Red RC » R On Road

July 31, 2023

Takanashi new JMRCA 1:10 GPT-S National Champion

Kai Takanashi is the new JMRCA 1:10 GPT-S Japanese National Champion, the Capricorn driver taking the title at the Sagamido Racing Track (SRT) over the weekend. In qualifying Takanashi took three of the four rounds with his Nuclear engined C04 to become Top Qualifier with Q4 pace setter Katsuhiro Mihara’s Mugen securing P2 to book his direct starting place in the Main final. P3 in qualifying was Kenya Yanai but the Infinity driver had issues in his Semi Final that prevented him from making the 40-minute title decider. Leading the early part of the race race, Takanashi would be passed by Mihara but with 10-minute remaining the new leader would hit problems and drop down the order eventually finishing P5. Up front Takanashi took the win by a lap over Kyosho’s Shogo Tomioka with the Shepherd of Hiroyuki Okumura completing the podium.

Source: JMRCA [jmrca.jp]

July 29, 2023

Balestri wins his 3rd 1:8 Onroad European title

Infinity’s Dario Balestri has retaken the 1:8 Onroad European Championship title today in Portugal with a dominant and control victory in Portugal today. Having lost the title to Dominic Greiner last year in Spain, starting from second on the grid the Italian would take control of the 45-minute final after getting by the Capricorn of Top Qualifier Toni Gruber in the opening lap. Once in front and opting for a single tyre change while his rivals stopped twice, the 2014 & 2019 was able to control the race from the front with the former World Champion eventually winning by lap from Mugen’s Simon Kurzbuch. Looking to emulate Greiner’s 2022 double of winning both the 1:10 & 1:8 Onroad Nitro titles, new crowned 1:10 European Champion Gruber would have issues while chasing Balestri from P2 to eventually take the final step on the podium. Running second in the race for some time, unfortunately as the race reached the final 10-minutes Greiner would retire from the final. Robert Pietsch was another notable retirement, the 2013 Champion at the same Vila Real track seeing his race last only 12-minutes this time round.

Image: Julie Thurston

July 28, 2023

Gruber Top Qualifier at 1:8 Onroad European C/Ship

Toni Gruber is the Top Qualifier for the 1:8 Onroad European Championship in Portugal, the German driver taking his Ielasi Tuned powered Capricorn to the fastest time in 3 of the 5 rounds of qualifying. With Infinity’s Dario Balestri holding the overnight TQ after the opening two rounds at the Vila Real track, Day 2 kicked off with a second TQ run from the Italian ahead of Mugen’s Robert Pietsch. In Q4 however newly crowned 1:10 Nitro Onroad European Champion Gruber pick up were he started and having took Q1 went fastest in the final two rounds from Balestri. Overall Balestri would conclude qualify P2 ahead of Pietsch, Infnity’s Jilles Groskamp and the Capricorn of Mirko Salemi. All four would get the chance to secure a direct place in tomorrow’s 45-minute title deciding final via the Super Pole shoot out which former World Champion Balestri duly took with the fastest lap from Pietsch who will start the Semi A from pole with Groskamp on pole for the Semi B encounter. Having qualified 7th, defending Champion Dominic Greiner will line up 3rd in the Semi A encounter behind Pietsch and Salemi.

Images: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

July 27, 2023

Balestri holds provisional TQ at 1:8 Onroad Euros

Dario Balestri holds the provisional TQ at the EFRA 1:8 Onroad European Championship, the Infinity driver setting the fastest time in the second of the two heats that made up Day 1 of the qualifying at the Vila Real track in Portugal. In the opening qualifier it was Capricorn’s Toni Gruber who set the TQ pace, the newly crown 1:10 Nitro European Champion fastest from Balestri and Jilles Groskamp. Having topped seeding practice and crowned European Champion the last time Vila Real hosted the European Championships in 2012, Mugen’s Robert Pietsch wouldn’t complete Q1 but was right in the mix in Q2 with Balestri just getting the better of the German on the final lap to snatch the TQ by 3/10ths of a second with Gruber third. For defending Champion Dominic Greiner, he finds himself P5 overnight behind Groskamp with Mirko Salemi completing the provisional Top 6. With the 21st running of the EFRA European Championships attracting 72 entries, drivers have three more rounds of qualifying tomorrow.

