Red RC » R On Road

October 15, 2026

Senior Minister of State officially re-opened RCMC Marine Parade

While all attention was on the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix marking the return of racing to the country’s only permanent track over the weekend, for the club behind the renewed RCMC Marine Parade track welcoming Senior Minster of State Mr. Goh Pei Ming to officially re-open the circuit was a significant occasion for the future of the club’s home. With a certain Kimi Antonelli bringing world attention on the track when he did a few hours of 1:8 Nitro testing on the new asphalt ahead of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, Sunday morning would see the Minister perform the official ribbon cutting to mark the track’s reopening. Minister Pei Ming would also make a special presentation on behalf of the club to Kenji Taira owner of Infinity who have been the title sponsor of the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix for many years. The presentation was in recognition of Taira’s support & contribution to the club. Following the presentation, the Minister then flagged off an exhibition race that included a starting grid of no less than 9-IFMAR World Champions! With racing having become somewhat compromised by the development of key bumps in the track’s 12-year-old surface, the country’s RC Community came together to crowd fund the re-surfacing so as to safeguard the track’s future as not only a venue for local racer but also as a venue to put Singapore on the international RC racing calendar with races like the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix and the Electric Singapore International Challenge (eSIC). After a year off this year to allow for track work eSIC returns in 2027. With funding of the new asphalt a project led by Daryl Thong, work on the track was started in mid June and took only a week to complete however behind the scene the fund raising took a huge effort and many months of work. For his efforts, it was only fitting that Thong would be Race Director for the first race on the new surface and thanks to the new super smooth asphalt the weekend witnessed the track record tumble numerous times.

View Exhibition Race drivers and officials here

October 15, 2026

ROAR Adopts New Touring Car Body Rules

ROAR, the the sanctioning body for RC racing in the United States & Canada, has announced it has approved additional technical specifications for 1:10 Touring Car bodies. With new competition body shell releases always divisive regarding the direction they have taken, on October 13th the ROAR Executive Committee voted on the new specs that have been added to the ROAR Rule Book (Pages 17-20). These new rules will take effect, and the temporary moratorium on body approvals will end, on November 1, 2026. The Body Submission Form has also been updated with a few additional requirements effective immediately. All TC bodies that were on the Approved List before the new rule was enacted, will remain legal for use at the upcoming 2026 Electric On-Road Pavement Nationals event at Valkaria Raceway in Florida. All new TC bodies must now meet the updated specs in order to be added to the ROAR-Approved List. Any previously approved bodies that no longer conform to the updated TC specs will be removed from the ROAR-Approved List on December 31, 2026.

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October 13, 2026

Isaacs to defend MonTech NYGP titles

Awesomatix’s Sam Isaacs is to defend both his titles at this weekend’s MonTech New York Grand Prix at 360v2 RC Raceway in New Rochelle, the multiple champion a late entry for the 8th edition of one of the highlights on the annual US onroad racing calendar. Taking both the 1:12 Modified and Modified Touring Car wins on his return to the event last year, after missing the 2024 event, Isaacs will go up against a host of former race champions. Winner in 2024, 1:12 World Championship Top Qualifier Kemp Anderson returns to the NYGP. The Awesomatix driver has contested every running of the Donny Lia promoted race with this being one of the reigning ROAR Carpet National Champion’s favourite races of the year. Also back for more is Xray’s Keven Hebert, the Canadian again making the trip south where he will be joined by Xray’s US Team Manager Drew Ellis. Joining Excelerate RC just after his 1:12 Super Stock class TQ & win at last year’s NYGP, British racer Ollie Payne is another regular returning to race on 105 X 48 feet carpet track. Expanded to 10 classes for 2026, Red RC is excited to be again making the trip across the Atlantic to cover this year’s NYGP action.

Source: Fordham 360 Hobbies & Raceway [Facebook]

October 13, 2026

Harper wins 2026/27 EWS season opener – Report

The opening round of the 2026/27 Essex Winter Series took place over the weekend with Schumacher’s Elliott Harper getting his title defence off to the perfect start with victory in the LRP Modified class. The fifteenth season of the EWS, entries were as popular as ever, leading to a fully booked race and a stacked field in all the classes. In qualifying it was the Mugen Seiki of Alex Thurston who topped the opening qualifier ahead of ToniSport’s Kyle Branson, with Harper in third. Harper then however found the groove and took the top spot in the remaining three qualifiers to secure pole position, ahead of Thurston, Branson, the Awesomatix of series returnee Olly Jefferies and Xray’s Harley Eldridge. Thurston initially stayed close to Harper at the start of the final, but by the half-distance point had dropped around 2 seconds behind. Meanwhile, Jefferies hounded Branson, the two former champions putting on a great display of close racing throughout. As Thurston’s pace began to fade, this pair closed in, and the final half-minute saw a three way battle to be “best of the rest”. But Thurston held his composure to cross the line in second place, with Branson and Jefferies right behind him but still in the order they qualified. Out front, Harper secured maximum points with a perfect drive to take the win.

