September 20, 2022

Feldmann crowned IFMAR 1:5 Touring World Champion

Markus Feldmann is the 2022 IFMAR 1:5 Touring Car World Champion, the German becoming the first repeat champion in the category. As the ISTC World Championship was taking place in Italy, across the Atlantic the large scale World Championships was taking place at Steel City R/C Speedway, Fontana, USA, the same venue that hosted the 2019 1:8 Onroad World Championship. In qualifying it was Marius Hetland who secured the TQ with his fastest time from the six rounds of qualifying coming in Round 5. Also setting his best time in Q5, 2013 Champion Feldmann qualified P2 to book his place directly into the 1-hour A-Main. Having qualified 6th, track owner Kyle Goodwine would win the first of the Semi Finals ahead of 2019 Champion Marko Grigic and Martelli Gianmarco. In the 2nd Semi Final, pole sitter Andrea Catalani would retire from the lead with less than 10 minutes to go allowing Edoardo Repetti to take the win ahead of Austin Sarnelle. The 11th running of the championship, in the final Feldmann would go to the front after just a few laps and while Hetland got back to the lead twice, Feldmann stayed at the front for the second half of the race to take the title. Enjoying a strong performance on home soil, Goodwine would finish on the same lap as Feldmann to become Vice-Champion with Martelli Gianmarco third for an all Mecatech podium.  Hetland would eventually finish 5th after late issues.

Image: IFMAR [ifmar.org]

September 12, 2022

Raiola wins ‘Gara dei Costruttori’

Mini Autodromo Jody Scheckter in Fiorano played host to the annual Italian ‘Gara dei Costruttori’ race over the weekend with Carmine Raiola taking a narrow victory over Silvio Hächler.  The popular manufacturers trophy race, saw ARC driver Hächler take the overall TQ after he topped all four rounds of qualifying.  Infinity driver Raiola would secure P2 with young up & coming talent Filippo Domanin, son of former European Champion Fabio, securing third on the grid.  In the half hour final while Hächler would set the fastest lap of the race, strong pitstops from Raiola’s crew would allow him to work his way to the front and cross the finish just less than 3-second in front of the Swiss driver.  All finishing on the same 119 laps, Domanin would complete the Top 3 one lap up on Francesco Tironi with Alberto Picco claiming fifth.

Image: Silvio Hächler [Facebook]

September 10, 2022

Ongaro defends title to make World Champ history

Davide Ongaro today made history in Spain as he became the first ever driver to successfully defend the 1:8 Offroad World Championship title.  The Team Associated driver dominated proceedings at the 18th running of the IFMAR championship, first securing the TQ honours, then winning his Semi Final to secure pole position for the 1-hour final.  Starting out the final and pulling away initially, the Italian would not have it completely all his own way however as 2016 Champion David Ronnefalk came up through the grid after a tough Semi to take the fight to the Perth 2018 winner.  Ronnefalk would lead for a time with the duo swapping back and fort until an error in the dying minutes cost the newly crowned European Champion Mayako driver hopes of becoming the categories first multiple World Champ this century (Maurizio Monesi winning in 1988 & 1994).  The error gave Ongaro the breathing space he needed and also meant his final lap was a victory lap as Ronnefalk’s clock had already stopped. Crossing the line to give Team Associated their 31st World title, joining him and a visibly gutted Ronnefalk on the podium would be crowd favourite Juan Carlos Canas with his Sworkz.  A track layout that was always going to favour the Europeans, it would be Mugen’s Ryan Maifield who would be best of the US drivers finishing fourth followed by the Xray team-mates Ty Tessmann and Bruno Coelho.

Image – Davide Ongaro [Facebook]

September 8, 2022

Defending Champion Ongaro is Worlds Top Qualifier

Defending 1:8 Offroad World Champion Davide Ongaro is the Top Qualifier of the 2022 World Championships in Redovan, Spain.  Having opened qualifying yesterday with the fastest time in Q1 and again in the day’s 3rd encounter, the Team Associated wrapped up the overall TQ when he returned to the top of the time sheets today in the 6th and final round of qualifying.  Behind the Italian, America’s Dakotah Phend ended up P2 overall despite a tough finish to qualifying today.  The Team Losi Racing driver managed a TQ run in Q2 along with a second in Q3 and third in Q4.  Home star Juan Carlos Canas took his Sworkz to the fastest time in the first of today’s qualifiers which together with a P2 in Q2 and three P3 runs secures the Spaniard third overall. Producing the biggest surprise of qualifying would be Berkan Kilic, the German TQ’ing the penultimate round with his Mugen to secure 4th overall.  Making it six different manufacturers in the Top 6 at the end of qualifying, Xray’s Bruno Coelho takes 5th with a best run of P2 in Q3 followed by former Champion David Ronnefalk, the Mayako driver having his best performance in Q3 when he posted the third fastest time.  View timing here.

