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May 22, 2023

Electric to run as ‘World Cup’ at IFMAR 1:8 GT Worlds

The organisers of the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship in Sydney, Australia, have announced they will have a 1:8 Electric GT class as a supporting ‘World Cup’ race during the event from October 8-14th. Having also run as a ‘World Cup’ race at the inaugural 1:8 GT Worlds in Homestead in 2020, the electric class will continue as a support race given the low numbers achieved last time. While expect slightly higher numbers at John Grant International Raceway than the 18 that was achieved three years ago in the US, IFMAR says this is not enough to warrant a true IFMAR World title. While the official Warm-up Race run by the hosts New South Wales Radio Control Racing Car Club was effected by rain, several drivers have tested on the Monday after that event to check tyre wear for the 1 hour main final and it was confirmed that the Q3 tire from PMT, which is the controlled tyre for this event, can make the 60 minutes without any problems. More news on the Sydney event will be available in the 2nd Stage report which should be available end of June.

Source: IFMAR [imfar.org]

May 17, 2023

1:8 Buggy Euros Warm-up Race – Announcement

Famed Spanish offroad track RC Redovan has announced that it will run the Warm-up Race for this year’s EFRA 1:8 Nitro Buggy European Championship over the weekend of June 16-18. Having hosted last year’s IFMAR World Championships, the Baldo brothers owned track previously host the European Championship in 2016 and has become one of the world’s most iconic tracks thanks to its elevation change from the left to the right side of the massive track. The timetable for the Warm-up Race will see Friday practice, Saturday qualifying and Sunday Finals. One very important detail to note for racers is that under Spanish law, if you do not have a special license of precursors, in order to use 25% nitro fuel you will be required to buy the fuel within the grounds of the circuit. The organisers will have fuel available from the main brands including Runner Time, Merlin, Energy and Nitrolux. As at the World Championship, the fuel must remain deposited at the circuit from Friday to Sunday for all drivers including Spaniards. Registration for the Warm-up Race is open now – click here

Source: RC Redovan [Facebook]

May 15, 2023

2023 1:12 World Championship Stage 1 Report

The organisers of the 2023 IFMAR 1:12 World Championships have just published the Stage 1 Report for the 21st running of the title which will be decided at Beachline Raceway in Cocoa, Florida, from December 4th to 9th. The largest indoor racing facility in the state, this will be the seventh time these World Championships are hosted in the US and mark only the second running of the title since it separated from being part of the same World Championship week as 1:10 Electric Touring Car after South Africa in 2018. The most significant information from the Stage 1 Report is the tyre information with Jaco tires the official controlled foam for the event with their Magenta front and Pink rear. These tyres will be available to competitors for practice from late June. Beachline Raceway, which recently hosted the ROAR Electric Carpet Off-Road Nationals, will run a Warm Up Race on November 24-26. With the last 1:12 Worlds held in 2020 in the UK just before Covid hit the World, with Marc Rheinard taking the title for a second time, the return of the championships is set to be extra interesting following the news that reigning back to back Touring Car World Champion Bruno Coelho will make his first attempt at the title. Red RC will travelling to Florida in December to cover the unfolding of the fourth and final World Championship of the 2023 season.

View Stage 1 Report here

May 14, 2023

Orlowski takes TQ & 4WD Win at Euros Warm-up

Michal Orlowski took the TQ and 4WD win at the 1:10 Electric Offroad Euros Warm-up Race today at RACO2000. Having finished 2nd in Saturday’s 2WD action behind winner Bruno Coelho, today Orlowski ruled the astro turf track leading a Schumacher 1-2 at the Dutch event from team-mate Wesley van Helmond. In qualifying the 2015 Champion would top the times in 3 of the four qualifier with van Helmon the only other driver to TQ a round when he went fastest in Q4 ahead of Coelho’s Xray and Tommy Hall’s Team Associated. In the triple finals, the Polish ace opened proceedings with a win over Xray’s Martin Bayer before sealing the deal in A2 with victory over van Helmon. With both Bayer and Coelho finding a way passed van Helmond, the A3 win gave Bayer the runners up spot ahead of the Dutch driver with Coelho getting 4th. The 2023 EFRA European Championships will take place from July 17-22.

