Red RC » R On Road

July 25, 2026

4 in a row as Balestri defends European title in France

Infinity’s Dario Balestri has successfully defended his EFRA 1:8 Onroad European Championship title, the Italian taking his Max powered IF18-3 to a fourth consecutive victory in France today. Racing at the Bourg-en-Bresse track, qualifying opened with French ace Maxime Ripoll topping the first of the five rounds with his Xray. New 2026 Serpent signing & 2023 Euro Nitro Series Champion Mirko Salemi would set the pace in Q2 before Top Seed Balestri went quickest in Q3. Another TQ run from Salemi in Q4 and Balestri in Q5 left the compatriots tied but on tie break it was 2-time World Champion Balestri who was the Top Qualifier. 2nd in qualifying would secure Salemi together with Infinity’s Carmine Raiola and 4th placed Ripoll direct spots into the Main final. The 2026 1:8 GT European Champion, Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani would qualify fifth to secure pole in his Semi with the other Semi pole going to the Capricorn of Toni Gruber. Unfortunately for the 2025 World Championship Top Qualifier, Catanzani would be given penalties over his refuelling that would leave him 4th at the end of the 20-minute encounter with only the Top 3 progressing. In the Last Chance Final he would retire with the Xray of Filippo Domanin becoming the 11th car on the grid. In the 45-minute final Balestri showed just why he is such a decorated 1:8 racer, eventually securing his 6th European title by almost 3-seconds from team-mate Riola with an impressive drive from Domanin seeing him come through the field to complete the podium at the 24th running of the championships just ahead of Salemi. Gruber would finish P5 with Ripoll, who ran as high as second & set the fastest lap of the race, completing the Top 6 at his home track.

Image: EFRA [Facebook]

July 22, 2026

Chung dominates Tamiya Asia Cup HK Qualifier

Famous Hong Kong track Tom Racing Circuit played host to the Tamiya Asia Cup HK Qualifier where Max Chung put on a masterclass performance, capturing the overall championship titles in both the M-Chassis and GT classes to become the biggest winner of the event. This was a milestone win Chung having now won the M-Chassis title for 4 years in a row. Showing unmatched pace from the get-go, Chung secured the overall Top Qualifier honours early in Q2. He carried that momentum straight into the finals, delivering a flawless drive to win both Leg 1 and Leg 2 comfortably. Paul Suen would finish runner-up . In the GT Class there was a thrilling showdown to the finish as the category brought high drama and intense racing. While Chung locked down the TQ position in Q2 with a massive lead, the finals turned into an absolute dogfight. In Leg 1, Daniel Fang made a rocket launch from 4th on the grid up to 2nd, overtaking Max on lap 2. For 5 gruelling minutes, Chung chased like crazy, but Daniel held his ground to take the opening win. In Leg 2 Chung made zero mistakes at the start, leading from lights to flag to secure 1st place, with Daniel finishing 2nd. In the Decider, Leg 3, both drivers got a superb launch, but Chung shook off the pressure on lap 2 and pulled away cleanly, extending his lead lap after lap to cross the finish line well ahead of the field. Overall Fang took second with Macau driver Gabe completing the podium.

Source: Max Chung

July 21, 2026

Efficace claims ACI National Trophy – Report

The 1:10 Touring National Trophy was held by ACI Sport on the beautiful Minicar Fiorano track where it was Andrea Efficace who took the Stock title. With drivers gathering on the famous circuit – one of the best R/C facilities in Italy – from all over the country, the level of the field was very high and the competition was fierce since the very start of the event. In the Stock 17.5 class it was ICON RC’s very own Efficace who took a convincing overall TQ, winning two qualification rounds out of three, with Gianluigi Ciavolino coming in second and Bruno Rampini in third. Efficace then managed to take home a tone to tone win in A1, and to wrap up the event in A2 after a fierce battle with Ciavolino in the first couple of minutes: with the home driver forced to give up on the charge in the second half of the 5-minute final, Andrea simply had to take his Mugen MTC3 powered by a HW “Tuned by ACC” motor across the finish line to take home a back-to-back victory of the title, repeating last year’s win. With Efficace sitting out of A3, Ciavolino was able to take a dominating win in the third leg and to consolidate a convincing P2 with his Awesomatix, ahead of Bruno Rampini who rounded up the podium for Schumacher.

Thanks to Riccardo Acciari for report

July 17, 2026

Hara to race at Team Associated 1:28 International

In an another boost for the burgeoning 1:28 racing scene, legend of the sport Atsushi Hara is joining the category with Team Associated announcing his entry for the 2026 Team Associated 1:28 International which takes place in Las Vegas from September 4-6th. The two time World Champion, who is now an ambassador for electronics manufacturer Team Cayote, will race in the LiPo 3500 Lexan class at the first running of the event which comes about following the famed US manufacturer’s entry into the category 12-months ago with the release of the RC28R. A race that is open to all brands of cars, it takes place in The Orleans Hotel and Casino alongside the record-breaking 2026 Team Associated Vintage Offroad Championships in which Hara will also be racing 1:10 Buggy. Following the 28SRA ruleset, the 2026 Team Associated 1:28 International will cater for LiPo 2500, LiPo 2500 Pan, LiPo 3500, 2WD Mod, Open Pan, Box Stock, Formula 1, and AWD Mod classes.

