Red RC » National

May 4, 2026

Nicholson wins NSW State Title

The New South Wales State Titles for 1:10 Electric Touring Car took place over the weekend with Schumacher’s Simon Nicholson taking the Modified title. Racing at the Australia’s most famous onroad track as host of two World Championships, 68 drivers made the trip to the John Grant International Raceway just outside Sydney. With 3 from 5 rounds of qualifying to count, it was 2024 National Champion Nicholson who secured the TQ topping two rounds. Behind him it was RC Maker’s Jeff Hamon who secured P2, the previous NSW Champion fastest in Q5. Also racing for RC Maker, young Lincoln Codd took the opening qualifier on his step up to Modified to completed the Top 3 on the grid. In the finals, Nicholson would win A1 & A2 to lock in the title. Qualifying P4, RC Maker’s Jeffrey Mackie would win A3 to finish runner up with team-mate Hamon completing the podium from Codd on tie break. In 13.5 Touring Car, ARC driver Marcus Askell took the title ahead of the Xray of Top Qualifier & National Champion Michael Stone. Awesomatix driver Tim Hilyear completed the podium.

Image: Simon Nicholson [Facebook]

May 4, 2026

Double success for Wood at British 1:8 Onroad Nationals

Shepherd’s Tim Wood completed a double win at the latest BRCA 1:8 Onroad British National Championship, Brookland Raceway hosting a double header weekend of the BRCA Championship. After a tough opening race to the season at Halifax last month, that race was won by defending champion Alex Thurston, the World Championship finalist took the Round 2 TQ and win ahead of team-mate David Spashett with Craig Hook completing the podium. Resetting for Round 3, again it was Wood who was the benchmark this time taking the TQ ahead of the similar package of Andrew Hastings. In the half hour final, Spashett unfortunately an early retirement, Wood completed the perfect weekend to claim maximum championship points that put him top of the standings and giving an absent Thurston work to do over over the rest of the season. Craig Hook and Neil Driver completed the Round 3 podium. Round 4 of the championship takes drivers to the Cotswold track on June 6/7.

Image: Shepherd Micro Racing [Facebook]

May 4, 2026

Paloschi wins Round 2 of Italian GT Championship

Gabriele Paloschi has won the second round of the AMSCI 1:8 GT Italian National Championship, the Capricorn driver taking the win ahead of Top Qualifier and defending Champion Andrea Catanzani. Hosted by the Stradivari Miniautodromo in Cremona, Northern Italy, qualifying saw the Serpent of Round 1 winner Catanzani secure the top spot as he went fastest in 2 of the four rounds. Fastest in final qualifier, Senesi GT International GP winner Paloschi would secure P2 ahead of the Nova Engines backed Raptor of Turkish Championship regular Burak Kilic who topped Q3. In the 45-minute final, with Kilic retiring after just 15-minutes, up front Catanzani looked set to go 2 from 2 in the championship as he lapped the field and posted the fastest lap of the race. With just minutes left on the clock however the leader suffered a tyre failure allowing Paloschi through to the lead as the World Championship Top Qualifier visited the pits. Paloschi would hold on to take the win by just under 3-seconds from Catanzani for an Ielasi Tuned engines 1-2. Multiple Irish National Champion, and another of the championship’s regular international visitors, Clive Connolly completed the podium. Behind the Schepis Model’s driver, reigning European Champion Filippo Beretta claimed 4th. Beretta will try to defend his title later this month when drivers travel to Portugal for the 2026 EFRA European GT Championships at Vila Real.

Image: Gabriele Paloschi [Facebook]

April 29, 2026

2026 Speed King Tour Rd2 – Report

The second round of the high profile Japanese Speed King Tour 2026 took place at the New Rush Next Circuit outdoor tarmac track in Chiba prefecture Japan last weekend where it was Xray’s Jin Sawada who dominated the Modified TC0 class from qualifying to final. His car showed overwhelming speed and nobody was able to catch him. Infinity driver Ryosuke Yamamoto finished second with the Xpress of Masaya Okazaki completing the podium. 2025 TC1 (Stock) class ‘Speed King’ Rento Sasaki still kept his speed and consistency with his XRAY car and made back to back win. Topic of this race was ‘back marker’ and the driver who managed smooth overtake got good result. Xpress driver Toyoki Yamada got second position of podium from 5th starting grid. Toshiaki Hirata finished 3rd. The TC2 class (G Force motor and ESC) A final race was a closely fought contest. Second place qualifier Atsushi Fujimaki won the race from Hiroyuki Tsurumi and Jin Endo finished 3rd from fifth on the grid. All 3 class races were a huge success and drivers are already focusing the next round which will be held at TM Circuit Wakayama outdoor tarmac track in Wakayama prefecture on May 24th.

