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August 21, 2023

Boots crowned British Champion for 7th time

Having kicked off his British 1:8 Offroad Buggy title defence with a victory at the season opener at Herts back in May, Sworkz/Reds Racing team driver Elliott Boots wrapped up his 7th National title with a win at the season finale over the weekend. The 2-time European Champion and World Championship Top Qualifier, secured the TQ at the fifth & final round at Nemo Raceway ahead of Team Associated Neil Cragg before going on to take win number 3 of the season ahead of the Xray of William Skidmore and Agama of Lee Martin. Unfortunately for main title rival Jonathan Skidmore, trouble in the Semi Final put an end to his challenge for win number three of the season. Winner of Round 2 & 3 of the championship, the Xray driver finished as championship runner 8 points off Boots with brother William 3rd in the final standings.

Image: Elliott Boots [Facebook]

August 18, 2023

Hu Wei Ping crowned Chinese 1:8 Offroad Champion

T-Works/Team Associated driver Hu Wei Ping added to his tally of National Championship titles with the 1:8 Nitro Buggy victory on the return of the China Nationals after a 3 year absence for the country’s top competition. Governing body CMAC had a busy four days of competition as both the Offroad and Onroad Championships were run side by side at the large FSR International Race Track located in Yongkang in the centre of the country. Ping would take his Associated to the win ahead of the similar buggy of Mao Yu Jun with the Xray of Gavin Kowk completing the podium. One of Ping’s main rivals in the Buggy final until he broke a shock ball end, Mugen driver Liu Shuo took the Truggy title ahead of the Team Associated of Zhu Lei Xiang with Xiao Si Tan third. eBuggy would go the way of Tang Qian Jun and his Team Associated buggy ahead of the Kyosho of Liu Zhi Chen. In 1:10 Offroad, the title went to Liu Zhi Chen.

View track image and podiums here

August 16, 2023

Fangzhou “Rocket” Zhang wins China Nationals

Fangzhou Zhang, better known as Rocket Zhang, is the new 1:10 Electric Touring Car Chinese National Champion. After a 3-year absence, the CMAC was finally able to host the China Nationals once again with the FSR International Race Track the location where both the 5 onroad and 5 offroad titles on offer would decided making for a busy 4 day race schedule. Driving his Awesomatix, Rocket would secure the title ahead of the Xray pairing of Ma Hao Ran and Dai Shu Xia. In 1:10 Formula it was another of China’s international racers Stick King who took the title with the Serpent driver taking the victory over Zou Shi Jie and Zhang Yun Kai while in 1:12 Xray’s Dai Shu Xia took top prize. In the nitro onroad classes Alfred Lao won the 1:10 title with Xray’s Ma Hao Ran crowned the 1:8 GT National Champion.

View track and podium photos here

August 15, 2023

Kobbevik takes 16th National title with 1:8 Offroad win

Sworkz’ Daniel Kobbevik claimed his 16th National title over the weekend with victory at the 2023 Norwegian 1:8 Nitro Offroad Championship at 3starRaceway in Nedenes. Open 2-years, while track is small in size it is fast and features many cool elements. Having won the title back in 2021 but forced to miss the race in 2022 due to a clash with the 1:10 Offroad European Championships, Kobbevik’s limited 1:8 racing didn’t hamper his efforts as he topped 3 of the 5 rounds of qualifying to become the Top Qualifier. Mugen’s Vincent Rüger would TQ Q1 & 3 to take pole for the other Semi Final. With ever changing weather conditions, the Semi Finals proved challenging but Kobbevik won his in the faster time to secure pole for the 45-minute final ahead of Rüger and the Kyosho of Mathias Fink. Switching to a softer compound tyre for the final, Kobbevik would quickly run out of tyres causing the battle for the lead to heat up with Rüger. With both drivers adjusting their fuel strategy as the pushed each other unfortunately Rüger would come up short and run out fuel. This gave Kobbevik breathing space he would hold to finish over half a lap up on Kruger. With Fink retiring after just 8-minutes of racing, 11th place starter Danny Kwiatkowski would come through to complete the podium with his Kyosho.

