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September 30, 2023

Berkan Kilic secures Nitro TQ at Buggyland X

Mugen Seiki driver Berkan Kilic is the 1:8 Nitro Buggy Top Qualifier at Buggyland X in Madrid, Spain. The German driver secured the top spot in qualifier ahead of World Champion Davide Ongaro and newly crowned European Champion Juan Carlos Canas. Qualifying for the 10th edition of Buggyland started with Sworkz driver & defending Champion Canas taking the first round from Ongaro’s Team Associated before Kilic went top in Q2 ahead of new WIRC signing Marco Baruffolo. The third round saw Ongaro post a TQ run ahead of Kilic and Canas but almost 4-seconds slower than Kilic’s best, it was the Mugen driver who claimed the overall TQ on tie break.

Image: Berkan Kilic [Facebook]

September 30, 2023

Kurzbuch & Branson Top Qualifiers at ENS Italy

Mugen’s Simon Kurzbuch and Xray’s Kyle Branson are the Top Qualifiers at season finale of the Euro Nitro Series in Italy. Racing at Pista di Leno in the north of the country, in 1:8 it was former World Champion Kurzbuch, who after problems in Q1, took control topping the next three rounds of qualifying to secure pole for tomorrow’s final. The multiple ENS Champion’s 20th TQ of the series, behind him it will be Capricorn’s Dominic Greiner, having topped Q1, who starts P2 with the Infinity of Francesco Tironi lining up third. Winner of the previous round in the Netherlands and the current points standings leader, Toni Gruber will start the final a lowly P9. Making it a TQ double for engine brand Ielasi Tuned, Branson completed a clean sweep of 1:10 qualifying going fastest in all four rounds. Behind the British driver, ENS Germany and ENS Netherlands winner Melvin Diekmann qualifies second ahead of Infinity’s Milan Holthuis.

Image: Ielasi Tuned [Facebook]

September 27, 2023

Hara’s World Championship winning buggy almost home!

All World Championship winning RC cars have history and a story to tell but Atsushi Hara’s 2008 title winning Hot Bodies D8 has gone the extra mile, literally, by adding an interesting twist to the tale 15-years after its big win in Charlotte, USA. At the beginning of September, the legend of the sport shared on social media a post that he found his ‘most memorial car’ for sale on eBay. Days later the ad was listed as ‘Ended’ dashing hopes Hara might be able to be reunited with the buggy. Soon however contact was made with the seller who agreed to sell the car to Hara which is where Australian racer Zac Ryan stepped in. Creating a Gofundme page, such is the level of respect & admiration for Hara’s driving skills and the influence he had on so many racers the money was raised to complete the purchase. Now the interesting part of getting the car back to Hara in Japan, which in Hara’s own words goes a little something like this – ‘My 2008 worlds winning D8 get back project is one step closer to completion. Mark Pavidis pick it up from Eric Anderson in the US, Andrew Gillott and Josh Pain received it from Mark, they took it to Australia and Ben Panic received it, and Ben will take it from Australia to Japan and back to me in early October!! I have to biggest thank to the many people who helped make this happen!!’. Well done to everyone involved in helping to get this well travelled piece of history back to Hara. Hopefully we might get to see it ourselves in person with Hara when Red RC are in Japan in October for our coverage of the 1:8 Onroad World Championships at Infinity International RC Speedway.

View car exchanges on its trip home

September 26, 2023

Woods heads Shepherd British Championship 1-2

Team Shepherd claimed a 1-2 in the 2023 British 1:8 Nitro Onroad National Championship headed by Tim Wood, the former champion taking a convincing win over team-mate Karl Dransfield at the season finale over the weekend. Racing at the Cotswold circuit, where the 6 round championship kicked off back in April, qualifying would see Wood secure his fifth TQ of the campaign before going on to take his fourth win of the season. Winner of the penultimate round in Adur last month, Dransfield’s second place would at Round 6 would see him finish runner-up in the overall championship. Having taken over Shepherd Micro Racing earlier this year through his company Zen Racing, David Spashett was on hand to share the championship success in what is now the new home of the long time onroad nitro manufacturer.

