Red RC » Gas

November 23, 2024

Groskamp back on top of the World

Jilles Groskamp is back on top of the World, the Infinity driver becoming the new IFMAR 1:10 Onroad World Champion at the Huge RC Circuit in Bangkok 12-years after winning the Electric Touring Car World Title. Having booked his way directly into the 1-hour Main by winning Super Pole, Groskamp would in the end cruise to victory to become Nitro Touring Car’s 10th different Champion as outgoing Champion Tadahiko Sahashi struggled in his quest to be the first driver to successful defend the title. Starting as the Top Qualifier, this being his second time to secure pole at the Worlds, Teemu Leino’s race lasted less than 10-minutes as the Finn flipped his Infinity after his second fuel stop and the impact with the boards broke a front shock. With 2018 Champion Naoto Matsukura looking like he was on to repeat his earlier dominant Semi final performance, as the race reached halfway and he had a clear lead over the field, a touch of the curbing ended his challenge. The subsequent impact after the roll would break a rear shock shaft but with the car still running on the spring he would limp home in P6, 7-laps down on his winning team-mate. For 1:8 World Champion Dario Balestri a dead receiver battery would cause him to crash out of a podium finish and DNF with just over 2-minutes to go. Behind Jilles, having managed to un-lap himself towards the end of the race, Capricorn’s Toni Gruber would claim second with tenth place starter Charlee Phutiyothin making it two Capricorns on the podium.

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November 23, 2024

Sahashi title defence back on track in Thailand

Tadahiko Sahashi’s 1:10 Nitro World Championship title defence is back on with the Infinity driver booking his place in final at Huge RC Circuit after finishing second to team-mate Dario Balestri in the second of the two Semi Finals. Having topped seeding, Sahashi then struggled throughout qualifying and found himself scrapping his way onto the back of a direct spot in the Semis. In the early stages of the final it looked like the Japanese driver’s quest to become the first back to back Champion of the class was over, however by the 10-minute he was up to third, helped in part by 2012 Champion Meen Vejrak and Takaaki Shimo both running out of fuel. Up front a flip by pole sitter Balestri allowed Chavit Saligupta to lead but shortly after third way distance his car came to a permanent stop ending his hopes of repeating his 2022 final appearance. Looking like he was safely into the final as he lapped in 3rd position there was a heartbreak for Australian Jessie Davis. With three minutes to go and having just exited pit lane his car came to a stop and with his engine refusing to restart his Worlds was done. Capricorn’s Thilo Diekman would finish 3rd to book the German’s first World Final start. In the other Semi, Naoto Matsukura looked like he was out for a Sunday drive, the 2018 World Champion lapping the entire field with a flawless drive that has the Infinity driver highly motivated for the final. Having started on pole, Capricorn’s Toni Gruber came home 2nd as he continues to challenge the might of Infinity here in Bangkok but the 1:8 GT World Champion admitted himself that his Semi performance was not a Title contending performance and they need to improve for the final. On the road it would be Viktor Wilck that would complete the Top 3 but his car would be deemed to be too wide in post race technical inspection and Charlee Phutiyothin was promoted to the final. The final two places on the grid would be decided on fastest times which went to Milan Holthuis and Sinnosuke Yokoyama.

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November 22, 2024

1:10 Onroad WC Manufacturer Statistics

IFMAR, the World governing body of RC racing, has released official manufacturer statistics from this year’s 1:10 Onroad World Championship in Thailand, 2024 marking the 10th running of the championship for the nitro touring car category. In terms of equipment being used by the 58 racers from 16 countries completing here at the Huge RC Circuit in Bangkok, reigning back to back World Champion manufacturer Infinity is a clear leader in terms of choice of car of the six different brands being used. Italy’s Capricorn is the second most popular chassis. In the power stakes it is Japan’s O.S. that has over half the engine share when Thai engine tuner Aood Racing versions are taken into account. The brand of one of the categories former World Champions Daniele Ielasi is the next biggest provider of power with his Ielasi Tuned engines making up 18% of the entry. Controlling the cars, it is Sanwa that makes up almost half the field followed closely by fellow Japanese manufacturer Futaba whose servos are most popular choice over Sanwa and Savox. With drivers having to choose between two official suppliers it is Thai fuel maker Maxima that has 90% of the users. With 1:10 Onroad running a handout tyre everyone is running on Matrix.

