December 14, 2024

Ronnefalk takes Q2 at SIGP

Xray’s David Ronnefalk has kicked off Day 2 of qualifying at the SIGP in China by taking the second round of Nitro Buggy.  A much cooler morning in Xiamen, a clean run would see the Swede top the times by 1.3-seconds from a much improved Davide Ongaro while Q1 pace setter Matti Politi completed the Top 3, both Italians having mistakes.  While having the fastest buggy on the track in Q2, it was another error filed run from Bruno Coelho, three costly mistakes over the 7-minutes leaving him with a P4.  Backing up his Top 5 in yesterday’s opening qualifier, Joseph Quagraine again took his Mayako to the 5th fastest time ahead of the WIRC of Gabriel Astorino.

Continue reading here


December 13, 2024

Xray X1 ’25 1:10 Formula 1

Xray has presented its latest 1:10 Formula chassis, the X1’25. The car is based on an all-new one-piece chassis design that Xray claim gives more consistent handling in all conditions and improved tweak resistance.  A narrower chassis shape reduces chassis drag during cornering.  The Rear POD concept on top of chassis makes for less drag and improved tweak resistance while adjustable POD angle fine tuning is controlled by set screw at the rear of chassis.  New rear carbon side spring brace aligns with new POD geometry.  The latest X1 also gets an all-new spring-free centre shock absorber with 1-hole piston provides exceptional bump handling, low maintenance, and helps lower CG.  Other features of the car include a new wing mounting system, new adjustable wing angle, redesigned lower arms with more material around the holes for improved durability in serious crashes and a new battery mounting system.

View the full X1’25 presentation here


December 13, 2024

Polito takes Q1 ahead of Ronnefalk & Ongaro at SIGP

Having topped seeding on his SIGP debut, Sworkz’s Mattia Polito capped off an impressive Day 1 of official action in Xiamen, China, by topping the opening round of qualifying.  The Italian who executed a clean run to record the only 13-lap run took the first of the four scheduled qualifiers ahead of Xray ‘s David Ronnefalk and Team Associated’s Davide Ongaro, both drivers having mistakes that would prove costly due to the race’s supplied marshals.  While Polito put together a very impressive first qualifier, setting the fastest lap in the process, it would be contrasting performance from Xray’s Bruno Coelho who had many mistakes eventually claiming the fourth fastest time.  Behind, Mayako’s Joseph Quaqraine put together a run that allowed him to the fifth fastest time but the Finn believes he as driver has more to give tomorrow.

Continue reading here


December 13, 2024

Kobbevik teams up with Power HD

Servo manufacturer Power HD has announced that top international Norwegian offroad racer Daniel Kobbevik is joining its team.  Kobbevik is a 22-time Norwegian National Champion, Nordic Champion, a multiple EFRA and EOS podium finisher and was a finalist at the IFMAR World Championship. For the coming new season, he will use Power HD professional racing servos in all his cars, including 1:10 2WD and 4wd, 1:10 Touring Cars, 1:12 and also 1:8.  On his deal with Power HD, the 20-year-old, who also announced today he is to continue with Schumacher, said, ‘I am very happy and proud to be joining the team.  I was immediately impressed by the feeling the Power HD servos gives you and how strong they are!  I am sure I will have top quality servos in my cars for the coming years.’

Source: PowerHD [chd.hk]


December 13, 2024

Polito tops seeding at SIGP in China

Sworkz’s Mattia Polito is the top seed at the SIGP Offroad Race in Xiamen, the Italian fastest in both Nitro and Electric Buggy on the return of China’s biggest annual offroad race after a 5-year break. Over 3-consecutive laps of the challenging 3-Circles track, overnight repairs making for improved conditions for today’s two seeding rounds, Polito would go fastest in both ahead of Xray’s Bruno Coelho. It was however the first round that was the fastest for the 21-year-old who had 1.6-seconds on Coelho. With Coelho’s fastest time coming from CP2, the margin on that occasion was down to 2/10ths of a second as Polito’s best was 7/10ths slower than his earlier attempt. Behind Davide Ronnefalk took his Xray to the 3rd fastest time with his CP1 time ahead of Davide Ongaro, the reigning World Champion improving by over a 1-second in CP2. WIRC’s Gabriel Astorino and Mayako’s Joseph Quaqraine completed the Top 6.

Continue reading here


December 13, 2024

The Race to Save 1:10 Nitro Touring Car

It is almost three weeks since we crowned one of the most popular winners of a World Championship in recent years.  Jilles Groskamp’s victory at the 1:10 Nitro Touring Car World Championship at Huge RC in Thailand was one which few would begrudge of one of the hardest working drivers in racing.  12-years after his ISTC World Championship win, his win in Bangkok was one of great stories for RC racing, the Dutch master back on top of the World after beating all of the best nitro onroad racers in the World.  However behind all the celebrations, there can be no denying that the 1:10 Nitro Touring Car category is not in great health and faces its greatest race yet, the race to save its future.  Ask any of the drivers who made the effort to take part in the 10th running of the IFMAR World Championship and they’ll all agree.  107 drivers attended the World Championship when the Huge RC Circuit hosted it for the first time in 2014, this time round the entry was only 58.  However as a World Championship at which every driver is competing in the same single class, it is worth putting that number into perspective.  At this year’s ITSC World Championships, Modified had only 2 more entries but it did also have another 60 drivers competing in Spec Touring Car to make it a bigger & viable event.  Last year’s 1:12 Worlds had just 19 Modified entries and was only possible because of the 55 drivers who raced in the Spec Class.

Continue reading here


December 13, 2024

JConcepts RC10B7 Steering Kit

JConcepts has introduced a new steering bellcrank system for the Team Associated RC10B7 2WD Buggy.  Available in blue or black anodised finish, it allows the driver to adjust the height of the steering rack ball-stud instead of the bellcrank system.  A quicker adjustment for the racer and less disassembly required each time, the steering rack features a steel insert that can be oriented in an upper or lower position mimicking the standard adjustment of moving the bellcranks up or down.  The all-metal and machined parts combine to form a solid package capable of being tuned quickly.

Continue reading here


December 12, 2024

SIGP favourites expect challenging race in Xiamen

With 2024 marking the return of the SIGP Offroad Race with its highest profile international entry yet, the three leader contenders for the race’s major cash prize have all predicted a challenging weekend ahead in Xiamen.  Organised by Sunpadow Batteries, the entry for this year’s edition of the race is led by Team Associated ‘s 3-in-a-row World Champion Davide Ongaro.  The first time the Italian has been to the former IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championship track, on paper his biggest rivalry should come from Xray pairing David Ronnefalk and Bruno Coelho but talking to all 3 at the end of Thursday’s free practice they all believe it’s the track surface that is going to be their biggest challenger.  The dirt offroad track, which together with an onroad track and 200m long driver stand!, is located on the grounds of the almost 500 strong workforce 3 Circles factory that manufacturers batteries, has not seen race action since the last running of the SIGP in 2019.  Joern Neumann was the winner on that occasion, but having lay idle for 5-years the track had to undergo some significant preparation to clean it up with Max Lim, who put on the World Championships here in 2017, tasked with the track preparation over the last three weeks.  Getting the track back to looking like an active one, it is the surface bumps that are going to challenge man & machine with buggies being very unpredictable to drive.

Continue reading here