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July 20, 2023

Repetti holds overnight TQ at Large Scale Euros

Aiming to defend the title he won in Fiorano, ltaly, last year, Mecatech’s Edoardo Repetti holds the overnight TQ at the EFRA Large Scale Touring Car European Championships in the Netherlands. Racing at the Real80 track in Groningen, the Italian topped 2 of the three rounds of qualifying with his time from Q3 giving him the provisional TQ with two rounds of qualifying remaining tomorrow. The only other driver to top the times sheets was Hessel Roskam, the Dutch driver taking his Genius Racing chassis to the fastest time for Q2 which leaves him second at the end of Day 1. Completing the provisional Top 3 is multiple Champion Bernard-Alain Arnaldi, the Genius Racing driver coming to the event off the back of successfully defending his European 1:8 GT Championship title at the start of the month in Croatia. Danish Mecatach driver Patrick Folman currently sits fourth while current World Champion Markus Feldmann finds himself P8 of the 66 entries, the German’s pace over the 10 minute qualifiers some 6-seconds off Repetti.

Image: EFRA [Facebook]

July 18, 2023

Costa Rica seek to host 2024 1:10 Nitro Onroad Worlds

Costa Rica has presented a proposal to the World Governing Body to host the 2024 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championships. Coming through FAMAR, one of the four Blok members of IFMAR, the proposal to host the 10th running of the Worlds for the category has been put together by host hopefuls ADDAP. Proposing a date of 14-24th of November 2024, the race would take place at the Mini Autodromo La Cruces in Heredia, which is a 281m fine asphalt track. Earlier this year the track hosted its inaugural event, the Tico Race, which attracted a strong entry with racers travelling from 10 countries. Should Costa Rica be successful in its bid to host the 2024 World Championships, it would be the first time the championships has returned to the FAMAR Blok since Brazil hosted the inaugural 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championships in 2004 where Adrien Bertin took the win.

View ADDAP presentation here

July 17, 2023

Butterfield wins Summer Nitro Cup in Puerto Rico

Serpent’s Bryce Butterfield took the 1:8 Onroad win at the 2023 Summer Nitro Cup held at Barceloneta RC Speedway in Puerto Rico. The American driver was one of a number of international drivers who travelled to the Caribbean Island for the event which attract close to 100 entries. In qualifying it was Butterfield’s Nova Engines powered 990 that took the overall TQ after setting the fastest 4-minute run in the first of the four rounds of qualifying. Germany’s Thilo Diekman would set the 2nd fastest time, the Capricorn driver also producing his best run in Q1 with the Top 3 completed by the Serpent of US racer Joaquin De Soto Jnr, the later going on to beat Diekman in the Super Pole shoot out. In the 30-minute final Butterfield would lead from start to finish winning by over a lap from De Soto Jnr. Setting the fastest lap of the race, Diekman would complete the podium with Jose Colon fourth. In 1:8 GT Jose Almonte took the TQ and win with his Serpent while in 1:10 200m Jerry Guerra took the win from 5th on the grid.

Image: Serpent [serpent.com]

July 17, 2023

Branson retains British title with Halifax win

Xray’s Kyle Branson has successfully defended his British Electric Touring Car Championship title with victory in tricky conditions at the third round in Halifax. Kicking off his title defence with victory the opening round of 5 in May, Branson made it three in a row although this time he would not start from the TQ. Some mistakes in qualifying meant he lined up P2 behind Xray team-mate Harley Eldridge. In the finals however Branson would win A1 and 2 to wrap up the overall win ahead of Yokomo’s Alex Thurston and Schumacher’s Zak Smith, the result putting the title beyond reach of Branson’s rivals. The newly crowned back to back BRCA Champion will travel to the Cotswold track for the penultimate round next month.

Image: Kyle Branson [facebook.com]

July 16, 2023

Ronnefalk takes 2 Swedish Onroad National titles

Former 1:8 Offroad World Champion David Ronnefalk added not one but two Swedish National Onroad titles to his CV today, being crowned the Electric Touring Car and 1:8 Onroad Nitro Champion in Stockholm. Not a complete stranger to electric touring car, Ronnefalk would win the TQ and title for Awesomatix ahead of established touring car stars Alexander Hagberg and Viktor Wilck. A somewhat surprise announcement as an ARC team driver in 1:8 Onroad in April, the reigning 1:8 Offroad European Champion is pretty much a rookie in the sport’s longest established category. Also starting on pole for the half hour final, he would go on to win ahead of Alexander Andersson and Niclas Nilsson for what would be his 23rd Swedish National title! While an impressive performance, Ronnefalk will switch his attention back to Offroad as he prepares to defend his Euros title for Mayako in Redovan, Spain, in early September.

Image: David Ronnefalk [Facebook]

July 16, 2023

Senesi crowned Italian 1:8 GTE Champion

Natanaele Senesi is the 2023 UISP 1:8 GTE Italian National Champion. Winner of the season opener back in March, the Xray driver secured the overall title today at the third & final round of the championship with second place at Miniautodromo Teramo. Attracting over 40 entries, today’s victory would go to the Genius of Alex D’Angelo who finished 2.5-seconds clear of Senesi’s Hobbywing/Nosram powered GTXE with the WRC of Fabrizio D’Aietti completing the podium. Senesi’s 9th National title, the European Championship finalist will make the trip to Sydney, Australia, later this year to contest the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship. In the third round of 1:8 GT Nitro, Radiosistemi Factory Team driver Filippo Beretta took the win of the 30-minute final from I-Fenix driver Adriano Tarragoni.

Image: Natanaele Senesi [Facebook]

July 14, 2023

Roche announce addition of 1:12 Champion Hori

Following the signing of 1:12 Japanese National Champion Kazuki Yamashita to it’s factory team in May, Roche has announced the addition of another Japanese National Champion Masahiro Hori. Making the announcement the World Championship winning 1:12 manufacturer said, ‘We would like to announce that the former 1/12th Japanese National Champion, 2022 A main finalist Masahiro Hori as our factory team driver. Hori san will bring extensive experience and knowledge on 1/12th pan car to utilized in team activities of racing and development. We are proud and glad to welcome Japanese legend Masahiro Hori in our team. Thanks for Japanese distributor Kimihiko Yano to make it happened.’

Source: Roche [rocherc.com]

July 12, 2023

Hong Nor’s Grenenger takes QLD 1:8 GT State Title

Having only signed for Hong Nor at the end of May, Russell Grenenger got the partnership off to the best possible start by taking a debut 1:8 GT Nitro victory at the Queensland State Title championships at England Park Raceway. The former large scale World Champion, secured the overall TQ after topping 3 of the six rounds of qualifying with the similar car of Cameron Nurcombe 2nd, Serpent’s Jeff Hamon 3rd and Jason Vallely’s Hong Nor P4, each driver having posted 1 TQ run. In the 30-minute final, Grenenger, having dropped off the lead for a time, would get his Ielasi Tuned powered X3-GTS 2023 back to the front to eventually win by 8-seconds from Lachlan Pearson and Vallely. Unfortunately having just won the 1:8 Onroad title one race earlier, Hamon would DNF 2/3rd the way through the GT encounter. A big year for the 1:8 GT category, Grenenger’s State Title win will be a nice boost ahead of the 1:8 GT World Championships. Only the second running of IFMAR title for the class, New South Wales Radio Control Racing Car Club will host the Worlds from October 8-15th at the ‘The John Grant International Raceway’ in Sydney.

Image: Speedy RC [Facebook]