October 30, 2024

Berton to run Matrix Tires

Kyosho bound Riccardo Berton will run Martix tyres as part of his new race program, the Italian manufacturer announcing the 1:8 Offroad World finalist would be joining World Champion Davide Ongaro as one of its team drivers for 2025.  Winner of this year’s Montepellier GP, the Italian had been running OGO tyres as part of his program with Infinity in 2024 and commenting on his announcement at Matrix he posted, ‘Really happy to join Matrix Racing Tires for 2025, thank you very much to Cristian and all the team! Looking forward to the start of the season!’

Source: Matrix [matrixtires.it]


October 29, 2024

Boda leaves Sworkz

After just clinching the French 1:8 eBuggy National Championship title, top French racer Clément Boda has announced that he is to part ways with his chassis sponsor Sworkz.  Joining the Taiwanese manufacturer at the beginning of 2022, Boda represented the brand in both 1:8 and 1:10 offroad, winning four national title in 1:10 with their buggies, but after 3-years has decided to move to ‘new horizons’.  On his Facebook page Boda, who just turned 20, said, ‘After 3 years with Sworkz, it’s time for me to move on to new horizons.  It’s been an emotional three years, with ups and downs, hard work, travel, good times and lots of racing. I’d especially like to thank Max Sonnleitner, Micha Widmaier, Georg Horninger, Jerome Sartel and Sébastien Mure.  You put me in good conditions from the start and throughout our partnership.  Thanks to you, these three years have been accompanied by good results and this challenge, which was really a new one for us, was, I think, taken up with great pride.  Many thanks again to the Sworkz team, I wish you all the best for the future, and look forward to seeing you on the track.’

Source: Clément Boda [Facebook]


October 28, 2024

Figueiredo wins Spanish Nationals finale

Tekno’s João Figueiredo continued his impressive 2024 season with victory at the season finale of the competitive Spanish 1:8 Buggy National Championships in Madrid.  Travelling to the Fuencarral circuit, home of the annual Buggyland race, the Portuguese National Champion was in the battle to become the Spanish Vice-Champion, victory in all three previous rounds meaning Sworkz Juan Carlos Canas had already secured the overall title.  In qualifying it was fellow Tekno driver Adrian Pariente who would secure the TQ ahead of Figueiredo but in the Semi’s it would be European B Champion David Todd who would win with the fastest time to put his Mugen Seiki on pole for the 45-minute final.  From third on the grid it wouldn’t take Figueiredo long to get to the front where he would stay to win by 11-seconds Jose Miguel Sanchez with Daniel Pariente completing the podium just ahead of Xray’s Bryan Baldo.  Joining Tekno at the start of the 2024 season and achieving his first World Championship final last month in Redovan, Spain, Figueiredo will now try to cap off his best season yet with a strong showing at the AMS Alabama Manufacturer Shootout in the US onNovember 7th-10th.

Source: João Figueiredo [Facebook]


October 28, 2024

Phend retains Masters of Dirt title

BeachRC in South Carolina hosted the 10th annual Masters of Dirt where Team Losi Racing’s Dakotah Phend was crowned the overall Champion for his combined results in 2WD & 4WD Buggy and Stadium Truck.  In qualifying, 2WD Mod Buggy would see the Schumacher of Broc Champlin secured the TQ ahead of Phend and World Champion Tater Sontag.  With single 10 minute A-Mains, Champlin was able to covert pole into victory ahead of Phend and Aydin Horne.  In 2WD Mod Truck, it was Phend who topped qualifying ahead of Horne but it in the final the Associated driver would get the lead late on and secure the win.  While Champlin would also TQ 4WD Mod Buggy ahead of Reedy’s Dustin Evans, it was Phend from P4 on the grid who would take the win from Horne to retain the Masters of Dirt ‘Master’ title which he won last year.

Image: JConcepts [Facebook]


October 27, 2024

Kato successfully defends Japanese 1:8 Buggy title

Infinity’s Kouki Kato has successfully defended his JMRCA 1:8 Offroad Japanese National title, the 18-year old winning the title race at the Futaba Buggy Track located in Ichihara, Chiba.  Joining Infinity’s offroad program in July and winning the Asian Buggy Championships Finale in Indonesia last month, Kato would put his IFB8 top in all four rounds of qualifying to secure the overall TQ.  His closest challengers would be 2022 Champion Yusuke Sugiura and 2024 1:10 4WD Buggy National Champion Yui Kaino, both drivers counting two P2 runs each to tue on points.  It would be Sugiura however who secured his direct spot into the half hour final on the tie-breaker.  Winning his 20-minute Semi Final Kaino would line up third the Main,  this being his first nitro buggy event.  While Sugiura’s Kyosho would lead in the early laps, once Kato got back to the front he was able to hold station setting the fastest lap of the race to win by 13-seconds from Sugiura.  Almost a lap down, Kaino’s Team Associated would complete the podium.

Source: Kouki Kato [Facebook]


October 26, 2024

Coelho confirmed for SIGP International Offroad GP

Having attended & won the SIGP International RC Car Grand Prix onroad event earlier this year, Bruno Coelho is to return to the impressive 3-circle ARC International RC Racing Track in Xiamen, China, to race at the SIGP International Offroad GP.  The Xray driver, who was last week confirmed for December’s ISTC FEMCA Championships in Foshan, China, with go directly from the Electric Touring Car race at GDC Indoor Race Club to race 1:8 Buggy at the return of the SIGP Offroad following its forced break due to Covid.  One of Asia’s major international offroad events pre-Covid, and counting Germany’s Joern Neumann and American Ryan Lutz as past Champions, the SIGP International Offroad Grand Prix takes place from December 11-15 with  further international entries for the 2024 edition expected shortly.

Source: Sunpadow [sunpadow.com]


October 24, 2024

Schumacher sign Evie & Hattie Tames

Schumacher has announced it is to support the careers of two up & coming female racing talents Evie and Hattie Tames.  The young British racers will use the British company’s CAT L1R 4WD and Cougar LD3 2WD buggies as part of their 1:10 Electric Offroad program which will see them competing in the BRCA 1:10 Offroad Nationals, J16, Worksop and the Silverstone Series.  Evie gained her F2 licence this year and Hattie her F2N licence.  Hattie was also the 3rd overall female at the recent EFRA European Championships in Malmo, Sweden.  Reacting to the announcement the girls said, “We are really excited to join Schumacher Racing and look forward to many great events to come. We would like to thank Muz and Robin for this great opportunity, see you all trackside soon!”

Source: Schumacher [racing-cars.com]


October 24, 2024

2024 SIGP International Offroad GP – Registration

Sunpadow, the organisers of the SIGP International Offroad Grand Prix which makes a return to the international racing calendar this year, have announced that registration will open on November 1st at www.arc-chn.com .  Counting Germany’s Joern Neumann and American Ryan Lutz as past Champions, the SIGP International Offroad Grand Prix takes place at the 3-circle ARC International RC Racing Track in Xiamen, China, from December 11-15.  The same venue that hosted the 2017 IFMAR 1:10 Electric Offroad World Championships, the race schedule will be made up of 5 classes including racing for 1:4 offroad bikes. With the main action expected in 1:8 Nitro Buggy and 1:8 eBuggy, a number of international drivers are expected to be announced shortly to battle it out for some of the SIGP’s total prize money of almost $25,000.  Race enquiries can be directed to yifengl@3-circles.com .

Source: Sunpadow [sunpadow.com]