Adding to its range of front aluminium caster blocks for TLR’s 22 5.0 1:10 2WD Buggy, American performance racing accessories producer Vision Racing has now added a 5 degree option to the 0 and 2.5 degree it already offers. They are intended for those doing the frontend mod which has been been a long time team modification for high traction conditions.
Source: Vision Racing [visionracing.net]
With all of the 2023 IFMAR World Championships producing new winners, a picture of where those drivers will defend their titles is starting to come together with 2025 a year that will also see the number of World Championship titles awarded increase from 6 to 8. With the 2-year cycle never long coming round, already confirmed is the 1:10 Offroad World Championships which was awarded to Australia after last year’s indoor event in Arizona where David Ongaro added a first Electric World title and Tater Sontag joined the elite club of World Champions. Another event to be confirmed during the running of the 2023 edition was the 1:8 GT World Championship. In Australia it was announced that South America would be destination with Toni Gruber set to defend his title in Peru. Set to be only third running of the 1:8 GT World Championships, there will be two IFMAR World Championships up for grabs as Electric moves from two years of World Cup status to a full World Championship category. After one of the most intense finals of the year in Japan, 1:8 Onroad is going to the FAMAR Bloc with Chile expected to bid to host the sport’s original World Championship. Wrapping up the 2023 IFMAR World Championship season in Florida, where Michal Orlowski and Max Machler took the titles, 1:12 moves to the FEMCA Bloc with China widely expected to host the 22nd running of IFMAR longest running electric World Championship. New to the calender for 2025 will be the 1:8 Electric Offroad World Championship. Portugal will host an IFMAR World Cup this coming April for eBuggy with the host Federation expected to apply to run the inaugural World Championship for the category one year later.
View 2024 and provisional 2025 calendar here
Italian onroad chassis manufacturer Capricorn is set to release its 2024 kit line-up for 1:8 GT competition the first of which is Patrizio Rossi’s latest creation for the electric category, the LAB GT2 EP 2024. With 1:8 GT racing receiving a massive profile boost following the very successful and competitive 1:8 GT World Championship in Sydney, Australia, in October, the pace of development in the class in recent years has been huge. Full technical details and specs of the LAB GT2 EP 2024, along with the nitro chassis, will be outlined shortly in a video presented by Capricorn team driver team and reigning GTe European Champion Alessio Mazzeo.
View LAB GT2 EP 2024 chassis images here
Tyre manufacturer Jetko has announced the upcoming release of its new J-ONE 1:8 Buggy tyre which is designed with strong consideration for eBuggy users. The tyre is the result of having recognised the excellent performance of “Bar” style tyres but also identifying the issue with rapid wear rate when used with today’s nitro-powered cars or high torque electric buggies. To provide the best solution/performance for heavier/powerful electric vehicles, Jetko undertook the task of developing a tyre that also meets the specific needs of electric models. Rather than simply designing a stronger tyre with a thicker pattern and more surface area, Jetko made the strategic choice not to compromise on performance. They maintained the optimal surface area in contact with the ground and the appropriate thickness of lugs/Bar to ensure better performance.
Multiple 1:8 Offroad World Finalist and Australian National Champion Kyle McBride will run Hotrace Tyres as part of his 2024 race program. The Italian brand announced McBride as the latest driver they will be supporting this season as he embarks on a return season with Kyosho. 14-years since his first World Championship Final appearance, when he finished fourth in Pattaya driving for Mugen Seiki, the 27-year-old Brisbane driver brings vast experience to the Hotrace team.
Source: Hotrace Tyres [hotracetyres.com]
Continuing its impressive run of high profile driver signings, Chinese radio manufacturer FlySky has announced the addition of reigning 2WD Buggy World Champion Tater Sontag to its team driver line-up. The American was spotted along with TLR team-mate Dakotah Phend using the Noble Pro at the recent season opening ‘Clash of Champions’ race in Indiana fuelling rumours the teenager would join their already impressive list of signings that includes Offroad World Champions Ryan Maifield & David Ronnefalk and onroad World Champions Marc Rheinard and Ronald Volker. On the announcement Sontag said, “From the moment I first ran the Noble Pro radio I instantly was impressed! It had a super responsive and smooth feeling, and felt good in the hand. The options on the radio are endless and the updates come frequently just keep making it better and better!”
Source: Flysky [flysky-cn.com]
Iris Racing has released a number of new optional parts for its ONE 1:10 Electric Touring Car platform. The first is these is the CF Vertical Body Mount Plate for the ONE or ONE.05 which is a high-quality carbon fibre plate allows the rear body mount to be attached vertically, which has a number of advantages. Above all, the body always remains at the same height, which results in more consistent handling and makes installation considerably easier. Another addition are the Driveshaft Bushings. These carefully crafted bushings have been developed to replace the standard ball bearings with durable brass bushings. They offer improved durability compared to conventional ball bearings, especially when using high performance modified motors. In addition, they are compatible with a variety of other vehicles, including the Awesomatix A800R and the Xray X4. On the suspension they have added a new C=29.8 spring increasing the number of options you can choose for your ONE and which closes the gap between the already available C=26.7 and C=33.1 springs. Completing the latest product release from the German manufacturer are the Iris Red Aluminium Flat Head Screws offered in M3x6mm and M3x8mm sizes. Made from premium 7075 aluminium making them lightweight yet extremely strong, they are come in 8 pieces per pack.
Hobbywing has announced that front running Australian Offroad racer Lachlan Donnelly has joined its driver team. The 19-year-old from Sydney who has raced with Team Associated for a decade, has already used Hobbywing electrics as part of his campaigns including at the 1:10 Offroad World Championships in Arizona last September. As part of a big push by Hobbywing to build a strong world wide team for 2024 he now joins the team officially. An impressive showing at the 1:8 GT World Championship in Sydney in October, after just one club race as preparation, highlights Donnelly natural talent which Hobbywing is keen to help develop further.
Source: Hobbywing [hobbywing.com]
