Four months, ten rounds, and countless battles later, we arrived at the season finale of the Inaugural Seattle RC Racers "SeaTac RC Raceway outdoor racing season". I cannot overstate how good we as racers have it around here. After years upon years of "parking lot" racing during the Northwest summers, we were finally awarded a permanent outdoor home that is nothing short of spectacular. Great grip, great location and a great atmosphere. SeaTac RC Raceway has, in a very short period of time, become one of, if not THE premier asphalt facility in the Great Northwest. It's quite literally, a dream come true.
Sappy sentiment aside, we had season champions to crown this weekend! While some may discount these types of awards, I for one have a ton of respect for those that show up every race meeting, give 100%, and produce consistently great results over the course of an entire season. With so many variables dictating results throughout the series, to put together a campaign worthy of a season championship is commendable to say the very least.
Going into the finale, a few classes had already been settled:
- George Strichen crushed the Stock Touring Car field with a couple wins, and some excellent consistency.
- Dave McMullen made easy work of the Formula One class with yet another display of consistently great results. With two wins and 4 2nd place finishes, Dave was the class of the open-wheelers.
- Stuart Mason showed yet again, why he will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come, as he thoroughly dismantled the upstart Modified 12th scale field. Look for this class to grow next year.
With these titles already having been sewn up before the day even started, there were only two classes that were undecided: Scale Spec and Modified Touring Car.
MODIFIED TOURING CAR:
With points leader Korey Harbke sitting out the final round, it was on the one-and-only Travis Schreven to make up the ground, and take the Mod TC title. With three points required, Trav needed a podium finish to clinch. A clean consistent drive was on tap, but "Peeler" went one better and demolished the field on Saturday, leaving zero doubt that he was a well-deserved season champ. His Yokomo looking as hooked up as I've ever seen in a touring car at that speed, he took no prisoners on his way to the crown.
Truth be told, I've only seen one other modified touring car look and drive as smooth as Travis' car on Saturday, and that was Korey Harbke's. When these two get after it during a Main, people tend to stop what they are doing and just watch. With both winning at the National level before, each race is a knock down, drag out battle of tire management, and driver skill. It's truly a sight to behold, and one of the many reasons we are blessed as a club. Having two of the best TC racers in the country as regulars really elevates the program.
SCALE SPEC:
With a four-point lead from Mike Clifton going into Saturday's race, the goal would be to stay consistent and near the front, as I had tried to do all season. While I simply needed to finish 4th or better to secure the class title, I really wanted to win. I picked up my first A Main win in over 3 years earlier in the year, but nothing would feel better than to finish a successful outdoor campaign with the top step on the podium.
It would seem through qualifying, that a win would be far out of the question. Local spec guru Mark Brown brought a hot rod of a car to the finale, and went about picking apart the field through the three timed sessions. Although I had made gains throughout the day from a gearing standpoint, I just couldn't match the "Team Scream" horsepower he had strapped in. I'm generally not a fan of these type of "specialty" motors being used in spec racing, as I feel it takes away from the spirit of the class itself. At the end of the day, these powerplants are legal, and we as racers have to find a way around them.
What I did have going for me was a dialed piece of machinery. For the past few months, I'd been working on dialing in the setup on my Schumacher Mi6 Evo. After chipping away at a good baseline, I finally felt like I was making strides and gelling with the British steed just before indoor season. While I was down on power from Mark, the car was the best it had been all season in the handling department. In all my years of racing, it was really refreshing to have a car that transitioned so well, and yet was completely stable in all conditions. It's an amazing piece to drive.
Jim Glasgow would qualify 3rd, and was making big strides all day long in an effort to close the gap with Mark Brown. While he would fall short of that goal, Jim and myself would be nearly identical by the third qualifier. When the mains came around, Mark was nowhere to be found, as he had seemingly packed up and left early. That catapulted myself into first on the grid, with Jim Glasgow in second, and Jerry Boyle in third. At the tone I got a clean start and set about trying to work a gap between myself and Jim. I'll admit that nerves were getting the better of me, and my sloppy driving was showing. Just as Jim looked to be chipping away at my lead, his car seemed to loop out on the back sweeper, catching an undulation in the surface and unloading the car. That was all the gap I needed, and would hold around a 3 second lead until the finish. What an amazing way to end a season. To end the outdoor campaign with a hard-earned win again one of the best in the class really meant a lot. I certainly couldn't ask for a better conclusion of the asphalt season.
