ABC Summary from Facebook

Asian Buggy Championship facebook page published a great summary of the ABC event for 2024. For the original check out the post here

ABC 2024 SEASON REVIEW

The first full season of the Asian Buggy Championships is complete, and what a season it’s been! At the end of four races on four unique race tracks, in four different countries and featuring a total of 797 entries, we’ve crowned 22 class/event winners and three series champions. It’s been a season of highs, and we thought we’d take a look back over 2024. First though, a word from Scotty Ernst:

"As the 2024 season of the ABC has come to a close we look back at what was an amazing year. The series is of course based around racing but this year we found that the ABC is far more than just racing. It is about travelling to unique and interesting countries, and meeting fellow hobbyists who share the same passion we all have for RC. It is about the friends we have made from around the region who together make the ABC what it is. We thank the tracks for allowing us to bring the show to their amazing facilities and all the sponsors who believe in what we are trying to give racers: an exciting, fun and professionally run racing series. We look forward to giving the racers and the industry an even better series in 2025."

ROUND 1: COUNTIES RC, NEW ZEALAND

Our season kicked off all the way back in February at Counties RC Car Club in New Zealand. The Counties crew, led by Shane O’Connor put together an outstanding race-track, and an ideal series opener. Starting soft and loamy, the track packed down to a hard, medium traction surface and developed real character that tested driving and setup. It was an excellent venue and event, and brilliant hospitality from the Kiwis including a fabulous Saturday night racer dinner. We can’t wait to go back in ’25.

On track, Ryan Lutz made his first appearance in the series to dominate both Nitro and Electric Buggy classes. In Nitro, he led home New Zealand’s Logan Toia and Australian Kyle McBride, while in EP, it was a cracking race between Lutz and Australian duo Caleb Noble and McBride. Nobody will forget the A2 EP Buggy final with Noble winning a race-long duel ahead of Lutz with a brilliant last-lap pass. Another highlight was local junior Dylan Toia’s giant-killing run to the top 10 of Nitro Buggy.

Other class wins went to Jayden Jamieson (Nitro Truggy), Kenley Brown (EP Truggy), Ben Panic (Masters Nitro), and Paul Mason (Masters EP). Ben Boyt took a big win in the Junior final.

ROUND 2: PHILIPPINE MASTERS, CIRCULO VERDE

From New Zealand, we headed north-west to Manila for the Philippine Masters 2024. With Edward Sio leading the Circulo Verde crew, we were greeted by an absolutely stunning race track, a visual feast of fast, flowing corners peppered with the kinds of jumps and cambers that the Masters is famous for. With the usual kind and generous welcome, a crew of dedicated, professional marshalls, and racers from across the globe, this was an event that promised something special. A new oil-based surface treatment delivered challenging tyre choice, but the holy grail of high traction and low wear to prove popular.

And boy did the Masters deliver on all that promise. Current World Champion Davide Ongaro made his annual visit, joining 2008 Champ Atsushi Hara in what was a welcome return to high-level racing for the Japanese master. Ongaro proved too strong, overcoming an early engine cut to drive through the field, passing Hara and going on to the Nitro Buggy win. Ryan Pavidis made his first series appearance (and first international race) to be second at the flag, Hara third ahead of a talent-packed field that included the likes of Ryan Lutz, Alex Bernadzik and Joern Neumann. In EP Buggy it was Ongaro again, this time getting home ahead of Germany’s Joern Neumann and leading Australian talent Alex Bernadzik. Christian Wolhuter finished 5th in Nitro and 9th in EP to get his series campaign underway.

Plamen Petrov made it a good week for Europeans, scooping up the Nitro Truggy win, while Edward Sio was a deserved and popular winner in the Masters Nitro Buggy class and the Junior final went the way of Yujun Jang.

