Red RC » R On Road

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]

November 17, 2023

Yokomo’s Nicholson confirmed for FIRC 2023

Team Yokomo’s Simon Nicholson is the latest driver to be confirmed to attend the inaugural Foshan International Invitational RC Championship in China on December 15-17. The Australian, who just last weekend successfully defended his Electric Touring Car National title, becomes the third different factory team representative who will make the trip to the new GDC Indoor Race Club track in Guangdong for the brand new event. The goal of FIRC is to boost the level of competition among young local racers by giving them the opportunity to race against top international electric onroad racers. Already the event has confirmed 2016 World Champion Ronald Volker will compete with his Mugen Seiki at the 800 square metres track that was only opened in May of this year. The largest professional indoor onroad track in China, the organisers have also confirmed the entry of top Japanese racer and Xpress team driver Yugo Nagashima.

Source: GDC Indoor Race Club

November 15, 2023

Ioannidis & Oikonomou are Greek Champions – Report

Last weekend, the fouth & final round of the Greek Nationals in 1:10 EP Touring took place in the fast track of Fanatix Racing Track(FRT) located in Stamata, Greece. The weather was cool with temperatures not exceeding 21oC. In the Touring Modified class, the battle for the championship was on between reigning champion Dimitris Ioannidis (Awesomatix), Andreas Koutras (Mugen-Seiki) and Nitro champion Dimitris Dimitriou (Xray) for the championship. Ioannidis had not participated in Round 2 as he was hospitalized while Koutras opted out from Round 1 and Dimitriou had participated in all rounds securing podium finishes in the first 3 races but had to hope for a not-good result from Ioannidis who had 2 out of 2 wins+2 TQs and Koutras who had one win and a P2. In qualifying, Ioannidis was able to take pole position winning Q1, Q3, and Q5 with a very solid and consistent drive while encountering issues with his powertrain resulting in significant fading in power. Koutras also showed competitive speed as he saved tires, taking Q2 and Q4 securing P2 on the grid while Dimitriou would line up P3 on the grid after displaying some very good speed too.

Continue reading here

November 14, 2023

Large Scale Pre-Worlds Race Announcement

With New South Wales Radio Controlled Racing Car Club set to host the 2024 IFMAR Large Scale World Championship, the Sydney, Australia based club has announced dates and the opening of entries for the official Pre-Worlds Race. Just weeks after it successfully hosted the 1:8 GT World Championship at The John Grant International Raceway, the club has confirmed March 7-10th as the dates for the Pre-Worlds race with the actual World Championships taking place from October 20th to 27th. In addition to the World Championship 1:5 Touring Car category, the Pre-Worlds will cater for Large Scale Mini, F1 and 1:5 Bikes. Registration is now open and can be completed here.

Source: NSWRCRCC [nswrcrcc.org.au]

November 14, 2023

Xpress’ Nagashima to race at FIRC 2023

Xpress’ Yugo Nagashima is the latest factory driver to be confirmed for the inaugural Foshan International Invitational RC Championship in China on December 15-17. One of Japan’s top international Touring Car racers with a CV that includes victories at the Japanese, Canadian & Australian Nationals, the Snowbirds, the U.S. Indoor Champs and the Asian Onroad Championships, Nagashima joins Mugen’s Ronald Volker as one of the international racers who will make the trip to the new GDC Indoor Race Club track in Guangdong for the recently announced event. At 800 square metres the GDC Indoor track is the largest professional indoor onroad track in China and only opened in May of this year, FIRC will be the first international event it hosts and one which it hopes will become an annual event on the International Touring Car race calendar.

Source: Foshan International RC Championship [Facebook]

November 13, 2023

2024 ISTC World Championship Stage 1 Report

The organisers of the 2024 IFMAR ITSC World Championship have published the Stage 1 Report for the 12th running of the title which will be decided at Finishline RC Raceway in Bakersfield, California. With the dates for Electric Touring Car listed as ‘To be Confirmed’ on the provisional calendar issued by IFMAR back in August, the dates are now confirmed as November 5th to 10th. Constructed in December 2022, Finishline RC Raceway is a joint-venture between Finishline Signs and Track Time Hobbies with the 40.2m x 18.2m asphalt track designed specifically to host 1:10 electric and nitro onroad racing. Back to back reigning World Champion Bruno Coehlo will travel to Finishline RC Raceway next year with the chance to make it three in a row, a feat not yet achieved by any driver in the category.

View Stage Report here