Red RC » R Off Road

November 30, 2024

Battle confirms Mayako departure

A little over a year after David Ronnefalk’s departure, Mayako’s other former World Champion Robert Battle has official confirmed his departure from the manufacturer via his social media. Joining the team for the 2023 season from Mugen Seiki, the 2012 World Champion put his Mayako in the final at this year’s IFMAR World Championship in Redovan. Confirming his departure, the Spaniard expected to be headed to Sworkz, he posted, ‘Thank you Mayako Community for that amazing two years, I learnt so much about RC and life. Experience that I will never forget. Now it is time to take another chapter, I hope you can understand the decision, I’m sure you will. Thank you again for everything you did for me, you will have my help at tracks forever!’

Source: Robert Battle [Facebook]

November 29, 2024

Schimmel & Sutherland announce TLR departure

Just days after Team Losi Racing made an announcement on its ‘New Vision’ for 2025 and the introduction of their all-new 2025 Ambassador program, IFMAR World Championship Finalist Brennan Schimmel and leading US Stock Offroad racer Nate Sutherland have each separately announced via their social media their departure from the iconic offroad chassis brand. Both drivers highlighted the manufacturer loosing its ‘team dynamic’ in particular over the last year, no doubt the departure of the popular figure Thomas Tran a contributing factor. Joining TLR five years ago, Sutherland, a winner at the recent Florida Carpet Championship, stated he ‘wasn’t planning on leaving’, the Iowa driver also confirming his departure from one time RC racing powerhouse Pro-Line tyres which was bought by TLR owners Horizon Hobby four years ago. 22-year-old Schimmel, took direct aim at the TLR’s owners, saying that the ‘company let the team down and dumped its core people like they had no value, like they didn’t exist.’ With TLR’s very low profile presence at this year’s IFMAR 1:8 Offroad World Championship in Spain fuelling much talk in racing circles about their future commitment to competitive racing, lets hope we are not witnessing the demise of a brand that was created by one of the great pioneers of RC racing, Gil Losi Snr, and which has played such a major part in the history and great rivalries of offroad racing.

Read each driver’s announcement here

November 26, 2024

Team Losi Racing 2025 Racing Announcement

With much talk in racing circles about Team Losi Racing’s future commitment to competitive racing, the famed brand has just made an announcement on its ‘New Vision’ for 2025. In the announcement the offroad manufacturer, which is part of the RC model industry giant Horizon Hobby, state that for 2025 they are committed to developing a new 2WD platform including a Stadium Truck while also ‘refreshing’ its 4WD, and ‘refining’ the 8X. The announcement opens on the subject its race team stating that as the ‘racing landscape continues to evolve’ they are evolving their race team program ‘to ensure its sustainability, growth, and long-term success’. While winners of a World Championship as recently as 2023, when Tater Sontag took the 2WD Buggy title at Hobby Action in Arizona, TLR has not been the force it once was in racing so lets hope this announcement results in TLR being back at the forefront of international offroad competition once again.

Read full announcement here

November 22, 2024

Sworkz to defend MIBO International title

Having made their debut at MIBO International last year and claimed the 2WD Buggy title with Joern Neumann, Sworkz is the first team to confirm its participation in the third edition of the annual Czech Republic based event. Taking place on February 07-09, with practice starting on the Friday evening, multiple European Champion Neumann and Micha Widmaier will travel to Hrotovice to represent the manufacturer at the indoor event once again. MIBO International brings together both electric offroad and onroad racing on two tracks build side by side in the Sport V Hotel by the team from Mibosport. With entries for the event having opened this week, the Offroad track will cater for 2WD and 4WD Buggy and ‘Offroad Kids’, while on the onroad track the racing action will cater for Modified, Stock & FWD Touring car with a 1:12 GT 13.5T class as well as ‘Onroad Kids’ being introduced for 2025. With a capped entry limit the relaxed schedule means plenty of time in the evening to wind down and socialise over dinner after each day’s racing.

