Chassis – Sworkz S35-4 EVO
Engine – O.S. Speed 2104
Fuel – Merlin 25%
Tires – VP Pro Blade M2
Radio/Servo – Futaba 10PX / Futaba CB701
Body – VP Pro
Remarks – Atsushi said the buggy he built just for this race is 100% out of the box with the only upgrade being the new coated shock casings from Sworkz.
Chassis – Tekno NB48 2.1
Engine – O.S. Speed 2101
Fuel – Energy
Tires – Jetko J-One
Radio/Servos – Futaba 10PX/Futaba CBS700
Body – JConcepts S15
Remarks – Describing his NB48 2.1 as pretty much standard out of the box, Jackson said the only thing different is his use of a T-Works screw set on the buggy.
Having established itself as Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race, the Philippine Masters takes place this weekend in Manila with the 12th edition of the famed race also counting as the second round of the ambitious 4-round Asian Buggy Championships. Almost 200 entries from 16 countries will battle in out in the capital for top honours in Nitro & Electric Buggy and Nitro Truggy with Team Associated’s 2023 winner Davide Ongaro leading the entry. The back to back 1:8 Offroad World Champion returns to the Philippine Masters for a fourth time but with his schedule means he’ll arrive just in time for the final seeding round and will have a little bit of catching up to do on his rivals. After a superb opening round to the Asian Buggy Championships at Counties RC in New Zealand, the best of Asia and Australasia, are joined by drivers from around the world including American Ryan Lutz, the Kyosho driver having taken the win at the season opener in February. This will be Lutz’s first time to attend the Philippine Masters with Sworkz’ Jorn Neumann, Sparko’s Ryan Pavadis and Team Associated’s Alex Bernadzik also rookies of the Circulo Verde track. Legend of the sport and former winner of the race Atsushi Hara makes a hugely popular return as does 2023 podium finisher Christian Wolhuter with both drivers running Sworkz buggies. Others expected to feature over the weekend include Tekno’s Jackson Beale, together with the finds of ABC Round 1, Kiwi duo Logan Toia and Jayden Jamieson.
Rightly famed for its incredible layout, the Circulo Verde track is the battleground for the Philippine Masters and once again Edward Sio and the team from Dogbone RC have produced a superb race track, with a clean, high traction surface. Drivers will face extended rhythm sections, off-camber corners, high-banked sections, and jumps that demand perfect timing and lines. High grip, together with low tyre wear on the oil-treated surface place Circulo Verde among the very best racetracks in the world. The pit area features everything a racer needs, from a three-story high driver’s stand, to cleaning facilities, work benches and on-site Dogbone RC hobby store.
Asian Buggy Championships promoter Scotty Ernst, who has played a key role in the established of the Philippine Masters becoming the major international race its is today, said, “I can’t wait to see the Philippine Masters unfold – it’s an absolute highlight of the racing schedule. I’m looking forward to spending the next week with our friends from the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, across Asia and beyond. We’re going to have a lot of fun.”
Red RC are excited to attending our 3rd Philippine Masters and reporting on how the weekend unfolds.
A former winner of the Philippine Masters, legend of the sport Atsushi Hara will make his return to the famed Manila based 1:8 Offroad event next week (April 18-21). The offroad and onroad World Champion, last contested the race in 2019 and will return to the Circulo Verde track at the controls of an Sworkz Buggy, a decade on from when he raced for manufacturer full time during the 2014 season. Joining the international entry that includes reigning World & Philippine Masters Champion Davide Ongaro, multiple Worlds finalist Kyle McBride, Asian Buggy Championship points leader & PM debutant Ryan Lutz, and another PM debutant Joern Neumann, on his return to the Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race former FEMCA Champion Hara said, “I am so excited to be back at Philippine Masters, because Philippine Masters is one of the best organizers in the world. This time, Sworkz and Cayote have helped me to enter the race! I am also looking forward to seeing my many friends and fans in the Philippines! See everybody at the track!”
Having originally looked set to miss this year’s Philippine Masters due to Warm-up Race commitments for the IFMAR 1:8 Buggy World Championships, the cancellation of Brazil hosting the Worlds means reigning back to back World Champion Davide Ongaro will return to Asia’s biggest annual 1:8 Offroad race for a fourth time. A winner of the event event prior to Covid, the Team Associated star successfully returned to the famous 3D layout Circulo Verde track located in the heart of Manila last year as the Philippine Masters made its return to the international stage after the forced 2 year break. Taking the TQ ahead of the Mayako of former World Champion Robert Batlle and the win ahead of Sworkz’ Micha Widmaier 12 months ago, this year the Italian’s competition for the April 18-21 event is set to come from an entry list that includes Kyosho pairing Ryan Lutz & Kyle McBride and Sworkz’ Joern Neumann. The 12th running of the Philippine Masters, the race is also the second round of the ambitious four round Asian Buggy Championships which is currently lead by American Lutz who won the opening round in New Zealand in February.
Last weekend thanks to the support of Hobbywing, Red RC made a return to the TITC for the 20-edition of this legendary Bangkok race. The biggest one yet, it has truly become the most significant annual electric Touring Car race in the World. It was extremely positive for the category to see so much manufacturer support for the race. Of all the major car brands, only Schumacher had no official team presence but here’s hoping the British manufacturer gives us the opportunity to see Michal Orlowski take on the challenging RC Addict track conditions for the first time next year. Such was the quality of the field, the B-Main was full of World Championship Finalist drivers and it was great to see six different manufacturers represented in the A-Main of Modified. Call us old school, but putting the iconic Tamiya logo in our results graphic was a nostalgic moment. In another positive for electric touring car we had three new cars at the race. We had the latest prototype from Yokomo, the Japanese brand going for a name change as the BD name is dropped in favour of MS for Master Speed. Nicolas Lee did try to get us permission for a chassis focus but we couldn’t get it across the line. Kyosho had two prototypes of what is expected to be their TF8. That news generated massive excitement, so much so Kyosho requested we take down the story we ran on their return to the category. Finally Ryan Maker debuted his exciting new SP1 that will see him realise the dream of his RC Maker brand becoming a fully fledged car manufacturer. While both RC Maker and Kyosho allowed us to look at their new creations, we were not granted permission to photograph them for a Chassis Focus which we fully understand given the cars’ designs are still to be fully finalised. Over the event we did however photograph 12 cars from seven different manufacturers and we have compiled them all here in our latest Chassis Focus index.
Alexander Hagberg (2nd Overall) – Xray X4 ’24
Jilles Groskamp – Infinity IF4 II TE
Marc Rheinard (3rd Overall) – Awesomatix A800R
Ronald Volker (Top Qualifer) – Mugen Seiki MTC2R
Kato Kouki – Infinity IF14 TE
Akio Sobue – Axon TC10/3
Bruno Coelho (Champion) – Xray X4 ’24
Souta Goto – Tamiya TRF 421
Naoto Matsukura – Infinity IF14 TE
Lucas Urbain – Awesomatix A800R
Atsushi Hara – Xpress XQ11 “Hara Edition”
Open Brushless
Simon Lauter (Top Qualifier & Champion) – Awesomatix A800R
