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April 9, 2025

FEMCA rebrands to Asian Championships

The governing body that represents 15 nations in Asia and Australasia, FEMCA has announced a rebranding of its blue ribbon events. Previously known as the FEMCA Championships, they will now be hosted under the titles of Asian Championships with 1:12 and Touring Car the first races set to crown the ‘Asian Champions’ later this year in Foshan, China which will host the 2026 IFMAR World Championships for both categories. Under the leadership of Leonard Kee, the Far East Model Car Association (FEMCA) has been busy re-establishing its championship events following Covid. The 1:8 Offroad Championship has enjoyed great success on its return with Kyosho’s American based up & coming offroad star Phi-Long Nguyen claiming back to back titles in Vietnam last month. Part of the success of that event has been FEMCA’s move to award the host track the option to host the race for 2-years. This is in order to help the track recoup any investment made in presenting a track worthy of hosting this major international title race that includes Atsushi Hara and Kyle McBride as past champions. At the end of last year the profile of the FEMCA Touring Car Championship got a major boost when World Champion Bruno Coelho traveled to Gavin Kwok’s GDC Indoor track, where the Portuguese ace added the title to his CV ahead of former FEMCA Champion Naoto Matsukura. In making the announcement FEMCA stated, ‘FEMCA will launch the “Asia Championship” races in Asia starting this year with ISTC and 1/12 category in the city of Foshan China at the start of December. The Asia Championship will provide a platform for all racers and hobbyist in Asia Pacific to race against their peers and fellow enthusiasts. ‘ Listing the categories that will have Asian Championship status, they added, ‘The events are based in Asia and the entries will be open to all. More events and changes are abound as FEMCA makes tweaks to rules and formats to move forwards in this hobby and region.’

View Championship categories here

April 7, 2025

Axon confirms Ishioka for eSIC 2025

Japanese touring car manufacturer Axon has confirmed 2025 TITC Finalist Hayato Ishioka will represent them when they make their team debut at the 3rd edition of the Electric Singapore International Challenge (eSIC) on July 12-13. Axon become the latest manufacturer to support the race which is the brainchild of top Singapore touring car racer Nicholas Lee and Chhua Jookiah. Aiming to bring top level international competition to the Asian island country, the previous two editions of the race has attracted official team entries from Mugen Seiki, Awesomatix, Yokomo, ARC and Xpress and in addition to Axon that list in 2025 will grow to also include Xray who confirmation that Germany’s Jan Ratheisky with travel to the RCMC Marine Parade race track hosted event.

Source: eSIC [Facebook]

April 7, 2025

Balestri wins Ielasi Tuned International Cup

The annual Ielasi Tuned International Cup took place at Pista Leno in Italy over the weekend where it was Infinity’s Dario Balestri who once again took the 1:8 win ahead of team-mate Francesco Tironi and Capricorn’s Toni Gruber. In qualifying it was World Champion Balestri who set the pace topping all three rounds with the Mugen Seiki of former World Champion Simon Kurzbuch claiming P2 with a pair of second fastest runs. Second fastest in Q2, Tironi completed the Top 3 ahead of Gruber. After some timing issues delayed the start of the final, when it did get underway it was Kurzbuch who got the jump on Balestri to lead early on but contact a few corners later between the pair saw the Swiss driver fly off the track and out of the race. While Balestri would continue and lead, Gruber would hit the front for a lengthy stint before Balestri retook control approaching the half way point of the 45-minute final. At the end he would have a 2-lap margin over Tironi who in turn had just 4-seconds on Gruber, the German completing the podium ahead of the Infinity of Thomas Lorenzi and Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani. In 1:10 Nitro Touring it was Austria’s Gerhard Kandelhart who took the TQ ahead of Infinity team-mate Milan Holthuis. In the final it was troubled race for Kandi and he eventually retired leaving Holthuis to take the win over the Xray of Stefan Strasser.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

April 6, 2025

Hamon is Victorian State Champion

RC Maker’s Jeff Hamon enjoyed the perfect first race on home soil with the SP1 by becoming Victorian State Champion over the weekend. Joining RC Maker from Serpent for the 2025 season, the Australian made his debut with Ryan Maker’s electric touring car at the TITC in Thailand earlier this year. Racing at the South Eastern Radio Control Car Club hosted State titles, the event attracting 103 entries, Hamon would top the times in 4 of the 5 qualifiers to secure the overall TQ ahead of the Schumacher of current Australian National Champion Simon Nicolson. The fifth & final qualifier would also go to an SP1, this time in the hands of Damon Davis-Perry who would line up P3. Winning A1 by a 2-second margin over Nicolson, Hamon won A2 by almost 10-seconds over Davis-Perry to take the title while a tiebreak between for second overall went in favour of Nicolson with Davis-Perry completing the podium. In the 13.5 Stock title, it was also a win for RC Maker with Lincoln Codd taking the TQ and win.

