Red RC » R Off Road

April 28, 2023

Ongaro takes Q1 after late Batlle mistake

Davide Ongaro has taken the opening round of qualifying at the Philippine Masters but only after a late mistake from top seed Robert Batlle. The last lap error would not only cost Batlle the TQ but also allow Micha Widmaier to jump him on the timing screen at the end of the 5-minute qualifier. The only driver to lay down a 38-second lap time in the first of the four scheduled rounds of qualifying, Batlle had a comfortable gap over his rivals and was taking a cautious approach to his final lap when he caught some dirt on the track causing the first of two mistakes that left him with a 49-second final lap! Behind the Top 3, Aaron Dexter, who is running in the second fastest heat, would post the fourth fastest time ahead of local Manila driver Dino Jacinto with young Aussie Jak Parsey completing the Top 6.

Continue reading here

April 28, 2023

Batlle sets pace at Philippine Masters

Robert Batlle is the top seed for the Philippine Masters, the factory Mayako driver topping the single round of controlled practice from Davide Ongaro on the challenging Manila track. With Race Director Scotty Ernst making the call to reduce the counting consecutive laps from the traditional 3 to 2 given the challenge of putting together 3 clean laps, Batlle’s best effort was 1:57.225 compared to the 1:58.176 of the race’s former Champion Ongaro. Sworkz Micha Widmaier made it an all European Top 3 followed by local driver Daniel Miranda with Australian Jackson Beale completing the Top 5 from fellow countryman Jak Parsey.

Continue reading here

April 28, 2023

Philippine Masters – Track Focus

The Philippine Masters is back and is live in Manila today with a track best described as ‘challenging’. Located in the capital city, the very 3D looking track is the creation of top Philippines driver Edward Sio, one of the people behind the Philippine Masters since its inception in 2015. Having to move the track location a few hundred metres from its previous home, one of the stand out features of the move is the massive three story driver stand. With the new track built during Covid restrictions, the reason for the massive structure was to meet the then guidelines on the spacing of people so each floor was used as pit area to ensure everyone was spaced apart. Made from the same dirt of the original track, the build took 45-days. Building the track to how Edward wanted it and rolling it to a flat surface, they then dug up around a foot into the top layer to allow for the all important bonding of final race surface. Giving the 30 degree plus temperatures in Manila, just spraying the top layer would not last as the top layer would eventually break and reveal a dusty dry dirt. Instead they soaked the loose 1-foot deep top layer with a mixture of molasses and glue before rolling to the finish they wanted.

Continue reading here

April 28, 2023

Kobbevik makes it 3 in a row in Spring Cup

Schumacher driver Daniel Kobbevik made it 3 in a row at the fourth round of the indoor 2WD Buggy ‘Spring Cup’ hosted by Grimstad RC Klubb in Arendal, Norway. The 18-year-old missed the opening round of the series, but the latest result moves him up to second in the overall standings behind the Team Associated of Halvor Gran who will have to drop a round once 5 of the 7 rounds have been completed. At Round 4, Kobbevik took the TQ with his LRP powered Cougar LD2 in front of Gran and Bastian Andreassen in third. Securing the win in the opening two Mains it was an early win for Kobbevik with his rivals going to A3 to decide the rest of the podium. Halvor had two second places and Bastian had two third places, and Jorgen Sohagen had two four places, so it was all about the win for all those guys. Unfortunately Bastian was unlucky and broke his car with Halvor taking the win while Jorgen Sohagen came second to put his Schumacher on the podium.

Source: Magne Kobbevik

April 26, 2023

Philippine Masters returns & kicks off all new Asian Buggy Championships

The excitement is building in Manila ahead of this weekend’s Philippine Masters which returns following a forced Covid break of more than 2-years. Asia’s premiere 1:8 Offroad race, a capacity entry will battle it out in both nitro Buggy and Truggy to become the latest champion of the established event. Adding to the excitement of the weekend is that the Philippine Masters will kick off the brand new Asian Buggy Championships that has been created by Scotty Ernst, a figure who was instrumental in helping take the Philippines Masters from a local race to one which has brought some of the worlds best drivers to the capital city. This year is no exception with back to back World Champion Davide Ongaro leading the entry for Team Associated. While the Italian will be here to embrace the country’s tagline, ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’, he is also here to win but will have to work for it as he will be joined by former World Champion Robert Batlle.

Continue reading here

April 24, 2023

Phend & Rivkin take ROAR Carpet Offroad National titles

Dakotah Phend and Spencer Rivkin took the three main titles at this year’s ROAR Electric Carpet Off-Road Nationals over the weekend. Hosted by Beachline Raceway in Florida, in qualifying it would be Phend who would take the TQ for both buggy classes, the 2WD pole position decided on tie breaker with Rivkin who would claim the TQ in Mod truck. In 2WD Finals, reigning World Champion Rivkin would get by his rival in A1 and repeat that in A2 to clinch the title early. Behind Phend in second Schumacher’s Broc Champlin would complete the overall podium. In 4WD, Phend, having taken the TQ ahead of Xray’s Ty Tessmann, was untouchable in A1 and 2 securing the title ahead of 4th place qualifier Champlin and Rivkin with Tessmann ending up 4th. In Mod Truck, Phend got the better of pole sitter Rivkin while Champlin made it a trio of podiums in Florida.

Image: ROAR [Facebook]

April 24, 2023

TQ & Win for Kobbevik at Oslo Open Round 1

Schumacher’s Daniel Kobbevik took the TQ and win at the Oslo Open first round over the weekend with the same track set the host the opening round of the National Championship next weekend. After an insane job from the club to clear the track of snow and ice, it was ready for the first round and the first outside race of the season. The event also attracted National TV who attended to make an episode about youngsters and RC racing and how RC racing is connected more and more to motorsport. Attracting drivers from across Norway, the schedule allowed for just 4WD action. With three qualifier rounds and it started up with where it ended last year, with it possible to make 16 laps during a 5 minute run. The opening qualifier was close, and LRP/Schumacher driver Kobbevik was just 4.3 sec away from making the 16 laps. In round two he would get the 16 laps on 5.20.146, and Q3 was even better with a time if 5.19.072. With Kobbevik the Top Qualifier, behind the Yokomo’s of Victor Asak and Albin Ingholm completed the Top 3. In the finals Kobbevik wrapped up the win in A2 while the big battle was for the rest of the podium with Asak taking second ahead of the Team Associated of Peter Stein.

Source: Magne Kobbevik

April 18, 2023

Lemieux wins US Buggy Championships

The 6th running of the US Buggy Championships took place at Trackside Hobbies in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, over the weekend with Chase Lemieux completing the buggy double. A track famed for once being owned by the ‘Voice of RC’ Scotty Ernst, this year’s event attracted 220 entries. In qualifying Lemieux, the son of former international onroad ace Paul, would take the TQ honours with Tyler Whitt his closest rival in both 2WD and 4WD. Decided over single A-Mains, the Xray driver would fully capitalise on pole position winning 2WD by 2-seconds from the Xray of Whitt with Casey Blasczyk completing the podium. In 4WD, again Lemieux led home Whitt over the 8-minute main with Matt Sunderlage finishing third.

Image: Trackside Hobbies [Facebook]