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]


May 20, 2024

Iris team sweeps Austrian FWD Nationals Round 1

The opening round of the Austrian Nationals was held at the MRC Wr. Neustadt track over the weekend where the Iris Team enjoyed a clean sweep in FWD Touring Car category.  Matheo Buchhalt took the TQ with his Iris ONE.05 FWD after setting the fastest qualifier in each of the four rounds.  He was followed by Philipp Stadler, who lined up second on the grid.  In the finals, Matheo won the first two finals to secure the overall win, marking his first-ever victory at a Nationals event.  Philipp Stadler finished in P2, and Loris Buchhalt, another Iris driver, took P3.  Markus Buchhalt finished fourth, making it an all-Iris top 4 result.

Source: IRIS [iris-racing.com]


May 20, 2024

BRCA 2WD Onroad Nationals Round 2 Mendip – Report

The first round of the 2024 BRCA British 2WD Onroad Championship kicked off at the Mendip circuit near Weston-super-Mare on what would be their last visit to the circuit as it is being redeveloped.  This year the BRCA Championship is back to four rounds of qualifying, best two to count, with two finals for all. 
In F1 qualifying it was the Glen Westwood who took the first two rounds of qualifying with his Schumacher which was enough to take pole position.  Behind him it was Luke Lee and his Xray edging out brother Michael’s Schumacher by virtue of having the faster time for the tie-break with both having a first and second.  Next up was James Greener’s Xray with a second and a third from Rob Chaldecott who had three thirds.  The finals saw Luke Lee taking both legs for the overall win, from Westwood with a pair of second places while Michael Lee completed the podium.

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