View Statistics Charts here

November 7, 2024

Ronnefalk confirmed for SIGP International Offroad GP

The organisers of the SIGP International Offroad GP in Xiamen, China, have announced David Ronnefalk as the latest driver who will compete for a share of the race’s total prize money of almost $25,000. The Xray driver & 2016 1:8 Buggy World Champion is the third World Champion winner to be confirmed for the December 11-15 race with Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro and Xray’s Bruno Coelho having already been announced to race at the 3-circle ARC International RC Racing Track. The same venue that hosted the 2017 IFMAR 1:10 Electric Offroad World Championships, the race schedule will be made up of 5 classes including racing for 1:4 offroad bikes with the main action expected in 1:8 Nitro Buggy and 1:8 eBuggy. Red RC will be travelling to the SIGP for the post Covid return of the event to the international race calendar.

Source: Sunpadow [sunpadow.com]

October 31, 2024

World Champion Ongaro confirmed for SIGP debut

Triple back to back 1:8 Offroad World Champion Davide Ongaro is the latest driver to be confirmed for the SIGP International Offroad Grand Prix in Xiamen, China. It will be factory Team Associated driver’s first time to travel to China and the impressive 3-circle ARC International RC Racing Track, the Italian & current 1:10 4WD Buggy World Champion not yet racing 1:10 electric when the track hosted the IFMAR World Championship in 2017. With Germany’s Joern Neumann and American Ryan Lutz as past Champions, 2024 will be the first running of the SIGP post Covid with organisers confirming last week that Xray’s Bruno Coelho, winner of the SIGP Onroad event earlier this year, will return for its offroad event which takes place from December 11-15th.

Source: Sunpadow [sunpadow.com]

October 28, 2024

Figueiredo wins Spanish Nationals finale

Tekno’s João Figueiredo continued his impressive 2024 season with victory at the season finale of the competitive Spanish 1:8 Buggy National Championships in Madrid. Travelling to the Fuencarral circuit, home of the annual Buggyland race, the Portuguese National Champion was in the battle to become the Spanish Vice-Champion, victory in all three previous rounds meaning Sworkz Juan Carlos Canas had already secured the overall title. In qualifying it was fellow Tekno driver Adrian Pariente who would secure the TQ ahead of Figueiredo but in the Semi’s it would be European B Champion David Todd who would win with the fastest time to put his Mugen Seiki on pole for the 45-minute final. From third on the grid it wouldn’t take Figueiredo long to get to the front where he would stay to win by 11-seconds Jose Miguel Sanchez with Daniel Pariente completing the podium just ahead of Xray’s Bryan Baldo. Joining Tekno at the start of the 2024 season and achieving his first World Championship final last month in Redovan, Spain, Figueiredo will now try to cap off his best season yet with a strong showing at the AMS Alabama Manufacturer Shootout in the US onNovember 7th-10th.

Source: João Figueiredo [Facebook]

October 27, 2024

Kato successfully defends Japanese 1:8 Buggy title

Infinity’s Kouki Kato has successfully defended his JMRCA 1:8 Offroad Japanese National title, the 18-year old winning the title race at the Futaba Buggy Track located in Ichihara, Chiba. Joining Infinity’s offroad program in July and winning the Asian Buggy Championships Finale in Indonesia last month, Kato would put his IFB8 top in all four rounds of qualifying to secure the overall TQ. His closest challengers would be 2022 Champion Yusuke Sugiura and 2024 1:10 4WD Buggy National Champion Yui Kaino, both drivers counting two P2 runs each to tue on points. It would be Sugiura however who secured his direct spot into the half hour final on the tie-breaker. Winning his 20-minute Semi Final Kaino would line up third the Main, this being his first nitro buggy event. While Sugiura’s Kyosho would lead in the early laps, once Kato got back to the front he was able to hold station setting the fastest lap of the race to win by 13-seconds from Sugiura. Almost a lap down, Kaino’s Team Associated would complete the podium.

Source: Kouki Kato [Facebook]

October 26, 2024

Coelho confirmed for SIGP International Offroad GP

Having attended & won the SIGP International RC Car Grand Prix onroad event earlier this year, Bruno Coelho is to return to the impressive 3-circle ARC International RC Racing Track in Xiamen, China, to race at the SIGP International Offroad GP. The Xray driver, who was last week confirmed for December’s ISTC FEMCA Championships in Foshan, China, with go directly from the Electric Touring Car race at GDC Indoor Race Club to race 1:8 Buggy at the return of the SIGP Offroad following its forced break due to Covid. One of Asia’s major international offroad events pre-Covid, and counting Germany’s Joern Neumann and American Ryan Lutz as past Champions, the SIGP International Offroad Grand Prix takes place from December 11-15 with further international entries for the 2024 edition expected shortly.

Source: Sunpadow [sunpadow.com]