August 5, 2023

3 in a row as Coelho takes 2023 European Championship

Bruno Coelho is the 2023 1:10 Electric Touring Car European Champion, the Xray driver making it three in a row with his latest victory in Germany today.  Securing the overall TQ in the finale round of qualifying after a battle with Mugen’s Ronald Volker and Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski, the Portuguese ace opened final’s day at Türkheim  with a 0.25 second win from a closing Volker, the race finishing order remaining unchanged from how all 10-drivers line-up on the grid.  A dramatic start to A2 would see Volker spin out in front of the field and get collected, leaving Orlowski to mount the challenge on Coelho and while the Polish driver would set the fastest lap the gap at the end was 1-second.  The win secured the title for Coelho with A3 the battle for runner-up spot.  Volker would get the win ahead of Orlowski who would complete the overall podium followed by Awesomatix’s Marc Rheinard and Mugen’s Eric Dankel.  In Pro Stock it was also a win for the Top Qualifier with Awesomatix’s Simon Lauter securing the title in A3 after runner-up Jan Ratheisky won A2.  Outgoing champion Olivier Bultynck completed the podium.

Image: Bruno Coelho [Facebook]


August 5, 2023

Finishline RC Raceway set to host ’24 ISTC World C/ship

With IFMAR having unveiled the provisional 2024 World Championship calendar this week but with no venue or date for Electric Touring Car, it has now been announced by Finishline RC Raceway in California that they have been approved by sanctioning bloc ROAR to host the championship for the category.  Located in Bakersfield, the track stated they ‘have a long way to go to make it official with IFMAR’ but all going to plan they are suggesting a Fall date for the running of what will be the 12th ISTC World Championships.  The third time the championship will visit the USA, the last visit was 2014 when Naoto Matsukura took the win in Kissimee and a certain Bruno Coelho announced himself to the world with the runner-up spot.  A decade earlier, when the US held the race for the first time in 2004, Marc Rheinard came away with a debut World title.

Source: Finishline RC Raceway [Facebook]


August 4, 2023

Coelho to defend European title as Top Qualifier

Xray’s Bruno Coelho is the Top Qualifier for this year’s 1:10 Electric Touring Car Championship in Germany, the reigning World Champion chasing a hat trick of consecutive European Championship titles that would equal the achievement of Ronald Volker who held the title previously from 2016 to 2018.  Having topped the opening two rounds of qualifying, Coelho would have to wait until the fifth and final round to secure pole for tomorrow’s finals at the Türkheim track with a third TQ run.  Behind the Portuguese driver, 7-time Champion Volker will start P2 having taken his Mugen to the top of the times in Q4.  Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski, who just recently claimed the 1:10 4WD Offroad European title, will start 3rd in his quest for a first European Touring Car title after posting a TQ run in Round 3.  In Stock, Simon Lauter is the Top Qualifier after he steered his Awesomatix to the fastest time in four of the five qualifiers.  Xray’s Jan Rathiesky starts P2 followed by 2018 Champion Max Machler’s Awesomatix with reigning champion Olivier Bultynck try to go for three in a row from fifth on the grid.  In FWD the TQ went to Daniel Poehlmann while in Formula Andreas Stiebler’s Schumacher is on pole position.

Image: Bruno Coelho [Facebook]


August 3, 2023

1:8 Offroad World C/ship 2024 – Brazil Presentation

Following IFMAR’s publication of a provisional 2024 calendar for next year’s four World Championship events, the proposal received from the listed 1:8 Offroad Worlds host country Brazil has been made public.  The Brazil Federation FEBARC together with CASA Raceway in São Paulo has in its presentation put forward September 8-14th, 2024, as the dates for the 19th running of the Championships with it set to be the third South American country in which the title has been decided.  In 2002 Uruguay hosted the race where Greg Degani won and more recently Argentina was the location for Robert Batlle’s 2012 title victory.  With a facility that can normally cater for approximate 50 racers, the host club will expand the pit area to accommodate 230 racers & mechanics for the Worlds.  In terms of location, the track is just 23km from São Paulo’s main international airport – Guarulhos International Airport (GRU).  Having made history in Spain last year when he became the first driver to successfully defend the World Championship title,  a win in Brazil would give Davide Ongaro a hat trick of title in three different continents, the Team Associated driver having won his first title in Australia in 2018.

