Red RC » International

October 28, 2023

‘Every race we start from zero’ – Gruber

Two weeks ago Toni Gruber took the biggest prize of his racing career yet. Realising the ultimate dream, he clinched his first World Championship title with a very convincing victory at the 1:8 GT World Championship in Sydney, Australia. The victory didn’t really come as too much of a surprise however as the German is in the form of his life this season. However, despite claiming the 1:10 Nitro Onroad European Championship for a second time during the Summer, following that up a month later by becoming Top Qualifier at the 1:8 Euros where he finished on the podium, and then rounding out the European season with his first ENS title win, the sport’s newest World Champion goes into the 1:8 Onroad World Championship in Japan with the mindset ‘every race we start from zero’.

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October 27, 2023

TITC 2024 – Announcement

Having established itself as one of the biggest international races on the Electric Touring Car calendar outside of the World Championship, the TITC has announced that entries for the Bangkok based event will open on November 20th. Taking place at Infinity RC Addict track on February 29th – March 3rd, the 20th edition of the race will feature 5 classes – Modified Touring Car, Open Brushless, Non Boost, Porsche Thailand Cup (TTo2) and FWD. Mod and Open TC will use Sweep tyres while Non Boost with use Ride. This year saw the return of the Thailand International Touring Car Championship after an absence of two years due to Covid. Making a return to the event, having missed the 2019 edition, back to back World Champion Bruno Coelho took the win to become the legendary race’s second most successful driver behind Atsushi Hara who has won it four times.

Source: TITC [titc.in.th]

October 26, 2023

‘I think Dario was racing European Championships before I was born’ – meet Serpent’s 1:8 Onroad young gun Andrea Catanzani

The last time the 1:8 Onroad World Championship was held in Japan it was Serpent who came away with the title thanks to Japanese driver Tadahiko Sahashi. At the same time almost 10,000km away in Italy an 8-year-old was embarking on his journey into RC Racing. Inspired by his father, one of the country’s top Rally Game drivers (the precursor to what we now know as 1:8 GT), this driver started to master his skills driven by view of his father, ‘for me he was the best and I wanted to be like him’. Now a decade later, that up & coming talent is part of a small select factory Serpent team that will compete for the title at the 23rd running of IFMAR’s original World Championship at the Infinity International RC Speedway in Japan. That driver is recently turned 18-year-old Andrea Catanzani, who earlier this month marked his arrival on the international stage with some stunning displays of outright speed and hunger for success at the 1:8 GT World Championship in Sydney.

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October 24, 2023

2023 Foshan International Invitational RC Championship – Announcement

The new GDC Indoor Race Club track in Guangdong, China, is pleased to announcement its first international race event with the hosting of the Foshan International Invitational RC Championship on December 15-17. Located in the centre of Foshan City, the brand new facility was officially opened in May of this year and at 800 square metres is the largest professional indoor onroad track in China. Founded by the international athlete Mr. Kwok Yiu-wai, GDC Remote Control Racing Club hope by hosting this major international electric onroad race that they can boost the level of competition among young local racers. It is also hoped the event will become an annual highlight of the international touring car race calendar. Commenting on the inaugural running of the event the organisers said, ‘The purpose is to let local drivers see the level of international races and drivers, and to allow our teenagers to have close contact with world champions and top drivers to improve their level. We hope to held this event annually from this year.’ With a number of international team drivers expected to be announced in the coming weeks, the schedule for the Foshan International Invitational RC Championship will be made up of 5 categories – Modified Touring Car, 13.5T Handout Touring Car, Modified 1:12, 17.5T Handout FWD Touring and 21.5T Handout 1:10 F1.

View track images here

October 24, 2023

Lin wins 2023 Futaba/O.S. Cup

Taiwan’s largest event of the year was held over the weekend at the Erchong Floodway track in New Taipei City, where Hong Nor’s owner Hsiang Lin took the win in 1:8 GT. The annual Futaba/O.S. Cup attracted almost 80 drivers from Taiwan and Singapore, and just back from Australia after watching his team driver Toni Gruber claim the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship with their X3-GTS, Lin took his own explain to both the TQ and win. Making it back to back wins of the event, Lin was joined on the all Hong Nor/Ielasi tuned podium by Su Jiahong and 3rd placed Liú Qiáozhì.

Image: Hong Nor [Facebook]

October 23, 2023

Kinwald Klassic double for Gonzales

1Up Racing/Team Associated driver Matthew Gonzales completed the double at the Kinwald Klassic at Hobby Action in Arizona over the weekend winning both 2WD and 4WD Buggy. The fourth annual running of the race that is held in honour of Offroad RC great Brian Kinwald and helps raise funds for the Crohn’s Foundation, qualifying at the recent World Championship host venue would see Gonzales reign. Securing the 2WD TQ in the final round of the three qualifiers ahead of Kyle Davis who also set his fastest time in Q3, in 4WD it was a similar story as he took the TQ ahead of Riley Wortman. In the finals, Gonzales continued his form winning A-Main encounters to win 2WD from Scott Spear while in 4WD 4WD Wortman and Davis completed the podium. After his sterling work with the track preparation and maintenance for the World Championships last month, Jake Thayer was back enjoying his racing taking the TQ and win in 17.5 2WD Buggy.

Image: 1up Racing [Facebook]

October 20, 2023

2024 Asian Buggy Championships calendar announced

Scotty Ernst has announced an expanded calendar for his Asian Buggy Championship with the 1:8 Offroad race series set to travel to New Zealand, the Philippines, Australia and Indonesia in 2024. Red RC travelled to the Philippine Masters earlier this year where we reportred on World Champion Davide Ongaro taking victory for the opening round of the inaugural Asian Buggy Championships. New Zealand kicks things off the second season when the Countries RC Car Club host Round 1 on February 8-11. An event that has become famed across the World for its outstanding hospitality and welcoming atmosphere, the Philippine Masters is the second stop on the calendar on April 18-21. Round 2 of the 2023 calendar, Australia also returns with Pine Hills Dirt Racing again the hosts in July. Extending the ABC’s reach, an overall point series be introduced for the new season, Indonesia will conclude the action with Westside Raceway hosting the final round in early September.

View 2024 Calendar here

October 19, 2023

Peru set to host 2025 1:8 GT World Championship

After a very successful second running of the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship in Sydney, Australia, last week, the third edition of the race is to travel to South America in 2025 with Peru set to be announced as hosts. Headed up by Michael Stone, New South Wales Radio Controlled Racing Car Club did a superb job of hosting the 2023 event helping to raise the profile of IFMAR’s newest World Championship considerably compared to the inaugural event held in Florida in early 2020. With the raised profile, Peru looks set to bolster the class further given the large following for the category in the region. The Miniautodromo Polo Bracale in Lima, Peru, is lined up as the host circuit and already has a strong track record having hosted the recent RCtarget backed COPA America race. Located in the Magdalena del Mar district, next to the beach and very close to the most popular districts of Lima, the track length is 280 meters, with a 50 meters straightaway and an average width of 5 meters with the surface a fine grade asphalt. Speaking to RCtarget/IGT8 boss Paolo Morganti during his participation at the Worlds in Sydney, the highly experienced international racer believes the track is a perfect setting for a Worlds and has the people required to put on a World class event. He also said costs associated with being at a race such as eating out are low. An official announcement on the host of the GT Worlds is expected from IFMAR shortly.

Image: APERCAR [Facebook]