November 21, 2024

Leino first to double in qualifying in Bangkok

He was the Top Qualifier at Huge RC when the unique Bangkok circuit hosted the 1:10 Nitro World Champion at decade ago and now this morning Infinity driver Teemu Leino has kicked off Day 2 of qualifying in Thailand as the first driver to deliver a second TQ run.   With Day 1 of qualifying seeing a different driver at the top each round it was the Finn who closed yesterday’s action by topping Q3 and this morning he has pick back up where he left off to top Q4 from the Capricorn of Toni Gruber who opened qualifying at the 10th running of the World Championship with the fastest time.  Overall it was a good round for Italian manufacturer Capricorn, a huge improvement from 2012 World Champion Meen Vejrak would see the Thai driver get a P3 for the round ahead of Q2 winner Dario Balestri and Swede Viktor Wilck.

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November 21, 2024

2025 MIBO International registration opens

The MIBO International Race in the Czech Republic which takes place on February 07-09 has announced that registration for the third edition of the annual race is now open.  Organised by former international touring car racer Michal Bok, the race brings together both electric onroad and offroad racing on two tracks build side by side by the team from Mibosport.  Realising a long time dream to host his own major international event in Hrotovice, Bok’s first edition of MIBO International saw Mugen’s Ronald Volker crowned the inaugural Touring Car Champion and Xray’s Bruno Coelho take double buggy honours at the Sport V Hotel venue.  In 2024 it was Schumacher’s  Michal Orlowski who took the Touring Car win while on the Offroad track it was Sworkz’ Joern Neumann in 2WD and Xray’s Bartek Zalewski in 4WD that came away as the Champions.  With everything from the track, restaurant, bowling alley and hotel rooms all under one roof, the venue was a hit with racers who travelled from more than 13 different countries.  With a capped entry limit the relaxed schedule also meant plenty of time in the evening to wind down and socialise over dinner after each day’s racing.  On the onroad track, the racing action will again cater for Modified, Stock & FWD Touring car with a 1:12 GT 13.5T class being introduced for 2025.  Having successful had an offroad class for young racers the past two years, for 2025 the ‘Kids Class’ switches to onroad.  The Offroad track will cater for 2WD and 4WD Buggy.  Red RC is once again looking forward to making the return trip to Czech Republic which will kick off our 2025 race coverage.

Source: MIBO [mibosport.com]


November 21, 2024

MiniPro Inertia Engine Dyno V2

MiniPro has announced it newest Engine Dyno which is designed for break-in, tuning and testing nitro engines.  The new Inertia Engine Dyno V2 features include true engine torque and power by using an inertia flywheel with it also possible to brake-in your engine with data logging capability with the Dyno controller board having nine I/O ports for sensors.  It also has a built-in throttle control sensor and Ambient Temperature, Pressure and Humidity sensor.  The Dyno allows you to test engines under load with correction factor and its modular design allows different size engines and exhausts configurations.  On the dyno the engine can be started with starter box, pull-start or electronic starter with the aluminium base with anti-vibration foot pads.

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November 20, 2024

2026 1:10 Nitro Worlds return to Gubbio, Italy

IFMAR has announced that the next 1:10 Nitro World Championship has been awarded to the former host track of Gubbio in Italy.  With the 10th edition of the World Championship for the nitro touring car class currently taking place at Huge RC in Bangkok, Thailand, in a similar repeat of history to the current event, the 2026 Worlds will mark the return to the same track one decade on from it last staging the greatest prize in racing.  The always excellently presented track of Club Automodellistico 5Colli, which is located in the picturesque medieval town of Gubbio in the centre of the Country, also staged the 2022 IFMAR ISTC World Championship.  In 2016 it was Serpent’s Dominic Greiner who took the win ahead of Alessio Mazzeo and former 1:8 World Champion Simon Kurzbuch.


November 20, 2024

Leino takes Q3 to hold overnight TQ at Worlds

Infinity’s Teemu Leino holds the overnight TQ at the 1:10 Nitro World Championship after the Finn became the third different driver in as many rounds to top the times at the Huge RC Circuit in Bangkok today.  Having come close to a TQ run in the second qualifier only to hit traffic at the end of the run allowing team-mate Dario Balestri to take it with the smallest of margins, this time round it was a clean run for Leino who was fastest by 8/10ths of a second from Jilles Groskamp.  The second P2 run from Groskamp it is the Dutch driver who sits second in the ranking overnight ahead of Q2 pace setter Dario Balestri and Toni Gruber who claimed the fastest time in the opening qualifiers of these the 10th running of the Nitro Touring Car class Worlds.

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November 20, 2024

Balestri just edges out Leino to take Q2 in Bangkok

Dario Balestri has taken the second round of qualifying at the 1:10 Nitro World Championship after just edging out Infinity team-mate Teemu Leino in the closing laps of the 7-minute encounter.  After both himself and Leino DNF’d the opening qualifier, both drivers needed to get their first points on the board.  With Toni Gruber, who took everyone by surprise with his TQ in Round 1, having a slower Q2, and second fastest man Jilles Groskamp unable to start after suffering an engine failure in the warm-up for his second quali run, it was Leino who lead out the top heat.  However, hitting traffic at the end of the run as Balestri set his fastest lap on his penultimate lap it was the Italian who took it by 13/100ths of a second from the Finn.  Behind the Europeans Australia’s Jessie Davis bettered his Q1 P6 with the third fastest time with Francesco Tironi again in the mix at the front after his opening P3 effort.  While Gruber would set the 6th fastest time for Q2 the Capricorn driver would have his time deleted as his rear wing was deemed to be too high in post tech inspection.

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November 20, 2024

Gruber catches World by surprise with opening TQ run

Toni Gruber caught the world by surprise this morning after the Capricorn driver TQ’d the opening round of qualifying at the 1:10 Nitro World Championship in Bangkok, Thailand.  Having struggled in yesterday’s seeding, ending up only 18th and in the second fastest heat, a very deflated Gruber surprised even himself with his 7-minute effort in the first of the six scheduled rounds of qualifier.   Having been so far off the pace in seeding,  Gruber’s performance would also catch out Jilles Groskamp.  Topping the fastest heat from Infinity team-mate Francesco Tironi, Groskamp admitted afterwards he thought he had TQ’s the round and it wasn’t until he looked up the times afterwards he realised Gruber’s impressive turn around in form.  As the Top Seed for qualifying reigning World Champion Tadahiko Sahashi was running the Top 3 but his car came to a stop after running out of fuel.  1:8 World Champion Dario Balestri also had a rough start to Day 1 of qualifying traction rolling and then suffering a flame out.  Topping the final seeding round yesterday, Teemu Leino also had a flame out.

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November 20, 2024

Matsukura confirmed for FEMCA Championship in China

Former Electric Touring Car, Nitro Touring Car and 1:12 World Champion Naoto Matsukura has been confirmed for the 2024 FEMCA ISTC Championship which takes place in China next month.  The Infinity driver joins newly crowned triple Touring Car World Champion Bruno Coelho in leading the international entry for this year’s Foshan International Invitational RC Championship (FIRC), which after a successful debut last year, will now host ‘Asian Championship’ title race.  Last December the GDC Indoor Race Club in Guangdong, China, hosted the inaugural FIRC where Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker took the win and announcing in July the 2nd edition would take place December 5-8 the race has since been award the FEMCA ISTC Championship status.  One of the four blocs that make up IFMAR, FEMCA represents 15 nations in Asia and Australasia however the FEMCA Championship has been open to drivers from across the globe with entries from the likes of Coelho and Matsukura helping to put the spot light on the Asian racing scene.

Source: FEMCA [Facebook]