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August 16, 2022

IFMAR releases final entry list for ISTC World C/ship

IFMAR, the governing body for RC racing, has today released the ‘final entry list’ for 1:10 ISTC World Championship in Italy next month. After being forced to wait twice as long as normal for the biggest championship in our sport to come back around, the entry is noticeably lacking the world wide gathering we normally expect. While the champions of all five previous encounters are listed to make the trip to Gubbio, with less than a month to go only two nations outside of Europe are represented, Japan and Singapore. Travel safety concerns meant a low entry count for the previous Worlds in South Africa in 2018 despite Antonio Caroli and his crew putting on an impeccable event. The move to Europe still only sees 54 drivers entered for Modified. 19 Formula entries and a further 32 Spec entries help bring the entry count to just over 100 racers. While aware the resumption of air travel after the pandemic has been chaotic with lost baggage being a problem for even the biggest stars in world sport, one standout absent nation from the entry list is the United States. Team Associated’s withdrawal from the category a few years ago has effected any factory effort but given the potential size of the North American market to other RC manufacturers it would beneficial to have the US represented on the categories biggest stage. The ISTC World Championship runs from September 14 to 17th and RedRC will be there to cover everything as it unfolds.

To view entry list as published on the IFMAR Facebook page click here.

August 15, 2022

IFMAR ISTC World Championship Stage 2 Report

With the IFMAR ISTC World Championships just one month away, hosts Club Automodellistico 5 Colli has published the Stage 2 report for the event to help drivers with their trip to the medieval town of Gubbio in central Italy. Download the Stage 2 report (pdf file) here. 2022, the 11th running of the World Championships for electric touring car, will see three titles up for grabs with touring car’s premiere category now being joined by Formula and Spec Touring Car in having World Championship status. At the last World Championships in 2018 in South Africa, the Formula category raced alongside the Mod Touring Car event as a World Cup race with Jan Ratheisky taking the win. RedRC will be making the trip to Gubbio, location of the 2016 1:10 Nitro Touring WC, to bring you full coverage of the championships as Bruno Coelho aims to defend his title.

Source: IFMAR [ifmar.org]

August 13, 2022

Greiner adds 1:8 title for European Championship double

Having lifted the 1:10 IC Onroad European title in Italy just two weeks ago, Dominic Greiner has done the nitro onroad double this evening with a late victory at the 1:8 European Championship in Spain. Lining up third on the grid for the 45 minute rain delayed final at the Almussafes track, Greiner did not look a contender for the victory in the early stages of the race. Contact on the opening lap dropped him to seventh and soon after the German was bringing up the rear of the field in 10th position. Greiner wasn’t the only one to have a moment early on as Top Qualifier and defending champion Dario Balestri dropped from the lead to third about 1-minute into the encounter. This left Super Pole winner Robert Pietsch and up & coming French talent Maxine Ripoll contending the lead. Working his way back through the order, Greiner was back in podium contention in the later part of the race. With one & half minutes remaining on the clock he then made a move down the inside of leader Pietsch, contact sending the Mugen driver on to the grass. Greiner would continue un-intruded to take his Capricorn to victory to add a first 1:8 title to his 1:10 World and two European championship titles. Almost 2-seconds back Pietsch would finish second with a great drive by Ripoll being rewarded with third on the podium and the title of Junior European Champion. Despite setting the fastest lap of the race, it wasn’t to be Balestri’s day as he had to settle for fourth after losing his podium spot to Ripoll with less than 4-minute to go.

Image: EFRA [efra.ws]

August 12, 2022

Balestri takes TQ at 1:8 Onroad European Championship

Reigning 1:8 Onroad European Champion Dario Balestri will start the defence of his title from pole after he secured the overall TQ in Spain today. After a 2 year forced break, the European Championship returned to Almussafes near Valencia, the track having previously held the championships in 2008. On that occasion Jernej Vuga took a dramatic last last victory when leader for much of the race Daniele Ielasi crashed three corners from the finish due to a flat receiver battery. Heading the Infinity team charge, Balestri opened qualifying yesterday with a TQ run but former champion Robert Pietsch was fastest in Q2 meaning they shared the provisional overnight TQ. Opening a very hot second day of qualifying, it hitting almost 40 degrees, Balestri was back on top in Q3, as his Mugen rival posted the 3rd fastest time. The Italian then secured Top Qualifier honours when he again set the pace in the penultimate round. While it was job done for Balestri, it didn’t deter the former World Champion from making it four TQs out of 5 rounds in the final qualifier. Behind Pietsch in second in the final quali standings, two P2 runs gave Shepherd’s Simon Kurzbuch third, followed by Capricorn’s Dominic Greiner and Shepherd’s Toni Gruber, all four getting to shoot it out for a direct place in the Main final beside Balestri. With each driver getting 6 laps to set a time, that battle went to Pietsch for posting the fastest lap on his final attempt to knock Gruber, who was first to set a time, off the top spot.

