Red RC » International

August 16, 2022

Motor irregularities see Bultynck promoted to European Touring Car Spec Champion

Having originally finished second at the European Championship in Spec Touring Car at the Hudy Arena in June, Olivier Bultynck has just been promoted to Champion after irregularities were found with motors of the other two drivers on the podium. The motors of winner Alexandre Duchette and Adam Izsay were ‘found not to comply with the submitted samples to the EFRA Spec Homologation Lists.’ The positions of second and third are to remain vacant as the motors from fourth and fifth were not inspected after the final and were released from “parc ferme” meaning that no further inspection is possible.

Read the full ruling announcement from EFRA here

August 16, 2022

Coelho wins Monaco RC Race of Champions

The second edition of the Monaco RC Race of Champions took place over the weekend in Gubbio, Italy, with Bruno Coelho taking the win at the upcoming ISTC World Championship track. The event attracted a number international drivers with the race weekend an ideal opportunity to get in some mileage in preparation for Worlds in September. Topping all four rounds of qualifying, Coelho took the overall TQ from Xray team-mates Alexander Hagberg and Alessio Menicucci with Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski breaking up the Xray train with P4 on the grid. In the opening final Coelho cruised to the win from Orlowski with Hagberg dropping to third. A2 saw the Top 4 finish as they started before third in A3 behind Coelho & Hagberg allowed Orlowski to join the Xray drivers on the impressive Club Automodellistico 5 Colli podium. Menicucci would be the top Italian in fourth ahead Britain’s Kyle Branson, France’s Cyril N’Diaye and factory Serpent driver Alessio Mazzeo. Also running Spec Touring Car and Formula, as per the World Championships, Alexandre Duchet won Spec with David Ehrbar taking Formula.

Source: Monaco RC [monacorc.com]

August 16, 2022

IFMAR releases final entry list for ISTC World C/ship

IFMAR, the governing body for RC racing, has today released the ‘final entry list’ for 1:10 ISTC World Championship in Italy next month. After being forced to wait twice as long as normal for the biggest championship in our sport to come back around, the entry is noticeably lacking the world wide gathering we normally expect. While the champions of all five previous encounters are listed to make the trip to Gubbio, with less than a month to go only two nations outside of Europe are represented, Japan and Singapore. Travel safety concerns meant a low entry count for the previous Worlds in South Africa in 2018 despite Antonio Caroli and his crew putting on an impeccable event. The move to Europe still only sees 54 drivers entered for Modified. 19 Formula entries and a further 32 Spec entries help bring the entry count to just over 100 racers. While aware the resumption of air travel after the pandemic has been chaotic with lost baggage being a problem for even the biggest stars in world sport, one standout absent nation from the entry list is the United States. Team Associated’s withdrawal from the category a few years ago has effected any factory effort but given the potential size of the North American market to other RC manufacturers it would beneficial to have the US represented on the categories biggest stage. The ISTC World Championship runs from September 14 to 17th and RedRC will be there to cover everything as it unfolds.

To view entry list as published on the IFMAR Facebook page click here.

August 15, 2022

IFMAR ISTC World Championship Stage 2 Report

With the IFMAR ISTC World Championships just one month away, hosts Club Automodellistico 5 Colli has published the Stage 2 report for the event to help drivers with their trip to the medieval town of Gubbio in central Italy. Download the Stage 2 report (pdf file) here. 2022, the 11th running of the World Championships for electric touring car, will see three titles up for grabs with touring car’s premiere category now being joined by Formula and Spec Touring Car in having World Championship status. At the last World Championships in 2018 in South Africa, the Formula category raced alongside the Mod Touring Car event as a World Cup race with Jan Ratheisky taking the win. RedRC will be making the trip to Gubbio, location of the 2016 1:10 Nitro Touring WC, to bring you full coverage of the championships as Bruno Coelho aims to defend his title.

Source: IFMAR [ifmar.org]

August 13, 2022

Greiner adds 1:8 title for European Championship double

Having lifted the 1:10 IC Onroad European title in Italy just two weeks ago, Dominic Greiner has done the nitro onroad double this evening with a late victory at the 1:8 European Championship in Spain. Lining up third on the grid for the 45 minute rain delayed final at the Almussafes track, Greiner did not look a contender for the victory in the early stages of the race. Contact on the opening lap dropped him to seventh and soon after the German was bringing up the rear of the field in 10th position. Greiner wasn’t the only one to have a moment early on as Top Qualifier and defending champion Dario Balestri dropped from the lead to third about 1-minute into the encounter. This left Super Pole winner Robert Pietsch and up & coming French talent Maxine Ripoll contending the lead. Working his way back through the order, Greiner was back in podium contention in the later part of the race. With one & half minutes remaining on the clock he then made a move down the inside of leader Pietsch, contact sending the Mugen driver on to the grass. Greiner would continue un-intruded to take his Capricorn to victory to add a first 1:8 title to his 1:10 World and two European championship titles. Almost 2-seconds back Pietsch would finish second with a great drive by Ripoll being rewarded with third on the podium and the title of Junior European Champion. Despite setting the fastest lap of the race, it wasn’t to be Balestri’s day as he had to settle for fourth after losing his podium spot to Ripoll with less than 4-minute to go.

