June 3, 2024

Harper leads Schumacher 1-2 at British Nationals Rd2

Having announced his return to racing competition last September following a 3-year break, Elliot Harper led a Schumacher 1-2 at the second round of the British 1:10 Electric Touring Car National Championship over the weekend.  Racing at the West London track, the former World Championship podium finisher secured the TQ with fastest times in 2 of the four qualifiers.  Topping Q2 multiple Champion Chris Grainger secured P2 with teenager Daniel Robins making it a Schumacher Top 3 on the grid.  Having made history recently as she became the first female driver to make a BRCA Offroad A-Main, Xray’s Harley Eldridge lined up P4 followed by Andy Murray and the Mugen Seiki of Alex Thurston who secured his first ever National win at Round 1 last month at Halifax.  In the double mains,  Harper lead home Grainger in A1 and Eldridge in A2 for the overall win from Grainger and with his third from Round 1 now leads the championship standings.  After an intense battle in A2 to take second from Grainger, Eldridge would completed the podium ahead of Thurston with Robins finishing up P5.

Image: Schumacher [Facebook]


June 3, 2024

Sawada wins Hobbywing Cup

Attracting a number of international factory team drivers, it was Xray’s Shin Sawada who took the big win at the Hobbywing Cup which took place at the Shanghai International Model Auto Racing Arena (SIMARA) in China over the weekend.  Qualifying would see the Japanese driver top 3 of the 4 rounds of qualifying to secure the TQ ahead of team-mate Alexander Hagberg who went fastest in the final qualifier.  Team Yokomo’s Nicolas Lee would complete the Top 3 in the feature Open Brushless class ahead of China’s very own JJ Wang.  Representing Awesomatix and a driver who does a lot of development work for Hobbywing, 1:12 Spec World Champion Max Mächler lined up 6th on the grid.  In the triple final Sawada continued his form setting the fastest lap of the race to win A1 repeating the feat again in A2 for the overall win.  Winning A3, Hagberg would finish runner-up while P2 in A3 promoted Wang to third overall for an all Xray podium. Lee was best of the rest taking his Yokomo to fourth ahead of Mächler who moved up one spot to finish fifth.

Source: Hobbywing [hobbywing.com]


June 3, 2024

Schelle B7 Aluminium Steering Rack

New from Kurt Wenger’s Schelle Racing Innovations brand is this Aluminium Steering Rack for the Team Associated RC10 B7 1:10 2WD Buggy.  Secure and tighten the steering assembly on your B7 or B6.4 series with the Schelle Aluminium Steering Rack.  Updated to use 3x7x3mm bearings and crush tubes, the system does not use the 2 top-hat bushing thru the kit molded steering rack.  Changing to the CNC Schelle steering rack will remove some slop and add durability to the assembly without making the car feel on-edge.  Available in black or blue anodise finish, the rack fits both B7 series and B6.4, T6.4, SC6.4 series.

View Rack assembled here


June 2, 2024

Senesi crowned 1:8 GT European Champion

Natanaele Senesi is the new EFRA 1:8 GT European Champion claiming the title for the very first time at the Naxos World track in Sicily, Italy.  Lining up P5 for the 45-minute title decider, the World Championship finalist took his Senesi Motorsport S21 GT car to victory by a 10-second margin from the Xray of Top Qualifier Edoardo Repetti with Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani completing the nitro podium.  Only the third running of the European Championships for the category, there was plenty of drama at the start of the final.  Set to start P3 on the grid for the 45-minute encounter, Capricorn’s Alessio Mazzeo called a technical timeout in the warm-up which put him to the back of the grid.  On the race start Repetti suffered a flame out.  Taking the lead of the race after a few laps, during his first fuel stop Senesi would flame out handing Catanzani the lead.  Chased down by a recovering Senesi, with three minutes to go Catanzani would lose 2nd gear allowing Senesi back to the front where he would stay to the finish to end Bernard-Alain Arnaldi reign over the category.  Arnaldi  would give up his back to back title finishing P6.  In the 1:8 GTE title race, Top Qualifier & Schepis Model team driver Rosario Giaimo was able to complete the job and wrapped up the championship with wins in A1 & 2 of the triple finals with Senesi and 2023 Champion Mazzeo completing the Top 3.

