Red RC » R Off Road

January 16, 2025

Ronnefalk goes Sanwa for 2025

Former 1:8 Offroad World Champion David Ronnefalk is switching to Sanwa for the 2025 season. The Xray driver will use the famed Japanese radio manufacturer’s flagship M17S having previously been one of the high profile team drivers for emerging Chinese brand FlySky in 2024. On the new deal, that came together with help from Xray team-mate Hupo Honigl whose company HOECO are a distributor for Sanwa products, Ronnefalk said, ‘I would like to thank Sanwa and Hupo Honigl for the help and support moving forward. Excited for the first race coming up this weekend in France!’ The Swede will make his first appear with the new radio this weekend driving a touring car when he takes on the GP3F race in France which has in recent year’s established itself as the official season opener of the international electric touring calendar.

Source: David Ronnefalk [Facebook]

January 15, 2025

Associated confirm Kaerup for MIBO International

Team Associated has confirmed they will be represented at the upcoming MIBO International Race in the Czech Republic with the news that their teenage offroad star Marcus Kaerup will make his debut at the third edition of the event on February 7-9th. The multiple European Champion and World Championship finalist is set to take the challenge to Sworkz’s defending 2WD Champion Joern Neumann and Schumacher pairing of Michal Orlowski and Daniel Kobbevik. Having been denied back to back European 2WD Buggy titles by Orlowski last September in Swedend when EFRA hosted the European Championship indoor on carpet, the 17-year-old Dane will be looking to prevent the reigning MIBO International Touring Car Champion from doing the double as the Polish ace races on both the onroad and offroad track this year. In 4WD he will take on the Xray of fellow teenager and reigning champion Bartek Zalewski. Red RC is looking forward to kicking off its 2025 World tour of race coverage by making the trip to Hrotovice once again to report on the action.

Source: MIBO [mibosport.com]

January 13, 2025

Martin wins British Offroad Masters on Xray debut

Lee Martin has kicked of his new drive with Xray with victory at the BRCA British Offroad Masters which was hosted by the well respected Worksop Radio Car Club. Run using the famous Reedy Race Format, drivers competed in 6 heads up races first in 2WD before repeating the format again the following day in 4WD. Saturday’s 2WD action would end with Ben Smith and Neil Cragg at the top of the points table on equal points with 5 rounds to count. Behind them Martin would sit P3 going into Sunday’s 4WD action with defending Champion Tommy Hall lying P4. With drivers complimentary of this year’s ‘fun’ track layout, it was Jonny Skidmore who came out topp of the 4WD ranking after the 6-rounds ahead of Hall but matching his P3 in the 2WD ranking it was Martin who was crowned the overall Champion ahead of team-mate Skidmore. Hall’s Team Associated completed the podium ahead of Cragg and Smith.

Image: RC Disco

January 12, 2025

Phend takes SIC win on Xray nitro debut

Having taken a debut electric win with his new chassis sponsor Xray at last weekend’s JConcepts Clash of Champions, Dakotah Phend has now given the new partnership a debut nitro win with a Pro Nitro Buggy victory at the Southern Indoor Championship. In qualifying at the annual Alabama race, which this year attracted almost 400 entries, it was Kyosho’s Ryan Lutz who secured the overall TQ ahead of Phend after topping the times in the first 2 of the three qualifiers. While Phend took Q3, it was the Tekno of Ryan Maifield that completed the Top 3 ahead of Seth VanDalen. Coming out of retirement, Jared Tebo qualified fifth ahead of defending SIC Champion Brandon Rose who has joined Team Associated for the 2025 season. In the half hour final once Phend got out front early on he dominated the race setting the fastest lap on his way to a comfortable win over Lutz who in turn had a 20-second margin over Maifield. Unfortunately for Rose his race ended after just 14-minutes. In eBuggy, Phend took victory from the TQ with Sworks’ Mason Fuller finishing runner-up while Maifield again completed the podium. Maifield would get a win however taking Nitro Truggy ahead of Fuller and Lutz.

Image: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

January 10, 2025

2025 IFMAR 1:10 Offroad Pre-Worlds – Announcement

With the countdown to the 2025 IFMAR 1:10 EP Offroad World Championships underway, host club Hills Off Road RC has published information regarding the Pre-World race which takes place at the Sydney track on April 3-6th with further testing opportunities either side of the race weekend. With the main event, the 20th running of 1:10 Offroad racing’s biggest prize, schedule for September 30th to October 6th, the Pre-Worlds event will give racers the opportunity to get familiar with the dirt and track surroundings at what is regarded as one of the premier offroad tracks in Australia. US tyre brand Raw Speed are the official controlled tyre for the event with their Super Mini Soft Compound with Grey Open Cell Insert tyre. Only the second time the country has hosted the World Championships for the category, Masami the double winner back in 1989, 2025 also marks the 40th anniversary of the Hills Offroad RC club which was founded the same year as IFMAR hosted the first ever 1:10 Offroad Worlds in 1985 in Del Mar, USA. The kangaroo in the official event logo looks like he is determined and focused on ensuring a home win for the Aussies!!

Source: Hills Off Road RC [Facebook]

January 8, 2025

Rose joins Team Associated

As was speculated for some time, Team Associated has announced that top American racer Brandon Rose has joined its 1:8 offroad team for 2025. After two seasons with Sworkz, the 2024 Southern Indoor Championship winner and World Championship Semi-Finalist, moves to the iconic US brand who announced his arrival with a video and subsequent social posted in which it said, ‘Team Associated is excited to announce that Brandon Rose has joined the team to bolster the 1:8 team. Brandon will be using Reedy Power with Factory Team accessories to outfit all his vehicles. Welcome to the team B-Rose!

Source: Associated [associatedelectrics.com]

January 8, 2025

Schumacher’s Kobbevik returns for MIBO International

A double podium finisher on his MIBO International debut last year, Daniel Kobbevik will return to the annual Czech race doubling the factory effort of defending Touring Car Champions Schumacher. Taking place from on February 07-09, the race sees both onroad and offroad race run side by side on two indoor carpet tracks built by Mibosport in Sports V Hotel in Hrotovice. Last year, Kobbevik finished runner up to Sworkz’s Joern Neumann in 2WD Buggy, the defending champion already confirmed for the 3rd edition, and in 4WD the Norwegian completed the podium behind the Xrays of winner Bartek Zalewski and second place Martin Bayer. Having confirmed in November they would be sending Michal Orlowski to MIBO International not only to try to defend his Touring Car title but also to complete in offroad, with the addition of Kobbevik the British manufacturer has a formidable line-up capable of securing a first offoad win. A two and a half day event, it gets underway on the Friday evening with practice to allow for travel Friday morning.

Source: MIBO [mibosport.com]

January 8, 2025

2025 Desert Classic – Announcement

2023 IFMAR 1:10 Offroad World Championship hosts Hobby Action have announced details for the 9th Annual Desert Classic which takes place at the Arizona indoor track from February 28th to March 2nd. The Desert Classic has established itself as an early season fixture on the international 1:10 Offroad calendar filling the void left after the iconic Cactus Classic lost its track location. Attracting 327 entries, the 2024 edition of the race saw Spencer Rivkin (4WD Buggy) and Davey Batta (2WD Buggy) take the big wins. Continued to be sponsored by Stickit1 Racing, the race schedule will consist of 4 rounds of qualifying with the best three to count with triple finals for all 2WD and 4WD classes and 10-minute Mains for Truck classes.

View Desert Classic poster here