Red RC » R Off Road

July 24, 2023

Savoya takes win at 20th Japanese Kyosho Masters

Multiple European 1:8 Buggy Champion Reno Savoya travelled to Japan as Kyosho celebrated the 20th running of the Japanese Kyosho Masters over the weekend where the French driver took the TQ and win. Held at the Chetuya Circuit in Sapporo, the capital of the mountainous northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, the signature event of the iconic Japanese manufacturer attracted 50 drivers including Inferno chassis designer and former World Champion Yuichi Kanai. In qualifying, Savoya topped 3 of the 4 qualifiers to secure the TQ from Itaru Kawamoto who was fastest in Q2. In the final Savoya would win by half a lap from Yuto Yokomachi who lined up 5th on the starting grid with Kanai completing the podium.

Image: Kyosho [kyosho.com]

July 24, 2023

Maifield & Tessmann win ROAR 1:8 Electric Offroad National titles

Ryan Maifield and Ty Tessmann took the two main titles at the 2023 ROAR 1:8 Electric Offroad Nationals held at CRC Raceway in New York state over the weekend. In qualifying it was Xray’s Ty Tessmann who lead the way, the Canadian securing the TQ in both eBuggy and eTruggy. In eTruggy, Tessmann was able to convert that TQ into the championship title with wins over the TLR of second place qualifier Tater Sontag in the opening two A-Mains. In A3, having qualified 5th, Maifield would take the win to complete the podium line-up. In the eBuggy finals, while Tessmann won A1, third place qualifier Maifield was able to get his Tekno buggy passed his rival to win second & final encounters. This secured him his second National title with Tekno having become Nitro Truggy National Champion last month at AMain Hobbies’ Silver Dollar RC Raceway in California. A difficult race for second place qualifier Joe Bornhorst, who ended up P7, Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz took the final podium placing from 5th on the grid.

View Truggy podium here

July 22, 2023

Orlowski regains European Champion title in 4WD Buggy

Eight years after winning his first European Championship title in the UK, Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski has regained the title with victory at the 4WD Buggy Euros in the Netherlands today. Having just missed out on his first 2WD title earlier in the week to the reigning 4WD Champion Marcus Kaerup, Orlowski would be the Top Qualifier for 4WD. Topping 2 of the five rounds at the challenge RACO200o astro track, he would start ahead of Team Associated’s Kaerup, fastest in Q1, Sworkz pairing Jöern Neumann, fastest in Q4, & Micha Widmaier with team-mate Daniel Kobbevik fifth ahead of Xray’s Bruno Coelho. In the opening final Orlowski produced a dominant performance to win ahead of the Yokomo of Burak Kilic who had a strong run to come through from P7. In A2, Orlowski came under a bit more pressure for the opening 2-minutes from 2WD Top Qualifier Neumann but a few moments from the German allowed the Polish driver to cruise to the win and the title. Winning A3 from Kilic, Nuemann would secure the runner-up spot with Kilic completing the podium.

Image: Schumacher [racing-cars.com]

July 21, 2023

Orlowski holds provisional TQ at 4WD European C/Ship

Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski holds a very provisional overnight TQ at the EFRA 1:10 4WD Offroad European Championship after a challenging day for race organisers in the Netherlands. Fresh from his 2WD title win on Wednesday at the RACO2000 track, it was Team Associated’s Marcus Kaerup who opened 4WD qualifying with a TQ run over 2WD Vice-Champion Orlowski. With rain arriving for the top heats of Round 2, Orlwoski was fastest of the top heat from 2WD Top Qualifier Jöern Neumann, but it would be Sylvain Gallo Selva from heat 4 of 11 that got the fastest time. With the rain delaying Q3, when action resumed it was Orlowski with the TQ run, this time from Micha Widmaier. With four of the five rounds of qualifying originally on today’s schedule, Q4 would be hit by a timing software issue. With a team-managers meeting called, after heated discussions, it was decided that attempts to re-run the penultimate round would take place tomorrow. With three rounds complete, meaning two would count, it puts Orlowski holding the overnight TQ.