Source: MIBO [mibosport.com]

November 21, 2024

2025 Asian Buggy Championships Calendar

Scotty Ernst’s Asian Buggy Championships has announced confirmed dates for the first three rounds of the 2025 Championship with dates for the season finale, Round 4, set to be confirmed soon. Kicking off once again in New Zealand on March 19-23, entries will open on December 1st for the Counties RC Car Club hosted round which has a 250 entry limit. The Championships, of which Sworkz driver Christian Wolhuter is the of newly crowned overall 2024 Buggy Champion, head north for the legendary race that is the 2025 Philippine Masters on April 30 – May 4. This is an event that attracts some of the very best racers not just from the Asia-Pacific region, but across the globe. Pine Hills in Brisbane, Australia is the next stop for Round 3 on July 16-20. The technical, high grip challenges of the PHDR circuit that made this the biggest ABC event of 2024. New to the calendar in 2024 and presenting a proper dirt track that attracted world wide attention, the 2025 Asian Buggy Championships will wrap up at the stunning West Side RC Raceway in Jakarta, Indonesia. The beautiful racing surface, amazing facility and impressive hospitality make it a perfect way to round out the third season of the Asian Buggy Championships with the date set to confirmed as soon as possible.

View 2025 Calendar herr

November 21, 2024

Ielasi Tuned to power Berton

A driver who is set for a completely new race package going into the 2025 season, Kyosho bound Riccardo Berton is to use Ielasi Tuned engines to power his offroad race program. The Italian engine tuner who was represented in the 1:8 Offroad World Championship final in Spain in September with Joao Figueiredo, announced, ‘We are super happy to have one other top driver with us. He will use our TERRA offroad engine with the 2186FT combo in the upcoming seasons. Together we will keep good results, good luck Ricky.’ Reacting to his new engine deal, Berton, who was also in the final in Redovan with former chassis sponsors Infinity and former engine sponsor O.S. Engines, said, “I am very happy to join Ielasi Tuned for 2025 and 2026, I always admire their attitude on and off the track and I really look forward to start the new season with them, let’s go!!”

Source: Ielasi Tuned [ielasituned.com]

November 21, 2024

2025 MIBO International registration opens

The MIBO International Race in the Czech Republic which takes place on February 07-09 has announced that registration for the third edition of the annual race is now open. Organised by former international touring car racer Michal Bok, the race brings together both electric onroad and offroad racing on two tracks build side by side by the team from Mibosport. Realising a long time dream to host his own major international event in Hrotovice, Bok’s first edition of MIBO International saw Mugen’s Ronald Volker crowned the inaugural Touring Car Champion and Xray’s Bruno Coelho take double buggy honours at the Sport V Hotel venue. In 2024 it was Schumacher’s Michal Orlowski who took the Touring Car win while on the Offroad track it was Sworkz’ Joern Neumann in 2WD and Xray’s Bartek Zalewski in 4WD that came away as the Champions. With everything from the track, restaurant, bowling alley and hotel rooms all under one roof, the venue was a hit with racers who travelled from more than 13 different countries. With a capped entry limit the relaxed schedule also meant plenty of time in the evening to wind down and socialise over dinner after each day’s racing. On the onroad track, the racing action will again cater for Modified, Stock & FWD Touring car with a 1:12 GT 13.5T class being introduced for 2025. Having successfully had an offroad class for young racers the past two years, for 2025 there will also be ‘Onroad Kids’. The Offroad track will cater for 2WD and 4WD Buggy and of course ‘Offroad Kids’. Red RC is once again looking forward to making the return trip to Czech Republic which will kick off our 2025 race coverage.

Source: MIBO [mibosport.com]

November 15, 2024

Landen joins Power HD team

Leading servo manufacturer Power HD has announced the signing of Offroad European Championship Finalist, 3 time Swedish National Champion and 2 time Nordic Champion Alexander Landén to their team. The Team Associated racer will use Power HD’s popular low profile servo GTS-3 in his 1:10 buggies and their high torque 4-pole brushless GTS-6 servo in 1:8 racing. On joining Power HD the 19-year-old Swede said, “I have tried many servo brands throughout the years, and I was happy to get the opportunity to evaluate the Power HD servos. Immediately when I tested them I really felt “in touch” with the steering in my cars. I also felt that the servo was very precise and was able to hold position even through the most loaded corners, the car just felt calm throughout the entire turn, exactly what you are looking for in a servo. I am very happy and proud to be joining the PowerHD program and I am certain it will give me what I need in servos for the coming years.”

Source: PowerHD [chd.hk]