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July 2, 2024

Thurston makes it 4 out of 4 at British Nationals

Alex Thurston’s impressive 2024 BRCA 1:8 Onroad British National Championship season continued as he made it four from four at the Halifax track over the weekend. In qualifying it was the Shepherd of reigning Champion Tim Wood who secured the TQ with the fastest time from the four rounds of qualifying. 1.2-seconds off the new nitro track record set by Wood, Thurston would line up P2 for the half hour final with his YMC Racing Mugen Seiki with Karl Dransfield’s Shepherd completing the Top 3. A great battle between Wood & Thurston would see the championship leader eventually coming out on top with Wood just holding off team-mate Dransfield. The win puts Thurston on 402 points out of a potential maximum of 404. With three rounds still remaining, and 5 to count, Thurston will be aiming to get the title wrapped up at the fifth round at Wombwell on August 3/4th. Wood won in Wombley last year en route to the title but a year early it was Thurston who took the win at South Yorkshire track.

Image: Alex Thurston [Facebook]

July 1, 2024

Catanzani wins Italian National Constructor C/ship

Factory Serpent driver Andrea Catanzani took the win at the AMSCI Italian National Constructor Championship which took place in Gubbio over the weekend. Racing at the always immaculately presented multiple World Championship host Club Automodellistico 5 Colli track, qualifying would see the Xray of Luca Romagnoli secure the TQ on tiebreak with Catanzani, both drivers posting two TQ runs each over the four rounds. Capricorn’s Mirko Salemi would complete the Top 3. In the 45-minute final, the opening 10-minutes saw good battle as Romagnoli lead the way closely chased by Catanzani and Salemi. Having got to the front unfortunately Salemi would eventually have to retire from the race leaving Catanzani who set the fastest lap of the race to take the win by 2/3rd of a lap over Romagnoli. Having qualified P9, the Mugen Seiki of Massimo Aliprandi would come through to complete the podium ahead of the Serpent of Mattia Collavo. In the Sport Category young Mugen Seiki talent Luca Betti took both the TQ and the win.

Image: Club Automodellistico 5 Colli [Facebook]

June 26, 2024

Brazilian Paulista Championship Round 2 – Report

The 2nd Round of Paulista Championship took place recently at AARC Speedway in Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil where a large number of racers energised the scene in the country, with many surprises and the consolidation of a new generation of racers. In the 1:8 Onroad it was well known international racer Flavio Elias and his Capricorn that led the race from start to finish, breaking the record for the fastest lap at AARC Speedway with 14.021 seconds. Behind the multiple champion, the Mugen Seiki of Pedro Fausto delivered a consistent performance, handling his car to second spot while the similar car of Marcos Pinheiro completed the podium despite some difficulties. In 1:10 young João Dulac took the win. The 8-year-old Capricorn driver, who is the son of international 1:8 racer Eduardo Dulac, amazed everyone with his skill and consistency, taking advantage of opponents’ mistakes to win the race. Setting a new lap record for the 1:10 category at AARC Speedway, 15.867 seconds, Cesar Salvador took his KM Racing chassis to second while Issao Takara overcame significant overgrip challenges late in the race to secure third place. In 1:8 GT Final Hernan Uner took his WIRC Racing chassis to victory with consistency and strategic overtakes, using the Senesi GT engine tuned by Jefferson Elias. Behind him the Hong Nor of Cesar Passaretti, the Top Qualifier in 1:10, took second place with Top Qualifier Sandro Cabrera driving a WIRC completing the podium having set a new fastest for the category around the track. The event highlighted the high level of competitiveness and emerging talent in Brazilian RC motorsport.

View 1:10 and GT podium here

June 26, 2024

Cucalon wins Copa Del Pacifico 2024

The 14th edition of the Copa Del Pacifico took place last weekend in the city of Machala in the south-west of Ecuador. Hosted by Club Radio Control el Oro, where the annual event started out, the three day event saw drivers racing at the Virgen de la Merced Onroad Raceway where after three rounds of qualifying it was the Serpent of Paul Carrion from Cuenca who secured the 1:10 Nitro Touring Car TQ. In 1:8 GT that honour went to the IGT8 of Herman Saa from Ambato. On Sunday morning showers meant that that finals had to be shortened from 15 to 10 minutes, and the A-Mains from 45 to 30 minutes. In the 1:10 A-Main, the Mugen Seiki of second place qualifier Alex Cucalon found its way to the front to beat pole sitter Carrion by a 2-lap margin. Having started P3, the Xray of Oswaldo Pena took the final podium spot. In the 1:8 GT Final Saa converted his pole position into a comfortable victory over the Hong Nor of Fabrizio Pesantez with Damian Proano completing the Top 3.

