February 12, 2024

Groskamp wins 48th annual Florida Winternats

Infinity’s Jilles Groskamp has won the 48th annual Florida Winternats.  The iconic US nitro onroad, now hosted annually at the Nuggets Ranch RC Raceway in Arcadia which was built in 2010,  attracted 170 entires this year with 1:8 Open the biggest class with 46 drivers.  With five rounds of qualifying, each driver counting their single fastest 4-minute run, it was the Dutch driver who took the TQ with Q3 run ahead of the Capricorn of Germany’s Thilo Diekmann and Mugen Seiki of former 1:10 Nitro World Champion Ralph Birch.  In the 30-minute final, Groskamp lead early before Burch had a stint at the front until hitting problems and dropping to fourth at the half way distance.  This allowed last year’s Top Qualifier Diego Morganti’s Capricorn to lead briefly before Groskamp resumed the lead again.  Swapping position with Diekmann over pitstops, Groskamp’s Picco powered IF18 took the win by 3.1-second as Burch recovered to complete the podium.  With the fastest lap of the race Morganti finished 4th while 2023 Champion Eric Dennett came home P6.  In 1:10 Nitro Touring Car, Serpent’s defending Champion Bryce Butterfield topped qualifying from team-mate Jose Almonte but at the end of the half hour final it was Almonte who came away with the win.  Butterfield lead initially but was out just as the race reached 1/4 distance.  Behind Almonte it was  John Hodges and Franco Machado who completed the podium.  In 1:8 Nitro GT it was IGT8’s Paolo Morganti who secured the TQ ahead of 2023 Champion Amonte.  Setting the fastest lap of the race, Morgani would go onto to win from Lazaro Alonso after Almonte retired in the early stages of the final.

Image: Jilles Groskamp [Facebook]


February 11, 2024

Berton wins Montpellier GP

Infinity’s Riccardo Berton has won the Montepellier GP, the Italian winning the 18th running of the French classic ahead of reigning European Champion Juan Carlos Canas and reigning World Champion Davide Ongaro.  In qualifying it was the Sworkz of Canas that secured the TQ topping two of the 4 rounds after rain forced the cancellation of Q5.  Fastest in Q3, Berton took 2nd followed by the Xray of David Ronnefalk who mastered the Circuit du MBM in Q4.  Aiming his third Montepellier GP win in a row, Ongaro’s Team Associated ended up 4th.  Winning his Semi B Final, the top 3 setting faster times than the winning time Canas in the Semi A, it was 2016 winner Berton who lined up on pole position for the 1-hour 14 buggy final ahead of Ongaro, Jonny Skidmore with Canas P4.  In an exciting final Canas would be the long time race leader but with his OGO tyres equipped pre-production IFB8, Berton went to the first in the last third of the race to secure the win by just over 1-second from his Spanish rival.  After a rough start that left him at the back of the pack, Ongaro set the fastest lap of the race to recover and complete the podium at the European 1:8 Offroad season opener.  Making it four different manufacturers in the Top 4, Mugen’s Burak Kilic finished fourth ahead of Elliott Boots and Theo Lemaire.

Image: Circuit du MBM [Facebook]


February 11, 2024

Lutz opens Asian Buggy C/ships campaign with NZ win

Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz got his Asian Buggy Championships campaign off to the perfect start with victory at the season opener in New Zealand.  After the inaugural ABC in 2023, the expanded four round 2024 season has been upgraded to full championship status with Lutz taking maximum points from Round 1 which was hosted by the Counties RC track in Auckland.  Putting his Alpha powered MP10 on pole for the 45-minute Nitro Buggy Final ahead of Tekno’s Caleb Noble and Kyosho team-mate Kyle McBride, Lutz would go on to dominate the race.  McBride had managed to stay with Lutz until the first round of pitstops but as the second stop approached ran out of fuel and lost a lap as a result something that would happen again to the Aussie later in the race.  Early drive shaft issues put Caleb out of contention with his race over at 25-minutes and so it was the HB Racing of top New Zealand qualifier Logan Toia that came through to finish second.  Recovering from his fuel dramas, McBride complete the podium just ahead of the Xray of Jayden Jamieson.  In eBuggy, Lutz made it a double clean sweep winning from the TQ spot ahead of Noble and McBride.  In Nitro Truggy, Top Qualifier Jamieson got the win ahead of Shane O’Connor while eTruggy honours went to the Xray of Kenley Brown.  Round 2 of the Asian Buggy Championships travels to the Philippines in the middle of April for Asia’s biggest and most famous offroad race the Philippine Masters where Lutz will be aiming to extend his championship lead.  Red RC will be returning to Manila again in 2024 to coverage all the action from the always impressive Circulo Verde track.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]


