Event: ROAR Region 2 Rd#2
Track: LCRC Raceway
Date: 5/2/15
Race Setup: 2 round of qualifying with double A-Mains
Classes Raced:
1:8 E-Buggy Using Pro-Line M4 Blockades on Velocity Wheels
1:8 E-Truggy Using Pro-Line M3 Hole Shots on Velocity VTR 4.0″ Zero Offset Wheels
Practice:
Being that I only live about 15-minutes away from this track, I am local and have the chance to practice on Tuesday nights when I want, so the week before I went down with both vehicles to get them dialed in the best I could for this race. I knew that there was going to be some very fast drivers on the East Coast there and I was determined to give them a run for their money! So early morning Saturday, I arrived to my pits, got set up, and being that my cars were already ready I put on some tires and went out for about 7-minutes with each car. Needless to say they were both on fire and I was already excited for the day to start!
Qualifying:
First up in qualifying for round 1 was my E-Buggy. As we got all ready for the race and got onto the stand, I was first to go up so I got to stand in the spot I have been using the week before and early morning which I used to my advantage. As the race went on things were going awesome! My Buggy was hooked and I was flying around the track! Toward the end I gave it my all to the finish and took TQ for my race and held it for the rest of the round!
Later in the round was Truggy. Just like my Buggy the Truggy was feeling super good and was hooked the Tuesday before as well as in the morning. So as the race started I went off on the best pace I could get on TQ pace early and keeping it through the whole race as well as the round. I took a double TQ for round 1!!!! 🙂
Next round was the same, Buggy first and Truggy second. From round 1 I had some other racers and friends in the hobby coming over and talking to me congratulating me as well as some of the drivers I was racing against telling me how fast I had gotten from the last time they raced me. Just from all of this happening to me put a huge smile on my face and pushed me toward doing even better the next round! It was time for round 2 of Buggy and I went out with some pride and drove my heart out. I always used top get choked up while driving focusing on my lines and worrying about the other drivers. Well today was different. I was driving my buggy like a dream, I was just turning laps and having some fun. The race went so fast and just like round 1 I ran a flawless race taking and resetting the TQ placing me on pole for the A-Main!
A little later after again me being congratulated I went out with my Truggy and did the same thing! Except about halfway through the race I was in such a groove that all that was running through my head was the fact that if I do this again I set TQ in both the classes I was running against some of the fastest racers in the area! As the time was ticking down my Truggy got better and better and had more traction that I have ever witnessed I reset TQ once again and put on a huge smile and motivation to myself for the Mains!
At this point my mind was racing and excitement was rushing through my Body!
The Mains:
After the second round they posted the mains and as usual the A-Mains were in the last 6 or so races being that they were double. So I had a huge break before my races. After ordering some food from the nearby sub and pizza shop filling my stomach and getting me prepared for battle. Next I went through my cars cleaning Tires, prepping body’s, lubing up the outdrives, etc.. they were ready for a fast battle. After getting my cars done and taking a break the night started to fall and the lights came on. Buggy A1 was up first. I will skip right to it and tell you that this first A1 racked my nerves up like no other until the tone went off and I have never focused so hard in my life I am pretty sure. I put the trigger to the plastic and it was on! The race was completely flawless lap after lap as I crossed the line first in front of second by a few seconds. I lead from start to finish with a completely no mistake run. It was amazing. My Buggy was dialed on setup, I chose the right Tires to get the job done, I had the battery fully charged and everything went right after.
Directly after, I switched channels on my radio and got the Truggy out and did the same exact thing! Went from start to finish with a flawless run! The night was going in my favor so far. The only thing that crossed my mind was if I was going to make it through the race because I had to coast across the line on the last lap due to my battery dumping, so I knew for A2 I had to be sure I took my time and conserved battery when I could.
After a delay in between the A1’s and A2’s while the Nitro Mains were going on I looked over both of my cars thoroughly the best I could and prepped them I went out for Buggy first again. This was going to be the game changer and the tone sounded as we trained around the first corner and heading through the track. Early I pulled away from the field after second ended up crashing through the woops causing everyone else to slow down. Running my Buggy again to its limits every time I could lap after lap, I flipped with about 35-seconds to go allowing second place to get close to me and I knew if I just kept driving and held my focus I would be ok. I did just that, leading the race for the rest of the last lap while coming around the last corner as the tone sounded I crossed the line taking the win in A2! Only 1 more for a sweep!
Truggy was going to be awesome! I had everyone driver trying to overtake me to keep me from the sweep, at least that’s what it felt like…. haha! So the race started and early I clipped a pipe sending me to a not far behind second place and picking out a weak spot on the driver leading me. After I found one he pushed wide after the step up and I threw the Truggy hard whipping it to the inside stealing the position back. As the race went on I pulled farther and farther away starting to lap the field more and more! I remembered the battery so I held off running my race and crossed the line in the lead almost lapping the whole field.
I did it, I took the TQ in both classes, and took the win all 4 A-Mains.
The weekend and dust settled to 2 medals and 2 cars for this guy! All I want to say is that this race made me really find out what it takes to beat some of the fastest drivers on the east coast. Hard work, dedication and practice, practice. Over the past season (indoor) I have put in some long hard hours of driving and well as driving my real car trying to improve myself to run with the bug guys and in my opinion its showing. There were a lot of people at the track that night after everything was over telling me that I had gotten a lot faster and smarter in my driving from drivers like Jason Shreffler, Anthony Mazzara, Hunter Waters, Alex Miller, etc…
This race was a huge confidence booster for the Electric Nationals this July. They will be hosted at my local track and boy I am bringing the heat. I will be running E-Buggy, E-Truggy, as well as my Short Course Truck.
Some races soon will be with my short course so I can get it all settled in for nationals.
I want to thank Tekno RC and the whole team and staff for the help and assistance, you guys are and always will be a great group!
Also, Pro-Line Racing products and staff, you guys always supply me with the Tires I need to get grip, but also the team group itself for the help.
Carpy’s, you give me all the stuff I need for sporting all my sponsors in the best way I can. Shirts, stickers, pit mats, hats, anything like that you’ve helped me more than ever!
RCSCREWS is my newest sponsor, you provide some awesome bearing kits to keep all my vehicles running as smooth as possible when they need to be! Thank You.
And lastly, PT Racing Oils, also fairly new on the team I am but for sure the best oils in the business. Never had such good products!
Thank you all and I look forward to doing it again really soon!!!! 🙂
