Red RC » International

November 26, 2023

Kittipong is new FEMCA Touring Car Champion

After an absence from the calendar due to Covid, the FEMCA 1:10 Electric Touring Car Championship returned over the weekend with Awesomatix driver Jack R. Kittipong the new 2023 Modified Touring Car Champion. Hosted at the Huge RC track in Bangkok, Thailand, which is run by former ISTC World Champion Surikarn Chaidajsuriya and was the venue for the 2014 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship, the FEMCA Championships are Asia’s biggest championship prize. In qualifying four different drivers would post TQ runs over the 5 rounds with Kittipong’s rounds 1 & 5 topping runs and a P2 from Q4 giving him the overall TQ ahead of Yokomo’s Nicolas Lee, Infinity’s Andy Moore and Chinese driver Tiwen Zhuo who topped Q4. In the triple A-Mains, the first encounter saw Kittipong see off the pressure of Lee to win by just over 2/10ths of a second with Xpress team driver Nagashima getting passed Moore for third. A2 saw an even closer gap between Kittipong and Lee, but the win gave Kittipong the overall FEMCA title. Winning A3, Singapore’s Lee would finish runner-up with the podium being completed by Japan’s Nagashima.

Image: Jack R. Kittipong [Facebook]

November 25, 2023

Hebert Top Qualifier at U.S. Indoor Champs

Xray’s Keven Hebert is the Mod Touring Car Top Qualifier at the U.S. Indoor Champs Presented by Hobbywing. The 43rd running of the indoor carpet event in in Cleveland, Ohio, Hebert repeats last year’s qualifying result when he also took the TQ at the legendary race. Topping 2 of the four rounds of qualifying, the Canadian claimed pole position for the A-Main ahead of Awesomatix’s Marc Rheinard with his FTD time from Q3. While Rheinard topped the final qualifier, his team-mate & defending Touring Car and 1:12 champion Sam Isaacs set the pace in the opening qualifier. P3 in Q2, this would be the American’s his best time putting him P3 on the grid ahead of the Xray of Alexander Hagberg.

Image: U.S. Indoor Champs [Facebook]

November 25, 2023

Orlowski opens EOS title defence with 2WD win

Schumacher Racing’s Michal Orlowski has opened the defence of his EOS titles with 2WD victory at the season opener in Germany today. Fresh from being crowned champion of the JConcepts Florida Carpet Championships last weekend in the US, the Polish ace led a one-two for the British manufacturer in Hann with Daniel Kobbevik securing second on the podium that was completed by Xray’s Bruno Coelho. Qualifying for the opening round of the reduced 2 round 2023/24 EOS season saw new Xray signing David Ronnefalk take the opening qualifier. Q2 and Q3 however went to Orlowski giving him the overall TQ. Taking the fourth & final round Kobbevik would start P2 ahead of fellow Scandinavian Ronnefalk with Coelho 4th and Schumacher’s Lee Martin lining up 5th. In the finals, Orlowski won the opening A-Main from Ronnefalk and sealed the overall win with victory in A2 ahead of Coelho. In A3 it was Kobbevik who took the win having being passed early on by Coelho for an overall 1-2 for the new Cougar LD3 ahead of Coelho’s new XB2 ’24.

Image: EOS [eos.racing]

November 24, 2023

Yokomo’s Ginting latest confirmation for FIRC

Team Yokomo’s Indonesian National Touring Car Champion Bowie Ginting is the latest factory driver to be confirmed for the Foshan International Invitational RC Championship in China on December 15-17. Joining the Japanese manufacturer at the beginning of the 2023 season, the 29-year-old joins team-mate & Australian Champion Simon Nicholson for the inaugural event at the new 800 square metres GDC Indoor track located in the in central Guangdong Province. The TITC Open Class A-Finalist and recent winner of the Indonesia Year End Race is the 5th nationality of driver to be confirmed for FIRC which the organisers hope will become an annual event on the International Touring Car race calendar. Other high profile entries confirmed for the Foshan International Invitational RC Championship include former World Champion Ronald Volker from Mugen Seiki and Xpress team driver & 1:12 World Finalist Yugo Nagashima.

