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March 27, 2023

Balestri wins Italian 1:8 Onroad National opener

Dario Balestri opened the AMSCI Italian 1:8 Onroad National Championship over the weekend with a dominant winning performance at Locorotondo. The former World Champion would take three of the four qualifiers to secure the overall TQ from the Xray of rising talent Filippo Domanin who was quickest in Q3 with Carmine Raiola securing third on the grid. With reigning European Champion Dominic Greiner taking part, qualifying his Capricorn 5th, in the half hour final Balestri took control of proceeding setting the fastest lap of the race en route to winning by lap as his Infinity team-mates Raiola and eight place qualifier Francesco Tironi battled for second. With Domanin retiring after 12-minutes, Raiola held off Tironi by just 2/10th of a second at the finish. Having qualified 6th, Jonathan Gandin took his Serpent to fourth followed home by Davide Caporossi and Shepherd’s Luca Romagnoli.

Image: Francesco Tironi [Facebook]

March 19, 2023

D’angelo wins Italian 1:8 GT Championship opener

Alex D’angelo has won the opening round of the AMSCI 1:8 GT Italian National Championship. The Genius Racing team driver lead a 1-2 for the GTc8.23 and Gimar engine combo, taking the win at the Naxos World track in Sicily from 1:8 Buggy World Champion Davide Ongaro. A track that will host the EFRA 1:10 Nitro Onroad European Championships later this year, in qualifying it was Natanaele Senesi who would take the overall TQ ahead of Alessio Mazzeo’s Capricorn with D’angelo P3. Senesi took two of the four rounds of qualifying with his Ielasi Tuned powered Xray but would hit trouble early on in the 45-minute final retiring after just 6-minutes. Upfront and recording the fastest lap D’angelo would win by 2-laps from Ongaro with the new Raptor Max23 of Loris Luise completing the podium. In the Nitro Sport Category Fernando Campeti took the win while in electric Andrea Muscolino was the winner.

Source: Alessio Mazzeo / Image: Alex D’angelo

March 19, 2023

Jeff Wang crowned FEMCA 1:8 Buggy Champion

Taiwanese driver Jeff Wang is the 2023 FEMCA 1:8 Buggy Champion, the Ming Yang team driver winning the prestigious Asian title from the Xray of young Korean talent Hyunkyu Jung. Hosted by Taiwan Radio Control Car Association at the 66 RC Racing Track, named after its location under the No.66 highway bridge, the event attracted an entry of 142 drivers representing 10 countries from the FEMCA Bloc. In qualifying 23-year-old Wang would secure the overall TQ after topping three of the 6 rounds with Hyunkyu Jung classified second with two TQ runs. The only other to top the timing sheets, Taiwan’s Wang Guan Ling would complete the Top 3. Wining his Semi final from Thailand’s Witsarut R., 13-year-old Hyunkyu Jung would be on pole for the 50-minute final with a faster winning time than that of Wang who won his 30-minute encounter from the Sparkco buggy of 11-year-old Huang Han Ping. In the 50-minute Main Final, it would be Wang who would come out on top with his SH Engines powered MY1 having 2-lap margin over Jung. Winner of the separately run 20-minute ‘Teenage Final’ held earlier in the day, Jung crossed the finish just 1.1-seconds ahead of Wang Guan Ling who completed podium in Taoyuan.

Image: Tiger Chang Lien Sheng

March 17, 2023

J-Tech High Competition Fuel

The Italian brand J-Tech, owned by the Marchetti Model Service and born in 2008 with onroad tyres, has introduced its new high-competition blend of fuel for model cars following two years of testing. The product and its packaging complies with all directives concerning flammable products and is available in two formulas. The Power formula contains a mix of synthetic castor oils with relative specific additives for the high performance and carburation stability required by the onroad engines. The second formula is Team. This contains a mix of very high quality lubricating oils with relative specific additives for offroad engines guaranteeing performance and greater autonomy with tank and piston cleaning.

