Red RC » R Off Road

June 2, 2025

Berton wins 25th edition of Kyosho Masters

Riccardo Berton took the Nitro Buggy win at the Kyosho Masters, this year’s event marking the 25th anniversary of the iconic Japanese manufacturer’s flagship annual event. With almost 200 Kyosho drivers plus JQ making the trip to the RC94 track in France, where they got to see the new MP11 Prototype in person, in Elite qualifying it was Berton who took the TQ ahead of Reno Savoya, Marco Baruffolo and Phi-Long Nguyen. With Berton and Savoya winning their respective Semi Finals, it was the 3-time European Champion who would line up on pole on home soil. With Berton starting P2, American Ryan Lutz, only 12th after qualifier, had a great Semi Final to secure P3 on the grid ahead Baruffolo and 13-year-old Nguyen. Over the 45-minute final, Berton set the fastest lap of the race to win by 2-laps over last weekend’s Kyosho Italia Meeting winner Baruffolo. With second through 5th all finishing on the same lap, back to back FEMCA 1:8 Offroad Champion Nguyen claimed the final podium step just ahead of Savoya with Lutz in fifth. In eBuggy it was Savoya who took the TQ and win ahead of Italian duo Berton and Baruffolo.

Image: Riccardo Berton [Facebook]

May 27, 2025

Canas wins Round 2 of Spanish Championship

Round 2 of the AECAR Spanish 1:8 Nitro Buggy Championship took place at La Masia Raceway in Girona where Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas took the win. Having missed the season opener due to racing at the Silverstate in the US, defending Champion Canas secured the TQ after topping 2 of the 5 qualifiers. Behind him a very on form 6mik team driver Adrian Pariente ended qualifying P2 ahead of the Mugen Seiki of Round 1 race winner David Todd. Winning the faster of the Semi finals from Oscar Baldo, his brother Bryan winning the second encounter to start P2, Canas took the pole for the 45-minute Main. An an impressive drive by Pariente would keep European Champion Canas honest the entire final the No.3 starter only 2-seconds behind at the finish. Unable to match the hot pace of the Top 2, the Xray of Bryan Baldo, who was runner up at the season opener, completed the podium just ahead of Robert Batlle’s Sworkz, the former World Champion report a number of mechanical issues. Having ran as high as 3rd position Todd would finish 7th.

Image: Adrian Pariente [Facebook]

May 27, 2025

Phend wins ‘The Dirt’ Lonestar Challenge

Over the Memorial weekend in the US, expected 2026 IFMAR 1:8 Offroad World Championship venue Thornhill RC Raceway in Hutto, Texas played host to ‘The Dirt’ Lonestar Challenge where Xray’s Dakotah Phend took the Nitro Buggy win. After 3 rounds of qualifying, 2 to count, it was Tekno’s Seth VanDalen who claimed the TQ honours from Phend, Ryan Maifield and 2025 Silver State dominator Mason Fuller. While VanDalen lead for the first 15-minutes, having already taken the Nitro Truggy win once Phend hit the front he stayed there to win by almost a full lap over the pole sitter while Maifield, winner of eBuggy, completed the podium with his Tekno. Fuller would finish 4th after a close finish with Xray’s Chase Lemieux who round out the Top 5 just 0.893 of a second back.

Image: Tekno RC [Facebook]

May 27, 2025

Holdsworth & Smith win at Scotty Ernst UK Showdown

Famed British astro track Robin Hood Raceway played host to the Scotty Ernst UK Showdown over the UK Bank Holiday weekend where Schumacher’s Luke Holdsworth and Ben Smith took the big wins. With 2WD action first up it was it was Luke Holdsworth who secured the TQ as he topped 2 of the four rounds. Tied for second with one TQ run each was Smith and the other of the Holdsworth brothers Josh, however with the faster time 2024 2WD winner Smith denied the brothers a 1-2 on the grid. In the finals, A1 would see a Holdsworth 1-2 as Luke got by Smith, however Smith got the better of them both in A2 meaning it was all to play for in A3. Taking a 4-seconds win over Josh, a mistake on lap 2 ending Smith’s challenge, it was a 1-2 overall for the brothers with Smith completing the podium. Moving onto 4WD, the battle between Smith and the brothers continued. While Luke opened and closed with TQ runs, taking Q2 & 3 with a faster time it was Smith who was the Top Qualifier. Winning the opening two encounters just ahead of third place qualifier Josh, Smith took the overall victory, while Josh completed a podium that was a complete reverse of 2WD.

