Red RC

December 1, 2024

Hebert and Lia win at U.S. Indoor Champs

The 44th running of the U.S. Indoor Champs Presented by Hobbywing saw Xray’s Keven Hebert defend his title in Modified Touring Car while Awesomatix’s Donny Lia took the win in 1:12 at the Cleveland, Ohio, classic. In Touring Car Qualifying, it was the fourth & final round of qualifying that proved the fastest round with Hebert 6/10ths of a second faster than Awesomatix’s 2022 Champion Sam Isaacs with team-mate Kemp Anderson securing P3 on the grid. With a single A-Main, Hebert set the fastest lap of the race to win by a 3.3-second margin over Isaacs with Anderson finishing a further 1-second back to complete the podium. In Mod 1:12 qualifying it was defending Champion Isaacs that took the overall TQ, his Awesomatix fastest in Q4 from MonTech NYGP winner Anderson with Lia third fastest, his best time coming in Q3. In the triple finals, Isaacs managed to convert in A1 as Lia got by Anderson for second but in A2 the Top Qualifier caught a corner that allowed Anderson to the front but he then had a mistake 2 and a half minutes in allowing young Stuart Mason to the lead ahead of Lia where he would stay to the finish. Bringing the 2024 edition of the World’s longest running RC race to a close, in A3 Isaacs had the early lead but under intense pressure from Anderson there was contact with the boards for Isaacs that broke his car and put him out of the race. With Anderson leading, as the race came to a close Lia started pushing him hard and on the last lap executed a great pass to take the win and the title. Mason would finish runner-up with final step on the podium going to Isaacs.

View 1:12 podium here

December 1, 2024

Ishioka is new Japanese 1:12 Champion

Factory Roche driver Hayato Ishioka is the new JMRCA Japanese 1:12National Champion. The 2023 IFMAR World Championship finalist, took his P12V to a dominant victory at Tsukuba RC Park in the Ibaraki Prefecture starting the weekend off by topping all 4 rounds of qualifying to secure the TQ ahead of the similar car of Yamashita Kazuki with the Destiny of Yugo Nagashima completing the Top 3. In the triple finals, Ishioka won the first of the 8-minute encounters by over 6-seconds before winning A2 by over 9-seconds to secure the title, which he takes over from his Axon Touring Car team-mate Akio Sobue who didn’t contest this year’s title. Taking the win in A3, Kazuki would secure the runner-up spot with fourth place qualifier Shota Watanabe completing the podium.

Image: Hayato Ishioka [Facebook]

November 30, 2024

Martin ends 1:10 program with Schumacher

Multiple 1:10 Offroad European Champion & World Championship podium finisher Lee Martin has announced his time at Schumacher Racing has come to an end. Joining the British manufacturer at the beginning of 2013 for a 1:10 Offroad program alongside his Agama 1:8 commitments with Nemo Racing, his departure from Schumacher is expected to clear the way for the British driver to race Agama’s new 1:10 offering. In May of this year the manufacturer announced its entry into the 1:0 market with the release of the N110 1:10 2WD Buggy. Announcing he was leaving Schumacher on his social media Martin posted, ‘As November comes to an end, so does my time with Schumacher Racing. I would like to thank everyone at Schumacher for the last 2 years together where we achieved a few National wins to go with many other fantastic results. Thanks to Robin, Muz, Tris and everyone in the factory and my fellow racers from Team Martin. 2025 is loading….’

Source: Lee Martin [Facebook]

November 30, 2024

Battle confirms Mayako departure

A little over a year after David Ronnefalk’s departure, Mayako’s other former World Champion Robert Battle has official confirmed his departure from the manufacturer via his social media. Joining the team for the 2023 season from Mugen Seiki, the 2012 World Champion put his Mayako in the final at this year’s IFMAR World Championship in Redovan. Confirming his departure, the Spaniard expected to be headed to Sworkz, he posted, ‘Thank you Mayako Community for that amazing two years, I learnt so much about RC and life. Experience that I will never forget. Now it is time to take another chapter, I hope you can understand the decision, I’m sure you will. Thank you again for everything you did for me, you will have my help at tracks forever!’