February 11, 2024

Revolution Design Pro2 | RB10 Option Parts

New from German brand RevolutionDesign Racing Products is a range of option parts the Team Associated Pro2 1:10 Short Course truck and RB10 1:10 2WD buggy.  A Heat Sink Motor Plate is a premium upgrade for the Pro2 or RB10, designed to replace the standard motor plate with a blend of aesthetic and functional enhancements. Featuring an innovative design with CNC-machined cooling fins, it not only reduces weight but also enhances cooling efficiency without compromising rigidity. Its closed design also ensures that debris stays away from the pinion and spur gear area.  Made from high-quality 7075-T6 aluminium and anodised in blue, this motor plate not only looks impressive with a laser-etched Revolution Design logo adding to the appearance.  They have an aluminium Bellcrank Set in Blue designed to enhance the steering precision and response of your buggy. This set replaces the standard plastic bellcranks with a precision-engineered aluminium version, offering increased stiffness and durability while reducing the overall weight of the vehicle.

Continue reading & view more images here


February 10, 2024

Lutz TQ at Asian Buggy Championships opener

Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz is the Top Qualifier at the opening round of the Asian Buggy Championships in New Zealand.  The first international 1:8 Offroad event to be held in the country,  the American secured the overall TQ in nitro buggy in dominant fashion his Alpha engined MP10 topping all four rounds of qualifying at the Counties RC in Auckland.  The first of the four rounds on the extended 2024 ABC calendar, with stops in the Philippines, Australia and Indonesia making up the rest of the ambitious championship, Lutz’s main challenge was to come from Aussie pairing Caleb Noble and Kyle McBride.  Driving his Tekno, Noble posted three P2 runs two of which were just a second off the TQ pace.  Returning to his first international since the World Championship in Spain in 2022, McBride took his Kyosho to a P2 run in the final qualifier.  Heading the local charge was Jayden Jamieson, the New Zealander taking his Xray fourth at the end of qualifying ahead of fellow Kiwi Logan Toia.  In eBuggy it was also Lutz who secured the TQ while in Nitro Truggy it was Jamieson top came out on top.

Source: Asian Buggy Championships [Facebook]


February 9, 2024

LRP G4.1 6500 HV Ultra LCG Modified battery

New from LRP is the G4.1 6500 HV Ultra LCG Modified battery.  Supported by its world wide team drivers, the German brand’s R&D department has put a lot of development work into this project managing an incredible development step with additional 800mAh with unchanged size and weight.  Like its predecessor, the G4 5700 Modified, LRP expect this will be the most popular battery in their range for the majority of Touring Car Modified Outdoor tracks with perfect car balance and power due to its Ultra Low Center of Gravity design and reduced weight.  The battery features the latest cell technology paired with proven High Voltage technology, 5mm gold connectors and LRP’s trademark blue see through hardcase.

Source: LRP [lrp.cc]


February 9, 2024

PNP-RC IF18/RX8 Carbon parts

New Spanish onroad accessories and optional parts brand PNP-RC (Pata Negra Parts) has announced the upcoming release of its latest carbon parts intended for 1:8 onroad chassis from Infinity and Xray.  For the IF18-3, they have produced a Radio Box 1.5mm Spacer with the carbon piece mounted in between the carbon radio tray and the plastic radio box lowering the complete radio box 1.5mm resulting in a lowered CG.  Also for the IF18 is the Front-Stiffner which is used in the forward holes of the front bulkheads, increasing the stiffness of this area making the car easier to drive.  For Xray’s RX8 they have created a Bumper Stiffer which increases the strength of the bumper and also makes the looks of the front area more aggressive.

View individual parts here


February 9, 2024

Trinity Slot Machine 2 Motor

Trinity has announced the release of the new Slot Machine 2 Motor.  The new 2 version is a replacement for the original Slot Machine which in October was removed from the approved motor list of ROAR, the sanctioning body for RC racing in the United States & Canada.  ROAR discovered that significant changes had been made to the internal design of the Slot Machine motor after they had already been inspected.  Acquired by Horizon Hobby in July last year, the famous American electrics brand says the Slot Machine 2 motor is revamped, ROAR approved, and ready to get back into the winner’s circle.  Currently ramping up production, they will be notifying racers who registered for the Slot Machine Exchange Program once the new Slot Machine 2 motors start arriving.

View more images here