LiveRC’s Silly Season tracker - who is going where? [UPDATED]

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By Aaron Waldron
LiveRC.com

Sponsorship contracts typically cover a calendar year, so each winter is filled with speculation about which drivers will be changing teams for the following season. For most hobbyists, switching sponsors is often the result of getting a better discount or trying something new, but for the world’s top pros who make a living on the racetrack the stakes are quite a bit higher. Because the RC racing world is so tightly knit (and the Internet is so instant), a juicy rumor can spread like wildfire through the industry in mere hours.

The LiveRC inboxes have been flooded these last few weeks with “he said, she said” from pit areas across the country. Rather than keep regurgitating what we’ve heard from other people, Brandon and I have researched the following rumors to the best of our abilities, talking to credible sources and respecting those who wish to speak off the record.

We’ve ranked the likelihood of these rumors coming true on a scale of 1 to 5 because, again, many contracts run through the end of the month and can’t be confirmed until then - and nothing is official until press releases are issued. This article will be updated as rumors are debunked, drivers are signed, deals fall apart, and feelings are hurt.

[UPDATE] Dec. 30, 2:49 PM CT

Cody King leaving Kyosho for HB Racing

As the offseason kicked into gear following the conclusion of the IFMAR Worlds in October, the RC industry rumor mill heavily suggested that Cody King was on his way out from long-time sponsor Kyosho - until the former world champion announced on December 6 that he had signed a two-year contract extension (read about it here). However, those rumors have fired back up over the holidays along with the addition of HB Racing as a potential destination. Though no one has confirmed the move on the record, two different sources have told us a deal is in the works - and on Wednesday around 1:15 pm CT, newly-hired HB Racing team manager Victor Guerrero shared this cryptic message on Facebook:

Could it happen? It’s difficult to see King leaving Kyosho after a decade of racing for the Japanese brand, and I still don't know if I believe it. I was going to mark this rumor a "2" and chalk up Guerrero's post as a coincidence, but the post on King's Facebook page from November 30 announcing the Kyosho contract extension seems to have been removed…

[UPDATE] Dec. 30, 2:49 PM CT

Photo: Rugspin Graphix

CJ Jelin leaving HB Racing for XRAY

Though he was named as a member of the HB Racing junior squad by then-team manager Gord Tessmann in July, twelve-year-old NorCal off-road racer CJ Jelin was spotted at Delta RC Raceway in Antioch, CA driving an XRAY XB8 buggy (topped with one of his previously-painted D815 bodies) earlier this month.

Not only does that suggest Jelin will be switching teams for 2017, but it lends extra credibility to the rumors that Tessmann will join the Slovakian brand as well.

Ty Tessmann leaving HB Racing for XRAY

The rumor that has picked up regarding Tessmann’s 2017 plans is XRAY, which would make him the Slovakian brand’s biggest star ever in North America. Tessmann would pair nicely with 2015 IFMAR 4WD World Champion Bruno Coelho, though it may be interesting to see how the Tessmanns fit into XRAY’s in-house development strategy. Still, XRAY probably has the most to gain by signing Tessmann for 2017 - and likely the only brand with the budget available.

[UPDATE] Dec. 30, 2:49 PM CT

It's no secret that this is a done deal - and it has been confirmed off the record. What has been a secret is that, according to the same source who provided the photo of CJ Jelin's new XB8, that Tessmann may have had his own XRAY buggy since as early as February's Dirt Nitro Challenge - of course, teams test each other's vehicles all the time, so it may have just been a routine exercise. But still!

[UPDATE] Dec. 30, 2:49 PM CT

Dakotah Phend leaving Team Orion for Tekin

Dakotah Phend has raced for Team Orion since 2008, scoring a handful of national championships and establishing himself as a front-runner in both electric and nitro off-road racing. We’ve heard that Phend may be looking to change nitro engines for next year, and that may be creating the divide between himself and Team Orion - a brand who produces power plants for both disciplines. If he does in fact leave Orion, Tekin sounds like the most likely destination.

We’ve heard some more news on this front - specifically that Tekin may not be able to allot the resources needed to snag Phend away from Team Orion. We’re backing this rumor down to “not likely.”

