March 31, 2025

Ben Mohamed wins opening French eBuggy encounter

Joining Sparko for the 2025 season, up & coming French teenage offroad talent Noha Ben Mohamed got his National Championship campaign off to the best possible start with victory at Round 1 of the French 1:8 eBuggy Nationals.  Racing at the Mini Bolid’ Club Pertuisien track in Pertuis in the Southeast of the country, after three rounds of qualifying it was Ben Mohamed who secured the TQ ahead of defending Champion Clément Boda and HB Racing’s Theo Lemaire, each of the trio having posted a TQ run.  In the triple 10-minute finals, A1 saw Ben Mohamed see of Lemaire as Boda had a DNF.  Rejoining Team Associated for 2025, Boda bounced back in A2 to take the win from Ben Mohamed and Lemaire and it was all on the line in A3.   With the Top 3 finishing as the started that was how they would like up on the podium, Ben Mohamed coming away with maximum points from Boda and Lemaire.

Image: Noha Ben Mohamed [Facebook]


March 31, 2025

Catanzani wins Italian GT Championship opener

Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani put in the perfect weekend at the opening round of the highly competitive Italian 1:8 GT National Championships over the weekend securing the TQ and win at the Kronio Speed Park track in Sciacca, Sicily.  Qualifying for the first round of the three race AMSCI run National Championship would see recent Florida Winternats winner Catanzani secure pole for the 45-minute Nitro final ahead of Alessio Mazzeo on his debut with the Raptor chassis.  Defending Champion and Schepis Model team driver Rosario Giaimo would complete the Top 3.  In the final, Catanzani would set the fastest lap en-route to victory by over a lap & a half from fourth place qualifier Daniel Schepis.   Mugen Seiki offroad star driver Burak Kilic would complete the podium on his GT race debut, just 1-second ahead of Giaimo.  The Turkish driver was running a Schepis Model MZGT powered by new engine sponsor Nova Engines.  Having won last year’s season opener, Mazzeo would finish fifth ahead of 2023 National Champion and World Championship Top Qualifier Alex D’angelo.  For reigning European Champion Natanaele Senesi it was a tough weekend resulting in a DNF in Nitro.

Image: Star RC [Facebook]


March 31, 2025

ZooRacing HYRAX 190mm hypercar body

New from German body shell brand ZooRacing comes the Hyrax 190mm 1:10 hypercar body.  With touring car bodies at a stretch just about resembling the real thing these days recent hyper car releases are very much modelled on the full size car we see racing at iconic race circuits around the world, the Hyrax definitely an eye catching example.  With sleek, aggressive styling inspired by these full-scale hypercars, this class delivers the perfect mix of realism and high-performance racing.   They feature low-slung, wide-body chassis, optimised for maximum downforce and stability at top speeds.  The Hyrax is an all-new hypercar body designed for the next generation of electric touring car racing.  Every curve and surface of the body is engineered to deliver optimal airflow management, reducing drag while maximising downforce.  The low-slung, wide-body design ensures the car stays planted, providing superior cornering speeds and unmatched stability.

View Aero features & more images here


March 30, 2025

Rheinard adds 1:12 European title 17-years after last win

Having won the European Electric Touring Car Championship last year 13-years after he last held the title, Marc Rheinard has become the EFRA 1:12 European Champion once again after 17-years.  Racing in Zwevegem, Belgium, qualifying for the 42nd running of the championship saw the CRC of Ollie Payne hold the overnight TQ after taking Q1.  Saturday’s action would see former World Champion Rheinard’s Awesomatix open with the fastest time in Q2 and another TQ in Q3 before Payne would come back to take the final two rounds. This left the duo tied on points but with his Q2 time the fastest of the 5 rounds it was Rheinard who was the Top Qualifier.  Behind, Schumacher’s reigning 1:12 World Champion and defending European Champion Michal Orlowski secured P3 with two Top 3 runs while Xray duo Adam Izsay and 8-time EFRA Champion Alexander Hagberg made up the top half of the A-Main grid.  In the finals, A1 saw Rheinard put in a perfect run to claim the win by 4 & a half seconds from Orlowski who got ahead of his former team-mate Payne in the final minute of the 8-minute encounter.  In A2 was a much closer affair as Payne ran right with Rheinard until traffic caused the British driver to hit the boards and drop to third.  Recovering the position he couldn’t find a way past the German who took it by 6/10ths and with it became the 2025 European Champion, the first driver to hold both the Touring Car & 1:12 title  simultaneously since he last did the double back in 2008!  With Orlowski winning A3, the Polish driver would finish runner-up with Payne completing the Modified podium.  In 1:12 Spec, Payne would claim the title having started from the TQ ahead of Spec World Champion Max Machler, the Awesomatix driver also finishing runner-up with the similar car of Olivier Bultynck taking the final podium position.

