Red RC » R Off Road

May 11, 2026

Ongaro wins Worlds Warm-up Race at Thornhill

With this year’s 13th annual The Dirt Lonestar Challenge doubling up as the official Warm-Up Race for the 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship later this year it was Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro who took the win. Racing at the covered Thornhill Racing Circuit in Texas, it would be an Italian 1-2 as Ongaro was followed home by Sworkz’s of Mattia Polito while American Ryan Maifield completed the podium for Tekno. In qualifying it was Ongaro who was fastest in the opening two qualifiers to secure the overall RQ ahead of Sworkz’s Mason Fuller who topped the third & final round. Polito would end qualifying P3 ahead of the Kyosho of recent Asian Buggy Championships Indonesia winner Phi-Long Nguyen with European Champion Juan Carlos Canas completing the Top 5. Winning his Semi final from Canas’ Sworkz, Ongaro would like up on pole for the 1-hour final ahead of the Spaniard, Polito and Brandon Rose winner of the first Semi. From the front Ongaro, who will chase a fourth consecutive World title in September, took control of the race to win by 2-laps. He would make it double winning weekend in Hutto, also taking the eBuggy win comfortably ahead of team-mate Spencer Rivkin and Fuller as Top Qualifier Nguyen dropped to fourth.

Image: Matrix Racing Tires [Facebook]

May 7, 2026

Baird wins Irish Championship opener

Mugen Seiki driver Bradley Baird got his RCCAOI 1:8 Nitro Buggy Irish National Championship title defence off to a perfect start taking the win at the NIMCC hosted season opener. Round 1 of the 5 round new look championship took drivers to Ballymena in Northern Ireland and on the astro track it was Baird who dominated a rain effected qualifying. Topping all 5 rounds he would secured the TQ ahead of Dylan McBurney and Alan Scroggie. In the 45-minute final, Baird continued his form to win ahead of Andrew McClean, who started 4th, with McBurney completing the podium. Round 2 of the championship will see racers compete on dirt at the RCNI track in Bandbridge on June 20/21.

Source: RCCAOI [rccaoi.com]

May 7, 2026

LAP Paradise Int. Buggy Party 2026 – Announcement

With its track going viral on the internet when the world tuned in for its hosting of the Asian Buggy Championships two weeks ago, Malaysian track LAP Paradise RC Raceway has announced details of its annual International Buggy Party Race which takes place December 11-13th. With the track undergoing huge development works in preparations for its first hosting of an Asian Buggy Championships round, its large 3D layout and sealed surface, contrasted by its blue infield, was a huge hit with visiting racers including young Kyosho star Phi-Long Nguyen who took the double win and his main rival & Top Qualifier Mayako’s Pekko Iivonen. Situated in the south of the country in Johor Bahru, LAP Paradise RC Raceway is only an hour drive from major international hub airport Singapore Changi Airport. The amazing Malaysian hospitality also makes LAP Paradise RC Raceway a must visit race destination for 1:8 Offroad racers.

View more track images here

May 4, 2026

Kobbevik doubles at INS16 Round 2

Making the trip Stateside, Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik completed the double at the second round of the JConcepts Indoor National Series. Racing at the RC One Racing offroad facility in Michigan, the Norwegian would secure the TQ in 2WD on the carpet track ahead of team-mate and reigning INS Champion Broc Champlin, the World Champion topping the opening of the three qualifier. Team Associated’s Aydin Horne completed the Top 3 on the grid. In 4WD it was season opening double winner Chase Lemieux who claimed the TQ, the Xray driver topping Q1. While Kobbevik topped Q2, it was team-mate Brennan Schimmel, fastest in Q3, he lined up P2. In the finals, while Lemieux took A1, Kobbevik took A2 & 3 to secure the overall win with Lemieux and Schimmel completing the podium. In 2WD, Kobbevik took A1 ahead of Horne, but from 4th on the grid 2023 2WD World Champion Tater Sontag took the win from the visitor. Staying out front in A3 Kobbevik completed the double with Sontag and Horne joining his on the podium.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

April 30, 2026

Team Cayote adds top Kiwi Jamieson to line-up

Electronic’s manufacturer Team Cayote has announced it is teaming up with top Kiwi 1:8 offroad racer Jayden Jamieson. The 18 time New Zealand National Champion is also a regular of the Cayote backed Asian Buggy Championships in which the 25-year Sworkz driver has achieved a number of podium finishes. The reigning National eBuggy Champion, on his new electrics deal he said, ‘I would like to thank the team at Team Cayote for this amazing opportunity to represent their brand here in New Zealand and around the world!’

