Red RC » R On Road

March 25, 2024

Home of the TITC, RC Addict gets resurfaced

It has become the home of the greatest & most difficult annual electric touring race in the World and having just hosted its biggest TITC ever the RC Addict track in Bangkok, Thailand is getting a new surface of asphalt. Originally built in 2009, the track which has hosted two 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championships (2012 & 2022) and became the home of the TITC since 2010, was last resurfaced in 2016. Built in an area 55m wide by 27m deep, the extreme heat that Thailand experiences had taken its toll on the surface with the bumps adding to the challenges of the race, in particular over the last two years since its return after Covid. In addition to the fresh asphalt, the track’s enclosed pit area is also receiving a welcomed treatment of insulation which will keep the area cooler when it is once again packed with hundreds of racers from around the World for the 21st edition of the race in 2025.

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March 25, 2024

Balestri wins Ielasi Tuned International Cup

The 2024 edition of the annual Ielasi Tuned International Cup took place at Pista Leno in Italy over the weekend where it was Infinity’s Dario Balestri who took the 1:8 win ahead of Mugen Seiki’s Simon Kurzbuch and Capricorn’s Toni Gruber. In qualifying for the race put on by former World Champion Daniele Ielasi, it was 1:8 GT World Champion Gruber who took the opening qualifier ahead of Balestri but the reigning 1:8 Onroad World Champion go to the top in Q2 & 3 to secure the overall TQ from Gruber. With two P2 runs young Xray star Filippo Domanin secured P3 on the grid for the 45-minute final ahead of Kurzbuch with Thomas Lorenzi and last year’s winner Francesco Tironi completing the Top 6. Balestri lead away from the start but about half way into the race had issues with Gruber going to the front but then the German would have problems of his own. In the end some very quick pit work for a last minute fuel stop helped keep Balestri ahead of Kurzbuch, the pairing enjoying a great battle for the win as Gruber completed the podium just 3 seconds back after 194 laps of racing.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

March 24, 2024

Orlowki crowned ETS Champion

Michal Orlowski is the new ETS Champion, the Schumacher driver securing the Modified title for the first time with a dominant performance at the Season #16 finale in Austria. With the Polish driver’s busy onroad & offroad schedule meaning he would miss two of the six rounds in the current ETS season it meant every race counted and he delivered on that requirement by winning all four events he attended. In Vienna, he topped all four rounds of qualifying to secure the TQ ahead of Awesomatix pairing of Lucas Urbain and TITC Open Brushless Champion Simon Lauter. In the finals, Orlowski was again the class act with his Hobbywing powered prototype Schumacher winning A1 by 2.5 seconds and then sealing the deal in A2 by a 4-second margin. Winning A3 from Lauter, Urbain would secure second overall for Round 6 to take the runner-up spot in the standings ahead of team-mate Marc Rheinard, the multiple ETS Champion having a tough season finale and finishing P10. In Pro Stock, it was Lukas Ellebrock who took the Round 6 win but it would be Olivier Bultynck that took the title by a single point having finished Runner-up last season to Simon Lauter, the later making the impressive step up to the Modified class this season.

Image: ETS [Facebook]

March 24, 2024

SIGP victories for Coelho & Hamon

The SIGP International RC Car Grand Prix made a return over the weekend with dominant performances from Bruno Coelho in electric and Jeff Hamon in nitro seeing the two international visitors take the victories in China. Established as one of China’s biggest annual international races prior to Covid, defending 2019 Touring Car Champion Coelho was the class of the field with his Xray. Having taken all four qualifiers, from the TQ he secured the overall win with perfect drives in A1 & 2 with his efforts netting him 20,000 Chinese Yuan, approximately €2,500. While Coelho cruised to victory, Yokomo’s Nicolas Lee and the Xray of JJ Wang enjoyed a good battle for the runner up spot. In A1, Wang would get passed the Singapore driver but on used tyres he couldn’t hold the position. In A2, Wang took advantage of Lee being on used tyres and took second setting them up for an interesting A3 battle. With a minute to go in final A-Main a mistake by Wang dropped him to third allowing Chinese National Champion Ma Haoran passed for second behind winner Lee. Overall it was Lee who got second with Wang completing the podium on his return to international competition. In the 1:8 Onroad Nitro Final, Hamon’s Serpent was untouchable over the 45-minute final and the Australian netted himself an easy 20,000 Chinese Yuan. Despite a big crash at the start, Matrix Tires founder Cristian Boni recovered to finish second with fellow Italian Cristiano Sartor joining him on the podium in Xiamen.

