Red RC » Racing

July 6, 2026

Kurzbuch wins Dutch ENS Encounter

Mugen Seiki’s Simon Kurzbuch has won the second round of the Euro Nitro Series, the Swiss driver getting the better of Round 1 winner Dario Balestri at the Rucphen track in the Netherlands. As at the season opening in Germany, it was Kurzbuch who secured the overall TQ honours as he took his Ielasi Tuned powered MRX-7 to the fastest time in 2 of the 4 rounds. Fastest in Q1, it was the Infinity of multiple World Champion Balestri who lined up P2, ahead of ARC’s Silvio Hächler and Dutch Serpent Jesse Keller who posted a TQ run in Q3. In the 45-minute main, the two World Champions would pull clear of the field and battle it out from the front for the win. While Balestri set the fastest lap of the race and led a number ocassions at the end it was Kurzbuch who took the win by 6.4-seconds over the Italian. While Hächler strong qualifying came to nothing in the final as he suffered an engine failure, it would be Infinity’s Francesco Tironi from P7 in the grid who completed the podium ahead of the Serpent of Marco Weigerding. In 1:10 200mm reigning World Champion Jilles Groskamp took the home win to make it two from two having won the season opener. The infinity driver was joined on the podium by team-mate Carmine Raiola and French Capricorn driver Quentin Leroux while having qualified P2 reigning champion Jakub Rozycki finished P4 for Capricorn ahead of Melvin Diekmann.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

July 2, 2026

IFMAR statement on Xtreme Aerodynamics CZ1 Nitro Touring Body

With the 11th running of the 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championships coming up this September in Gubbio, Italy, World governing body IFMAR have issued a statement in relation to compliance of the Xtreme Aerodynamics CZ1. It was found that the EFRA Homologation No. 2064 body produced in 0.75 mm thickness did not comply with the applicable regulations concerning measurement point “M”. As a result the current current CZ1 body carrying EFRA Homologation No. 2064 will not be eligible for use at the World Championship, regardless of material thickness. Italian manufacturer Xtreme Aerodynamics has accepted this decision and committed to manufacturing a revised version of the EFRA 2064 body fully complying with Measurement “M” (118 mm). These bodies will carry a specific IFMAR engraving identifying them as approved for use at the 2026 IFMAR World Championship. The Italian manufacturer has also committed to supplying these revised bodies free of charge to all competitors who intended to participate in the IMAR World Championship using the current EFRA 2064 body.

View full IFMAR statement here

July 1, 2026

Johansson takes Swedish National title tally to 10

Schumacher’s Elias Johansson took his National Championship title tally to 10 over the weekend when he lifted both the overall 1:10 2WD and 4WD buggy wins at the SMK Söderhamn hosted championships. Taking the TQ in both categories, he wrapped up his 9th National title on the Saturday winning the opening two 2WD A-Mains ahead of Team Associated’s Alexander Landén. With the astro track challenging all drivers consistency, Xray’s Simon Eklind completed the podium. In Sunday’s 4WD action, Johansson again taking the pole ahead of main rival Landén, the latter couldn’t prevent former from completing the perfect weekend. Wins in A1 & 2, clinched the title, while Landén took second. They were joined on the podium by the Team Associated of Sebastian Lindqvist.

View 2WD podium here

July 1, 2026

Super GT Challenge 2027, Malaysia – Announcement

RC race registration platform RC Race Pal has announced the Super GT Challenge 2027, a new international 1:8 GT race that will take place at the Kuala Lumpur International RC Car Circuit (KLIRCC) in Malaysia from 13–16 May 2027. The Super GT Challenge has been created with one goal in mind which is to provide drivers with maximum value, maximum track time, and a unique racing experience that goes beyond a traditional race meeting. Unlike a standard event, the Super GT Challenge combines two major competitions in one weekend – the International 1/8 GT Championship, and the 5-Hour Team Enduro Race. While the Championship event will consist of free practice, Seeding, five rounds of qualifying, progressive A–E Finals and a 45-minute A-Main, the Enduro race will feature randomly drawn balanced teams, strategy-focused endurance racing, driver rotation and pit strategy – a completely different challenge from the individual championship. Believing this is one of the first international RC GT events to combine a traditional championship format with a long-format team endurance race under one entry, the event will provide four full days of racing. The entry is limited to just 75 competitors to maximise track time and race quality and the event will use paid marshals so drivers never have to marshal. As RC Race Pal continues to grow internationally, their aim is to create events that racers genuinely look forward to attending, not just another race meeting, but a memorable racing festival that combines competition, endurance, teamwork and friendship.

