Red RC » R Off Road

June 9, 2024

Ongaro regains 1:8 eBuggy European title

Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro has regained the title he last held in 2019 with victory today in France at the EFRA 1:8 Electric Buggy European Championship. The Nitro Buggy World Champion took the TQ at the home to the Montpellier GP and from the front was the class of the field in the triple A-Main title deciders. Leading away the 13-buggy grid ahead of Tekno’s João Figueiredo it would be the Sworks of current 1:8 Nitro Buggy European Champion Juan Carlos Canas would be the Italian’s closest challenger but Ongaro was never under any serious threat. Wrapping up the title in A2 this allowing Ongaro to sit out A3 which was duly won by Canas to secure the runner-up spot. Qualifying P6, Xray’s Bruno Coelho would have a good A3 taking P2 to secure the final step on the podium ahead of team-mate French teenager Noha Ben Mohamed. Fifth would go to Mugen Seiki’s Berkan Kilic with Figueiredo rounding out the Top 6.

Image: EFRA [Facebook]

June 8, 2024

Ongaro Top Qualifier at 1:8 eBuggy European C/ships

Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro is the Top Qualifier at the EFRA 1:8 Electric Buggy European Championship in France. Racing at the famous Circuit du MBM, home to the Montpellier GP, the Italian topped three of the qualifiers to take the TQ honours ahead of the Tekno of Portugal’s João Figueiredo who was fastest in Q3. French teenager & Xray driver Noha Ben Mohamed would complete the Top 3 for qualifying ahead of reigning European Nitro Champion & 2022 Electric Champion Juan Carlos Canas, the Sworkz drivers best run a P3 in Q3. With reigning eBuggy Champion Michal Orlowski racing at the ETS in the Netherlands this weekend, where he has secured a dominant TQ, a new Champion is set to be crowned in France tomorrow, with Ongaro looking strongly poised to retake the time won in 2019.

Image: EFRA [Facebook]

May 28, 2024

Wins for Smith & Orlowski at Scotty Ernst UK Showdown

With it a Bank Holiday weekend in the UK, Scotty Ernst took his UK Showdown to the famed Robin Hood Raceway where Schumacher pairing Ben Smith and Michal Orlowski took the two big wins. The second year of the event, in 2WD qualifying it was Smith, fresh from his British National win a week earlier, that took the TQ after topping 3 of the 5 rounds. Behind him with 2 TQ run was Orlowski ahead of Team Associated’s Tommy Hall and Schumacher’s Lee Martin. While Smith took all three A-Mains, the main battle as first second. Hall got by Orlowki for the second in A1, with Orlowski 2nd in A2 but both where passed by Luke Holdsworth in A3 and it was a tie-breaker between the pair with Hall getting the second spot. Bank Holiday Monday’s 4WD action saw reigning European Champion Orlowski secure the TQ with fastest times in 2 of the 4 qualifiers. Fastest in Q1, Jamie Hall would line up second ahead of Lee Martin, Tommy Hall and Smith who had TQ’d Q2. In the triple finals, Orlowski secure the overall victory with wins in A1 & 2, while Jamie Hall secured the runner-up spot with the A3 ahead of Martin who completed the 4WD podium.

Image: Schumacher [racing-cars.com]

May 27, 2024

Ongaro wins Euros Warm-up Race

Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro took the win at the Euros Warm-up Race at his home track the Ongaro Ring, the Sacile track set to host this year’s EFRA European 1:8 Buggy Championship at the end of July. With rain forcing qualifying to be reduced to just 3 rounds, it was the Sworkz of reigning European Champion Juan Carlos Canas who secured the TQ from World Champion Ongaro with Sworkz’ Mattia Polito third ahead the Xray of David Ronnefalk. In the Semi’s both Canas and Ongaro won their Semi finals with Ongaro’s race time giving him pole for the final which he would lead all the way. Setting the fastest lap of the 45-minute Main, Elliot Boots who take his Sworkz to second finishing 8-seconds behind Ongaro. Canas would complete the podium ahead of Daniel Pariente and Polito with Mugen’s Berkan Kilic rounding out the Top 6.

