Red RC » R On Road

January 8, 2026

Power HD sign German Champion Weigerding

Leading servo manufacturer Power HD has announced that current German 1:8 Onroad National Champion Marco Weigerding has joined its team driver line-up for 2026. The former Large Scale World Championship podium finisher, who now races 1:8 Onroad for Serpent with whom he has been a European Championship & ENS finalist, will now use Power HD servos as part of his race program. Joining the likes of Toni Gruber in representing the brand in 1:8 Onroad, on his new partnership Weigerding said, ‘I’m very happy and proud to be joining the Power HD team. I can’t wait to hit the track with my new power servos! I’m sure I will have the best servos in my car for the next time! See you all at the track.’

Source: PowerHD [chd.hk]

January 8, 2026

Genius confirm Arnaldi for Nitro Party

Italian GT manufacturer Genius Racing has confirmed they are sending 2 time European GT Champion Bernard-Alain Arnaldi to the inaugural Nitro Party race which takes place later this month at the Hongyu GDC track in China. Travelling to the southern city of Foshan for the brand new Asian nitro onroad fixture, the French driver is the latest top international driver to be announced. Taking place over the weekend of January 24-25th, Arnaldi, who is also one of the World’s leading Large Scale racers, joins fellow Genius driver & Spanish Champion Raul Daras Anton on the strong entry list that will also see the Raptor of newly crowned IFMAR 1:8 GT World Champion Alessio Mazzeo, Senesi Motorport’s 2024 European GT Champion Natanaele Senesi, Infinity’s multiple World Champion Naoto Matsukua, Xray’s Filippo Domanin, and Hotrace’s Nicola Marrone race at the multi track Hongyu GDC facility’s 80m X 43m asphalt circuit. Having ended our busy 2025 season coverage at the recent FEMCA Asia Electric Touring Car Championships at the track, Red RC is excited to be returning to this very impressive venue to cover the inaugural Nitro Party when it will echo to the sound of nitro engines.

Source: Hongyu GDC [Facebook]

January 5, 2026

Mazzeo confirmed for inaugural ‘Nitro Party’ race

The organisers of the inaugural ‘Nitro Party’ race, which takes place later this month at the new Hongyu GDC track in China, has announced that newly crowned IFMAR 1:8 GT World Champion Alessio Mazzeo will travel to the city of Foshan for the brand new Asian nitro onroad fixture. Taking place at the 2026 IFMAR ISTC World Championship host track on January 24-25, the Gimar team driver is one of a number of new European entries confirmed for the race which Hongyu GDC has plans to grow & establish into one of the regions major nitro onroad events on the annual international racing calendar. With European GT Champion Natanaele Senesi previously confirmed for the Nitro Party, the latest drivers to join the race also includes Xray’s Filippo Domanin and Attilio D’Angelo, Spanish GT Champion & European Finalist Raul Daras Anton, and Hot Race tyres owner & accomplished 1:8 Onroad racer Nicola Marrone. Racing on the world class facility’s 80m X 43m asphalt circuit, the event has attracted huge interest in the region and beyond, with future high profile entries expected to be announced shortly. Having covered the recent FEMCA Asia Electric Touring Car Championships at Hongyu GDC, Red RC is excited to returning to the very impressive venue to cover the inaugural Nitro Party and to hear it echo to the sound of nitro engines.

Source: Hongyu GDC [Facebook]

January 1, 2026

ORCA signs Sawada

Electronics brand ORCA has announced the signing of top Japanese Touring Car driver & recently crowned 2025 FEMCA Asia Touring Car Spec Champion Shin Sawada. The Xray team driver, who finished fifth at the 2024 IFMAR World Championships in the Spec Class and previously ran for Hobbywing, will join the likes of Naoto Matsukura, Akio Sobue, and Lucas Urbain, in representing the ORCA brand in 2026. A World Championship year, Sawada will be one of ORCA’s key challengers for the Spec title at the Hongyu GDC track in China next April.

Source: ORCA [orcarc.com]

January 1, 2026

Butterfield joins Team Associated

Having announced his departure from Serpent last week, multiple US Nitro Onroad National Champion Bryce Butterfield will race for Team Associated in 2026. Racing both nitro and electric programs during his 5-years with Serpent, the 24-year-old will now form part of Team Associated’s Electric Touring Car team, the US manufacturer only returning to competitive racing with the TC8 which went on release in April of 2025. Sharing the news on his social media, Butterfield who finished runner-up at the 2025 ROAR Modified Touring Car Paved Championships, said, ‘2026 brings a new chapter, Team Associated! Super excited and proud to be a part of this iconic brand! Thank you to BT and everyone behind the scene for allowing me to represent. I’m looking forward to working with the team with a focus on the TC8 and onroad with some off-road sprinkled in here and there. It’s gonna be a great, but busy year! Feel free to come check out my TC8, and hit me up online if you have any questions regarding Team Associated products. See everyone at the track!

Source: Bryce Butterfield [Facebook]

December 31, 2025

Pietsch leaves Mugen Seiki after 16-years

Having brought them World Championship success both as a driver and then as a designer, Robert Pietsch has announced that he is leaving Mugen Seiki after 16-years working together. The German Nitro Onroad racer won the 1:8 Onroad World Championship in Miami in 2011 and was Top Qualifier in 1:10 Nitro Touring Car a year earlier among a host of other successes before taking up the role of designer with the Japanese manufacturer. His most recent design work the MRX7 won the 2025 World Championship on its debut in Chile with Shoki Takahata who used Pietsch’s previous design to win the 2019 title. Pietsch has also been instrumental in Mugen Seiki’s Electric Touring Car programme also regularly accompanying Ronald Volker to races around the world. Having had the pleasure of working with Robert both as a World class racer & a designer, and being there to witness him winning the biggest prize in our sport in 2011 and all the other highs & lows of racing along the way, Red RC wish him well with his ‘new challenge’.

Read Robert’s full post here

December 24, 2025

Hudy Series Asia – 2026 Announcement

After a successful introduction in 2025 under Xray factory driver Nicolas Lee together with race announcer Daryl Thong, the Hudy Series Asia is expanding for 2026. As part of the organising team behind Singapore’s annual international touring car race ‘eSIC’, Lee & Thong brought the inaugural Hudy Series to six countries, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, and China, and now expands that to nine. Joining the calendar for the second season is Thailand, Japan and Taiwan, with Huge RC in Bangkok opening the ’26 Series in March.

View full calendar here

December 23, 2025

Morganti joins Ielasi Tuned

Ielasi Tuned has announced that US Onroad Nitro racer Diego Morganti has joined its team line-up for 2026. The son of veteran 1:8 Onroad racer and IGT8 owner Paolo, Morganti was the winner of 2025 KO Propo Grand Prix in 1:8 Onroad and also made his IFMAR World Championship debut this year when he travelled to Chile for 1:8 GT. Qualifying P7, issues in his Semi Final would end his strong showing. Set to use the Italian engine tuners Pista Team Edition engines, Morganti’s first major race officially representing the brand will be the 2026 Winternats in Florida. On the announcement the 21-year-old said, ‘I am thrilled and very grateful about joining the Ielasi Tuned Family! Thank you so much to Daniele and Sabrina for the opportunity. I am looking forward to hitting the track soon.’

Source: Ielasi Tuned [ielasituned.com]