October 8, 2024

Hobbywing XeRun XR10 PRO G3

Hobbywing has announced the upcoming release of their latest flagship competition ESC, the XeRun XR10 PRO G3.  It is equipped with an optimised Softening 2.0 technology and is offered in two options, the standard black finished G3 suited for Modified Competition, and the titanium grey finished G3X which is ideal for Stock racing.  The G3 ESC features a built-in data recording module capable with up to 380 minutes of storage. The Freewheeling mode improves efficiency and lowers operating temperatures by around 15 degrees C compared to the XR10 PRO G2S.  Innovative disc brake mode creates a brake output that is more accurate, and more linear and supports the Brake Force Curvature, to fine tune the brake bias feeling.  The faceless fan features a low centre of gravity design that overall height of the ESC is reduced by 2mm compare to the XR10 PRO G2S ESC, with Smart fan start-stop function are made from special materials significantly increasing their hardness and improves durability.  The ESC has two types of inbuilt parameter setting modes: Basic Mode, with 24 items, and Advanced Mode, with (44 items) that is engineered for peak performance for racing applications.

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October 7, 2024

Infinity IF15-2 option parts

With the IFMAR 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship coming up in November, reigning champions Infinity has released a number of options for their IF15-2.  A new Hybrid Servo Saver Set is a combination of carbon and aluminium materials that helps provide sharp steering characteristics with a highly rigid and lightweight finish.  In addition, the included 4.9mm ball and aluminium spacer optimise bump steer and increase corner speed.  Also new are Black Brake pads that can be used with IF15-2/2W and the IF18-3.  Compared to the standard soft (red), this pad enhances initial braking, allowing you to tune your preferred feeling when entering the corner.  By mixing this pad with the standard (soft (red)), you can create an intermediate feeling.  Finally the Japanese manufacturer has introduced a Alu Belt Tensioner Flange which helps prevents the side belt from falling off when a heavy load is applied to it.

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October 7, 2024

Excelerate RC Mach MD 1:12 body

Wisconsin based Excelerate RC has introduced a new 1:12 body, the medium downforce Mach “MD”.  The Mach MD is designed with moderate styling to help free the car on high bite carpet surfaces while retaining it’s aggressive appearance.  Created specifically for 1:12 Stock and Super Stock racing, the Mach MD excels in those classes by reducing drag and overall downforce while increasing side bite and stability.  Made from high quality polycarbonate, the Mach MD is available in .015” Lite (approx 27-30g race ready) and .020” (approx 35-38g race ready) Standard material thickness.  The design is 100% created in 3D CAD for a perfectly symmetrical product and superior detail.  Currently, the Mach MD is pending ROAR approval.

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October 7, 2024

Ongaro doubles again at Buggyland

Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro has won the 11th edition of the Buggyland, the newly crowed 3-in-a-row World Champion repeating the victory double he achieved last year at the Spanish race.  The Madrid based event would kick off with Tekno’s World Championship finalist Joao Figueredo topping Nitro Buggy seeding ahead of Ongaro.  With three rounds of qualifying it would be another World Championship final who took Q1, Mugen Seiki’s Berkan Kilic fastest from his brother Burak with Figueredo third.  Q2 & 3 however Ongaro lay down the form for the rest of the event with the fastest times ahead of the Berkan.  In the 16 buggy grid 1-hour final that order was maintained with Ongaro taking a comfortable win by 15-seconds over Berkan with the Sworkz of 2021 Buggland double winner Juan Carlos Canas coming from P5 on the grid to complete the podium.  In eBuggy,  the result was a repeat of Nitro with Ongaro taking the TQ and win while Canas and Berkan Kilic switch order on the podium with Canas the runner up.

Image: Mauro Ongaro [Facebook]


October 6, 2024

Balestri wins ENS Leno, Kurzbuch takes title

Dario Balestri has won the Euro Nitro Series Season Finale in Leno but it is Simon Kurzbuch who comes away from Italy with the 2024 title.  The fourth & final round of the championship would see World & newly crowned European Champion Balestri take his Infinity to the overall TQ as he topped two of the 4 qualifiers.  Fastest in the opening qualifier, it was the Mugen Seiki of ENS Ettlingen Round 1 winner Kurzbuch who secured P2 ahead of Infinity’s Thomas Lorenzi and Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani.  With the original timetable effected by rain, the Main final would be reduced to a 30-minute encounter with Balestri setting the fastest lap en route to becoming the fourth different winner of the season, 2023 Champion Toni Gruber the Round 3 winner and  Lars Hoppe the victor at Round 2.  10-seconds behind Balestri, Lorenzi would come home in second in a repeat result of the Italian Nationals held at the same track earlier this year.  Finishing just ahead of fellow Swiss racer Kurzbuch, ARC’s Silvio Hachler completed the podium but P4 was enough for Kuzbuch to take the title by 1-point ahead of Infinity’s Teemu Leino, the Finn’s championship tally made up of three podium finishes in the first three races.  In 1:10, having secured the TQ it would be a sudden & cruel finish to British National Champion Alex Thurston’s first ENS outing of 2024.  Leading the race from Champion elect Melvin Diekmann, just after half way point as he came up on traffic a car spun in front of him and with nowhere to go the impact broke Thurston’s car putting an immediate end to his race.  Shortly after title contender Jilles Groskamp would also go out of the race, leaving Diekmann’s Capricorn to take it ahead of Milan Holthuis for his third win of the season to successfully defend his title.

