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January 17, 2023

Greiner joins Hotrace Tyres

Italian tyre manufacturer Hotrace Tyres has announced that Dominic Greiner has joined their factory team. Widely regarded as one of nitro onroad racing’s fastest drivers, the former World Champion and reigning double European Champion joins Nicola Marrone’s company after a long stint with rival Italian brand Matrix Racing Tires. The German will contest a number of open tyre events in 2023 to represent Hotrace products and it is expected that he will represent Marrone’s latest venture, Lens Bodies, as they release their first 1:8 and 1:10 Onroad bodyshells into the market.

Source: Hot Race Tyres [hotracetyres.com]

January 17, 2023

Sunpadow International Grand Prix (SIGP) returns in ’23

Sunpadow has announced that the SIGP International RC Car Grand Prix will be resumed in 2023. The Sunpadow International Grand Prix (SIGP) event had established itself as one of the leading annual international RC event and attracted many of the sports top drivers. World Champion Bruno Coelho was the winner of the onroad edition in 2019 while in 2018 Ryan Lutz won the Offroad edition and a year earlier Joern Nuemann took the win from Atsushi Hara. While actual race dates are still to be finalised Offroad is expected to be held in August, along with on-road in In October or November. Taking place at the 2017 Electric Offroad Championship venue in Xiamen, the SIGP will continue to offer one of the biggest prize as before with the total bonus for the two series as high as $ 70,000. We will bring you further announcements of the 2023 SIGP in the coming weeks.

Source: Sunpadow [sunpadow.com]

January 14, 2023

Phend Top Qualifier at Southern Indoor Championship

TLR’s Dakotah Phend has secured the big TQ at the Southern Indoor Championship in Alabama. The first big major on the annual US 1:8 Offroad calendar, the Racetime Entertainment organised indoor event is a big weekend in terms of new driver/manufacturer pairings following some significant driver announcements over the New Year break. In Nitro Buggy, it was Phend who kicked off qualifying with the fastest time ahead of the Ryans, Maifield’s Tekno taking P2 followed by Lutz’s Kyosho with third. Q2 would see Maifield top the time sheets from Sworkz’s Joe Bornhorst with Lutz again completing the Top 3. For Phend it was a bad round 2 as he ended up P5. All coming down to the third & final qualifier, Phend was back to form laying down the outright fastest time of qualifying to secure the overall TQ, 2 rounds from 3 to count. Maifield locked in 2nd overall from Lutz, Team Associated’s Lee Setser and Joe Bornhorst with new team-mate Brandon Rose rounding out the Top 6. In Nitro Truggy, it is Jared Tebo who is Top Qualifier. As the reigning SIC Champion, winning both Buggy & Truggy last year from the TQ, Maifield took the first qualifier from Sworkz’s Camden Lime, Phend and new Mayako signing Jared Tebo. Runner-up last year in Truggy, Tebo would find his stride in the next two qualifiers topping them both for the overall TQ. Again Maifield ends up P2 with Phend 3rd ahead of Lime, Lutz and the TLR of youngster Phi Long Nguyen.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

January 8, 2023

Polito wins ‘OneRace OneMan’ at IBR Padova

Having only announced his move from Kyosho to Sworkz just after Christmas, Italy’s Mattia Polito has opened the 2023 season with the Pro Buggy victory at the annual ‘OneRace OneMan’ event at IBR Padova in Italy. In qualifying it was Mugen’s Berkan Kilic who claimed the overall TQ, but winning his Semi from Berkan’s brother Burak, Polito took pole for the 45-minute final. Finishing second to Berkan in the other Semi, Kyosho’s Renaud Savoya would split the German brothers on the grid with 3rd. In the final it would be Burak who would prove to be Polito’s closest challenge moving up to finish 2nd with Berkan completing the podium. Behind HB Racing’s Theo Lemaire took fourth from Max Hesse and fellow Frenchman Savoya. For defending champion Riccardo Bertin, it was a tough opening to the new season as he had to win the LCQ final to make the A-Main. Despite setting the fastest lap of the final, the Infinity driver would finish P13 and last. In E-Buggy it was again Berkan who took the TQ, this time being able to convert that into the win ahead of his brother and the Tekno of former Champion Marco Barufollo.

