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December 5, 2023

‘Preparations for Worlds has to be exceptional to win’ – Alexander Hagberg

IFMAR’s original electric World Championship takes place in Florida this week where the 21st Champion will decided among a small but ultra competitive field. One of those drivers who will be vying for success is Alexander Hagberg who, as one of the great specialists of the category, is also one who holds a membership to one of RC racing’s most elite clubs. In 2014 he claimed his first World title when he won 1:10 Nitro Touring Car in Thailand, and then in 2018 he took the sport’s biggest prize in 1:12 in South Africa. As the reigning European 1:12 Champion, equalling David Spashett’s record of 8 titles when he won in April of this year, it is fair to say he isn’t going into these Worlds on the back of a run of impressive form since.

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December 5, 2023

FIRC announces FEMCA VP Kee as Race Director

The organisers of the Foshan International Invitational RC Championship, which takes place on December 15-17 at the new GDC Indoor track in China’s central Guangdong Province, has announced FEMCA Vice President Leonard Kee as Race Director and race commentator of the inaugural running of the event. The race which aims to promote high level racing to local racers, has attracted a number of high profile international entries including former World Champion Ronald Volker from Mugen Seiki, Xpress team driver & 1:12 World Finalist Yugo Nagashima, and Team Yokomo’s Australian National Champion Simon Nicholson. FEMCA, the governing body of radio-controlled car racing in Asia and Australasia that represents 15 nations, is looking to boost racing in the region following Covid, with Kee’s attendance a big boost for both FEMCA and the event which hopes to become an annual international electric touring car fixture. On the announcement Kee, who was the Race Announcer for the 1:8 GT World Championship in Australia said, “Hi All, I’m Leonard you can call me Leo. I’m the Vice President of FEMCA. Am absolutely thrilled to be heading to one of the premier carpet tracks in Asia for their inaugural race, The 2023 Foshan International Invitational RC Championship as their Race Director as well as race commentator. One of my tasks for this race is to evaluate the feasibility of the Foshan venue for upcoming regional and world events. It’s going to be a blast. I look forward to seeing my friends from the RC world there.”

Source: Foshan International Invitational RC Championship [Facebook]

November 30, 2023

1:12 Worlds coverage presented by Radbody

For the fourth & final IFMAR World Championship of 2023, Red RC is excited to announced that our coverage of the 1:12 World Championship at Beachline Raceway in Cocoa, Florida, next week will be presented by Radbody. The new 1:24 and 1:12 body shell producer is making it possible for us to attend our first 1:12 Worlds since China 2016 when Marc Rheinard won the first of his 2 World titles in the category. Winning his second title in the UK in 2020, Rheinard will try to defend that title at what will be the 21st running of the championship. Attracting a total of 80 entries, 22 drivers will battle it our for the Modified honours with Rheinard’s title set to be challenged by both 2020 podium finishers Michal Orlowski and Yoshiyasu Yanagisawa, 2018 World Champion & reigning European Champion Alexander Hagberg, top North American drivers Sam Isaacs, Keven Hebert and ROAR Champion Kemp Anderson, Britain’s Ollie Payne and Japan’s Hayato Ishioka just to name a few. With inaugural 1:12 Spec World Champion Andy Murray absent from the entry list there will be a new Champion crowned for the category in Florida. Our coverage from the United States will begin on Wednesday, December 6th, with news from practice and continuing with the unfolding of the championship over the following 3 days.

November 27, 2023

1:12 Worlds Broadcast team announcement

With just over a week to go until the start of the IFMAR 1:12 World Championship in the United States, Elite Productions has announced the team that it will use to bring its livestream broadcast of the 21st running of the title that will be decided at Beachline Raceway in Cocoa, Florida. Elite Productions became a reality through the efforts of Lance MacDonald who skilfully assembled individuals from diverse areas of RC Racing, uniting their talents to produce top-tier events. Heading the Worlds broadcast will be Keenan White who is better known as Lefty the Great and the person behind ‘The No Name RC Podcast’. With over 30 years in the sport, commenting on the announcement Lefty said, ‘It is an honor for me to be apart of the upcoming IFMAR 1/12 World Championship coming up in December. It has been a pleasure to be a part of the Elite RC Production crew as we strive to bring RC Raving enthusiasts the best possible coverage we can. I am excited to see some of the best racers in the onroad genre of RC battle each other in the carpet coliseum that is Beachline RC Raceway! Good luck to all the competitors and let’s get ready for some epic racing! Red RC is also excited to be making the trip to Florida next week to cover our fourth & final World Championship event of 2023.

Meet the rest of the team here

November 26, 2023

Hebert wins U.S. Indoor Champs

Canada’s Keven Hebert is the Modified Touring Car Champion of the 43rd running of the U.S. Indoor Champs Presented by Hobbywing. The Xray took the win at the Cleveland, Ohio, classic having earlier secured the TQ for the single A-Main. From the front he would set the fastest lap of the race to lead home the Awesomatix of former multiple World Champion Marc Rheinard, the separation 0.816 at the end of the 5-minutes. Starting from P3 on the grid Rheinard’s team-mate & 2022 Champion Sam Isaacs completed the podium ahead of the Xray of Alexander Hagberg. Double champion of last year’s event, Isaacs would retain his 1:12 title securing the TQ and victory with wins in the opening two encounters of the triple A-Mains. Winning A3, Kemp Anderson took second overall with Rheinard making it an all Awesomatix podium. Hebert would be best of the rest for Xray in P4 ahead of team-mate Hagberg.

Image: RCAmerica [Facebook]

November 26, 2023

Coelho takes 4WD win at EOS

Bruno Coelho has taken the 4WD Buggy win at the EOS season opener in Hann Münden, Germany. The Xray driver led a 1-2 for the Slovakian manufacturer ahead of new team-mate David Ronnefalk with Saturday’s 2WD winner Michal Orlowski completing the podium for Schumacher. In qualifying it was Ronnefalk who topped the first of the four qualifiers. Having TQ’d 2WD, Orlowski went fastest in Q2 before Ronnefalk hit the top again Q3. With Coelho taking the final round it was overall TQ for Ronnefalk ahead of his team-mate with Orlowski lining up P3 ahead of the Team Associated of newly crowned World Champion Davide Ongaro. In the first of the finals it was Coelho who eventually took the win. The former World Champion went to the front after a roll over from Ronnefalk approaching the half way mark but was overtaken again by the Swede when he had a mistake of his own a few laps later. With Ronnefalk out front and looking like he had the win, another mistake in the dying moments was enough to allow Coelho through to take it. A2 would see Ronnefalk again lead out the field but again a mistake allowed his team-mate through to the front only this time the Portuguese ace kept things clean to the finish for the overall win. Winning A3, Ronnefalk would finish second with Ongaro completing the podium line-up.

Image: EOS [eos.racing]

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]