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June 3, 2024

Sawada wins Hobbywing Cup

Attracting a number of international factory team drivers, it was Xray’s Shin Sawada who took the big win at the Hobbywing Cup which took place at the Shanghai International Model Auto Racing Arena (SIMARA) in China over the weekend. Qualifying would see the Japanese driver top 3 of the 4 rounds of qualifying to secure the TQ ahead of team-mate Alexander Hagberg who went fastest in the final qualifier. Team Yokomo’s Nicolas Lee would complete the Top 3 in the feature Open Brushless class ahead of China’s very own JJ Wang. Representing Awesomatix and a driver who does a lot of development work for Hobbywing, 1:12 Spec World Champion Max Mächler lined up 6th on the grid. In the triple final Sawada continued his form setting the fastest lap of the race to win A1 repeating the feat again in A2 for the overall win. Winning A3, Hagberg would finish runner-up while P2 in A3 promoted Wang to third overall for an all Xray podium. Lee was best of the rest taking his Yokomo to fourth ahead of Mächler who moved up one spot to finish fifth.

Source: Hobbywing [hobbywing.com]

June 2, 2024

Senesi crowned 1:8 GT European Champion

Natanaele Senesi is the new EFRA 1:8 GT European Champion claiming the title for the very first time at the Naxos World track in Sicily, Italy. Lining up P5 for the 45-minute title decider, the World Championship finalist took his Senesi Motorsport S21 GT car to victory by a 10-second margin from the Xray of Top Qualifier Edoardo Repetti with Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani completing the nitro podium. Only the third running of the European Championships for the category, there was plenty of drama at the start of the final. Set to start P3 on the grid for the 45-minute encounter, Capricorn’s Alessio Mazzeo called a technical timeout in the warm-up which put him to the back of the grid. On the race start Repetti suffered a flame out. Taking the lead of the race after a few laps, during his first fuel stop Senesi would flame out handing Catanzani the lead. Chased down by a recovering Senesi, with three minutes to go Catanzani would lose 2nd gear allowing Senesi back to the front where he would stay to the finish to end Bernard-Alain Arnaldi reign over the category. Arnaldi would give up his back to back title finishing P6. In the 1:8 GTE title race, Top Qualifier & Schepis Model team driver Rosario Giaimo was able to complete the job and wrapped up the championship with wins in A1 & 2 of the triple finals with Senesi and 2023 Champion Mazzeo completing the Top 3.

Image: Natanaele Senesi [Facebook]

May 31, 2024

Repetti is 1:8 GT European C/Ship Top Qualifier

Italy’s Edoardo Repetti is the Top Qualifier at the 2024 EFRA 1:8 GT European Championships which are underway at the Naxos World track in Sicily, Italy. The former European Large Scale Champion took his Ielasi Tuned powered Xray to the TQ honours with TQ runs in Q3 & 4 together with a P2 in the fifth & final round. Also registering two TQ runs and a second, but losing out on the tie-breaker, Schepis Model driver Rosario Giaimo, winner of the recent Italian National Champion round at the same track, qualified 2nd having taken the Electric GT overall TQ earlier in the day. Former 1:10 Nitro Touring Car Champion Alessio Mazzeo completed the Top 3 for Capricorn. Top Qualifier at last year’s European Championship in Croatia, Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani ended qualifying P4. Only the third running of a European Championship for the category, defending back to back Champion Bernard-Alain Arnaldi took his Genius Racing chassis to 6th as the fastest non Italian driver.

Image: Xray [Facebook]

May 28, 2024

Wins for Smith & Orlowski at Scotty Ernst UK Showdown

With it a Bank Holiday weekend in the UK, Scotty Ernst took his UK Showdown to the famed Robin Hood Raceway where Schumacher pairing Ben Smith and Michal Orlowski took the two big wins. The second year of the event, in 2WD qualifying it was Smith, fresh from his British National win a week earlier, that took the TQ after topping 3 of the 5 rounds. Behind him with 2 TQ run was Orlowski ahead of Team Associated’s Tommy Hall and Schumacher’s Lee Martin. While Smith took all three A-Mains, the main battle as first second. Hall got by Orlowki for the second in A1, with Orlowski 2nd in A2 but both where passed by Luke Holdsworth in A3 and it was a tie-breaker between the pair with Hall getting the second spot. Bank Holiday Monday’s 4WD action saw reigning European Champion Orlowski secure the TQ with fastest times in 2 of the 4 qualifiers. Fastest in Q1, Jamie Hall would line up second ahead of Lee Martin, Tommy Hall and Smith who had TQ’d Q2. In the triple finals, Orlowski secure the overall victory with wins in A1 & 2, while Jamie Hall secured the runner-up spot with the A3 ahead of Martin who completed the 4WD podium.