Source: Team Cayote [cayote.com]

April 28, 2026

Wins for Smith & Holdsworth at British 1:10 Buggy Nationals opener

The first round of the 6 round British 1:10 Offroad National Championships was hosted by the Potteries Model Car Club over the weekend where Schumacher’s Josh Holdsworth took the 2WD win on Saturday before team-mate Ben Smith went one better on Sunday to win 4WD. 2WD qualifying would see Holdsworth secure the TQ honours ahead of Team Associated’s defending BRCA Champion Tommy Hall with Smith lining up P3. Winning the opening two encounters it was Holdsworth who claimed the first win of the season with voctry in A3 and a 2nd in A1 allowing Smith finish ahead of Hall. In 4WD it would be Smith who took the overall TQ ahead of Holdsworth with Xray’s Lee Martin 3rd. The back to back British Champion also of 4WD, Hall would kick off his title defence from P4. Unlike the previous day’s action, deciding the overall win would go all the way to A3. While Smth won A1, Martin took the A2 victory ahead of the Top Qualifier. In A3 it was the Team Associated of junior driver Daniel Pole who took the win from Smith the second was enough for Smith to bag the first win of the season. Overall Martin was the runner up with another podium for Holdsworth while Pole finished P4 and took the Junior Win. The next round of the championship will take drivers to Bingham Model Raceway in just 2-weeks time (May 9/10).

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]

April 27, 2026

Ben Mohamed wins French National Round 2

Sparko’s Noha Ben Mohamed has won the second round of the French National 1:8 Nitro Buggy Championship which was hosted by the TTRC 90 club in Bermont in the northeast of the country. Ben Mohamed would top all three qualifying rounds to secure the overall TQ with Tekno driver Theo Lemaire securing second followed by Sworkz Jordan Lot and the Team Associated of defending Champion Clement Boda. Winning the faster of the two Semi finals Ben Mohamed would start on pole with Remy Bermudez winning the other Semi to start second. Racing the 45-minute final on a demanding track that would caught out a number of drivers, Ben Mohamed would have an intense battle with Round 1 Boda with the pair separated by just 2/10ths of a second at the line. Coming through from 8th on the grid Xray’s Rayan Medjoubi completed the podium ahead of Lot and Mugen Seiki’s Hugo Tavernon.

Image: Noha Ben Mohamed [Facebook]

April 26, 2026

Nguyen does double on Asian Buggy Championships debut

Young Kyosho star Phi-Long Nguyen has completed the double on his Asian Buggy Championships debut adding the main Nitro Buggy win to his eBuggy victory from earlier in the day in Malaysia. Starting from second on the grid behind Top Qualifier Pekko Iivonen, the American would benefit from the Mayako driver running out of fuel as the second round of fuel stops approached during the 45-minute encounter. Having built up a 12-second advantage over Nguyen and the rest of the 15 car field, a flame out during Nguyen’s first fuel stop adding to the Finn’s advantage, it looked like it was finally going to Iivonen’s big day. A driver who has looked like he has progressed a step up in his driving every time he took the impressive LAP Paradise RC Raceway track here at the second round of the ABC, unfortunately it wasn’t going to be a case of third time lucky. His third appearance in the Team Cayote/VP-Pro backed championship, having raced in the Philippines and Australia last season, he would run out of fuel just before the loop meaning he lost an entire lap on the field. This gave Nguyen, who on taking the win was quick to state his rival was the faster driver in the final despite posting the fastest lap himself, a comfortable lead that he could manage and would never relinquish. 9-seconds back at the finish, Sworkz’s Caleb Noble backed up his win of the season opener in New Zealand with a second place while fellow Aussie Jayden Edmunds completed the podium. Dropping back to fifth after his flame out, a clearly disappointed Iivonen would only be rewarded with a P4 for his otherwise impressive showing with Jared Ment and Ken NG completing the Top 6 on what has been a hugely successful debut visit to a track whose elevation has been a huge hit with racers.

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