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March 23, 2024

Coelho & Hamon Top Qualifiers at SIGP

Xray’s Bruno Coelho and Serpent’s Jeff Hamon are the Top Qualifiers at the SIGP in China but the second day of qualifying saw very different fortunes for the two drivers. Having topped the opening qualifier yesterday, defending SIGP Electric Touring Car Champion Coelho continued that form going fastest in the remaining three rounds for a clean sweep In Xiamen. In Q2, it was Chinese National Champion Ma Haoran also driving an Xray who was his closest challenger. Driving a prototype of Yokomo’s upcoming MS1.0, Nicolas Lee repeated his Q1 performance with another P2 in Q3. Having missed Q1 yesterday due to a fever, while still under the weather it was a much better day for JJ Wang with him wrapping up qualifying with the second fastest time in Q4. Overall that puts him P3 on the grid for the A-Main behind Lee and ahead of Haoran. With qualifying in 1:8 Nitro Onroad based on each driver’s single fastest time from the four rounds, Hamon’s Q1 pace was to prove important for the World Championship Finalist. After a morning rain shower, Hamon would top Q2 but in a slower time and then in Q3 & 4 he suffered one-way bearing failures that resulted in two DNFs. Hong Kong’s Ray Poon would top Q3 from Italy’s Cristiano Sartor with Wang third and he was again fastest in Q4, this time from Matrix Tires’ Cristian Boni. Overall the Q1 times of Boni and Sartor gave them 2nd and 3rd overall with Poon set to line-up P4 on tomorrow Main final grid.

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March 18, 2024

Harper takes Essex Winter Series title

Elliot Harper is the new Essex Winter Series Champion, the Schumacher driver taking the title in fashion with TQ & victory at the fifth and final round. Going into the season finale with two wins to his credit, Harper would open the title decider by taking the overall TQ with two TQ runs. Behind him on the grid having topped the other two qualifiers would be Alex Thurston, winner of last season’s final round, who since Round 4 has made the switch from Yokomo to Mugen. The Xray of defending Champion Kyle Branson completed the Top 3 for the single main. Setting the fastest lap of the race, Harper would edge out a 4-second gap on Thurston who was busy keeping winner of the season opener Branson behind. In the championship that 3rd was enough for Branson to finish runner-up ahead of Thurston with the season’s 3rd different winner over the popular 5 round series Harley Eldridge ending the season 4th.

Image: Schumacher RC Racing [Facebook]

March 14, 2024

Kato joins O.S Engines

Promising Japanese onroad and offroad talent Kouki Kato has been announced as a O.S Engines supported driver for 2024. The 17-year-old Japanese driver has put in some very impressive international results recently including making the Final on his debut at the 1:8 Onroad World Championship last November, after TQ’ing the final round of qualifying, and making the A-Main at the ultra competitive TITC electric touring car race in Thailand earlier this month. The reigning Japanese 1:8 Offroad Champion, he is also the double 1:10 Offroad National Champion, and his Team Associated Offroad and Infinity Onroad nitro programmes will be powered by O.S. Speed engines and Nitro Fuel.

Source: O.S. Engines [os-engines.co.jp]

March 14, 2024

Matrix announced as 1:8 Onroad European C/ship tyre

Italian tyre manufacturer Matrix has been announced as the official tyre supplier for this year’s EFRA 1:8 Onroad European Championship. The 22nd running of the Championship, the category an evolution of the European Federation’s original European Championship, reigning World Champion Dario Balestri will aim to defend his European title on September 18-21 when the championship is hosted at the Miniautodromo Locorotondo track in Southern Italy. Infinity driver Balestri secured his third 1:8 Onroad European title in Portugal last year ahead of Mugen’s Simon Kurzbuch and the Capricorn of Top Qualifier & 1:10 European Champion Toni Gruber. Miniautodromo Locorotondo peviously hosted the Championship in 2010 where Robert Pietsch took the victory for Mugen ahead of Balestri, then driving for Motonica, and the Kyosho of Lamberto Collari.

Source: Miniautodromo Locorotondo [Facebook]