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October 23, 2022

Kurzbuch announces Team Shepherd departure

Former 1:8 Onroad World Champion Simon Kurzbuch has announced his departure from Team Shepherd. The Swiss driver leaves the German chassis manufacturer after representing the brand at the top of the sport for 12 years. In 2015, Kurzbuch & Shepherd achieved the ultimate prize in the sport when he was crowned World Champion in Brazil. Other highlights of the partnership include the 2018 European Championship and a string of titles during the height of the Euro Nitro Series. Announcing he will leave Shepherd on social media, he said, ‘It all started 2010 with the club race at our home track. I drove the first time my Shepherd Velox, it was so exciting. Today it ends, with the club race at my home track I’m so excited for the “last dance” with my Shepherd Velox! But it’s much more. Almost half of my life I’ve been going through a crazy adventure and I’m so f##king thankful for every single moment! Thanks to the whole Schäfer family and PiccoBello, Beat and Käthi, who brought me on this way to meet so many people (Sorry to not name you all but you are in my heart!), winning every possible title in this category – I have tears in my eyes because it was so great and we will always remember it – forever ever! Every End is a beginning of something new – cant wait to tell you more about!’ An official announcement on his new team is expected in 2-weeks time.

Source: Simon Kurzbuch [facebook.com]

October 13, 2022

Minidrom Ettlingen seeks support to prevent closure of famed track

A favourite among some of the best racers in the World, German track Minidrom Ettlingen is looking for the support of the RC community as plans for a Biogas Plant look set to see the track closed by 2024. The club has been operating for 40-years and the track has attracted some of the best racers from around the global to the city of almost 40,000 through events such as IFMAR World Championships, EFRA European Championships, Euro Nitro Series and the ETS. Built on land owned by the city, the ground has been earmarked as the site for the new 50,000 ton organic waste fermentation plant. The club is looking to highlight the value of the track to local tourism in terms of hotels, restaurants and suppliers and on a wider level how vital the track & its strong club are for R/C racing in Germany and also Europe. Red RC have been guests of the club for many races there over the years. The racing has always been entertaining and the club have always looked after us well. We also love the banking around the track which makes for great spectating. Already World Champions Dominic Greiner, Simon Kurzbuch and Robert Pietsch, among others, have got behind supporting the club.

You can support the club in their quest to ensure Minidrom Ettlingen remains a favourite track among racers for years to come by signing the online petition which can be found by clicking here.

October 11, 2022

Lewis Hamilton endorses RC racing for diversity & inclusion in STEM

An interesting feature by F1 broadcaster Sky Sports on the great work being done by RC Vision who are championing our sport and the need for diversity and inclusion in STEM. RC Vision is a social venture working to engage young people who are underrepresented in motorsports careers and STEM industries using the exciting sport of radio control car racing. Having cut his teeth in racing through RC, it is great to see 7-time Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton showing support for the work being done.

Source: Sky Sports F1

October 9, 2022

Rheinard wins MonTech New York Grand Prix

Marc Rheinard has won the MonTech New York Grand Prix. A race that has attracted some of touring car’s biggest names such as 2019 winner Ronald Volker and Alexander Hagberg, this year it was 3-time World Champion Rheinard who made the trip across the Atlantic to 360V2 RC Raceway in New Rochelle, New York. The fourth running of the annual event, in qualifying it was multiple ROAR National Champion Sam Isaacs who had the upper hand taking the opening three rounds ahead of Awesomatix team-mate Rheinard. While Rheinard would hit the top of the time sheets in Q4, it was Isaacs with the overall TQ for the single 5-minute A-Main ahead of Rheinard, Xray’s Keven Hebert and Kemp Anderson. A mistake on lap 2, when he hit the curbing, would see Isaacs drop to third as Rheinard and Herbert went through. Despite Hebert posting the fastest lap of the race, Rheinard would stretch his lead to almost 1.2 seconds by the finish with Iaascs completing the podium a further seconds back from Hebert.

