November 3, 2019

Contact introduce updated A foam 1/12th scale tyres

Contact’s popular “A” foam LMP12 tyres are now available on highest performance black wheels. The A foam is Contact’s most durable, affordable tyre. Perfect for racers that want to go many runs without taking the wheels off the car during weekly club racing. The wear rate of this foam is the lowest in the range, even lower than seen with “T” foam. It rarely offers the overall performance of the others, however in lower traction conditions; occasionally it is a match for the more expensive options. Suggested for use on Primafelt or CRC Black carpet, or when oily additive is in use. The front tyres are available in Double Pink 35 shore, Magenta 32 shore, and Pink 30 shore hardnesses while the rear range includes Magenta 32 shore, Pink 30 shore and Soft Pink 28 shore variants.

Source: Schumacher [racing-cars.com]


November 2, 2019

Stunning drive puts Kurzbuch in final after start-line flameout

A stunning drive has put former Champion Simon Kurzbuch in the 1:8 Onroad World Championship Final in California.  Suffering an engine flame out on the grid, the pole sitter for the second of the Semi Finals missed the start and had to be returned to the pits to be restarted as the rest of the field got underway and the general feeling of the stunned onlookers was the Swiss ace’s event was done.  Kurzbuch however defied the odds, driving at 110% he started to put himself back in contention for a bump up spot as the crowd watch on in awe.  Setting the fastest lap of the race he crossed the line in 3rd position to ensure he gets another chance to do battle with his great rival and reigning champion Dario Balestri.  Up front in the Semi Odd, Jesse Davis made the race his own, leading home fellow Australian Jeff Hamon to secure both drivers their first 1:8 Worlds Final start.  In the first of the Semi Finals, Dominic Greiner led from start to finish despite struggling with his engine with Shoki Takahata a close second and Toni Gruber third.  Unfortunately for Lamberto Collari he fell just three minutes short of making the Main Final on the 10th Anniversary of his last World title after he suffered an engine flame out. With the second Semi the faster the finals, the two drivers to book their place in the main event at the 22nd running of IFMAR Worlds would be Takaaki Shimo and Carmine Raiola.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.


November 2, 2019

Salven calls time on WC career

Michael Salven has called time on his World Championship racing career, one of nitro onroad racing’s best known figures made the announcement that having made his World Championship debut in California in 1987, that the 22nd running of the IFMAR 1:8 Worlds here in Fontana, California was the right time to take a step back from racing.  The 58 year-old German, who has enjoyed all of his professional career with Serpent, a company which was instrumental in the early development of the class, Salven bowed out of the Worlds competition here this morning at Steel City RC Speedway when he failed to finish the 1/16th finals.  Asked about his decision, he said, ‘The Pro guys turn up with everything sorted. I turned up here with three engines that still needed to be run in and it turned out none of them are very good.  I will still race, I probably have a few more Euros in me, but its important I race because as the designer of our cars I need to know what’s going on’.

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November 2, 2019

Team Associated RC8B3.1 series alloy turnbuckle ball set

Team Associated have introduced the new Factory Team aluminium turnbuckle ball set for the RC8B3.1 series of kits. The set, made from durable hard-anodised 7075 aluminium, prevents rust, which minimises corrosion and promotes smooth action of the turnbuckles. The set also results in 5g weight savings over the stock steel turnbuckle balls and it fits the RC8B3.1, RC8B3.1e, RC8T3.1, and RC8T3.1e.

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November 2, 2019

Xpress GT Competition pre-glued wheel sets

Xpress have introduced their new GT Competition pre-glued wheel sets featuring 36X or 40X tyres and white multi-spoke rims. The wheels use standard 12mm wheel hexes and 0mm offset, making them suitable for nearly all 1/10th on-road touring car chassis with the multi-spoke rim design enhancing the overall looks especially in GT and FWD classes while the 36X and 40X rubber tyres ensure exceptional traction, making the pre-glued wheels a good hand-out or control tyre.

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November 1, 2019

Matsukura blitzes rivals in Super Pole

Naoto Matsukura effectively blitzed his rivals in Super Pole needing just three laps to set the fastest lap and book his direct starting position in the final alongside Infinity team-mate and Top Qualifier Dario Balestri.  Only the second time Super Pole has been held at the 1:8 Onroad World Championships, the 2nd through 5th placed qualifiers had the opportunity to avoid racing in the Semi Finals with the process comprising of a 3-minute warm up following by 6-timed laps of which each drivers fastest was counted.  With three of the drivers participants of Super Pole in France two years ago, first up was Jesse Davis with his best attempt a 14.640.  Next to go was Dominic Greiner who was making his first 1:8 Super Pole. Timing issues however meant his run was restarted and after much deliberation between officials on how he could continue the run he was forced to start his timed run from the pit lane with just a single warm-up lap.  Despite the disruption he improved on Davis’ time by 1/10th of second.  Qualifying third overall, next up was Simon Kurzbuch who pushed Greiner off the top spot by 0.003 of a second.  Last to go and knowing what he needed to do, Matsukura duly delivered a 14.449 lap to go quicker than Kurzbuch by 0.084.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.


November 1, 2019

Balestri to defend World title as Top Qualifier

Dario Balestri will defend his 1:8 Onroad World Championship title as the Top Qualifier for tomorrow’s final at Steel City RC Speedway in California.  The Infinity driver secured his fourth consecutive World Championship TQ when he topped the sixth & final round of qualifying ahead of Simon Kurzbuch and Dominic Greiner.  With the first five qualifiers seeing 4 different drivers post TQ run, the final qualifying was a four way shoot out. Running in the second fastest heat Greiner did all he could to set the provisional TQ time while the other three contenders, Balestri, Naoto Matsukura and Kurzbuch set off in reverse order in the top heat.  The first to post a second TQ run when he topped the morning’s Q5, Matsukura would unfortunately crash out at two and half minutes, leaving the battle between Balestri and Kurzbuch, their predicted pace up on the time set by Greiner.  In the end Balestri had it under control finishing with 4/10ths on Kurzbuch. Overall Matsukura qualified 2nd followed by Kurzbuch, Greiner and Jesse Davis.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.


November 1, 2019

Matsukura first to TQ for a second time at 1:8 Worlds

After an opening day of qualifying at the 1:8 Onroad World Championships yesterday that produced four different TQ drivers, this morning Naoto Matuskura became the first driver to go fastest for a second time. Having TQ’d Q1 in cool morning conditions, the Infinity driver repeated the result on what is again a cold morning at Steel City RC Speedway.  Pursuing top seed and team-mate Dario Balestri, a slight mistake from the Italian in the final minute of 4-minute run was enough for Matsukura to move to the top where he would stay to the end.  Finishing 9/10ths ahead of Balestri who held on for another P2, the Q5 result means the honour of Top Qualifier at the 22nd running of Championship is looking like a two horse race between the defending Champion Balestri and the reigning 1:10 Champion Matsukura, although former champions Simon Kurzbuch and Dominic Greiner still have a chance.  For the round, Greiner set the third fastest time followed by JJ Wang, Jesse Davis and Kurzbuch.

Continue reading this report here or view our complete event coverage here.