Red RC » International

August 12, 2023

Gruber Top Qualifier at Dutch ENS

Toni Gruber is the Top Qualifier at the second round of the ENS in the Netherlands. After a dominant performance on Friday when the Capricorn/Ielasi Tuned driver topped all three qualifiers, unfortunately Saturday morning rain forced the cancellation of the remaining two qualifiers at the Apeldoorn track. Top Qualifier at the season opening in Ettlingen, Germany, and at the recent European Championships in Portugal, Gruber will start Sunday’s scheduled 45-minute final on pole from Infinity’s Jilles Groskamp. The Dutch driver was the closest challenger to his German rival setting the second fastest time in each of the three rounds of heats. Capricorn’s Dominic Greiner, winner of the season opener in May, completes the Top 3 ahead of Shepherd’s Lars Hoppe counting a P3 and P4 run as his best two rounds. In 1:10, Infinity driver Milan Holthuis secured the TQ ahead of Round 1 Top Qualifier & winner Melvin Diekmann with Tim Benson set to line up 3rd on the grid.

Image: Toni Gruber [Facebook]

August 5, 2023

3 in a row as Coelho takes 2023 European Championship

Bruno Coelho is the 2023 1:10 Electric Touring Car European Champion, the Xray driver making it three in a row with his latest victory in Germany today. Securing the overall TQ in the finale round of qualifying after a battle with Mugen’s Ronald Volker and Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski, the Portuguese ace opened final’s day at Türkheim with a 0.25 second win from a closing Volker, the race finishing order remaining unchanged from how all 10-drivers line-up on the grid. A dramatic start to A2 would see Volker spin out in front of the field and get collected, leaving Orlowski to mount the challenge on Coelho and while the Polish driver would set the fastest lap the gap at the end was 1-second. The win secured the title for Coelho with A3 the battle for runner-up spot. Volker would get the win ahead of Orlowski who would complete the overall podium followed by Awesomatix’s Marc Rheinard and Mugen’s Eric Dankel. In Pro Stock it was also a win for the Top Qualifier with Awesomatix’s Simon Lauter securing the title in A3 after runner-up Jan Ratheisky won A2. Outgoing champion Olivier Bultynck completed the podium.

Image: Bruno Coelho [Facebook]

August 5, 2023

Finishline RC Raceway set to host ’24 ISTC World C/ship

With IFMAR having unveiled the provisional 2024 World Championship calendar this week but with no venue or date for Electric Touring Car, it has now been announced by Finishline RC Raceway in California that they have been approved by sanctioning bloc ROAR to host the championship for the category. Located in Bakersfield, the track stated they ‘have a long way to go to make it official with IFMAR’ but all going to plan they are suggesting a Fall date for the running of what will be the 12th ISTC World Championships. The third time the championship will visit the USA, the last visit was 2014 when Naoto Matsukura took the win in Kissimee and a certain Bruno Coelho announced himself to the world with the runner-up spot. A decade earlier, when the US held the race for the first time in 2004, Marc Rheinard came away with a debut World title.

Source: Finishline RC Raceway [Facebook]

August 4, 2023

Coelho to defend European title as Top Qualifier

Xray’s Bruno Coelho is the Top Qualifier for this year’s 1:10 Electric Touring Car Championship in Germany, the reigning World Champion chasing a hat trick of consecutive European Championship titles that would equal the achievement of Ronald Volker who held the title previously from 2016 to 2018. Having topped the opening two rounds of qualifying, Coelho would have to wait until the fifth and final round to secure pole for tomorrow’s finals at the Türkheim track with a third TQ run. Behind the Portuguese driver, 7-time Champion Volker will start P2 having taken his Mugen to the top of the times in Q4. Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski, who just recently claimed the 1:10 4WD Offroad European title, will start 3rd in his quest for a first European Touring Car title after posting a TQ run in Round 3. In Stock, Simon Lauter is the Top Qualifier after he steered his Awesomatix to the fastest time in four of the five qualifiers. Xray’s Jan Rathiesky starts P2 followed by 2018 Champion Max Machler’s Awesomatix with reigning champion Olivier Bultynck try to go for three in a row from fifth on the grid. In FWD the TQ went to Daniel Poehlmann while in Formula Andreas Stiebler’s Schumacher is on pole position.

