1️⃣ The first I'm thinking of came in the closing laps of an EP Buggy final at the Philippine Masters. Pekko Iivonnen was leading, Davide Ongaro chasing. More than 1 million people have seen what happened next: Ongaro threw an outrageous pass attempt through the front rhythm section, Iivonnen saw it coming, waited just slightly and then turned back inside Davide who was unable to get his buggy stopped at the  apex.

2️⃣ That sequence was repeated almost exactly on the final lap of A2 at the 4wd World Champs six months later, Ongaro again jumping long with an attempt to this time ambush Marcus Kaerup and send the World Champs to a decider. Kaerup, just as Iivonnen had, waited a heart beat, then turned inside an ever so slightly deep Ongaro to regain the lead, and set sail for the Championship.

3️⃣ At Pine Hills Dirt Racing, for Round 3 of the Asian Buggy Championship, second qualifier Kouki Kato tangled on lap one of the final, dropping him to the rear of the field. Within 12 minutes he had driven back to within striking distance of the lead, only for rain to intervene and cut the event short. It was a brilliant display of speed and passing, precision, and determination. We will forever wonder how his battle with Alex Bernadzik would have shaped up.

4️⃣ Earlier in the ABC series, this time in New Zealand, Australia's Jayden Edmunds was leading deep in the Nitro Buggy final, with Caleb Noble hunting him and one pitstop to complete. Edmunds' father Dave completed a perfect stop, Jayden returning and holding the lead around the outside of turn 1 by mere inches as Noble threw one final attack. That pitstop, exit, and outside line would be decisive, Edmunds going to his first international win.

5️⃣ And that reminds me of Broc Champlin vs Davey Batta down the front straight on the final lap of 2wd A1 at the World Champs. It came after Champlin and Kaerup tangled in the rhythm section, Batta seeing his chance to strike from third and coming within millimetres of driving around the outside of Champlin on the long curving front "straight" at Hills. Champlin somehow willed a tiny bit more speed from his car, and dared to brake later, holding the lead that would ultimately set him to be crowned World Champion, for the first time, later that afternoon.

In those five stories, and a thousand more (Hara vs Cooke at the Vintage Bash for example?), are so many of the things I love.

Ferocious competitiveness, sheer determination, intelligence under maximum pressure, inch-perfect judgement, daring to risk everything, first-time champions...and more.

R/C racing is awesome, and 2025 gave plenty of reasons why.

How about for you? Is there a favourite moment on or off track as we consign 2025 to the history books?

I said earlier I was privileged to see a bunch of racing this year, and I meant it. What joy it is to have watched on and shared some of the stories of this thing we call R/C.

Let's do it again in 2026.