Tekin team manager Randy Pike confirmed that Dakotah will return to Orion for electric racing rather than sign with Tekin. Pike sent an email to us in which he said, “Phend chose to stay with Orion. We had the resources. We wish him the best of luck in future racing. He simply chose to stay with Orion after they stepped up to pay him.”

[UPDATE] Dec. 30, 2:49 PM CT

Dakotah Phend leaving Team Orion for REDS Racing

If Phend does in fact stop using Team Orion nitro engines for next year, we’re hearing that REDS Racing could be a fit - as it was for both Ryan Maifield and Tanner Denney, who joined a similar program. Though REDS Racing does also produce electric motors and speed controls it’s not expected to be a deal-breaker.

See above: since it sounds less likely that Phend will be leaving Team Orion, he may stick with them for nitro as well.

In a Neobuggy interview earlier this month (you can read it here: www.neobuggy.net/2016/12/14/interview-with-hb-racing-team-orions-adrien-bertin/), Team Orion’s Adrien Bertin confirmed that Phend was not going to run the brand’s nitro engines in 2017.

Bertin said, “We decided with Dakotah to stop our collaboration regarding his nitro programme after a long and successful relationship with Nationals titles and 3 Worlds A-Mains in a row. The situation of competition and specially of the nitro market is getting really difficult and we couldn’t agree on the contract renewal in this sector.” 

While this does not confirm the rumors of Phend moving to REDS, that seems most likely.

 [UPDATE] Dec. 21, 2:16 PM CT

Ryan Maifield leaving Team Losi Racing for Mugen Seiki

Ryan Maifield has ties not only to fellow Arizona resident Mike Truhe but also fellow national champ Adam Drake - with whom Maifield was hoping to team up after the move to TLR before Drake’s departure. I’ve heard that Maifield has run a Mugen Seiki Racing buggy at a local Arizona outdoor track on at least two occasions, and although driving a car in the offseason doesn’t necessarily mean he’s on the move, he did reportedly spend quite some time weighing his options before moving to TLR in 2014. Of course, a deal with Mugen Seiki would only take care of Maifield for 1/8-scale off-road…

Yesterday morning around 8 AM CT, Mugen Seiki team manager Tim Long posted on Facebook that he was "feeling disappointed" - and although no context was given, conversation in the comments section naturally gravitated toward assuming this meant the Maifield deal had fallen through. In fact, two weeks ago someone with inside info told me he thought the moving-to-Mugen rumors were just to give Maifield greater leverage in negotiations with Horizon Hobby and that he wouldn't be surprised if Ryan stayed with TLR after all. Obviously it's taking a lot of assumptions to connect the dots here, but I'm still going to knock this rumor down a couple of notches.

It's happening. While the Maifield-to-Mugen rumors had cooled off a couple of weeks ago, members of both parties have told us off-the-record that Maifield is in fact leaving Team Losi Racing for Mugen Seiki in 2017 - though the announcement will likely wait until the first of the year.

[UPDATE] Dec. 21, 2:16 PM CT

Ryan Maifield leaving Team Losi Racing for Yokomo

…and that’s why the rumors hinting Maifield could also sign with Yokomo actually make sense. Yokomo currently has Carson Wernimont racing for them in the United States, so adding Maifield would give the Japanese brand a strong 1-2 punch. Yokomo hasn’t had a big North American racing presence since TLR and AE drivers stopped racing Yokomo 4WD buggies in the late-90s and early 2000s, so this would be huge for both Maifield and Yokomo.

Of course, if Ryan stays with Team Losi Racing after all, as mentioned above, the Yokomo deal also becomes a non-factor.

See above: we have every reason to believe Maifield is going to Mugen Seiki, and while none of our sources expressly confirmed this part of the rumor, running Yokomo 1/10-scale off-road cars is supposed to be part of the deal.

[UPDATE] Dec. 21, 2:16 PM CT

Robert Batlle leaving Procircuit for AKA

Though AKA is reportedly losing world champions Ryan Cavalieri and David Ronnefalk, it sounds like they’re getting Jared Tebo back as well as 2012 champ Robert Batlle. Batlle has been tied to the Spanish tire company Procircuit and accompanying Modelix brands Ultimate and Nitrolux for quite some time, so we’re not sure how this move could affect those other deals, but it sounds like Batlle will bolster AKA’s European presence for 2017.

