the RACER report #4

"Gettin' Groovy" - Wednesday night at the Hangar

 

 



 

 

    GRIP. That seems to be the word to describe Wednesdays at the Hangar. It's hard to wrap my head around how, in just three short nights, we have a level of grip never seen in the ol' Hangar before. That, and the dialed layout just keeps pumping out epic battles, race after race. A racer's wet dream, minus the sticky aftermath.

 

Stock 12th

    Let me just start off and say the Stuart is becoming the "wrecking ball" of this program, in a very refreshing, good way. This kid just keeps laying it down! Despite the two-car field in stock 12th, he still had fun toying with Garrett throughout the night, before properly "Peeling" him in the main. Well done kid!

 

 

Scale Spec

    In Scale Spec, Bruce "Moose" Riedinger visited us all the way from Sunny SoCal to show us how they do it down south. TQ  went to Franko Roberts but it was an A Main win for the tourist, driving an all-too-familiar-to-the-front yellow Nissan Skyline. Mike Ruete watching on as his car continues to dominate. Mark Brown had another strong showing in the lone MINI of the night, throwing down against the best of the A Main, just as we come to expect from him.

 

 

Stock Touring



    Stock Touring was interesting, to say the least. Grip was tricky all night and caught most of us off guard. Jake D. was on top of it all night, taking TQ over Korey Harbke and Mike Ruete. I was a distant 4th, racing my Schumacher Mi1. Trying to convert my "budget-rocket" Scale Spec car, to a "hold-me-over" Stock TC car has proven to be a work in progress, but the car is an absolute blast to drive, and has netted me some great results in the process. The Main started clean for the top 5, with the usual carnage behind. That would soon catch up with the leaders, as I seemed to constantly find myself in the midst of a three-way battle for second. The race then started claiming victims, as Mike lost a wheel, and Korey dropped out, pulling off with handling issues. I suddenly found myself in a comfy second-place with Jake checked out for the win. I wasn't the fastest by far, but turning consistent laps pays off now and then. ;)

 

   

 

World GT



 http://youtu.be/cUjEiiO-oDw

 

    This video says it all. What a race. Todd Mason, Wes Briscoe, and Brian Bodine going at it for 6 minutes straight. The three swapped positions countless times, and with the tone sounded, only the final chicane and straight, separated Todd from WGT glory..... and then the button monster hit..... Todd straight-line's the chicane, over the buttons, into the wall. Wes, close behind, and not to be outdone, take the same line, cartwheels, and takes him and Todd over the wall and out of the track. Sheer awesomeness. I think Brian won, but we may never know, lol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Mike Anderson's VTA "Hertz" Mustang, in the Scale Spec B Main

 

 

Garrett Smith's 12th scale, just moments before the "Peeling".

 

 

 

Young Stuart Mason, peeling Garrett Smith. Proud father, Todd looking on.

 

 

Kickin' it old school with my Schumacher Mi1. Pre-A Main.
 

 

 

 

    Another Superb Wednesday night by Kyle Bradshaw and the gang at Seattle Rc Racers. Come check it out. The Groove is legit!

 

 

Keep Racing kids.

 

-Jesse

 

 

 

    

Shut Up and Race.

The Title Says It All.

 

 

    I'll let you all in on a little secret, that should be common-sense, but seems to be lost on the "common nimrod". When you bitch, complain, fight with, and put down other racers at the track, or on the message boards, you not only look like the "Town Jackass", but you give all racers and the program you participate with a bad name.

   

     I honestly at the end of the day don't really care what people think of me as a racer. I'll admit I'm no Hara, Masami, Pudge, or Rienard, but I'm also no novice. I can hold my own. What I do care about, is how I am as a person and a citizen of the club I represent. I don't want to be the guy no one wants to sit with, or that guy that will only talk to the "little racer clique" that I hang with. I want to be fast and friendly to everyone. I'm not perfect, but it doesn't take much to make a positive difference.

