Red RC » Racing

July 2, 2024

Thurston makes it 4 out of 4 at British Nationals

Alex Thurston’s impressive 2024 BRCA 1:8 Onroad British National Championship season continued as he made it four from four at the Halifax track over the weekend. In qualifying it was the Shepherd of reigning Champion Tim Wood who secured the TQ with the fastest time from the four rounds of qualifying. 1.2-seconds off the new nitro track record set by Wood, Thurston would line up P2 for the half hour final with his YMC Racing Mugen Seiki with Karl Dransfield’s Shepherd completing the Top 3. A great battle between Wood & Thurston would see the championship leader eventually coming out on top with Wood just holding off team-mate Dransfield. The win puts Thurston on 402 points out of a potential maximum of 404. With three rounds still remaining, and 5 to count, Thurston will be aiming to get the title wrapped up at the fifth round at Wombwell on August 3/4th. Wood won in Wombley last year en route to the title but a year early it was Thurston who took the win at South Yorkshire track.

Image: Alex Thurston [Facebook]

July 1, 2024

Hall defends British 4WD title with Rd 4 double win

Team Associated’s Tommy Hall has successfully defended his BRCA British 4WD Buggy National Championship title with his fourth consecutive win of the 2024 season. Winning the title for the first time last year at the penultimate round, Hall got the job done a round earlier this time round as he took the win at the fourth round hosted by Bury Metro Radio Car Club. Qualifying 2nd behind team-mate Thomas Phipps, who claimed his first ever Nationals TQ, Hall took the opening two A2 mains to secure the win and put the title beyond the reach of his rivals. With Phipps second, the Xray of 3rd place qualifier Jonny Skidmore completed the Round 4 podium. The day before his title win, Saturday’s wet 2WD action would also see Hall come away with victory. Qualifying third behind reigning Champion Neil Cragg and Top Qualifier Ben Smith, Hall managed to take A1 & A3 to deny Smith and take his second win of the season while Cragg, winner of the season opener, completed the podium. With two rounds remaining, Hall holds a 2-point championship advantage over Smith with Cragg a further point behind.

Image: Racewayone [racewayone.com]

July 1, 2024

Harper wins BRCA Round 3 at Adur

Schumacher’s Elliot Harper has won the third round of the BRCA 1:10 Electric Touring Car British National Championship. Having lead a Schumacher 1-2 at the previous round last month at West London, Harper this time lead an all Mi9 podium at the Adur track with Andy Murray second and Chris Grainger 3rd. In qualifying it was Harper who took the TQ ahead of Grainger but a p5 in A1 would allow Murray to demote him one place over the double A-Mains. In 13.5T it was also victory for Schumacher with top international 1:12 racer Ollie Payne taking the TQ and win ahead of young Charlie Colby and Billy Fletcher. The penultimate stop of the 5 round British Nationals travels to Stafford on August 3/4.

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]

July 1, 2024

Catanzani wins Italian National Constructor C/ship

Factory Serpent driver Andrea Catanzani took the win at the AMSCI Italian National Constructor Championship which took place in Gubbio over the weekend. Racing at the always immaculately presented multiple World Championship host Club Automodellistico 5 Colli track, qualifying would see the Xray of Luca Romagnoli secure the TQ on tiebreak with Catanzani, both drivers posting two TQ runs each over the four rounds. Capricorn’s Mirko Salemi would complete the Top 3. In the 45-minute final, the opening 10-minutes saw good battle as Romagnoli lead the way closely chased by Catanzani and Salemi. Having got to the front unfortunately Salemi would eventually have to retire from the race leaving Catanzani who set the fastest lap of the race to take the win by 2/3rd of a lap over Romagnoli. Having qualified P9, the Mugen Seiki of Massimo Aliprandi would come through to complete the podium ahead of the Serpent of Mattia Collavo. In the Sport Category young Mugen Seiki talent Luca Betti took both the TQ and the win.