UPDATE: Batlle confirmed this move with a statement via Facebook:

"After many remarcable moments with Modelix, time has come for a change in my equipment.

It's been some great years and I want to thank, Marc, Christian, Roger and everyone at Modelix for believing in this project and helping me through this awesome journey, achieving a Worlds, one Euros, 6 Nats and many other victories.

This is our achievement, because only when a working team provides what is needed and makes it the best possible way, great things can be done together.

I want to end this text by doing a special mention to our friendship, to all the Modelix family, it has been real and I feel proud for it. Thank you so much for this long relationship that we will preserve forever.

Thanks, Modelix Family."

[UPDATE] Dec. 21, 2:16 PM CT

Robert Batlle leaving Ultimate for Picco

With speculation that Robert Batlle will leave behind Procircuit tires to join AKA this offseason, indicating a rift between himself and Spanish distributor Modelix, he’d likely be looking for new engines as well - which explains why Batlle reportedly stayed after the recent Winter Cup at IBR Padova to test with Picco Micromotori. This rumor sounds pretty strong.

UPDATE: The statement above confirming Batlle's departure from Modelix Racing pretty much solidifies this move.

[UPDATE] Dec. 20, 2:03 PM CT

Dustin Evans leaving Team Losi Racing for Team Associated

As if this offseason wasn't yet full of surprises, I've heard that 2011 Reedy Race Invitational champion Dustin Evans will count 2016 as the last of a ten-year run with TLR to join rival squad Team Associated. The Colorado native specializes in electric off-road, making him a solid fit to contribute to the development of the B6 platform, and his home track - MHOR RC Raceway in Aurora - was also a favorite of AE engineer Kody Numedahl before he moved to California. While this rumor only picked up recently I've heard it corroborated by a couple of different sources.

[UPDATE] Dec. 9, 7:04 PM CT

Steven Hartson leaving Team Associated for...retirement

I’ve heard a few rumors about the 2013 IFMAR 4WD World Champion stepping away from the RC industry completely - and the fact that he’s not on the entry list for the 2017 Reedy Race of Champions at his home track, OCRC Raceway, certainly lends credibility to the idea that he’s at least taking a break. Team Associated has a bunch of fast young racers across the country - perhaps one of them (or another star from a different team) will take his place?

[UPDATE] Dec. 9, 7:04 PM CT

Dakotah Phend leaving Team Losi Racing for Infinity

This rumor seems like a shot in the dark - we have no credible sources to back it up. We know Infinity is digging for another off-road driver to join Lee Martin and this was the latest name we’ve heard in connection with the company, but we don’t even know if they’ve talked. Just because someone said this doesn't mean it's got any basis in truth - so we're sticking this one with a "1" for now.

[UPDATE] Dec. 8, 10:36 AM CT

Jared Tebo leaving Kyosho for Infinity

The heavy-spenders at Creation Model, who seemingly snatched half the nitro on-road pit area this past year, are rumored to be signing a very successful driver to join Lee Martin on its fledgling off-road team (click here for the story). From what we've heard, that driver could be Jared Tebo - a two-time electric off-road world champion and 2010 ROAR Fuel Off-Road Nationals double winner. Tebo has raced for Kyosho since the start of the 2009 season and while it could be difficult to imagine he'd go anywhere else after the success he's enjoyed with the Japanese company, we heard that Kyosho was concerned enough about his potential departure that it could've influenced their decision to keep Cody King after initial rumors said they were going separate directions.

Tebo took to Facebook to squash rumors of him leaving Kyosho for Infinity, posting the following message shortly before 9 AM CT on Thursday: 

That goes directly against what we were told from two different sources - that the conversation had at least happened - but for now we’re backing the rumor down to a 1 - not likely.

