Red RC

October 2, 2026

Fuller ‘Top Qualifier’ in Texas with 3rd TQ in final quali

Sworkz’s Mason Fuller is the 2026 IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship Top Qualifier, the American securing the honours with a third TQ run in the sixth & final round of qualifying in Texas. Going into the decider it was down to a two way battle between Fuller and Xray’s David Ronnefalk. With two TQ runs a piece, Ronnefalk would be the first to present his best effort in Heat 13 of 15 and the Swede delivered by knocking 2-seconds off his Q5 topping time, that run having been the fastest run around Thornhill Racing Circuit. With Fuller next to go, and having the advantage of not needing to do a fuel stop, he would better that time by 6/10th with a new outright fastest time but with Heat 15 still to run a better time from any of the 12 cars in that group would give Ronnefalk his first Worlds TQ. Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas clearly stepped up to the challenge, the Top Qualifier of the last World Championship, he was on target to TQ the round. Having just put in a blistering 35.765 second lap, with the crowd still audible in awe of that time, unfortunately the Spaniard would fall foul of the same track roof support post that cost him a strong Q3 run the previous day. With his car getting caught in a screw at the post, his efforts were for nothing. While ROAR Champion Seth Van Dalen topped Heat 15 for a P3 for the round, with Fuller taking the Q6 TQ from Ronnefalk this is how they would finish up in the final rankings. As the defending Champion and winner of Q3, P6 the best he could manage in the final quali, Davide Ongaro completed the Top 3 ahead Canas, and he will line up behind Fuller in the Semi A and while Canas lines up behind Ronnefalk in the Semi B on Saturday.

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October 1, 2026

Ronnefalk doubles in Q5 as Ongaro fuel gamble fails

Xray’s David Ronnefalk has taken a second TQ run at the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship, the Swede topping Q5 by more than 2-seconds as his main rivals for the overall TQ honour here in Texas had their issues. In the end it was Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas who was closest to Ronnefalk over the 10-minutes. Up in the first of the Top 3 heat groups, Ronnefalk set the benchmark with a new fastest time of qualifying of 17/10:30.480, doing so as the only driver to run a 35-second lap of the Thornhill Racing Circuit. Having posted his second TQ run in this morning’s Q4, it looked like running in Heat 14 of 15 that Mason Fuller was going to better the Swede’s time. While looking very fast on track, the American Sworkz driver would make a number of mistakes that needed marshalling ending his quest to wrap up an early overall TQ. Considering the time lost his P3 for the round was impressive. With the top heat next up, all eyes were on Ongaro, the defending Champion having TQ’d Round 3 with a fuel stop but now gambling on trying to do the full 10-minutes without a stop. With the noise of the rain on the roof covering the track drowning out the noise of the engine, Ongaro’s engine was to fall silent for other reasons. His fuel gamble didn’t pay off and as he started his last lap his Team Associated came rolling to a halt. With the Top 5 drivers making 17-lap runs it was Associated’s Spencer Rivkin in P4 and Sparko’s Noha Ben Mohamed who completed those position ahead of Ongaro who still took a P6 for his efforts.

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October 1, 2026

Team Associated RC28F Team Kit

Team Associated has expanded its 1:28 offering with the release of the F1 category RC28F Team Kit. Entering the 1:28 category in 2025 with the RC28 platform, and this year bringing racers the Team Associated 1:28 International race in Las Vegas, the RC28F Team Kit featuring a F1-style polycarbonate body and molded plastic wings, ample space for mounting electronics and overall weight reduction. It also gets a new F1-style inspired fixed arm style front end with optional molded upper arms to adjust caster and camber. The torsion side links (soft, medium, and hard included) replace the need for a side spring making setup easy while adding performance in areas a conventional spring does not. The new aluminium chassis and centre bulkhead allows wider 24mm battery packs and electronic mounting space while keeping overall weight to a minimum. The pitch, roll and droop can further be tuned/Adjusted with the threaded aluminium centre shock, spring collars and side damper tubes. The two-piece rear pod allows quick axle height adjustment utilising Factory Team carbon fibre shims.

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October 1, 2026

Fuller produces second TQ run in Texas

Sworkz’s Mason Fuller has opened Day 2 of the qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship with a second TQ run, the American topping the round from team-mate Juan Carlos Canas and defending Champion Davide Ongaro. Going in the group ahead of Ongaro and Canas, Fuller would be the only driver to run 17-laps of the Thornhill Racing Circuit this morning, Canas missing the mark by 1-second as he snatched P2 from Ongaro on his final lap of the fourth qualifying round. Behind the Top 3 it was David Ronnefalk, who took Q1 yesterday morning, who set the fourth fastest time ahead of Xray team-mate Chase Lemieux both drivers running in Heat 13 of 15. The Top 6 was rounded out by eBuggy World Champion Marcus Kaerup with US Offroad heavyweights Dakotah Phend, who had two DNF’s yesterday, and Ryan Maifield just behind him.

