June 17, 2024

Ielasi Tuned Terra Offroad engine

In its third new engine release of 2024, Ielasi Tuned presents an all new .21 engine for 1:8 Offroad racing with the Terra.  A replacement for their previous Dirt and Dusty engines, for a few months now the latest engine has been “secretly” used by the Italian engine tuner’s official drivers with excellent results.  Compared to their previous Offroad engine offerings, the Terra satisfies all the requirements that a top of the range engine must have to be within everyone’s reach from professional to amateur: Performance/Quality/Price all in one engine!!!  This commercial choice was fundamental for Daniele Ielasi as he believes that even in Offroad, having a single top-of-the-range engine allows him to concentrate economic development forces in a single engine while also managing to have a competitive price for everyone.  Technically, the new Terra is an exclusive Ielasi Tuned engine because while all the engine components are produced as by O.S. Engines they have been chosen one by one according to Ielasi’s technical specifications, this engine with this set of components is not part of the series O.S. Engines range.

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June 10, 2024

Double for Rinderknecht at JConcepts Summer INS

The third stop on the calendar of the 14th season of JConcepts’ popular Indoor National Series saw Xray driver Tom Rinderknecht do the double in Iowa.  Racing at the Island Speedway Offroad indoor track, the Summer 1 Carpet Indoor Nationals saw the Schumacher of Broc Champlin secure the TQ in both Mod 2WD & 4WD with Rinderknecht lining up P2.  In 2WD Rinderknecht would take A1 from the pole sitter who in turn took A2 to set the stage for an A3 shoot out that Rinderknecht duly won to take the overall.  Behind Champlin, the 2WD podium was completed by the Team Associated of Davey Batta ahead of former 2-time World Champion Spencer Rivkin.  In 4WD, Champlin would suffer a DNF in A1 as took the win which he repeated in A2 to wrap things up early.  Taking the A3 win Batta secured second with multiple World Champion & 5th place qualifier Ryan Cavalieri taking his Schumacher to third ahead of Rivkin as Champlin completed the Top 5.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]


June 10, 2024

Hall does double at British Nationals Round 3

The third round of the British 1:10 Offroad National Championships took place over the weekend with Team Associated’s Tommy Hall pulling off the double at the Stotfold track in Bedfordshire.  In Saturday’s 2WD action, Hall would secure the TQ ahead of defending Champion & Round 1 winner Neil Cragg with the Schumacher of Round 2 winner Ben Smith lining up third.  Despite Cragg taking the win in the dying moments of A1, Hall got the job done in A2 & 3 for his first 2WD win of 6 round 2024 Championship.  In 4WD it was business as usual for Hall as he made it three from three despite the TQ going the way of his brother Jamie.  While suffering a DNF in A2, wins in A1 and A3 gave the reigning Champion the overall Round 3 win ahead of Jamie with Thomas Phipps making it an all Team Associated podium.  Hall now leads both championships with Round 4 scheduled for June 29t-30th at Bury Metro.

Image: Racewayone [racewayone.com]


June 10, 2024

Pavidis back for Brisbane round of Asian Buggy C/ships

After a successful debut in the Asian Buggy Championships at the Philippine Masters back in April, Sparko team driver Ryan Pavidis is to return for the third round in Brisbane, Australia, next month.  Pavidis claimed a podium at Round 2 in Manila in only his second ever international race with the 22-year-old finishing second in between reigning World Champion Davide Ongaro and former World Champion Atsushi Hara.  Commenting on his entry confirmation for the penultimate round of the Scotty Ernst promoted 4 round Championship at Pine Hills Dirt Racing on July 11-14, the American said,  “I’m looking forward to touching down in Brisbane and getting up to speed on the masterpiece of a track Zac (Ryan) and the PHDR crew have built for us. Round 2 of the ABC in Manila was arguably the best event I’ve attended and I have no doubt this will be right up there as well.”

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]


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]