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January 24, 2026

Wang takes opening 2 qualifiers to lead the way at Asia Nitro Party

After two rounds of qualifying at the inaugural Asia Nitro Party it is JJ Wang who leads the way, Mugen Seiki holding the top two spots as qualifying reaches the half way distance at the Hongyu GDC track in China. A much warmer day than drivers experienced yesterday in Foshan, run time was the big talking point of qualifying with Wang’s strategy to refuel in each of his 4-minute runs paying dividends. The Chinese American admitting himself that he may not be the fastest driver on track as he gets used to his brand new MRX7, his last competitive 1:8 Onroad outing being the 2019 IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship in California. With a second in Q1 and running at the top of the timing screens again in Q2 until he again started running out of fuel, this time dropping him to 5th, it is O.S. Speed’s Sinnosuke Yokoyama who holds second in a ranking that is completely scrambled due to the number of drivers running out of fuel. Having topped practice yesterday, Infinity’s Naoto Matsukura was on for a TQ in Q1 until Nicole Marrone traction rolled in front of him leading to contact that broke the Japanese driver’s car. Having opted to do a fuel stop in Q1, after his opening DNF Matsukura risked going the full 4-minutes in Q2 but came up well sort on his runtime. One of the favourite’s coming into the event, Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani has yet to shine. Making a mistake in Q1 he would eventually run out of fuel leading him to do a stop in Q2 but the Italian said they lacked speed in the car and he ended up P3 behind Wang & Marrone.

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January 23, 2026

Orlowski wins 2WD at EOS Daun

Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski has kicked off his 2026 Offroad season with victory, taking the 2WD win at EOS Daun in Germany on Friday afternoon. Qualifying would see the Schumacher team dominate with Sweden’s Elias Johansson taking the first of the 4 rounds. In Q2 it was Daniel Kobbevik who set the pace before Orlowski found his form to top Q3 & 4. Securing the TQ ahead of Kobbevik, Johansson and practice Top Seed Marcus Kaerup, the Pole would take A1 from Kobbevik and Xray’s Bartosz Zalewski. He would repeat again in A2 to secure the overall victory. A3 would see Kaerup win ahead of Kobbevik but poor opening A-Main results mean’t he couldn’t deny Schumacher a 1-2 as he completed the podium for Associated ahead of Zalewski, AE’s Joona Haatanen and Johansson.

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]

January 23, 2026

Matsukura tops Asia Nitro Party free practice

Infinity’s Naoto Matsukura set the pace in Free Practice today ahead of the first running of the new ‘Asia Nitro Party’ onroad race at Hongyu CDG in China. A driver would just a month ago TQ’d a round of qualifying around the same track at the FEMCA Asia Championship, he would top the times from fellow Japanese compatriot Sinnosuke Yokoyama. Returning to nitro racing to support the hosting of what track boss Gavin Kwok will become a major race fixture on the international nitro racing calendar, Chinese American racer JJ Wang made it two Mugen Seiki’s in the Top 3 behind Yokoyama MRX-7. Expected to be the pace setter in the 1:8 Onroad class, Serpent’s World Championship Top Qualifier Andrea Catanzani would have a difficult day struggling to find a good balance but once we down to times counting tomorrow in qualifying he is sure to be right in the mix.

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January 23, 2026

Izsay joins Czech ESC manufacturer Elceram

Czech ESC manufacturer Elceram has announced the addition of reigning European Spec Electric Touring Car Champion Ádám Izsay as a Factory Team Driver. The Hungarian, who last September took up a full time role in R&D with long time chassis sponsor Xray, had been with Hobbywing for 7-years and switches to Elceram where he will join Xray offroad car designer Martin Bayer in representing the brand’s unique speed controller around the World. On the announcement Adam said, “I’m extremely excited to join Elceram for 2026, not only as a driver, but also will be taking part in product development. I have been following their growth and success since the beginning and was always impressed what Jan and his Team could achieve in such a short time. From my first laps with the ESCs I had an amazing feeling, I can’t wait to start working together with Jan, Anna and everyone at Elceram!”