Image: Shepherd Micro Racing [Facebook]

September 25, 2023

Lot crowned French 1:8 Nitro Buggy Champion

Sworkz driver Jordan Lot was crowned the new French 1:8 Nitro Buggy Champion over the weekend after taking victory at the fourth & final round of the championship which was hosted by Mini Bolides Chanusiens 61. Having claimed the eBuggy title two weeks earlier, this would be Lot’s sixth win from the 8 National Championship races that made up both championships. Qualifying second behind Top Qualifier Matisse Peyre for the Nitro title decider, Lot would win his Semi final to start pole in the 45-minute final which he would control to win from the Kyosho of multiple former European & French Champion Reno Savoya with Peyre’s Xray completing the podium. Overall Savoya would finish runner-up in the championship.

Image: Reno Savoya [Facebook]

September 22, 2023

Baruffolo and Tekno part ways

International 1:8 Offroad racer Marco Baruffolo has announced that he and chassis sponsor Tekno are to part ways with immediate effect. The Italian joined the American manufacturer in December 2021 and during the almost 2-year partnership enjoyed some strong results including winning 1:8 Nitro Buggy at the blue ribbon Silver State race in the US and making the final at the 2022 World Championship in Spain. On his Facebook page Baruffolo posted, ‘With immediately effect, Tekno and I decided to part away! I am extremely grateful for this opportunity, we achieved some great results winning the SilverState and made the final at the Worlds! Thanks to Daniel and the entire Tekno team for the opportunity and the time spent together where I learned a lot! Can’t wait to show you my new adventure.’

Source: Marco Baruffalo [Facebook]

September 21, 2023

Hamilton & Ocon enjoy 1:8 Nitro fun at Japanese GP

Last year at the Japanese Grand Prix we saw Lewis Hamilton at the controls of a Tamiya Lunchbox and Esteban Ocon having some fun with a Kyosho buggy thanks to RC Legend Yuichi Kanai and now the two F1 drivers have teamed up at Suzuka this year for a bit more 1:8 Nitro Buggy fun at the event. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team shared photos and a video on social media of the pair driving the two buggies up and down the pit lane with both drivers clearly enjoying the experience before they get down to the more serious business of this weekend’s F1 Grand Prix which starts tomorrow. Clearly F1 drivers also need to be marshalled too with a photo of one of the cars upside down. It also appears that Lewis shares something in common with our own 1:8 Buggy and now 1:10 4WD World Champion Davide Ongaro in using a stick radio!!

View more images here

September 4, 2023

Kurzbuch joins Ielasi Tuned

Ielasi Tuned has announced that former 1:8 World Champion Simon Kurzbuch is to use its engines to power his 1:8 Onroad programme with Mugen. The deal will see the Swiss star join forces with former 1:10 World Champion turned engine tuner Daniele Ielasi for a formidable force with 2023 set to culminate with the World Championships in November. Commenting on the latest driver to use his engines, Toni Gruber having won the 1:10 European title with them in June, Ielasi said, ‘Guys what can I say…..Thank You Simon! Thank you for trusting (in) my work! Sometimes in our world unexpected “market windows” open up and when it comes to champions of Simon’s level they must be closed immediately, and this is what happened with Simon a few days ago. We wish Simon the best of luck for his next races with us and especially for the next world championship in Japan he will use our new GP9R23 Spec2 engine. Reacting to the announcement Kurzbuch added, ‘Here we go! It is with immense pleasure and excitement that I announce my partnership with Ielasi Tuned. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Daniele Ielasi and Sabrina Ielasi for placing their trust in me and for welcoming me into their esteemed team. This collaboration holds even greater significance as it reunites me with my long-time friend Daniele Ielasi where I have great memories of our partnership back to the year 2015 when I became the world champion in Brazil – a defining moment in my racing career. I’m looking forward to an exciting and successful future together, with the first big race soon at the ENS in Leno.’

Source: Ielasi Tuned [ielasituned.com]