Image: ENS [Facebook]


October 6, 2024

Donnelly crowned Australian 4WD Offroad Champion

Lachan Donnelly is the 2024 Australian 4WD Offroad National Champion, the long time Team Associated driver reversing yesterday’s 2WD result to beat his 2-time World Champion team-mate Spencer Rivkin to crown at Hills Off Road RC track.  Sunday’s 4WD title action at the Campbelltown Hobbies 2024 RCRA EP Offroad Australian Championships saw the 20-year-old from Sydney secure the 4WD TQ as he topped the opening 2 rounds of qualifying.   Fresh from his 2WD title on Saturday, the US star using the event as practice for the IFMAR Electric Offroad World Championships the Sydney track will host in 12-months time, Rivkin went fastest in Q3 to secure the No.2 spot on the grid.  Rounding out quali by topping the fourth & final round multiple National Champion Ari Bakla’s Xray would line up 3rd on grid ahead of another US visitor Chase Lemiuex.  In the finals Donnelly would put in two faultless drives to secure the title that will go down as one of the National Championships more special years.  Winning A1 ahead of Lemiuex and A2 ahead of Bakla, everything was to play for as to who would stand either side of the new Champion, it an emotional and very popular win.  A great battle between Bakla and Rivkin would ensue, the former looking like he had done enough to get the job done but in the dying moments of the last lap Rivkin executed the pass to secure the win and another Team Associated podium 1-2, Bakla ending up on the third step.  In 4WD Stock, Michael Stone pulled off the double adding to his 2WD title with victory over Justin O Connell and Andrew Selvaggi.

Image: Team Associated Australia [Facebook]


October 5, 2024

KO Propo X Hara ‘Device’ Radio set

Having announced it would collaborate with RC racing legend Atsushi Hara back in June, Japanese radio manufacturer Ko Propo has unveiled the limited edition ‘Device’ transmitter & receiver that it will display at the Tokyo Hobby Show.  The ‘Device’ logo design, which was very popular in the past, is reproduced with a matte clear coat giving it a texture that blends in with the pearl black.  Based on Hara’s signature purple colour the key feature of the radio is the Dish Design Aluminium steering wheel.  The anodised wheel is precision machined to recreate the original design with special laser engraving create a unique and special feeling.  The exposed screws on the transmitter body have been changed to purple anodised aluminium, creating a unified design all the way to the back.  Adding to the detail, the plated power key and BT1 key are a special purple colour, which acts as an accent colour to effectively unify the entire keyboard.  The grip plate of the ‘Device’ 2024 is also specially made.  It has a cool crushed carbon texture that gives it a custom feel.  A special film with a pattern that gives it a sense of depth is transferred onto it and then clear coated.  This set comes standard with a battery stand that can hold a battery.  A silkscreen print recreates the characteristics of the device at that time.  In addition, a unique number is engraved on the brass plate for each unit.  A serial number plate is attached to increase the value of the limited edition product with KO Propo highlighting that  specific serial numbers cannot be ordered.  To finish off the Hara ‘Device’, the upper case of the included receiver KR-420XT is also plated in the Hara purple, giving it a stronger presence when mounted on the car.

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October 5, 2024

Rivkin wins Australian 2WD Offroad Nationals

Not a headline you’d usually expect to read but US offroad star Spencer Rivkin is the new Australian 2WD Offroad National Champion.  Together with promising US racer Chase Lemiuex, the duo have travelled to Sydney to the Hills Off Road RC track which will host next year’s IFMAR Electric Offroad World Championships.  While an official Warm-up Race will take place in April, the timing of the Campbelltown Hobbies 2024 RCRA EP Offroad Australian Championships gives racers the opportunity to experience the same weather conditions as is expected for the Worlds which run from September 29 – October 6, 2025.  With Saturday’s action dedicated to deciding the 2WD Champion, after 4 rounds of qualifying it was Rivkin’s Team Associated that took the overall TQ after topping two rounds while Aussie’s top racers Ari Bakla and Lachlan Donnelly posted a TQ run each to line P2 & 3 respectively.  In the triple finals Rivkin, who will chase his third 2WD World title next year Down Under, cruised to wins in A1 and 2 to added a new title to his CV.  A win in A3 from Donnelly would make it an Associated 1-2 while 2nd in A3 gave Lemiuex the final step on the podium.  In the 2WD Stock title race, Xray’s Michael Stone, the man responsible for last year’s 1:8  GT World Championship in Sydney, dominated to take the win.

Image: Hills Off Road RC [Facebook]