Red RC » Racing

January 5, 2026

Savox welcome Kaerup as team driver

Savox servos has announced 4WD World Champion Marcus Kærup as an official team driver for 2026. The highly talented Dane, who also won the 1:8 eBuggy World title in 2025, used Savox servos in his 1:10 World title winning Team Associated RC1084D and Top Qualifying 2WD RC10B7D buggies in Australia last October but now becomes an official sponsored team driver of the Taiwanese manufacturer. Welcoming Kaerup as a new team driver, Savox said that he will continue to run Savox servos across his Team Associated 1:10 buggies as well as in 1:8 Nitro and Electric buggies, and his TC8 Touring Car!, adding ‘We’re excited for what’s ahead.’

Source: Savox [teamsavox.com]

January 5, 2026

Champlin joins FlySky in new radio deal

2WD Buggy World Champion Broc Champlin is to use FlySky as part of his 2026 race package, the factory Schumacher driver making the announcement on his new deal with the Chinese radio manufacturer at the 2026 Clash of Champions event over the weekend. With FlySky having made huge market gains and and made quite a name for itself over the last two years, on becoming the latest World Champion to join the brand, Champlin posted, ‘I’m proud to announce my radio sponsor for the year of 2026 and beyond, Flysky RC. I first tried this radio in April of 2025 and was instantly sold. Due to the 2025 World Championships, I chose to stay with what I was most familiar with but after the Florida Carpet Championships, I began the switch. Whether they would end up as my sponsor or not, I chose this radio because it has all of the features I like best. I’m ecstatic to be apart of the fastest growing radio brand in competitive RC racing. I can’t wait to see all of my personal improvements and help the team provide a more quality and refined product for our community of racers. See you all at the races!’ It was a good official race debut for Champlin as he took the 4WD Mod TQ & Win at the Clash of Champions.

Source: Broc Champlin [Facebook]

January 5, 2026

Champlin & Batta win Clash Of Champions but Lemieux takes home the money

The first big US offroad race of 2026 took place over the weekend with Hoosier RC Hobbyplex in Indiana hosting the Clash Of Champions where Schumacher’s Broc Champlin and Team Associated’s Davey Batta took the Mod titles, but winning the event’s closing Mod Clash Race it was Xray’s Chase Lemieux who took home the money. With 8 cars lining up for the 2WD Buggy 8-minute shoot out which offer a top prize of $3,000, Lemieux would come out the winner ahead of Batta and Xray’s Dakotah Phend, their podium efforts rewarded with $300 and $200 respectively. In the main racing qualifying for 2WD would see Phend take the TQ at the end of the three rounds ahead of Batta and his AE team-mate Spencer Rivkin. In 4WD it was Champlin who secured the TQ ahead of Phend and Brennan Schimmel who after his end of season departure from Xray was running Schumacher buggies. In the finals both classes would decided in A2, Batta winning the opening two encounters to wrap up 2WD while Champlin did the same in 4WD. The 2WD would see Phend recover rough A1 and A2 outings to win A3 and salvage 2nd with Champlin grabbing a podium from 5th on the grid. The 4WD podium would be completed by A3 winner Schimmel and Phend.

image: Team Associated [Facebook]

January 5, 2026

Mazzeo confirmed for inaugural ‘Nitro Party’ race

The organisers of the inaugural ‘Nitro Party’ race, which takes place later this month at the new Hongyu GDC track in China, has announced that newly crowned IFMAR 1:8 GT World Champion Alessio Mazzeo will travel to the city of Foshan for the brand new Asian nitro onroad fixture. Taking place at the 2026 IFMAR ISTC World Championship host track on January 24-25, the Gimar team driver is one of a number of new European entries confirmed for the race which Hongyu GDC has plans to grow & establish into one of the regions major nitro onroad events on the annual international racing calendar. With European GT Champion Natanaele Senesi previously confirmed for the Nitro Party, the latest drivers to join the race also includes Xray’s Filippo Domanin and Attilio D’Angelo, Spanish GT Champion & European Finalist Raul Daras Anton, and Hot Race tyres owner & accomplished 1:8 Onroad racer Nicola Marrone. Racing on the world class facility’s 80m X 43m asphalt circuit, the event has attracted huge interest in the region and beyond, with future high profile entries expected to be announced shortly. Having covered the recent FEMCA Asia Electric Touring Car Championships at Hongyu GDC, Red RC is excited to returning to the very impressive venue to cover the inaugural Nitro Party and to hear it echo to the sound of nitro engines.

Source: Hongyu GDC [Facebook]

January 2, 2026

Haatanen switches to RUDDOG Racing Electronics

Top Finnish Offroad racer Joona Haatanen is making the switch to Ruddog Racing electronics for 2026. The career long Team Associated team driver has run the US manufacturer’s package of Reedy Electronics but following his joining of Ruddog Distribution as a full-time employee in early 2025, he will now run the German based Team Associated distributor’s full range of own brand Ruddog Racing electronics in his AE cars. This full performance package includes the RXS speed controller, Ruddog Racing motors, servos and LiPo packs.

Source: Ruddog [ruddog.eu]

January 1, 2026

ORCA signs Sawada

Electronics brand ORCA has announced the signing of top Japanese Touring Car driver & recently crowned 2025 FEMCA Asia Touring Car Spec Champion Shin Sawada. The Xray team driver, who finished fifth at the 2024 IFMAR World Championships in the Spec Class and previously ran for Hobbywing, will join the likes of Naoto Matsukura, Akio Sobue, and Lucas Urbain, in representing the ORCA brand in 2026. A World Championship year, Sawada will be one of ORCA’s key challengers for the Spec title at the Hongyu GDC track in China next April.

Source: ORCA [orcarc.com]

January 1, 2026

Butterfield joins Team Associated

Having announced his departure from Serpent last week, multiple US Nitro Onroad National Champion Bryce Butterfield will race for Team Associated in 2026. Racing both nitro and electric programs during his 5-years with Serpent, the 24-year-old will now form part of Team Associated’s Electric Touring Car team, the US manufacturer only returning to competitive racing with the TC8 which went on release in April of 2025. Sharing the news on his social media, Butterfield who finished runner-up at the 2025 ROAR Modified Touring Car Paved Championships, said, ‘2026 brings a new chapter, Team Associated! Super excited and proud to be a part of this iconic brand! Thank you to BT and everyone behind the scene for allowing me to represent. I’m looking forward to working with the team with a focus on the TC8 and onroad with some off-road sprinkled in here and there. It’s gonna be a great, but busy year! Feel free to come check out my TC8, and hit me up online if you have any questions regarding Team Associated products. See everyone at the track!

Source: Bryce Butterfield [Facebook]

December 31, 2025

EXO Design Updated Optima Mid LWB Conversion Kit

To support the re-release of the Kyosho’s Turbo Optima MID Special, Buggy conversation specialist EXO Design has released an updated version of its Conversion Kit for the 1:10 4WD Buggy. This new version has received significant design upgrades including Belt Relief Groove, this recessed groove preventing friction between the belt and the chassis plate. It also gets a Transverse Battery Setup which retains the stock Rere holder but upgrades to Metal Battery Holder Nuts for a secure, zero-risk fit. The updated chassis design now accommodates the installation of the Kyosho #30623 Turbo Optima MID Special under tray. In addition to the updated kit, EXO Design also confirmed its 1:10 FF Buggy will officially release in 2026. The final production version features several design changes compared to the prototype previously shared. Targeting a release in Q2 2026, once the shipping schedule is confirmed, they will launch a pre-order campaign.

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