Red RC » Racing

April 9, 2025

FEMCA rebrands to Asian Championships

The governing body that represents 15 nations in Asia and Australasia, FEMCA has announced a rebranding of its blue ribbon events. Previously known as the FEMCA Championships, they will now be hosted under the titles of Asian Championships with 1:12 and Touring Car the first races set to crown the ‘Asian Champions’ later this year in Foshan, China which will host the 2026 IFMAR World Championships for both categories. Under the leadership of Leonard Kee, the Far East Model Car Association (FEMCA) has been busy re-establishing its championship events following Covid. The 1:8 Offroad Championship has enjoyed great success on its return with Kyosho’s American based up & coming offroad star Phi-Long Nguyen claiming back to back titles in Vietnam last month. Part of the success of that event has been FEMCA’s move to award the host track the option to host the race for 2-years. This is in order to help the track recoup any investment made in presenting a track worthy of hosting this major international title race that includes Atsushi Hara and Kyle McBride as past champions. At the end of last year the profile of the FEMCA Touring Car Championship got a major boost when World Champion Bruno Coelho traveled to Gavin Kwok’s GDC Indoor track, where the Portuguese ace added the title to his CV ahead of former FEMCA Champion Naoto Matsukura. In making the announcement FEMCA stated, ‘FEMCA will launch the “Asia Championship” races in Asia starting this year with ISTC and 1/12 category in the city of Foshan China at the start of December. The Asia Championship will provide a platform for all racers and hobbyist in Asia Pacific to race against their peers and fellow enthusiasts. ‘ Listing the categories that will have Asian Championship status, they added, ‘The events are based in Asia and the entries will be open to all. More events and changes are abound as FEMCA makes tweaks to rules and formats to move forwards in this hobby and region.’

View Championship categories here

April 7, 2025

Axon confirms Ishioka for eSIC 2025

Japanese touring car manufacturer Axon has confirmed 2025 TITC Finalist Hayato Ishioka will represent them when they make their team debut at the 3rd edition of the Electric Singapore International Challenge (eSIC) on July 12-13. Axon become the latest manufacturer to support the race which is the brainchild of top Singapore touring car racer Nicholas Lee and Chhua Jookiah. Aiming to bring top level international competition to the Asian island country, the previous two editions of the race has attracted official team entries from Mugen Seiki, Awesomatix, Yokomo, ARC and Xpress and in addition to Axon that list in 2025 will grow to also include Xray who confirmation that Germany’s Jan Ratheisky with travel to the RCMC Marine Parade race track hosted event.

Source: eSIC [Facebook]

April 7, 2025

Balestri wins Ielasi Tuned International Cup

The annual Ielasi Tuned International Cup took place at Pista Leno in Italy over the weekend where it was Infinity’s Dario Balestri who once again took the 1:8 win ahead of team-mate Francesco Tironi and Capricorn’s Toni Gruber. In qualifying it was World Champion Balestri who set the pace topping all three rounds with the Mugen Seiki of former World Champion Simon Kurzbuch claiming P2 with a pair of second fastest runs. Second fastest in Q2, Tironi completed the Top 3 ahead of Gruber. After some timing issues delayed the start of the final, when it did get underway it was Kurzbuch who got the jump on Balestri to lead early on but contact a few corners later between the pair saw the Swiss driver fly off the track and out of the race. While Balestri would continue and lead, Gruber would hit the front for a lengthy stint before Balestri retook control approaching the half way point of the 45-minute final. At the end he would have a 2-lap margin over Tironi who in turn had just 4-seconds on Gruber, the German completing the podium ahead of the Infinity of Thomas Lorenzi and Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani. In 1:10 Nitro Touring it was Austria’s Gerhard Kandelhart who took the TQ ahead of Infinity team-mate Milan Holthuis. In the final it was troubled race for Kandi and he eventually retired leaving Holthuis to take the win over the Xray of Stefan Strasser.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

April 6, 2025

Repeat double for Maifield at Psycho Nitro Blast

Ryan Maifield pulled off a repeat of his 2024 Psycho Nitro Blast double by once again taking his Teknos to the Nitro Buggy and Nitro Truggy wins at the 18th edition of the Tennessee based indoor race over the weekend. Attracting almost 1000 entries, qualifying would see Maifield secure the TQ in both categories. In Nitro Truggy the defending champion topped both rounds to secure pole ahead of Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz and the Tekno’s of Jared Tebo. In Nitro Buggy it was Team Associated’s Brandon Rose who took Q1 ahead of the Sworkz of European Champion Juan Carlos Canas but with a faster Q2 topping time Maifield would lead away the 18 buggy field in the half hour Main. With the Truggy final up first, Maifield took the win from new Sparko signing Lee Setser who came through from 12th on the grid with fourth place qualifier Mason Fuller completing the Top 3. In Buggy, Fuller went one better with his Sworkz finishing runner up to Maifield, the gap at the finish 10.3-seconds. Seth VanDalen completed the podium ahead Lutz, Rose and Canas. Fuller would complete his move up the podium by wrapping up the event with the eBuggy victory ahead of Canas and Maifield.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

