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January 29, 2024

Maifield & Rivkin win at TNR Fuels Amain Challenge 2024

Ryan Maifield and Spencer Rivkin took the big wins at the annual TNR Fuels A-Main Challenge which took place over the weekend at The Dirt at Perris track in SoCal. In qualifying it was the Tekno fleet of Maifield that led the way as he secured a TQ triple with pole position in Nitro Buggy, eBuggy and Nitro Truggy. As last year’s Truggy Champion Maifield would kick off finals day with victory in the 30-minute A-Main after a great battle with Tekno team-mate Spencer Heckert. Behind Rivkin completed the podium. In eBuggy Maifield won both A-Main encounters for overall win No.2 of the weekend, the first leg ahead of Frankie Contreras and the second ahead of Rivkin but a P4 and P5 was enough for Cole Odgen to finished runner up with Contreras claiming 3rd overall. Attracting over 400 entries, in the concluding races of the event it was to be 2023 winner Rivkin who again took the Nitro Buggy victiry after getting passed Maifield who had lead the first half of the 45-minute encounter. Qualifying P2, Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz would complete the podium ahead of Sparko Racing’s Ryan Cavalieri.

Image: AMain Hobbies [Facebook]

January 19, 2024

SIGP International Grand Prix registration opens

Sunpadow Batteries has announced that registration is now open for the return of the SIGP International RC Car Grand Prix Onroad with the event set to take place on March 20-24. Having established itself as one of the leading annual international RC events in China and attracted many of the sport’s top drivers, World Champion Bruno Coelho was the winner of the last onroad edition in 2019. The event takes place at the 2017 IFMAR Electric Offroad Championship venue in Xiamen where both an onroad and offroad track are built side by side next to Sunpadow’s production facility and overlooked by one of the World’s biggest driver stands. The SIGP will continue to offer one of the biggest prizes in the sport with total prize money of $20,000 on offer over the categories which include 1:8 GP onroad, 1:8 EP onroad, 1:10 Modified Touring Car and 1:10 Stock Touring Car. Having attended previous editions of the SIGP, Red RC will be travelling to Xiamen to cover the return of international competition on the Sunpadow Circuit.

Source: Sunpadow [sunpadow.com]

January 2, 2024

Zanchettin joins Xray

Xray has announced that multiple Italian National Champion Alex Zanchettin is joining its team and will race their XB8 platform. Zanchettin had previously raced for the Mayako team signing for them at the beginning of 2022 but in 2023 made an appearance as part of the ongoing Infinity Offroad project when he joined lead driver Riccardo Berton for The Italian Race during the Summer. Commenting on the Xray announcement Zanchettin said, “I’m so proud to join such prestigious and ambitious brand like Xray. I always looked up to Xray for dedication to work and for their winning attitude and I’m sure that hard work and their top quality products will be the key to achieve our common goals. Can’t wait to see you all at the track again”.

Source: Xray [teamxray.com]

January 2, 2024

Tessman calls time on career after 20-years of racing

2014 1:8 Buggy World Champion Ty Tessman has called time on an impressive career that puts him up there among the greats of offroad racing. The Canadian announced the decision to retire from the sport after 20-years of racing as he is set to become a father in 2024. Never an easy decision for any sports professional who has dedicate their live to achieving success, the decision by Xray to drop him at the end of 2023 after a 7-year partnership would certainly have played a factor in his departure from the sport. A driver who only represented two manufacturers during his extensive career, Tessman paid tribute to Hot Bodies for giving him the opportunity to turn professional in the sport with his father Gord and mother Leann a pivotal part of the ‘Team Tessman’ journey, the highlight of which was his World title win in Italy 10-years ago. Having witnessed and reported on many of Ty greatest wins over the years, Red RC would like to thank the Tessmans for the memories (late cold nights at the Dirt Nitro Challenge pitting in the Pro-Line tent particular stand outs!!) of some epic race battles and wish Ty all the best in his new family life. Who knows maybe the story will repeat itself in years to come.

Read Ty’s full announcement here

December 23, 2023

2024 Philippine Masters registration opens

Having established itself as Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race, the organisers of the Philippine Masters have announced the opening of registration for the 12th edition of the high profile Manila based event. 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. Along with Ongaro and Widmaier, Robert Battle, David Ronnefalk, Adam Drake, Ty Tessmann, Atsushi Hara and Kyle McBride are just some of the other international drivers to enjoy both the racing and hospitality in the capital city. Again a capacity entry is expected to be reached quickly as the Philippine Masters plays host to the second round of the Asia Buggy Championships which after kicking off in February in New Zealand will also visit Australia and Indonesia in 2024 and at the end of which there will be an overall Champion of the region crowned.

Source: Philippine Masters [philippinemastersrc.com]

December 22, 2023

2024 SIGP International Grand Prix – Announcement

Sunpadow Batteries has announced that the SIGP International RC Car Grand Prix Onroad will be resumed in 2024 with the event taking place March 20-24 (Updated). The Sunpadow International Grand Prix (SIGP) event had established itself as one of the leading annual international RC event in China and attracted many of the sports top drivers with World Champion Bruno Coelho the winner of the onroad edition in 2019. Taking place at the 2017 Electric Offroad Championship venue in Xiamen, both the onroad and offroad tracks are built side by side next to Sunpadow’s production facility. The SIGP will continue to offer one of the biggest prizes in the sport with total prize money of $25,000 on offer over the categories which include 1:8 GP onroad, 1:8 EP onroad, 1:10 Modified Touring Car and 1:10 Stock Touring Car. Registration will open on January 20th, 2024.

View track images here

December 11, 2023

Gandin wins Miami RC Grand Prix

While the 1:12 World Championships was being decided in Cocoa, Florida, further south in the state the annual Miami RC Grand Prix was taking place where Italy’s Jonathan Gandin took the big win in 1:8 Onroad. The Ielasi Tuned team driver took his Infinity to the TQ with the fastest time and only 16-lap 4-minute run from the five rounds of qualifying at the former World Championship hosting Homestead RC Raceway. Behind it was Serpent’s Bryce Butterfield who set the second fastest time to line up P2 for the 45-minute final ahead of Infinity’s Francesco Tironi, Capricorn’s Thilo Diekmann and the Xray of Filippo Domanin. In the final, Butterfield was an early retirement going after 12-minutes, but upfront Gandin was in charge albeit being kept honest by young Domanin who set the fastest lap of the race. Completing the podium Tironi would finish 3rd ahead of the Capricorn of Florida racer Diego Morganti. In 1:10 Sedan, it was Top Qualifier DJ Apolaro who took his Infinity to the win.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

December 11, 2023

Maifield completes clean sweep at U.S. Open Fuel C/ships

Tekno RC’s Ryan Maifield became the first Pro driver to complete a clean sweep at the annual U.S. Open Fuel Championships which held at Adobe Mountain R/C Speedway in his home state of Arizona over the weekend. Attracting almost 250 entries, qualifying would see Maifield take the TQ in the Open classes of Nitro Buggy, eBuggy and Nitro Truggy before wrapping up the perfect weekend with wins in all three finals. In Nitro Buggy he took the win ahead of Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz having a 3-lap advantage at the end of the 1-hour in encounter. Ryan Pavidis would complete the podium driving his Sparko buggy. In eBuggy, the single 10-minute Main saw Maifield led home the Sworkz of Spencer Heckertt by over 7-seconds with Lutz finishing 3rd. In the 45-minute Nitro Truggy Final, it was the Mugen of Frankie Contresas Jr who followed Maifield home.

Image: MOD Media Live [Facebook]