Image: Dario Balestri [Facebook]

July 25, 2023

MIBO International 2024 Announcement

Following the hugely successful inaugural running of the MIBO International Race in the Czech Republic in March, former international touring car racer Michal Bok has confirmed the race is back for 2024 on the slightly earlier date of February 16-18. A long time dream of Bok to host his own major international event in Hrotovice, the indoor event finally came to fruition in 2023 bringing together both electric onroad and offroad racing on two tracks build side by side by the team from Mibosport. The first edition of MIBO International saw Mugen’s Ronald Volker crowned the inaugural Touring Car Champion and Xray’s Bruno Coelho take double buggy honours at the Sport V Hotel venue. With everything from the track, restaurant, bowling alley and hotel rooms all under one roof, the venue was a hit with racers who travelled from 13 different countries. With a capped entry limit the relaxed schedule also meant plenty of time in the evening to wind down and socialise over dinner after each day’s racing. On the onroad track, the racing action will again cater for Modified, Stock & FWD Touring cars plus Formula. The Offroad track will cater for 2WD and 4WD Buggy as well an open class of ‘Offroad Kids’ that will give the future stars of racing an opportunity to be a part of this international event.

Source: MIBO [mibosport.com]

July 23, 2023

Rheinard wins ETS Austria

Marc Rheinard has the latest ETS round in Austria, the Awesomatix driver taking the win from 3rd on the grid ahead of Xray’s Jan Ratheisky and Mugen’s Erik Dankel. In qualifying at Aigen it was a Mugen lockout at the front of the grid with reigning Champion Ronald Volker securing the TQ from Dankel but in A1 Dankel made a brilliant start to get ahead of his team-mate to lead. With just under a minute to go and with Rheinard in pursuit, Dankel rolled out of the lead handing Rheinard the win from Ratheisky and a recovering Volker. In A2, with Volker flying off the track on Lap 2, Dankel was able to claim his first ever A-Main leg victory with Rheinard second and Xray’s Oliver Havranek third with Volker a DNF. It was all to play for in A3 and with Volker crashing out early, the stakes were even higher between Dankel and Rheinard in a winner takes all battle. Dankel again lead albeit under increasing pressure from the multiple World Champion and as the race approached the final minute Dankel would run wide in the sweeper at the end of the straight. Rheinard seized the opportunity getting up his inside but the two cars touched with Dankel suffering a body tuck that dropped him to fourth. Overall Rheinard secured his second ETS win as an Awesomatix driver, the first have come 11-months ago at his home track Arena33. For Volker it was another disappointing weekend as he left Austria with points for P8. Having missed the podium at the season opener in the Netherlands, where newly crowned 4WD Buggy European Champion Michal Orlowski took the win, the German is going to need a strong result at Round 3 to get his title defence back on track. In Pro Stock, Adam Iszay enjoyed the perfect result securing the TQ and win for Xray, a result he also achieved in the FWD class.

Image: Marc Rheinard [Facebook]

July 22, 2023

Volker heads Mugen 1-2 in ETS Austria qualifying

Mugen Seiki enjoyed a one-two in qualifying for ETS Austria with Ronald Volker the Top Qualifier in Aigen ahead of team-mate Eric Dankel. Volker would secure the TQ after topping the opening two of the four rounds of qualifying. Round 1 podium finisher Dankel would also top the times, doing so in Q4 to make it a Mugen lock out at the front of the grid at the second round of the championship. The only other driver to post a TQ run, Marc Rheinard took his Awesomatix to the fastest time in Q3 ahead of Dankel as Volker had a bad run. Overall Jan Ratheisky’s Xray will start fourth ahead of the Yokomo of Christopher Krapp with Oliver Havranek completing the Top 6 on the grid. In Pro Stock, Adam Izay is the Top Qualifier from Louis Kretschmer having posted 3 TQ runs with his Xray.

Image: Mugen Seiki Europe [Facebook]

July 21, 2023

Repetti to defend LS Touring Car Euros title from pole

European Large Scale Touring Car Champion Edoardo Repetti is to defend his title from pole position after the Mecatech driver secured the overall TQ in the Netherlands today. Having held the overnight TQ after three rounds of qualifying as the fastest driver around the Real80 track, the final round of qualifying saw a further improvement from the Italian, who topped 4 of the 5 rounds. Behind, MCD driver Dario Veseli would save the best for last to jump up to P2 in the final qualification ranking and book a direct spot into his first European Championship final. Having struggled to find a set-up he was comfortable with, it came together for the Croatian driver in Q5 with him getting to within 2.1 seconds of Repetti’s time over the 10-minute heats. Finishing up third fastest would be the Genius Racing of Rick Van der Bol with his time from Q4 with Hessel Roskam, the only driver to TQ a round when he was fastest in Q2, locking in P4 with his Q5 run. Both drivers will start on pole for their respective Semi-Finals which will determine the other 8-starters for the 30-min title decider.

Source: Mecatech [Facebook]