Red RC

October 24, 2022

Rivkin is ‘Master of Dirt’

The 8th annual Trinity Masters of Dirt took place over the weekend with Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin being crowned the overall ‘Master of Dirt’. Held at Beach RC & Hobbies in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the race sees driver race over three classes for the ‘Master’ title. The reigning 2WD Buggy World Champion completed a clean sweep of 2WD Mod Buggy securing both the TQ & win which combined with 2nd in Mod Truck and 3rd in 4WD Buggy crowned him the Modified division ‘Master of Dirt’. In Mod Truck it was Associated’s Dustin Evans who took the win while Dakotah Phend took the 4WD Buggy win ahead of Aydin Horne. In the Stock division it was Team Losi Racing’s Brennan Schimmel won was the ‘Master of Dirt’.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

October 24, 2022

Coelho wins as Essex Winter Series returns

The opening round of the popular Essex Winter Series took place over the weekend with newly crowned World Champion Bruno Coelho taking the win. A series that has attracted some of the biggest names in Electric Touring to the UK in the past, after its forced Covid break it was the Xray team who were the star entries as the indoor carpet series made its return – Martin Hudy and Francesco Martini also making the trip. Topping all four qualifiers, Coelho would secure the TQ ahead of newly crowned British Champion & Xray team-mate Kyle Branson. Capricorn’s Alex Thurston complete the Top 3 on the grid ahead of Schumacher’s Andy Murray who won the battle of the car designers as Hudy secured fifth. In the single leg final, Coelho took an easy win with over 3-seconds of an advantage over Branson with British 1:8 Nitro Champion Thurston completing the podium. In Stock, Xray’s Zak Finlay took the win from the Schumacher of Billy Fletcher.

Image: Kyle Branson [Facebook]

October 24, 2022

Sobue crowned JMRCA All-Japan Champion

Akio Sobue is the new Japanese Touring Car National Champion. Last held in 2019, Naoto Matsukura taking the win on that occasion, the JMRCA All-Japan Championships returned following Covid at the Greenpark Speedway in Hanno City. In qualifying, Sobue would take the opening three of four qualifiers to secure the TQ ahead of factory Yokomo driver Souta Goto who topped Q4. Next up where the Infinity pairing of Ryosuke Yamamoto and former champion Jin Sawada. The Top 5 in qualifying was completed by Sobue’s Axon team-mate and World Finalist Hayato Ishioka. In the finals, Sobue took A1 but an early incident in A2 left the World Championship podium finisher with a fourth as Yamamoto took the win. For A3 it was back to business for Sobue as he set the fastest lap to win by 1-second and with it claim the JMCRA title for a third time (2015, 2017). The podium was completed by Yamamoto and Goto.

Source: Axon [team-axon.com]

October 23, 2022

MXLR Carbon Charger Stand

MXLR has released a ‘First Edition’ Carbon Charger Stand. With limited pit space it is important to have everything as organised as possible on your pit table to maintain enough space for wrenching on your cars. Usually the charging equipment takes the most space on the table. The “First Edition MXLR Carbon Charger Stand helps with saving space and frees up more room in your pits. Made in Germany it has the full ‘Pro’ look as its made from carbon and aluminium only! The design offers multiple possibilities for the placement of your charging equipment. The top plate has perfect sized holes in the front area to allow XT60 and 4/5mm banana plugs go through, as well as bigger sized holes in the rear for XT90 and other bigger plug types. As a finishing touch an engraved “MXLR First Edition” alloy badge in the top plate.

View dimensions and more images here

October 23, 2022

Kurzbuch announces Team Shepherd departure

Former 1:8 Onroad World Champion Simon Kurzbuch has announced his departure from Team Shepherd. The Swiss driver leaves the German chassis manufacturer after representing the brand at the top of the sport for 12 years. In 2015, Kurzbuch & Shepherd achieved the ultimate prize in the sport when he was crowned World Champion in Brazil. Other highlights of the partnership include the 2018 European Championship and a string of titles during the height of the Euro Nitro Series. Announcing he will leave Shepherd on social media, he said, ‘It all started 2010 with the club race at our home track. I drove the first time my Shepherd Velox, it was so exciting. Today it ends, with the club race at my home track I’m so excited for the “last dance” with my Shepherd Velox! But it’s much more. Almost half of my life I’ve been going through a crazy adventure and I’m so f##king thankful for every single moment! Thanks to the whole Schäfer family and PiccoBello, Beat and Käthi, who brought me on this way to meet so many people (Sorry to not name you all but you are in my heart!), winning every possible title in this category – I have tears in my eyes because it was so great and we will always remember it – forever ever! Every End is a beginning of something new – cant wait to tell you more about!’ An official announcement on his new team is expected in 2-weeks time.

Source: Simon Kurzbuch [facebook.com]

October 22, 2022

Bittydesign VPR 1:10 Street Drag racing body

Bittydesign has released the ‘VPR’ 1:10 Street Drag racing body shell. The Italian company say the project was born from the desire to create an extraordinary product developed specifically for drag races, “No Prep Street” category. Made with 1mm thick high quality polycarbonate Lexan, the body shell was designed on Team Associated’s DR10 chassis but can also be mounted on Losi 22S chassis No Prep Drag, Traxxas Slash 2wd Drag Car & Traxxas Drag Slash 1:10. Making reference to one of the most iconic American supercar ever made, during the design Bittydesign produced a few parts that complete the racing look of the VPR and aid in performance. The included rear ‘drag racing’ spoiler extension improves and “cleans” the air turbulence generated in the rear. They also offer an optional large GT rear wing to reproduce the exact style of the 1:1 scale GT car.

View more ‘GT’ style and more images here

October 22, 2022

JConcepts Slam-Tech inserts

The new Slam-Tech inserts by JConcepts are a new light-weight alternative for RC monster truck racing. Tyre inserts can be just as important as a performance tyre, and in many instances, proves to assist handling in the most difficult conditions. From a competitive standpoint, jump landings are extremely important, but perhaps most important in the monster truck community where the slightest advantage can produce a huge victory in a single racing pass. In testing, using a hard, closed cell type material in the tyres creates smoother rolling speed, more balance in the tyre and helps minimise rebound in the tyres off jump landings. The Slam-Tech is a new generation of insert with molded exclusive materials with radial details found on off-road racing inserts. Traditional open cell inserts weigh ~38gms each, while the Slam-Tech inserts weigh in at ~24gms each. This lowers the rotating weight of any RC monster truck by a considerable amount thus providing more acceleration, better in-air control, less un-sprung weight, and less overall weight. The inserts are compatible with JConcepts tyres such as the 2.6” Renegades, Knobs, Launch, Racer, and Runner.

Source: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

October 22, 2022

JConcepts Firestorm Racer/Runner Monster Truck tyres

JConcepts have added two new tyres to their Monster Truck range. The ‘Racer’ tyre is a twist and a turn off the popular Firestorm tire providing a new cutting-edge option. In the past, the only way to modify scale monster truck tires was to slice and cut by knife, taking up to as much as 40 hours per tire. The JConcepts Racer tire has those trimmed sections built into the RC tire pattern featuring crisply “chiseled” carcass removal and heavily back-cut lugs. The sidewalls have been chamfered, removing overhung tread to provide a light-weight design capable of driving through high-traction turns with a freeness that helps quicken the rotation. The tyres are crew-cut to maintain performance in all the right areas while maintaining low-profile with a wide-body base. The ‘Runner’ tyre has a completely lowered lug to create the low-profile stance making it desirable on the racing scene. The lugs have a front and rear edge so they can dig in both directions without throwing too much free dirt.

View Runner tyre here