View GT Podium and track here

June 25, 2024

Maifield does the double at ROAR Nationals

Tekno RC’s Ryan Maifield pulled off the double at the ROAR 1:8 Nitro Offroad Nationals over the weekend taking both Buggy and Truggy titles at the Hayden Radio Control Raceway (HRCR). In Buggy qualifying it was defending back to back Champion Dakotah Phend who secured the TQ, his TLR topping all four qualifiers, with Maifield second ahead of team-mate Jared Wiggins. In Truggy it was the Sworkz of Mason Fuller who took the TQ ahead of defending Champion Maifield and Phend but in the 45-minute final Maifield would find a passed Fuller to retain his title as Phend completed the podium. In the 1-hour Buggy final, Maifield lining up P4 after the Semi-Finals, there was an intense four way battle with Kyosho’s Phi Long Nguyen, Muller and Phend all having stints at the front. In the end, it was Maifleld who took over the lead in the final quarter of the race and stayed there to win by 14.801 seconds over Phend and Nguyen.

Image: JConcepts [Facebook]

June 24, 2024

Balestri European Champion with dominant 200mm win

17-years on from when he last held the title, Dario Balestri is once again the EFRA European 1:10 Nitro Touring Car European Champion after a dominant win in France over the weekend. Having secured the TQ ahead of Infinity team-mate Jilles Groskamp at the Le Model Club Thionvillois track, the Italian would win the 45-minute final from the Dutch driver by over a lap. With Balestri’s main challenge in the final coming from the Capricorn of the defending Champion Toni Gruber, the only glitch in the race for Balestri came with just under 10-minutes left on the clock when he had a moment and his car put all four wheels on the grass. 9-seconds up on Gruber at the time, the German couldn’t capitalise because at the same time he would flip his car and on low fuel with a scheduled fuel stop just 2-laps out he suffered a flame out. Rejoining in fourth behind Carmine Raiola, he would recover and get back passed the Italian Champion to complete the podium behind Groskamp as Balestri took the title for a third time making him the most successful champion of the category.

Image: EFRA [Facebook]

June 21, 2024

Balestri Top Qualifier at 1:10 200mm European C/Ship

Dario Balestri is the Top Qualifier for the 2024 EFRA 1:10 Nitro Touring Car European Championship, the Italian heading an Infinity 1-2 in France from team-mate Jilles Groskamp. Racing at the Le Model’Club Thionvillois in northern France, where rain has effected the action, Balestri topped the opening three qualifiers to secure pole position for Saturday’s title race which is the 18th running of the championship. A former double champion of the category, reigning 1:8 Onroad World Champion Balestri last held the 1:10 European title in 2007 having successful defended his 2006 win. Fastest in Q4 & 5, Groskamp will start second ahead of the Capricorn of defending Champion Toni Gruber. Enjoying a very strong season in his National 1:8 Onroad Championship with wins at the first three rounds, British driver Alex Thurston locked in the final direct qualifying spot in the Main taking his Mugen Seiki to P4. Top French nitro onroad racer Quentin Leroux just missed the cut ending qualifying P5 despite being second fastest in Q5 and he will have to progress from the Semi Finals.

Image: EFRA [Facebook]

June 17, 2024

Tironi & Johansson winners at Oslo Open Nitro Race

Infinity pairing Francesco Tironi and Alexander Johansson claimed the wins at the 2024 Oslo Open Nitro Race held at the impressive Hverven Raceway located south of the Norwegian Capital over the weekend. Organised by the Oslo Modellbilklubb, the race attracted a strong international entry and after 4 rounds of qualifying it was Italian Tironi who secured the overall 1:8 TQ honors from Finland’s Teemu Leino, the team-mates recording two TQ runs each. The Serpent of Italian Jonathan Gandin completed the Top 3 ahead of the ARC of Swiss driver Silvio Hachler and Capricorn of Germany’s Thilo Diekmann. In the rain delayed half hour final, Tironi would lead from start to finish, setting the fastest lap of the race to finish almost a lap up on Hachler . With Leino an early retirement Fabian Vernersson completed the podium. In 1:10, it was Viktor Wilck who secured the TQ from Norway’s Tom Erik Haaversen with Johansson P3. A problem for Wlck at the start allowed Haaversen to lead early but it was Johansson who took the win as Haaversen hit issues. Second would got to øyvind Stusdal with Wilck recovering to complete the podium.

Image: Francesco Tironi [Facebook]