Source: J-tech Tyres [Facebook]

March 10, 2023

Ongaro set for 1:8 GT Worlds with Gimar Engines

Best known for his offroad exploits, back to back 1:8 Buggy World Champion Davide Ongaro has announced a 1:8 GT only programme with Italian engine brand Gimar. Ongaro is the star driver for Team Associated and Japanese engine manufacturer OS Engines in offroad and has added two 1:8 Buggy World titles to both brands illustrious history but is joining forces with Giovanni Crea’s Gimar engines for a GT campaign that includes both the European and World Championships. A huge boost for the GT category which will run only its second ever World Championship later this year in Sydney, Australia, having Ongaro on the grid will be a massive profile raiser for the class. Kicking off his onroad exploits next week at the Italian GT Nationals, his Gimar Venus engine will be fitted to the chassis of another Italian brand Genius Racing – this same engine & chassis combination used by France’s Alain Arnaldi to become the 2022 European GT Champion. Like Ongaro, another driver best known for his Offroad achievements, Joern Nuemann is the reigning 1:8 GT World Champion.

Source: Gimar [rcgimar.com]

March 9, 2023

IFMAR 1:8 Onroad World Championship Stage 1 Report

Later this year the IFMAR 1:8 Onroad Nitro World Championship will return after a prolonged 4-year break with the Infinity International RC Speedway in Japan hosting the 23rd edition of the RC racing’s original World Championship. The organisers of the event, lead by legendary race mechanic Masayuki Miura, has issued the Stage 1 Report and highlighted some important points for overseas drivers. Drivers are reminded to check whether they require a visa to enter Japan from their home country. With Covid, Japan was closed a long time and they have only opened up recently so there are still some rules around Covid and currently you need to be vaccinated to enter. This situation could change so persons planning to travel for the October 27 to November 5 event should check the ‘Visit Japan‘ website for latest government rules. Another important issue is the fuel. The organiser has two fuel brands available, Maxima and Nitrox from OS Engines. For logistic reasons they need to know asap the choice of each driver. Japan last hosted the 1:8 Onroad Worlds in 2013 when Tadahiko Sahashi took victory for Serpent. Last year he joined Adrien Bertin as the only driver to do the nitro double when he won the 1:10 Onroad title in Bangkok with Infinity. Winning the title in 2019 at the no longer existing Steel City RC Speedway, reigning 1:8 Champion & factory Mugen driver Shoki Takahata will be the first Japanese driver to try and defend his title on home soil. Japanese drivers have won the title 3 times since inaugural Worlds was held in 1977.

View Stage Report here

February 28, 2023

Widmaier confirmed for Philippine Masters

Micha Widmaier is the latest factory driver to be confirmed for the return of the annual Philippine Masters, one of Asia’s most high profile 1:8 Offroad international events. The German will travel to the beautiful Circulo Verde track located in the heart of capital city Manila to lead the Sworkz challenge at the 11th running returning of the race. The multiple German National Champion will be joined on the track by Sworkz founder Scott Yang who himself is an accomplished racer. Taking place from April 28-30th, the event returns after more than a two year break and will see the capacity entry lead by Team Associated’s back to back World Champion Davide Ongaro and former World Champion Robert Batlle for the Mayako team.

Source: Philippine Masters [philippinemastersrc.com]

February 27, 2023

Maifield defends Dirt Nitro Challenge Buggy title

Ryan Maifield has taken the big win at the Dirt Nitro Challenge, the Tekno driver winning a thrilling 1:8 Nitro Buggy final to defend his title from TLR’s Dakotah Phend. The 24th running of World renowned track builder Joey Christensen’s signature event, the race in Perris California started on one track but switched to a hastily prepared smaller covered track as rain arrived replacing the SoCal sunshine. In qualifying it was Phend who had the pace topping both qualifiers, his opening round the faster time. Second fastest in Q1 it was HB Racing’s Cole Ogden who would line-up directly behind Phend for the 45-minute final followed by Xray’s Ty Tessmann and Maifield, his best run being a P3 in the second qualifier. With the running order Phend from Maifield for most of the race, things turned just inside 10-minutes to go with a bad lap from Phend allowing Maifield to the front. Despite Phend’s best efforts, it was going to be yet another DNC title for Maifield as they took the finish separated by just 1.6-seconds. Tessmann would complete the Buggy podium having won the previous day’s Nitro Truggy Final from Phend and Maifield. Phend would a the win in eBuggy with victory over Juan Carlos Canas and Mason Fuller.

Image: Ty Tessmann [Facebook]