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December 13, 2023

’23 1:12 World Championship Chassis Focus Index

Last weekend 1:12 concluded the 2023 IFMAR World Championship calendar in Cocoa, Florida. While the entry may have been small, at the front of the field things were ultra competitive as some of the biggest names in the sport battled it out to win the smallest scale and the original electric World Championship. A beautifully presented track, Beachline Raceway was the battle ground with the TQ going to Awesomatix’ Kemp Anderson ahead of Marc Rheinard and Michal Orlowski – each taking 2 TQ runs from the six rounds. In the finals we witnessed next level driving skills as painted was swapped in battle before Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski finally became a World Champion. In 1:12 Spec, Awesomatx’ Max Machler did the double taking the TQ and the manufacturer’s first ever World title. With the Schumacher team running a different front end on their car specifically to suit the black carpet in use, we didn’t get to take our traditional ‘World Champion Chassis Focus’. Over the event however we did however photograph 10 cars from four of the six different manufacturers represented at the 21st running of the championship and we have compiled them all here in our latest Chassis Focus index.

View Chassis Focus Index here

December 13, 2023

IFMAR World Champion Manufacturer Stats

With the 1:12 World Championships in Florida last week marking the conclusion of another season of World Championships for RC racing’s World Governing Body IFMAR, they have issued an updated list of World Champion Manufacturer stats. With 2023 the 46th year of the federation, which ran its first World Championship in 1977, it is the manufacturer that won that 1:8 Onroad title that holds the honour of the most winning manufacturer in the sport. Thanks to Davide Ongaro kicking of this year’s World Championship calendar with victory at the 1:10 4WD Offroad World Championship at Hobby Action in Arizona, Team Associated have amassed 32 World titles. That impressive achievement gives them double the titles of joint second placed Japanese companies Yokomo and Kyosho. Interestingly this year two new names were added bring the list to 30 manufacturers past and present. Thanks to Toni Gruber’s win at the 1:8 GT Worlds in Australia, Hong Nor is now a World Champion manufacturer. Although a well established electric onroad manufacturer for over a decade, Awesomatix claimed its first World title in Florida with their own team manager ‘Mad Max’ Machler lifting the 1:12 Spec World title at Beachline Raceway making the newest World Champion manufacturer.

View World Champion manufacturers list here

December 13, 2023

Kocher to race for Hong Nor GT team in 2024

1:8 GT World Champion manufacturer Hong Nor has announced the signing of Swiss racer Michael Kocher for its 2024 line-up. Kocher is best known for his collaboration with Italian designer Andrea Contarini in bringing the Raptor 1:8 GT chassis to market and in particular for racing the non production nitro version of the car at the 1:8 GT World Championships in Australia this year. Now joining the Taiwanese brand, Kocher said, “I am very happy to join the Hong Nor family and factory Team for upcoming season. I started 4 years ago in GT8 Nitro Racing. I had the chance to cooperate with an Italian designer and produced my own racing car brand – Raptor Racing. After 3 years of building cars for customers, I didn’t spent much time on the track. I think it’s time to start a new journey. During the Worlds held in Australia this year, I had the chance to test with different cars. Among all the cars I’ve tested, I had the best experience with Hong Nor’s X3GTS 2023 World Edition, fast and easy to drive. After a really nice meet with Hong Nor’s two bosses – Tony Chen and Hsiang Lin, it was clear to me to go forward with this great brand. Hope the winter season pass soon, and I could be back on the track with the car. See you on the track.”

Source: Hong Nor [hongnor-racing.com]

December 11, 2023

Gandin wins Miami RC Grand Prix

While the 1:12 World Championships was being decided in Cocoa, Florida, further south in the state the annual Miami RC Grand Prix was taking place where Italy’s Jonathan Gandin took the big win in 1:8 Onroad. The Ielasi Tuned team driver took his Infinity to the TQ with the fastest time and only 16-lap 4-minute run from the five rounds of qualifying at the former World Championship hosting Homestead RC Raceway. Behind it was Serpent’s Bryce Butterfield who set the second fastest time to line up P2 for the 45-minute final ahead of Infinity’s Francesco Tironi, Capricorn’s Thilo Diekmann and the Xray of Filippo Domanin. In the final, Butterfield was an early retirement going after 12-minutes, but upfront Gandin was in charge albeit being kept honest by young Domanin who set the fastest lap of the race. Completing the podium Tironi would finish 3rd ahead of the Capricorn of Florida racer Diego Morganti. In 1:10 Sedan, it was Top Qualifier DJ Apolaro who took his Infinity to the win.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

