The Hirosaka era, for mine, overlapped with another amazing era – the AE vs Losi, US dominated era from the mid-90s. Think of names like Matt Francis, Mark Pavidis and of course, Brian Kinwald. The battles raged both in the US, and at IFMAR events across the planet.

By 2003, Ryan Cavalieri, Ryan Maifield, and Jared Tebo had emerged. Cavalieri took his first of four IFMAR wins in 2003. Between the three of them, they’d annex eight IFMAR Championship wins in the 10th off-road classes over the next decade-and-a-half. The trio dominated, the fight raging across the globe.

And then in 2015, 16-year old Spencer Rivkin attended his first World Championship event, winning in Japan at the famed Yatabe Arena. He’d win again in 2019, a record matched by Bruno Coelho RC Driver, who won at the same two events. They’ve both been joined in this era of global competition by the likes of Michal Orlowski, Dakotah Phend, and David Ronnefalk.

In one sense, we’re still in that era. Rivkin, Coelho (though not currently running 1/10 offroad), Orlowski, and Phend are some of the fastest racers on the planet, and all still relatively young. They’ll be at the peak of their powers for the next decade, and more.

And yet…you can’t help but wonder if this week we’ve seen the emergence of yet another era, another generation of global superstars with two new 1/10th World Champions crowned at Hills Offroad RC in Australia.

Marcus Kærup RC Driver is just 17 years old. Broc Champlin RC is 23, but this week emerged a global superstar for the first time. Daniel Kobbevik sport is 19, Davey Batta RC a similar age, and Burak Kilic is 21.

Kaerup added the 4wd crown to his eBuggy IFMAR win from last month, and you have to think they won’t be his last. Champlin, Batta, and Kobbevik are well known and have big-race wins in their own parts of the world – but this week marked a step-change for all three. And then the ferociously competitive Kilic, better known for 8th buggy, made a giant stride onto the world stage. Add occasional 1/10th racer Davide Ongaro RC, who now has two wins and two podiums from his three World Championship visits, and we have the basis of the next era of IFMAR champions.

The battle between these newcomers and the likes of Rivkin, Phend, Orlowski, and Ronnefalk might just shape the next ten years. The competition will be phenomenal to watch, no matter the location or surface that pops up in 2027, 2029, and beyond.

And then there’s the next generation again. Think of Bartek Zalewski Rc, or Scotland’s Daniel Pole RC, as just two examples. Neither will wait ten years to have their turn. Kaerup, Champlin, Batta, Kobbevik, and Kilic will have to be looking over their shoulders, sooner rather than later.

Only history will tell us for sure just how pivotal Hills Off Road RC
was in 2025. As we sit here tonight, it sure feels important.