Red RC » Cars

March 3, 2024

Record equalling 4th TITC win for Coelho

Bruno Coelho has taken a record equalling fourth TITC win but his victory at the 20th edition of the race is set to be remembered for incidents rather than the result equalling record achieved in Bangkok. Having qualified second behind Top Qualifier Ronald Volker, the Xray driver would make contact with his Mugen Seiki rival in the opening two A-Mains resulting in a wide open race going into A3. This time however Volker would spin on his own early on allowing Coelho to take the leg ahead of team-mate Alexander Hagberg, winner of A2. Giving Xray an overall 1-2 in the legendary touring car race, it also sees Coelho join Atsushi Hara as the races most winning driver. The benefactor of the Top 2 qualifiers’ clash in A1 but retiring from A2, Marc Rheinard would complete the podium at RC Addict for Awesomatix with a P3 in the final encounter ahead of Volker. For Volker, the high of taking the TQ honours after his B-Main appearance last year was overshadowed by the disappointment of being classified 6th overall. As a race that has become the most significant in the World for touring car racing & its manufacturers, and which is on par if not exceeding the dept of competitiveness of the World Championship, going forward it might be time for ‘the World’s biggest local race’ to consider appointing a referee to ensure the amazing atmosphere that surrounds the TITC is not overshadowed by incidents on track.

Continue reading here

March 2, 2024

Volker takes Q3, TQ to be decided in ‘Rocket Round’

Ronald Volker has taken the third round of qualifying at the TITC, meaning the final ‘Rocket Round’ of qualifying in Bangkok will decide the Top Qualifier for the 20th running of the famed race. Top Seed for the event, the Mugen driver would take his first TQ run as Bruno Coelho traction rolled his Xray with 1-minute to go while on TQ pace. This promoted Volker to the top of the timing screens followed by Alexander Hagberg as Coelho ended up with a P3. Behind the leading trio Awesomatix’s Lucas Urbain finally posted a strong run after a difficult first day of qualifying at RC Addict yesterday. Behind the Frenchman was team-mate Marc Rheinard with Axon’s Hayato Ishioka completing the Top 6 in today very humid afternoon conditions.

Continue reading here

November 13, 2023

2024 ISTC World Championship Stage 1 Report

The organisers of the 2024 IFMAR ITSC World Championship have published the Stage 1 Report for the 12th running of the title which will be decided at Finishline RC Raceway in Bakersfield, California. With the dates for Electric Touring Car listed as ‘To be Confirmed’ on the provisional calendar issued by IFMAR back in August, the dates are now confirmed as November 5th to 10th. Constructed in December 2022, Finishline RC Raceway is a joint-venture between Finishline Signs and Track Time Hobbies with the 40.2m x 18.2m asphalt track designed specifically to host 1:10 electric and nitro onroad racing. Back to back reigning World Champion Bruno Coehlo will travel to Finishline RC Raceway next year with the chance to make it three in a row, a feat not yet achieved by any driver in the category.

View Stage Report here

September 24, 2023

’23 Offroad World C/ship Chassis Focus Index

With the dust now settled on what was a fantastic & exciting 1:10 Offroad World Championships at Hobby Action RC Raceway, we have put together a full index of all the buggies we were able to photograph for our ‘Chassis Focus’ during our time in Arizona. While we request chassis focus with all the manufacturers, some are forced to decline to protect prototype parts or developments they were trying at the Worlds. We are always happy to respect this as in this modern era it has become easy for parts to reverse engineered from online images and made available before the chassis manufacturer, who has invested the time & funding into the buggy, has fully tested and signed off the final design of parts. Sworkz was one manufacturer who was unable to provide their buggies because of a new suspension parts they had for the event.

