Red RC

February 12, 2024

ProTek RC Samurai RM.1 Maifield Edition .21 Engine

ProTek RC has announced the pre-sale of its new Samurai RM.1 Maifield Edition 3-Port .21 Competition Nitro Engine. Designed in collaboration with legendary professional RC racer Ryan Maifield, the new Samurai RM.1 enhances all the winning features found in the original Samurai RM engine and improves the power plant package even more through higher top end speed, increased fuel mileage, an improved and strengthened engine block, smooth yet powerful bottom end, and a slightly lower CG cooling head with new graphics. “The ProTek RC Samurai RM.1 engine is smooth but powerful, gets awesome fuel mileage, and is easy to tune,” states Maifield. “I’ve been running a pre-production RM.1 for a few months at a variety of events in different track conditions, and it has performed flawlessly everywhere I have been.” Through extensive development and testing by Maifield and the ProTek RC R&D team, the new Samurai RM.1 increased fuel mileage by nearly 60 seconds while achieving higher top end speeds and maintaining a smooth bottom end. It also features a steel backplate insert to reduce friction and wear while increasing RPMs and providing a stable idle. A strengthened, black-coated crankcase is also included to maximise durability and reliability. It also utilises a 3-port ABC piston and cylinder that are designed to offer more torque over the power range, while the blue anodised aluminium LCG cooling head with etched ProTek RC, Samurai, and RM logos on the top keep the weight as low as possible to achieve supreme stability and handling performance.

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February 12, 2024

Zalewski heads Xray challenge for MIBO International

Defending MIBO International Offroad Champions Xray has announced its team for the second edition of the upcoming Czech Republic based event. At the inaugural running of the event Bruno Coelho won both 2WD and 4WD buggy ahead of young Xray talent Bartek Zalewski who kept the multiple World Champion honest. Securing the 2WD TQ last year, now Zalewski will head the Slovakian’s offroad efforts. Enjoying a podium double at the recent EOS Daun, the on-form Zalewski will resume his battles with Schumacher’s Michal Orlowki and Team Associated’s Joona Haatanen with Sworkz’ Joern Neumann joining the mix at the Sports V Hotel in Hrotovice. The Polish teenager will be joined by Xray’s Max Gotzl and lead offroad chassis designer Martin Bayer. An event that sees a double track build allowing offroad and onroad to race side by side, in the onroad competition Xray will be represented by Martin Hudy, Jan Ratheisky, David Ehbrar and newly crowned Snowbirds FWD Champion Stefan Schulz.

Source: MIBO [mibosport.com]

February 12, 2024

Thurston wins Rug Racers Round 4

Team Yokomo’s Alex Thurston has won the penultimate round of the popular UK series Rug Racers organised by Hertford Radio Car Club. In the FTQ format qualifying, it was the Schumacher of OIlie Payne who took the overall TQ for the fourth round ahead of Thurston and Round 2 winner Elliott Harper. With double A-Main finals, A1 would see a great pass by Thurston that would get his Hobbywing powered BD12 to the front where he would stay to the finish to win ahead of Harper’s Schumacher and Round 1 winner Harley Eldbridge’s Xray. With a mistake dropping Payne to P4, for A2 Thurston knew all he need to do was sit behind his rival to secure his first win of the current series. Taking A2 by just 0.2 of a second from Thurston, Payne with secure second with former World Championship podium finisher Harper completing the modified podium.

Image: Alex Thurston [Facebook]

February 12, 2024

Roche Rapide P10W3 graphite servo mount set

Roche has announced a new optional graphite servo mount set for its Rapide P10W3 1:10 235mm Competition Pro10 kit. The new set makes the servo move to front position for compatible with regular size Lipo battery installation. The servo mount set requires the use of a medium micro size servo.

View set mounted in car here

February 12, 2024

INS14 kicks off with double win for Rivkin

The 14th season of the popular JConcepts Indoor National Series kicked off at Trackside Hobbies over the weekend where Team Associated’s Spencer Rivkin took the buggy double. The first of 5 stops on the 2024 calendar, the JConcepts Winter Dirt Indoor Nationals attracted over 330 entries to the Wisconsin track once owned by legendary race announcer Scotty Ernst. In 2WD qualifying, Rivkin topped two of the three rounds to secure the overall TQ from the Xray of Chase Lemieux who took Q3 with Schumacher’s Broc Champlin 3rd ahead of team-mate Ryan Cavalieri. 4WD would also see Rivkin take pole this time from Xray’s Tom Rinderknecht and TLR’s Cole Tollard with Davey Batta who topped Q1 ending up 4th. In the 2WD finals, Rivkin took A1 but had a rough A2 finishing P8 as Cavalieri came through for the win ahead of Lemieux. A clean A3 would see Rivkin lead home the field half a second up on Lemieux with Cav third and that was how they would line up on the overall podium. In 4WD, Rivkin was able to secure an early win with victory in the opening two Mains and with a win in A3 Tollard secured 2nd with Rinderknecht 3rd after winning the tie break with Aydin Horne. Round 2 of INS14 switches to carpet with RC One Racing in Michigan hosting the JConcepts Spring Carpet Indoor Nationals on March 22-24.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

February 12, 2024

Spower Japan B7HP ‘Soul’ Hand Modified .21 Offroad

Following on from the release of its first hand modified racing engine that was specifically for 1:8 GT, Spower has added a second engine to the ‘Soul’ series with the popular B7TT .21 offroad engine undergoing the special treatment. Based on long-stroke B7TT, the new B7HP piston/liner comes with hand modified conventional 3-ports type enabling more torque the power range. The stronger DLC coating on new crankshaft has also hand modified with 2 tungsten counterweights contributing to consistent idling and quicker RPM response according to the throttle movements. It also comes standard with Spower’s Boost rear cover plate which helps this high RPM engine work more stable from the top speeds to the lower range. The new printing technology not only makes the cooling head colourful but also makes it blend in with your car. The factory combo setup with Spower Japan 75mm Exhaust Manifold + EFRA 2089 pipe, B7HP will provide a lot of power plus best fuel mileage for your offroad racing needs.

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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]