April 6, 2025

Donnelly doubles at 1:10 Offroad Worlds Warmup

Team Associated’s Lachlan Donnelly claimed an impressive double victory at the official 1:10 Offroad Warmup race over the weekend, the Australian beating off a strong international team entry on home soil. Racing at the Hills Off Road RC track in Sydney, which will host the World Championship proper from September 29th to October 6th, Donnelly would kick off the Warmup Race with the TQ in 2WD buggy topping 3 of the 5 rounds. Former 2-time World Champion Spencer Rivkin, on his second visit to the track having won the Australian 2WD National title there back in October, would top Q5 to secure second while reigning European Champion Michal Orlowski was fastest in Q4 to put his Schumacher P3 on the grid. In the finals, late errors from Donnelly handed Orlowski the A1 win and Rivkin the win in A2. With it all to play for in A3, the 20-year-old’s third attempt would not only be his best but the fastest of all three to give him the overall win on tiebreak with Rivkin while Orlowski completed the podium. Sunday’s 4WD action would again see Donnelly, the reigning Australian National Champion, secure pole with two TQ runs. Behind him would be another of his AE team-mates with Marcus Kaerup lining up P2, the Dane topping Q4. Taking Q2, Rivkin made it an all Associated Top 3 with Q5 winner Daniel Kobbevik best of the rest putting his Schumacher P4 ahead of team-mate Orlowski. In A1 after a good battle, it was Kaerup who came away with the win over Donnelly. In A2 the duo again battled hard until contact, Rivkin the benefactor to take the win from the Xray of Chase Lemieux with Kobbevik third ahead of Donnelly. With things wide open in A3, again Donnelly saved the best for last winning the encounter with fastest time to once more deny Rivkin on the tiebreak. Lemieux secured the final step on the podium with Kobbevik and Kaerup rounding out the Top 5.

Image: RC Race Media [Facebook]

April 6, 2025

Hamon is Victorian State Champion

RC Maker’s Jeff Hamon enjoyed the perfect first race on home soil with the SP1 by becoming Victorian State Champion over the weekend. Joining RC Maker from Serpent for the 2025 season, the Australian made his debut with Ryan Maker’s electric touring car at the TITC in Thailand earlier this year. Racing at the South Eastern Radio Control Car Club hosted State titles, the event attracting 103 entries, Hamon would top the times in 4 of the 5 qualifiers to secure the overall TQ ahead of the Schumacher of current Australian National Champion Simon Nicolson. The fifth & final qualifier would also go to an SP1, this time in the hands of Damon Davis-Perry who would line up P3. Winning A1 by a 2-second margin over Nicolson, Hamon won A2 by almost 10-seconds over Davis-Perry to take the title while a tiebreak between for second overall went in favour of Nicolson with Davis-Perry completing the podium. In the 13.5 Stock title, it was also a win for RC Maker with Lincoln Codd taking the TQ and win.

Image: Jeff Hamon [Facebook]

April 2, 2025

RC Bike World Championship 2025 – Announcement

For the first time since its inception back in 2004, the RC Bike World Championship’s will be held outside of Europe with Australia hosting the 19th running of the Championship in 2025. Riders will decent on the city of Brisbane for the main event from August 3-9th with Queensland Radio Circuit Car Racing Association also hosting a Pre Worlds event at England Park Raceway from May 18-24th. With the World Championship organisation being headed up Australian RC Bike Specialist Holeshot Hobbies, 2025 will see that addition of a new support race category for 1:4 Supermoto bikes to cater for the popular Losi Promoto and X-Rider CRS bikes. The RC Bike Worlds is a unique competition, being self governed and self managed through a group of Team managers (selected by each country). Decisions on rule changes, future locations for the events and other items related to the event and classes run are all made through a voting system via the Team managers. For the first time the event will be professionally live streamed by RC Race Media, the same people who broadcast the Asian Buggy Championships and who will bring the IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championships live to the world later this year. For Warm-up Race details click here.

Source: Holeshot Hobbies [holeshothobbies.com.au]

April 1, 2025

RC Maker SP1 V2 Bulkhead Set

RC Maker has released all new beefed up V2 Bulkheads for its SP1 1:10 Electric Touring Car platform. The updated design features 5.5mm thickness as well as increased material in essential high load areas to improve durability. Manufactured from 7075 T6 Aluminium with black anodising the set includes 1x V2 Front Left Bulkhead, 1x V2 Front Right Bulkhead, 1x V2 Rear Left Bulkhead, 1x V2 Rear Right Bulkhead with each bulkhead also available separately.

Source: RC Maker [rcmaker.com.au]