July 11, 2024

Bernadzik Top Seed at Asian Buggy Championship Rd 3

Team Associated’s Alex Bernadzik will start Nitro buggy qualifying as the top seed at the third round of the Asian Buggy Championship which is taking place at Pine Hills Dirt Racing’s unique oiled-surface track in Brisbane, Australia.  2023 Australian National Champion Bernadzik, who posted a TQ run at the previous round of the Scotty Ernst promoted championship in the Philippines, took the seeding top spot with a last-chance run ahead of Round 2 podium finisher Ryan Pavidis.  Pavidis, who is making his first visit to Australia, has switched chassis brands since the Philippine Masters and is now running Mugen.  Christian Wolhuter (Australia) took his Sworkz to third in seeding, followed by Tekno twins, Australia’s Caleb Noble and US driver Walker Spinrad.  A podium finisher at the season opener in New Zealand, Kyosho’s Kyle McBride returns to the series and will start qualifying sixth.  Bernadzik made it two-from-two when he topped eBuggy seeding, this time ahead of Noble and Pavidis with Spinrad, Australian TLR pilot Aaron Dexter and McBride rounding out the top six.  Caleb Noble topped seeding in a small Nitro Truggy field, with Nathan Healy (Tekno) going fastest in eTruggy.  Paul Ciccarello brought his Xray all the way from the US to dominate the two 45+ buggy classes.  Qualifying kicks off Friday morning local time with the first of four rounds of qualifying.

Source: Scott Guyatt/Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]


July 11, 2024

1:5 Large Scale FEMCA International – Announcement

New South Wales Radio Control Racing Car Club has announced the inaugural running of the 1:5 Large Scale FEMCA International at the John Grant Raceway in Sydney on October 23rd to 27th.  The club, which did a superb job of hosting the 1:8 GT World Championships last year, was due to host this year’s IFMAR Large Scale World Championship however due to low numbers of entries the race was cancelled.  A major disappointment for  the Asian Large Scale scene,  the club approached FEMCA with the idea that with all the fantastic tracks located throughout the Asia/Pacific that they would try to build 1:5 scale throughout the region, and allow their side of the world to travel to a championships with a lot less cost.  Making use of the racing facilities throughout the Asia/Pacific that would only otherwise be chosen on the IFMAR rotation cycle, and, as shown over the past 14 years then get underutilised as the European countries due to cost etc.  As a result NSWRCRCC will host the inaugural 1:5 FEMCA International at its track on the week the Worlds was due to be held, providing all competitors who booked tickets/ accommodation a big race meeting.

Continue reading here


July 9, 2024

1:10 Nitro Touring Worlds in Costa Rica – CANCELLED

The IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship which was due to be staged in Costa Rica in November has been cancelled.  In the last few hours FAMAR informed the World governing body, IFMAR, that due to issues surrounding noise from the track effecting local residences that the government will not permit the running of the event.  Red RC was aware of the noise issues but was informed that host club ADDAP had planned to build a sound barrier wall after concerns were raised about the high noise levels for the duration of the Worlds.  IFMAR is now scrambling to seek an alternative host so the 10th running of the Worlds for the category can hopefully still go ahead this year.  As the last host of the 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship in Thailand in 2022, the FEMCA Blok has been offered the opportunity to host it again but with the date only 5-months out this could be a challenging time frame for any tracks interested.  It has been a very challenging 2024 for IFMAR, first with the 1:8 Offroad Worlds in Brazil being cancelled before being moving to Spain and then last week the Large Scale Worlds in Australia was cancelled.

View IFMAR statement on cancellation here


July 9, 2024

Rossetti wins Italian TC National Trophy – Report

The 2nd edition of the Touring National Trophy of the Italian Motorsport and RC Car Racing Federation ACI Sport concluded at the renowned “ASD Minicar Lucca” track near the picturesque Tuscan city.  The high-speed course with technical sectors recently received a complete asphalt refresh, offering excellent grip for the competing cars.  While changing weather conditions challenged the organisers, forcing adjustments to the qualifying and final heat schedules, the competition successfully completed all its stages, crowning deserving champions in the prestigious federal title race.  The Touring Modified class witnessed a major upset, with a young talent stealing the show.  At just 11 years old, Alberto Rossetti from Team Xray – B Racing delivered an impressive performance, securing both the morning’s Pole Position and the overall victory in the 2024 National Trophy finals.  Rossetti’s achievement comes as no surprise to those who have followed his growth, ably supported by his father Michele, who mentors and maintains his car.  Rossetti’s potential was evident in earlier events, including his win at the second round of the Coppa Italia di Zona Centro in May.  Earning the runner-up spot was Emiliano Dagliana, who displayed remarkable skill in the third final, navigating the rain-slickened track with exceptional dexterity.  The ever-consistent Daniele Pacini of the Team Awesomatix – Marka secured third place.

