Red RC » Racing

August 12, 2022

Balestri takes TQ at 1:8 Onroad European Championship

Reigning 1:8 Onroad European Champion Dario Balestri will start the defence of his title from pole after he secured the overall TQ in Spain today. After a 2 year forced break, the European Championship returned to Almussafes near Valencia, the track having previously held the championships in 2008. On that occasion Jernej Vuga took a dramatic last last victory when leader for much of the race Daniele Ielasi crashed three corners from the finish due to a flat receiver battery. Heading the Infinity team charge, Balestri opened qualifying yesterday with a TQ run but former champion Robert Pietsch was fastest in Q2 meaning they shared the provisional overnight TQ. Opening a very hot second day of qualifying, it hitting almost 40 degrees, Balestri was back on top in Q3, as his Mugen rival posted the 3rd fastest time. The Italian then secured Top Qualifier honours when he again set the pace in the penultimate round. While it was job done for Balestri, it didn’t deter the former World Champion from making it four TQs out of 5 rounds in the final qualifier. Behind Pietsch in second in the final quali standings, two P2 runs gave Shepherd’s Simon Kurzbuch third, followed by Capricorn’s Dominic Greiner and Shepherd’s Toni Gruber, all four getting to shoot it out for a direct place in the Main final beside Balestri. With each driver getting 6 laps to set a time, that battle went to Pietsch for posting the fastest lap on his final attempt to knock Gruber, who was first to set a time, off the top spot.

Image: EFRA [efra.ws]

August 11, 2022

Speed King Tour 2022 Rd4 – Report

The fourth round of Speed King Tour 2022 was held at RC stadium Sodegaura outdoor tarmac track in Chiba prefecture last weekend. Three different electric touring car class race took place at the event same as past rounds. TC0 class car uses modified motor and TC1 runs with boosted stock motor. Only G Force ESC and motor can be used at TC2 class. This track will hold JMRCA EP Touring car Sport class Nats in September then a lot of drivers entered TC1 class of the event which is almost same regulation as JMRCA Sport class. And also some of Japanese top drivers run TC0 class for preparing for IFMAR ISTC World championship in Italy in September.

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August 9, 2022

Inaugural ‘1up OC Throwdown’ – Report

This past weekend was an inaugural event for 1up Racing at Cal Raceway in Orange County CA called the OC “Throwdown”. It gathered racers from up and down California and San Diego reaching a mere 120 entries. This was an open tire event for TC which enabled racers to choose best tire choice. The racing format was open and controlled practice on Friday, Saturday with early morning seeding followed by three qualifiers. The TQ was determined by a qual points system. Sunday was triple mains.

In the modified division, on Saturday, it was Team Mugen driver young phenom Jacob Cruz who set the Top Seed for qualifying with an impressive 3 Lap time result. Leading up to Q1, it was Team Awesomatix driver Lex Tyler who took 0 points using Team Powers 36V2 tires with Cruz in 2nd using Team Solaris 36J tires and Team Associated driver Kyle Klingforth in 3rd using Team Solaris 36V2 tires.

Continue reading race report here

August 8, 2022

Cragg celebrates 4th decade of winning national champs

Becoming champion of your country is usually one of the first goals drivers aspire too. Only a select few will achieve the goal and even fewer will successfully defend the title of being the best in their country. Over the weekend however Neil Cragg (file pic) made it four different decades of holding a national title. Claiming his first ever title back in 1999, one of the sport’s most down to earth and unassuming racers clinched his 26th British National crown when he secured the 2022 BRCA 1:10 2WD Offroad Championship with P2 in Round 5 at the TORCH astro track. The former World Champion admitted it has been a tough season against the ‘young guns’ and dedicated his latest title to his dad, Mick as well known around the world as Neil, and his sponsors who have supported him. A lifelong factory Team Associated driver, we think just like they proudly display their latest World Championship win tally (currently 30) on their official team clothing that maybe it’s time for a Neil Cragg ’26 and still counting’ special edition champions t-shirt release!!

Source: Associated [associatedelectrics.com]

August 8, 2022

Kilic brothers 1-2 at German Buggy Nationals

The 1:8 Nitro Buggy German Nationals saw a dominant performance from the Kilic brothers over the weekend with the older of the two, Burak, taking the title from Berkan. Travelling to the northeastern part of the country to championship hosts Modellclub Schwedt, the Mugen team drivers stamped their authority on the event taking all five qualifiers. Managing 3 TQ runs it was Berkan who came out as Top Qualifier from Burak with Sworkz’ Joern Nuemann best of the rest in third. In the final it was Burak who would take the win for the popular brothers 1-2 finish with an impressive drive from Max Hesse netting him a podium finish. Forced to miss the first two days of the events, the Sworkz driver started last of the 64 entries before clocking up 5 finals en route to a well earned podium ahead of Marcel Kruger and Neumann.

Source – Kilic Brothers RC [facebook.com]

August 8, 2022

Nicolson leads Yokomo 1-2 at QLD State Championships

Simon Nicolson lead a Yokomo 1-2 at the 2022 Speedy RC Queensland State Championships over the weekend taking the title from fellow international electric touring car racer Antoni Caretti. Held at England Park Raceway in Brisbane, overnight rain on the Friday meant drivers faced completely different track conditions for the start of qualifying. Despite adapting his car set-up to the track during qualifying, Nicolson was able to take the first of the five qualifiers from Caretti and ARC driver Jeffery Mackie. He would also TQ Rounds 3 & 4 to secure the overall TQ. Fastest in Q2 and 5, Mackie would secure second on the grid from Caretti. The finals would be a Nicolson clean sweep securing him the title. With Caretti second in A1 from Mackie, and that order reversed in A2, the third final would decide which side of the podium they would join Nicolson. Caretti again got by Mackie, finishing 1.5-seconds behind the winner in A3 to take second overall.

Source – Simon Nicolson [facebook.com]

August 8, 2022

Rheinard wins German Nationals

A nation that has been an international powerhouse in the world of 1:10 electric touring car racing, Germany’s National Championship took place at the Arena33 track in Andernach over the weekend. The hometown of a certain multiple World Champion, it was to be Marc Rheinard who came away with the DMC title. While the modified class attracted only 12 of the events 67 entries, with some notable top international driver absentees, the Tonisport driver topped two of the 5 rounds of qualifying with his Awesomatix to take the TQ honours. Behind, factory Mugen driver Ronald Volker and Yokomo’s lead international star Christopher Krapp completed the Top 3 on the grid ahead of the Xray of Marco Kaufmann, each driver producing one TQ run a piece. In the A-Main, Rheinard took the opening two encounters to claim the title for a podium that visually could be from any international race with Volker and Krapp completing the line-up. All three drivers will be vying for the sport’s biggest prize next month when they travel to Gubbio in Italy for the 1:10 Electric Touring Car World Championships, a title that hasn’t been contested for 4 years!

Image: Mugen Seiki Europe [mugen.eu]

August 7, 2022

Orlowski clinches British 4WD Championship

Michal Orlowski is the 2022 British 1:10 4WD Offroad Champion. The factory Schumacher driver clinched the title with one round to spare after he took his second win of the season at the fifth round at Torch in Southampton. Having won the previous round at Stotfold last month, it would be a dominant performance for former European Champion, who topped all four rounds of qualifying to secure the overall TQ. Continuing that form in the finals, he would win all three A-Mains for the victory at the penultimate round ahead of Team Associated’s Neil Cragg and Paul Crompton.

Source: Schumacher [racing-cars.com]