Source: Team Associated [Facebook]

July 14, 2026

Hook claims first National win at BRCA Round 5

Craig Hook claimed his first British National win over the weekend, the Shepherd driver taking victory at the 5th round of the BRCA 1:8 Onroad National Championship which took place at a sunny Adur track. In qualifying it was team-mate Tim Wood who secured the TQ, the multiple champion chasing his 4th consecutive win of the season. Behind Andrew Hastings secured P2 ahead of Hook, David Spashett, and Karl Dransfield, Shepherd locking out the top half of the A-Main grid. In the 30-minute final, it looked like Wood was on target to taking step closer to taking back the National title and setting the fastest lap of the race until he hit problems that would see him retire from the action. Despite having found himself on his roof after a hectic opening lap, Hook was able to work his way back into contention and with good pit work together with stretching his fuel & tyre management, meant he was able to take the win by half a second over Spashett. Hastings would complete the podium. An 8 round championship, Round 6 will take racers to Wombwell on August 15-16.

Image: Shepherd Micro Racing [Facebook]

July 12, 2026

Stanley makes it 3-in-a-row at PDNR Winter Champs

ARC’s Brayden Stanley has made it 3-in-a-row at the annual PDNR Winter Champs in Sydney, Australia, by again winning Modified Touring Car at the Penrith District Nitro Racing club’s 18th edition of the event. The champion of the parking lot track event for the past two years, this year Stanley faced increased competition with Infinity’s Jesse Davis attending the event for the first time as well as former winner Simon Nicholson returning & representing Schumacher. Qualifying would see the A11 of recently crowned back to back QLD State Title Champion Stanley top all three qualifiers. Behind it was Davis who lined up second ahead of Nicholson and RC Maker’s young Lincoln Codd. Wrapping up the overall with wins in A1 & 2, the podium would be a repeat of the qualifying order with Davis & Nicolson finishing on the same points but Davis’ A3 win giving him second. John Puse would finish P4. In 13.5 Stock, RC Maker’s Logan Rintoul took the win ahead of Xray’s Michael Stone and Chris Mitchell, while in Nitro Touring Car Tate Firth took the TQ & win ahead of Tye Moylan. In 1:8 GT Nitro the Hong Nor of Rick Seymonsbergen took the win ahead of a certain US visitor Scotty Ernst with Cameron Kendall completing the podium. Top Qualifier Anthony Wasson had a mechanical and DNF’d in the final.

Image: Brayden Stanley [Facebook]

July 12, 2026

Coelho wins Euros Warm-up Race

Infinity’s Bruno Coelho has won the Warm-Up race for this year’s upcoming EFRA European Championships which takes place at the famous Mini Circuit “Ville de Luxembourg”. The reigning World Champion secured the TQ after taking his Hobbywing powered IF14 Speciale to the fastest time in 3 of the four qaulifiers. Topping Q3, Awesomatix’s Simon Lauter secured second on the grid ahead team-mate Lucas Urbain and the Schumacher of reigning European Champion Michal Orlowski. Heading the Xray challenge, Marc Rheinard completed the top half of the grid. In the finals with Coelho struggling for traction in A1, it was reigning Spec Touring Car World Champion Lauter who took the win. Improving his car for A2, Coelho would stay out front for the win just ahead of Lauter with Tim Wahl completing the Top 3. Set to chase a fourth European title in Luxembourg from August 6th-9th, Coelho would secure the Warm-up win with A3 victory over Orlowski and 2024 Champion Rheinard. Despite a DNF in A3, Lauter would finish second overall with Orlowski completing the podium. In the Spec Class, 2022 & 2023 Champion Olivier Bultynck secured the TQ & win ahead of Awesomatix team-mates Lukas Ellerbrock and Louis Kretschmer.

Image: Bruno Coelho [Facebook]

July 8, 2026

IFMAR issues clarification on ISTC World C/ships Approved Bodies

RC racing’s world governing body IFMAR has issued clarification on body shells for the upcoming 2026 ISTC World Championships which will take place at Huge RC in Bangkok, Thailand. Having last week issued a statement regarding the ineligibility of the Xtreme Aerodynamics CZ1 Nitro Touring Body for the Nitro Touring Car World Championship which take place Italy in September, IFMAR made the clarification on the 190mm Electric bodies after they had ‘received some queries regarding use of recently approved bodies’. Body shells in 1:10 Electric Touring Car has been a huge talking point since the arrival of the Avalon Vortex. For the 13th running of the 1:10 Electric Touring Car World Championships, IFMAR said, ‘We wish to clarify that there are no proposed changes to the rules for bodies for the event. This means that all bodies currently approved by EFRA, ROAR, FAMAR and FEMCA that comply with the GBS rules are allowed to be used.’ They did add that, ‘the wing must be fitted directly to the body without spacers *and* no part of the wing may extend above the roofline of the body.’

Read full claificiation here