Red RC » R Off Road

September 16, 2025

Haatanen becomes new German 2WD Champion

Top Finnish offroad racer Joona Haatanen is the new DMC German National Champion in 1:10 2WD Mod Buggy. Now based in Germany, having joined Ruddog Distribution earlier this year as an ambassador for the Team Associated Distributor and option parts producer, Haatanen was the the Top Qualifier at the previous 4WD Buggy Nationals but after a battle with defending Champion Joern Neumann that went to A3, he ended up third overall as Neumann claimed yet another DMC National title. With RC Cars Köngen hosting the 2WD Buggy title race it was Xray driver Moritz Lautenbach who secured the TQ ahead of Haatanen and Marcel Schneider with Neumann’s Sworkz fifth. Getting the better of Lautenbach in A1, Haatanen repeated again in A2 to clinch the title as he truly settles into his new German lifestyle. Winning A3, former German Champion Lautenbach would finish second with Schneider’s Associated completing the podium. In 2WD Stock it was Sascha Frühwirth who took the TQ and title win.

Image: Ruddog [Facebook]

September 15, 2025

Maifield does the buggy double at 2025 SikCross

Tekno RC’s Ryan Maifield did the buggy double at the 2025 SikCross over the weekend winning both Nitro Buggy and eBuggy at The Drake Raceway hosted race. A track that was saved earlier this year thanks to the intervention of RC racing’s most famous couple, Adam & Ronda Drake, SikCross made its returned to the Southern California venue with 200 entries looking to enjoy the races unique start/race format. With two 15-lap races determining the grid for the finals it was to be Kyosho drivers who came out on top – Ryan Lutz taking the eBuggy TQ with his young team-mate Phi-Long Nguyen the Top Qualifier in Nitro Buggy, Maifield ending up P2 in both categories. In the triple 30-lap each finals, Lutz would have a tough time in eBuggy, Maifield winning A1 and A3 for the overall win with Nguyen winning A2 to claim second as the Team Associated of Tyler Fenster completed the podium ahead of Lutz. In Nitro, Nguyen opened with a win ahead of Maifield but suffered a DNF in A2 as Maifield took the win and repeated again in A3. Jimmy Fishback made it a Tekno 1-2 overall with Nguyen having to settle for third as Lutz again missed the podium with fourth. Nguyen would get a win however taking the title in Nitro Truggy ahead of Fenster, Lutz and Adam Drake.

Image: Tekno RC [Facebook]

September 15, 2025

Tavernon claims Euro B title with last lap pass

Mugen Seiki driver Hugo Tavernon is the new EFRA 1:8 Offroad European B Champion, the French driver pulling off an impressive comeback drive at the Ospyteam R/C Off-Road Circuit in Italy to snatch the win from Top Qualifier Erik Lykke on the final lap. In qualifying it was the young British racer Lykke who impressed taking his Agama to the top of the times in 3 of the 4 qualifiers. Fastest in the final qualifier, Italian Dario Gabrielli would finish qualifying in P2 with his TLR ahead of Tavernon and Riccardo Masaggia. With Lykke winning his Semi final ahead of Samuele Senese and Thomas Musso with the fastest race time that would secure him pole for the Main ahead of Austrian Julius Siklodi who won the other Semi from Mirko Carrettin and Gabrielli. Racing in the same Semi as Lykke, Tavernon would suffer a DNF meaning he would have to win the Last Chance Final to progress and that is exactly what he would do. Lining up 13th & last for the title decider, over the 45-minutes Tavernon worked his way to the front and on the very last lap forced a pass on Lykke to become the 20th European B Champion. With the Top 3 all finishing on the same lap and covered by less than 3-seconds, Gabrielli completed the podium.

Image: Hugo Tavernon [Facebook]

September 12, 2025

2026 ISTC Worlds track Hongyu GDC opens in China

Not existing earlier this year when IFMAR officially announced Foshan in China as the host venue for the 2026 1:12 and ISTC World Championships, the brand new Hongyu GDC RC facility has officially opened ahead of hosting its first ever race this weekend. Under the leadership of Gavin Gwok, who created the previous GDC Indoor track located in the same city, the new facility dwarfs its predecessor and comprises of three impressive tracks. The main outdoor asphalt track, on which the 2026 ISTC World Title will be decided next April, covers an area 80m X 43m while a second but covered track, on which the next 1:12 World Champion will be decided measures 42m X 23m. Offroad is also catered for with a 50m X 26m dirt track that was built by Spanish track builder Miguelo Izquierdo Rodriguez, who created the recent eBuggy World Championship track in Barcelos Portugal. The Hongyu GDC International Science, Education & Motorsports Center, to give it its full title is one of World’s largest dedicated RC facilities. The state-of-the-art complex features comprehensive amenities including a multi-function hall, a professional RC hobby shop, a public pit area with capacity for 120 competitors, 15 private pit rooms, Race control and media rooms, a crawler course experience zone, and dedicated vehicle cleaning stations. Later this year many of the World’s top onroad racers will get to see & experience the track for the first time when it hosts the combined Asian Championships and Worlds Warm-up Race. 1:12 runs from December 5-7 with Touring Car taking place from December 12-14. Red RC is excited to be travelling to FEMCA’s Asian Championships, having attended last year’s championships at the old GDC track, and we are very much looking forward to working from the dedicated press room.

