Red RC » Racing

August 10, 2026

Hall brothers double at British Buggy Nationals Round 5

The fifth round of the British 1:10 Offroad National Championships saw the Hall brothers do the double, Jamie taking the win in Saturday’s 2WD action and Tommy the winner of 4WD on the Sunday. Hosted by Bury Metro Radio Car Club, the event would see Schumacher’s Ben Smith taking the 2WD TQ with two TQ runs ahead of the Team Associated siblings, Jamie securing P2 ahead of Tommy. In the finals it was Jamie Hall who took A1 from Smith. With Smith winning A2, it all came down to A3 in which the Halls took a 1-2 as Smith dropped to P3. Overall this gave Jamei the win from Smith with Tommy, winner of the previous round in Southport completing the podium. In 4WD, Tommy would secure the TQ ahead Thomas Phipps with Round 4 winner Josh Holdsworth completing the Top 3. In the finals, after a P5 in A1 which was won by Phipps from Xray’s Lee Martin, the Top Qualifier & defending National Champion would defend his No.1 starting position to win A2 & 3 to secure his first 4WD win of the season. He was joined on the podium by Phipps and Holdsworth. The overall championships will be decided at the season finale later this month as Batley Buggy Club hosts Round 6 on August 29/30th.

Image: Team Associated [Facebook]

August 9, 2026

Coelho gives Infinity first European Touring Car title

Bruno Coelho has secured Infinity’s first European 1:10 Electric Touring Car Championship, the Portuguese driver securing the title for a fourth time at the 25th running of the EFRA Championships today in Luxembourg. Last holding the title in 2023, starting on pole position at Mini Circuit “Ville de Luxembourg” the reigning World Champion would controlled A1 from start to finish ahead of the Awesomatix of second place qualifier Simon Lauter with his team-mate Lucas Urbain completing the Top 3. As the drivers lined-up for A2, Coelho would walk off the drivers stand, an over voltage battery in pre-tech ruling him out of the race. Leading away the field, Lauter would look to have taken control of the race ahead of defending Champion Michal Orlowski but starting to close the gap the Schumacher driver executed an impressive pass coming onto the main straight as the race approached the final minute and a half mark. The finishing order Orlowski, Lauter, and Urbain. With all on the line in A3, with numerous drivers still able to claim the title, Coelho and Lauter made an early break. Running in formation for most of the race, Lauter would put in an impressive final lap getting right on the rear bumper of Coelho’s Speciale IF14. Launching it at the line, contact ensuing, Coelho would take it by 3/1000ths of a second to claim the overall title ahead of Lauter with Orlowski completing the podium. In the Spec class the event would also see a former champion retake the title as Awesomatix’s Max Mächler claimed the win 8-years after his previous title. It was to be an all Awesomatix podium with Olivier Bultynck and Louis Kretschmer 2nd and 3rd while outgoing Champion Adam Izsay finished 4th for Xray. In FWD, Xray’s Stefan Schulz took the title from the TQ after winning the opening two A-Main encounters.

Image: EFRA/Trackside RC Media [Facebook]

August 8, 2026

Coelho Top Qualifier at European Championships

Infinity’s Bruno Coelho is the Top Qualifier at the EFRA 1:10 Electric Touring Car European Championships in Luxembourg. Winner of last month’s Warm Up Race at Mini Circuit “Ville de Luxembourg”, the World Champion opened qualifying with a TQ run on Friday evening which he then backed up with a another fastest tme in the 5th & final round today. Opting to sit out Q1 to save tyres, Awesomatix’s Simon Lauter would secure second spot as he set the fastest times in Q3 & 4. As the reigning Champion, Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski will try to defend that title from 3rd on the grid, the Pole postng a TQ run in the second round. Racing at his home track, Lucas Urbain took his Awesomatix to P4 on the grid with Alexander Hagberg completing the Top half of the grid ahead of his new Xray team-mate Marc Rheinard. In Spec, Max Mächler will start on pole in his quest to retake the title he last held in 2018. Awesomatix team-mate Olivier Bultynck and Louis Kretschmer start 2nd & 3rd with defending Champion Adam Izsay fourth for Xray. In FWD, Xray’s Stefan Schulz is the Top Qualifier.

Image: Infinity [Facebook]

August 7, 2026

Hobby Expo China – Turbo Racing, small scale with big potential!

With the date for the 25th edition of the Hobby Expo China recently announced as 16-18th April 2027, and this year’s Expo the biggest one yet with an official attendance figure of 72,000, we wanted to revisit this ‘seeing is believing’ exhibition with a look at one of the stand out exhibitors for us. On travelling to the Beijing Exhibition Centre, one of the manufacturers we were keen to chat with was Turbo Racing. While not a brand that would feature much in Red RC’s daily product news, this producer of small scale hobby grade RC cars had caught our attention. The first time we became aware of the brand and what they produced was at the original GDC Indoor Track in Foshan, China, while attending the inaugural Foshan Invitation RC Championship in 2023, their branding appearing around the indoor track. That support of RC racing transferred to the impressive new Hongyu GDC track, widely recognised as the one of the greatest RC facilities in the world. The logo of this maker of small cars appearing alongside some of the biggest brands in the world of competition RC racing. However what really made us take serious notice was when this Chinese company announced none other than 3-time back to back Electric Touring Car World Champion Bruno Coelho as a brand ambassador. This wasn’t a sign that they suddenly had ambitions to enter the 1:10 Touring Car market but rather them seeing a value in being associated with one of the greatest drivers in the world and using that to get more kids into playing with their products. Greeted by the Turbo Racing stand on first entering the Beijing Exhibition Centre through the impressive main entrance arch, it got us thinking could Turbo Racing be a brand that is sowing the seed of future RC racers – its small scale having big potential!