Source: Elceram [Facebook]

January 23, 2026

Senesi sets GT practice pace at Asia Nitro Party

1:8 GT specialist Natanaele Senesi has set the pace in free practice ahead of this weekend’s inaugural Asia Nitro Party at the impressive Hongyu GDC track in China. An event that has generated a lot of excitement within the Asian nitro racing scene since the 2026 1:12 & ISTC World Championship venue facility announced the annual event last October, 1:8 GT is the biggest category with over 50 drivers taking part. The 2024 European Champion would top the times from reigning World Champion Alessio Mazzeo, both drivers running Raptor cars after Senesi, who runs under his own Senesi Motorsport banner, made the switch from an Xray based car to Raptor. The move came about as a result of Senesi’s engine sponsor Gimar, which in 2024 took over the Raptor project. Also a factor in the switch was the ability for Senesi to produce his own Senesi Motorsport edition Raptor kit which features a number of his own design elements. Another of the fast European’s making the trip to Foshan, and believing the would escape the cold weather back home, it would be Genius Racing’s Bernard-Alain Arnaldi who completed the Top 3. While all hugely impressed with the new RC facility, drivers have been badly caught off guard by an unseasonable cold spell to hit southern China. With most drivers seeing the podium photo from last weekend’s Sweep Asia Cup race at the track, in which winner Bruno Coelho, Michal Orlowski are both wearing shorts, and basing their clothing choices from that they packed for much warmer conditions than what has greeted them. There does however appear to be a big jump up in temperatures for tomorrow’s qualifying with it then set to hit in the region of 23 degrees for Sunday’s finals. On track the low temperatures have also added to the challenge of getting heat into the Sweep rubber tyres used in 1:8 GT, the compound selected ahead of the race based on racing in temperatures double that of what has been experienced so far.

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January 19, 2026

O.S. Speed confirms Yokoyama for Nitro Party

O.S. Engines has confirmed that it will now also be official represented on the track at Hongyu GDC’s inaugural Nitro Party race this coming weekend (Jan 24/25th) with the addition of multiple World Championship finalist Sinnosuke Yokoyama to the entry list. The iconic Japanese engine manufacturer was already committed to attending Asia’s brand new high profile nitro onroad event with trackside technical support for O.S. Speed engine users but has now added their factory driver to the race’s impressive international entry. Also a multiple Japanese National Champion, Yokoyama joins a stacked field that includes compatriot & World Champion Naoto Matsukura from Infinity, Serpent’s 2025 1:8 Onroad Worlds’ Top Qualifier Andrea Catanzani, double reigning IFMAR 1:8 GT World Champion Alessio Mazzeo, European GT Champion Natanaele Senesi, Xray’s Italian young gun Filippo Domanin, and Genius Racing’s very experienced Bernard-Alain Arnaldi. The first edition of what the 2026 IFMAR 1:12 and ISTC World Championship host venue plans to build into a major annual event on the international nitro racing calendar, Red RC are looking forward to kicking off a busy season of race coverage by travelling to the city of Foshan and returning to this very impressive venue to cover the Nitro Party which will see the facility echo to the sound of nitro engines.

Source: Hongyu GDC [Facebook]

January 19, 2026

Coelho wins Sweep Asia Cup from Orlowski

Hongyu GDC hosted the Sweep Asia Cup over weekend where having ended his 2025 racing season with victory at the Chinese track Infinity’s Bruno Coelho opened his 2026 campaign with another win at the ISTC World’s host track. Attracting a number of international team drivers for the race as a pre Worlds testing opportunity, in qualifying FEMCA Asia Champion Coelho would secure the TQ topping 3 of the 5 rounds as Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski topped Q1 and Q3. Chinese Onroad Champion Alfred Lao completed the Top 3 on the grid ahead of the Mugen Seiki of 2025 TITC Open Brushless finalist Fong King. In Stock qualifying Jan Ratheisky was another of the FEMCA Asia Championship competitors to return to Foshan for more track time, the Xray driver topping all 5-rounds to TQ ahead of the Serpent of Stick King. In the finals Coelho would win all 3 Modified encounters ahead of Orlowski with King completing the overall podium. Ratheisky took the Stock win with a clean sweep as young Yuheng Cai who qualified 3rd finished ahead of King to claimed second overall.

Image: Hongyu GDC [Facebook]

January 13, 2026

Isaacs & Hagberg win at Hudy Indoor Champs

Awesomatix’s Sam Isaacs and Xray’s Alexander Hagberg where the big winners at the annual Hudy Indoor Champs at ProLevel RC in Chesterfield, Missouri – Isaacs winning 1:12 while Hagberg took back to back Touring Car wins. Attracting 148 entries, qualifying would see Isaacs TQ both classes, topping all four round in 1:12 and 2 of the four in Touring Car. With team-mate Kemp Anderson lining up P2 in 1:12 and defending Champion Hagberg in third, in the single 8-minute A-Main Anderson would get the front after a rough start by Isaacs. Leading for half the race, he would be retaken by Isaacs for the win with the podium order being how they qualified. In Touring Car, Isaacs would lead for the first half of the race until a mistake rolled his Awesomatix out of contention for the double allowing last year’s double winner Hagberg to take the victory by 1.6-seconds from Anderson with 2023 winner Keven Hebert completing the Top 3.

Image: Sam Isaacs [Facebook]