Red RC » Racing

September 29, 2025

Van Der Bol caps off Dutch 1:5 title with Rucphen win

The final round of the Dutch 1:5 National Championship took place at Rucphen, where it was Mecatech/GRP driver Rick Van der Bol who capped off his 2025 title success with a race win. In qualifying Hessel Roskam secured the TQ ahead of Van der Bol thanks to his time from the second of the three 8-minute qualifying runs. Luke Van den Berg completed the Top 3 on the grid for the 30-minute final. In the main, with set-up changes improving the speed of his car, World & European Championship finalist Van der Bol quickly got to the front before Roskam retired from the race. Staying clear out front, multiple Dutch Champion Van der Bol would win ahead of sixth place qualifier Bas Aalders with Marco Harleman completing the podium ahead of Van den Berg who recorded the fastest lap of the final.

Source: GRP [grpgandini.it]

September 29, 2025

Racers settle in in Sydney ahead of 1:10 Worlds action

Officially the opening day of the IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championships, while there was no track action today in Sydney the pits were busy with drivers completing their registration, gluing tyres and making final preparations to their buggies ahead of tomorrow’s first laps on the new layout at the Hills Off Road RC track. With the official duties of Day 1 concluding with the opening ceremony, a huge Australian team, which make up over half the entry kicking it off, and the United States, the biggest visiting nation, concluding the presentation of countries, drivers had plenty of talk about after their long journeys Down Under. In terms of the longest journey time to get to here, this year the 40th anniversary of the first 1:10 Offroad World Championships, that honour goes to Xray’s Bartek Zalewski, the young Polish talent enduring a brutal 61-hour journey! There were travel dramas for many drivers including 2-time 2WD World Champion Spencer Rivkin and Schumacher’s Broc Champlin, flooding in Phoenix causing their original flight to be cancelled. Driving to LA to get a new flight, they finally arrived but without their original baggage. Luckily carrying their buggies and radios as hand luggage, Rivkin was able to stop at his home to repack tools etc. from his 1:8 gear bags. Newly crowned 1:8 Electric Buggy World Champion Marcus Kaerup is another without his baggage, which went awol on his stop over in Istanbul. While a headache for Team Associated team manager Brent Theilke to have two drivers without their bags and some equipment, he said they won’t be stuck for anything while Kaerup joked he had plenty of team-mates he could ‘rob stuff from’.

Continue reading here

September 26, 2025

CRC confirm Payne return for MonTech NYGP

CRC’s Ollie Payne has been confirmed for next month’s MonTech New York Grand Prix, the British driver the latest international entry announced for the seventh edition of the high profile US indoor race. With the NYGP at 360v2 RC in New Rochelle the nearest thing RC will get to having a race in Time Square, the track just a 20-minute train ride from the centre of the City That Never Sleeps, Payne is a previous visitor to the Donny Lia organised event. The reigning European 1:12 Spec Champion and British National Champion joins Awesomatix pairing Lucas Urbain & reigning 1:12 Spec World Champion Max Mächler, and Xray’s Jan Ratheisky as they travel stateside to take on some of the best drivers in the US. Taking place from October 16-19th, this year’s event will see drivers compete for victory over 9 different classes with registration for the 2025 MonTech New York Grand Prix open here.

Source: Fordham 360 Hobbies & Raceway [Facebook]

September 26, 2025

Catanzani departs Gimar Engines

1:8 GT World Championship Top Qualifier Andrea Catanzani has announced his departure from long time engine sponsor Gimar. The 20-year-old Italian, who first came to prominence two years ago at the IFMAR GT World Championships in Australia, has enjoy much success with the new GT World Champion engine brand, including winning the highly competitive 2025 Italian National GT Championship. Suffering a number of engine flameouts in Worlds final in Santiago and finishing fourth, the factory Serpent driver, who is expected to return to Chile at the end of November for the 1:8 Onroad World Championship, made the announcement on social media posting, ‘After 7 years an important chapter of my career is closing: I am leaving the Gimar family. They have been intense years, full of satisfactions, but also difficult moments that have taught me a lot. We have shared victories, defeats, joys and disappointments but above all a human and sporting journey that made me grow, on and off the track. A special thanks goes to Giovanni, who over the years believed in me, gave me confidence and helped me improve, becoming a more mature and conscious rider. I’ll carry with me everything we built together, grateful for every moment lived.’

