Red RC » Racing

January 24, 2024

2025 IFMAR World Championship Calendar

With all of the 2023 IFMAR World Championships producing new winners, a picture of where those drivers will defend their titles is starting to come together with 2025 a year that will also see the number of World Championship titles awarded increase from 6 to 8. With the 2-year cycle never long coming round, already confirmed is the 1:10 Offroad World Championships which was awarded to Australia after last year’s indoor event in Arizona where David Ongaro added a first Electric World title and Tater Sontag joined the elite club of World Champions. Another event to be confirmed during the running of the 2023 edition was the 1:8 GT World Championship. In Australia it was announced that South America would be destination with Toni Gruber set to defend his title in Peru. Set to be only third running of the 1:8 GT World Championships, there will be two IFMAR World Championships up for grabs as Electric moves from two years of World Cup status to a full World Championship category. After one of the most intense finals of the year in Japan, 1:8 Onroad is going to the FAMAR Bloc with Chile expected to bid to host the sport’s original World Championship. Wrapping up the 2023 IFMAR World Championship season in Florida, where Michal Orlowski and Max Machler took the titles, 1:12 moves to the FEMCA Bloc with China widely expected to host the 22nd running of IFMAR longest running electric World Championship. New to the calender for 2025 will be the 1:8 Electric Offroad World Championship. Portugal will host an IFMAR World Cup this coming April for eBuggy with the host Federation expected to apply to run the inaugural World Championship for the category one year later.

View 2024 and provisional 2025 calendar here

January 24, 2024

Jetko J-ONE 1:8 Offroad tyre

Tyre manufacturer Jetko has announced the upcoming release of its new J-ONE 1:8 Buggy tyre which is designed with strong consideration for eBuggy users. The tyre is the result of having recognised the excellent performance of “Bar” style tyres but also identifying the issue with rapid wear rate when used with today’s nitro-powered cars or high torque electric buggies. To provide the best solution/performance for heavier/powerful electric vehicles, Jetko undertook the task of developing a tyre that also meets the specific needs of electric models. Rather than simply designing a stronger tyre with a thicker pattern and more surface area, Jetko made the strategic choice not to compromise on performance. They maintained the optimal surface area in contact with the ground and the appropriate thickness of lugs/Bar to ensure better performance.

Continue reading here

January 23, 2024

Donnelly joins Hobbywing team

Hobbywing has announced that front running Australian Offroad racer Lachlan Donnelly has joined its driver team. The 19-year-old from Sydney who has raced with Team Associated for a decade, has already used Hobbywing electrics as part of his campaigns including at the 1:10 Offroad World Championships in Arizona last September. As part of a big push by Hobbywing to build a strong world wide team for 2024 he now joins the team officially. An impressive showing at the 1:8 GT World Championship in Sydney in October, after just one club race as preparation, highlights Donnelly natural talent which Hobbywing is keen to help develop further.

Source: Hobbywing [hobbywing.com]

January 23, 2024

SkyRC S100neo AC/DC Smart Balance Charger

SkyRC has released its latest AC/DC Smart Balance Charger, the S100neo. An evolution in charging, the S100neo is an advanced solution that builds upon the popular SkyRC e680. With an impressive AC 100W/DC 200W power capacity and the ability to charge at up to 12A, S100neo pushes the limit again. Infused with SkyRC’s latest ‘neo’ technology for enhanced efficiency and power, the S100neo is masterfully engineered to offer a highly focused and remarkably efficient charging experience, yet it remains power-packed. It provides up to 100W from an AC source and excels with a potent 200W output on a de facto standard XT60 DC plug for RC hobbyists. More than just a charger, S100neo doubles as an advanced Digital Power Supply, delivering precise and efficient charging with unmatched accuracy in both Constant Current (CC) and Constant Voltage (CV) modes. At the forefront of RC charging technology, SkyRC’s S100neo combines trusted performance with innovative features, catering to the demands of RC enthusiasts.

