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August 25, 2024

Isaacs confirmed to defend MonTech NYGP titles

Having stamped his authority on the 2023 MonTech New York Grand Prix, double Champion Sam Isaacs has been confirmed as heading the entry at the sixth running of the event at 360v2 RC in New Rochelle, New York, this October 10-13th. The Awesomatix driver, and this year’s ROAR Modified Touring Car Onroad Carpet National Champion, was the big winner of the NYGP last year claiming the TQ in both Mod Touring Car and Mod 1:12 en-route to his double victory. The result puts the American driver on the high profile US race’s role of honour along with former World Champions Marc Rheinard (2022 NYGP Champion) and Ronald Volker (2019 NYGP Champion). This year’s event will see drivers compete for victory over 12 classes on the 105ft x 48ft Carpet track. In Touring Car drivers will battle it out in Modified, 17.5T SuperStock, 21.5 Stock, and 25.5 LMH (LeMans Hypercar). In 1:12 there is Modified GTP, SuperStock GTP, Stock GTP, and GT12R. Additionally there are classes for USGT, PRO10, USVTA, and FWD.

Source: Fordham 360 Hobbies & Raceway [Facebook]

August 25, 2024

Rheinard European Champion once again after 13-years

13-years on from last holding the title, Awesomatix’s Marc Rheinard is the Monaco RC EFRA 1:10 European Touring Car Champion. Giving Awesomatix and new electric sponsor Cayote their first European title in the Modified category, Rheinard took the title at the Racing Club Roeselare track in Belgium for the third time having qualified second behind Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski. With Orlowski having a tough day at the office, it was Rheinard who took the first win of the day’s triple finals. A rain effected A2 would see defending Champion Bruno Coelho win from Orlowski as Rheinard finished P5 meaning it was all to play for in A3. However it was Rheinard who came out on top to win getting by Orlowski after a small mistake from the pole. The title see Rheinard matching his tally of Touring Car World Championship wins and is a major boost for the German ahead of the World Championship in the USA later this year. Overall Coelho took second with Xray team-mate Alexander Hagberg completing the podium ahead Orlowski. In Pro stock defending Champion & Top Qualifier made it a double celebration for Awesomatix securing the title with wins in the opening two A-Main encounters. The German was joined on the podium by Schumacher’s Ollie Payne and local racer Niels Degryze. In the FWD Class, Danish Team Yokomo driver Frederik Hovgaard took the title from P4 on the grid ahead of the Xray of Top Qualifier Adam Iszay and Stefan Schulz.

Image: DMC [Facebook]

August 24, 2024

Orlowski is European Championship Top Qualifier

Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski is the Top Qualifier at the Monaco RC EFRA 1:10 European Touring Car Championships which are taking place Belgium this weekend. With mixed weather conditions challenging drivers at the Racing Club Roeselare track, Orlowski secured the overall TQ with the fastest times in 2 of the 4 counting qualifiers. Chasing his first European Championship title in the category, the 1:12 World Champion will line up ahead of Marc Rheinard, the Awesomatix driver setting the fastest time for Q3. Defending Champion Bruno Coelho, the Xray driver chasing a 4th consecutive title, will line-up 3rd for the finals having set the fastest time in the fifth & final qualifier. Xray’s Alexander Hagberg, Awesomatix’s Lucas Urbain and the Yokomo of Christopher Krapp complete the Top 6 on the grid. In Pro Stock, it was defending Champion Simon Lauter who claimed the TQ ahead of team-mate & 2022 Champion Olivier Bultynck. Schumacher’s Ollie Payne, who was the top seed after practice, ended qualifying P3.

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]

August 22, 2024

Niko Saarinen crowned Finnish 1:8 Onroad Champion

Mugen Seiki driver Niko Saarinen is the 2024 Finnish 1:8 Onroad National Champion, the title being decided at the fourth & final round which took place in Hyvinkää over the weekend. Three drivers went into the final race still with a chance of the overall with drivers counting 3 from the four races with Pekka Koivula leading the standings from Niko Saarinen and the defending Champion Jere Saarinen. The race was run in tricky conditions with the track changing from wet to dry. Practice was run on a drying track but luckily when qualifying came around the track had dried up allowing for 2 rounds in the dry before the rain returned. Based off the dry runs it would be Niko Saarinen who took the TQ, from Panu VehniäinenI and Jere Saarinen. The main final was driven in drying conditions meaning everybody had to be very careful to not push over the limit. Niko took the early lead followed by VehniäinenI while there was a collision on the straight between Jere, Joona Lempiäinen and Koivula, which forced the Champion to change tyres due to a broken rim and while Lempiäinen required a bodyshell change. After 20 minutes Niko was till leading followed by Vehniäinen until the second placed driver ran into transmission problems and was forced to retire. Allowing Niko to take the win ahead of Jere with Lempiäinen completing the podium, overall Niko’s Max Power engined Mugen took the title ahead of the similar O.S powered car of Koivula. Also driving a Mugen, fitted with a Max Power engine,the outgoing champion complete the Top 3 ahead of the Infinity of Lempiäinen with Vehniäinen’s Mugen 5th.

