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May 25, 2026

Matsukura takes Japanese 1:8 Onroad title

Naoto Matsukura is the new 2026 JMRCA 1:8 Onroad National Champion, the Infinity driver taking the title from reigning World Champion Shouki Takahata. Racing at 2023 World Championship host circuit Infinity International RC Speedway in Suzuka, the annual stand alone championship event would be effected by rain on Saturday causing the action to be cancelled. Managing to resume racing on Sunday, qualifying would be reduced to two rounds with Takaaki Shimo’s Infinity securing the TQ with his time from Q1. Topping Q2 ahead of Matsukura, Takahata’s Mugen Seiki claimed P2 with Matsukura ending up third. Having to come through from the Semi Finals Matsukura woould win his ahead of 2 time World Champion Tadahiko Sahashi. The other Semi final was won by the other half of the famous Japanese siblings Yuya Sahashi. In the 45-minute Main, 2024 Champion Shimo led from the front for the first 84-laps before Takahata took over at the front but he wouldn’t be able to repeat his 2025 win, as Matsukura found his way to the front where he would stay to win by just 4/10ths of a second. Setting the fastest lap of the race Shimo completed the podium on the same lap with Yuya Sahashi finishing P4.

Image: Infinity [Facebook]

May 18, 2026

Double Round 2 win for McBurney at Irish 1:10 Offroad Nationals

Round 2 of the RCCAOI Irish 1:10 Offroad National Championships saw the Schumacher of Dylan McBurney complete the double as he took both 2WD and 4WD Mod Buggy wins in Ballymena in Northern Ireland. Having finished second to double winner and defending Champion Bradley Baird at the season opener, McBurney would dominated the second of the stops on the 5 round calendar. Racing on the astro surface Ecos Raceway, after topping dry qualifying he would also master the wet finals. In 2WD he took the win ahead of Denzell McBurney with William Whilte making it an all Schumacher podium. In 4WD it was White who took second with Paul Dagg completing the Top 3. Round 3 of the championship will be hosted by East Antrim Buggy Club on June 28th.

Source: RCCAOI [rccaoi.com]

May 18, 2026

Phend & Lemieux wins ROAR Dirt National titles

Xray pairing Dakotah Phend and Chase Lemieux are the 2026 ROAR 1:10 Dirt National Champions after winning the 2WD and 4WD Mod Buggy titles respectively at SDRC Raceway in San Diego over the weekend. Coming into the annual event as the reigning 4WD Champion, it was Phend who secured the 2WD TQ honours over the four rounds of qualifying ahead of Team Associated’s Aydin Horne, Spencer Rivkin and Davey Batta with defending champion Brennan Schimmel ending up back in P7. From the front Phend would win the opening two A-Main to secure the title with A3 winner Horne and Rivkin completing the podium ahead of Schummel who got up to fourth overall. Fresh from claiming his first ever ROAR National title last month in 2WD Buggy at Carpet Offroad Nationals at Maximus R/C Raceway in New Hampshire, Lemieux would claim the 4WD TQ on tie break from the Schumacher of Broc Champion, both driver having two TQ runs each. Phend, Rivkin, and Batta completed the top half of the 10-car A-Main grid. Winning a very close A1 from 2WD World Champion Champlin, Lemieux repeated the win in A2, this time ahead of Rivkin, to claim his second National title. Winning A3 from Rivkin, Champlin finished runner up ahead of the 2015 & 2019 World Champion with Phend missing out on the podium.

Image: Xray [Facebook]

May 12, 2026

Martin & Smith take Round 2 at British Buggy Nationals

Xray’s Lee Martin and Schumacher’s Ben Smith took the wins at the second round of the BRCA British 1:10 Offroad National Championships which took place at Bingham Model Raceway over the weekend. Opening with the 2WD action it was Round 1 4WD winner Smith who secured the TQ ahead of Xray’s Thomas Phipps with the winner of the season opener Josh Holdsworth qualifying P5. After a DNF in A1, Daniel Pole taking the win from P6, Smith would win A2 and 3 to overall and the lead of the championship. Defending Champion Tommy Hall and Pole would complete the podium. In Sunday’s 4WD action it was the Team Associated of Hall that took the TQ ahead of Martin and Smith. In the opening final Martin took the narrowest of wins ahead of Hall but the latter would deliver in A2 with himself and Martin again super close but a mistake a minute and a half into A3 by Hall handed Martin the lead and the veteran of 1:10 offroad stayed there to claim the overall win. Smith completed the podium. Round 3 of the championship will take racers to Robin Hood Raceway on May 30/31st.

Image: Xray [Facebook]

May 7, 2026

Baird wins Irish Championship opener

Mugen Seiki driver Bradley Baird got his RCCAOI 1:8 Nitro Buggy Irish National Championship title defence off to a perfect start taking the win at the NIMCC hosted season opener. Round 1 of the 5 round new look championship took drivers to Ballymena in Northern Ireland and on the astro track it was Baird who dominated a rain effected qualifying. Topping all 5 rounds he would secured the TQ ahead of Dylan McBurney and Alan Scroggie. In the 45-minute final, Baird continued his form to win ahead of Andrew McClean, who started 4th, with McBurney completing the podium. Round 2 of the championship will see racers compete on dirt at the RCNI track in Bandbridge on June 20/21.

Source: RCCAOI [rccaoi.com]

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]