September 2, 2024

Sontag claims ROAR 1:8 eBuggy title

Team Losi Racing’s Tater Sontag is the new ROAR 1:8 eBuggy National Champion, the 1:10 2WD World Champion claiming the title at G’s RC Raceway in Pennsylvania over the weekend.  In qualifying it was the Team Associated of Spencer Rivkin who secured the overall TQ topping 3 of the 5 rounds of qualifying.  Fastest in Q1, Sontag would line up second with the Xray of Chase Lemieux completing the Top 3 with a TQ run in Q3.   In the triple finals, A1 would see Sontag make a pass on Rivkin on the opening lap before the Top Qualifier went out of the race after an early off that left a rear wheel hanging off his buggy.  Winning by over 5-seconds from Lemieux, in A2 Sontag would again took the early lead which he held for the 7-minutes to wrap up the title, last year won by the absent Ryan Maifield.  With Horne winning A3, the Team Associated driver would finish runner-up with Tekno’s Spencer Heckert completing the podium.  In Electric Truck (eTruggy), it was Sontag who took the TQ from Rivkin.  A1 saw Sontag convert but Rivkin would win A2 and 3 to take the title.  The pair where joined on the podium by the Associated of Lee Setser.

Image: Team Trinity [Facebook]


August 30, 2024

1:12 World Champ Mächler confirmed for MonTech NYGP

Reigning IFMAR 1:12 Spec World Champion Max Mächler is the first international entry to be confirmed for this year’s MonTech New York Grand Prix.  A former winner at the event, the German will return to New York for the sixth edition of the high profile US indoor race which takes place at 360v2 RC in New Rochelle from October 10-13th.  Winning his World title last December in Florida, the Awesomatix team manager’s main focus for his NYGP return will be on the 1:12 13.5T SuperStock class.  A Touring Car class winner at the 2019 NYGP, the former European Pro Stock Touring Car Champion is also expected to compete for top honours in the 13.5T SuperStock Touring Car Category.  Drivers will battle it out over a total of 12 classes with Touring Car divided into Modified, 17.5T SuperStock, 21.5 Stock, and 25.5 LMH (LeMans Hypercar) while 1:12 offers Modified GTP, SuperStock GTP, Stock GTP, and  GT12R.  Additionally there are classes for USGT, PRO10, USVTA, and FWD.

Source: Fordham 360 Hobbies & Raceway [Facebook]


August 29, 2024

5th Annual Kinwald Klassic – Announcement

Hobby Action RC Raceway in Chandler, Arizona, has announced details of the 5th annual Kinwald Klassic which takes place on October 11-13th, 2024.  One of the 2023 IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championship host venue’s two big annual events, the other being the Desert Classic, the Kinwald Klassic is held in honour of Offroad RC great Brian Kinwald.  With the multiple World Champion passing away in 2019 after life-long health issues, part of the entry fees is donated to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation Southwest Chapter.  The race will cater for several 1:10 2WD & 4WD Buggy classes, Short Course, Stadium Truck, as well as vintage 2WD categories for buggies that were racing at the height of Kinwald’s career.

View full race flyer here


August 28, 2024

Sahashi to defend Nitro Touring Car World title

While the cancellation of Costa Rica staging the IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship this year was a blow for the racing community in the FAMAR Bloc, the switch to the Huge RC Circuit in Thailand has given a major boost to the 10th running of categories biggest race with reigning Champion Tadahiko Sahashi confirmed to defend his title.  With a number of manufacturers confirming at the time they would not be sending team drivers to Costa Rica, the Worlds was set to be void of many of its top drivers including those of reigning back to back Champions Infinity.  Following the announcement in July that the Worlds was to return to the FEMCA Bloc, the previous hosts, the switch to the second of Bangkok’s international circuits has resulted in a ‘Who’s who’ of onroad racing entry list topped by Sahashi.  Infinity’s reigning 1:8 World Champion Dario Balestri is also confirmed meaning the potential for crowning the first ever reigning 1:8 & 1:10 Champion.  Sahashi gained the elusive ‘Double Champion’ status with victory at RC Addict in 2022 to go with his 2013 1:8 WC title.  In doing so he became only the second ever driver to win both IFMAR titles, Adrien Bertin’s feat finally being matched 18-years after the Frenchman became the first to achieved it in 2004.  While entries are still open for the November 15th to 23rd event, there are already 7 IFMAR World Champions confirmed with it widely expected Huge RC Circuit owner & former Electric Touring Car World Champion Surikarn Chaidajsuriya will bring that number to 8.  Other factory entries include Capricorn, with current 1:8 GT World Champion Toni Gruber, 2012 World Champion Meen Vejrak & 2016 Worlds Runner-Up Alessio Mazzeo, while Serpent are sending Jeff Hamon and Bryce Butterfield.  Red RC will travelling to Huge RC for the final stop on our 2024 World Championships coverage schedule.