Check out the full presentation on the EFRA website by clicking here.


August 2, 2023

2024 IFMAR World Championship Provisional Calendar

With just a month until the first of the four World Championships of 2023 get underway with the 1:10 Offroad Worlds at Hobby Action in the USA, IFMAR has released a provisional calendar for the four classes that will have the bi-annual title decided in 2024.  The World’s best 1:8 Offroad racers are set to travel to Sao Paulo in Brazil in September.  This will be the first time the category has been to Brazil, it’s last trip to South America being Argentina in 2012 where Robert Battle won.  In November the Large Scale Touring Car title will be decided in Sydney, Australia, at the same track where this year’s 1:8 GT World Champion will be crowned October.  For 1:10 Nitro, Costa Rico is where the 10th Champion of the category will be decided.  Also on the calendar next year is 1:10 electric Touring Car (ISTC) which will be hosted by the ROAR Bloc meaning a trip to the United States or Canada with the date also still to be confirmed.

View provisional calendar here


August 1, 2023

BRCA 2WD Onroad Nationals R4 Bedword – Report

The fourth round of this year’s BRCA 2WD Onroad Championship took place at the Bedword circuit near Nuneaton where Ben Moorey took the FWD win on tie break and Michael Lee won F1.   In the FWD the first of qualifying was a close affair with half-a-second covering the top three on 21 laps and saw Moorey’s Awesomatix edge out Ben Cosgrove’s Xray and Andy Murray’s Schumacher, with Aaron Rose’s Schumacher in fourth.  Round two was a repeat result of the first round but with Dale Burr’s Awesomatix in fourth.  Q3 went the way of Ben C, Andy, Ben M and Aaron.  This gave the grid of Ben M, Ben C, Andy, Aaron and Dale.  The first leg of the final’s saw Ben M take the win on 21 laps from Ben C, Andy and Aaron.  The second leg saw a change in conditions and a win for Andy on 17 laps from Ben M, Aaron and Daniel Robins and Ben C was fifth.  So, going into the final leg the win was still up for grabs between the two Ben’s and Andy.  The third leg saw a win for Ben C on 19 laps from Andy, Dale and Daniel.  This left the Top three all on the same points, so it was down to the tie-breaker to decide the overall win and that went to Moorey from Cosgrove and Murray.

View F1 podium here


July 31, 2023

Collina wins Italian National Trophy

Schumacher’s Mattia Collina took the win in the Italian National Trophy for EP Touring Car held at Minicar Fontanellato track near Parma over the weekend.  A sanction event of ACI Sport, the Italian motorsport & RC Car Racing Federation and member of the FIA, the two day event attracted 70 racers who had to contend with high temperatures that kept them busy in trying to find the optimal set-up.  Already this year’s Italian Indoor Modified Champion, Collina would take the outdoor trophy win ahead of the Xray of World Championship finalist Alessio Menicucci with Alessio Tolomelli driving an Awesomatix completing the podium.  In Stock, Orlando Fenili took the TQ and win with his Xray ahead Alessandro Bianchi and Federico Collina.  The FWD win went to the Awesomatix of Top Qualifier Riccardo Laletta with  Andrea Tonini and William Carrato joining him on the podium.  Andrea Tonini took advantage of some technical problems for the very young pole sitter Edoardo Guarneri to take the GT class win over Mon-tech Racing’s Alberto Montecchi and Massimiliano Musetti.

Source: ACI Sport [acisport.it]


July 31, 2023

Ongaro takes Italian Championship title

Davide Ongaro is the 2023 AMSCI 1:8 Buggy Italian National Champion, the Team Associated driver securing the title with victory at the third & final round of the championship at RC Off Road Volandia track in Somma Lombardo.  The Top Qualifier and winner of the opening Round 1 of the Championship, but missing Round 2 due to racing at the Philippine Masters in Asia, Ongaro needed a good run at the season finale.  In qualifying it was points leader and Round 2 winner Mattia Polito who took the TQ with his Sworkz ahead of Ongaro with Infinity’s Riccardo Berton.  In the 45-minute final the World Champion had the fastest car and was able to take the win ahead Berton and Polito  to lift the National title.

Image: ModellismoRC [modellismorc.net]