Image: Michal Orlowski [Facebook]

July 19, 2023

Kaerup adds 2WD Buggy European title to tally

Team Associated’s Marcus Kaerup is the new EFRA 2WD Buggy European Champion. The reigning 4WD Champion secured the title after an action packed triple finals in the Netherlands today that saw a different winner each leg. Starting as the Top Qualifier having topped all five rounds of qualifying Joern Neumann looked on target to reclaim the title he first won a decade ago. In A1, the Sworkz driver continued his form winning from Schamcher’s Michal Orlowski and 1:8 World Champion Davide Ongaro who got passed third place qualifier Kaerup. Looking like he was going to get the job done early in A2, Neumann was pulling away but at the 1-minute mark he hit the corner pipping with Orlowski collecting his car before taking up the lead as the German dropped to fourth. Orlowski took the lead but with 1-minute to go a mistake allowed Marcus Kaerup through for the win with Neumann just coming through for 3rd ahead of the Schumacher of Wesley Van Helmond. It was all to play for in A3 but again a mistake from Neumann ended his chances allowing Orlowski to go to the front for the win ahead Kaerup but a mistake on the penultimate lap, while not costing him the A3 win, would cost him the title. Equal on points with Kaerup, the young Dane had the faster race winning time giving him the title. Neumann would complete the overall podium ahead of Ongaro. Racers will now turn their attention to 4WD for the next three days with Kaerup aiming to be come the first double champion since David Ronnefalk in 2018.

Image: EFRA [Facebook]

July 19, 2023

Vietnam to host 2024 FEMCA 1:8 Offroad Championship

The 2024 FEMCA 1:8 Offroad Championships will take place in Vietnam with March 6-9th scheduled as the dates for the crowning of the official Champion of Asia. This year the championship returned following a forced Covid break, with Taiwan hosting the event where Ming Yang team driver Jeff Wang took the win over Xray’s young Korean talent Hyunkyu Jung. A prestigious title that counts Atsushi Hara, Kyle McBride and Shin Adachi among its past champions, 2024 is expected to attract all of Asia’s leading offroad racers and teams to Ho Chi Minh City to battle it out for the crown. Some remaining Covid travel restrictions meant a limited international entry this year, although the event still boasted an impressive 142 entries from 10 countries.

Source: FEMCA [Facebook]

July 18, 2023

Neumann holds overnight 2WD TQ at European C/Ship

Sworkz’ Joern Neumann holds the overnight TQ at the EFRA 1:10 2WD Offroad European Championship after a dominant first day of qualifying in the Netherlands. The German, who is a two time champion in 2WD, topped all three rounds of qualifying at the RACO2000 track in Utrecht but with 2 more rounds of qualifying tomorrow and the best two to count he will have to wait to see if he will be the overall Top Qualifier. Neumann’s closest challengers today were Team Associated’s Marcus Kaerup and Schumacher’s Michal Orlowki, the latter having set the pace in seeding practice. In Q1, Neumann set the pace by 6 seconds from reigning 4WD Champion Kaerup, the Dane getting that gap down to 2-seconds in Q2. Chasing his first ever 2WD European title, Orlowski would get to within half a second of the TQ in Q3 giving the Polish ace a major boost going into the final two rounds. If he or Kaerup are to deny Neumann from being the Top Qualifier they will need to top both rounds tomorrow and in a faster. Defending Champion & newly crowned British 4WD Champion Tommy Hall finds himself down in P12 at the end of Day 1 of qualifying.

Image: EFRA [Facebook]

July 17, 2023

Philippine Masters 2024 date announced

After a massively successful return in April of this year following a 2-year break due to Covid, the Philippine Masters has announced the date for the 2024 edition of Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race meeting. The 12th running of the Philippine Masters, the event which takes place in the capital city of Manila is scheduled for April 18-21, 2024. Having formed the opening round of the Asian Buggy Championships, the date was confirmed at Round 2 in Australia over the weekend after a meeting between Philippine Masters track designer Edward Sio, who was racing in Brisbane, and Scotty Ernst who has been a key figure in bringing the Philippine Masters to its international race status. A sell out event in 2023, the race saw World Champion David Ongaro win the Buggy title for Team Associated while Sworkz’ Micha Widmaier came away with the Truggy victory. With the Philippines famed as a holiday destination, the event has a truly unique vibe living up to the nations tourism tagline ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ with many of the large international driver entry combining the race with holidays at the country’s world famous white sand beaches.

Source: Philippine Masters [philippinemastersrc.com]