February 14, 2023

Paul Crompton joins Sunpadow team

Sunpadow has announced that front running British 1:10 Offroad racer Paul Crompton has joined their official Race Team for the new season.  Also joining Xray as his new chassis sponsor for 2023, Crompton will use Sunpadow lipo batteries to power his new fleet in all races and commenting on his new battery sponsor said, “Sunpadow has good reputation for high-quality lipo battery, I am very honoured and full of confidence to join the team.  I believe with the support of Sunpadow, there would be an outstanding season ahead of me.”

Source: Sunpadow [sunpadow.com]


February 13, 2023

Bayer joins electronics newcomer Elceram

New RC electronics manufacturer Elceram has announced the signing of offroad racer Martin Bayer who will race their products in 2023.  Announcing his departure from Hobbywing recently, the former 1:10 European Champion joins the new start-up from his native Czech Republic and will use in his Xray buggies their first ‘Nitride’ ESC which has been specifically developed for RC car use.  Commenting on the announcement Bayer said, “I am very happy to be able to join such a professional company as Elceram.  Elceram is a company founded in Czech Republic, where all their products are developed and manufactured.  It is an honour for me to be able to compete and collaborate on the development with a company which is from my home country.  After testing NITRIDE for the first time, I was impressed with the performance, quality and ease of use.  I think NITRIDE is a game changer in the market.”

Read more about Elecram and its Nitride’s ESC features here


February 13, 2023

2023 Philippine Masters track build revealed

The organisers of the Philippine Masters have after much hard work revealed the new Circulo Verde Race Track which will host one of Asia’s most high profile 1:8 Offroad events from April 27-30th.  After a two year break due to Covid, 2023 will be 11th running of the event and 5-weeks of very hot work has resulted in the creation of this impressive sculpted track on the site which is located in the centre of the country’s capital Manila.  This year will see reigning back to back World Champion Davide Ongaro and former World Champion Robert Batlle return to the Philippine Masters and lead the capacity 120 entries under the watchful eye of Race Director Scotty Ernst.

View more track images here


February 12, 2023

Ongaro dominates Montpellier GP

Davide Ongaro has opened the 2023 1:8 Offroad season proper in Europe with a dominant performance at the Montpellier GP in France.  The Italian secured the overall TQ on Saturday and kicked off Sunday’s finals action with a win of his 20-minute Semi Final over Juan Carlos Canas that secured pole for the Main event.  Winner of the other Semi Final, Elliot Boots would line up third on the grid behind his Sworkz team-mate Canas but they would be no match for the World Champion over the 1-hour decider.  Setting the fastest lap of the final, the Team Associated driver would go on to lap the entire field at Circuit du MBM.  Boots managed to get the better of Canas to finish half a lap up on the Spaniard as they lined up either side of Ongaro on the podium.  Finishing fourth would be Infinity’s Riccardo Berton, the Italian have a lap over new Mayako signing Robert Batlle in fifth.

Image: RCMag [Facebook]


February 11, 2023

Ongaro Top Qualifier at Montpellier GP

The European 1:8 Offroad season kicks off this weekend with the traditional running of the Montpellier GP in France where Davide Ongaro is the Top Qualifier.  The World Champion took the top spot in qualifier with TQ runs in Q2 and Q3 after the Team Associated driver opened proceedings with a P5.  The opening qualifier would be topped by Sworkz’ Elliot Boots, the multiple European Champion backing that up with 3rd in the final round to secure 2nd overall.  Boots’ team-mate & former Montpellier GP Champion Juan Carlos Canas ended qualifying third overall thanks to being 2nd fastest in Q1 and 3rd fastest in Q2.  Kyosho’s Joao Figueiredo was next up ahead of Infinity’s Riccardo Berton with HB Racing’s Thomas Musso, who leads the French charge, completing the Top 6.

Image: File Image


February 8, 2023

Ongaro signs with Matrix Racing Tires

Back to back 1:8 Offroad World Champion Davide Ongaro has signed with Matrix Racing Tires.  Having raced for 5-years with AKA and won both his World titles with the American brand, the Italian joins fellow Italian Cristian Boni’s brand as the establish Onroad tyre producer ventures into the Offroad market.  Making the announcement on social media, Matrix posted, ‘Who can explore the universe better than the best Driver in the world? Only the multiple times World Champion.  Ladies and Gentlemen, we are pleasure to introduce you Mr. Davide Ongaro. Davide has signed with Matrix Offroad Tires and his work it will be important for us and all our customers… Just Stardust on Offroad Tracks!’  Adding to the news on his own social media the factory Team Associated driver said, “I want to say a big thanks to Boni Cristian and all Matrix crew for the help and support they will give to us, I’m super happy to joint this team and ready for a new adventure. Now head down and work.”

Source: Matrix [matrixtires.it]


February 7, 2023

Nosram to power Martin’s 2023 offroad campaigns

Nosram has announced that top international offroad racer Lee Martin is to use their batteries in 2023.  The news is the second significant driver announcement from the relaunched brand who announced the signing of onroad ace Alexander Hagberg at the start of the year.  A World Championship runner up and multiple European Champion, Martin, who moved from Yokomo to Schumacher this season, will use Nosram to power is 1:10 offroad program as well as his 1:8 Electric Offroad campaign with Agama.

Source: Nosram [Facebook]


February 6, 2023

JConcepts Winter Indoor Nats wins for Horne & Phend

The JConcepts Winter Indoor Nationals travelled to San Diego over the weekend and it was Team Associated’s Aydin Horne and TLR’s Dakotah Phend who took the big wins at SDRC Raceway.  The first stop of 5 events on the INS13 calendar, in 2WD Buggy it was Horne who took the TQ ahead of Phend and Tekno’s Ryan Maifield, the later running Team Associated chassis’ at the event. Qualifying opened with Tom Rinderknecht topping Q1 from Maifield but P4 & 5 in the next two rounds left the Xray driver fourth on the grid.  In 4WD, Phend topped the first and third round qualifiers to take TQ honours ahead of Associated’s Spencer Rivkin who was second fastest ahead of Horne in all three runs.  Again Rinderknecht would post a TQ run setting the pace in Q2 but like in 2WD he would start the 4WD A-Main from 4th.  In the finals the Top 3 would lined up on the podium as how they qualified.  2WD went down to A3, which was duly won by Rivkin from 6th on the grid giving him 4th overall.  In 4WD, Phend tied things up early with wins in A1 & 2 leaving Rivkin to win A3 from Horne who completed the overall podium.

View 4WD Buggy Podium here


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