Image: Club Automodellistico 5 Colli [Facebook]

June 30, 2024

Kato & Kaino crowned JMRCA National Champions

Team Associated pairing Kouki Kato and Yui Kaino took the titles at this year’s JMRCA 1:10 Electric Offroad Japanese National Championships. Returning to the indoor RC Park Gojo track where he won both the 2WD and 4WD Buggy titles last year, 18-year-old Kato would secure the TQ in 2WD after topping 2 of the 3 rounds of qualifying with team-mate Yui Kaino topping Q3 to secure P2 on the grid. In 4WD qualifying the pair switched order with fastest times in Q1 & Q3 giving 2022 2WD Champion Kaino the TQ. In the finals Kato successfully defended his 2WD title with wins in the opening two A-Mains while in 4WD Kaino regained the title as he also won the opening two encounters. In both categories the podiums were completed by Xray drivers with third place going to Shoya Yamazaki in 2WD and Nana Kaiho 4WD.

Image: Kouki Kato [Facebook]

June 30, 2024

Orlowski wins European C/ship Warm-up Race

The Warm-up Race for this year’s EFRA Electric Touring Car European Championships took place over the weekend with Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski taking the win ahead of reigning Champion Bruno Coelho. Racing at the Roeselare track in Belgium, which hosts the 23rd running of the European Championships for the category on August 23-25, it was the very much on-form Orlowski who secured the TQ on tiebreaker as he and Coelho had two fastest runs each over the four qualifiers. Marc Rheinard would complete the Top 3 for Awesomatix ahead of the Mugen Seiki of the championship’s most successful driver 6-time Champion Ronald Volker. In the finals, Orlowski took the first A-Main from Coelho but in A2 it was the Portuguese Xray driver, who will chase a record breaking four titles in a row, that took the win from Orlowski who has yet to hold the title. In A3 however Orlowski got the win for the overall victory ahead of Coelho with the Awesomatix of 5th place qualifier Lucas Urbain completing the Top with Yokomo’s Antoine Brunet missing the podium on tie break. In Stock, top Belgian driver & 2022 Champion Olivier Bultynck had the perfect weekend taking the TQ and victory for Awesomatix over team-mate Lukas Ellerbrock.

Image: Michal Orlowski [Facebook]

June 28, 2024

JConcepts Cougar LD3 and Cat L1R F2 bodies

Continuing its latest round of body shell releases, JConcepts is now offering its F2 for Schumacher’s Cougar LD3 2WD Buggy and Cat L1R 4WD Buggy. As the popularity grows of both Schumacher buggies, JConcepts set off to incorporate all the functionality of the IFMAR World Championship winning shell and wrapped it around the newest offerings from Schumacher Racing. The exclusive composition of the cab, extra rear windows, louvered roof all tied together with Finnisher “V” configuration makes the F2 a classic performer. Each body includes two of the 6.5” Carpet | Turf | Dirt wing which is now a standard racing item around the world. The bodies arrive as clear polycarbonate with protective film and is available in standard and lightweight formed thickness.

View side views of F2 here

June 28, 2024

Salemi joins Ielasi Tuned

Engine tuner Ielasi Tuned has announced the addition of 1:8 Onroad Stalwart Mirko Salemi to its team. The Italian Capricorn driver, who took at win at season finale of the Euro Nitro Series last year and finished on the podium at the ultra competitive Nationals in April, will use Ielai Tuned just released GP9R24 engine as part of his 2024 campaign starting this weekend with the AMSCI National Constructors Championship in Gubbio. He will also contest the ENS as well as the European Championship in Locorotondo. After a brief period with Nova Engines, with whom he started the 2024 season, commenting on the Ielasi Tuned announcement Mirko said, “I am very happy with this choice, Ielasi Tuned is now a guarantee of performance and reliability. Way back in 2007, during my first year of activity, in my first important competition, my Power unit was Daniele’s engine, and I still remember him with pleasure when he lent me that engine. Today, I thank Ielasi Tuned for their trust and for welcoming me into their team. I hope to have fun together, and why not, also to get some important satisfaction”

Source: Ielasi Tuned [ielasituned.com]