RACE OF THE DAY:
In my completely biased opinion, the race of the day was not an A-Main, but rather the Scale Spec B-Main. After getting my dad Mike off the fence about racing again, he entered his second straight race day with a revamped Schumacher Mi1 and a refreshed attitude on racing in general. Gridded up on pole in front of Adam Cunning and Bill Mishko, Mike got a clean start and drove a smooth, controlled race for all 6 minutes, never relinquishing the lead once on his way to the transfer to the A Main.
I'm not completely sure who was more nervous during the race, my dad or myself. I can say, however, that I was shaking with excitement for him, as I felt that this was one of his best drives in a long time. It was a proud moment for me, watching him have fun racing toy cars again. What started as a father-son activity nearly 20 years ago, still keeps us together and having a great time, and it's these races for me - not the wins, that make it all worth while.
Observations:
-The track
I've said it a million times, but this track is something special. 5+ years of planning, development, and commitment by the club and the City of SeaTac, has yielded an outdoor asphalt facility that rivals the best in the country. At the end of the day though, it's the hard work by the Seattle RC Racers club each and every week, ensuring that we have a premier experience on race day. I'd like to personally thank Todd & Stuart Mason, Alex & Jake Danilchik, Mike & Jerry Boyle, Kyle Bradshaw, Mike Clifton, Jeff Johnson, and everyone that has helped all season long. Without the help of these volunteers, we wouldn't have the number one on-road program in the Northwest. Thanks fellas!
- The Competition
I first raced with this club back in 2011. At that time, Seattle RC Racers was still in its growing stages, but the competition was always top-notch. The best on-road racers from around the region would throw down on a weekly basis, creating a singular, unified gathering place of speed. And yet, after 6 years, I've returned home to the club, to find the competition has only gotten better, across all classes. From Modified Touring on down to Scale Spec, each race day at SeaTac was a joy to watch and be a part of. It was truly a privilege to race with the fastest dudes in the region throughout the spring and summer months.
- Moving On
Last Staurday's finale was my last race in the Scale Spec class. The goal all summer was to build my on-road program back up to par and transition to a faster class come indoor season. While I've enjoyed every moment racing with everyone this summer, it's time for me to test my tuning and driving against the best the club has to offer. I'll be the first to admit that I just don't have the budget to hang with racers that buy the latest and greatest motors, batteries, and electronics that aid in going faster, especially in a "spec" class like Scale Spec. To be honest, I never really have. From my days racing as a kid, to this season, I always felt I needed to "out-work" and "out-drive" my competition, because I simply didn't have the raw talent or equipment that others had.
I've won my fair share of races, but season titles like this, as unimportant as they may seem to some, mean the world to me. It culminates a season of hard work between two different chassis types, numerous setup changes, driving style changes, different competitors, and various conditions. I'm stoked at the challenge ahead as I move to Stock TC on Wednesday nights. With the increased speed of the new 17.5 motors, it will be a true "Super Stock" class, with best stock and mod racers throwing down for a mid-week rumble on the carpet. I've said it before, how do you know where you stack up if you don't run against the best around? I'm stoked to find out. I'll probably get my ass kicked, but you can bet I'll learn a lot.
Lit Kit Award:
In a sea of monotone bodies, Travis consistently fielded a badass car week in and week out, not only that, these bodies were painted by Travis himself. Say no to plain bodies. Be like Travis! #braap!
Conclusion:
It's been one hell of a season. The inaugural SeaTac RC Raceway outdoor season went off without a rainout, and featured epic racing from every class, on each weekend. Thanks to the club and all the racers for making this outdoor season one for the ages. Congrats to each of the class champions for a season's worth of hard work and excellent results! Time to go carpet racing, let's get it!
Results can be found at: http://www.rctech.net/forum/attachments/northwest-racers/1443739d1505706902-seattle-rc-racers-north-seatac-racing-center-mains-16sep2017.pdf
Peace and fast laps.
-JRoy386
