Red RC » National

August 21, 2023

Boots crowned British Champion for 7th time

Having kicked off his British 1:8 Offroad Buggy title defence with a victory at the season opener at Herts back in May, Sworkz/Reds Racing team driver Elliott Boots wrapped up his 7th National title with a win at the season finale over the weekend. The 2-time European Champion and World Championship Top Qualifier, secured the TQ at the fifth & final round at Nemo Raceway ahead of Team Associated Neil Cragg before going on to take win number 3 of the season ahead of the Xray of William Skidmore and Agama of Lee Martin. Unfortunately for main title rival Jonathan Skidmore, trouble in the Semi Final put an end to his challenge for win number three of the season. Winner of Round 2 & 3 of the championship, the Xray driver finished as championship runner 8 points off Boots with brother William 3rd in the final standings.

Image: Elliott Boots [Facebook]

August 18, 2023

Hu Wei Ping crowned Chinese 1:8 Offroad Champion

T-Works/Team Associated driver Hu Wei Ping added to his tally of National Championship titles with the 1:8 Nitro Buggy victory on the return of the China Nationals after a 3 year absence for the country’s top competition. Governing body CMAC had a busy four days of competition as both the Offroad and Onroad Championships were run side by side at the large FSR International Race Track located in Yongkang in the centre of the country. Ping would take his Associated to the win ahead of the similar buggy of Mao Yu Jun with the Xray of Gavin Kowk completing the podium. One of Ping’s main rivals in the Buggy final until he broke a shock ball end, Mugen driver Liu Shuo took the Truggy title ahead of the Team Associated of Zhu Lei Xiang with Xiao Si Tan third. eBuggy would go the way of Tang Qian Jun and his Team Associated buggy ahead of the Kyosho of Liu Zhi Chen. In 1:10 Offroad, the title went to Liu Zhi Chen.

View track image and podiums here

August 16, 2023

Fangzhou “Rocket” Zhang wins China Nationals

Fangzhou Zhang, better known as Rocket Zhang, is the new 1:10 Electric Touring Car Chinese National Champion. After a 3-year absence, the CMAC was finally able to host the China Nationals once again with the FSR International Race Track the location where both the 5 onroad and 5 offroad titles on offer would decided making for a busy 4 day race schedule. Driving his Awesomatix, Rocket would secure the title ahead of the Xray pairing of Ma Hao Ran and Dai Shu Xia. In 1:10 Formula it was another of China’s international racers Stick King who took the title with the Serpent driver taking the victory over Zou Shi Jie and Zhang Yun Kai while in 1:12 Xray’s Dai Shu Xia took top prize. In the nitro onroad classes Alfred Lao won the 1:10 title with Xray’s Ma Hao Ran crowned the 1:8 GT National Champion.

View track and podium photos here

August 15, 2023

Quek wins HobbyWing Challenge Malaysia

Xray/Hobbywing team driver Dominic Quek enjoyed victory at the HobbyWing Challenge Malaysia at SACC RC Park – the roof top track situated in Shah Alam city in the state capital of Selangor. Attracting over 100 entries from Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines, with no Mod Touring Car class the Singapore driver would contest FWD and secure the TQ with the fastest time from the three rounds of qualifying. Behind Malaysian driver’s Shukri would secure P2 with Esmail Apandi from Singapore third. In the double leg A-Main, Quek would lead from start to finish from the 3 Racing of Shukri with Shaikh Mohd Shahrin coming through from 7th on the grid to complete the podium on a tie-breaker with Apandi. In Pro Stock, the biggest class of the event with 38 entries, Adik Haikal took the win for 3 Racing. 13.5 Stock was won by the Yokomo of Top Qualifier Azhari Azhar while the 17.5 GT victory also went to the Top Qualifier Hafiz Shahrin.

