with FEMCA sanctioned championships running concurrently with the SpeedyRC IC QLD State Titles from July 30 to August 2.  On the announcement it was also confirmed Sweep Racing will supply their GT2-D40WP as the control tyre for both GT categories.

Source: FEMCA [Facebook]


April 24, 2026

Noble TQ’s opening qualifier at ABC Malaysia

Sworkz’s Caleb Noble has TQ’d the opening round of qualifying at the second round of the Asian Buggy Championships in Malaysia.  The Australian set the pace in the first of the four scheduled Nitro Buggy qualifiers at LAP Paradise RC Raceway by just over a second from Mayako’s Pekko Iivonen.  Having topped yesterday’s seeding, Kyosho’s Phi-Long Nguyen would suffer two mistakes on his opening effort, the second of which cost him over 6-seconds.  While setting the fastest lap the American wouldn’t recover the loss and finished P3 almost 5-seconds back on Noble.  Australian Jared Ment at the wheel of a Team Associated would set the fourth fastest time followed by the Sworkz of Adrian Wicaksono.  Having dominated the Team Cayote/VP-Pro backed ABC season opener in New Zealand, Noble would do the double in the nitro classes this morning also TQ’ing Truggy ahead of Jayden Edmunds while a clean run in eBuggy saw Nguyen top the times ahead of Iivonen and Edmunds.

Continue reading here


Mibosport
TargetRC
VP Racing
T-Works