VP Pro has released a new pre-cut Polycarbonate Rear Wing for 1:8 Buggy use. Made from 1.5mm thick clear polycarbonate and pre-cut for convenient use, it features a ribbed design to reinforce the wing and help it to retain its shape. Light weight, the new WN-012 wing comes as a set of 2 per bag.
The organisers of the annual Euro Buggy Masters in Sweden have announced that the indoor event will double up this year as the Warm-up Race for the EFRA 1:10 Offroad European Championships. A club based in the south of the country, Furulund RC Klubb has secured use of a massive almost 4000 seater indoor sport hall in the city of Malmo for the 2024 edition of the EBM. Taking place from February 23-25, the track will be built using completely new EOS carpet to create a bespoke track layout giving all drivers the same track time and opportunity for a close and fair racing. Last held in November 2022 when Michal Orlwski took the 4WD win and Jessica Pålsson took the 2WD honours, the race moves to the start of the season this year on February 23-25 as the club hosts the European Championships from September 23-28.
Source: Furulund RCK [frck.se]
Xray has announced that multiple Italian National Champion Alex Zanchettin is joining its team and will race their XB8 platform. Zanchettin had previously raced for the Mayako team signing for them at the beginning of 2022 but in 2023 made an appearance as part of the ongoing Infinity Offroad project when he joined lead driver Riccardo Berton for The Italian Race during the Summer. Commenting on the Xray announcement Zanchettin said, “I’m so proud to join such prestigious and ambitious brand like Xray. I always looked up to Xray for dedication to work and for their winning attitude and I’m sure that hard work and their top quality products will be the key to achieve our common goals. Can’t wait to see you all at the track again”.
Source: Xray [teamxray.com]
1:8 Offroad newcomer Sparko Racing has announced that Ryan Cavalieri is to run their buggies in 2024. After a brief 12-month stint with the Italian brand WIRC Racing for his 1:8 programme, the multiple Electric Offroad World Champion joins the Taiwanese brand who look to expand internationally and in particular in the US, a key market for 1:8 Offroad. On social media Sparko Racing said, ‘We are proud to announce World Champion, Ryan Cavalieri has joined Sparko racing team! Ryan will be racing the Sparko F8 and F8e buggy at USA national races and international events as well. With his wealth of experience and achievements, it will be help in product evolution and brand expansion in USA and across the world!’ Just before Christmas, Cavalieri confirmed he would be continuing with Schumacher for another year as his main 1:10 Offroad programme.
Source: Sparko Racing [Facebook]
EFRA, the governing body for RC racing in Europe, has just published updated Homologated Motor lists for 2024 for all electric racing categories. Competitors looking to compete at Europrean Championship and EFRA GP events in 1:12, 1:10 Touring Cars and 1:10 Offroad classes can only use Brushless Motors that are included on the 2024 EFRA Homologation Lists, a procedure that began in 2016. When a motor (or rotor) has been approved and included on the relative list, the manufacturer must not change the technical specification, visual appearance or description. Any changes require a new part number and the motor (or rotor) will have to be resubmitted for approval. Drivers are also not allowed to make any changes to the motor, something that happened in Pro Stock at the 2022 European Championships when two driver’s motors were ‘found not to comply with the submitted samples to the EFRA Spec Homologation Lists’ promoting Olivier Bultynck to Champion. Homologation has caused a number of manufacturers issues recently with team drivers having to switch motors or batteries at recent World Championships as their sponsors’ where not IFMAR approved. ROAR, the North American governing body, has had a number of high profile cases where motors where randomly purchased and tested and found to not meet the specification of the original submitted motor that was approved for its sanctioned events. A standard many independent races run by, the offending motors had their motors removed from the approved list. View the full EFRA Motor Homologation lists here.
Source: EFRA [efra.ws]
Servo manufacturer AGFRC has released a new full aluminium waterproof standard metal 25T spline sub micro servo, the A19DLM. After repeated testing and modifications, this tiny servo gets upgraded materials and workmanship to created a high end digital micro servo. With robust metal structure and gear set, this servo can deliver 4KG.CM (55.6oz-in) super high torque and 0.088sec/60°speed at 8.4V even in this compact size. Easy to install in limit space for lock dig shift usage in different scale model such as 1:18 , 1:10, 1:8 etc. Programmable feature also allow for different users to find the suitable data for their applications. The A19DLM servo is the perfect upgrade for your Traxxas TRX-4 or TRX-6 Crawler, Axial SCX10 III, Capra, or 1:18 TRX4M and Absima 1:10 or 1:8 EP Crawlers.
2014 1:8 Buggy World Champion Ty Tessman has called time on an impressive career that puts him up there among the greats of offroad racing. The Canadian announced the decision to retire from the sport after 20-years of racing as he is set to become a father in 2024. Never an easy decision for any sports professional who has dedicate their live to achieving success, the decision by Xray to drop him at the end of 2023 after a 7-year partnership would certainly have played a factor in his departure from the sport. A driver who only represented two manufacturers during his extensive career, Tessman paid tribute to Hot Bodies for giving him the opportunity to turn professional in the sport with his father Gord and mother Leann a pivotal part of the ‘Team Tessman’ journey, the highlight of which was his World title win in Italy 10-years ago. Having witnessed and reported on many of Ty greatest wins over the years, Red RC would like to thank the Tessmans for the memories (late cold nights at the Dirt Nitro Challenge pitting in the Pro-Line tent particular stand outs!!) of some epic race battles and wish Ty all the best in his new family life. Who knows maybe the story will repeat itself in years to come.
Read Ty’s full announcement here
Coming as no huge surprise given he used a Sanwa radio at the 1:10 Buggy World Championships back in September, Dakotah Phend has officially announced that he is no longer a Spektrum driver. The 26-year has used Spektrum radios throughout his professional career as part of his Horizon Hobbies package which are also the owners of his chassis sponsor TLR. Announcing the end of long running sponsorship, Phend posted on Facebook, ‘With the end of 2023 approaching so does my time with Spektrum. We have been partnered up for 16 years through thick and thin. I appreciate everything that they have done for me and the support that they have given. Sometimes a change is needed and I felt like now was the right time to do it. Moving forward for 2024 I will be headed in a different direction for radios and servos.’
Source: Dakotah Phend [Facebook]