View TC1 and TC2 podiums here

April 28, 2026

Wins for Smith & Holdsworth at British 1:10 Buggy Nationals opener

The first round of the 6 round British 1:10 Offraad National Championships was hosted by the Potteries Model Car Club over the weekend where Schumacher’s Josh Holdsworth the 2WD win on Saturday before team-mate Ben Smith went one better on Sunday to win 4WD. 2WD qualifying would see Holdsworth secure the TQ honours ahead of Team Associated’s defending BRCA Champion Tommy Hall with Smith lining up P3. Winning the opening two encounters it was Holdsworth who claimed the first win of the season with voctry in A3 and a 2nd in A1 allowing Smith finish ahead of Hall. In 4WD it would be Smith who took the overall TQ ahead of Holdsworth with Xray’s Lee Martin 3rd. The back to back British Champion also of 4WD, Hall would kick off his title defence from P4. Unlike the previous day’s action, deciding the overall win would go all the way to A3. While Smth won A1, Martin took the A2 victory ahead of the Top Qualifier. In A3 it was the Team Associated of junior driver Daniel Pole who took the win from Smith the second was enough for Smith to bag the first win of the season. Overall Martin was the runner up with another podium for Holdsworth while Pole finished P4 and took the Junior Win. The next round of the championship will take drivers to Bingham Model Raceway in just 2-weeks time (May 9/10).

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]

April 28, 2026

2 from 2 for Ripoll in French Championship

Maxime Ripoll made it two from two over the weekend, the Xray driver winning the second round of the FFVRC French 1:8 Nitro Onroad Championship at the Celtic CPB Racing 35 track in Châteaubourg. In qualifier the World Championship finalist & defending French Champion would secure the TQ honours ahead of Baptiste Jimenez and Christophe Louis. Over the 45-minute final Ripoll, who took the Round 1 win last month, would eek out a gap to win by a lap over the Shepherd of Semi Finals winner Fabien Baranger. The Mugen Seiki of Louis, second at the season opener, completed the podium ahead of Jimenez who would set the fastest lap of the race and be the only driver to dip into the 14-second lap times.

Image: Maxime Ripoll [Facebook]

April 27, 2026

Ben Mohamed wins French National Round 2

Sparko’s Noha Ben Mohamed has won the second round of the French National 1:8 Nitro Buggy Championship which was hosted by the TTRC 90 club in Bermont in the northeast of the country. Ben Mohamed would top all three qualifying rounds to secure the overall TQ with Tekno driver Theo Lemaire securing second followed by Sworkz Jordan Lot and the Team Associated of defending Champion Clement Boda. Winning the faster of the two Semi finals Ben Mohamed would start on pole with Remy Bermudez winning the other Semi to start second. Racing the 45-minute final on a demanding track that would caught out a number of drivers, Ben Mohamed would have an intense battle with Round 1 Boda with the pair separated by just 2/10ths of a second at the line. Coming through from 8th on the grid Xray’s Rayan Medjoubi completed the podium ahead of Lot and Mugen Seiki’s Hugo Tavernon.

Image: Noha Ben Mohamed [Facebook]

April 27, 2026

Branson wins BRCA Nationals opener at Cotswolds

Kyle Branson has won the opening round of the BRCA British Touring Car Nationals. The first of the 5 championship rounds was stages at the Cotswold track where in practice reigning champion Elliott Harper would break the track record with his prototype Schumacher, Branson also managing to break 21 laps. In qualifying it was Branson who was fastest but only marginally over Harper. Topping 3 of the 4 rounds, Branson posted a 21/5:07.13 compared to Harpers 21/5:07.49. Behind Peter Eagles and Chris Grainger completed the Modified class Top 4. In the finals, the British Championship running double A-Mains, Branson won the first by 2.5-seconds from Harper with Grainger moving up to third. A2 would see Harper go for a gap but unfortunately spin out after side-by-side contact. Setting the fastest lap of the harper would manage to finish second just behind the winner with Eagles in third but overall it was the veteran Grainger who competed the podium. Round 2 of the championship will take drivers to Stafford on May 25th.

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]