Voodoo Shakes: The Hangar 30 Opener
Let me be the first to say, that this little club race was more than just a date on a calendar. It was the resurrection of where it all started for the Seattle RC Racers. Hangar 30 was back and rocking on Wednesday after a year hiatus for some much needed improvements. Everyone that attended can definitely agree, It was good to be back. The new carpet, coupled with the new, compact 3-roll track layout, was Kick-Ass in every way. Tight and forgiving, it was everything we all come to expect from the latest SRCR layouts.
Credit goes to the crew at SRCR that put this setup together. For all intensive purposes, this was a ground-up new program. From the layout to the drivers stand, Wednesday was dialed.
Big props go to Kyle Bradshaw, who in his first night as RD for the Wednesday series, ran a perfect night. 2 quals, Mains, teardown, and home by 11:00. That's legit.
You may be wondering what "Voodoo Shakes" is all about. Well, after Wednesday, it felt appropriate to name my car according to it's tippy nature. Practice was spent trying to string one lap together on four wheels, while round 1 was over after just 5 laps. Enter: the guru himself, Mark Brown. After a quick tire suggestion and a shock-oil change, round 2 was much more manageable. I was relegated to the B main, which ended up being a small blessing. With 3 of the 4 total Minis in the B, I was able to not only gauge my car to the others, but I was able to finally get a feel for what the car needs overall in a low-pressure atmosphere. I have a small list of tricks to implement for next week, but I'm on the right track, which feels good.
Mark Brown, on the other hand, was on another level, as he tends to be. Nearly setting TQ for the Scale Spec/VTA class with his TCS-spec M03. It was something to watch. After qualifying a comfortable 2nd, He set about making life tough for Mike Ruete in his $400.00 TC special. After a lot of early pressure buy Mark's mini, Mike finally was able to pull enough gap for the overall.
Take notice though, these minis are closer to the front of the field than most give them credit for.
The other classes featured great racing throughout, and it's easy to see this Wednesday club scene easily matching or even surpassing what this club used to see mid-week. A great first turnout for all classes and 4 minis in Scale Spec was excellent to see. Mark that calendar, you'll want to be here next time. The humble Hangar is once again, THE destination for the NW club racer.
The "Voodoo Shakes" between heats. What was dialed on tarmac, is a work-in-progress on the rug.
Mike Anderson's M06 Pro was dialed from the get-go, and got better throughout the night.
Nox's Beautifully-painted M03R was a late arrival, but showed some great potential in the main.
The rare "body-off" shot of Mark Brown's All-Conquering M03.
As with the original H30 program, this Wednesday night series is only going to swell with each passing date. the program runs too smooth, the layout too dialed, and the atmosphere too rad for it not to. Again, huge thanks to those who put in the long hours to make this addition to the SRCR schedule possible. October 9th can't come fast enough!
-Jesse
M_
