Thousands of miles apart in England and California, reigning World Champions Neil Cragg and Ryan Cavalieri gave the yet-unreleased Team Associated Factory Team RC8 its first wins.

The first round of the BRCA Rallycross National Championship took place at Sandy Tracks in Bedfordshire, England and in only his second race with the RC8, Neil Cragg took the prototype vehicle to the pole position and overall win. In true Cragg style, Neil navigated the RC8 around the circuit with minimal errors, snatching the early points lead in the series.

Back on U.S. soil, the R/C industry descended on the Fairplex in Pomona, California for the annual RCX hobby show. Promoted by The Dirt Racing, RCX hosts a by-invitation-only competition with the best 1:8 scale racers in the nation attending. Driving away from the competition with their RC8s were Associated drivers Ryan Cavalieri and Ryan Maifield. Setting the fastest laps of the event, Maifield battled with the consistent Cavalieri throughout the event. In the end, the steady pace of Cavalieri came out on top and collected the $500 payout from RCX.