Image: EFRA [efra.ws]

August 12, 2022

Balestri takes TQ at 1:8 Onroad European Championship

Reigning 1:8 Onroad European Champion Dario Balestri will start the defence of his title from pole after he secured the overall TQ in Spain today. After a 2 year forced break, the European Championship returned to Almussafes near Valencia, the track having previously held the championships in 2008. On that occasion Jernej Vuga took a dramatic last last victory when leader for much of the race Daniele Ielasi crashed three corners from the finish due to a flat receiver battery. Heading the Infinity team charge, Balestri opened qualifying yesterday with a TQ run but former champion Robert Pietsch was fastest in Q2 meaning they shared the provisional overnight TQ. Opening a very hot second day of qualifying, it hitting almost 40 degrees, Balestri was back on top in Q3, as his Mugen rival posted the 3rd fastest time. The Italian then secured Top Qualifier honours when he again set the pace in the penultimate round. While it was job done for Balestri, it didn’t deter the former World Champion from making it four TQs out of 5 rounds in the final qualifier. Behind Pietsch in second in the final quali standings, two P2 runs gave Shepherd’s Simon Kurzbuch third, followed by Capricorn’s Dominic Greiner and Shepherd’s Toni Gruber, all four getting to shoot it out for a direct place in the Main final beside Balestri. With each driver getting 6 laps to set a time, that battle went to Pietsch for posting the fastest lap on his final attempt to knock Gruber, who was first to set a time, off the top spot.

Image: EFRA [efra.ws]

August 4, 2022

IFMAR releases 1:8 Offroad WC entry list

With just one month to go until the 1:8 Offroad World Championships, IFMAR have today released the entry list of who will be travelling to Spain at the beginning of September for the week long intense racing action. Originally scheduled for Brazil in 2020, the 18th running of the World Championship now takes place at the RC-Redován track where, after a long four year wait, Davide Ongaro will aim to defend his title. Winning in Perth, Australia, for Team Associated in 2018, the Italian became the youngest ever winner of the sport’s highest accolade taking over the crown from fellow European David Ronnefalk. The Swede denied the powerhouse nation of offroad racing, North America, a home win when he took the win ahead Spain’s Robert Batlle in Las Vegas in 2016.

The question is can the European’s make it three in a row or can the American’s or a certain Canadian bring RC’s biggest prize back across the Atlantic. The last time Europe hosted the Worlds, that’s exactly what happened when Ty Tessmann took the win with Ryan Cavalieri and Carson Vernimont making it an all North American podium in Sicily, Italian, in 2014. While house hold names, the title has so far eluded Ryan Maifield, Spencer Rivkin but to name a few of the US team announced by ROAR, so you can be sure they will be making the trip with their sights firmly set on becoming the ROAR Blocs fourth driver to become the World No.1. Either way, following its 2 year pandemic induced delay, it is going to be one very exciting Worlds and as they have proven before the Baldo’s family who own the track are sure to provide a great stage for the return of the sports biggest battle.

To view entry list as published on the IFMAR Facebook page click here

August 1, 2022

Greiner retains European title after 2 year wait

Forced to wait two extra years due to the pandemic, 2019 1:10 200mm European Champion Dominic Greiner was able to successfully defend his title over the weekend with victory ahead of arch rival Dario Balestri. Returning to the Gubbio circuit in Italy, the venue of his 2016 World Championship victory, retaining his European title comes as a huge boost for the German given 2022 is a World Championship year (Red RC will be travelling to Thailand to bring you extensive coverage from title battle).

After a successful & lengthy stint at Serpent, Greiner had switched to Patrizio Rossi’s Capricorn squad for the 2020 season but just as the world was forced into shut down due to Covid. Having to wait so long to make his first major championship appearance for the Italian manufacturer, Greiner kicked off the 16th running of the EFRA European Championship with p4 in practice as Balestri set the pace for Infinity from up & coming Xray star Filippo Domanin and Dutch veteran Jilles Groskamp.

It wasn’t long however before Greiner hit the front to take the opening qualifier. With some mistakes in Q2, Balestri going on to take that qualifier, he was back on top in Q3 & 4 to secure the overall Top Qualifier honours. With 2 time EC champion Balestri booking his spot directly in the main 45-minute final by taking the Super Pole, he would be Greiner’s main challenger. After initially applying pressure before making an early tyre stop, this would give Greiner an advantage he wouldn’t relinquish. Posting the fastest lap of the final, he would win by over 10 seconds from the Italian. Capricorn would enjoy a podium double with Thilo Diekman claiming third ahead of the Infinity of Carmine Raiola.

Image: Dominic Greiner RC [facebook.com]