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August 6, 2026

IFMAR publishes bumper 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship entry list

With the countdown underway to the 2026 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship in Italy, IFMAR has published a bumper entry list for next month’s 11th running of category’s biggest race. A decade since Club Automodellistico 5Colli hosted the 7th running of the championship, 129 drivers will travel to Gubbio with reigning World Champion Jilles Groskamp heading the entry for Infinity. The Dutch driver added the nitro title to his 2012 Electric Touring Car World title when he took the win at Huge RC two years ago, the Bangkok venue stepping in as a late replacement host for the race after Costa Rica was forced to cancel due to noise issues. Due to the original location and subsequent change of host in 2024, the entry was just 58 drivers but returning to the nation that is the spiritual home of nitro racing, this is one of the highest entries the category has enjoyed. While Portugal 2008 attracted 133 entries, this year sees more nations represented with 21 countries making up the entry. Winner of the 2018 Worlds in Florida, Naoto Matsukura is the only other past champion in the field. Two-time 1:8 Onroad World Champion and reigning back to back European Champion Dario Balestri, who was Top Qualifier 10-years ago in Gubbio, will be looking to try complete the nitro title set on home soil but he’s faces some others searching for that first title. Representing Capricorn, Toni Gruber is always fast and a title contender and Serpent will be looking to 1:8 Onroad World Championship Top Qualifier Andrea Catazani to try regain the title they won last time out in Gubbio thanks to Dominic Greiner. As the current 1:8 GT World Champion and a hugely popular runner-up in 2016, Alessio Mazzeo will be one of the hopes of 2014 Champions Xray. Mugen Seiki’s challenge is expected to come from British Champion Alex Thurston and O.S Speed’s Shinnosuke Yokoyama. Running from September 4th to 12th, the IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championships kick starts Red RC’s 2026 World Championship coverage with us looking forward to returning to the medieval town of Gubbio and telling the story of how things unfold at Miniautodromo Internazionale M.Rosati.

View entry list here

August 6, 2026

Serpent adds Baldes to Electric Touring Car Program

Serpent has announced that they have added young German prospect Thilo Baldes to its 1:10 Electric Touring Car program. The now 15-year-old was already representing the manufacturer in 1:8 Onroad but will now race their Medius X26 touring car joining forces with fellow countryman and Serpent star driver Dominic Greiner who has been responsible for the car’s development. The newly crowned 1:8 Onroad Junior European Champion, gained his first experience in RC racing many years ago in the 1:10 electric class. He has since been competing successfully with the Serpent 990R in both national and international races and on the announcement said, ‘I’m really looking forward to my first race with the Serpent X26 and am very grateful to Serpent for their support. I’m convinced that Dominic Greiner, together with Serpent, has developed a very competitive car.’

Source: Serpent [serpent.com]

August 5, 2026

2026 Speed King Tour Rd3 – Report

The re-scheduled Speed King Tour 2026 Round 3 took place at the TM Circuit Wakayama outdoor track in Wakayama prefecture Japan last weekend with Xpress driver Masaya Okazaki claiming his first win of the high profile Japanese series. The event was originally scheduled for 24th of May, but had been postponed to this new date due to rain. Track master Kazushige Tomita scored highest point and took TQ honours in the TC0 (Modified) class ahead of Ryoma Yoshida and Takara Sano. The first few laps after the start were utter chaos, with Okazaki moving into the race lead from 6th on the grid very beginning of the A final. Okazaki showed consistent speed and never gave his position up tp secure that first win. Infinity driver Ryosuke Yamamoto finished second from 4th on the grid while Top Qualifier driver Tomita recovered from his mistake with the fastest lap to finished P3 with his Tamiya.

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August 4, 2026

Ielasi Tuned power for World Champion Groskamp

Italian engine tuner Ielasi Tuned has announced that reigning 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Champion Jilles Groskamp has joined its factory team for the coming seasons. The veteran Dutch racer, who this year celebrates a decade as an Infinity team driver having joined them in 2016, will defend the title he won for the Japanese manufacturer 2-years ago in Thailand later this year in Gubbio, Italy, with Ielasi Tuned’s latest Corsa Engine. On the announcement Groskamp said, ‘I’m excited and very happy to join Ielasi Tuned engines for my Infinity nitro cars. With the 200mm nitro Worlds this year I was looking for the best engine and support. Daniele is with no doubt one of the nicest and hard working guys in the industry and I’m sure we can have a great teamwork together to achieve maximum results! I like to thank Sabrina and Daniele for this opportunity and I can’t wait to hit the track next week at the ENS Aigen with my new engines.’

Source: Ielasi Tuned [ielasituned.com]