Source: Teemu Saarinen

August 21, 2024

1:8 Buggy World Championship preview by Scott Guyatt

While attending this year’s Philippine Masters we had the pleasure of meeting Scott Guyatt who has been working as part of the media team behind Scotty Ernst’s Asian Buggy Championship this year. Talking all things RC and sharing old RC stories with this Aussie over dinner each night while in Manila, talk of him creating some content for Red RC was floated. Having worked with Scott on content from the ABC and now with the greatest spectacle in RC, the IFMAR 1:8 Offroad World Championship, just around the corner, when Scott put together a preview of event for his own Action R/C podcast we thought what a great opportunity and way to introduce his writings to Red RC readers. Sharing his thoughts is the ideal way to start building up this great race as we get ready to build up to our own coverage from Spain which is presented by Ruddog. So take it away Scott – What will almost certainly be the most-watched race of 2024, the IFMAR IC Buggy World Champs, is just a few weeks away. You have to believe we’re excited about this one, and can’t help but cast an eye over the field to preview the event. We’ll do it by producing our own Tier List for the event (yeah, we know Tier Lists are a bit 2018, but we’re so old-fashioned that we’re still all about the long-form story here, so let’s go with a Tier List as well). We’ve picked the drivers we think most likely to run up front, those aiming for a semi- or quarter-final, and a few wild cards with enough talent to up-end the predictions completely. Disclaimer: We used the most recent entry list we could find – so forgive us if some we’ve named don’t make it to Redován come September.

Continue reading Scott’s preview here

August 20, 2024

Red RC to attend MonTech New York Grand Prix

Following the recent announcement on the 2024 edition of the MonTech New York Grand Prix, Red RC is super excited to announce that we will be making the trip to the host track 360v2 RC in New Rochelle, New York, to cover the October 10-13th event. Slotting nicely into our 3-stop World Championships coverage schedule, the MonTech New York Grand Prix will be the first major US based race we will have covered since the 22nd, and unfortunately last, running of the Touring Car Reedy Race of Champions back in 2019. Reaching its 6th edition in 2024, the NYGP, which is supported by Italian bodyshell producer Montech, has established itself as a high profile race on the annual US onroad racing calendar and has drawn many top international entries stateside. In addition to Red RC reporting on how the race unfolds, our friends at Mod Live Media will be live streaming all the action from the indoor race.

Source: Fordham 360 Hobbies & Raceway [Facebook]

August 19, 2024

Hall adds 2WD to 2024 BRCA National titles

Having successfully defended his BRCA British 4WD Buggy National Championship title with his fourth consecutive race win at Round 4 at the end of June, Team Associated’s Tommy Hall has added the 2WD title to his 2024 tally at the championship’s 6th & final round over the weekend. Racing at Boughton Raceway, Hall and defending 27 time British National Championship Neil Cragg came into the final round equal on points following Cragg’s win at the penultimate round. In qualifying it was Hall who took the TQ over his main rival with Schumacher’s pairing of Ben Smith and Lee Martin lining up P3 & 4. Taking A1 & 2 ahead of Smith, Hall claimed his third win of the season allowing him to complete the title double, something Cragg was the last driver to pull off in 2019. Overall Smith would end the season as the 2WD Championship runner-up from Cragg, Martin and Holdsworth brothers Josh and Luke. In Sunday’s 4WD action Cragg would claim his first win of the season ahead of 13-year-old Daniel Pole to finish runner-up to Hall in the final standings.

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]

August 19, 2024

Hamon completes clean sweep at QLD Champs

Serpent’s Jeff Hamon completed a clean sweep of the Modified Touring Car class at the RC Maker RCRA EP Queensland State Titles over the winning, adding the title to the NSW State Titles he won earlier in the year. With the Bayside Radio Control Car Club hosted event attracting just shy of 100 entries, Hamon would secure the overall TQ after topping 3 of the 5 qualifiers. Making the trip from Singapore, factory Yokomo driver Nicolas Lee would be fastest in the other two qualifiers putting him second in the A-Main ahead of team-mate & defending Champion Simon Nicholson. Setting a new track record in qualifying, Hamon would wrap up the title by taking the first two A-Mains. Lee would win A3 to finish runner-up with Nicholson completing the podium after winning out on the tie breaker with new ARC signing Brayden Stanley. In 13.5T, Awesomatix’s Marcus Askell took the title.

Image: Jeff Hamon [Facebook]