Image: ModellismoRC [modellismorc.net]

May 21, 2024

Smith & Hall winners at British Nationals Round 2

The second round of the BRCA British 1:10 Offroad Nationals was hosted by the Herts Nitro Model Club over the weekend where Schumacher’s Ben Smith and Team Associated’s Tommy Hall took the wins. 2WD qualifying would see Smith secure the TQ with a clean sweep of the four qualifiers. Behind Hall secured P2 ahead of Josh Holdsworth, Lee Martin and Round 1 winner Neil Cragg. The finals would see Smith’s form continue as he wrapped up the overall win in A2. Winning A3 Hall would secure second while Cragg got his Associated ahead of Martin’s Schumacher to complete the podium. Sunday’s 4WD action would see Hall repeat his season opening performance by starting from the TQ and making it two from two. With the Top 5 finishing in the order they qualified, it was Martin who took second ahead of Craig, Smith and Thomas Phipps. It was to be a record making day in Herts as Xray’s Hayley Eldridge became the first female racer to make the A-Main, a feat that was recognised by her receiving “Star of the day” Award.

Image: HNMC 1/10th Electric [Facebook]

May 20, 2024

Ongaro wins Italian Nationals second round

Having taken maximum points from the opening round of the AMSCI Italian 1:8 Buggy National Championship held in March, defending Champion Davide Ongaro extended his points lead with a repeat victory at Round 2. Attracting 67 entries, it was to be a very challenging weekend for the host club Nitro Buggy Genzone as the event started with Friday’s practice being cancelled after heavy rain flooded the track. Preparing the track for a Saturday morning start having pumped out the water the club was dealt a second blow when they arrived Saturday morning to discover thieves had stolen equipment and catering supplies. Despite the incident, the club did manage to get the event underway with Ongaro’s Team Associated securing the TQ, after topping 2 of the 4 rounds, from Sworkz’s Mattia Polito and WIRC Racing’s Marco Baruffolo who topped one round each. After the Semi finals it was Polito who lined up on pole for the 45-minute final ahead of Ongaro, WIRC’s Andrea Trevisan and Infinity’s Riccardo Bertin. Over the race, the order would settle into a repeat of the season opener with Ongaro taking the win from Polito after a close battle with WIRC Racing’s Marco Baruffolo again completing the podium.

Image: Riccardo Verardo [Facebook]

May 15, 2024

Holdsworth brothers join Xray for 1:8 Buggy

Xray and their British distributors RC Disco have announced that brothers Josh & Luke Holdsworth are joining Team Xray to race in the 1:8 Nitro Buggy class with the XB8’24 powered by FX Engines. Josh and Luke are well known in 1:10 Offroad as leading National Championship drivers and European Championship Finalists, so Xray are happy to welcome them to race alongside their already formidable British 1:8 Offroad team. Both already showed their pace at last weekend’s BRCA 1:8 Nationals by making the Semi Finals with Josh just missing a Top 3 Podium at their first big race with the new cars.

Source: Xray [teamxray.com]

May 14, 2024

Boots gets first win of BRCA title defence

Round 2 of the BRCA 1:8 Nitro Buggy British National Championship took place in Shrewsbury over the weekend where Sworkz’s Elliott Boots registered the first win of his title defence. In qualifying it was the Xray of season opener winner Jonathan Skidmore who would take TQ just as he did at Round 1 with Boots 2nd and the Team Associated of Neil Cragg third. In the Semi Finals, the event would come to an early finish for Skidmore who misjudged the back step up, brushed the wooden board and broke the car just 5 laps in. With Boots winning his Semi final he took up pole position for the final ahead of the WIRC of Lewis Jones, Cragg and Michael Lewis. Just as the 45-minute final had started Boots hit trouble. A flameout caused by a stone on Lap 1 meant he was in the pits and despite the fast reactions of his pitman, the former European Champion found himself rejoining 2-laps down. Making a charge back through the field, with 8-minutes to go he had worked his way back to the front eventually crossing the finish line 2-laps clear of Cragg with the HB of Graham Alsop completing the podium. A five round championship, Brookthorpe is the next stop for drivers with the third round taking on June 15/16.

Image: Elliott Boots [Facebook]