Image: Natanaele Senesi [Facebook]


May 31, 2024

Xray X4F‘25 FWD Touring Car

Xray has presented its latest FWD Electric Touring the with the 2025 iteration of the X4F.  Key features of the X4F‘25 start with an all-new chassis redesigned to work with the new bulkheads & lower arms and which moves motor mount location 5mm forward for improved traction.  It also integrates with the new one-piece aluminium servo/steering mount and battery holder systems.  Narrowed 5mm in the front and 10mm in the rear for improved flex characteristics that improve steering and rotation while also reducing chassis drag for improved cornering speed.  The car also gets an all-new one-piece servo mount moves the servo 5mm forward for more traction.  A Single steering arm mount reduces weight and works together with the new battery holder system to move the battery position further forward for maximum traction.  The one-piece design eliminates servo movement in hard crashes and the ultra-low profile design reduces weight and lowers the CG as much as possible.  A brand new steering arm redesigned for weight savings with new geometry creates clearance to move the motor mount and servo mount 5mm forward for improved traction & improved in-corner steering.  The X4F’25 is 25g lighter than X4F’24 with strategic lightening of the rear suspension to move the weight bias further forward.

View the full X4F‘25 presentation here


May 31, 2024

Repetti is 1:8 GT European C/Ship Top Qualifier

Italy’s Edoardo Repetti is the Top Qualifier at the 2024 EFRA 1:8 GT European Championships which are underway at the Naxos World track in Sicily, Italy.  The former European Large Scale Champion took his Ielasi Tuned powered Xray to the TQ honours with TQ runs in Q3 & 4 together with a P2 in the fifth & final round.   Also registering two TQ runs and a second, but losing out on the tie-breaker, Schepis Model driver Rosario Giaimo, winner of the recent Italian National Champion round at the same track, qualified 2nd having taken the Electric GT overall TQ earlier in the day.  Former 1:10 Nitro Touring Car Champion Alessio Mazzeo completed the Top 3 for Capricorn.  Top Qualifier at last year’s European Championship in Croatia, Serpent’s Andrea Catanzani ended qualifying P4.  Only the third running of a European Championship for the category, defending back to back Champion Bernard-Alain Arnaldi took his Genius Racing chassis to 6th as the fastest non Italian driver.

Image: Xray [Facebook]


May 31, 2024

RDRP RC10B7 0° and +/-2.5° Steel Bulkheads

Continuing its run of aftermarket premium upgrade parts releases for the Team Associated RC10B7, RDRP has added these 0° and +/-2.5° Steel Bulkheads to its range.  Designed to replace the standard bulkhead of the RC10B7 and RC10B7D buggies, they increase weight of 26g compared to the standard aluminium part increases the steering and helps to keep the front end on the track, which especially helps with high traction surfaces like carpet or astroturf.  These bulkheads are made from high-grade steel, offering superior stability and durability. With heat treatment and a black oxide coating, the bulkheads are particularly resistant and long-lasting.

View more images here


May 31, 2024

RSRC MP10 carbon fibre parts

RSRC, the brand of multiple European 1:8 Buggy Champion and factory Kyosho driver Reno Savoya, has released two new carbon fibre parts for the MP10 platform.  First are carbon fibre arms stiffeners which are designed as a “sandwich panel” system that leaves the internal reinforcements of the suspension untouched, with a 1mm plate on top and a 1mm plate underneath.  This will greatly improve the wishbone strength during big hits but also improves the precision of the buggy’s handling.  They fit both the MP10 nitro and MP10e electric buggy.  Second is a carbon fibre chassis brace for MP10e/MP10Te.  Unique and very good looking, the chassis stiffener will increase the car reactiveness but also hold the cables for a neat environment.

View Chassis Brace here