Red RC » National

May 14, 2024

Raiola crowned Italian 1:10 Nitro Touring Champion

Infinity’s Carmine Raiola was the crowned the 2024 AMSCI Italian National 1:10 Nitro Touring Champion over the weekend at the Roger Track 2.0 in Marigliano. Qualifying for the title race would see Raiola secure the TQ, after topping 3 of the four rounds, ahead of team-mate Dario Balestri. An impressive qualifying performance by the BMT of Ciro Mollo would secure him third on the grid for the 45-minute final. Continuing his form into final setting the fastest lap, Raiola would cruise to victory over the Xray of Mario Spiniello by almost 2-laps, Spiniello having a strong final having qualified P9. Unfortunately for Balestri and Mollo their races would end prematurely, the pair making contact and eventually retiring within 1-minute of each other as the race entered the final 5-minutes. In the end it was the Xray of Francesco Pierella which completed the podium. In the Sport Category, it was Ciro Borrelli who took the title also driving an IF15-2.

Image: Carmine Riola [Facebook]

May 14, 2024

Boots gets first win of BRCA title defence

Round 2 of the BRCA 1:8 Nitro Buggy British National Championship took place in Shrewsbury over the weekend where Sworkz’s Elliott Boots registered the first win of his title defence. In qualifying it was the Xray of season opener winner Jonathan Skidmore who would take TQ just as he did at Round 1 with Boots 2nd and the Team Associated of Neil Cragg third. In the Semi Finals, the event would come to an early finish for Skidmore who misjudged the back step up, brushed the wooden board and broke the car just 5 laps in. With Boots winning his Semi final he took up pole position for the final ahead of the WIRC of Lewis Jones, Cragg and Michael Lewis. Just as the 45-minute final had started Boots hit trouble. A flameout caused by a stone on Lap 1 meant he was in the pits and despite the fast reactions of his pitman, the former European Champion found himself rejoining 2-laps down. Making a charge back through the field, with 8-minutes to go he had worked his way back to the front eventually crossing the finish line 2-laps clear of Cragg with the HB of Graham Alsop completing the podium. A five round championship, Brookthorpe is the next stop for drivers with the third round taking on June 15/16.

Image: Elliott Boots [Facebook]

May 7, 2024

Giaimo wins Italian GT Championship Round 2

Schepis Model driver Rosario Giaimo took the win at the second round of the AMSCI Italian 1:8 GT Nationals held at the 2024 EFRA 1:8 GT European Championships host Naxos World track in Sicily over the weekend. Having won the season opener in March at Mini Autodromo Stradivari, Capricorn’s Alessio Mazzeo carried that form in qualifying securing the TQ for the 45-minute final ahead of Serpent’s Gabriele Paloschi. After the Semi finals the Raptor of Loris Luise would line up third with Giaimo lining up P6 just behind Genius Racing’s defending Champion Alex D’angelo. In the final Mazzeo would encounter problems at the start allowing Paloschi to lead until he suffered a flame out. It was then the turn of D’Angelo to lead until the 27-minute mark when a mistake ended his race. At the end it was Giaimo who lead home the field with a 2-lap advantage over the recovering Mazzeo and Paloschi. In the Electric GT it was Serpent’s Natanaele Senesi who took the win from Filippo Beretta and Round 1 winner Mazzeo.

Image: Rosario Giaimo [Facebook]

May 7, 2024

Thurston claims first EP British Nationals win

Alex Thurston got his 2024 season off to the best possible start by securing his first ever BRCA Electric Touring Car National win at opening round held at Halifax over the weekend. In qualifying it was the Schumacher of former National Champion Elliott Harper who took the TQ ahead of Thurston’s YMC Racing Mugen MTC2-R with another former Champion Olly Jefferies in third. Successfully defend his title in 2023, defending Champion Kyle Branson would line up P4 with his Xray. With double mains to decide the first of the 5 round National Championship, A1 would see Harper take the win as Thurston and Jefferies had a good battle for second with the later unable to find a way through. A2 and Thurston was able to capitalise on an issue for Harper however Jefferies wasn’t able to get through cleanly giving Thurston a comfortable lead to the finish over multiple BRCA Champion Chris Grainger for a first EP National win to go with his 1:8 Onroad season opening win at Cotswolds last month. Branson would fill the second step on the podium which was completed by Harper. In 13.5 Touring Car, Ollie Payne took the TQ and win ahead of Zak Finlay and James Hart.