View facility images here

September 11, 2025

MIBO International 2026 – Date Announcement

With newly crowned 1:8 eBuggy World Champion Marcus Kaerup adding his name to its roll of honour earlier this year, the date for the fourth edition of MIBO International has been announced for 2026. Created by former international touring car racer Michal Bok back in 2023, the unique annual international event, that combines side by side indoor onroad and offroad racing, will take place from Feb 27-Mar 1st. Held at the Sport V Hotel in the town of Hrotovice in the Czech Republic, the race also counts Ronald Volker, Michal Orlowski, Bruno Coelho, Joern Nuemann and Bartek Zaleswki among its previous winners. With everything from the track, a restaurant, a bowling alley and hotel rooms all under one roof, the Sport V Hotel venue is always popular with visiting racers. With a capped entry limit, the relaxed schedule means plenty of time in the evening to wind down and socialise over dinner after each day’s racing. Officially a two and a half day event, the Mibosport promoted race gets underway on the Friday evening with practice allowing for travel Friday morning. For the fourth edition, the onroad track will host racing for Modified, 17.5 Stock, and FWD Touring Car plus Onroad Kids, while over on the offroad carpet track, 2WD and 4WD Buggy make up the schedule with Offroad Kids giving the next generation of young racers a chance to race on the international stage. The opening of registration for MIBO International 2026 will be announced shortly.

Source: MIBO [mibosport.com]

September 8, 2025

Ben Mohamed & Boda crowned French 1:10 Champions

Schumacher driver Noha Ben Mohamed and Team Associated’s Clément Boda are the 2025 French 1:10 Offroad National Champions. Fresh from their impressive A-Main performances at the inaugural 1:8 Electric Offroad World Championship in Barcelos, Portugal, the two drivers travelled to Grenoble to battle one another for the titles at the conclusion of the French National Championship. In 2WD it was Boda who secured the TQ ahead of Ben Mohamed after taking 4 of the 5 qualifiers. While Boda took A1, Ben Mohamed got the win in A2 meaning it came down to A3 but 20-year-old Boda would take it and the title. In 4WD it was Ben Mohamed who dominated qualifying taking all five rounds but again the finals came down to A3. Under intense pressure from Boda, Ben Mohamed would hold on to take it by 4/10ths of a second securing the 16-year-old his second win of the season and the overall title.

Image: Noha Ben Mohamed [Facebook]

September 4, 2025

’25 1:8 Elec. Offroad World C/ship Chassis Focus Index

2025 will go down in the history books as the year that IFMAR staged the inaugural 1:8 Electric Offroad World Championship with 116 drivers from around the world travelling to Portugal last week for 5 days of action at the Barcelos Buggy Arena track located in the north of the country. While 1:8 Nitro Buggy is the established blue ribbon category of offroad racing, 19 World Champions having been crowned so far, eBuggy is a hugely important market for the industry for both chassis and electronics manufacturers. Many manufacturers were very open about how eBuggy kits generate more main stream sales than nitro, all thanks to its plug & play and no mechanic required simplicity. Now the category has its first World Champion and a very worthy one at that in Danish talent Marcus Kaerup, the 17-year-old’s win bringing Team Associated’s tally of IFMAR World titles to an impressive 34!! While not achieving the same size entry as nitro, which enjoys capacity 180 entries, the first eBuggy Worlds was successfully executed and set a strong foundation for future editions, the United States the stage for the next eBuggy Worlds in 2027 (P.S. IFMAR can you please allow trackside commentary next time so everyone can experience an atmosphere that a World Championship deserves!). During our coverage, which was made possible thanks to electronics manufacturer Team Cayote, we managed to photograph buggies from 8 different manufacturers for our ‘Chassis Focus’. Interestingly, such was the desire to become the first ever 1:8 Electric Buggy World Champions, and have an edge on their rivals, two manufacturers only allowed their cars to be photographed after the event was complete on Saturday evening. With 13 drivers lining up for the triple A-Main, buggies from 7 different manufacturers added great variety with Team Associated, Xray and Sworkz sharing the honour of most cars in the final with 3 each. We have compiled the 8 buggies we got our hands on in our latest Chassis Focus Index.

View Chassis Focus Index here

September 2, 2025

Hall successfully defends both British 1:10 Offroad titles

Team Associated’s Tommy Hall has successfully defended both his 2WD and 4WD BRCA British 1:10 Buggy Championship titles, the latter coming to a thrilling conclusion at the season finale hosted by Robin Hood Raceway over the weekend. In Saturday’s 2WD action, the title already wrapped up by Hall, it was Schumacher’s Ben Smith who took the TQ and Round 6 win ahead of Hall and Neil Cragg. His first win of the season, the result helped him to claim the runner-up spot in the championship 1-point ahead of Cragg, the weekend marking the end of the former World Championship illustrious racing career. In 4WD, Hall needed to TQ and win to retain the championship and the former European Champion rose to the occasion. Winning A1 & 2 ahead of Smith to claim his third win of 2025, it was this that gave him the tie-break over Smith as they both ended the championship on 150 points – Smith with two wins, Hall with three. Getting a guard of honour from his fellow A finalists, Cragg would complete the season finale podium and claim 3rd overall as he signed off on racing having achieved the century of National Race wins earlier in the season.

Image: CML Distribution [Facebook]