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October 11, 2026

Balestri wins Singapore Nitro GP with world class recovery drive

Infinity’s Dario Balestri has claimed back to back wins at the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix, the Italian putting in a world class recovery drive after an early flame out dropped the Top Qualifier down to 7th in the 45-minute race of attrition. Leading away the 12 car grid, the 20th edition of the annual race marking the official re-opening of the newly resurfaced RCMC Marine Parade track, Balestri took early control of proceeding with Naoto Matsukura in tow & keeping him honest. Unfortunately World Champion Shoki Takahata’s challenge on his first visit to Singapore ended as fast as it started, the Mugen Seiki driver suffering a flame out on the first lap – the first of many for the Japanese driver who eventually finished P7. 1:8 & 1:10 Nitro Onroad World Champion Tadahiko Sahashi would be another early exit after he spun and was collected by Jesse Davis, winner of the Last Chance Final, the Japanese driver’s mistake would also lead to the demise of the Australian with just two minutes on the clock. With the first round of fuel stop coming around, it would see the spectacular demise of Matsukura. Exiting pit lane after his first stop, spectators trying to capture the 1:8 Onroad action blocked the Nitro Touring Car World Champion’s view and he hit a post, his yellow bodied Infinity resembling a banana after the massive high speed impact. With things starting to finally settle down, Jilles Groskamp another hitting early problems, it looked like Balestri could switch to cruise control but approaching the send round of fuel stops, the 2 time World Champion ran out of fuel. The only one of the four direct qualifiers to have not yet hit problems, Carmine Raiola took over the lead. He would hold that lead until the final 3-minutes. Setting a new track record as he struck off his rivals 1 by 1 on his way back to the front, Balestri would pass Raiola for the lead on his final fuel stop. His drive to Singapore Nitro Grand Prix victory a class act by one of 1:8 Onroad’s greatest drivers, his winning margin 5-seconds over Raiola. Takakki Shimo completed the podium ahead of Teemu Leino.

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October 11, 2026

Balestri crashes out of final qualifier but still Top Qualifier in Singapore

Infinity’s Dario Balestri is the Top Qualifier at the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix despite crashing out of the final qualifier at the RCMC Marine Parade track with Naoto Matsukura going on to set the fastest time in Q4. After a dominant start to the event that saw last year’s race winner take the opening two qualifiers, an issue for the Italian in Q3 yesterday saw Jesse Davis post the TQ run to put the Australian in with a chance of the overall TQ this morning. Unfortunately for Davis, who ran out of fuel in the opening 2 qualifiers, engine issues in the final qualifier put an end to his challenge as well as any chance of being a Top 4 direct qualifier into the main. The nature of the track and high temperatures mean the Semi Finals are an extra high risk as was highlighted in Q4 as many drivers had engines issues or made mistakes. With Balestri looking comfortable to officially lay claim to pole position with a third TQ, the Italian would make an uncharacteristic mistake hitting the pit lane and launching his car off the track and into retirement with broken suspension. This allowed Teemu Leino to set the pace but pushing hard to keep ahead of Matsukura he made a mistake handing the round to the Japanese driver who with a P2 from Q1 will start second on the grid. Getting a second for the round ahead of Leino, Carmine Riola will start 3rd on the grid with Leino locking in the last of the direct spots into this evening’s 45-minute Grand Prix Main.

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October 10, 2026

Davis tops Q3 as Balestri hits problems in the pits

Jesse Davis topped the penultimate round of qualifying at the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix, the Infinity driver becoming only the second driver to top the times today at the RCMC Marine Parade track as Dario Balestri’s reign on proceeding ending with a freak incident during his fuel stop. Having topped seeding, Balestri backed up his opening TQ run with another in Q2 and was looking on target to wrap up an early overall TQ in the third & final of Saturday’s qualifiers. Making his stop half way through the 7-minute run, as his car was released from refuelling his mechanic’s glove would get snagged by the head of the engine, the resulting chaos causing his retirement. Having opened with a P2 and followed that up with P3 in the second qualifier, it was Teemu Leino who then took over at the top of the timing screens but with Davis chasing him down. Setting his fastest lap of the qualifier on lap 22, that was when the Australian took over the TQ pace but worse was to come for the Leino. Pushing to retake the lead, the Finnish driver would come upon Mugen Seiki’s Shoki Takahata, who had spun his car out of the corner and was facing the wrong way making for a perfect launch pad that would send Leino flying into retirement. Finishing 1.526 seconds behind Davis a much improved Takakki Shimo took second for the round with Carmine Riola completing the Top 3 with half a second advantage over Jilles Groskamp. With Takahata surviving the impact from Leino, he would get a 5 for the round having retired with engine issues in Q2 while a struggling for power Naoto Matsukura completing the Top 6. With the Top 4 going directly into Sunday afternoon’s 45-main final, drivers have one final attempt at qualifying in the morning.

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October 10, 2026

Balestri takes opening qualifier as Matsukura loses drive

The opening round of qualifying at the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix saw Dario Balestri carry his morning seeding form into the first 7-minute affair with the Infinity driver topping the times by a convincing margin after main rival Naoto Matsukura went out just after the 3-minute mark with a stripped first gear. Pushed early on by Matsukura, who seeded second, Balestri in the end was over 5-seconds faster than Teemu Leino, the Finn having a strong morning at the RCMC Marine Parade track. Up against a stacked field of Infinity drivers, Mugen Seiki’s Shoki Takahata opened his Grand Prix debut with the third fastest time despite his engine struggling with the high humidity and 32 degree heat. With many drivers making small mistakes on the high speed circuit, it was Tadahiko Sahashi, who is seeded in the second fastest heat, who was fourth fastest ahead of Takakki Shimo and Thailand’s Chavit Saligupta.

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