Red RC » National

May 30, 2024

2024 Speed King Tour Rd2 – Report

After a successful opening round of the Speed King Tour 2024 at the Super RC Omiya indoor tarmac track, the popular and competitive electric touring car series sponsored by Rakusai Model moved outdoors for Round 2 at TM Circuit Wakayama in Wakayama prefecture. Now in its 11th year, this race series travels to circuits across Japan to compete for the series championship through six rounds. For the first time in the event’s history, the number of entries reached 100, Atsushi Hara among the line-up, and many racers came to the track a day early. Considering the weather forecast that the next day would be rainy, the organisers decided to hold one round of qualifying for the top category TC0 (Modified) class on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, it rained on the day of the event, and the decision was made to cancel the race. The TC0 class standings were determined based on the previous day’s qualifying results. The winner was Tamiya driver Ryoma Yoshida, a local junior high school driver, with Takara Sano also driving a Tamiya in second with the Infinity of Ryosuke Yamamoto completing the podium. The next round, Round 3, will be held on 14th of July at the new Next Rush Circuit in Chiba prefecture.

Source: Speed King Tour [speedkingtour.com]

May 27, 2024

Shimo crowned Japanese 1:8 Onroad Champion

Infinity’s Takaaki Shimo is the new JMRCA Japanese 1:8 Onroad National Champion. Racing at the 2023 World Championship host venue Infinity International Speedway, Shimo regained the title he last held in 2016 with a 2.5-second victory over Top Qualifier Naoto Matsukura. In qualifying the Infinity of Matsukura topped three of the four rounds to secure the TQ and lock himself into pole position for the 45-minute final. A TQ run in Q2 would secure reigning 1:10 Nitro Onroad World Champion Tadahiko Sahashi second overall, a result that also locked him directly into the Main. With Shimo P3 after qualifying and the Mugen Seiki of defending Champion & 2019 World Champion Shouki Takahata 6th, they would both have to race their way into the Main from the 20-minute Semi Finals. Shimo won his Semi while the other went to Takahata. In the Main, Matsukura lead for 2/3rd of the race as he and Shimo gapped the field but getting by Matsukura, Shimo maintained that lead to the end to secure the title. Three laps back Tadahiko Sahashi would completed the podium ahead of Takahata.

Image: Infinity [Facebook]

May 21, 2024

Smith & Hall winners at British Nationals Round 2

The second round of the BRCA British 1:10 Offroad Nationals was hosted by the Herts Nitro Model Club over the weekend where Schumacher’s Ben Smith and Team Associated’s Tommy Hall took the wins. 2WD qualifying would see Smith secure the TQ with a clean sweep of the four qualifiers. Behind Hall secured P2 ahead of Josh Holdsworth, Lee Martin and Round 1 winner Neil Cragg. The finals would see Smith’s form continue as he wrapped up the overall win in A2. Winning A3 Hall would secure second while Cragg got his Associated ahead of Martin’s Schumacher to complete the podium. Sunday’s 4WD action would see Hall repeat his season opening performance by starting from the TQ and making it two from two. With the Top 5 finishing in the order they qualified, it was Martin who took second ahead of Craig, Smith and Thomas Phipps. It was to be a record making day in Herts as Xray’s Hayley Eldridge became the first female racer to make the A-Main, a feat that was recognised by her receiving “Star of the day” Award.

Image: HNMC 1/10th Electric [Facebook]

May 21, 2024

Hamon is 2024 NSW State Champion

Jeff Hamon is the 2024 NSW State Champion, the factory Serpent driver defending his title with the perfect trio of the TQ, Fastest Lap and Win. Racing at the 2023 IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship host track in Moorebank near Sydney, this year’s State titles attracted a huge field of entrants making for a great atmosphere. Unfortunately some delays meant qualifying had to be cut short and run under some questionable conditions. Running four rounds, Hamon’s Serpent X20 ‘24 would secure the TQ on tie break from the Infinity of Brayden Stanley, also with two TQ runs, with Yokomo’s Simon Nicholson qualifying P3. A mistake from Hamon in A1 would see Stanley with the win while a number of unfortunate incidents in A2 would see Hamon pull off and save tyres for A3 which he duly lead tone to tone for the overall win. Winner of A2, the Awesomatix of Jeffrey Mackie finished second with Stanley completing the podium ahead of Nicholson.