Image: Bruno Coelho [Facebook]

August 3, 2023

1:8 Offroad World C/ship 2024 – Brazil Presentation

Following IFMAR’s publication of a provisional 2024 calendar for next year’s four World Championship events, the proposal received from the listed 1:8 Offroad Worlds host country Brazil has been made public. The Brazil Federation FEBARC together with CASA Raceway in São Paulo has in its presentation put forward September 8-14th, 2024, as the dates for the 19th running of the Championships with it set to be the third South American country in which the title has been decided. In 2002 Uruguay hosted the race where Greg Degani won and more recently Argentina was the location for Robert Batlle’s 2012 title victory. With a facility that can normally cater for approximate 50 racers, the host club will expand the pit area to accommodate 230 racers & mechanics for the Worlds. In terms of location, the track is just 23km from São Paulo’s main international airport – Guarulhos International Airport (GRU). Having made history in Spain last year when he became the first driver to successfully defend the World Championship title, a win in Brazil would give Davide Ongaro a hat trick of title in three different continents, the Team Associated driver having won his first title in Australia in 2018.

Check out the full presentation on the EFRA website by clicking here.

August 2, 2023

2024 IFMAR World Championship Provisional Calendar

With just a month until the first of the four World Championships of 2023 get underway with the 1:10 Offroad Worlds at Hobby Action in the USA, IFMAR has released a provisional calendar for the four classes that will have the bi-annual title decided in 2024. The World’s best 1:8 Offroad racers are set to travel to Sao Paulo in Brazil in September. This will be the first time the category has been to Brazil, it’s last trip to South America being Argentina in 2012 where Robert Battle won. In November the Large Scale Touring Car title will be decided in Sydney, Australia, at the same track where this year’s 1:8 GT World Champion will be crowned October. For 1:10 Nitro, Costa Rico is where the 10th Champion of the category will be decided. Also on the calendar next year is 1:10 electric Touring Car (ISTC) which will be hosted by the ROAR Bloc meaning a trip to the United States or Canada with the date also still to be confirmed.

View provisional calendar here

July 31, 2023

Neumann to defend 1:8 GT World title in Australia

Joern Neumann is to defend his IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship title in Sydney, Australia in October. The factory Sworkz driver claimed the inaugural World title for the category in 2020 in Florida just before the World would shut down due to Covid. Better known for his exploits in Offroad racing, the German confirmed his participation over the weekend giving a major boost to the New South Wales Radio Controlled Racing Car Club as they ramp up their preparations for the first of two World Championships that will be hosted at the John Grant international Raceway. Next year the track will host the IFMAR Large Scale World Championship. Top Qualifier in the USA, Italy’s Alessio Mazzeo is another high profile EFRA Bloc entry along with Neumann’s closet challenger 3-years ago Martin Bayer. Newly crowned 1:10 Nitro Onroad European Champion and Top Qualifier at the 1:8 Onroad European Championships over the weekend, Toni Gruber can be counted in being in the mix too. Heading the local challenge will be the Serpent of 1:10 & 1:8 Onroad Worlds Finalist Jeff Hamon who was the winner of the official Worlds Warm-Up race back in April. With the second running of the 1:8 GT World Championships taking place from the 8-15th of October, international drivers intending on making the trip down under are being requested to make contact with the host club regarding fuel and tyre requirements for the race. Red RC will be travelling to Sydney to tell the story of how the race unfolds.

Source: NSWRCRCC [Facebook]

July 29, 2023

Balestri wins his 3rd 1:8 Onroad European title

Infinity’s Dario Balestri has retaken the 1:8 Onroad European Championship title today in Portugal with a dominant and control victory in Portugal today. Having lost the title to Dominic Greiner last year in Spain, starting from second on the grid the Italian would take control of the 45-minute final after getting by the Capricorn of Top Qualifier Toni Gruber in the opening lap. Once in front and opting for a single tyre change while his rivals stopped twice, the 2014 & 2019 was able to control the race from the front with the former World Champion eventually winning by lap from Mugen’s Simon Kurzbuch. Looking to emulate Greiner’s 2022 double of winning both the 1:10 & 1:8 Onroad Nitro titles, new crowned 1:10 European Champion Gruber would have issues while chasing Balestri from P2 to eventually take the final step on the podium. Running second in the race for some time, unfortunately as the race reached the final 10-minutes Greiner would retire from the final. Robert Pietsch was another notable retirement, the 2013 Champion at the same Vila Real track seeing his race last only 12-minutes this time round.

Image: Julie Thurston