 

    I would hope that most racers feel this way. I'd like to think that most all of us would like our respective programs to succeed. Unfortunately, there's always a guy that doesn't view things that way. More often than not, that's the racer that makes the headlines, for better or for worse. He becomes the face of the program to outsiders, and ultimately, the downfall. I've seen it happen. We all have.

 

    We are grown men, racing toy cars, for bowling trophies. Think about that the next time you feel the need to voice your opinion. There aren't many of these toy car clubs around, so when you have something to say, ask yourself: "Is this TRULY in the best interest of the club and it's members? If it isn't than just shut up and race. Let your racing do the talking, not your big mouth.

 

 

Keep Racing kids.

 

-Jesse

 

   

   

   

 

    

New Name, Same Mission.

the RACER underground: Knowledge for the masses on a budget.

    Over the past month and a half, I've tried to make this blog a home for the MINI racer. A place with info, results, and insight into a class that caters directly to the budget racer. Hopefully I've shed light on this amazing class in this short time. It's one of the few remaining categories that offer the full package for the majority of hobbyists: Low cost, Setup experience, Close racing, and FUN.

    There's one part of all this that I hadn't really thought about until now, however. As much as MINI racers need a home for info and growth, the general budget racer needs it even more. This hobby is expensive. In case you haven't noticed yet, that's no bullshit. The common misconception is that, in order to be competitive in whatever class you choose, you must thrown down the coin. While this can be true to an extent, there are more than enough examples to the contrary:

• My Mi1 - Last November, I became a team driver for Schumacher racing. With a healthy discount on all equipment offered, I could've went for their top-of-the-line Mi4 Touring car kit, but I had an idea. I wanted to show that you didn't need to spend $400.00+ to be at the top of the Scale Spec/VTA class, so I ordered the Mi1. for those not familiar, the Mi1 is an updated version of the Mission platform, a car design over a decade old, and well outdated by industry standards. Countless heat race wins, numerous podiums, and at baby-time (when I stopped racing for the year) a solid second place in the season standings, right behind Phil Gibson, my teammate, also racing a Mi1. The results speak for themselves.

• Jeff's R1 - Around January of 2013, word was out that Spec-R, an aftermarket parts supplier out of Hong Kong, was releasing their own Touring Car kit, called the R1. This car looked to have it all, top-end parts, all the adjustability of the others in it's class, and some extra bits not included in it's competition. What shocked everyone was the price tag: a pedestrian $289.00. This was uncharted water for a "Top Shelf" TC. At the time, the most inexpensive car worth buying was an Associated TC6.1 for $389.00. A big gap. The obvious reaction was to write this "cheap-o" car off. Where did they cut the corners to make this price point? Jeff Jenkins, who's not afraid of a challenge, bought one of the first, and set up his new steed for a debut, not in stock, but in Modified Touring. What followed was pure brilliance. For the remainder of the season, Jeff wheeled his sub-$300.00 ride to several wins and a track record, taking down TC6's, an Awesomatix and whatever else came it's way, Proving that the price tag doesn't dictate the podium spot. I suppose that's why we race the races.

• Mark's M03 - Mark Brown is the "man" of MINI racing these days. He flies to many of the Tamiya TCS races across the country each year, taking wins and frustrating locals. he does this with a car that, after nearly 15 years in existence, is still THE most competitive and inexpensive M-Chassis cars on the track, the M03. One look at his car, and the flashiest bits might be the aluminum steering knuckles, not for bling, but for sheer durability. Examine closer, and you won't find the blue fanciness of the M06's, or the new-age complexity of the M05's. What you find is a car that is pure function, in the most cost-effective of ways. What he doesn't spend on material items, he more than makes up for in expertise. His Mini's are brilliantly set up, using no more than the average racer's budget. Again though, the results speak for themselves.

   Where theMINIunderground started, theRACERunderground will now be a source not only for the MINI racer, but the budget racer as well. All that has been good for the MINI scene in these past couple months, will now hopefully spread across the club-level board. RC racing is expensive, but it doesn't have to be outrageous. This blog will show you how to make the impossible, possible. No matter WHAT the budget.


Keep doin' it on 60d's.....or whatever you choose.

-Jesse


R_