July 19, 2023

Vietnam to host 2024 FEMCA 1:8 Offroad Championship

The 2024 FEMCA 1:8 Offroad Championships will take place in Vietnam with March 6-9th scheduled as the dates for the crowning of the official Champion of Asia.  This year the championship returned following a forced Covid break, with Taiwan hosting the event where Ming Yang team driver Jeff Wang took the win over Xray’s young Korean talent Hyunkyu Jung.  A prestigious title that counts Atsushi Hara, Kyle McBride and Shin Adachi among its past champions, 2024 is expected to attract all of Asia’s leading offroad racers and teams to Ho Chi Minh City to battle it out for the crown.  Some remaining Covid travel restrictions meant a limited international entry this year, although the event still boasted an impressive 142 entries from 10 countries.

Source: FEMCA [Facebook]


July 18, 2023

Neumann holds overnight 2WD TQ at European C/Ship

Sworkz’ Joern Neumann holds the overnight TQ at the EFRA 1:10 2WD Offroad European Championship after a dominant first day of qualifying in the Netherlands.  The German, who is a two time champion in 2WD, topped all three rounds of qualifying at the RACO2000 track in Utrecht but with 2 more rounds of qualifying tomorrow and the best two to count he will have to wait to see if he will be the overall Top Qualifier.  Neumann’s closest challengers today were Team Associated’s Marcus Kaerup and Schumacher’s Michal Orlowki, the latter having set the pace in seeding practice.  In Q1, Neumann set the pace by 6 seconds from reigning 4WD Champion Kaerup, the Dane getting that gap down to 2-seconds in Q2.  Chasing his first ever 2WD European title, Orlowski would get to within half a second of the TQ in Q3 giving the Polish ace a major boost going into the final two rounds.  If he or Kaerup are to deny Neumann from being the Top Qualifier they will need to top both rounds tomorrow and in a faster.  Defending Champion & newly crowned British 4WD Champion Tommy Hall finds himself down in P12 at the end of Day 1 of qualifying.

Image: EFRA [Facebook]


July 18, 2023

Costa Rica seek to host 2024 1:10 Nitro Onroad Worlds

Costa Rica has presented a proposal to the World Governing Body to host the 2024 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championships.  Coming through FAMAR, one of the four Blok members of IFMAR, the proposal to host the 10th running of the Worlds for the category has been put together by host hopefuls ADDAP.  Proposing a date of 14-24th of November 2024, the race would take place at the  Mini Autodromo La Cruces in Heredia, which is a 281m fine asphalt track.  Earlier this year the track hosted its inaugural event, the Tico Race, which attracted a strong entry with racers travelling from 10 countries.  Should Costa Rica be successful in its bid to host the 2024 World Championships, it would be the first time the championships has returned to the FAMAR Blok since Brazil hosted the inaugural 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championships in 2004 where Adrien Bertin took the win.

View ADDAP presentation here


July 17, 2023

Butterfield wins Summer Nitro Cup in Puerto Rico

Serpent’s Bryce Butterfield took the 1:8 Onroad win at the 2023 Summer Nitro Cup held at Barceloneta RC Speedway in Puerto Rico.  The American driver was one of a number of international drivers who travelled to the Caribbean Island for the event which attract close to 100 entries.  In qualifying it was Butterfield’s Nova Engines powered 990 that took the overall TQ after setting the fastest 4-minute run in the first of the four rounds of qualifying.  Germany’s Thilo Diekman would set the 2nd fastest time, the Capricorn driver also producing his best run in Q1 with the Top 3 completed by the Serpent of US racer Joaquin De Soto Jnr, the later going on to beat Diekman in the Super Pole shoot out.  In the 30-minute final Butterfield would lead from start to finish winning by over a lap from De Soto Jnr.  Setting the fastest lap of the race, Diekman would complete the podium with Jose Colon fourth.  In 1:8 GT  Jose Almonte took the TQ and win with his Serpent while in 1:10 200m Jerry Guerra took the win from 5th on the grid.

