Red RC » R On Road

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]

December 22, 2025

Weiss joins RC Maker for racing return

Former European Championship Top Qualifier & Vice Champion Steve Weiss is returning to competitive Electric Touring Car racing with Australian manufacturer RC Maker announcing the signing of the German driver. After almost nine years away from active competition, Weiss will support RC Maker as a Technical Advisor, assisting the team at all major races. With his deep knowledge of car setup, car development, and race strategy, he will play a key role in helping the team grow stronger and move forward. On the announcement Weiss said, ‘I am very proud to be part of this young and talented team. I first met Ryan in 2008 at the IFMAR World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand, and now, 18 years later, we are working together again. Even though I stopped my active racing career in 2016, my passion for the sport never stopped. I have followed RC Maker from the beginning, starting with the release of the SP1. I am really impressed by the design, the performance on track, and how fast the brand has grown in such a short time. Being part of this journey means a lot to me, and I am proud to work together with RC Maker. I am fully motivated, ready for this challenge, and excited about what’s coming next.’

Source: RC Maker [rcmaker.com.au]

December 19, 2025

Nitro Party 2026 China – Registration Open

Fresh from hosting the biggest Asia Touring Car Championship in FEMCA history last weekend, all visiting drivers hugely impressed by the massive multi track facility, Hongyu GDC has announced that registration for the inaugural Nitro Party on January 24-25, 2026, is open. Since the Chinese venue announced it would host the nitro onroad race on its large 80m X 43m track, Nitro Party has attracted world wide interest with 2024 European 1:8 GT Champion Natanaele Senesi the first international driver to confirm he will travel to the city of Foshan to fight for 1:8 GT honours. With a number of manufacturers expressing interest in sending drivers to the race it is expected to be one of the biggest nitro onroad races in Asia. With China lifting Visa entry requirements for many European countries and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (CAN) one of the country’s main international airports attending the race is very accessible. Hongyu GDC is also within walking distance of a number of hotel options making it very convenient for racers and their crews. With classes for 1:8 Onroad, 1:8 GT Nitro and Electric, and 1:10 Nitro Touring Car, the race will feature spec tyres and controlled fuel. Teaming up with RC racing registration platform RC Race Pal (RRP), you can register your entry here where you will also find more details about each of the classes that will make up the inaugural Nitro Party. Having just recently covered the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship in Chile, Red RC is excited that we will be returning to the very impressive Hongyu GDC track to cover the Nitro Party and we are very much looking forward to experiencing the unique sounds & smells of top level nitro onroad racing again.

View track images here

December 18, 2025

Midland Indoor Carpet C/ship Round 2 – Report

Based in Telford in the UK, Round 2 of the Midland Indoor Carpet Championship took place last weekend where fresh from his IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship Finale debut in Chile, Alex Thurston took the Modified TC win. It was Thurston who continued his dominance from Round 1 to take TQ in all 4 rounds. Stefan Chodzynski would line up 2nd followed by Peter Eagles. Junior Andrea Torregiani lined up 4th with Liam Brookes and Sam Richardson close behind in 5th and 6th. Less than a second separating the three drivers. Thurston edged out Chodzynski in a nail-biting finish, with only a tiny margin separating the two at the finish. Eagles completed a fiercely competitive podium, finishing just behind the top two in what was one of the closest three-way battles of the season so far. Richardson, Alex Bold, and Liam Brooks were all tightly bunched behind the leaders, trading positions and keeping the intensity high throughout the race. Paul Chambers would cross the line in 7th, while Torregiani had a final to forget despite showing amazing speed all day.

Continue reading here

December 17, 2025

2026 MIBO International Race – Registration Open

Now on its fourth edition, registration for the 2026 MIBO International Race on Feb 27th – Mar 1st is open. Created in 2023 off the back of the very successful Mibo Cup Race Series, MIBO International is a unique event that brings together both 1:10 electric onroad and offroad racing with the building of two tracks side by side inside the Sport V Hotel in Hrotovice, Czech Republic. Under the guidance of former international touring car racer Michal Bok, the race has attracted numerous World Champions and counts Bruno Coelho, Ronald Volker, Michal Orlowski, Joern Nuemann and Bartek Zaleswki among its winners over the previous 3 editions. One of the attractions of MIBO International is its condensed timetable of just two and a half days, the Mibosport promoted race getting underway on the Friday afternoon with practice allowing for travel Friday morning. Another popular aspect of the race is the venue, everything from the track, restaurant, bowling alley, and hotel rooms all under the one roof of the Sport V Hotel. You can find full details for the 2026 MIBO International Race and register to be on the grid via the Mibosport website by clicking here.

Source: MIBO [mibosport.com]