Red RC » R On Road

February 27, 2023

Wahl wins Open Brushless at TITC

He has been more involved in the background lately acting as mechanic for multiple World Champion Marc Rheinard, but over the weekend Tim Wahl added a significant title to his own CV with victory of Open Brushless class at the TITC in Bangkok. The biggest category at the legendary Touring Car race with 118 entries, the German took his ORCA OE1 WLE powered Awesomatix A800R to a dominant victory. Securing the TQ early on his way to topping all four qualifier at the Infinity RC Addict track, Wahl won the opening two A-Mains comfortably from fourth place qualifier Natthawat Rungcharat. With Wahl sitting out A3 that went to no.2 qualifier Kriengsak Suttiprawat to give them second place on the podium ahead of Rungcharat.

Image: ORCA [orcarc.com]

February 26, 2023

Coelho wins TITC on legendary race’s return

Bruno Coelho has won the legendary TITC in Bangkok which after a forced two year break returned over the weekend as one of the highlights of the annual Touring Car race calendar. The reigning back to back World Champion, who was absent from the last running of the famed Asian event in 2020, returned to the Infinity RC Addict track in style starting off with securing the TQ. From there he would win the event for a third time with wins in the opening two A-Mains. As a result of today’s win Coelho becomes the races second most successful champion with only Atsushi Hara having more wins, a record the Portuguese driver has the opportunity to equal next year. For Xray it was their 7th TITC Modified title, the most of any manufacturer. With Coelho qualifying on pole from the defending champion Akio Sobue and Ishioka Hayato, he took his Xray to the win over Sobue in A1 and Hayato in A2 to wrap up the 19th edition of the race. With the win in A3, Sobue would take second overall from his Axon team-mate Hayato. Just off the podium Infinity’s pairing Yamamoto Ryosuke and Jin Sawada finished 4th & 5th with former double champion Alexander Hagberg completing the Top 6.

Image: Bruno Coelho [Facebook]

February 25, 2023

Coelho is Top Qualifier on TITC Return

Making his return to the TITC having missed the last edition of the race in 2020, after which the race itself was forced into a 2-year Covid break, Bruno Coelho is the Top Qualifier for the 19th edition of the famed Bangkok race. The Xray driver held the provisional TQ after the first day of qualifying at Infinity RC Addict, but went even better on Day 2 taking both the remaining rounds of qualifying. Behind the reigning World Champion, with the second fastest times in both Q3 & 4 having TQ’d the opening round, Axon’s Akio Sobue will start his TITC title defence from P2. With a strong Japanese showing at the event, Ishioka Hayato will start third behind his team-mate while Yamamoto Ryosuke led the Infinity charge securing P4 on the grid. Double TITC Champion Alexander Hagberg lines up 5th for Xray ahead of Marc Rheinard’s Awesomatix with the A-Main line-up completed by Naoto Matsukura, Jin Sawada, Jilles Groskamp and Chavit Sligupta. Unfortunately for RC Maker’s Ryan Maker just missed the cut, equalling his previous TITC qualifying best with the BQ honours.

Image: Xray [Facebook]

February 25, 2023

1st Nova Engines International Trophy announced

Italian engine manufacturer Nova Engines has announced its first Nova Engines International Trophy Race. The onroad event will take place on May 6/7th at L. Collari RC Raceway in Bologna, the home track of nitro onroad legend Lamberto Collari. Nova Engines is headed up by engine guru Stefano Colombini and the inaugural event will be exclusively for the 1:8 Onroad class. Expected to attract many of nitro onroad top drivers registration came be made through myrcm.ch .

Source: Nova Engines [nova-engines.com]

February 24, 2023

Coelho holds provisional TQ at TITC

Bruno Coelho holds the provisional TQ after day 1 of qualifying at the TITC in Thailand. The reigning World Champion opened the morning’s qualifying at the Infinity RC Addict track with the third fastest time while top seed Akio Sobue continued to be the pace setter for Axon ahead of team-mate Ishioka Hayato. However in Q2, the former Champion took his Xray to the top of the times bettering Sobue’s Q1 time by almost a second with a 5-minute run that was over 3.3-seconds faster than own first attempt. With 2 from 4 rounds of qualifying to count, tomorrow’s action in a very hot Bangkok with conclude with Q3 & 4 for Modified running in the afternoon into evening.

Image: Xray [Facebook]

February 23, 2023

Defending Champion Sobue is Top Seed at TITC

Defending TITC Champion and 2022 World Championship podium finisher Akio Sobue is the top seed going into qualifying at the legendary Bangkok touring car event. One of the World’s most significant international touring car races outside of the World Championships, this is the 19th running of the TITC which returns after a forced two year break during the Covid Pandemic. After days of free practice for the strong international field to dial themselves into the unique traction of the Infinity RC Addict track, it was two time Champion Sobue who set the fastest 3-consecutive laps in the single controlled practice. Behind, Axon team-mate and 2022 Worlds Finalist Ishioka Hayato was second fastest ahead of the Awesomatix of Marc Rheinard and returning former TITC Champion Bruno Coelho, the Xray driver having last contested the event in 2019. Winner that year, Alexander Hagberg completed the Top 5 as the drivers now face into 2 rounds of qualifying tomorrow (Friday) with Rounds 3 :& 4 scheduled for Saturday.

Image: Axon [Facebook]

February 21, 2023

Vejrak joins Team LRP

LRP has announced the addition of Meen Vejrak to their international team. The former Nitro Touring Car World Champion is one of Asia’s leading international electric touring car stars in recent years with results including being a ISTC World Championship finalist and podium finisher at the Reedy Race of Champions, TITC and ETS. The Thai driver will use use LRP electronics to power his Serpent electric touring car this season and is a significant boost for the profile of Jurgen Lautenbach’s electronics brand in Asia.

Source: LRP [Facebook]

February 20, 2023

Mazzeo wins 1:8 GT Confederation Cup

Alessio Mazzeo got his arrival at Capricorn for the 2023 season off to a winning start with victory at the 1:8 GT Confederation Cup held at Miniautodromo Vallelunga just north of Rome. A track located at the full size Vallelunga Race Circuit, the former 1:10 Onroad Nitro World Championship podium finisher found himself with extra baggage for the flight home after he completed a clean sweep of the event securing the TQ and win with his Max engines powered GT2 chassis. Pushing Mazzeo throughout the 30-minute final, the Genius GTc8.23 of Alex D’Angelo would finish just 2.3-seconds behind. Xray’s Natanaele Senesi completed the GT Nitro podium adding to his TQ & win in the GTE class. 2023 is a big year for 1:8 GT with only the second ever running of an IFMAR World Championship for the category taking place in Sydney, Australia, in October.

Image: Alessio Mazzeo [Facebook]