WAROFTHEWORLDS
The most coveted title in RC—IFMAR 1/8-Scale Off-Road World Championships
WORdS AAron WAldron phOTOS liverC
The NFL calls the winner of the Super Bowl the “World Champions” even
though no team lies outside of the United States; the same goes for Major
League Baseball, whose only remaining international team is the Toronto Blue
Jays. The International Federation of Model Auto Racing (IFMAR) that sanctions the official world championship races for radio control, on the other hand,
counts more than 40 nations as members—international, indeed. Among the
different car classifications that IFMAR recognizes, 1/8-scale nitro off-road has
grown to be not only the most popular but also the most exclusive for drivers
and manufacturers alike, with only one repeat winner in the event’s 26-year
history of biannual competition—and that was back in 1994. When hundreds of
the world’s fastest off-roaders convene to compete for what has become the
premier title for an entire industry, the excitement is palpable. When the final
event goes down to the wire, it’s electrifying.
