J-Tech have announced the signing of 2012 EFRA Euros B runner-up, Christophe Louis to their team for 2016. The French Elite class champion will use the Italian-made rubber in his 1/8th scale campaign this season.
Source: Marchetti Model Service [marchettimodelservice.com]
Italian company Hot Race Tyres has announced the signing of young Portuguese driver Joao Figueiredo to their off-road team for the 2016 season. The Kyosho driver plans to participate at events such as the national championship, the Montpellier GP, the Neo Race as well as the European and World championships. Joao has the following to say:
It’s with great honor that I announce that I’ll be racing with HotRace Tyres for this 2016 season. I have been trying/testing this tyres since the IBR Indoor Worlds 2015. As they have a unique type of rubber, their traction and feeling on the track is simply amazing, I’m very happy to make this change and I must thank Nicola Marrone for the trust and help he as been giving to me and for this awesome opportunity. Thank you.
Source: Hot Race Tyres [hotracetyres.com]
After being with Horizon Hobby and TLR for four year Germany’s Burak and Berkan Kilic have made the switch to Nemo Racing for the 2016 season and beyound. The successful siblings will use the use the Agama A215 nitro buggy, the forthcoming A215E E-buggy as well as the A8T truggy along Bullitt engines and Beta tyres. The former German 1/8th Nitro Truggy Junior Champions along father and mentor Abdullah “Apo” Kilic have the following to say about the deal:
After four years of being with Horizon Hobby we are switching over to Nemo Racing UK. It’s been a fantastic four years for us and we would like to thank Horizon Hobby and especially Mr. and Mrs. Schamuhn for the fantastic support. We now look forward to racing for Nemo Racing and we would like to thank Jon Hazlewood for the trust in us. We will race both nationally and internationally and we are trying to bring the Agama brand further ahead.
O.S. Engine have announced the signing of Mike Truhe to their team for the 2016 season. The multi-time ROAR national champion will use the Japanese engines in his Mugen vehicles and he has the following to say about the deal:
O.S. engines are the best products you can buy. I can honestly say that I feel like I have absolutely no kinks in the armour.
Source: O.S. Engine [osengines.com]
The annual Italian Job Race was held at the IBR Padova indoor facility in Italy over the weekend. As usual the race attracted Europe’s best 1/8th off-road drivers to compete in the premier Nitro Buggy and the supporting 1/8th E-buggy classes. The Pro Nitro class qualifying was a tight affair between Marco Baruffolo (TLR/Picco), Elliott Boots (Kyosho/Reds Racing), Alex Zenchettin (TLR/Reds Racing) and Darren Bloomfield (Agama/Bullitt). In the end Marco would make a clean sweep though with three round TQs to secure the overall TQ from Elliott, Alex and Darren. The E-Buggy class had Agama’s Darren Bloomfield taking the TQ from fellow countryman Elliott Boots (Kyosho) with both ending tie on points. Marco Baruffolo (TLR) rounded out the top 3 result after the qualifiers.
Only days after signing Rick Vrieljinck, F.T. Line have announced another high-class addition to their team. Andrea Pirani will join Rick V. and Francesco Tironi himself to run the F.T. Line .21 engine throughout 2016. The ENS podium finisher has the following to say about the deal:
I am very happy to start this new partnership with F.T. Line. I would like to thank O.S. Engines for the support they gave me in the past two years, with a special thank you going to Mr. Shimazaki and Mr. Yukami. I’m ready to face a tough 2016 season with F.T. Line, sure i’ll be able to better the results achieved in 2015. I also want to thank F.T. Line in the person of Gino Voghera for the chance they gave me. I will be competing in the Euro Nitro Series, European Championship and AMSCI Italian Nationals.
Source: F.T. Line Engine [facebook.com]
Xray is have announced that the multiple European Champion and Worlds finalist Hupo Honigl has joined Xray team to race off-road with their XB4, XB2, XB8, XB8E and on-road with the X12. Hupo, who recently announced his departure from Serpent, will race all Austrian races as well international events such as Euros & EOS. The 30 time Austrian National Champion and reigning 1/12th Stock European Champion had the following to say about the deal:
I’m very happy to be part of the Xray team. I believe that Xray work as hard as a company as I do as a racer. Xray wants to improve their products all the time and I hope I can help them with my 20+ years of experience. After building the first car, I was 100% sure I made the right decision – the quality and the fitments of everything is just unique in the RC industry and none of any other cars I ever built is even close to this. I´m really looking forward to some successful years together and I hope I finally found my new home.
Source: Xray [teamxray.com]
Serpent have announced the signing of US top driver Scotty Gray to join the on-road team of Serpent America. Scotty will work closely together with Paolo Morganti and the team at Serpent America, focussing on 1/10th electric and nitro classes, as well as GT and 1/8th nitro on-road. Scotty says:
Thanks to Serpent for providing me with this opportunity to be part of the Team, and hope to be successful in the years to come.
Source: Serpent [serpent.com]