Image: Magne Kobbevik

August 13, 2023

Gruber takes ENS Round 2 victory

Capricorn’s Toni Gruber took the 1:8 victory at the second round of the ENS in the Netherlands today, the German leading home Dutch driver Jilles Groskamp at the Apeldoorn circuit. As he did at the circuit last year, Gruber would start the 45-minute final as the Top Qualifier. His third consecutive ENS TQ start, this time round the reigning 1:10 European Champion would convert the pole position into victory, setting the fastest lap of the race with his Ielasi Tuned powered LAB C804 to build up a winning margin of almost 2-laps over the Infinity of Groskamp. Winner of the Dutch ENS encounter last year, Dominic Greiner would lead for a number of laps following a tyre stop from Gruber but the former European Champion would be forced to retire as the race reached half way. With the third place qualifier out, Mugen’s Steven Cuypers, winner of the recent Dutch National Championship third round at the track, would complete the podium line-up after a strong race from 8th on the grid. Making it a Capricorn double Melvin Diekmann took the 1:10 win, his second of the season, with Tim Benson runner-up and Top Qualifier Milan Holthuis third.

Image: Jilles Groskamp [Facebook]

August 12, 2023

Gruber Top Qualifier at Dutch ENS

Toni Gruber is the Top Qualifier at the second round of the ENS in the Netherlands. After a dominant performance on Friday when the Capricorn/Ielasi Tuned driver topped all three qualifiers, unfortunately Saturday morning rain forced the cancellation of the remaining two qualifiers at the Apeldoorn track. Top Qualifier at the season opening in Ettlingen, Germany, and at the recent European Championships in Portugal, Gruber will start Sunday’s scheduled 45-minute final on pole from Infinity’s Jilles Groskamp. The Dutch driver was the closest challenger to his German rival setting the second fastest time in each of the three rounds of heats. Capricorn’s Dominic Greiner, winner of the season opener in May, completes the Top 3 ahead of Shepherd’s Lars Hoppe counting a P3 and P4 run as his best two rounds. In 1:10, Infinity driver Milan Holthuis secured the TQ ahead of Round 1 Top Qualifier & winner Melvin Diekmann with Tim Benson set to line up 3rd on the grid.

Image: Toni Gruber [Facebook]

August 3, 2023

1:8 Offroad World C/ship 2024 – Brazil Presentation

Following IFMAR’s publication of a provisional 2024 calendar for next year’s four World Championship events, the proposal received from the listed 1:8 Offroad Worlds host country Brazil has been made public. The Brazil Federation FEBARC together with CASA Raceway in São Paulo has in its presentation put forward September 8-14th, 2024, as the dates for the 19th running of the Championships with it set to be the third South American country in which the title has been decided. In 2002 Uruguay hosted the race where Greg Degani won and more recently Argentina was the location for Robert Batlle’s 2012 title victory. With a facility that can normally cater for approximate 50 racers, the host club will expand the pit area to accommodate 230 racers & mechanics for the Worlds. In terms of location, the track is just 23km from São Paulo’s main international airport – Guarulhos International Airport (GRU). Having made history in Spain last year when he became the first driver to successfully defend the World Championship title, a win in Brazil would give Davide Ongaro a hat trick of title in three different continents, the Team Associated driver having won his first title in Australia in 2018.

Check out the full presentation on the EFRA website by clicking here.

July 31, 2023

Ongaro takes Italian Championship title

Davide Ongaro is the 2023 AMSCI 1:8 Buggy Italian National Champion, the Team Associated driver securing the title with victory at the third & final round of the championship at RC Off Road Volandia track in Somma Lombardo. The Top Qualifier and winner of the opening Round 1 of the Championship, but missing Round 2 due to racing at the Philippine Masters in Asia, Ongaro needed a good run at the season finale. In qualifying it was points leader and Round 2 winner Mattia Polito who took the TQ with his Sworkz ahead of Ongaro with Infinity’s Riccardo Berton. In the 45-minute final the World Champion had the fastest car and was able to take the win ahead Berton and Polito to lift the National title.

Image: ModellismoRC [modellismorc.net]