Image: RC Planet [rcplanet.com.my]

August 15, 2023

Kobbevik takes 16th National title with 1:8 Offroad win

Sworkz’ Daniel Kobbevik claimed his 16th National title over the weekend with victory at the 2023 Norwegian 1:8 Nitro Offroad Championship at 3starRaceway in Nedenes. Open 2-years, while track is small in size it is fast and features many cool elements. Having won the title back in 2021 but forced to miss the race in 2022 due to a clash with the 1:10 Offroad European Championships, Kobbevik’s limited 1:8 racing didn’t hamper his efforts as he topped 3 of the 5 rounds of qualifying to become the Top Qualifier. Mugen’s Vincent Rüger would TQ Q1 & 3 to take pole for the other Semi Final. With ever changing weather conditions, the Semi Finals proved challenging but Kobbevik won his in the faster time to secure pole for the 45-minute final ahead of Rüger and the Kyosho of Mathias Fink. Switching to a softer compound tyre for the final, Kobbevik would quickly run out of tyres causing the battle for the lead to heat up with Rüger. With both drivers adjusting their fuel strategy as the pushed each other unfortunately Rüger would come up short and run out fuel. This gave Kobbevik breathing space he would hold to finish over half a lap up on Kruger. With Fink retiring after just 8-minutes of racing, 11th place starter Danny Kwiatkowski would come through to complete the podium with his Kyosho.

Image: Magne Kobbevik

August 14, 2023

Nicholson defends QLD State Title

Team Yokomo’s Simon Nicholson successfully defended his 1:10 Touring Car Queensland State title over the weekend which was hosted by the Bundaberg Onroad RC Club. Winning the title in Brisbane last year ahead of Antoni Caretti, Nicholson got his 2023 RCRA SpeedyRC EP Onroad QLD State Championship off the the best possible start as he took a clean sweep of the four qualifying rounds to secure the overall TQ. Starting ahead of fellow Yokomo driver Steven Cornell with Jason Dorn lining up P3, Nicholson would continue to dominate with triple wins in the final to secure the title with Cornell and Dorn maintaining their starting positions to joining him on the Bundaberg podium. In 13.5 Stock, Lachlan Pearson took his Team Destiny chassis to the title having also started from the TQ.

Image: Team Yokomo [Facebook]

August 13, 2023

Phend & Rivkin defend ROAR National titles

Team Losi Racing’s Dakotah Phend and Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin have successfully defended their ROAR 1:10 Buggy National titles. The 2023 championships took place at HobbyTown Columbus in Georgia where 2WD Champion Phend would line up second on the grid behind Top Qualifier Broc Champlin as he attempted to keep his run of title going. A P9 in A1 after contact with Rivkin put Phend on the back foot as the World Champion took the win ahead of Ryan Cavalieri. In A2 & A3, Phend, having already retained his Mod Truck title earlier in the event, would win both encounters from Rivkin and the Schumacher of Champlin and that was how they would like up on the final podium. In 4WD, starting from the TQ, Rivkin would retain the title he took from Phend last year at SDRC Raceway in San Diego with wins in A1 & 2. While Champlin would win A3, he would again have to settle for the final step on the podium as Xray’s Chase Lemieux took second overall with P2 finishes in A1 & 3.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

August 12, 2023

Champlin & Rivkin Top Qualifiers at ROAR Nationals

Schumacher’s Broc Champlin and Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin are the buggy Top Qualifiers at the 2023 ROAR 1:10 Offroad Nationals which are being hosted by HobbyTown Columbus in Georgia. In 2WD, Champlin dominated Friday’s opening day of qualifying topping the two rounds on the schedule with his LRP powered LD2. The first of Saturday’s qualifiers would go to World Champion Spencer Rivkin as Champlin ended up P5. With two from four to count it was all to play for for Rivkin but TLR’s defending ROAR 2WD Champion Dakotah Phend would lay down the fastest run of the four in the final round just ahead of Champlin to secure second on the grid. Only P6 for the round, Rivkin will line-up third on the grid. In 4WD, it would also be Champlin who kicked off qualifying at the top of the time sheets. Q2 would see the Xray of Chase Lemieux put in a TQ run before defending 4WD Champion Rivkin became the third different driver to hit the top spot. It all came down to Q4 with Champlin looking on target for the double but over the final 2 laps Rivkin edged in front to take the round by 3/10ths of a second and the overall TQ for tomorrow. Champlin starts 2nd followed by Lemieux, Tater Sontag, Dustin Evans and Phend.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]