Image: Alex Thurston [Facebook]

April 25, 2024

Connolly wins Irish 1:8 GT National opener

The opening round of the Irish National GT Championship took place in the beautiful St Anne’s Track located in the centre of Dublin last weekend where Genius Racing’s Clive Connolly took the win. Hosted by ORCA Ireland, in qualifying it was Connolly taking TQ honours followed by Graeme Lougheed, the top 2 automatically into the Main Final leaving the rest to battle in the Semi Finals for the remaining final positions. The 30min Main was a close affair with battles throughout the field. Jason Noonan and Graeme Lougheed both driving Genius cars would fight for 18 minutes until finally Graeme would retire with a technical failure allowing Bruno Barbosa driving a strong race with his OS powered Xray to move up a position. Out in front it was multiple Irish Champion Connolly driving his Mantis Tuned powered GTC8.23 on SP Rubber that would take the victory with a trouble free run from start to finish.

Image: ORCA Ireland [Facebook]

April 23, 2024

Rivkin makes it 3 in a row with ROAR Nationals double

Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin made it three consecutive years of being crowned 1:10 Offroad ROAR National Champion with a buggy double at the 2024 Championships held at the Beach RC & Hobbies track in South Carolina. A relatively small entry by US race standards, 93 drivers making for a total of 201 entries, all the major contenders where there for the Mod 2WD and 4WD titles. In qualifying it would be former World Champion Rivkin with the 2WD TQ ahead of the similar buggy of Aydin Horne and the TLR of Dakotah Phend. 4WD would see the Top 2 order reversed with Horne the Top Qualifier from Rivkin with Schumacher’s Broc Champlin 3rd. With Horne getting passed Rivkin to take A1 and Rivkin then taking A2 it went to A3. While Horne laid down the fastest lap, he couldn’t get by Rivkin who eventually took the win by 9/10ths of a second and with it the overall title with Phend completing the podium. In 4WD, Rivkin got by Horne in the first two encounters to seal the deal early. Winning A3, Horne took the runners up spot with 2WD World Champion Tater Sontag completing the podium for TLR. Horne wouldn’t go home empty handed however taking Stadium Truck title ahead of Rivkin and the Xray of Tom Rinderknect.

Image: Team Associated [Facebook]

April 16, 2024

Thurston wins 1:8 Onroad British Nationals opener

Alex Thurston enjoyed the perfect debut with his new Mugen Seiki MRX6 at the opening round of the BRCA 1:8 Onroad British National Championship taking the TQ and setting a new lap record on the way to victory over reigning Champion Tim Wood. Over the four rounds of qualifying Thurston was the only driver to run 18-laps, securing the overall TQ ahead of the Shepherd of Wood and Vice-Champion Karl Dransfield. In the half hour final an opening lap incident involving hitting a pitman delayed Thurston but worse for Dransfield resulted in the end of his race. This allowed Wood to go to the front but losing 8-seconds with a slow first pitstop, he dropped back to second as Thurston took over a lead. Once out front Thurston held station winning by 11-seconds from Wood with the Shepherd of fourth place qualifier John Carr completing the podium. While a great day for Thurston, unfortunately after 20-years racing at the Cotswolds track this was to be the last race before it is permanently closed down due to the site being developed for commercial use.

Image: Alex Thurston [Facebook]

April 15, 2024

2024 Speed King Tour Rd1 – Report

The opening round of the Speed King Tour 2024 was held recently at Super RC Omiya indoor tarmac track in Saitama prefecture Japan with Infinity driver Jin Sawada taking the main win from Axon’s Hayato Ishioka. The popular and competitive electric touring car series is now in its 11th year sand consisting of six rounds travels to circuits across Japan. Host of Round 1, the Super RC Omiya track is known for its high bite and the Speed King Tour specific rules specify controlled tyres and prohibit the use of tyre warmer, which are highly favoured by racers in Japan. A major boost for the series was the participation of RC legend Atsushi Hara at the controls of soon to be release limiteds edition Xpress Execute XQ11 Hara Edition.

Continue reading report here