Red RC » Racing

March 18, 2024

Boots takes 25th anniversary Dirt Nitro Challenge win

A landmark year for World renowned track builder Joey Christensen’s signature event, it was Sworkz Elliott Boots who took the big win at the 25th anniversary of the legendary Dirt Nitro Challenge. In Nitro Buggy qualifying it was the British driver who secured the TQ in Perris, California, despite not topping a round with a second and a third fastest times enough to top the ranking after the three rounds from Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin. Having topped the opening qualifier Frankie Contreras Jr. completed the Top 3 for Mugen. The other two qualifying rounds would go to Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz and Tekno’s Ryan Maifield who was chasing his fourth consecutive DNC title having won in 2023, 2022 and 2021. From the front of the 15-car grid, Boots would take control of the 45-minute encounter eventually winning by 10-seconds from the Xray of 2020 Champion David Ronnefalk with TLR’s Dakotah Phend completing the podium. For Sworkz there was double celebrations at the event with Juan Carlo Canas taking the eBuggy win from Rivkin after Top Qualifier Ronnefalk retired. While Maifield’s run of buggy wins came to an end, finishing the final in 10th, the American didn’t leave the DNC empty handed as he crowned Truggy Champion ahead of Phend and Boots.

Image: TheDirt Racing [Facebook]

March 15, 2024

T-Works RC8 B4.1 Carbon Shock Towers

More new parts from T-Works for Team Associated’s newly released RC8 B4.1 1:8 Buggy are these carbon fibre front and rear shock towers. The front tower, which comes complete with short hard coated aluminium standoffs, is machined from 5mm carbon fibre while the rear tower is produced using 4mm material. The towers are a direct replacement for the aluminium front and rear shock towers that come standard in the RC8 B4.1 kit.

View front tower here

March 14, 2024

Kato joins O.S Engines

Promising Japanese onroad and offroad talent Kouki Kato has been announced as a O.S Engines supported driver for 2024. The 17-year-old Japanese driver has put in some very impressive international results recently including making the Final on his debut at the 1:8 Onroad World Championship last November, after TQ’ing the final round of qualifying, and making the A-Main at the ultra competitive TITC electric touring car race in Thailand earlier this month. The reigning Japanese 1:8 Offroad Champion, he is also the double 1:10 Offroad National Champion, and his Team Associated Offroad and Infinity Onroad nitro programmes will be powered by O.S. Speed engines and Nitro Fuel.

Source: O.S. Engines [os-engines.co.jp]

March 14, 2024

Matrix announced as 1:8 Onroad European C/ship tyre

Italian tyre manufacturer Matrix has been announced as the official tyre supplier for this year’s EFRA 1:8 Onroad European Championship. The 22nd running of the Championship, the category an evolution of the European Federation’s original European Championship, reigning World Champion Dario Balestri will aim to defend his European title on September 18-21 when the championship is hosted at the Miniautodromo Locorotondo track in Southern Italy. Infinity driver Balestri secured his third 1:8 Onroad European title in Portugal last year ahead of Mugen’s Simon Kurzbuch and the Capricorn of Top Qualifier & 1:10 European Champion Toni Gruber. Miniautodromo Locorotondo peviously hosted the Championship in 2010 where Robert Pietsch took the victory for Mugen ahead of Balestri, then driving for Motonica, and the Kyosho of Lamberto Collari.

Source: Miniautodromo Locorotondo [Facebook]

March 13, 2024

Neumann to lead Sworkz effort at Philippine Masters

Having won the Truggy title at the Philippine Masters last year with Micha Widmaier, Sworkz will be pinning their hopes on Joern Neumann this year at what has become Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race. With Widmaier also finishing runner-up to World Champion Davide Ongaro in the 1-hour Buggy Final, this will be Neumann’s first time to the very 3D Circulo Verde offroad track in the capital city of Manila. The German joins Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz and Sparko’s Ryan Pavidis as the latest international entry for what will be the 12th edition of the race. A race that has a unique vibe that lives up to the nation’s tourism tagline ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’, many of the large international entry combining the race with holidays at the country’s world famous white sand beaches, on the news of his entry Neumann said, “Finally the Philippine Masters fits in my schedule and I am looking forward to racing at this beautiful track. Super excited to meet everyone and it should be a fun race.” The Philippine Masters is the second round of the ambitious Asian Buggy Championship which having already visited New Zealand will also have rounds in Australia and Indonesia.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]

March 13, 2024

RC Doctors IF18-III brass battery trays

Greek company RC Doctors has released two brass battery trays for Infinity’s latest 1:8 Onroad chassis, the IF8-III. Available in a 50gram and 60gram option, the trays are machined from 2.0mm and 2.5mm thick brass respectively offering different setup choices for different track conditions.

View more images here

March 12, 2024

Team Associated RC10B74.2 ‘Champions Edition’

New from Team Associated is the ‘Champions Edition’ of their 1:10 4WD RC10B74.2 Team Kit. The B74 platform is the current IFMAR World Champion, European Champion, Australian Champion, British Champion, and more! Successfully competing at the highest level world-wide has given us the insight needed to push the B74 platform a bit more. With the addition of Factory Team items and setups, the new B74.2 and B74.2D Champions Edition kits are ready to add to the list of accolades! The Champions Edition retains key features from its predecessor. The RC10B74.2 molded gearboxes front and rear lower the centre of gravity by removing weight from high points of the car. The latest 13mm big bore shock technology from Team Associated keeps the RC10B74.2 at the highest level in jump and bump handling performance. The gull wing front suspension arms and the LTC gear sets for the differentials make the RC10B74.2 platform easier and more predictable to drive on any track condition.

View more images here

March 12, 2024

Andy Bishop wins Large Scale Pre-Worlds

This year’s IFMAR Large Scale World Championship hosts New South Wales Radio Controlled Racing Car Club held their Pre-Worlds Race over the weekend where it was the MCD chassis of Andy Bishop that took the win. Having hosted a hugely successful IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship in October, this year the John Grant International Raceway in Sydney, Australia, will be that battle ground for the 12th running of RC Racing’s biggest scale World Championship category on October 20th to 27th. Due to the location of this year’s championship with many of its top drivers coming from Europe, the Pre-Worlds Race was dominated by local racers and in qualifying it was Mectech driver Andrew Shapland who took the overall TQ ahead of Bishop. Having had engine issues in qualifying an overnight engine rebuild for the final qualifier allowed Shapland to post the fastest run of the 6-rounds to take pole for the final. Incurring a penalty for the engine rebuild, he would have to serve an early Stop & Go in the race. In the half hour Semi Finals there were wins for Ben Dunn and Craig Hawkins who would line-up 3rd and 4th respectively for the 1-hour main event. While Shapland lead away until he served his Stop & Go, as he tried to chase back down Bishop his tyres suffered allowing Bishop to take a convincing win. With track records being broken throughout the event, Shapland’s efforts in the final would see him leave as the new lap record holder with a 19.944 fastest lap. The Mecatech of Mike Davis would complete the podium.

Image: NSWRCRCC [nswrcrcc.org.au]