[UPDATE] Dec. 8, 10:36 AM CT

Marc Rheinard to Infinity

Though the four-time ISTC World Champion isn’t listed as an official team member on the Creation Model website, Rheinard did compete with the Infinity team at the Euro Nitro Series finale in Italy in October. The company currently only produces a nitro 1/8-scale on-road car, but we know they’re working on 200mm nitro and 1/10-scale electric touring cars as well as a 1/8-scale nitro buggy - so the German may fit right in with their plans. Infinity has signed a wide assortment of top drivers over the last year and seems to have the budget to grab whoever they want - still, this is pure speculation with no credible sources.

[UPDATE] Dec. 8, 10:36 AM CT

Marc Rheinard to Yokomo

Again, more totally random guessing that Rheinard could end up with another current sponsor. Rheinard currently races for Yokomo in 1/12-scale and off-road, so it seems logistically simple that they could just add him to their touring car team - but of course, there’d have to be some discussion about the salary difference versus Rheinard having a separate sponsor for what’s historically been his best class. Is it possible? Sure. Is it likely? Not yet.

[UPDATE] Dec. 7, 2:45 PM CT

Joe Bornhorst leaving Byron Fuels for NitroPro Fuel

Earlier today, we reported on news that Byron Fuels is allegedly cutting their pro race team for 2017 - leaving the company's existing top drivers to scramble for new fuel sponsors before next season. The first driver rumored to be connected to another brand is Joe Bornhorst, as the increasingly-valuable Ohio native may ink a deal with Florida-based NitroPro Fuel. NitroPro has been on an upward trajectory over the last couple of years as they signed Dylan Rodriguez in 2015 and Cole Ogden last season, so snatching up Bornhorst sounds like a good fit.

Ryan Cavalieri leaving AKA, going to JConcepts

Ryan Cavalieri’s tenure with AKA began in in 2013, and may be ending with the close of the 2016 season as the four-time world champ is expected to move to JConcepts. Cavalieri has often chosen JConcepts bodies throughout his time with AKA, and drove the JConcepts BJ4 4WD buggy in the mid-2000s following his departure from Team Losi Racing - including a win at the IFMAR World Championship in 2005 - but has otherwise been tied to either Pro-Line Racing or AKA for the last decade. Our sources tell us this rumor is pretty legit.

Ryan Cavalieri leaving Team Orion, going to Muchmore Racing

Even more surprising than Cavalieri leaving AKA is his supposed departure from Team Orion after over a decade. After jumping back and forth from Orion to Trinity and back a couple of times in the early 2000s, Cavalieri has been a member of Team Orion for the last decade. However, last season’s move to Savöx servos proved that he’s not afraid to switch up his program, and Muchmore Racing has proven very successful in on-road racing. The Korean company counts among its team drivers Marc Rheinard and Naoto Matsukura, so it would only make sense that they’d go for a big name to make an impact in the off-road scene. The info we’ve received on this front has come from third parties, so while it’s certainly no guarantee, we're pretty confident in this one.

[UPDATE] Dec. 30, 2:35 PM CT

This one is official: www.liverc.com/news/announcements/13641-Oscar_and_Bryan_Baldo_confirmed_at_AKA_Products/

David Ronnefalk leaving AKA, going to JConcepts

Despite just winning AKA’s second IFMAR World Championship in Las Vegas this year, David Ronnefalk is reportedly switching to JConcepts for the 2017 season to do what he, and his closest supporters, feel is in his best interests. This rumor sounds like a virtual certainty.

Davide Ongaro leaving Mugen Seiki for Team Associated

We already know Ongaro has confirmed his departure from Mugen Seiki and has posted a photo of himself wearing a Team Associated sweatshirt, driving a Team Associated touring car. This one seems pretty set.

Jared Tebo leaving Pro-Line Racing and returning to AKA Products

Fairy tale stories crossed paths last season when seven-year AKA Products team veteran Jared Tebo signed with Pro-Line Racing following a 12-year hiatus. However, we have it on strong authority that he’ll be back for the 2017 season.

Ryan Maifield leaving Team Losi Racing to return to Team Associated

This was a definite rumor floating around - however, our sources say it isn’t happening.

Ryan Maifield leaving Team Losi Racing for Kyosho

After hearing that Maifield might go back to Associated - and then having that rumor squashed - similar stories began swirling that he was Kyosho-bound…and even went so far as to suggest he had a contract offer in hand, waiting for other suitors to present their best cases. That conversation has since cooled off.

