Red RC » International

March 30, 2023

IFMAR World Cup 1:8 Electric Buggy – Announcement

IFMAR has announced details of the first ever World Cup for 1:8 Electric Buggy. While 1:8 nitro has enjoyed World Championship status since 1986, the World Cup will be the first step for the electric category to become a World Championship category in 2025. The World Cup event will take place on September 22-24 and be hosted by the Club ACDB “OS BEIROES” at their 310m track in Guarda, Portugal. The track previously hosted the 2010 EFRA European 1:8 Nitro Buggy Championship when Reno Savoya took the third of his European titles. While taking place only one week after the 1:10 Offroad World Championships at Hobby Action in the USA, the 1:8 Electric Buggy World Cup is still expected to be well supported by the industry given the growing future importance of the category. View Stage 1 report here.

Source: IFMAR [imfar.org]

March 21, 2023

Tebo announces ‘2023 will be last year as a ‘professional driver’

Jared Tebo has announced that 2023 will be his last year racing as a professional driver. One of the true stars of the sport enjoying a very lengthy reign as as one of the best offroad racers in the world, the American has said 2023 will be his ‘farewell tour’. The now 36 year old arrived on the RC scene at the age of 13 and since then has lived the ultimate dream of any young kid starting out in racing. Making the ‘tough decision’, he said he is ‘fully content’ with his racing career and feels that he has nothing else ‘left to prove’ but mentally he is not enjoying the mindset needed to race competitively at the elite level. Having had the opportunity to work with Jared for over half of his racing career, the first time being when he was Top Qualifier at the 2010 IFMAR 1:8 Offroad World Championship in Thailand, Red RC congratulations Jared on his racing achievements and would like to say thank you for all the racing entertainment over the years. We look forward to working with him in his future journey in the industry.

Read Jared’s full announcement here

March 19, 2023

Jeff Wang crowned FEMCA 1:8 Buggy Champion

Taiwanese driver Jeff Wang is the 2023 FEMCA 1:8 Buggy Champion, the Ming Yang team driver winning the prestigious Asian title from the Xray of young Korean talent Hyunkyu Jung. Hosted by Taiwan Radio Control Car Association at the 66 RC Racing Track, named after its location under the No.66 highway bridge, the event attracted an entry of 142 drivers representing 10 countries from the FEMCA Bloc. In qualifying 23-year-old Wang would secure the overall TQ after topping three of the 6 rounds with Hyunkyu Jung classified second with two TQ runs. The only other to top the timing sheets, Taiwan’s Wang Guan Ling would complete the Top 3. Wining his Semi final from Thailand’s Witsarut R., 13-year-old Hyunkyu Jung would be on pole for the 50-minute final with a faster winning time than that of Wang who won his 30-minute encounter from the Sparkco buggy of 11-year-old Huang Han Ping. In the 50-minute Main Final, it would be Wang who would come out on top with his SH Engines powered MY1 having 2-lap margin over Jung. Winner of the separately run 20-minute ‘Teenage Final’ held earlier in the day, Jung crossed the finish just 1.1-seconds ahead of Wang Guan Ling who completed podium in Taoyuan.

Image: Tiger Chang Lien Sheng

March 14, 2023

AKA announced as World Championship spec tyre

The organisers of the the 2023 IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championship has announced AKA as the spec tyre for the 19th running of racing’s biggest prize. The indoor event is being hosted by Hobby Action RC Raceway in Arizona from September 9-16th and will see drivers use AKA’s Clay range of slick tyres. For both 2WD and 4WD the controlled rear tyre is the 2.2″ AKA13131CR while for 4WD the controlled front is the AKA13331CR. For the open 2WD front tyre AKA will provide the AKA13231CR.

