December 11, 2023

Rivkin & Phend turn RC teachers for a day!

They are two of the biggest names in offroad racing and represent two of the biggest manufacturers on the international stage but last week both Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin and TLR’s Dakotah Phend became RC teachers for a day as part of two different events.  Two time World Champion Rivkin was taking part in the launch of Hobbywing Tech Explorers.  Held at World Championship venue Hobby Action Raceway, it marked the first collaboration with a school outreach program.  Rivkin touched on his journey with RC, overcoming challenges, and dreaming big.  He also discussed the mechanics, electrical aspects, and disciplines of the hobby, along with the incredible values it’s brought into his life – from friends, mentors, and unforgettable experiences.  On his social media Rivkin said he was ‘So thankful to have had the opportunity to hold my first public gathering and launch a new program with Hobbywing North America called Tech Explorers! Meeting and seeing these kids remind me what it was like when I first laid eyes on RC cars.  I want to personally thank Larry and Hobby Action RC Raceway for letting us utilise the track and rental cars.  I’m totally looking forward on doing many more of these!’   Phend brought his 1:10 Electric and 1:8 Nitro buggies to a middle school as part of a career day where he shared his story with pupils.  On his Facebook page he posted, ‘I was able to be apart of career day earlier this week at Angola Middle School.  I went over how I was able to turn a passion into a career.  There are a lot of great and unique opportunities in today’s world!’.  It is great to see both drivers promoting RC racing in this way and well done to everyone involved in inspiring the future generation.

View Mr.Phend taking his class here


September 11, 2023

Phend heads seeding at 4WD World Championship

Dakotah Phend heads seeding at the 4WD Offroad World Championship at the end of the opening day of action in Arizona.  The TLR driver’s opening time remaining the quickest as 1:8 Buggy World Champion David Ongaro set the pace in the second seeding to move up to P2 with one more seeding round in the morning.  Despite improving on his second fastest time set in the opening round, Broc Champlin dropped to P3 while Dustin Evans enjoyed a good run to jump up to fourth.  Another to make a big improvement was Joern Neumann whose Sworkz means four different manufacturers in the current Top 5 seeding.  For defending Champion Bruno Coelho it was a tough first day at Hobby Action with the Xray driver currently set to line up in the second fastest heat for qualifying and in need a good final practice in the morning.

Continue reading here 


April 15, 2023

Hagberg Top Qualifier at 1:12 European Championship

Alexander Hagberg is the Top Qualifier at the 2023 EFRA 1:12 European Championship.  The Xray driver, who is chasing his 8th European title in the Modified class, secured top spot for the triple finals by topping 3 of the 6 rounds of qualifying in Eastbourne, England.  With three drivers going into the final round vying for pole position, the former World Champion took the deciding round with his Hobbywing powered X12 from reigning Champion Michal Orlowski and current World Champion Marc Rheinard.  Overall having TQ’d Round 1 & 5, Schumacher’s Ollie Payne will start second followed by team-mate Orlowski with the Awesomatix of Rheinard lining up in P4.  In the Stock class, Orlowski will defend his title from the TQ having topped the opening four qualifiers with fastest times in the final two rounds securing Payne 2nd with Louis Parker making it an all Eclipse 5 top 3.  Awesomatix’s Mark Stiles will start fourth.

Image: Xray [Facebook]


March 5, 2023

Volker takes TQ from Brunet at MIBO International

Ronald Volker is the Top Qualifier for the inaugural MIBO International Race.  The Mugen driver claimed pole position in the Czech Republic when he posted the fastest TQ run of the weekend in the fifth & final qualifier this morning (Sunday).  His second TQ run equalling the tally of Xray’s Antoine Brunet, it was the only 25-lap run of the weekend that gave the German the tie break over his French rival here in Hrotovice.  Summing up the deciding run, Volker said, ‘there was some pressure going on as I needed to TQ that one.  In the beginning Eric (Dankel) was all over, he had great pace.  I managed to keep it a clean run and as I hoped the track was slightly quicker than yesterday’.  Looking to the triple finals, the former World Champion said, ‘this is a very very tough track because of the boards so it is important to have as easy a car as I can.  As always on carpet it is not too easy to pass so once I have a car I can hold my line I should be good. Obviously I am hoping to not find myself in the position of having to defend’.

Continue reading here


March 4, 2023

On form Brunet takes Q2 & 3 at MIBO International

France’s Antoine Brunet is the man on form at the MIBO International Race this afternoon, the Xray driver posting TQ runs in the second and third rounds of qualifying at the Czech event.  Having opening the day with P2 behind Ronald Volker, Brunet went one better in Q2 as Volker struggled with a set-up change before crashing out.  Oliver Havranek would make it an Xray 1-2 with ahead of the Yokomo of Christopher Krapp and Eric Dankel who had given Mugen a 1-2 in Q1.  Finding his form even better was to come from Brunet in Q3 as he set a new fastest time bettering that of Volker by over a second.  Again it was Havranek who was second fastest as he got to within 1/10th of  a second of his team-mate.  Back after his Q2 crash but struggling with his new body shell, Volker would complete the Top 3 ahead the IRIS One of Dionys Stadler.

Continue reading here


January 4, 2023

Fyrrework to power Mackman

Front running British 1:12 racer Adam Mackman’s 2023 campaign is to be powered by Fyrrework batteries.  The Schumacher team driver, who claimed an overall podium in the LMP12 National Championship last year, will be using both the Fyrrework 7400mAh 1S 3.7V 200C & 8500mah 1s 3.7v 130c carbon ECP plus lipo in his LMP12 and GT12 rides.  Mackman has already been involved with Fyrrework in testing the cells with his feedback key in choosing the right cells.

Source: Fyrrework [fyrrework.com]


December 12, 2022

Branson wins second round of Essex Winter Series

Round 2 of the Essex Winter Series presented by Infinity took place over the weekend with Kyle Branson taking the win.  In qualifying Branson topped the first three qualifiers before having issues in Q4 which was topped by Alex Thurston securing the Capricorn driver 2nd on the grid.  A string of P2 times would give the Xray of Harley Eldridge 3rd on the grid ahead of Schumacher’s Andy Murray.  While Thurston and Eldridge pushed Branson in the single leg final they were not able to pass the British National Champion and they finished as they qualified.  In Stock it was Zak Finlay who took the TQ and win with Billy Fletcher second and Tony Broad third.  Starting from pole Shane Chipolina won Front Wheel Drive with his Schumacher while in the Junior E class James Snashall took the victory having also started from the front of the grid.

View more podium images here


December 4, 2022

DMS Winter Series Round 1 – Report

The opening round of the four round DMS Model Car Club Winter Series kicked off over the weekend in Watford, England.  A technical and challenging layout was set for the drivers, with several sections extremely challenging to get consistent and at the same time be fast.  The risk certainly returned reward on clean laps, but really (REALLY) hurt your time with an error.  We had four rounds of FTD qualifying and in 2wd it was young Abe Lyons (Associated) who took the TQ with his Reedy powered B6.4.  Ellis Stafford (Schumacher) lined up 2nd with his Cougar LD2 from Karl Jackson (Schumacher) in third.  The rest of the guys straight into the A direct were Rich Miller (Schumacher), Shaun Garratt (Associated) and Thomas Lau (Associated), the rest would come via the bump ups.

Continue reading report here