Image: Jeff Hamon [Facebook]

May 20, 2024

Iris team sweeps Austrian FWD Nationals Round 1

The opening round of the Austrian Nationals was held at the MRC Wr. Neustadt track over the weekend where the Iris Team enjoyed a clean sweep in FWD Touring Car category. Matheo Buchhalt took the TQ with his Iris ONE.05 FWD after setting the fastest qualifier in each of the four rounds. He was followed by Philipp Stadler, who lined up second on the grid. In the finals, Matheo won the first two finals to secure the overall win, marking his first-ever victory at a Nationals event. Philipp Stadler finished in P2, and Loris Buchhalt, another Iris driver, took P3. Markus Buchhalt finished fourth, making it an all-Iris top 4 result.

Source: IRIS [iris-racing.com]

May 20, 2024

BRCA 2WD Onroad Nationals Round 2 Mendip – Report

The first round of the 2024 BRCA British 2WD Onroad Championship kicked off at the Mendip circuit near Weston-super-Mare on what would be their last visit to the circuit as it is being redeveloped. This year the BRCA Championship is back to four rounds of qualifying, best two to count, with two finals for all.  In F1 qualifying it was the Glen Westwood who took the first two rounds of qualifying with his Schumacher which was enough to take pole position. Behind him it was Luke Lee and his Xray edging out brother Michael’s Schumacher by virtue of having the faster time for the tie-break with both having a first and second. Next up was James Greener’s Xray with a second and a third from Rob Chaldecott who had three thirds. The finals saw Luke Lee taking both legs for the overall win, from Westwood with a pair of second places while Michael Lee completed the podium.

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May 20, 2024

Butterfield doubles at ROAR Onroad Nitro Nationals

Serpent’s Bryce Butterfield completed a title double at the 2024 ROAR Onroad Nitro Nationals regaining his 1:10 title he lost last year and adding the 1:8 title to his CV. With rain reducing track time at the Tri-State Radio Controlled Auto Racers hosted event in Ohio, in qualifying for 1:10 200mm Butterfield would top 2 of the 3 rounds to secure the TQ from the Infinity of DJ Apolaro and the Serpent of defending champion Jose Almonte P3. In 1:8 again it was Butterfield with the TQ from the Mugen Seiki of Ralph Burch and Apolaro. In the 1:10 final, with Apolaro going out early Butterfield would take a convincing win from David Dunn. Also a 45-minute encounter, in 1:8 Apolaro would lead the first half of the race with Birch an early retirement. Posting the fastest lap of the race however Butterfield would hit the front in the second half to do the double taking the title with a 2-lap advantage over Apolaro with Joachim Bruneau completing the podium.

Image: Bryce Butterfield [Facebook]

May 20, 2024

Ongaro wins Italian Nationals second round

Having taken maximum points from the opening round of the AMSCI Italian 1:8 Buggy National Championship held in March, defending Champion Davide Ongaro extended his points lead with a repeat victory at Round 2. Attracting 67 entries, it was to be a very challenging weekend for the host club Nitro Buggy Genzone as the event started with Friday’s practice being cancelled after heavy rain flooded the track. Preparing the track for a Saturday morning start having pumped out the water the club was dealt a second blow when they arrived Saturday morning to discover thieves had stolen equipment and catering supplies. Despite the incident, the club did manage to get the event underway with Ongaro’s Team Associated securing the TQ, after topping 2 of the 4 rounds, from Sworkz’s Mattia Polito and WIRC Racing’s Marco Baruffolo who topped one round each. After the Semi finals it was Polito who lined up on pole for the 45-minute final ahead of Ongaro, WIRC’s Andrea Trevisan and Infinity’s Riccardo Bertin. Over the race, the order would settle into a repeat of the season opener with Ongaro taking the win from Polito after a close battle with WIRC Racing’s Marco Baruffolo again completing the podium.

Image: Riccardo Verardo [Facebook]