Image: Marc Rheinard [Facebook]

October 7, 2022

Hamilton ‘having fun’ with RC at Japanese Grand Prix

It seems RC is the big thing in the paddock at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix with Lewis Hamilton the latest driver to take time out from his F1 duties and enjoy a bit of RC fun in the Suzuka paddock. A video shared on the official F1 instagram page shows the 7-time World Champion driving a Tamiya Lunch Box out through his Mercedes-AMG Petronas team’s garage and into the paddock where he enjoys pulling wheelies with the iconic 80’s 1:12 truck. Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team shared a photo of their star driver and the Lunch Box on their Facebook page with the simple description ‘Just out here having fun’. We already know how much fun RC is and it is great to see both iconic Japanese RC brands Kyosho and Tamiya being enjoyed by Formula 1. Hamilton famously appeared on BBC’s Blue Peter show racing an RC car well before he became one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time.

View F1 instagram video here

Images credit: Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team [Facebook]

October 7, 2022

Hobby Action awarded 2023 1:10 Offroad World Championship

Hobby Action RC Raceway has been awarded the 2023 IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championship, the Arizona indoor track having been selected by host bloc ROAR from a strong list of candidate tracks across the United States. Officially made public via a Facebook Live post by Hobby Action’s Larry Tom and Jake Thayer, the announcement the track will host the 19th running of the World Championship is significant. A track best known for the annual Desert Classic and Kinwald BKlassic races, the state of Arizona is the home of 2015 & 2019 2WD World Champion Spencer Rivkin, both his titles won on indoor tracks, and to 2017 double champion Ryan Maifield for whom Hobby Action RC Raceway is his ‘home’ track. With the United States having had the honour of hosting the inaugural 1:10 Offroad World Championships back in 1985, this will be the 6th time the nation has hosted the IFMAR event. On four of those occasions it was home drivers who took the win in either 2WD or 4WD. While no date has yet been officially set, Tom said in the announcement that he expects it will most likely take place in the month of September.

Source: Hobby Action RC Raceway [Facebook]

October 2, 2022

Canas wins Buggyland 9.0

Less than a month after the country hosted the 1:8 Buggy World Championship, some of the best offroad drivers where back in Spain over the weekend for the the annual Buggyland race where Sworkz’ Juan Carlos Canas was this year’s big winner. The 9th edition of the Madrid based event, qualifying in Pro Buggy opened with Kyosho driver Joao Figueiredo setting the pace around the Circuito de Fuencarral from Canas, Berkan Kilic and Marco Baruffolo. Q2 & 3 saw Canas go fastest securing the former champion the overall TQ from Figueiredo, young Spain talent Adrian Pariente, Kilic, Baruffolo and World Champion Davide Ongaro. Having already secure the eBuggy TQ & win from Ongaro and Pariente, Canas would do the double to win from the 1-hour nitro final from the Mugens of 8th place qualifier Burak Kilic and former World Champion Robert Batlle after Anger was an early retirement from 2nd position. In Saturday’s Nitro Truggy Final Tekno’s Baruffolo claimed victory, the Italian holding off Canas (P2) and Figueiredo (P3).

Image: Sworkz [Facebook]

September 30, 2022

MRC Longwy Winter Series/GP3F – Announcement

Prominent French electric onroad club MRC Longwy has announced details of its popular Winter Series. Boasting recent ETS winner Lucas Urbain and fellow international racer Loic Jasmin among its membership, it has also confirmed the date of its famous international GP3F event. The Winter Series is known to attract many international factory drivers while the GP3F has become one of the big events on the annual international touring car calendar. Run over four rounds, the Winter Series has categories for Rookie, FWD, Stock 17.5, Stock 13.5 & Modified and with entries limited to 120 drivers per meeting. With 2023 marking the 18th edition of the GP3F, the dates has been confirmed for January 21-22 although the club are still awaiting final confirmation of the hall

View Series dates here