Dakotah Phend leaving Pro-Line Racing, going to AKA

Team Losi Racing star Dakotah Phend first signed with Pro-Line Racing in 2010 as TLR opened their drivers up to use other brands’ tires, but it sounds like he’ll be joining Tebo at AKA Products for next season - making him TLR’s highest-profile driver to use AKA rubber.

Ty Tessmann leaving HB Racing for Team Associated

We know now that Ty Tessmann will not return to HB Racing for the 2017 season (CLICK HERE for the scoop), ending a partnership that spanned over a decade. I heard a few weeks ago that the Tessmann camp had approached Team Associated about 2017, but both parties were not able to reach an agreement.

Ryan Maifield leaving Spektrum for MKS Servos

If Ryan Maifield does in fact leave Team Losi Racing and Horizon Hobby, he’ll be leaving Spektrum servos behind as well (though likely sticking with his Sanwa radio gear). The strongest link we’ve heard so far is that Maifield could be joining the rapidly growing MKS Servos team, which also controls the linkages of Mike Truhe - a Mugen Seiki driver.

UPDATE: On December 15, MKS announced Maifield had joined their team:
www.liverc.com/news/announcements/13553-Maifield_signed_with_MKS_Servos/

Ty Tessmann leaving Savöx for MKS Servos

Though some found it a surprise when Ryan Cavalieri began running Savöx servos earlier this year, Tessmann has been running them for years - they even make Tessmann Edition units. However, Tessmann has also been linked to the MKS Servos team for the 2017 season.

[UPDATE] Dec. 30, 2:35 PM CT

This one is official: www.liverc.com/news/announcements/13629-Tessmann_signed_with_MKS_Servos/

Davide Ongaro leaving Procircuit for AKA

The standout young driver from the 2016 Worlds, fifteen-year-old Italian star Davide Ongaro is also reportedly following in Batlle’s path and ending his tenure with Procircuit to sign with AKA for the 2017 season. The bombshell is another surprise for Modelix Racing, who has also lost brothers Oscar and Bryan Baldo. 

Tamiya Racing Factory to cease on-road team

Marc Rheinard confirmed to RedRC during last weekend’s Euro Touring Series event that it was his final race with Tamiya - who is believed to be pulling out of pro RC racing completely. That means Rheinard, along with A-list drivers like Naoto Matsukura, Akio Sobue, Christopher Krapp and others would be free agents.

Notable changes already confirmed:

• Ryan Cavalieri confirmed at Muchmore Racing - December 30
• Oscar and Bryan Baldo signed with AKA Products - December 30
• Ty Tessmann signed with MKS Servos - December 28
• Barry Baker signed with Serpent - December 28
• Dani and Carles Batlle joined SOAR Seiki Speedbull - December 28
• João Figueiredo signed with Maxima Fuel - December 16
• Nicholas Lee signed with PROTOform - December 15
• Ryan Maifield signed with MKS Servos - December 15
• Nicholas Lee signed with Serpent - December 14
• Oscar and Bryan Baldo signed with Picco - December 8
• Charles Hicks left Team Losi Racing for Team Associated - December 8
• Oscar and Bryan Baldo have signed with Team Losi Racing - December 6
• Cody King is staying with Team Kyosho International - December 6
• Ben Sterling has signed with RC Concept - December 2
• Dario Balestri has signed with Infinity - December 1
• Jerome Aigoin has split from Kyosho - November 29
• Jack Embling left Kyosho for Team Losi Racing - November 28
• Lee Martin left Mugen Seiki for Infinity - November 28
• Chris Jarosz left AKA for JConcepts - November 23
• Tanner Day left JConcepts for Pro-Line Racing - November 23
• Tommy Hinz left AKA for JConcepts - November 23
• JJ Wang signed with Sweep Racing - November 11
• Joni Skidmore signed with Yokomo - November 4

If you've got a tip or insider information, send us an email to fanmail@liverc.com - all sources will be kept completely confidential (after all, we don't get to dig up these kinds of rumors by burning our sources!) and we'll see what we can find.. Keep checking back for more information!