EN
The RCRA 2026 IC National Championship for the 1:8th Scale GT class took place over the weekend of October 17th and 18th, 2026, covering both the qualifying rounds and the championship finals. I competed in this premier event piloting the Serpent SRX8 GTR EC platform.
Qualifying:
The Serpent SRX8 GTR EC platform performed flawlessly straight out of the box during the qualifying stages. The setup allowed for an impressive run, successfully taking TQ in four of the five completed rounds. Heading into the final qualifying run before Sunday’s championship finals, I took the time to perform a shakedown run of the car after a night of refreshing. Prior to the last round of qualifying, the top five at the sharp end of the field included Rick Seymonsbergen, Alistair Ritchie (NZ, Serpent), Ross Lalic (Serpent), and Lockie Roach (NZ). The mechanical grip of the chassis, combined with the power of my OS-based TIMED engine and the precision of my Futaba electronics, provided the exact race package needed to secure the overall Top Qualifier position.
The 45-Minute GT Final:
Starting from pole in the 45-minute A-Main final required a strict focus on consistency, tire preservation, and fueling strategy. The car remained exceptionally stable as the track evolved, allowing me to maintain an average pace of 19.176 seconds per lap and record a fastest lap of 18.200 seconds. Other than one stint where the engine went rich due to a change in weather, the power delivery from the TIMED engine was perfectly tuned for the 45-minute duration, ensuring reliable mileage between pit stops.
Ultimately, I was able to put in a commanding performance to secure the 2026 GT National Title, successfully defending my 2025 titles and making it back-to-back wins. I crossed the line with a total of 140 laps in a time of 45:04.163. This result placed me a full five laps ahead of Lockie Roach, who secured second place with 135 laps. Rick Seymonsbergen completed the podium in third place with 133 laps.
Serpent Driver Highlights & Special Mentions:
A special mention goes out to the incredibly strong contingent of fellow Serpent SRX8 GT drivers who competed at this year's Nationals. It was fantastic to see so many Serpent platforms represented across the field, including Ross Lalic finishing just off the podium in 4th (132 laps) and Bang Phi Trinh taking 5th (127 laps). Augustus Northard drove to a solid 6th place (125 laps), followed by James White in 7th (119 laps). New Zealand's Alistair Ritchie crossed the line in 9th (99 laps), with Wade Jacobsen in 11th (57 laps), Steve Tully in 13th (46 laps), and Rex Creed in 14th rounding out the Serpent representation.
In the 200mm Nitro Tourer class, a massive shoutout goes to Tom Tsiklas. It was a pleasure to pit for him in both his semi-final and the main event. After putting in a stellar drive to win his semi and bump up into the A-Main, Tom secured an impressive 6th place overall finish against a highly competitive field.
Winning the 2026 Australian National Title is a fantastic testament to the pace and durability of the Serpent SRX8 GTR EC platform. A flawless 45-minute run at this level would be impossible without top-tier equipment and dedicated pit support. A massive thank you goes out to David Chen, Alyssa Spiteri, Jono, and Tom Tsiklas for their critical support, rapid refueling, and mechanical coordination on pit lane throughout the entire weekend.
Of course, a big thank you to Mr Lau from Serpent for providing me with all the chassis support I need, Tim Duggan from TIMED for all his engine work, as well as Bryan Ruttley from Moonshine for my blend of race fuel. A massive shout-out to all the other companies that support me and my racing program. You make racing around the world a lot easier to do!
Congratulations to all the newly crowned National Champions, podium finishers, and every competitor who took part in a brilliant weekend of racing.
