Red RC

December 12, 2008

GRP Gandini NOT sold to Chinese investor

GRP Gandini sold to Chinese investor

According to Italian newspaper ‘Il Sole 24 Ore’, engine and tire manufacturer GRP Gandini has been sold to a Chinese investor. The move follows some financial difficulties for the competition brand following bad months for sales in September and October. This led to the investment bank wanting out and so the owners, Stefano and Maurizio Gandini, were forced by the banks to sell the concern, which they started in 1994. The sale, said to be in the region of six million euros dollars, leaves the former owners no longer at the helm of the company, but both will stay on as technical advisors. It not confirmed whether the production will move to China where the paper claims production costs will be 1/3rd of that in Europe. We have contacted GRP for comment and will add their response when we get it.

UPDATE (17:52): The Gandini brothers have issued a statement (automatic translation) on an Italian forum saying they have not been sold and the whole story was a HUGE misunderstanding by the journalist who wrote the piece.

UPDATE (18:18): GRP have directly sent us a statement which is published below… content

December 12, 2008

Tim Bremicker joins Mugen Seiki

RMV Deutschland have announced that current German 1/8th scale buggy and truggy National Champion Tim Bremicker will be joining their Team in 2009. He will run an RB powered Mugen Seiki MBX-6 along with brand new Tourex racing tires and of course will also be promoting the brands at all major races as an important part of the team. Tim leaves behind a successful time at Kyosho to once again team up with Daniel Reckward who recently also moved to Mugen.

Source: RMV [rmv-deutschland.de]

December 12, 2008

Ryan Maifield dominates Fawl Brawl

Last weekend some of the fastest racers from the East Coast gathered in Myrtle Beach, SC for the 7th annual Fawl Brawl at The Badlands R/C Supercross. The track started out very slick for qualifying on Saturday, but by the final mains on Sunday the groove came in and it was the Badlands that we have come to expect. In buggy qualifying, local Losi driver and track favorite Travis Dupree showed that he would not back down easily on his home turf. Travis TQ’ed 3 out of 4 rounds using qualifying points, but during the last round of qualifying Ryan Maifield hit his tire set perfectly and went on to best Travis’s fastest run by 2 seconds as the temps dropped and the track slowed down. Brandon Melton took second for the round and Chris Pace took fourth. The last round success of the team gave great confidence going into the main as all 3 drivers were comfortably in the main with Ryan 2nd, Brandon 4th, and Chris 6th.

Continue reading… content

December 12, 2008

Kyosho Birel 1/5-scale Racing kart

Kyosho have released the Birel R31-SE, a third generation kart that sets a new standard for scale appearance and performance. This 1/5th scale chassis is a scale replica of the popular R31-SE kart used in international FIA competition, where many Formula 1 drivers got their start in racing. Featuring scale bodywork and graphics identical to that of the full-size racing kart. Its factory assembled, so with some minor prep work, the R31 is ready to go in a very short time.

Click here for more information and photos… content

December 11, 2008

HPI Buggy wing & Fuel filters

HPI Racing have released a number of new items including this durable nylon rear wing. Suitable for all 1/8th scale buggies, it has been designed to give you maximum rear traction without causing too much drag and has been molded from tough and resilient nylon to withstand the worst damage you can inflict on it. Also new is a pair of racing fuel filters. The stone type internal filter traps particulate matter, making sure you have a clean supply of fuel to the engine and no dirt harms the internals. Available in blue and subdued brown.

Click here to see the fuel filters… content

December 11, 2008

Losi 8ight Smart Differential

Losi have released a patent pending differential that knows exactly how to respond to track conditions and throttle input. Losi’s innovative custom SmartDiff design adjusts the amount of lock based on throttle position for optimum power transfer into and out of corners. The results are improved maneuverability, increased off-power steering and outstanding acceleration. The SmartDiff makes an easy, drop-in hop-up for every 8ight buggy vehicle, with versions suitable for the 8ight T also released. The SmartDiff replaces the stock diffs on the 8ight without any additional modification required and is fully assembled and ready for immediate installation.

Source: Losi [losi.com]

December 11, 2008

Cube 4600 Standard spec cells

Cube Racing has expanded their product range by releasing the cheerfully coloured Cube 4600 Standard spec series cells. Available in normal and Special edition versions, both offer great power with the latter giving just a bit more performance. Expect a Special edition Competition Racing Spec series soon.

Source: Cube Racing [cuberacing.net]

December 11, 2008

Team Orion Matrix Foam tires

Team Orion have released their Matrix made range of 1/8th scale foam tires, which have been developed by World Champion Adrien Bertin for best performance in 1/8 scale racing. These foam tires are available in 32, 35, 37 and 40 shore for both the front and rear and feature the exclusive Adjustable Rim Hardness System (ARS) and aerodynamic wheel covers.

Click more to see the fronts… content