Images credit – Team Associated [Facebook]

August 31, 2022

IFMAR 1:10 IC Touring Car World C/ship Stage 2 Report

With 2022 an exciting year for racing with the return of World Championships following its 2-year Covid break, details of the final Worlds encounter of the year have been released by IFMAR.  The World governing body has published the Stage 2 report for the 1:10 IC Touring Car World Championship (click here to view).  Taking place from November 3rd to 13th, the 9th running of these championships it will be its third time travelling to Thailand with this the second time RC Addict in Bangkok has hosted the race.  Home to the famous TITC event that traditionally kicks off the international electric touring car calendar, on the nitro TC Worlds’ last visit to the track in 2012 it was a home win for then KM Racing team driver Meen Vejrak.  A hugely popular victory, he was joined by Atsushi Hara and a controversial 11th place starter Francesco Tironi on the podium.  RedRC are excited to be making the trip to Thailand in November to bring you full coverage as Naoto Matsukura looks to defend the title he won in 2018 in Miami with Infinity.

Source: IFMAR [ifmar.org]

August 28, 2022

Greiner takes ENS title with season finale victory

Dominic Greiner’s winning streak continued this weekend as the factory Capricorn driver added the ENS title to his tally with victory at Apeldoorn in the Netherlands.  Qualifying 3rd for the fourth & final round of the series, Greiner would added his second win of the season with a very close victory over title rival Simon Kurzbuch (Shepherd).  Both would end the 1:8 series standings on equal points but with 2 wins compared to Kurzbuch’s single victory at ENS Germany, it was Greiner who takes the championship to add to the European and German National title he lifted over the previous two weekends. With the Top 2 separated by 7/10th of a second, the podium in Apeldoorn was completed by Top Qualifier Toni Gruber (Shepherd) who finishes the season 3rd in the standings.  In 1:10, and with the title having already been decided, it was a victory lap weekend for new Champion Jilles Groskamp (Infinity) as he took the win from pole position ahead of the only other winner this season Melvin Diekmann (Capricorn).  Milan Holthuis (Infinity) completed the Round 4 podium, the podium order the same as how the drivers ended up in the final championship standings.

Image: ENS [eurorcseries.com]

August 27, 2022

Groskamp & Gruber secure TQ at ENS Finale

Apeldoorn in the Netherlands is the host of the season finale of the Euro Nitro Series this weekend and it is home hero Jilles Groskamp who has secured the TQ in 1:10 while Toni Gruber is the Top Qualifier in 1:8. Round 4 of the series is a track favourite among drivers and Groskamp put his year’s of local knowledge to good use to top all four rounds of qualifying.  Behind the factory Infinity driver and 2022 Champion it’s another Dutchman with Milan Holthuis second after going second fastest in Q1 & 2. Making it an Infinity 1,2,3, former champion Teemu Leino will start 3rd. Next up is a Capricorn quartet with Tim Benson fourth ahead of Quentin Leroux, Melvin Diekmann and former European Champion Dirk Wischnewski. In 1:8, both Gruber and former World Champion Simon Kurzbuch had two TQ runs a piece but Gruber’s Q4 time was the fastest of the two Shepherd team-mates giving him pole for tomorrow’s final.  Behind them newly crowned European & German National Champion Dominic Greiner will start 3rd for Capricorn followed by Lars Hoppe, Steven Cypers and Timo Schroder.

Image: ENS [eurorcseries.com]

August 22, 2022

Greiner adds German Nationals silverware

On the back of his second European Championship title victory last weekend, Dominic Greiner added to his 2022 silverware collection with victory at the German 1:8 Onroad National Championships.  The factory Capricorn driver took victory at the well known Ettlingen track ahead of Top Qualifier Toni Gruber, the Shepherd driver setting the fastest qualifying time in the 3rd of the 4 qualifier.  Greiner would set his fastest time in first of his attempts, the time almost 3-seconds off Gruber’s pace.  Setting the fastest lap of the 40-minute final, Greiner took the chequered flag with over a lap of an advantage over Guber with Shepherd team-mate Lars Hoppe completing the podium ahead of the Serpent of Merlin Depta.

Image: Lars Hoppe [facebook]

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