View Chassis Focus Index here

August 22, 2023

1985 handmade Hudy Special 4WD 1:8 Onroad chassis

With IFMAR’s original & longest running World Championship taking place later this year in Japan, photos shared by Juraj Hudy of one of his early 1:8 Onroad creations grabbed our attention. Being raced at the recent veteran’s race at the Czech Nationals, the handmade Hudy Special 4WD car is from 1985, the year Rody Roem was crowned World Champion in Japan. With our own introduction to RC racing being through the category in the late 80s, it is interesting to see how chassis design has evolved over the last four decades when compared to the latest cars. Having had the pleasure of getting into an in-depth conversation with Juraj about all things engineering and what goes into the production of a chassis kit while waiting in airport lounge in Buenos Aires for our return flight from covering the 2012 1:8 Offroad World Championships, one year later we got to visit the lock up that was Juraj’s very first workshop. There he shared his story of the journey to the impressive high tech factory of Hudy & Xray and Hudy Racing Arena that is now just a few hundred metres away. Red RC will be travelling to Infinity International RC Speedway in Japan at the end of October as part of our 2023 Worlds coverage to tell the story of how the 23rd 1:8 Onroad World Championships unfolds.

View more Hudy Special 4WD images here

May 8, 2023

Clements wins West Coast Onroad Nationals

Brandon Clements took the win at the West Coast Onroad Nationals over the weekend, the event the first major race to be hosted by Finishline RC Raceway. The impressive facility in Bakersfield, CA, which is a joint venture between Track Time Hobbies and Finishline Signs, attracted almost 200 entries with the grids set over 4 rounds of qualifying, with 2 to count. In Modified Touring Car, it was Clements who set the pace taking the first three rounds to secure the overall TQ with 1Up Racing’s Randy Caster hitting the top of the time sheets in the final qualifier for second on the grid in the triple A-Main ahead of David Mayhew, Lex Tyler and Aaron Lewis. From the front Clements was untouchable winning A1 from Jacob Cruz before wrapping things up with victory in A2 over Lewis. Having opened with a P5 and suffered a DNF in A2, Caster would win A3 but overall it was Lewis and Cruz who joined Clements on the podium.

Image: 1up Racing [Facebook]

December 4, 2022

Bayers wins GT8E at Miami Electric Grand Prix

Martin Bayer is the 2022 Miami Grand Prix GT8E Champion. With the electric classes kicking off the annual week long event at Homestead RC Raceway in Florida, the Xray designer secured the TQ with the fastest time in the second of the four rounds of qualifying at the 2020 GT World Championship venue. Vice Champion in both nitro and electric at the inaugural World Championship, Bayer was the only driver to manage 19-laps in qualifying securing pole for the triple A-Mains ahead of Serpent’s Jose Almonte and Capricorn’s Natanaele Sensei. In the finals, Bayer would win all three encounters with the big battle being for second between Almonte and Sensei who would finish tied on points with the former listed as P2. In 1:10 Modified Touring Car, it was also a European winner with Hotrace Tyres boss Nicola Marrone securing the TQ from Felix Law before going onto win all three A-Mains to win ahead of fellow Italian Filippo Domanin with Law completing the podium. Drivers will now turn their attentions to the Miami Nitro Grand Prix which has attracted a very strong international entry.

Image: Xray [teamxray.com]

November 16, 2022

Simon Kurzbuch joins Mugen Seiki Europe

Following the announcement last month of his departure from long time chassis sponsor Shepherd, it has been announced that Simon Kurzbuch will drive for Mugen after Mugen Seiki Europe announced the former World Champion had joined the Japanese manufacturer’s International team. Describing the Swiss driver as ‘a strong addition’ to the team, he will race their MRX6X throughout all major and international events. Commenting on the announcement Kurzbuch said, “An existing new journey ahead! I’m delighted and honoured to announce to partner up with the iconic Japanese brand Mugen Seiki for the future! The first insights have convinced me and my team entirely and we are looking forward to a close and fruitful collaboration with the whole Mugen Team, with MSE and Stefan Habbecke and of course with one of my childhood idols and car designer Robert Pietsch.”

Source: MSE [Facebook]