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October 1, 2026

MXLR X4 Front & Rear Body Supports

Max Machler’s MXLR brand has introduced new Front & Rear Body Supports for the X4 Touring Car platform from Xray. With the trend of feather light bodyshells and even higher top speeds, deflection of bodyshells became an issue for serious racers with MXLR coming up with this solution that fits the X4’25 / X4’26 & X4F’27. Preventing deflection of the bodyshell under higher speeds, it also reduces the risk of cracking the front wheel arches of the bodyshell resulting in extended lifetime of your bodyshells combined with better performance on the track as the shell will stay in its original shape and produce more downforce. In the design process MXLR took special care about the “flex” in this area and is designed to have the least flex influence possible. Also offering a Rear Body Support, each is made from high quality plastic, including MXLR laser engraving on each sides.

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October 1, 2026

Pietsch comes out of retirement for Singapore Nitro GP

2011 IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Champion Robert Pietsch is to come out of retirement with the German confirmed as one of a record number of World Champions who will race at the 20th anniversary of the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix this month. Pietsch, who last raced at the 2023 European Championship in Portugal, travelled to the Leno track in Italy last week to break in new Ielasi Tuned engines under the guidance of Daniele Ielasi. Winning his World title with Mugen Seiki, Pietsch transitioned from racer to car designer for the Japanese manufacturer officially retiring from racing in 2023. For 2026 he moved into a new design team role with Infinity with Piestch set to race their IF18-3 at the Radio Control Modellers’ Club’s newly resurfaced track. With the race officially running on October 10/11, Pietsch joins a host of World Champions for the Singapore International Nitro Grand Prix including reigning 1:8 Onroad Champion Shoki Takahata, newly crowned 1:10 Nitro Touring Car Champion Naoto Matsukura and current 3-time Electric Touring Car World Champion Bruno Coelho. Red RC will be making the trip Singapore and is excited to cover the event for the very first time.

Source: RCMC Singapore [Facebook]

October 1, 2026

Ongaro comes good in Q3, Ronnefalk holds overnight TQ

Defending World Champion Davide Ongaro has concluded the first day of qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship in Texas with his first TQ run, but it is Xray’s David Ronnefalk who holds the overnight TQ at the Thornhill Racing Circuit. After topping seeding yesterday, Ongaro would not have the best of starts to qualifying as he managed only P5 while Ronnefalk topped Q1. Worse was to come in Q2 as Ongaro posted the 8th fastest time. With the frustration starting to show on the Italian’s face, while Sworkz’s Mason Fuller impressed with the Q2 TQ, the Ongaro smile would return in Q3 as the Team Associated driver just managed to pip the Xray of an impressive Chase Lemieux to the top of the timing sheets. Lemieux has put in a strong day posting a P4 on his first attempt which he duly backed up with a P3 in the second one before closing out the day with a very competitive 2nd fastest time. Overall it was a good end to the day for Team Associated with Spencer Rivkin putting together a P3, the leading drivers breaking 17-laps for the first time. For Fuller, new tyres left him struggling a little in Round 3 and he ended the day by adding a P4 to his TQ & P3 while Tekno’s Ryan Maifield, who surprised with the 2nd fastest time in Q2, completed the Top 5 ahead of Ronnefalk. The Swede felt he had a really fast car in Q3 but admitted he got carried away and this led to a number of mistakes that put him sixth for the round. Elsewhere having looked to have found his way in Q2, America’s pre-event title favourite Dakotah Phend, like he did in Q1, ran out of fuel. European Champion Juan Carlos Canas had been on a strong final run but the Spaniard had a costly last lap his Sworkz getting hooked up on one of the track’s roof support posts leaving him with a P9.

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October 1, 2026

Fuller takes Q2 in Texas

Despite a mistake, Sworkz Mason Fuller has TQ’d the second round of qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship at Thornhill Racing Circuit. Running in the second fastest heat, the American just missed out on a 17-lap run posting a time of 16/10:00.219 to beat Q1 winner David Ronnefalk, the Xray driver having went fastest in Heat 13 from team-mate Chase Lemieux, this the Top 3 order for the round. A qualifying round that would see mistakes from many drivers, having opened with the second fastest time in Q1 Tekno’s Ryan Maifield would need to be marshalled on his second attempt and with 4-seconds lost he ended up P13. While finishing top of the timing screens in Heat 15, Juan Carlos Canas’ effort was only good for P4, the Spaniard like Ronnefalk having the disadvantage of needing to do a fuel stop to get through the 10-minute run. After a torrid Q1 in which he ran out of fuel, a much happier Dakotah Phend would run the fifth fastest time just ahead of 2-time 1:10 Offroad World Champion Spencer Rivkin who was the best Team Associated for the round. For defending World Champion Davide Ongaro he was again not happy with his car, the Italian only managing P8 to go with his P5 from Q1.

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