Red RC » R Off Road

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]

May 20, 2025

Ongaro again at Round 2 of Italian Nationals

Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro made it 2 from 2 in the AMSCI Italian National Championship over the weekend taking the win at his home track, the Ongaroring. The World Champion and reigning Italian Champion topped 3 of the four rounds of qualifying to secure the TQ ahead of Kyosho pairing Marco Baruffolo, who topped Q4, and Riccardo Berton. Starting the 45-minute from pole ahead of Berton and Sworkz’s Mattia Polito after winning the faster of the Semi Finals, Ongaro would secure his second win of the 4-round championship by a lap over Berton, who suffered a DNF at Round 1. With the Top 3 finishing as they started the final, Polito claimed his second podium finish of the season having finished P2 at the season opener at River Park RC track back in March.

Image: Mattia Polito [Facebook]

May 19, 2025

Ronnefalk & Bayer win 1:10 EC Warm-up Race

The Hudy Arena played host to the Warm-up Race for the EFRA 1:10 Offroad European Championships over the weekend where Xray pairing David Ronnefalk and Martin Bayer took the wins. Also running as a round of the Hudy Series, in 2WD Buggy it was the Schumacher of defending European Champion Michal Orlowski who secured the TQ on the indoor dirt track ahead Team Associated’s Jonna Haatanen, Bayer, and Ronnefalk. In 4WD quali, former champion Bayer took the top spot from Orlowski with Xray’s Bartosz Zalewski lining up P3. In the finals, Ronnefalk would get the better of Orlowski in A1 & 2 to take the overall win, while victory in A3 gave Haatanen the runner-up spot with Orlowski having to settle for third. 4WD was also decided in A2 as Bayer won both encounters. Winning A3, Orlowski finished P2 while Zalewski completed the podium.

Image: Hudy Series [Facebook]

May 19, 2025

Double win for Canas at International Buggy Challenge

The seventh edition of the International Buggy Challenge took place in Portugal over the weekend where Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas took a double victory. With the Barcelos track in for a busy 2025 as its hosts the inaugural IFMAR 1:8 Electric Buggy World Championship and the EFRA 1:8 Nitro Buggy European Championship, this year’s IBC would also double up as the official Warm-up race for both championships. Having been forced to rescheduled the race, originally set for May 2-4, as a knock on effect of a major national power outage that effected both Portugal and Spain recently, the race attracted just over 90 racers as a number of top drivers had other race commitments. In qualifying it was Spanish youngster Adrian Pariente who took the nitro TQ ahead of his older brother Daniel after they each TQ’d a round. Canas TQ’d the opening round but ended up P6 on the grid with the Infinity of Bruni Coelho completing the Top 3. In the 45-minute final, reigning European Champion Canas would lay down the fastest lap of the race as he worked his way to the front to win by just under half a lap from Adrian. Former World Champion Robert Batlle competed the podium with his Sworkz 20-seconds behind Pariente. Local hero Joao Figueiredo would finish fourth ahead of Coelho. In eBuggy, Canas dominated topping all three qualifiers before winning all three A-Mains with Coelho and Adrian Pariente joining him on the podium.

Image: Robert Batlle [Facebook]