Image: Marc Rheinard [Facebook]


March 29, 2025

ProStar RC Tekno ceramic coated Magnesium Bulkheads

American based ProStar RC has released these Ceramic Coated Blue Magnesium Front & Rear Bulkheads intended for Tekno 1:10 Offroad platforms.  Suitable for use on the SC410SL, ET410, EB410 & .2, and the SC2410T Short Course Conversion by ProStar RC, these latest bulkheads are the next generation upgrade to their successful 7075 Gold Anodized Aluminium Bulkheads.  Magnesium Alloy offer comparable strength to 7075-T6 but is 30% lighter.  Feature an ultra-lightweight design they are just 28 grams which is 15 grams lighter than V1 aluminium and 35 grams lighter than stock.  The Signature Blue Ceramic Coating is heat-resistant, and corrosion-proof and they are finished with Laser-engraved ProStar Logo.

View additional image here


March 28, 2025

Top Qualifier D’angelo confirmed for 1:8 GT Worlds, Chile

Following last week’s confirmation that Toni Gruber will defend his IFMAR 1:8 GT World Championship title in Chile later this year, 2023 Top Qualifier Alex D’angelo’s participation in the Santiago event has also been confirm.  Making his World Championship debut in Sydney 2-yeas ago, D’angelo secured the overall TQ honours for Genius Racing when he TQ’d the sixth & final round of qualifying at the John Grant International Raceway.  Unfortunately a number of engine flame-outs in the 1-hour final denied the Italian’s a shot at the title with him eventually finishing 6th.  Joining Capricorn for the 2025, the Italian manufacturer’s owner Patrizio Rossi confirmed his star driver will lead their challenge at the third running of the 1:8 GT World Championship.  Hosted by Club de Aeromodelos de Chile (CACH) at their multi discipline RC facilities, the Worlds will run from September 14-20th.


March 28, 2025

XB2 Willspeed 13mm Spring Cup Set

1:10 Offroad conversion kit and after market parts specialists Willspeed has released this 13mm Spring Cup Set for utilising their own 13mm Spring range on the Xray XB2’25 1:10 2WD Buggy.  These are designed to a custom offset to allow for lower ride heights on the XB2’25 model with using Willspeed 13mm or AE 13mm springs.  Manufactured by MJF in PA12 Nylon, they are completed in a black polyshot finish with Willspeed text logo around base with a set including 2 front spring cups and 2 rear spring cups.

Source: Willspeed [willspeed.co.uk]


March 28, 2025

Maxima RC Racing Fuel for Coelho

Multiple World Championship wining fuel producer Maxima has announced the signing of multiple World Champion and new Infinity signing Bruno Coelho.  The Thailand based company which relaunched its RC racing fuel in 2022, has been gathering momentum ever since and in 2022 was the controlled fuel supplier to the 1:10 Nitro Onroad World Championship where Naoto Matsukura took the TQ and Sahashi Tadahiko the win.  In 2023, 67% of drivers chose Maxima with Simon Kurznuch using it to secure the TQ and Dario Balestri using it to power him to the title in Japan.  Last year Teemu Leino used Maxima RC Racing Fuel to secure the TQ at the 1:10 Nitro Onroad Worlds in Bangkok before Jilles Groskamp took a hugely popular with using it.  On the announcement of their partnership with Coelho, Maxima’s Sichart Ratanarat said, ‘We sincerely hope that this partnership will help us gather more momentum in sales and
promotion of the Maxima brand.’

Source: Maxima Rc Racing Fuel