Source: Andrea Catanzani [Facebook]

September 25, 2025

2025 1:8 GT World C/ship Chassis Focus Index

While some had their reservations regarding how the cars would perform around the large Club de Aeromodelos de Chile track and in particular its long straight, it would ultimately prove a huge hit with drivers at the IFMAR 1:8 GT Worlds and showcase the impressive speeds at which 1:8 GT cars now run. The third running of the 1:8 GT World Championship, it was great to see such a diversity of manufacturers make up the World Championship deciding 1-hour final with 7 different brands forming the 11 car grid. A very popular brand in South America, it was Italian manufacturer WIRC who was best represented with three cars, Brazil’s Flavio Elias going from winning the last chance final to finishing on the podium. A brand which at the last World Championships was a solo personal project of its driver Michael Kocher, the Andrea Contarini designed car only offered then to customers as a eGT kit, Raptor has since through the involvement of Gimar become a major player with their star driver Alessio Mazzeo doing the World Championship double in Santiago. In Nitro GT their two cars on the grid would go on to achieve a 1-2 finish.

Continue reading and view Chassis Focus Index here

September 25, 2025

Tamiya Group C Series – Announcement

It is great to see a number of new grass roots level RC series being created and the latest one involves former Red RC photographer Riccardo Acciari who is involved in the creation of the Tamiya Group C Series in his home country of Italy. Round 1 of the all new series will be held October 19th on the wonderful Vallelunga RC track, nested inside the famous full scale racetrack. The debut race will kick off the inaugural five race championship that will span over the whole racing season, with the season finale taking place on June 21st. Based off the re-issued Tamiya Group C car, the class aims for simplicity and affordability, without losing its competitiveness. The essential chassis is powered by a handout 17.5 EFRA list motor and shod by handout foam tires custom made by Italian tire manufacturer Enneti. The Porsche 956, Mercedes C11, Nissan R90C and Mazda 787-B bodies will have to be painted in a realistic livery that actually competed in the Group C era (from 1982 to 1983). With 32 drivers who have already entered the Championship, the aim is to expand the format to other areas in Italy and create a network with other organisers around Europe.

View Series calendar here

September 23, 2025

Austrian 1:10 Offroad Nationals Rnd 4 – Report

Last weekend MAC-Traiskirchen in the south of Vienna and former host of two 1:10 Electric Offroad European Championships, held the 4th Round of the Austrian National Championships. Competing at the tricky, high grip astro track, the race attracted an entry with many European Top Guns that included Micha Widmaier, former European Champions like Hupo Hönigl and Peter Pinisch as well as the new 2025 2WD European Champion Martin Bayer. After the completion of qualification which saw a close battle for the overall TQs, it was the Sworkz of Widmaier that took the top spot ahead of the Xray of Robin Riedmann with that ordered switched for 4WD. The Team Associated of Lucas Grainer completed the 2WD Top 3 while Austrian veteran Hupo Hönigl claimed P3 in 4WD with his Xray. In the finals the battle between Widmaier and Riedmann continued, both of them risking all and the spectators witnessing daring overtaking manoeuvres like overjumping each other. In the end they switched positions in each class so Widmaier took the win in 4WD and Riedmann the 2WD victory. Grainer completed the 2WD podium with Hönigl claiming the final step in 4WD. In the Stock classes it was the young gun Adrian Hönigl (son of Hupo) who took the win in 4WD/10,5 Motor and old boy Thomas Rössler in the 2WD/13,5 Motor.

View 2WD Podium here

September 23, 2025

Collina retains ACI Italian Touring Car title – Report

Schumacher’s Mattia Collina has successful retained ACI Italian Touring Car title, the championship race of the Italian Motorsport Federation hosted at the renowned Minicar Fontanellato circuit. The weekend delivered high-level competition, with over 80 drivers from across Italy who earned their spot through the “Coppa Italia di Zona” qualifying rounds. The track, known for its technical layout and demanding conditions, provided the perfect stage for the four championship classes: Touring Modified, Touring Stock, GT +40 Masters and FWD. Each class showcased intense battles, strategic driving and the finest talents in Italian RC racing. In the premier class, Collina once again proved his dominance, securing the national title with a flawless performance in the Modified A-Main. Alessio Menicucci (Team Infinity) and Jacopo Corna (Team Marka – Awesomatix) completed the podium after a tightly contested race. Collina’s consistency, pace and race craft were unmatched, confirming his status as one of the top drivers in the country.

Read other class reports here