Image: Scotty Ernst UK Showdown

May 26, 2025

Bermudez wins Round 2 of French Championship

Xray’s Remy Bermudez took the win at the second round of the French FFVRC 1:8 Nitro Offroad National Championship which was hosted by the Savoie Auto Model Club. In qualifying it was Team Associated’s Clement Boda who secured the TQ honours after the four rounds with Bermudez second ahead of Hugo Tavernon, Rayan Medjoubi and Noha Ben Mohamed. Winning his Semi final ahead of Tavernon in the fastest time, Boda would start on pole from Medjoubi who won the other Semi ahead of Bermudez, the defending French Champion lining up P3. In the 45-minute final, while Boda posted the fastest lap he would make a poor tyre choice, and Bermudez got to the front to take the victory by a 5-second margin. A lap down on Bermudez, Medjoubi’s HB Racing buggy completed the podium ahead of the Sparko of young Ben Mohamed.

Image: Remy Bermudez [Facebook]

May 26, 2025

Baruffolo wins 23rd edition of Kyosho Italia Meeting

Celebrating its 23rd edition, the Kyosho Italia Meeting saw Marco Baruffolo do the double as he won both nitro and eBuggy from his international factory team mates at the Pista Offroad Campogalliano track in the north of the country. In qualifying it was Frenchman Reno Savoya who took the TQ for the 45-minute final ahead of Baruffolo and Riccardo Berton. In eBuggy pole position went to Baruffolo as he topped all three qualifying rounds with Savoya P2 as Berton again made up the Top 3. Converting his pole position into victory in eBuggy with A1 and A2 wins, the podium would be the same order as the Top 3 started. In the Nitro final, setting the fastest lap of the race Baruffolo took the win by 2-laps from Berton as a communication problem put Savoya’s refuelling strategy out of sync dropping the multiple European Champion to 3rd. Next weekend all three drivers will get to battle it out again at the Japanese manufacturer’s flagship 25th annual Kyosho Masters at Robot Club 94 in France where they will also be joined by US team drivers Ryan Lutz and now Phi-Long Nguyen.

Image: Pista Offroad Campogalliano [Facebook]

May 23, 2025

Kee to lead FEMCA as Reid calls time on 20-year contribution to racing in Asia

FEMCA, the governing body that represents 15 nations in Asia and Australasia, has announced that Leonard Kee will now head up the federation as Trevor Reid officially calls time on his 20-year contribution to RC racing in the region and around the world. Having held the post of Vice-President, Malaysian Kee has been very active over the last few years with FEMCA events as well as shaping the future of FEMCA including the recently announced rebranding of its title races to Asian Championships. From New Zealand, Reid made the official announcement of his replacement in a letter titled ‘Changing of the guard’. Having got to know Trevor over our many years of covering IFMAR World Championships, and had the pleasure of catching up with him again recently at the opening round of the Asian Buggy Championships in his home country, one thing that always stood out to use was his commitment to the role and his willingness to fight for what was best for the racing and the racers, battles unfortunately he didn’t always win. As the new FEMCA President Kee’s first big event in the role will be the highly anticipated 1:10 Offroad World Championships in Sydney, Australia, later this year. Adding to the official announcement, Kee expressed his appreciation of Reid’s work with a statement in which he said the Kiwi was always “Tirelessly working with the various associations and manufacturers in the goal of bringing the Hobby from recreation to a sport”.

Read full announcement and statement here

May 20, 2025

2 from 2 for Boots in British Championship

Sworkz/Reds Racing factory driver Elliott Boots maintained his perfect start to his BRCA British 1:8 Nitro Buggy Championship title defence with another win at Round 2 which was hosted at a sunny Brookthorpe track. Taking maximum points at the season opener at Herts last month, Boots again ticked all the boxes at the second stop on the 5 race schedule securing the TQ and the win. In qualifying he took the TQ on tie break with the Mugen Seiki of Dom Nunn, both drivers topping two rounds each. Having set the pace in the opening qualifier, the Xray of Jonny Skidmore, who was runner-up to boots at Round 1, would qualify third. Winning his Semi Final to line-up on pole in the 14 car 45-minute final, from there Boots went on to win by 3/4 of a lap over the Agama of junior racer Erik Lykke. Having started P2, unfortunately Jonny Skidmore’s race lasted less than 5-minutes after he collided with another buggy travelling backwards down the straight. Team-mate Lee Martin, who started P7, would complete the podium.

Image: Elliott Boots [Facebook]