Image: Burak Kilic [Facebook]

January 7, 2023

Ongaro confirmed for Philippine Masters

The organisers of the Philippine Masters have announced back to back World Champion Davide Ongaro is confirmed to make the trip to Manila for the April 28-30 event. Ongaro is a previous winner of the Philippine Masters and the attendance of the high profile Team Associated factory driver is a major boost for the Asian 1:8 Offroad scene. As with previous editions of the race, the entry list is expected to be bolstered by further high profile driver announcements. Making its post Covid return to the international racing calendar, the Philippine Masters has established itself as one of Asia’s major international events with 2023 the 11th running of the event. Hosted by QCRCCC and directed by the voice of RC Scotty Ernst, the event takes place in the heart of the capital city at the beautiful Circulo Verde track. Already close to reaching its 120 entry capacity, the race has attracted many of Asia’s top drivers with a strong contingent of Australian racers signed up to enjoy both the racing and hospitality in Manila.

Source: Philippine Masters [philippinemastersrc.com]

December 23, 2022

Ongaro ends RunnerTime Fuel sponsorship

Back to back 1:8 Buggy World Champion Davide Ongaro is set for another change to his 2023 racing package with the announcement he will no longer be using RunnerTime Fuel. Having announced his departure from tyre sponsor AKA earlier this month, the Italian has enjoyed a similar 5-year stint with the RunnerTime netting the 2018 and 2023 World titles in that time. On his Facebook page Ongaro said, ‘It has been 5 amazing years, We have achieved a lot of amazing results together and goals, we have had a lot of fun and you are part that helped me to be what I am. I hope you are happy about what we have done together, races, dinners, good and bad results because they are part of racing. I can only say a big thank you for all the help you have to use during these years, was a pleasure for us to work with you. It’s time now to take different roads, I wish you the best in your future. Thanks a lot for everything. Thanks Matteo Passerini and Runnertime.’

Source: Davide Ongaro [Facebook]

December 21, 2022

Lougheed crowned Irish 1:8 Onroad Champion

2022 would see Infinity driver Graeme Lougheed crowned Ireland’s National 1:8 Onroad Champion. The IF18/ASM Nuclear/Eirerc driver claimed the overall title following 2 victories and a second place, all three round being hosted by the ORCA Club at Ireland’s only 1:8 Onroad track in St Annes Park on the outskirts of the capital city of Dublin. It was a tough battle between Lougheed and Austin Elliot (Shepherd Velox v8.2/Ielasi Tuned) all year with both setting blistering times and both dominating every round. In the end it all boiled down to the last race as each driver came into the event with one win a piece. With Elliot fresh back from the European Championship, and all to play for going into the last round, it was a tough ask for Lougheed but he was able to TQ and set the fastest lap of the year to clinch the 1:8 National title.

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December 19, 2022

Orlowski doubles at Race Stars Contest

Michal Orlowski’s internationals travels for 2022 may be finished but the factory Schumacher driver made the most of being back home in Poland to take the double win at Race Stars Contest ’22. Held in the centre of the country at the Sports Arena in Zgierz, the race attracted an international entry. In qualifying Orlowski would take the TQ for both 2WD and 4WD from Sworkz Micha Widmaier, with third going to Bartek Zambrzycki in 2WD and Bartosz Zalewski in 4WD. In the triple A-Mains, 2WD would see Orlowski chased to the win by Widmaier with the Serpent of Sweden’s Elias Johansson coming through from P4 on the grid to complete the podium thanks to a win in A3. In 4WD, while Orlowski was in control out front, behind Zalewski, after a bad A1, managed to get his Xray passed Widmaier in A2, before going on to win A3 for second overall ahead of the German.

Source: Michal Orlowski [Facebook]