Red RC » R On Road

November 25, 2023

Hebert Top Qualifier at U.S. Indoor Champs

Xray’s Keven Hebert is the Mod Touring Car Top Qualifier at the U.S. Indoor Champs Presented by Hobbywing. The 43rd running of the indoor carpet event in in Cleveland, Ohio, Hebert repeats last year’s qualifying result when he also took the TQ at the legendary race. Topping 2 of the four rounds of qualifying, the Canadian claimed pole position for the A-Main ahead of Awesomatix’s Marc Rheinard with his FTD time from Q3. While Rheinard topped the final qualifier, his team-mate & defending Touring Car and 1:12 champion Sam Isaacs set the pace in the opening qualifier. P3 in Q2, this would be the American’s his best time putting him P3 on the grid ahead of the Xray of Alexander Hagberg.

Image: U.S. Indoor Champs [Facebook]

November 24, 2023

Yokomo’s Ginting latest confirmation for FIRC

Team Yokomo’s Indonesian National Touring Car Champion Bowie Ginting is the latest factory driver to be confirmed for the Foshan International Invitational RC Championship in China on December 15-17. Joining the Japanese manufacturer at the beginning of the 2023 season, the 29-year-old joins team-mate & Australian Champion Simon Nicholson for the inaugural event at the new 800 square metres GDC Indoor track located in the in central Guangdong Province. The TITC Open Class A-Finalist and recent winner of the Indonesia Year End Race is the 5th nationality of driver to be confirmed for FIRC which the organisers hope will become an annual event on the International Touring Car race calendar. Other high profile entries confirmed for the Foshan International Invitational RC Championship include former World Champion Ronald Volker from Mugen Seiki and Xpress team driver & 1:12 World Finalist Yugo Nagashima.

Source: Foshan International Invitational RC Championship [Facebook]

November 23, 2023

2024 EFRA 1:12 European C/ship – Announcement

With just two weeks until the best 1:12 scale drivers from around the World battle it out to become World Champion in the Florida, the host track of next year’s annual European Championship has published details for the 41st running of the EFRA title. First held in 1981 in the Switzerland, the 2024 championship will kick start the EFRA European Championship calendar running from April 12-14 at the Paradise RC Arena in Sicily, Italy. With Xray’s Alexander Hagberg the reigning Champion, the Swede will chase a record 9th European title which would make him the championship’s most successful driver after he equalled David Spashett’s 8th title wins this year in the United Kingdom. To view the event brochure click here.

Source: Paradise RC Arena [Facebook]

November 21, 2023

Hoppe continues with Team Shepherd

Following the recent sale of Shepherd Micro Racing to David Spashett’s Zen Racing, it is good to see that the Nitro Onroad manufacturer is still committed to top level racing with the announcement German racer Lars Hoppe will continue to represent the brand into the 2024 racing season. A World Championship Semi-Finalist and Europe Championship Finalist, Hoppe took the TQ and was runner-up to Dominic Greiner at this year’s German National Championship. Commenting on the announcement, Hoppe said, ‘I am pleased to extend my contract with Shepherd and continue to represent this great brand at various race tracks around the world. I would like to thank Zen-Racing / Team Shepherd for your trust in me and look forward to a good collaboration. I am happy to be involved in the further development of all platforms and am available to answer any questions at the racetrack’.

Source: Zen Racing [zen-racing.co.uk]

November 21, 2023

Chinese National Champion Ma confirmed for FIRC

Having announced a number of top international drivers for the inaugural Foshan International Invitational RC Championship in China on December 15-17, the organisers have confirmed that leading national onroad talent Marco Ma will also contest the event. The 19-year-old, who joined Xray in 2021, was the 2019 Chinese National Champion in both electric and nitro touring car and just recently added the National 1:8 GT title to his CV. Having announced Hobbywing as a main sponsor of the event which will take place at new 800 square metre GDC Indoor Race Club track in Guangdong, the organisers expect over 100 entries for inaugural running of FIRC. Already having confirmed 2016 World Champion & Mugen Seiki team driver Ronald Volker, Japanese Xpress factory driver Yugo Nagashima, and Team Yokomo’s newly crowned Australian Champion Simon Nicholson, this international invitational championship is not only an international competitive event but also an opportunity to promote the development of RC competition in China. With the sponsorship and support from brands such as Hobbywing, the organisers are confident RC racing will be promoted positively among more people, adding new excitement to the development of sport in China.

