Red RC » Racing

July 17, 2023

Butterfield wins Summer Nitro Cup in Puerto Rico

Serpent’s Bryce Butterfield took the 1:8 Onroad win at the 2023 Summer Nitro Cup held at Barceloneta RC Speedway in Puerto Rico. The American driver was one of a number of international drivers who travelled to the Caribbean Island for the event which attract close to 100 entries. In qualifying it was Butterfield’s Nova Engines powered 990 that took the overall TQ after setting the fastest 4-minute run in the first of the four rounds of qualifying. Germany’s Thilo Diekman would set the 2nd fastest time, the Capricorn driver also producing his best run in Q1 with the Top 3 completed by the Serpent of US racer Joaquin De Soto Jnr, the later going on to beat Diekman in the Super Pole shoot out. In the 30-minute final Butterfield would lead from start to finish winning by over a lap from De Soto Jnr. Setting the fastest lap of the race, Diekman would complete the podium with Jose Colon fourth. In 1:8 GT Jose Almonte took the TQ and win with his Serpent while in 1:10 200m Jerry Guerra took the win from 5th on the grid.

Image: Serpent [serpent.com]

July 17, 2023

Philippine Masters 2024 date announced

After a massively successful return in April of this year following a 2-year break due to Covid, the Philippine Masters has announced the date for the 2024 edition of Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race meeting. The 12th running of the Philippine Masters, the event which takes place in the capital city of Manila is scheduled for April 18-21, 2024. Having formed the opening round of the Asian Buggy Championships, the date was confirmed at Round 2 in Australia over the weekend after a meeting between Philippine Masters track designer Edward Sio, who was racing in Brisbane, and Scotty Ernst who has been a key figure in bringing the Philippine Masters to its international race status. A sell out event in 2023, the race saw World Champion David Ongaro win the Buggy title for Team Associated while Sworkz’ Micha Widmaier came away with the Truggy victory. With the Philippines famed as a holiday destination, the event has a truly unique vibe living up to the nations tourism tagline ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ with many of the large international driver entry combining the race with holidays at the country’s world famous white sand beaches.

Source: Philippine Masters [philippinemastersrc.com]

July 17, 2023

Branson retains British title with Halifax win

Xray’s Kyle Branson has successfully defended his British Electric Touring Car Championship title with victory in tricky conditions at the third round in Halifax. Kicking off his title defence with victory the opening round of 5 in May, Branson made it three in a row although this time he would not start from the TQ. Some mistakes in qualifying meant he lined up P2 behind Xray team-mate Harley Eldridge. In the finals however Branson would win A1 and 2 to wrap up the overall win ahead of Yokomo’s Alex Thurston and Schumacher’s Zak Smith, the result putting the title beyond reach of Branson’s rivals. The newly crowned back to back BRCA Champion will travel to the Cotswold track for the penultimate round next month.

Image: Kyle Branson [facebook.com]

July 16, 2023

Bernadzik reigns down under at Asian Buggy C/ships

Alex Bernadzik reigned at Asian Buggy Championships in Australia, the Team Associated driver carrying his qualifying form into the finals to win both Nitro and Electric Buggy. Top Qualifier for both categories, Bernadzik’s first win at the Pine Hills Dirt Racing circuit came in eBuggy. In the first of the triple A-Mains he would win from the Tekno of Caleb Noble with another win in A2 from Christopher Sturdy locking in victory for the second round of the Scotty Ernst run championship. With Sturdy winning A3 it was to be an AE 1-2 on the podium which was completed by Noble. The 45-minute Nitro final saw early mistakes from Bernadzik dropping him into the mid pack while Noble led the way until he was delayed by a fuel gun issue at the first fuel stop. As the race reached the half way mark Bernadzik was back in the lead from were he controlled the race to complete the perfect weekend. Noble would get second for his efforts ahead of Zac Ryan, a key figure in get the Asian Buggy Championships to Brisbane, finishing third with his HB Racing. Aaron Dexter would finish fourth ahead of an impressive performance from 11-year Zac Foster in fifth.

Continuing reading & view podium images here

July 16, 2023

Ronnefalk takes 2 Swedish Onroad National titles

Former 1:8 Offroad World Champion David Ronnefalk added not one but two Swedish National Onroad titles to his CV today, being crowned the Electric Touring Car and 1:8 Onroad Nitro Champion in Stockholm. Not a complete stranger to electric touring car, Ronnefalk would win the TQ and title for Awesomatix ahead of established touring car stars Alexander Hagberg and Viktor Wilck. A somewhat surprise announcement as an ARC team driver in 1:8 Onroad in April, the reigning 1:8 Offroad European Champion is pretty much a rookie in the sport’s longest established category. Also starting on pole for the half hour final, he would go on to win ahead of Alexander Andersson and Niclas Nilsson for what would be his 23rd Swedish National title! While an impressive performance, Ronnefalk will switch his attention back to Offroad as he prepares to defend his Euros title for Mayako in Redovan, Spain, in early September.

Image: David Ronnefalk [Facebook]

July 16, 2023

Senesi crowned Italian 1:8 GTE Champion

Natanaele Senesi is the 2023 UISP 1:8 GTE Italian National Champion. Winner of the season opener back in March, the Xray driver secured the overall title today at the third & final round of the championship with second place at Miniautodromo Teramo. Attracting over 40 entries, today’s victory would go to the Genius of Alex D’Angelo who finished 2.5-seconds clear of Senesi’s Hobbywing/Nosram powered GTXE with the WRC of Fabrizio D’Aietti completing the podium. Senesi’s 9th National title, the European Championship finalist will make the trip to Sydney, Australia, later this year to contest the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship. In the third round of 1:8 GT Nitro, Radiosistemi Factory Team driver Filippo Beretta took the win of the 30-minute final from I-Fenix driver Adriano Tarragoni.

Image: Natanaele Senesi [Facebook]

July 13, 2023

Gotzl crowned double Czech 1:8 Buggy Champion

Team Xray’s Max Gotzl claimed yet another national title in his native Czech Republic with a double victory in Terezin last weekend. Having won nitro and finished second in eBuggy to Martin Bayer at the season opener in Kolin at the start of June, Gotzl pulled of the perfect weekend at Round 2 claiming the TQ and win in both classes. Securing the eBuggy win over the Sworkz of Dominik Vlasek and Serpent of Jan Domansky, in nitro he took his FX Engines powered XB8 to victory over the Kyosho pairing of Jan Hujer and Jan Horacek, Hujer claiming runner-up in the final championship standings.

Image: Team Xray Czech [Facebook]

July 13, 2023

T-Works XB2 Rear Chassis Skid Protector

Adding to its range of skid plates, T-Works has introduced an option for use on Xray’s XB2 ’21, ’22, ’23 1:10 Buggy chassis. Made from stainless steel, the rear plate, which comes supplied as two plates, is designed to provide protection for the buggy’s chassis against scratches which are part of the wear & tear that comes with racing offroad.

Source: T-Works [rc-tworks.com]