Image: Michal Orlowski [Facebook]

May 13, 2023

Coelho wins 2WD at Euros Warm-up

Bruno Coelho took the win in 2WD at the 1:10 Electric Offroad Euros Warm-up Race today in the Netherlands. With the RACO2000 astro surface track in Utrecht hosting the EFRA European Championships from July 17th to 22nd, the Warm-up Race attracted a strong entry of factory drivers including reigning champion Tommy Hall. In qualifying it was top Dutch racer Wesley van Helmond who became the Top Qualifier with two TQ runs from 4 rounds with team-mate Michal Orlowski making it a Schumacher 1-2 as he topped the final qualifier. Coelho’s Xray was fastest in Q3 putting him third on the grid in front of Hall’s Team Associated. In the triple finals Coelho would improve his buggy with the new pace allowing him to win A1 & 2 for the overall victory. With Orlowski winning A3, the podium was a reverse of the qualifying order with Van Helmond completing the Top 3 as Hall finished 4th and Xray’s Max Götzl fifth. Tomorrow drivers will battle it out for the 4WD win.

Image: Bruno Coelho [Facebook]

May 8, 2023

Barufollo takes the big win at Silver State Indoor Champs

Marco Barufollo took the big win at the Silver State Indoor Championships, the Tekno driver winning the Nitro Buggy final from young talent Phi Long Nguyen and Mason Fuller. Qualifying for the Las Vegas event, that this year attracted a record 1100 entries, saw TLR’s Dakotah Phend leave his mark on proceedings as he TQ’d all three categories he was contesting including the big one, Nitro Buggy. On Saturday, he would take the win in eBuggy over Spencer Rivkin but suffered some issues in Nitro Truggy before recovering to finish 4th, the win going to Ryan Maifield over Ryan Lutz. Sunday’s Nitro Buggy encounter started with Phend out front as second place started Cole Ogden hit issues early on and dropped down the order. Just after the 9-minute mark Phend would suffer a flame out coming in for fuel that would drop him on a lead he would never regain. Up front it was a battle between Barufollo and Long Nguyen, the Louisiana driver showing no fear against the Italian driver and putting a pass on him for the lead at the halfway mark. Barufollo would get back to the front and eke out a lead over the HB Racing driver, the winning margin for the Hotrace Tyres team driver 9-seconds at the end of the 45-minutes. With the Top 6 all finishing on the lead lap, it was Fuller who would complete the podium ahead of Lutz, Phend and Rivkin.

Image: Marco Barufollo [Facebook]

May 6, 2023

TQ hat trick as Phend tops Nitro Buggy at Silver State

Dakotah Phend has completed a TQ hat trick at the Silver State Indoor Championships claiming the overall TQ in the big one, Nitro Buggy, on Day 2 of qualifying. The opening day of qualifying at the Las Vegas event saw the TLR driver crowned Top Qualifier in both eBuggy and Nitro Truggy before the switch to Nitro Buggy and eTruggy for the second day of quali action. The opening round would see HB Racing’s Cole Ogden top the times from Phend and the Tekno of Ryan Maifield. In Q2 it was Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin who set the pace ahead of Sworkz’ Camden Lime with Phend down in P6. The third & final qualifier however saw the Michigan driver hit the top with the fastest time ahead of the Tekno of Italy’s Marco Baruffolo. Overall this left Phend with pole for the A-Main ahead of Ogden, Rivkin, Baruffolo and Lime. With Phend not contesting eTruggy, the TQ would go to HB Racing’s Mason Fuller ahead of Rivkin and Phi Long Nguyen.

Image : Jconcepts [Facebook]

May 5, 2023

Phend kicks off Silver State with TQ double

Team Losi Racing’s Dakotah Phend led the way on the first day proper of the Silver State Indoor Championships taking a double TQ in Las Vegas. This year’s Joey Christensen run event has attracted a record 1100 plus entries with Day 2’s action made up of qualifying for eBuggy and Nitro Truggy. Running 3 rounds of qualifying with the best two to count, it was Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin who took the opening eBuggy round from Phend. The second time of asking it would be Phend at the top from the Xray of Ty Tessmann. Making it three different chassis manufacturers to post a TQ round but all running on JConcepts tyres, Mason Fuller set the pace in Q3 for HB Racing. Overall this secured Phend the TQ from Rivkin, Fuller and Tessmann. In Nitro Truggy, Phend sealed the No.1 spot for the A-Main with TQ runs in the opening two rounds ahead of Tekno’s Ryan Maifield. Having opened with two disappointing rounds, Sworkz Camden Lime hit the top in Q3 ahead Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz, but overall it Maifield who secured second spot on the grid ahead of the Kyosho of Portugal’s Joao Figeuiredo, Lutz and Rivkin. Next up for the more than 400 drivers is a long day of Nitro Buggy and eTruggy qualifying.

Image : Jconcepts [Facebook]