View Spec Tyre list here

March 12, 2023

Orlowski does double at British Off Road Grand Prix

Michal Orlowski has completed the double at the British Off Road Grand Prix, the factory Schumacher driver holding off the challenge of Xray’s Bruno Coelho in 2WD and 4WD Buggy. Organised by SilverstoneRCMCC and taking place at the Centre:MK shopping centre in Milton Keynes, Saturday’s action saw Orlowski claim the TQ honours from last weekend’s MIBO International double winner Coelho with reigning European Champion Tommy Hall securing third ahead of Lee Martin and Norwegian Daniel Kobbevik. In the triple finals, Neil Cragg surprised everyone coming from 7th on the grid to take the A1 win from Orlowski but in A2 & A3 it was the Polish star who lead the field to claim the first title of the event which exposes RC Racing to thousands of weekend shoppers. Coelho would take second with Hall’s Associated completing the 2WD podium. In 4WD, again it was Orlowski who took the TQ topping all five rounds of qualifying before going on to an early victory by taking the opening two A-Mains. Coelho would win A3 to give him with tie breaker for second overall from the Associated of Dane Marcus Kaerup. In Truck, Jorn Neumann took the TQ and win with Lee Martin and Phil Sleigh joining the Sworkz driver on the podium.

Source: Schumacher [racing-cars.com]

March 10, 2023

Ongaro set for 1:8 GT Worlds with Gimar Engines

Best known for his offroad exploits, back to back 1:8 Buggy World Champion Davide Ongaro has announced a 1:8 GT only programme with Italian engine brand Gimar. Ongaro is the star driver for Team Associated and Japanese engine manufacturer OS Engines in offroad and has added two 1:8 Buggy World titles to both brands illustrious history but is joining forces with Giovanni Crea’s Gimar engines for a GT campaign that includes both the European and World Championships. A huge boost for the GT category which will run only its second ever World Championship later this year in Sydney, Australia, having Ongaro on the grid will be a massive profile raiser for the class. Kicking off his onroad exploits next week at the Italian GT Nationals, his Gimar Venus engine will be fitted to the chassis of another Italian brand Genius Racing – this same engine & chassis combination used by France’s Alain Arnaldi to become the 2022 European GT Champion. Like Ongaro, another driver best known for his Offroad achievements, Joern Nuemann is the reigning 1:8 GT World Champion.

Source: Gimar [rcgimar.com]

March 9, 2023

IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship Stage 1 Report

Later this year the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad Nitro World Championship will return after a prolonged 4-year break with the Infinity International RC Speedway in Japan hosting the 23rd edition of the RC racing’s original World Championship. The organisers of the event, lead by legendary race mechanic Masayuki Miura, has issued the Stage 1 Report and highlighted some important points for overseas drivers. Drivers are reminded to check whether they require a visa to enter Japan from their home country. With Covid, Japan was closed a long time and they have only opened up recently so there are still some rules around Covid and currently you need to be vaccinated to enter. This situation could change so persons planning to travel for the October 27 to November 5 event should check the ‘Visit Japan‘ website for latest government rules. Another important issue is the fuel. The organiser has two fuel brands available, Maxima and Nitrox from OS Engines. For logistic reasons they need to know asap the choice of each driver. Japan last hosted the 1:8 Onroad Worlds in 2013 when Tadahiko Sahashi took victory for Serpent. Last year he joined Adrien Bertin as the only driver to do the nitro double when he won the 1:10 Onroad title in Bangkok with Infinity. Winning the title in 2019 at the no longer existing Steel City RC Speedway, reigning 1:8 Champion & factory Mugen driver Shoki Takahata will be the first Japanese driver to try and defend his title on home soil. Japanese drivers have won the title 3 times since inaugural Worlds was held in 1977.

View Stage Report here

March 7, 2023

Rivkin completes clean sweep at Desert Classic

Spencer Rivkin completed a clean sweep at Desert Classic over the weekend, the Team Associated driver winning 2WD, 4WD and Mod Truck at the 7th edition of the annual race. A home event for the Arizona driver & reigning 2WD World Champion, this year’s Desert Classic was more significant than usual due to the fact that the Hobby Action RC Raceway will host this year’s IFMAR World Championships in September. Top Qualifier of all three classes, in 2WD Rivkin took win from Schumacher’s Broc Champlin, a result that would be repeated in 4WD Buggy where Aydin Horne completed the podium. In the single 8-minute Mod Truck A-Main, Rivkin would lead home the TLR of Dakotah Phend and Reedy’s Dustin Evans.

Image: Spencer Rivkin [Facebook]