Red RC » R On Road

December 6, 2024

World Champions settle themselves in at FEMCA C/ship

With the FEMCA Championship due to officially get underway tomorrow morning, today’s open practice at the GDC track in Foshan, China, was a day for World Champions Bruno Coelho and Naoto Matsukura to get settled in on this their first visit to the impressively sized indoor facility. Fresh from his World Championship win in the US, Coelho, who is in China as part of a 2-week trip that will also see him race 1:8 Offroad at next weekend’s annual SIGP race in Xiamen, was pleased with the data he has gathered from his time on the track with his Xray. While this evening saw the track and pits get much busier as more local drivers arrived for one of Asia’s most important touring car races, Infinity’s Matsukura felt he has a bit more work to do to get a handle on the differing traction he experience each run over the day.

Continue reading here

December 6, 2024

Xray announce Lee signing

Xray has announced Electric Touring Car racer Nicolas Lee has joined their factory team. Having announced his departure from Yokomo during the week, the Singapore driver joins the Slovakian manufacturer for a race programme that includes the legendary TITC race in Thailand in February, the FEMCA Championship, the Hudy Series in Asia, AOC and the annual SIGP in Xiamen, China. On the announcement the World Championship finalist said, “First of all, I want to thank Xray for welcoming me into the team. I am extremely honoured for this opportunity to represent the Xray factory team and the products. I’m excited to work alongside such a dedicated team, to drive and contribute to the development of the Xray touring car platform, and to assist customers at the tracks. Looking forward to seeing you all soon! “

Source: Xray [teamxray.com]

December 6, 2024

Caretti announced as Yokomo Team Manager

Following the news earlier this week that long time driver Nicolas Lee is no longer with their team, Team Yokomo has announced Antoni Caretti as the new Team Manager for Asia and Australia. A long time Yokomo driver in touring car and buggy, Australian Caretti will oversee the Asian/Australian market and be available for technical support at races and online. On the announcement he said, ‘I am super exited to step up into a team manager position for Team Yokomo! I want to thank Taguchi, Naoya and Christopher for making this happen and I’m already looking forward to 2025 and beyond. When I started racing in 2007 my first race car was a Yokomo BD, so becoming a team driver and now team manager for such a prestigious brand is truly an amazing feeling!’

Source: Yokomo [teamyokomo.com]

December 6, 2024

Hamon and Serpent part ways

Jeff Hamon has announced he and his chassis sponsor Serpent are parting ways. The 1:8 Onroad World Championship finalist joined the iconic nitro onroad manufacturer during the 2019 season and just recently represented them at the ISTC World Championships in California. Achieving second place for the brand at the 1:8 GT World Championships last year in Sydney, just two weeks ago he finished on the podium at the Australian Electric Touring Car Nationals. In announcing the news, the popular Australian said, ‘It’s with a heavy heart to announce that I will be parting ways Serpent. We have shared some great results and memories over the past 5 years, I have met some fantastic people and had unbelievable experiences that would not have been possible without Serpent. A huge thank you to Mr and Mrs Lau, Joaquin, Michael, Stef, Grace and Felix for everything – Its hard for me to put into words how appreciative I am for all you have done for me.’

Source: Jeff Hamon [Facebook]

December 5, 2024

World Champions tour Foshan ahead of FEMCA C/ships

It’s not just all racing duties when you are a World Champion! When you have 2 multiple World Champions in town you want to make the most of the opportunity to help promote RC Racing. Well, that is exactly what happened today with Bruno Coelho and Naoto Matsukura ahead of this weekend’s FEMCA ISTC Championships in Foshan, China. With his GDC Indoor Race Club track hosting this year’s FEMCA race that will crown the Touring Car Champion of Asia, Gavin Kwok took a number of the visiting drivers to the City’s Nanfeng Ancient Kiln which was built during the Ming Dynasty. The oldest existing active ceramic wood-burning dragon kiln in the world it has a history of more than 500 years. Accompanied by a photographer & videographer to capture the visit, there was an interesting and novelty electric bus ride from the track to the city’s major tourist site. With Matsukura sitting up front in the bus beside the driver it was a very entertaining ride and one which highlight that the Japanese racer could have a career as a tourist guide once he decides to hang up his radio!! With a day of free practice ahead of drivers tomorrow (Friday), the FEMCA Championship gets underway in earnest on Saturday morning with seeding followed by qualifying before finals on Sunday decide the new FEMCA Champion. You can follow all the action from GDC here on Red RC over the next 3-days.

View more images here

December 4, 2024

Lee announces departure from Yokomo

Long time factory Yokomo touring car racer Nicolas Lee has announced the end of his journey with the Japanese manufacturer. An ISTC World Championship Finalist, the Singapore driver played more than just a driver role during his time with the company and in announcing his departure extended his gratitude towards the team and in particular founder & former owner Tom Yokobori for a partnership that lasted 9-years. Since Lee made his announcement, Yokomo has been in contact with Red RC to inform us that they will be announcing a successor within their factory team line-up and that the identity of that driver will be revealed in the coming days.

Read Lee’s full announcement here

December 3, 2024

‘Rising Star Program’ awarded at U.S Indoor Champs

First started in 2018 as an initiative at the Canadian National Championships, the ‘Rising Star Program’ was awarded to young racers Brayden Mahar and Simon Vessel over the weekend at the U.S. Indoor Champs in Cleveland. Very passionate about the program, Ryan Combden of Team Zombie Canada, together with some other passionate RC sponsors, once again made the award at the legendary and oldest RC race in the World, 2024 being its 44th year. In being selected for the program Mahar gets a a full 25.5 Touring Car setup while Vessel received a full GT12 setup. Comment on the ward Combden said, ‘We have now made it an annual thing at both the Canadian Nats and Cleveland Indoor Champs. We have had others start to use our name at events in Australia and the west side of Canada. It’s amazing knowing people are jumping on board and making a rising star award at there local track. It’s been an emotional roller coaster seeing peoples faces hearing them talk in the pits about who will win it this year. It’s become the highlight for me at both races. This hobby has given me so much since I got my first Tamiya at 13 to now be 42 giving to well deserved kids and adults. This past race we had 5 former and current rising star winners compete.’

View Brayden Mahar presentation and program sponsors here

December 3, 2024

RugRacers Round 2 – Report

Popular British indoor touring car series RugRacers was back for the second of the 5 round winter series and looking forward to more close racing from Round 1, which did not disappoint. The second round would also have a special guest in recent World Championship runner Michal Orlowski which was a great an opportunity for many to watch one of the very best out there close up racing, every time he was on track the pits seemed to empty as everyone watched on. On the day though it was his team mate & National Champion Elliott Harper that would take TQ in all 4 rounds to line up on pole, Harley Eldridge, the fastest female on the planet was just pipped to 2nd by Orlowski by 2/10ths. Leg 1 and the lead cars got away together, Eldridge dropped to the back but produced a stellar drive of racing and clean overtaking to make it back to 4th by the tone, Harper was able to extend out to a gap of 2secs from Orlowski and they would cross the line in that order with Andy Murray 3rd. Leg 2 would also go the way of Harper to make it two from 2 in the series, having won the season opener last month, with Orlowski 2nd & Eldridge 3rd and claiming the last spot on the podium with a faster Leg 2 race time.

Continue reading here