Source: IFMAR [ifmar.org]


August 27, 2024

Hitec AD380 Battery Discharger and Analyser

Hitec has announced the latest addition to their popular Charger/Discharger line, the AD380 Discharge Module.  Capable of discharging high-capacity batteries at up to 40amps/380 watts, the new AD380 is a user-friendly battery discharger / analyser that caters to both novice and experienced RC enthusiasts alike.  The AD380 features three discharging modes to help analyse the health and performance of all your RC battery packs.  It is perfect for racers and aerobatic pilots wanting to monitor cell resistance and maximise power output.  And sport fliers and bashers can bring their high-capacity packs (up to 6S!) to storage level in a fraction of the time required by typical low-wattage built-in discharge circuits. Let the AD380 help keep your batteries at the proper voltage for storage which is essential to long life with high power output.  Use Bluetooth technology and Hitec’s convenient Link Power X app or connect directly to your PC to graph, monitor and compare discharge curves for individual packs.

View features & specs here


August 27, 2024

Sweep Racing ‘Birdshot’ 1:8 Buggy Tyre

Sweep Racing has announced the release of its 20th buggy tyres with the 1:8 Buggy Tyre being named ‘Birdshot’.  The new tyre is designed for hard packed or oiled and little loose track conditions according to their team drivers’ needs.  The square centre pins extend the tyre’s life and a rounded V6 carcass with multiple size pins provides suitable side bite on the corners.  The ‘Birdshot’ will be available in Sweep’s new Liquid compound as well as their M-compound from Ultra soft to Super hard.

Source: Sweep Racing [sweepracing.com]


August 27, 2024

Canas signs with FlySky

With the 1:8 Buggy World Championship just around the corner, FlySky has announced another impressive driver signing with one of the title favourites Juan Carlos Canas the latest to switch to the Chinese manufacturer.  The Spaniard will now officially represent the brand and use the Noble NB4 Pro+ transmitter to control his factory Sworkz buggies.  Joining drivers such as David Ronnefalk, Ryan Maifield, team-mate Joern Neumann, and touring car ace Marc Rheinard as a FlySky sponsored driver,  the back to back European 1:8 Buggy Champion said, “Im happy to go fly sky team, their products have a awesome quality, I tried the noble pro+ some weeks and the feelings on the track are pretty good. Thanks to Flysky team for the opportunity!”

Source: Flysky [flysky-cn.com]


August 26, 2024

Lutz big winner at LCRC Mugen Challenge

Ryan Lutz was the big winner at this year’s annual Mugen Challenge in Pennsylvania, the Kyosho driver taking three victories at the LCRC Raceway hosted event.  In 1:8 Nitro Buggy it was the Tekno of former Mugen Challenge winner Ryan Maifield who secured the TQ ahead of Lutz.  Over the half hour final the pair switched the lead a number of times with Lutz eventually coming out on top by 14-seconds with Xray’s Chase Lemieux coming through from P11 on the grid to complete the podium.  In Nitro Truggy Lutz took the TQ ahead of Sworkz’ Joe Bornhorst before going to take the win by a lap from the Teknos of Jared Wiggins and Maifield.  An event that attracted 477 entries, Lutz triple victory weekend also included the TQ & victory in eTruggy.  The only defeat of the weekend for Lutz came in eBuggy.  Having secured the TQ ahead of Maifield, it was third place qualifier Wiggins who got by for the win finishing 1.1-seconds ahead of Lutz at the end of the 10-minute encounter.  Bornhorst claimed the final podium place 3-seconds up on Maifield.

Image: Ryan Lutz [Facebook]


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