Red RC » International

May 1, 2025

Ongaro tops seeding at Philippine Masters

Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro goes into qualifying at the Philippine Masters tomorrow as the Top Seed, the Italian being one of three different drivers to top each of the seeding rounds today at Round 2 of the Cayote backed Asian Buggy Championships. With Infinity’s Kouki Kato laying down the opening pace, Mugen Seiki’s Burak Kilic topped the second round but fell short of bettering Kato’s fastest 2-consecutive laps. With Ongaro somewhat off the pace in SP2, he would bounce back for the final round being the only one of the Top 6 to improve finding 8/10ths of a second on his previous best to better the Japanese driver’s time by a 1/10th. Overall Kato, winner of the 2024 Asian Buggy Championship season final in Indonesia, will be the No.2 seed ahead of Kilic. Team Associated’s Alex Bernadzik ended the day P4, the 2023 ABC Australia race winner’s best run coming in SP2, followed by Infinity’s Naoto Matsukura and Sworkz’ Mattia Polito.

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May 1, 2025

Kilic fastest in SP2, Kato maintains top seed status

He said after SP1 he felt his car would be faster for the second seeding round at the Philippine Masters and that turned out to be the case as Burak Kilic took his Nova Engines powered Mugen Seiki to the fastest 2-consecutive laps. Going one better than he did in the morning’s opening round, Kilic’s time however would not better than that set by Kouki Kato, that time still more than 2/10ths of a second faster around the technical track where currently 36.8-seconds are the benchmark lap times. Behind Kilic, Team Associated’s Alex Bernadzik set the second fastest time with an improvement of 5/10ths on his SP1 effort. Almost half a second off his morning time, something he put down down his tyre prep, Kato would complete the Top 3 ahead of his Infinity team-mate Naoto Matsukura who was much happier with his latest effort. Fifth fastest in SP1, Sworkz’ Mattia Polito again rounded out the Top 5 of the high qualify field ahead of the race’s defending champion Davide Ongaro.

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May 1, 2025

Kato sets early pace at Philippine Masters

Infinity’s Kouki Kato has set the pace in the opening round of seeding practice at the Philippine Masters, the Japanese driver fastest by a decent margin over 2-consecutive laps of this year’s more technical Manila track layout. The second round of the Cayote backed Asian Buggy Championships, Kato was the winner of last season’s championship finale in Indonesia but this weekend marks his first trip to the legendary Philippines race and it was another of the race’s first timers, Mugen Seiki’s Burak Kilic, who was his closest rival 7/10ths of a second back with the rest of the Top 5 covered by just 2/10ths. The first of the three seeding rounds that make up Thursday schedule would see Team Associated’s reigning World Champion Davide Ongaro complete the Top 3 ahead of team-mate Alex Bernadzik with Italy’s Mattia Polito fifth as the leading Sworkz driver.

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April 30, 2025

IFMAR drops Superpole from IC World C/ship format

IFMAR, the World governing body of RC racing, has announced that for all IC track classes the decision has been taken to retire Superpole from the race format and return to 4 direct qualifiers. The format, in which the participating 4 drivers can book a direct spot in the final alongside the Top Qualifier, had both its fans and its detractors and had its controversies too such as at the 2019 200mm Worlds in Miami. They have also announced for IC Onroad Worlds the introduction of a ‘Last Chance’ final for an 11th spot on the main final grid which is already a feature of the 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship race format. In its latest website update, IFMAR have also published updated rules for the upcoming inaugural 1:8 Electric Buggy World Championships set to take place in Portugal from August 26-30 and the 1:8 GT World Championships in Chile which will happen from September 14-20th. Drivers can familiarise themselves with the rules for 1:8 eBuggy here and 1:8 GT here.

Source: IFMAR [ifmar.org]

April 22, 2025

ABC winners Lutz & Kato bolster Philippine Masters entry

Two of the winners from last year’s Asian Buggy Championships are both set to return at the Philippine Masters later this month with Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz and Infinity’s Kouki Kato bolstering the Manila events already impressive international entry. The biggest edition Philippine Masters yet is the second round of the four round Cayote backed Asian Buggy Championships with last year’s New Zealand round winner Lutz returning to the Circulo Verde Race Track while ABC Indonesia winner Kato will get to experience the famed track for the first time. The 13th running of Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race meeting, Lutz said, ‘I am so excited to be returning to the Philippine Masters for a second time. Now knowing what to expect, I can arrive with a set-up that should be very close and with the correct tire compound and tread pattern that I will need to succeed. I can’t wait to compete again with some of the World’s best on one of the most beautiful R/C tracks in the World.’ Ahead of the Japanese driver’s Philippine Masters debut Kato said, ‘I’m excited to race on that amazing track for the first time! I look forward to seeing you all there.’

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]

April 21, 2025

Haberg confirmed for eSIC debut

Two time World Champion Alexander Hagberg is the latest driver to be confirmed for the Electric Singapore International Challenge (eSIC), the factory Xray driver set to make his debut at the third edition of race on July 12-13. A race that continues to establish itself as a key race on the international touring car calendar, 2025 will mark the first factory representation at the event which is the headed up by Singapore’s touring car racer Nicholas Lee together with Chhua Jookiah. Racing at the Marine Parade Radio Control Modellers Club track, the event has attracted official team entries from Mugen Seiki, Infinity, Awesomatix, Yokomo, ARC and Xpress and in 2025 adds both Axon, with Hayato Ishioka, and Xray whose challenge will be led by Hagberg. On the confirmation of his trip to Singapore, the Swede said, ‘Looking forward to racing in Singapore again after a few years! The eSIC has established itself as one of the most competitive Asian TC events. Can’t wait to be a part of it – and to meet both old & new friends as well as Xray customers and team drivers! See you in Singapore in July!’

Source: eSIC [Facebook]

April 18, 2025

Kilic to lead Mugen Seiki challenge at Philippine Masters

Mugen Seiki’s Burak Kilic is to head the Japanese manufacturer’s challenge at the up coming Philippine Masters as the 2-time World Championship Finalist makes his debut at Asia’s biggest & most famous annual 1:8 Offroad event. Round 2 of the Cayote backed Asian Buggy Championships, the older of the well known Kilic racing brothers joins the already stacked line-up for the 13th edition of the race that includes no less than four IFMAR World Champions. Ahead of making the trip from Germany to the Circulo Verde Race Track in Manila for the April 30 -May 4th event, Kilic said, “I’m really looking forward to the Philippine Masters this year. It will be my first time in Manila. I can’t wait to hit the track and battle the win out! Thanks to all my sponsors for making it possible. See you there!”

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]

April 17, 2025

Cavalieri set for Philippine Masters debut

Four-time IFMAR Offroad World Champion Ryan Cavalieri is set to make his first appearance at the famed Philippine Masters which takes place from April 30 -May 4th. The American is the fourth World Champion confirmed for the 13th running of the Manila based event joining David Ongaro, Atsushi Hara and Naoto Matsukura for what is the biggest edition of Asia’s most prominent annual offroad race. Joining Invisible Speed, the car set-up platform created in 2020 by Joseph Quagraine, for 2025 as the brand’s first Pro driver and running Mayako buggies on the announcement he is going to the Philippines for the very first time, the race the second round of the Cayote backed Asian Buggy Championships, Cavalieri said, “Really looking forward to my first trip to race the Philippines Masters. I have always followed the event and have tried several times to come but my race calendar was always busy around the same time with other events. I’m happy to finally make the trip this year.”

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]