Source: Foshan International Invitational RC Championship [Facebook]

November 20, 2023

Gruber agrees 2-year deal with Capricorn

In a significant driver announcement, Toni Gruber and Capricorn have agreed a new contract that will see the German ace continue with the Italian chassis manufacturer for the 2024 and 2025 nitro onroad seasons. After 4-years with Shepherd, Gruber joined forces with Patrizio Rossi’s team for the 2023 season with the 27-year-old going on to have an outstanding season. In 1:10 Nitro Touring he secured the European Championship title which he then followed up with the TQ and a podium finish at the 1:8 Onroad European Championships. Adding his first ENS Championship title in 1:8 and then becoming the 1:8 GT World Champion in Australia with Hong Nor, he was to be title contender at the 1:8 Onroad World Championships. Having made his first World Final appearance at the previous World Championships in the United States in 2019, in Japan he was in the mix from the start and after one of the most intense and heavily stacked Main Finals in the category’s history he finished Runner-up just 7.5-seconds off Dario Balestri after 1-hour of racing. After such a season the continuity with Capricorn and also engine sponsor Ielasi Tuned should see Gruber become even stronger in 2024.

Source: Toni Gruber [Facebook]

November 19, 2023

2024 Provisional EFRA European Championship Calendar

EFRA, the governing body for RC racing in Europe, has released a provisional 2024 race calendar of which the European Championships are the highlights. Having hosted its AGM over the weekend, one of the big changes to come from the meeting in Sweden was that the European Championships for 1:10 IC Track, 1:8 IC Track, GT8 and GT8E are now shortened to 4 days running from Wednesday to Saturday. First of the main 2024 European Championships to be decided will be 1:12 which takes place in Italy in April. It is going to be a busy year for the Italian Federation as they host European Championships for four different categories. At the end of May GT8 drivers will battle it out in Sicily, 1:8 Nitro Offroad travels to Sacile at the end of July with 1:8 Onroad crowning its Champion at Locorotondo in late September. France will be the destination for 1:8 Electric Buggy in Montpellier in early June while later the same month 1:10 Nitro Touring Car heads to Thionville. In July France will host Large Scale Offroad in Hanvec. Large Scale Touring & F1 will be decided in Lostallo, Switzerland in early August. Belgium hosts the 1:10 Electric Touring Car at the end of August. The season will conclude with 1:10 Offroad as drivers head to Malmo in Sweden in late September.

View European Championship dates here

November 19, 2023

Urbain adds first ETS Carpet win

Having taken his first ETS win last year on the iconic Luxembourg outdoor asphalt track, Awesomatix’ Lucas Urbain has just added his first carpet win of the series with victory in Germany. The first carpet encounter of the current ETS season, Urbain dominated proceedings at Round 4 in Munden topping all four qualifiers to secure the overall TQ from the Mugen Seiki of reigning champion Ronald Volker and Awesomatix team-mate Marc Rheinard. In the finals, Urbain would lead A1 from start to finish as the Top 9 finished as they started. In A2 Urbain again lead from start to finish after getting an early break when an out of shape Volker got collected by Rheinard allowing Tim Wahl through to second. With the overall win secured, A3 would decide who joined Urbain on the podium with Volker getting the win ahead of Rheinard and Team Yokomo’s Yannic Prumper to take P2 overall with Rheinard 3rd. In Pro Stock, Adam Iszay had the perfect weekend with Xray securing the TQ and taking maximum championship points with victory ahead of Olivier Bultynck and Lukas Ellerbrock.

Image: ETS [Facebook]