View Specifications & more images here

January 22, 2024

Double BRCA 1:12 winning weekend for Payne

The 2024 BRCA 1:12 British National Championship kicked off over the weekend with Schumacher Racing’s Ollie Payne taking the Round 1 & 2 victories at the Eastbourne Electric Car Club hosted races in East Sussex. With almost 50 entries, Saturday’s opening round saw World Championship finalist Payne secure the TQ honours from Adam Mackman after he topped all four qualifiers. In the single 8-minute A-Main he converted that into maximum championship points with a 6-second win over 4th place qualifier Michael Bolt after he got by Mackman who completed the podium. Round 2 of the 6 round championship on Sunday saw a repeat performance from Payne as he again secured the TQ this time from team-mate Andy Murray. In the final Payne managed to go even quicker than Saturday as the only driver to run 36-laps with 4th place qualifier Louis Parker coming through for second ahead of 1:12 Spec World Championship runner-up Mark Stiles who completed the Top 3.

Image: BRCA 1/12th Scale Nationals [Facebook]

January 22, 2024

2024 Desert Classic – Announcement

World Championship hosts Hobby Action have announced that entries for the 2024 Desert Classic from February 28th to March 3rd are now open. The 8th edition of the annual Chandler, Arizona, event, the Desert Classic has established itself as an early season fixture on the international 1:10 Offroad calendar filling the void left after the iconic Cactus Classic came to an end after loosing its outdoor track. Continued to be sponsored by Stickit1 Racing, who ensured the superb presentation of the indoor venue for 1:10 Offroad Worlds last September, the race schedule will consist of 4 rounds of qualifying with the best three to count with triple finals for all 2WD and 4WD classes and 10-minute Mains for Truck classes.

Source: Hobby Action RC Raceway [Facebook]

January 21, 2024

Orlowski opens ’24 Touring Car season with GP3F win

The new season of international Electric Touring Car action kicked off this weekend with Schumacher Racing’s Michal Orlowski taking the first honours of 2024 with the victory at the annual GP3F race in France. The 19th edition of the MRC Longwy promoted race that has become the big season opener in recent years, newly crowned 1:12 World Champion would secure the overall TQ from defending champion Bruno Coelho after topping 3 of the four qualifiers. A small roll in Q3 on Saturday night, meant the Polish driver would have to wait til Sunday morning to be official declared Top Qualifier, Coelho having taken Q3. Behind it would be Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker who lined up third ahead of Xray’s Alexander Hagberg and the Awesomatix of leading French challenger Lucas Urbain. In the Mains, A1 would see Orlowski set the fastest lap en route to a winning margin of 1-second over Coelho. Coelho would try again in A2 but his challenge was short lived as he had a roll over at the end of the straight on his third lap. In the end Hagberg finished P2 almost a second back as Orlowski claimed the overall win. Victory in A3 would see Coelho finish runner-up with 2020 GP3F winner Volker completing the podium for the second year running ahead of Hagberg. In Pro-Stock, it was Tim Benson who took the TQ and win ahead of Adam Izsay and Jan Ratheisky.

Image: MRC Longwy [Facebook]

January 19, 2024

“Idea of ‘sponsorship’ is so lost in our industry right now” – Jared Tebo

Former World Champion Jared Tebo has taken to social media with an interesting post addressing the current state of sponsorship in racing. A true professional paid driver who for almost two decades was one of the leading forces in Offroad races around the world representing some of the biggest manufacturers in the industry, Tebo officially announced his competitive retirement from racing last year but still remains involved in the industry. Now focused on his JTP brand, as well as being USA Team Manager for Hotrace Tyres, the American found himself overwhelmed by the massive response to opening 2024 applications for JTP sponsorship in November. In addressing the topic, Tebo explains his own journey to becoming a Pro driver and how the idea of ‘sponsorship’ is now lost in our industry with many drivers simply expecting it. Sure to kick off many keyboard debates, he concludes that he is sticking to what he believes in for his JTP brand.

Read Tebo’s full post here