August 1, 2023

Kyosho ’87 JJ Ultima Replica 60th Anniversary

As part of celebrating their 60th Anniversary this year, Kyosho has announced the release of the ’87 JJ Ultima Replica 60th Anniversary Edition.  Part of the famed Japanese manufacturers Vintage Series, it celebrates the success of the car and one of the sport’s great drivers Joel Johnson.  American Johnson won his first 2WD class world title at the 2nd Electric Off-Road World Championship in England in 1987 driving a modified Kyosho ULTIMA.  It also, TQ’ed this event and finished 1st, 2nd & 3rd and became known as the ‘JJ Spec’ and was popular with its custom suspension, main chassis and front-rear shock stays that enhanced performance and styling. Only third-party conversion kits were available at the time and even then, it was extremely difficult to completely reproduce the JJ specifications.  Now the ‘JJ Spec’ is honoured as the 13th model in the Vintage Series to commemorate Kyosho’s 60th anniversary.

Continue reading and view more images 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]


July 31, 2023

T-Works RC10 Alu 13mm Shock Spring Retainers

T-Works has produced these aluminium Shock Spring Retainers for Team Associated’s B74.2 & B6.4 1:10 buggies.  Machined from high quality aluminium and finished with black anodising, intended for 13mm big bore shocks they come as a 2 piece set in 0mm, 5mm and 9mm height options.

Source: T-Works [rc-tworks.com]


July 31, 2023

Phend, Maifield & VanDalen win at The Wicked Weekend

Another of RaceTime Entertainment’s big 1:8 Offroad events, The Wicked Weekend race in Gainesville, Georgia produced three different wins of the three main categories.  Attracting 659 entries, in qualifying it was Tekno’s Seth VanDalen who was the man in form as he secured the overall TQ in both nitro and electric buggy.  In Nitro, HB Racing’s Cole Ogden took the opening qualifier but had to settle for P2 as VanDalen took the next two with TLR’s Dakotah Phend P3 with two P2 runs.  In eBuggy, VanDalen also posted two TQ runs with second going to Phend, fastest in Q1, with Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz completing the Top 3.  In Nitro Truggy, Tekno’s Ryan Maifield took the TQ from Phend, Lutz and VanDalen.   In an intense 30-minute Nitro Buggy final, Phend would deny VanDalen the win on the last lap with Sworkz Brandon Rose completing the podium just ahead of WRC Racing’s Ryan Cavalieri.  The eBuggy finals saw VanDalen win the first of the two 10-minute encounters from Mason Muller with that order reverse second time round however a faster Race 1 time gave VanDalen the overall win with Phend completing the Top 3.  In the half hour Nitro Truggy final Maifield converted his TQ into victory ahead of the HB Racing of Fuller who came through from 12th on the grid.  Mayako driver Jared Tebo completed the podium.

Image: JConcepts [Facebook]


July 29, 2023

JConcepts B74.2|22X-4 P2 bodies

Coming from JConcepts is their P2 body to fit the Team Associated’s B74.2 and the TLR 22X-4 1:10 4WD Buggies.  The P2 is once again, all about performance with riveting details including raised nose/hood, taller cab and rear-end force features.  The side-pods are once again JC chamfered to provide that legendary look and the secondary window screams JConcepts styling.  The cab drops off quickly and runs deep toward the rear giving plenty of drift to the newly added winglets.  The tall, rear fin stabilizer acts as a directional vane to keep the buggy tracking in the proper direction while also maintaining a rigid roofline even with light-weight materials.  The package arrives complete with two Carpet | Turf wings used commonly by the entire JConcepts team.  The extended rear wing has a large transitional gurney lip that allows for tuning by simply leaving material or cutting to desired height.

View more images here


July 29, 2023

JConcepts Fuzz Bite/Pin Swag Wide 2WD front tyres

JConcepts has released both its Fuzz Bite and Pin Swag front tyres in a new wide option.  Always looking to improve, the R&D team focused on something that is not currently available, a wide 2wd front to fit a standard width from wheel.  The result, a wider contact patch, smoother drive, and peak performing stability.  The already proven Fuzz Bite alternating rows of pins provides side-bite, top steering response and the tightness of the package creates a nimble racing vehicle.  The wide carcass allows the Pin Swag to mount on standard width 2wd front wheels and provides a large contact patch in the front. In between, a stagger section with angular front is placed just behind a vertical rib to complete the design.

View more images


July 28, 2023

Xray XB8 3BB Lightweight Clutch Bell 14T

New for its XB8/XT8 1:8 Offroad chassis, Xray has released this 14-tooth clutch bell made from HUDY Spring Steel which is strategically lightened without sacrificing strength or durability to reduce rotating mass.  The 3x ball-bearing design was developed for more precise and wobble-free operation.  Less play of the clutch bell increases performance and provides much longer lifespan for bearings and clutch bell.  The Lightweight design with machined openings helps to reduce heat build-up in the clutch.  It fits only the 4-shoe clutch.

Source: Xray [teamxray.com]


July 27, 2023

WRC Racing RTX 1:8 Truggy

Having announced back in March it would be adding a 1:8 Truggy to its range of kits, Italian manufacturer WRC Racing has released some more details and a body on image of its ‘coming soon’ RTX kit.  Available in both nitro and electric variants, the key features of the all new design are highlighted as optimised weight distribution in terms of the engine and battery positioning and the use of symmetric parts each side of the chassis.  Another key element of the kit is WRC Racing’s own aerodynamic one piece body.  Having gone big with the signing of Ryan Cavalieri in 2023, the nitro TRX and electric RTXE truggies will allow the multiple Offroad World Champion to race a complete WRC 1:8 chassis line-up having relied on a Team Associated chassis for the truggy class at the recent ROAR Nationals.

Source: WRC Racing [wrc-racing.com]