Image: Jeff Hamon [Facebook]

April 4, 2025

Cheng joins Xray

Former eSIC Open Brushless Champion Ethan Cheng has joined Xray, the Singapore driver following fellow countryman Nicholas Lee in switching from Yokomo to the Slovakian manufacturer for the 2025 season. In addition to his Stock victory at the inaugural eSIC (Electric Singapore International Challenge) race held at the RCMC race track in Singapore, he also made the internationally loaded Modified A-main at the event. Cheng was also an A-Main finalist in Modified at the inaugural Foshan Invitational RC Championship in China at the end of 2023. On the announced, Cheng said, ‘I’m deeply grateful to Nicholas Lee and the Hudy family for the opportunity to join Xray. It’s a true privilege to be part of such a passionate and talented team. I’m excited for the journey ahead and look forward to contributing meaningfully to the team’s ongoing success.’

Source: Xray [teamxray.com]

April 2, 2025

RC Bike World Championship 2025 – Announcement

For the first time since its inception back in 2004, the RC Bike World Championship’s will be held outside of Europe with Australia hosting the 19th running of the Championship in 2025. Riders will decent on the city of Brisbane for the main event from August 3-9th with Queensland Radio Circuit Car Racing Association also hosting a Pre Worlds event at England Park Raceway from May 18-24th. With the World Championship organisation being headed up Australian RC Bike Specialist Holeshot Hobbies, 2025 will see that addition of a new support race category for 1:4 Supermoto bikes to cater for the popular Losi Promoto and X-Rider CRS bikes. The RC Bike Worlds is a unique competition, being self governed and self managed through a group of Team managers (selected by each country). Decisions on rule changes, future locations for the events and other items related to the event and classes run are all made through a voting system via the Team managers. For the first time the event will be professionally live streamed by RC Race Media, the same people who broadcast the Asian Buggy Championships and who will bring the IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championships live to the world later this year. For Warm-up Race details click here.

Source: Holeshot Hobbies [holeshothobbies.com.au]

March 31, 2025

2025 Speed King Tour Rd1 – Report

The popular Japanese Speed King Tour kicked off its 2025 season at the Super Rajikon Oomiya indoor tarmac track in Saitama prefecture Japan where Xray’s Shin Sawada took the win. Once again in the same format as last year the Speed King Tour was made up three electric touring car and 2025 opened with fully booked out capacity entry. In the TC0 class (Modified) A Final, TQ driver Ryosuke Yamamoto led the race but he made mistake and broken his car at the 2-minutes mark allowing Sawada to moved up into P1. He kept that position until finish and won the event’s top class from Infinity’s Rento Sasaki with Axon’s Hayato Ishioka completing the podium.

Continue reading here

March 31, 2025

Catanzani wins Italian GT Championship opener

Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani put in the perfect weekend at the opening round of the highly competitive Italian 1:8 GT National Championships over the weekend securing the TQ and win at the Kronio Speed Park track in Sciacca, Sicily. Qualifying for the first round of the three race AMSCI run National Championship would see recent Florida Winternats winner Catanzani secure pole for the 45-minute Nitro final ahead of Alessio Mazzeo on his debut with the Raptor chassis. Defending Champion and Schepis Model team driver Rosario Giaimo would complete the Top 3. In the final, Catanzani would set the fastest lap en-route to victory by over a lap & a half from fourth place qualifier Daniel Schepis. Mugen Seiki offroad star driver Burak Kilic would complete the podium on his GT race debut, just 1-second ahead of Giaimo. The Turkish driver was running a Schepis Model MZGT powered by new engine sponsor Nova Engines. Having won last year’s season opener, Mazzeo would finish fifth ahead of 2023 National Champion and World Championship Top Qualifier Alex D’angelo. For reigning European Champion Natanaele Senesi it was a tough weekend resulting in a DNF in Nitro.

Image: Star RC [Facebook]