July 4, 2023

Cuypers wins Dutch Nationals Round 3

Round 3 of the 1:8 Onroad Dutch National Championship took place over the weekend with Mugen’s Steven Cuypers taking the win.  Racing at the famed Apeldoorn track, the race attracted a top quality international field however rain on Saturday meant no action.  In Sunday morning’s qualifying the Infinity of Jilles Groskamp securing the overall TQ.  The Dutch ace set his fastest time in the third of the three qualifiers with Belgian Cuypers second fastest with his Q2 time.  Shepherd’s Timo Schröder was third fastest the German laying down his best time on the final run.  Making it four different manufacturers in the Top 4 was John Ermen at the controls of his ARC. In the half hour final Cuypers took control of proceedings from the start and pulled out a lead over the pack to win from Groskamp by more than half a lap while Ermen completed the podium ahead of the Serpent of Jesse Keller.  In 1:10, Infinity driver Milan Holthuis took the win from Top Qualifier Melvin Diekmann with Julian Van Buël in 3rd.

Image: Steven Cuypers [Facebook]


July 4, 2023

Team Azarashi Dirtmaster ‘Aralgo’ body

Japan’s Team Azarashi has released the ‘Aralgo’ body for Kyosho’s Dirtmaster 1:10 2WD electric buggy.  The ‘Aralgo’ was born after thoroughly refining the conditions required for a rear motor 2WD buggy and is now back after fine tuning for the Dirtmaster.  The lexan body is designed to deliver performance in all conditions with the focus during its development having been on  the cabin position, height and degree of angle.

View more images here


July 3, 2023

Skidmore leads British Championship with R3 win

Jonny Skidmore made it two in a row at the latest round of the BRCA 1:8 Offroad British Championship, the Xray driver taking the TQ and win at Round 3 in Blackpool over the weekend.  Winner of the second round of the 5 round championship 2-weeks earlier in Brookthorpe, Skidmore topped qualifying from WRC Racing’s Leis Jones, William Skidmore and reigning Champion Elliott Boots.  Boots would take his S-workz to the win in the first of the Semi’s but winning his Semi in a faster time it was Jonny Skidmore on pole for the 45-minute final.   The final result would see the Top 4 finish as they started.  Skidmore would have a half lap advantage over Boots with brother William third 10-seconds clear of Jones.  The result sees Skidmore, last year’s championship runner-up, lead the points from William with Graham Alsop, finishing Round 3 in 5th, holding third.  The penultimate round of the championship will take drivers to Shrewsbury at the end of the month.

Image: BRCA RallyCross Pro [Facebook]


July 3, 2023

Berg leads Mayako 1-2 at NXC Grand Prix

Hampus Berg led a Mayako 1-2 at the annual NXC Grand Prix in Denmark over the weekend taking the win from defending champion David Ronnefalk.  Organised by Hilleröd RC Club at the same venue that hosted the 1:8 Offroad European Championships way back in 1988, this year’s edition of the 1:8 Offroad event attracted over 140 entries including Infinity’s Ricky Berton.  In qualifying it was Ronnefalk who secured the TQ from his team-mate after topping 3 of the 4 qualifiers that ran, Q3 being rained out.  Berton would end up P3, the 2019 European Champion’s best run coming in Q4 when he was second fastest behing Berg.  Winning his wet Semi in the fastest time, Ronnefalk started pole for the 45-minute final ahead of Berg, Berton and Xray’s Pelle Culmsee.  While starting out wet, the track would dry with Berg able to eke out a lead over the former World Champion that was 12-seconds at the finish despite Ronnefalk having the fastest lap of the race.  Berton, almost a lap down, would complete the podium with Culmsee finish fourth on the same lap.  The Top 6 was completed by Peter Harder and Ludwig Albertz.  In eBuggy, Culmsee took the win from Top Qualifier Nikolai Lamberts with Berton again completing the podium.

Image: David Ronnefalk [Facebook]


July 3, 2023

Horizon Hobby acquiring Trinity Racing

Horizon Hobby has announced that it is acquiring iconic motor brand Trinity Racing.  In the 90’s Trinity and legend of the sport Brian Kinwald were the global face of 1:10 Offroad racing.  The deal to acquire Trinity Racing which was founded by the late Ernest Provetti in 1980, is the latest in a series of acquisitions by the RC industry mammoth.  In 2020 it took over tyre manufacturer Pro-line followed shortly by body manufacturer Protoform and then added another of America’s top tyre brands AKA to its line-up in 2021.  The company behind the Losi brands, of which their star driver Dakotah Phend has been a Trinity backed racer, Horizon Hobby issued a press release on the acquisition in which they state, ‘This acquisition ensures that Team Trinity and its legacy are preserved. We look forward to seeing Team Trinity continue to win at all levels of RC racing.’

Read full press release here


July 2, 2023

Arnaldi successfully defends 1:8 GT European title

Bernard-Alain Arnaldi has successfully defended his EFRA 1:8 GT European title in Zagreb, Croatia.  Having won the title last year in Lostallo, the Genius driver started his title defence from 4th on the grid with Serpent teenager Andrea Catanzani having secured the overall TQ at the Mini Autodrom Ayrton Senna circuit.  Despite being the fastest car on track, Catanzani would hit problems during the 45-minute final, with Frenchman Arnaldi able to take the win with his Gimar powered GTc8 23 from Schepis Model driver Rosario Giaimo and the Serpent of Gabriele Paloschi.  In the 1:8 GT Electric former European 1:10 Nitro Touring Car Champion Alessio Mazzeo starting as Top Qualifier was able to become the inaugural European Champion of the electric category for Capricorn.  Joining the Italian on the podium were Xray’s Martin Bayer and the Genius of Denmark’s Nicolai Lindegaard.

Image: Serpent [serpent.com]


July 2, 2023

Speedzone Evolution 4S LCG LiPo Packs

American brand Speedzone has released two new Evolution 4S LCG lipo packs to the competition series range.  The 6000mAh 14.8V 140C pack has 5mm bullet connectors, measures 144x47x37mm and weighs 464g while the 6500mAh LiHV 15.2V 140C pack has a XT90 connector, measures 138x47x36mm and weighs 492g.  Both packs were designed to produce the power and durability needed for the latest R/C vehicles.

Source: Speedzone [speedzoneusa.com]


June 30, 2023

Catanzani Top Qualifier at 1:8 GT European C/ship

Andrea Catanzani is the Top Qualifier at the EFRA 1:8 GT European Championships In Croatia.  The Serpent/Gimar driver topped 2 of the 5 rounds of qualifying at Mini Autodrom Ayrton Senna circuit in Zagreb, with Xray’s of Martin Bayer his closest rival in the nitro class.  Attracting a field of 48 drivers in nitro,  qualifying didn’t start well for the Italian as he was only 15th fastest.  While Bayer took Q1 from defending champion Bernard-Alain Arnaldi, Capricorn’s Alessio Mazzeo topped Q2 from Catanzani before he found his form in Q3 & 4 to wrap up the overall TQ with one round to go.  Behind Bayer in P2, Natanaele Senesi took his Xray to third in the ranking ahead of Alex D’angelo and Arnaldi with Mazzeo 10th behind Buggy World Champion Davide Ongaro.  Also the European Championship for 1:8 GT Electric, 36 drivers registering results, Mazzeo is the Top Qualifier with three TQ runs compared to single TQ runs from Arnaldi (P2) and reigning champion Bayer (P3).

Image: Serpent [serpent.com]