Source: Foshan International Invitational RC Championship [Facebook]

November 23, 2023

2024 EFRA 1:12 European C/ship – Announcement

With just two weeks until the best 1:12 scale drivers from around the World battle it out to become World Champion in the Florida, the host track of next year’s annual European Championship has published details for the 41st running of the EFRA title. First held in 1981 in the Switzerland, the 2024 championship will kick start the EFRA European Championship calendar running from April 12-14 at the Paradise RC Arena in Sicily, Italy. With Xray’s Alexander Hagberg the reigning Champion, the Swede will chase a record 9th European title which would make him the championship’s most successful driver after he equalled David Spashett’s 8th title wins this year in the United Kingdom. To view the event brochure click here.

Source: Paradise RC Arena [Facebook]

November 21, 2023

Chinese National Champion Ma confirmed for FIRC

Having announced a number of top international drivers for the inaugural Foshan International Invitational RC Championship in China on December 15-17, the organisers have confirmed that leading national onroad talent Marco Ma will also contest the event. The 19-year-old, who joined Xray in 2021, was the 2019 Chinese National Champion in both electric and nitro touring car and just recently added the National 1:8 GT title to his CV. Having announced Hobbywing as a main sponsor of the event which will take place at new 800 square metre GDC Indoor Race Club track in Guangdong, the organisers expect over 100 entries for inaugural running of FIRC. Already having confirmed 2016 World Champion & Mugen Seiki team driver Ronald Volker, Japanese Xpress factory driver Yugo Nagashima, and Team Yokomo’s newly crowned Australian Champion Simon Nicholson, this international invitational championship is not only an international competitive event but also an opportunity to promote the development of RC competition in China. With the sponsorship and support from brands such as Hobbywing, the organisers are confident RC racing will be promoted positively among more people, adding new excitement to the development of sport in China.

Source: Foshan International Invitational RC Championship [Facebook]

November 20, 2023

Gruber agrees 2-year deal with Capricorn

In a significant driver announcement, Toni Gruber and Capricorn have agreed a new contract that will see the German ace continue with the Italian chassis manufacturer for the 2024 and 2025 nitro onroad seasons. After 4-years with Shepherd, Gruber joined forces with Patrizio Rossi’s team for the 2023 season with the 27-year-old going on to have an outstanding season. In 1:10 Nitro Touring he secured the European Championship title which he then followed up with the TQ and a podium finish at the 1:8 Onroad European Championships. Adding his first ENS Championship title in 1:8 and then becoming the 1:8 GT World Champion in Australia with Hong Nor, he was to be title contender at the 1:8 Onroad World Championships. Having made his first World Final appearance at the previous World Championships in the United States in 2019, in Japan he was in the mix from the start and after one of the most intense and heavily stacked Main Finals in the category’s history he finished Runner-up just 7.5-seconds off Dario Balestri after 1-hour of racing. After such a season the continuity with Capricorn and also engine sponsor Ielasi Tuned should see Gruber become even stronger in 2024.

Source: Toni Gruber [Facebook]

November 20, 2023

Montpellier Grand Prix 2024 – Announcement

One of Europe’s most iconic 1:8 Offroad races and one which since it was first held in 2006 has established itself as the race to open the annual nitro buggy racing season in Europe, Montpellier Grand Prix has announced details of the 2024 event. The 18th running of the French Classic will see the race run over 4-days and the dropping of the Warm-up race. Set to take place from February 8-11th, the changes come as host club Mini Bolide Montpellierain try to ensure all competing drivers enjoy the same amount of track time with the addition of Thursday dedicated to timed practice rounds. Having introduced eBuggy last year the even will again crown an electric champion in 2024. In Nitro, World Champion Davide Ongaro will go for three in a row. Registration opens December 2nd.

Source: Circuit du MBM [Facebook]