Image: Schumacher [racing-cars.com]

May 27, 2024

Ongaro wins Euros Warm-up Race

Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro took the win at the Euros Warm-up Race at his home track the Ongaro Ring, the Sacile track set to host this year’s EFRA European 1:8 Buggy Championship at the end of July. With rain forcing qualifying to be reduced to just 3 rounds, it was the Sworkz of reigning European Champion Juan Carlos Canas who secured the TQ from World Champion Ongaro with Sworkz’ Mattia Polito third ahead the Xray of David Ronnefalk. In the Semi’s both Canas and Ongaro won their Semi finals with Ongaro’s race time giving him pole for the final which he would lead all the way. Setting the fastest lap of the 45-minute Main, Elliot Boots who take his Sworkz to second finishing 8-seconds behind Ongaro. Canas would complete the podium ahead of Daniel Pariente and Polito with Mugen’s Berkan Kilic rounding out the Top 6.

Image: ModellismoRC [modellismorc.net]

May 27, 2024

Shimo crowned Japanese 1:8 Onroad Champion

Infinity’s Takaaki Shimo is the new JMRCA Japanese 1:8 Onroad National Champion. Racing at the 2023 World Championship host venue Infinity International Speedway, Shimo regained the title he last held in 2016 with a 2.5-second victory over Top Qualifier Naoto Matsukura. In qualifying the Infinity of Matsukura topped three of the four rounds to secure the TQ and lock himself into pole position for the 45-minute final. A TQ run in Q2 would secure reigning 1:10 Nitro Onroad World Champion Tadahiko Sahashi second overall, a result that also locked him directly into the Main. With Shimo P3 after qualifying and the Mugen Seiki of defending Champion & 2019 World Champion Shouki Takahata 6th, they would both have to race their way into the Main from the 20-minute Semi Finals. Shimo won his Semi while the other went to Takahata. In the Main, Matsukura lead for 2/3rd of the race as he and Shimo gapped the field but getting by Matsukura, Shimo maintained that lead to the end to secure the title. Three laps back Tadahiko Sahashi would completed the podium ahead of Takahata.

Image: Infinity [Facebook]

May 27, 2024

Kurzbuch wins ENS season opener

Mugen Seiki’s Simon Kurzbuch opened the latest season of the Euro Nitro Series with maximum points, the former World Champion winning the 1:8 category from the TQ position. The first of the four round championship took drivers to the Ettlingen track in Germany where qualifying would see both Kurzbuch and the Capricorn of reigning ENS Champion Toni Gruber post two TQ runs each over the four qualifiers. On tie-break it was 2023 World Championship Top Qualifier Kurzbuch who lined up on pole for the 45-minute final ahead of Gruber with the Infinity of Teemu Leino P3. Able to establish an early gap over his rivals, Kurzbuch would cruise to victory by over a lap from Leino, Gruber having retired from the race just after half way distance. Bumping up from the B-Main to line up 11th on the grid, 1:8 Onroad legend Lamberto Collari would work his way through the field to complete the podium for Infinity. In 1:10, Melvin Diekmann got his title defence off to the perfect start taking his Capricorn to the TQ & win ahead of the Infinity of former Champion Jilles Groskamp with France’s Quentin Leroux taking the final step on the podium.

Image: Simon Kurzbuch RC [Facebook]

May 21, 2024

Smith & Hall winners at British Nationals Round 2

The second round of the BRCA British 1:10 Offroad Nationals was hosted by the Herts Nitro Model Club over the weekend where Schumacher’s Ben Smith and Team Associated’s Tommy Hall took the wins. 2WD qualifying would see Smith secure the TQ with a clean sweep of the four qualifiers. Behind Hall secured P2 ahead of Josh Holdsworth, Lee Martin and Round 1 winner Neil Cragg. The finals would see Smith’s form continue as he wrapped up the overall win in A2. Winning A3 Hall would secure second while Cragg got his Associated ahead of Martin’s Schumacher to complete the podium. Sunday’s 4WD action would see Hall repeat his season opening performance by starting from the TQ and making it two from two. With the Top 5 finishing in the order they qualified, it was Martin who took second ahead of Craig, Smith and Thomas Phipps. It was to be a record making day in Herts as Xray’s Hayley Eldridge became the first female racer to make the A-Main, a feat that was recognised by her receiving “Star of the day” Award.

Image: HNMC 1/10th Electric [Facebook]