December 10, 2023

Orlowski is finally a World Champion

He has been a heavy weight in electric onroad and offroad for the last decade but today was the day he finally took the sport’s biggest prize, Michal Orlowski is the 2023 IFMAR 1:12 World Champion. Having secured the overall TQ at the previous edition of the sports oldest World Championship category but missing out on the win to Marc Rheinard, today the Schumacher switched the 2020 order taking victory at Beachline Raceway ahead of Rheinard and 2018 World Champion Alexander Hagberg. With Top Qualifier Kemp Anderson winning A1, ahead of Rheinard and Orlowski, a win in A2 by the Polish ace set the stage for an A3 title showdown. With a highly anticipating crowd looking on having experienced some mental defying display of racing skills in the first two A-Mains, A3 was to start with a bang literally. On the tone Anderson’s car didn’t leave the line and starting directly behind Rheinard a huge impact in the rear of the stricken car. The race effectively decided on the spot as No.2 starter Orlowski was able to break clear followed by Hagberg who did have the pace to mount a challenge for the lead. While Rheinard tried to continue his car was badly tweaked and he eventually pulled up. Unfortunately for Anderson, despite showing his massive talents in qualifying and A1, the A3 DNF together with his A2 DNF meant he goes into the IFMAR history books as the 6th place finisher.

Continue reading here

December 9, 2023

Orlowski gets elbows out for A2 win

It is all going to come down to A3 at the 1:12 World Championship in Florida, with Michal Orlowski taking the win ahead of defending Champion Marc Rheinard. Having won A1 with a flawless race, Kemp Anderson came crashing back to earth in A2 when he ran wide on the opening lap resulting in contact with Orlowski. With Anderson coming off worst, finding himself at the back of the field, the contact delayed Orlowski enough for Rheinard to go to the front. Quickly gapping the rest of the field, the European pairing held station until the race reached mid distance and Orlowski got his elbows forcing an impressive pass on his great track rival but good friend off track. Then with a minute to go, Rheinard mounted a challenge to take back the lead but looking to set-up a last lap pass he would get to much kerb causing the back of his Awesomatix to step out and allow Orlowski to breath again and take the win with a faster time than that set in A1. With Anderson eventually retiring from the race having buried his car under the track boards as he tried to make a comeback, 2018 World Champion Alexander Hagberg completed the Top 3 over 8-seconds back with Donny Lia fourth.

Continue reading here

December 9, 2023

Kemp sees off late Rheinard attack to win A1

Kemp Anderson held off an intense late attack from Marc Rheinard to win the opening A-Main of the IFMAR 1:12 World Championship in Florida. Starting from the pole, Andersson would initially gap the field as second place starter Michal Orlowski was occupied with trying to keep a hard charging Rheinard at bay, the pair swapping paint but holding order. Approaching the mid point of the 8-minute Orlowski would find his rhythm, the Schumacher driver closing Anderson’s over 1-second gap down to nothing. Coming on to the straight, the Polish ace would make a pass for the lead on the inside of the Awesomatix driver but his car shot to the outside and he hit the boards. With a tweaked car he was then passed by Rheinard. Having survived the Orlowski challenge, now Anderson was ready for a second attack on his lead this time from the reigning World Champion. The German was all over and even got in under his team-mates car but in a display of why he is a 5-time World Champion was able to back out of it quick enough that they both continued with minimal disruption. While Rheinard would make a second attempt at taking the lead, Anderson kept his nerve to take a popular win, while 5-seconds back Orlowski completed the Top 3 some 7-seconds ahead of Alexander Hagberg in P4.

Continue reading here

December 9, 2023

Bittydesign Mini-Z 1:28 bodies

Bittydesign has announced three new bodies designed to offer Mini-Z enthusiasts a wider choice according to their preferred style: Supercar, Touring and FWD. The Italian manufacturer has scaled down their three best-performing 1:10 bodies by adapting the proportions in order to allow perfect installation on 1:28 scale chassis. The three body styles meet every need: for maximum performance the ARES-1 is the best choice, for a touring there is the Eptron and for a real front-wheel-drive race car look with enlarged ‘TCR’ style wider fenders there is the CA45. Made with high quality 0.8mm polycarbonate, the bodies are universal and fit all 1:28 scale chassis with 98mm wheelbase. Sold clear with protective film outside and a pre-cut decal sheet and window masks, the kit includes a set of screw/nuts/washers to fix the rear wing.

View individual bodies here