ROUND 3: PINE HILLS DIRT RACING, AUSTRALIA

So to Pine Hills Dirt Racing in Brisbane on Australia’s east coast for Round three – our second visit to PHDR after the club featured in our inaugural 2023 series. With a good mix of international drivers and a huge local turnout, this was our biggest race of the series at just under 270 entries. Zac Ryan, Ty Beale and the Pine Hills team stepped it up a notch, with a beautifully presented facility the envy of clubs and tracks the world over. The track itself offered a Pine Hills signature technical layout, combined with high grip, all set in a beautiful sporting ground and surrounded by Australian bushland.

Throughout qualifying, this round looked destined to go the way of Alex Bernadzik – but nobody told his uber-talented Australian compatriot Caleb Noble. Noble was stunning in the finals, scooping up both Nitro and EP Buggy, and a slashing win in Nitro Truggy to make it three-for-three. Nitro Buggy was a race-long battle with Bernadzik, and Christian Wolhuter building on a big year to run through the field to third – getting around US visitors Ryan Pavidis and Walker Spinrad along the way. In EP, Kyle McBride was the man who chased Noble hardest, Bernadzik third.

In the other classes, Nathan Healy backed up his 2023 win in EP Truggy, and Paul Ciccarello made the long trip from the US worthwhile, taking wins in both EP and Nitro Buggy Masters classes. Local youngster Jarrod Cooke ran away with the Junior final.

ROUND 4: WESTSIDE RACEWAY, INDONESIA

All that brought us to the final round of the series, hosted by Adrian Wicaksono and the West Side RaceWay team in Jakarta, Indonesia. Early photos of the track barely did it justice, racers arriving to a stunning red clay layout in this tropical country. Shaped and sculpted to perfection, the appearance of the track was matched only by the fun of driving it, and the warmth of welcome extended by our Indonesian hosts. It was, indeed, the perfect way to wrap up an outstanding season of racing.

On track, we saw the first appearance of 6-time World Champion Naoto Matsukura and his Japanese teammate Kouki Kato. Kato, in particular, found his groove quickly, dropping stunning times and serving notice. So it turned out, the Japanese national champ too fast throughout the Nitro Buggy final, Christian Wolhuter getting the better of a race-long battle that included both Matsukura and eventual third-placed man (and host) Adrian Wicaksono – a result that delighted the local crowd.

Over in EP Buggy, Wolhuter got home in a tight fight over Jonathan Yeung and Rama Tribudiman, while John Agus took the Masters Nitro Buggy win over series front-runner Ben Panic.

THE SEASON WRAP

Christian Wolhuter, on the back of top five results in Manila, Brisbane and Jakarta took the Nitro Buggy series championship – the first time we’ve crowned a series champion. He backed it up with solid results in EP Buggy to double up – winning that class as well. Meanwhile Ben Panic – one of our most travelled and most committed supporters of the series - took the Masters Buggy championship win.

All of which leaves us just to hand out a few thank yous. First, to the racers who made this series so special, travelling across the region and across the world to join the fun. Second, to the Shane, Edward, Zac, Adrian and your respective teams and volunteers – our event hosts put together four unique and brilliant race tracks that we could not have loved more. And finally to our series partners and sponsors: Matrix Racing Tires, XRAY, Inf1nityofficial, Beach RC & Hobbies, Team Losi Racing, JConcepts Inc, Sweep Racing, Coast2coastrc, Mach-1 RC Products, and Power HD – thank you for your support in bringing this series to life.

2025 - IT’S ON!

And we’re back at it in 2025! We’ll once again kick off the season at Counties RC in New Zealand (March), before making our way to the Philippine Masters (30 April-4 May) for Round Two and a race that promises to be huge in 2025. We’ll then return to Pine Hills Dirt Racing in July for Round Three, and hope to once again wrap the series at Westside Raceway in Indonesia. Full dates and details will be announced shortly so that you can start making travel plans.

From Scotty Ernst and the whole Asian Buggy Championship team – including our media crew of Tony Firth, Matt Seckold and Tate Firth of RC Race Media, Joel Navarro and Scott Guyatt (Action R/C) – we extend one final thanks to everybody who hosted, watched, raced, volunteered, marshalled, cooked, cleaned, built, maintained and cheered along. What a season!