Image: Serpent [serpent.com]


July 17, 2023

Philippine Masters 2024 date announced

After a massively successful return in April of this year following a 2-year break due to Covid, the Philippine Masters has announced the date for the 2024 edition of Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race meeting.  The 12th running of the Philippine Masters, the event which takes place in the capital city of Manila is scheduled for April 18-21, 2024.  Having formed the opening round of the Asian Buggy Championships, the date was confirmed at Round 2 in Australia over the weekend after a meeting between Philippine Masters track designer Edward Sio, who was racing in Brisbane, and Scotty Ernst who has been a key figure in bringing the Philippine Masters to its international race status.  A sell out event in 2023, the race saw World Champion David Ongaro win the Buggy title for Team Associated while Sworkz’ Micha Widmaier came away with the Truggy victory.  With the Philippines famed as a holiday destination, the event has a truly unique vibe living up to the nations tourism tagline ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ with many of the large international driver entry combining the race with holidays at the country’s world famous white sand beaches.

Source: Philippine Masters [philippinemastersrc.com]


July 16, 2023

Bernadzik reigns down under at Asian Buggy C/ships

Alex Bernadzik reigned at Asian Buggy Championships in Australia, the Team Associated driver carrying his qualifying form into the finals to win both Nitro and Electric Buggy.  Top Qualifier for both categories, Bernadzik’s first win at the Pine Hills Dirt Racing circuit came in eBuggy.  In the first of the triple A-Mains he would win from the Tekno of Caleb Noble with another win in A2 from Christopher Sturdy locking in victory for the second round of the Scotty Ernst run championship.  With Sturdy winning A3 it was to be an AE 1-2 on the podium which was completed by Noble.  The 45-minute Nitro final saw early mistakes from Bernadzik dropping him into the mid pack while Noble led the way until he was delayed by a fuel gun issue at the first fuel stop.  As the race reached the half way mark Bernadzik was back in the lead from were he controlled the race to complete the perfect weekend.  Noble would get second for his efforts ahead of Zac Ryan, a key figure in get the Asian Buggy Championships to Brisbane, finishing third with his HB Racing.  Aaron Dexter would finish fourth ahead of an impressive performance from 11-year Zac Foster in fifth.

Continuing reading & view podium images here


July 16, 2023

Ronnefalk takes 2 Swedish Onroad National titles

Former 1:8 Offroad World Champion David Ronnefalk added not one but two Swedish National Onroad titles to his CV today, being crowned the Electric Touring Car and 1:8 Onroad Nitro Champion in Stockholm.  Not a complete stranger to electric touring car, Ronnefalk would win the TQ and title for Awesomatix ahead of established touring car stars Alexander Hagberg and Viktor Wilck.  A somewhat surprise announcement as an ARC team driver in 1:8 Onroad in April, the reigning 1:8 Offroad European Champion is pretty much a rookie in the sport’s longest established category.  Also starting on pole for the half hour final, he would go on to win ahead of Alexander Andersson and Niclas Nilsson for what would be his 23rd Swedish National title!  While an impressive performance, Ronnefalk will switch his attention back to Offroad as he prepares to defend his Euros title for Mayako in Redovan, Spain, in early September.

Image: David Ronnefalk [Facebook]


July 16, 2023

Senesi crowned Italian 1:8 GTE Champion

Natanaele Senesi is the 2023 UISP 1:8 GTE Italian National Champion.  Winner of the season opener back in March, the Xray driver secured the overall title today at the third & final round of the championship with second place at Miniautodromo Teramo.  Attracting over 40 entries, today’s victory would go to the Genius of Alex D’Angelo who finished 2.5-seconds clear of Senesi’s Hobbywing/Nosram powered GTXE with the WRC of Fabrizio D’Aietti completing the podium.  Senesi’s 9th National title, the European Championship finalist will make the trip to Sydney, Australia, later this year to contest the IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship.  In the third round of 1:8 GT Nitro, Radiosistemi Factory Team driver Filippo Beretta took the win of the 30-minute final from I-Fenix driver Adriano Tarragoni.

Image: Natanaele Senesi [Facebook]