Continue reading report here


July 8, 2024

Xpress team confirmed for eSIC

Having announced last month that inaugural Electric Singapore International Challenge Champion Ronald Volker is to return to the RCMC race track to defend the title, the organisers have now confirmed Xpress is to send its factory team to this year’s event.  Taking place on 14-15th September, one week before the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, 1:12 World Championship podium finisher Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu and former Snowbirds Champion Yugo Nagashima will attend the event for the first time.  Reacting to the teams confirmed entry, co-organiser of the event and Singapore’s top international driver Nicolas Lee said, “We would like to warmly welcome top Japanese drivers, Yugo and Yoshi, to attend this year’s edition of eSIC race later in September.  The Japanese duo represent Xpress team and will be aiming to mount a strong challenge for the win with their latest touring car.”  The aim of eSIC to bring back racing in style in Singapore with the creation of one big exciting weekend for the onroad racer with the first edition last September successful setting the stage for the annual event to grow.

Source: eSIC [Facebook]


July 8, 2024

2024 PDNR Winter Champs – Report

Sydney’s Brayden Stanley was the big winner at the 2024 Winter Champs, hosted by Penrith District Nitro Racing in Greater Western Sydney.  Stanley scooped both IC Touring and ISTC Modified Classes in a powerful display.  This was the 16th year that PDNR have hosted the Winter Champs, Australia’s premiere non-sanction on-road events.  With 12 classes over two days, the Winter Champs hosts both nitro and electric racing in 1/12th, 1/10th and 1/8th categories on PDNR’s temporary car-park layout.  Scotty Ernst and Chris Mitchell provided event announcing to heighten the quality of the event.

Continue reading here


July 5, 2024

IFMAR Large Scale World Championship – CANCELLED

IFMAR has just announced that the Large Scale World Championship scheduled for October in Sydney, Australia, has been cancelled.  The unanimous joint decision was made between IFMAR, FEMCA, EFRA and RCRA due to lack of entries for the race.  The cancellation of what would have been the 12th Worlds for the category, marks the first time in the history of IFMAR that a World Championship has been cancelled due to low numbers, only 9 driving committing to the race.  Having dealt with NSWRCRCC last year on their excellent running of the 1:8 GT World Championship which Red RC attended, and having followed closely their efforts to try to put on a successful Large Scale Worlds it is a disappointing outcome for all involved.  In the announcement on Facebook IFMAR stated,  ‘It is with disappointment that for the first time in IFMAR history we are forced to cancel an event due to lack of competitors.  The 2024 1/5th Scale IFMAR Worlds in Sydney will not be proceeding.  With just over 3 months to go we only have the formal commitment of 9 drivers to attend the race, with such low numbers of drivers it is not viable nor responsible to commit to run a World Championship.  This was a joint, unanimous decision, between IFMAR, FEMCA, EFRA, RCRA (who the committed racers represented) and the organizing club NSWRCRCC.  With 3 months until the event, yes there may have been last minute entries, however, even with the number of racers at double or triple it is still not enough for a viable event and it is not responsible or fair to allow the organizing club to take on such risk.  IFMAR and the BLOCS will discuss the further running of Large Scale events in the future and try to find a solution.  The Host Club is still committed to running an event within the same date schedule as the cancelled World Championship and are working with FEMCA for an alternative event. We encourage all large scale racers to look out for these details and support the club if you are able to.’

Source: IFMAR [Facebook]

 


July 4, 2024

2024 FIRC – 2nd Edition Announcement

After a hugely successful inaugural running of the Foshan International Invitational RC Championship last December, hosts GDC Indoor Race Club in Guangdong, China, has confirmed the date for the 2024 edition.  Confirming the 2nd edition will run on December 5-8, a week earlier than last year, the FIRC Championship was created with the goal of providing local racers with an opportunity to see some of the best drivers in the world in action while also getting to race against them.  The inaugural event did exactly that with Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker coming away as the winner ahead of China’s Vening Zhuo and Japan’s Yugo Nagashima.  Opened in May of 2023,  GDC Indoor track is 800 square metres making it the largest professional indoor onroad track in China.  Also housing an offroad carpet track, later this month it will also host the FEMCA 1:10 Offroad Championship, the governing body of RC racing that represents 15 nations in Asia and Australasia bringing back the category title after the race’s absence for a number of years.

Source: GDC Indoor Race Club