Image: EFRA [efra.ws]

August 11, 2022

Speed King Tour 2022 Rd4 – Report

The fourth round of Speed King Tour 2022 was held at RC stadium Sodegaura outdoor tarmac track in Chiba prefecture last weekend. Three different electric touring car class race took place at the event same as past rounds. TC0 class car uses modified motor and TC1 runs with boosted stock motor. Only G Force ESC and motor can be used at TC2 class. This track will hold JMRCA EP Touring car Sport class Nats in September then a lot of drivers entered TC1 class of the event which is almost same regulation as JMRCA Sport class. And also some of Japanese top drivers run TC0 class for preparing for IFMAR ISTC World championship in Italy in September.

Continue reading race report here

August 9, 2022

Inaugural ‘1up OC Throwdown’ – Report

This past weekend was an inaugural event for 1up Racing at Cal Raceway in Orange County CA called the OC “Throwdown”. It gathered racers from up and down California and San Diego reaching a mere 120 entries. This was an open tire event for TC which enabled racers to choose best tire choice. The racing format was open and controlled practice on Friday, Saturday with early morning seeding followed by three qualifiers. The TQ was determined by a qual points system. Sunday was triple mains.

In the modified division, on Saturday, it was Team Mugen driver young phenom Jacob Cruz who set the Top Seed for qualifying with an impressive 3 Lap time result. Leading up to Q1, it was Team Awesomatix driver Lex Tyler who took 0 points using Team Powers 36V2 tires with Cruz in 2nd using Team Solaris 36J tires and Team Associated driver Kyle Klingforth in 3rd using Team Solaris 36V2 tires.

Continue reading race report here

August 8, 2022

Nicolson leads Yokomo 1-2 at QLD State Championships

Simon Nicolson lead a Yokomo 1-2 at the 2022 Speedy RC Queensland State Championships over the weekend taking the title from fellow international electric touring car racer Antoni Caretti. Held at England Park Raceway in Brisbane, overnight rain on the Friday meant drivers faced completely different track conditions for the start of qualifying. Despite adapting his car set-up to the track during qualifying, Nicolson was able to take the first of the five qualifiers from Caretti and ARC driver Jeffery Mackie. He would also TQ Rounds 3 & 4 to secure the overall TQ. Fastest in Q2 and 5, Mackie would secure second on the grid from Caretti. The finals would be a Nicolson clean sweep securing him the title. With Caretti second in A1 from Mackie, and that order reversed in A2, the third final would decide which side of the podium they would join Nicolson. Caretti again got by Mackie, finishing 1.5-seconds behind the winner in A3 to take second overall.

Source – Simon Nicolson [facebook.com]

August 8, 2022

Rheinard wins German Nationals

A nation that has been an international powerhouse in the world of 1:10 electric touring car racing, Germany’s National Championship took place at the Arena33 track in Andernach over the weekend. The hometown of a certain multiple World Champion, it was to be Marc Rheinard who came away with the DMC title. While the modified class attracted only 12 of the events 67 entries, with some notable top international driver absentees, the Tonisport driver topped two of the 5 rounds of qualifying with his Awesomatix to take the TQ honours. Behind, factory Mugen driver Ronald Volker and Yokomo’s lead international star Christopher Krapp completed the Top 3 on the grid ahead of the Xray of Marco Kaufmann, each driver producing one TQ run a piece. In the A-Main, Rheinard took the opening two encounters to claim the title for a podium that visually could be from any international race with Volker and Krapp completing the line-up. All three drivers will be vying for the sport’s biggest prize next month when they travel to Gubbio in Italy for the 1:10 Electric Touring Car World Championships, a title that hasn’t been contested for 4 years!

Image: Mugen Seiki Europe [mugen.eu]