May 30, 2023

David Spashett’s Zen Racing takes over Shepherd

Multiple 1:12 World Champion David Spashett, through his company Zen Racing, has taken over Onroad nitro manufacturer Shepherd and its associated brand Brilliant RC.   On making the exciting announcement, having made a more bleak announcement about the company’s future in April, the German manufacturer said, “We are thrilled to announce that a new era dawns upon us as Zen Racing, our esteemed partner and current UK distributor, takes the reins of the legendary brands Shepherd and Brilliant RC.  With David Spashett’s extensive experience in the RC industry, including his four prestigious World Championship titles and 13 European titles he, along with the Zen-Racing team, are the perfect visionaries to lead Shepherd into the future. His remarkable achievements and expertise further solidify our confidence in Zen-Racing’s ability to take these brands to new heights.  Zen Racing’s long-standing role as a distributor for Shepherd and Brilliant makes this transition a natural progression. They have already demonstrated their dedication and passion for these brands, and we are excited to witness the synergy that will be created as Zen Racing led by David Spashett join forces as the driving force behind the next chapter of the journey.  In the coming days and weeks, we embark on a path of transformation and growth. As we navigate this transition, we sincerely apologize in advance if there are any temporary disruptions in our spare parts supply. Rest assured, we are working tirelessly to ensure a seamless transition and to deliver the exceptional service you have come to expect.  We invite you to join us on this thrilling new chapter, as Zen Racing bring their unparalleled expertise and passion to the forefront. Together, we will redefine the boundaries of excellence and lead Shepherd and Brilliant RC towards an even more glorious future.”

Source: Shepherd Micro Racing [Facebook]


May 30, 2023

BRCA 2WD Onroad Nationals Round 2 – Report

The second round of this year’s BRCA 2WD Onroad Championship took place at the West London Racing Centre.  Both Saturday’s Practice and Sunday’s race day saw the drivers greeted with sunny, warm conditions which were ideal for what was to prove to be some very close racing.  The first of the FWD qualifiers went to Ben Moorey’s Awesomatix from Ben Cosgrove’s Xray and with our Dutch visitor, Robin Van Gog, in third with another Awesomatix.  Ben C took round 2 from Dale Burr’s Awesomatix and Andy Faulke’s Destiny.  Round 3 went the way of Schumacher’s Andy Murray with the new FT8 from Ben C and Ben M. So, it was Ben C who took pole from Ben M, Dale and Andy.  The first leg of the final’s saw Ben M take the win by three-tenths from Andy, Ben C and Dale.  The second leg saw a win for Ben C from Ben M by less than four-tenths with Dale in third, so it was all down to the final leg to decide it.  It was Ben C who took the win with Ben M recovering to take second from Andy and Dale.  So, the overall win went the way of Ben C and his Xray from Ben M’s Awesomatix and Andy’s Schumacher.

F1 report and podium photo here


May 30, 2023

Newcomer Sparko release images of new F8 buggy

Offroad market newcomer Sparko Racing has released images of its first 1:8 Buggy chassis the F8.  The Taiwanese manufacturer will shortly release full details of the buggy along with details of its Worldwide distribution network.  A development version of the Sparko buggy ran at the FEMCA Championships held in Taiwan earlier this year showing promise in the hands of 11-year old Huang Han Ping who lined up third on the grid for the Main final before finished 5th in the 50-minute encounter.

View chassis images here


May 30, 2023

Ioannidis & Kalantzakis win Greek Nationals opener

Last weekend, the first round of the 1:10 Electric Touring Car Greek Nationals was held at Fanatix Racing Track located in Athens, Greece in sunny but windy conditions.  In the Modified class, reigning Greek champion Dimitris Ioannidis (Awesomatix) took the TQ spot early on by taking Q1, Q2 and Q3 while Nitro Greek champion Dimitris Dimitriou (Xray) secured the 2nd spot on the grid with fast Dimitris Kouretas (Infinity) behind him.  In the finals, Ioannidis won leg 1 and leg 2 securing the overall win and thus not racing in leg 3.  Dimitriou, Kouretas, and former Greek champion Kostas Sidiropoulos (Mugen) fought for the remaining podium positions with Dimitriou securing P2 overall after consistent driving with a P1 finish in leg 3 and a P2 finish in leg 1 while Sidiropoulos capitalised on some errors from Kouretas rounding out the podium.

View Stock report and podium here


May 30, 2023

Hong Nor sign large scale World Champion Grenenger

In this 1:8 GT World Championship year, Hong Nor has made a significant signing in Australian driver Russell Grenenger.  In collaboration with with Speedy RC, the 2015 IFMAR Large Scale World Champion joining the Hong Nor Factory Team and will drive the new Hong Nor X3GTS 2023 World Edition at future Australian state and national events to prepare for the GT 2023 IFMAR World Championship in Sydney, Australia.  Commenting on joining Hong Nor, Grenenger said “I’m delighted to join the team and take on this new challenge. Hong Nor has been amazing to deal with, and very supportive of feedback and testing. I look forward to seeing how my many years of on-road large-scale, and more recently 1/8th IC on-road transfers over into the 1/8 GT class. I would like to thank Hong Nor and SpeedyRC Online Store for this opportunity”.

Source: Hong Nor [hongnor-racing.com]


May 29, 2023

Volker wins EC Warm-up Race at Türkheim

Mugen’s Ronald Volker took victory at the official Warm-Up Race for this year’s EFRA Electric Touring Car European Championship.  Top Qualifier in Türkheim, the 7-time champion took the win ahead Awesomatix’s Marc Rheinard with Xray’s Marco Kaufmann completing the podium.  Only the second time Germany will host the European Championships for the category, it was the Türkheim circuit in the south of the country that also hosted that event when Andy Moore lifted the 2006 title.  One notable absentee from the small Modified entry over the weekend was that of back to back reigning champion Bruno Coelho who was racing in the US at the Warm-up Race for the IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championships.  Alexander Hagberg attended the race for Xray finishing 5th sandwiched between the Mugens of Eric Dankel and Robert Pietsch.  In Stock, 2018 Champion Max Machler took his Awesomatix to the win ahead of Simon Lauter and Adam Izsay.

Image: Marc Rheinard [Facebook]


May 29, 2023

Takashima D-13 announce partnership with Nicholas Lee

Hong Kong’s Takashima D-13 has announced a long-term partnership with top electric touring car racer Nicholas Lee.  The strategic sponsorship provides comprehensive support to the Factory Yokomo driver from Singapore and propels Takashima D-13’s long-term professional development in the RC racing industry worldwide.  His performance and passion for racing have made him a prominent figure in the Singaporean RC racing community and the collaboration with Lee is a significant step for the brand in expanding its presence in the Singaporean market and establishing a crucial partnership for global market development.  As partners, Takashima D-13 will provide Lee with advanced equipment and support to ensure he achieves his optimal performance in races and the design team will closely collaborate with him to jointly develop innovative technologies and optimise vehicle performance.

Source: Takashima D-13


May 29, 2023

WRC Racing ST2.2 FWD Touring Car

WRC Racing have introduced their latest 1:10 front-wheel drive electric touring car kit, the ST2.2.  Based off their STX.8 4WD Electric Touring Car that was release last December the new FWD kit benefits from an overall lower centre of gravity.  To achieve this the Italian brand has introduced ultra low profile shock towers, short shocks and a new low centre of gravity servo mount.  The car also gets repositioned motor, battery and servo points for better weight distribution.  Other features of the ST2.2 include new linear steering system, new mounting locking system and a new easily adjustable body mounts.

View more images here