Red RC

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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September 30, 2026

Ronnefalk from Maifield in opening Worlds qualifier

Xray’s David Ronnefalk has taken the opening round of qualifying at the IFMAR 1:8 Nitro Buggy World Championship in Texas, the Swede topping the 10-minute run from the Tekno of Ryan Maifield. Having expected he might have been at a disadvantage for the first of the six scheduled rounds of qualifying at Thornhill Racing Circuit by running in Heat 13 of 15, even with a fuel stop Ronnefalk topped the round by 3.4-seconds over Maifield, the American the big surprise of the morning. Three of the Top 6 would eventually come from the 3rd fastest heat group with Maifield and Ronnefalk’s team-mate Chase Lemieux also in there, the young American opening his championship with a P4 run just behind fellow countryman Mason Fuller who topped Heat 14. For defending Champion & Top Seed Davide Ongaro, it would only be a P5 first run, the driver being delayed exiting the pits after his fuel stop but overall not happy with his tyre choice. Running in the top heat alongside Ongaro, Sworkz’s Juan Carlos Canas completed the Top 6.

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September 30, 2026

Ripoll defends French title

Xray’s Maxime Ripoll has successfully defended his FFVRC 2026 French 1:8 Onroad National, doing so in style with the TQ and win at the fifth & final round of the championship which was staged at Feriere aux Etangs. Securing the TQ ahead of Shepherd driver Fabien Baranger, who took his first Elite win this year at Round 3, in the 45-minute final Ripoll took a commanding win ahead of Mugen Seiki’s Christophe Louis with Gerald Colinet completing the podium. Unfortunately for Baranger he would retire from the race after just 13-minutes. As a season, 2025 World Championship finalist Ripoll claimed 4 poles, 3 victories, and two podium finishes on his way to the title.

Image: Maxime Ripoll [Facebook]

September 30, 2026

Reflex Racing GX28 Steel Front Bulkheads

New from 1:28 specialists Reflex Racing come these new optional Steel Front Bulkheads for the KISS V2 front suspension on their GX28. Offered in 2º, 3º, and 4º, this front bulkhead adds about 4 grams of weight to the suspension to shift the weight bias forward on your car. This is suited for higher traction conditions and Lexan body classes where you need to mellow out response and decrease traction rolling. Also for the KISS V2 is a new Aluminium Lower Arm. Although the countersunk washer addition helped the CF Lower Arm become much more durable, this part adds even more toughness, albeit with a slight 1.5 gram penalty. Reflex still recommend to use the lower Screw CS washer and screw for maximum durability.

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