Having updated their 1:8 GT platform in May for the first time since the 2024 model, Xray has added this 1 Dot 3mm Carbon Steering Block Plate as a tuning option for the GTX. The revised ackermann geometry allows maximum steering angle and is designed to increase steering angle of the outside wheel, generating increased overall steering. The more linear steering characteristic provides more aggressive steering and improved front-end response.
After a disappointing Round 5 at Adur and European Championship in France, Shepherd’s Tim Wood bounced back to take the Round 6 win of the BRCA British National 1:8 Onroad Championship at Wombwell over the weekend. In qualifying, 25-drivers making up the 1:8 Nitro class, it was Wood who would secure the TQ being the only one to manage a 15-lap run around the 50-year-old track over the 4 rounds of qualifying. Behind him Andrew Hasting would secured second on the grid ahead of David Spashett and Karl Dransfield. In the half hour final, setting the fastest lap Wood would dominate from the front to claim his 4 win of the season. Spashett and Round 5 winner Craig Hook would complete the all Shepherd podium with Hastings dropping to fourth. The penultimate round of the 8 round championship will see racers return to Halifax on September 5/6th where it was reigning Champion Alex Thurston who won the the season opener.
Image: Shepherd Micro Racing [Facebook]
Adding to its world famous set-up system range, Hudy has introduced these Aluminium set-up wheels designed for precise and repeatable tweak adjustment on 1:10 Pan Car chassis. The rigid aluminium construction eliminates inaccuracies caused by rubber or foam tires, allowing accurate chassis balance checks. Foam tyres used on pan cars can vary significantly in diameter after each run, making reliable tweak measurement difficult. Aluminium set-up wheels eliminate these inconsistencies and allow precise chassis balance checks. With a 61.7mm diameter and featuring a machined in wheel weight, each wheel is CNC-machined to exact tolerances and perfectly matched within the set for maximum setup precision.
New from Ielasi Tuned come these Team Editions of its GT and Pista .21 engines. The Pista Team is an upgrade from the previous version while the Gran Turismo Team comes fresh after its European title win in Portugal with Andrea Catanzani. The Gran Turismo Team is a new addition to the range as there was no Team version of this engine until now and will join to the standard Gran Turismo currently on sale. The engine will also feature a HD-treated crankcase, a new crankcase cap, Ielasi Tuned top needle, WIB ceramic bearing, a 7mm Short Venturi, a new exclusive Ielasi Tuned underhead, and a new cooling head with more heat dissipation material and one more fin than the standard version. The new Pista Team differs from the previous version mainly in the HD-treated crankcase, the new crankcase cap, and the different exhaust timing using a shim under the cylinder already included. Being the top-of-the-range version, the engine will always include the WIB ceramic main bearing, the Ielasi Tuned’s reinforced connecting rod, and Short 9mm V2 venturi. Pre-orders for the new engines are open with both units due to go on sale from September 14th.
Following speculation on the future of Mugen Seiki’s 1:10 Electric Touring Car Program following the mid season departure of star driver Ronald Volker last week to RC Maker and designer Robert Piesch at the end of the 2025 season, the Japanese manufacturer has issued a statement to clarify it has no intentions of ‘discontinuing or downsizing’ the project. On the Mugen Seiki Europe Facebook page they posted, ‘Following the recent announcement regarding Ronald Völker’s departure, we have received a number of questions and speculations concerning the future of Mugen Seiki’s 1/10 touring car program. We would therefore like to make our position clear: Mugen Seiki has absolutely no intention of discontinuing or downsizing its 1/10 touring car program. Team changes among professional drivers are a common occurrence in this sport and are not unusual. The MTC3 platform continues to be developed by the team, and our commitment to the project remains unchanged. While we wish Ronald every success in the next chapter of his career, we will remain fully committed to the continued development and success of the MTC3 platform. We sincerely appreciate the continued support and trust of our customers, partners, and racing community.
Source: Mugen Seiki Europe [Facebook]
IFMAR has published the Stage 2 report for the 2026 ISTC World Championships which take place at Huge RC in Bangkok, Thailand, from November 8-14th. Since the the Stage 1 report, the main updates are the details of the recently announced official tyres from Hudy. Using the A2-40 tyre, a maximum of 20 sets of tyres can be bought of which 12 sets must be marked for the actual race event covering from controlled practice until the finals. Stage 2 also confirms Mighty Gripper V3 Yellow as the controlled tyre additive with Ichinen brake cleaner the controlled tyre cleaner for the event. Both items will be supplied in tyre preparation area. Another small change is that IFMAR President Eric Anderson will now fill the role Technical Director. A unique track for the 13th running of the ISTC World Championships, the track owned by 2002 ISTC World Champion Surikarn Chaidajsuriya a roof covered asphalt circuit, the official Worlds Warm Up Race, which runs as part of the Hudy Series Thailand event, takes place August 29-30. The first cars will hit the track at the Worlds on November 8 with two days of IPD after which the track layout will be changes for the official open practice on November 11th. View the full Stage 2 report here.
Source: IFMAR [ifmar.org]
Over a decade after winning his first Euro Nitro Series Championship title, Infinity’s Jilles Groskamp has claimed the 2026 Nitro Touring Car title with his third consecutive win of the season today in Austria. With Round 3 of the championship’s 4-race calendar taking place at the MAV Aigen-Schlägl track, the reigning World Champion secured the TQ as his took his Ielasi Tuned powered IF15 to the fastest time in 3 of the 4 qualifiers, a perfect start to his new engine sponsorship deal with Daniele Ielasi’s engine brand. Topping the fourth & final qualifier, 2025 Champion Jakub Rozycki would line up second for Capricorn with 2024 Champion Melvin Diekmann securing P3 ahead of reigning 1:8 ENS Champion Toni Gruber. In the 12 car 45-minute A-Main, from the front the veteran Dutch racer dominated the final taking an emotional win by a lap over Diekmann. A strong race from Carmine Raiola, who qualified his infinity in P8, would see the Italian complete the podium just ahead of Rozycki, the Polish driver setting the fastest lap of the race. In 1:8 it was Dario Balestri who took the win ahead of Top Qualifier Simon Kurzbuch. Kurzbuch put his Mugen Seki on pole for the final ahead of the Infinity driver but 7-laps into the race the Swiss racer flipped his car over the curbing handing the lead to the 2-time World Champion who would stay there for the remaining 43-minutes for his second win of the season – the Italian the winner of the season opener in Germany. Winner of the Dutch round of the Championship, Kurzbuch would finish second half a lap down while 3rd place qualifier Marco Weigerding completed the podium for Serpent.
Image: Infinity [Facebook]
This year the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix will celebrate the race’s 20th anniversary in style with the action taking place on the newly resurfaced RCMC track. Scheduled for October 10-11, the same weekend as the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, hosts Radio Control Modellers’ Club has announced that registration is now open for the race which is once again proudly supported by World Champion manufacturer Infinity. The country’s only permanent track, the event will see racing for 1:8 Onroad, 1:8 Nitro GT, and 1:10 Nitro Touring Car. Over the two decades of hosting the race, the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix has welcomed numerous World Champions including reigning 1:10 Nitro Touring World Champion Jilles Groskamp, two time 1:8 Onroad World Champion Dario Balestri, multiple World Champion Naoto Matsukura, reigning 3-time ISTC World Champion Bruno Coelho and nitro onroad legend Lamberto Collari.
Source: RCMC Singapore [Facebook]
