A new product line from Takashima D-13 is their Touring & Onroad Body Supports. They enhance the rigidity of the body’s side walls and provides multiple angle options. The support offers three choices: 80, 85, and 90 degrees, allowing racers to fine-tune their body setups. Additionally, this support is crafted from super-light materials, weighing approximately 2.3grams per unit.
The new season of international Electric Touring Car action kicked off this weekend with Schumacher Racing’s Michal Orlowski taking the first honours of 2024 with the victory at the annual GP3F race in France. The 19th edition of the MRC Longwy promoted race that has become the big season opener in recent years, newly crowned 1:12 World Champion would secure the overall TQ from defending champion Bruno Coelho after topping 3 of the four qualifiers. A small roll in Q3 on Saturday night, meant the Polish driver would have to wait til Sunday morning to be official declared Top Qualifier, Coelho having taken Q3. Behind it would be Mugen Seiki’s Ronald Volker who lined up third ahead of Xray’s Alexander Hagberg and the Awesomatix of leading French challenger Lucas Urbain. In the Mains, A1 would see Orlowski set the fastest lap en route to a winning margin of 1-second over Coelho. Coelho would try again in A2 but his challenge was short lived as he had a roll over at the end of the straight on his third lap. In the end Hagberg finished P2 almost a second back as Orlowski claimed the overall win. Victory in A3 would see Coelho finish runner-up with 2020 GP3F winner Volker completing the podium for the second year running ahead of Hagberg. In Pro-Stock, it was Tim Benson who took the TQ and win ahead of Adam Izsay and Jan Ratheisky.
Image: MRC Longwy [Facebook]
Former World Champion Jared Tebo has taken to social media with an interesting post addressing the current state of sponsorship in racing. A true professional paid driver who for almost two decades was one of the leading forces in Offroad races around the world representing some of the biggest manufacturers in the industry, Tebo officially announced his competitive retirement from racing last year but still remains involved in the industry. Now focused on his JTP brand, as well as being USA Team Manager for Hotrace Tyres, the American found himself overwhelmed by the massive response to opening 2024 applications for JTP sponsorship in November. In addressing the topic, Tebo explains his own journey to becoming a Pro driver and how the idea of ‘sponsorship’ is now lost in our industry with many drivers simply expecting it. Sure to kick off many keyboard debates, he concludes that he is sticking to what he believes in for his JTP brand.
Sunpadow Batteries has announced that registration is now open for the return of the SIGP International RC Car Grand Prix Onroad with the event set to take place on March 20-24. Having established itself as one of the leading annual international RC events in China and attracted many of the sport’s top drivers, World Champion Bruno Coelho was the winner of the last onroad edition in 2019. The event takes place at the 2017 IFMAR Electric Offroad Championship venue in Xiamen where both an onroad and offroad track are built side by side next to Sunpadow’s production facility and overlooked by one of the World’s biggest driver stands. The SIGP will continue to offer one of the biggest prizes in the sport with total prize money of $20,000 on offer over the categories which include 1:8 GP onroad, 1:8 EP onroad, 1:10 Modified Touring Car and 1:10 Stock Touring Car. Having attended previous editions of the SIGP, Red RC will be travelling to Xiamen to cover the return of international competition on the Sunpadow Circuit.
Source: Sunpadow [sunpadow.com]
American offroad chassis manufacturer Tekno RC has announced the signing of 1:8 Buggy World Championship Semi Finalist Daniel Pariente. The Spanish driver together with his younger brother Adrian departed Sworkz in December after a 5-year stint with the brand and now he joins Portugal’s João Figueiredo as part of Tekno’s European based race team. The deal with Tekno completes the 2023 European Finalist’s race package for the new season with Pariente having already announced he will run Gimar Engines and Hotrace Tyres. Commenting on the announcement he said, “Super proud and happy to announce that I will be part of the tekno rc team for the 2024 season and beyond, the cars are incredible and the atmosphere in the team is unbeatable. I can’t wait to start the season! We will give everything on the tracks. Big thanks to Daniel Lewis and Ilias Arkoudaris for this awesome opportunity!”
Source: Tekno [teknorc.com]
Hotrace Tyres has announced the signing of 1:10 Offroad star Marcus Kaerup, as the 16-year-old is set for an increased 1:8 Buggy programme in 2024. The reigning 1:10 2WD European Champion, the Dane was a double finalist at September’s IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championships in Arizona with it the turn of the World Championship for 1:8 Buggy this year. The Team Associated driver will be looking to build on his finish in the 1/8 Final at the 2022 Worlds in Redovan, Spain, which was won by his AE team-mate Davide Ongaro.
Source: Hotrace Tyres [hotracetyres.com]
With the electric touring car season about to kick off in France this weekend with GP3F, Mugen Seiki has confirmed their lead driver Ronald Volker is to defend his MIBO International title next month. Taking place this year on February 16-18, the former World Champion won the inaugural running of the new international event in 2023 and will return to the popular Sports V Hotel race location in Hrotovice aiming for 2 from 2. The German faces strong opposition with newly crowned 1:12 World Champion Michal Orlowski confirmed to head Schumacher’s official team debut in the event with Yokomo’s Christopher Krapp returning after a tough 2023 encounter. Organised by former international touring car racer Michal Bok, the race brings together both electric onroad and offroad racing on two tracks build side by side by the team from Mibosport. With everything from the track, restaurant, bowling alley and hotel rooms all under one roof, the venue was a hit with racers who travelled from 13 different countries last year. With a capped entry limit the relaxed schedule also means plenty of time in the evening to wind down and socialise over dinner after each day’s racing. With the onroad track catering for Modified, Stock & FWD Touring cars plus Formula, the Offroad track will see action for 2WD and 4WD Buggy as well an open class of ‘Offroad Kids’ that gives the future stars of racing an opportunity to be a part of this international event. Red RC is looking forward to making the return trip to Czech to kick off our 2024 season of race coverage.
Source: MIBO [mibosport.com]
Having been around since the 1970 and witnessed decades of racing to become one of the UK’s most historic RC track, the Crystal Palace Model Car track in South London is now in need of the RC Communities help to ensure its future existence. Proposed regeneration plans threaten to replace the track with a football pitch but the BRCA, the British Governing body for radio control car racing, are looking for your support in signing a petition to try and have the track saved within the regeneration plans. European body EFRA has also got behind supporting the petition in the knowledge that local tracks at a vital future lifeline for RC Racing. Our own journey here at Red RC into RC racing came about when with our father we accidentally came across an RC track and immediately told him ‘we want one of the them’. One less track is one less opportunity for people to go racing so show your support for the track by signing the petition here.
Source: BRCA [brca.org]