Source: Robert Battle [Facebook]

November 29, 2024

Shepherd Velox V8.3 1:8 Onroad Chassis

In the first new kit release since taking over Shepherd Micro Racing, Zen Racing has announced the upcoming release of the Velox V8.3 1:8 Onroad Chassis. David Spashett’s Zen Racing took over the former German specialist nitro onroad manufacturer 18-months ago and the Velox V8.3 is build around a new pocketed chassis for fine tuning to track conditions. The result of what Zen Racing say was ‘a huge amount of development from the team’ to ‘deliver a car that can not only compete at the highest level but is also easy to set up, drive and maintain’, the car also gets new gearbox bulkheads and new “Lightspeed” 2-speed gearbox. In total Zen Racing outline 14 new parts on the car full details of which will be revealed shortly.

View new features list here

November 29, 2024

Schimmel & Sutherland announce TLR departure

Just days after Team Losi Racing made an announcement on its ‘New Vision’ for 2025 and the introduction of their all-new 2025 Ambassador program, IFMAR World Championship Finalist Brennan Schimmel and leading US Stock Offroad racer Nate Sutherland have each separately announced via their social media their departure from the iconic offroad chassis brand. Both drivers highlighted the manufacturer loosing its ‘team dynamic’ in particular over the last year, no doubt the departure of the popular figure Thomas Tran a contributing factor. Joining TLR five years ago, Sutherland, a winner at the recent Florida Carpet Championship, stated he ‘wasn’t planning on leaving’, the Iowa driver also confirming his departure from one time RC racing powerhouse Pro-Line tyres which was bought by TLR owners Horizon Hobby four years ago. 22-year-old Schimmel, took direct aim at the TLR’s owners, saying that the ‘company let the team down and dumped its core people like they had no value, like they didn’t exist.’ With TLR’s very low profile presence at this year’s IFMAR 1:8 Offroad World Championship in Spain fuelling much talk in racing circles about their future commitment to competitive racing, lets hope we are not witnessing the demise of a brand that was created by one of the great pioneers of RC racing, Gil Losi Snr, and which has played such a major part in the history and great rivalries of offroad racing.

Read each driver’s announcement here

November 29, 2024

T-Works MBX8 | 7 Steel 97mm CVD Set

Aftermarket parts and accessory manufacturer T-Works has added these Steel 97mm CVD Set for the Mugen Seiki MBX7 and MBX8 1:8 Buggy platforms. The drive shaft is lengthened by 3mm helping prevent them from coming out of the diff cups during extended suspension travel. T-Works claim the longer shafts make for safer and smoother power transmission system while also improving the transmission efficiency. The CVDs are sold as a pair.

Source: T-Works [rc-tworks.com]

November 28, 2024

Axon TC10/3 High Big Bore Shock5 Conversion

Axon has announced its latest new High Big Bore Shock Conversion for its TC10/3 1:10 Electric Touring Car, the latest conversion denoted as ‘Shock5’. This damper upgrade package was developed by the Japanese manufacturer for the recent IFMAR 2024 ISTC World Championship in California. The new design and performance will further lower the centre of gravity and improve driving performance. Features of the Shock5 Conversion include a 4mm lower centre of gravity achieved with new short shock and exclusive low damper stay. This provides stable cornering performance and sharp feel. They have also adopted new O-rings with Low friction micro O-ring II installed. The use of special polymer blended silicone greatly suppresses expansion caused by silicone oil and improves performance stability. Another feature is the interchangeability with continued use of the following parts from the Shock4 conversion – Upper cap, Spring dial, Diaphragm, Piston E-ring and 6mm Hex ball.

View side by side comparisons here