View track image and official event poster here

June 30, 2026

Hudy Balkan Series Round 1 Bulgaria – Report

The 2026 HUDY Balkan Series got underway at Multi RC Track in Shumen, Bulgaria over the weekend, with Xray’s Christian Kostadinov and Mugen Seiki’s Nathan Atlani taking Round 1 honours in the two featured classes. In the Elceram Modified class, qualifying saw Razvan Stroe edge out his nearest rival by just 0.02 seconds to claim TQ, with Kostadinov and Borislav Tranchev — making a welcome return to competition after several years away from the sport — also in contention. A1 fell to Kostadinov, who started from third on the grid and capitalised on a late mistake from Stroe to snatch the win in the closing stages. Kostadinov doubled up in A2 with a bold outside move through one of the circuit’s more demanding corners to seal the overall victory. In the EZpower Stock 13.5 Outlaw TC class, five qualifying rounds produced some of the tightest racing of the day, with Atlani, Christian Kostadinov and Viktor Georgiev trading pace throughout the session. When the dust settled, Atlani emerged on top to take the overall qualifier ahead of Kostadinov and Georgiev. The final reflected the qualifying battle, with Atlani converting his pole position into victory. Kostadinov crossed the line in second, while Georgiev rounded out the podium in third.

View Stock Podium here

June 30, 2026

Stanley defends Queensland State Title

Brayden Stanley has successfully defended his SpeedyRC RCRA QLD Electric Touring Car State title, the factory ARC driver taking the 2026 win at the Bayside R/C Car Club hosted race in Brisbane. The 20-year-old would secure the overall TQ as he took his A11 to the fastest time in 3 of the 4 qualifiers. Topping the times in Q3, Infinity’s Jesse Davis would line up 2nd on the grid ahead touring car returnee Christopher Sturdy, RC Maker’s Jeff Hamon, and Schumacher’s Simon Nicholson. In the triple finals after a DNF in A1, Davis taking that win, Stanley would control A2 & 3 to defend his 2025 Queensland State title. With a 2nd in A3, Hamon would compete the podium behind Davis with Sturdy finishing 4th. In 13.5 Touring it was Jordan Caruso took the spoils while 21.5 Superstock, the biggest category of the championships, it was Josh Evans who took the TQ and win.

Source: Brayden Stanley [Facebook]

June 30, 2026

Harper wins British Championship Round 3 at Halifax

Schumacher’s Elliott Harper took the third round of the British 1:10 Electric Touring Car Championship over the weekend, the reigning BRCA Champion claiming his second consecutive win of the season at the Halifax hosted encounter. Claiming the first win of his title defence last month at Stafford ahead of Round 1 winner Kyle Branson, Harper would TQ the latest round of the 5 round championship. Behind him team-mate Matthew White secured the no.2 spot with Round 2 podium finish Matthieu Dambrine completing the Top 3 on the grid after the completion of the 4 rounds. In the double finals Harper won the opening race from White before claiming the overall with the A2 win over Xray’s Harley Eldridge. Qualifying P7, that result would give Eldridge her first podium of the season behind White and ahead of Dambrine and Chris Grainger. In 17.5 Stock Zak Finlay took the win ahead of Finley Whitelock and James Hart.

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]

June 29, 2026

Canas reclaims European title as Spanish legend Batlle bids farewell

Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas has reclaimed his title as EFRA 1:8 Nitro Buggy Champion on home soil, the 44th running of the championships also marking the 20th & final European Championship appearance of Spanish Offroad legend Robert Batlle. Racing at the Fuencarral in Madrid, where last October Canas took the win at track builder Miguelo Izquierdo’s Buggyland race, qualifying would see 4 different drivers top the times over the 5 rounds. With rain causing a 3-delay during the qualifiers, it was Canas who opened proceedings with the fastest time in Q1. World Champion Davide Ongaro went to the top in Q2 before Batlle marked his final event with a TQ performance in Q3. Fastest in Q4 and again in Q5, it was Italian Mattia Polito who was the Top Qualifier ahead of his Sworlz team-mate Canas, Ongaro, Sparko’s Adrian Pariente, and Batlle, with defending Champion David Ronnefalk qualifying his Xray in P9. Unfortunately for Polito his event would go downhill after qualifying. Problems in the Semi final put him in the LCQ race from which he would retire, Mayako’s Pekko Iivonen getting that win to line-up 13th in the main event. Winning his Semi in a fractionally faster time than Ongaro’s win of the other Semi, it was Canas on pole for the 45-minute encounter with Mugen Seiki’s Berkan Kilic lining up 3rd in front of Adrian Pariente. While Ongaro would find a way to the front early in the final, Canas got the spot back with Pariente, who set the fastest lap of the final, making it a Spanish one-two 6.9-seconds back as they crossed the finish line. First to congratulate an emotional Canas on his win was Batlle, the 2012 World Champion & 3-time European Champion signing off with an 11th place after a tyre issue. Ongaro would complete the podium, the European title once again eluding the 3-time World Champion, while Ronnefalk took claimed 4th ahead of Burak Kilic, his brother Berkan retiring from the race just before the half hour mark.

Inage: Sworkz [sworkz.com]