Race Report: 2024 Open Wheel Series, Round 3

2024 Open Wheel SeriesWow! What an amazingly competitive day of racing. Round 3 was not only blistering fast; it was one of the most competitive race days we’ve had at Stewart Raceway in quite a while.

We’ve made a few changes in our racing formats using fuel allocation parameters that seem to be helping level the playing field between Sportsman and Expert drivers, who race together but are scored separately.

The key ingredient for this seems to be a slight change in fuel delivery during pit stops. All drivers are allocated the same fuel at the start of each race, but Sportsman drivers enjoy a slightly faster fuel refill time than Expert drivers: six-second tank refills for Sportsman drivers and eight seconds for Expert drivers.

This small change seems to pay big dividends to the Sportsman ranks, making the racing much more competitive and changing fuel races’ overall dynamics and excitement.

Short Story

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 471 227 3127.513
2 Aaron Castro 467 216 3141.732
3 George Peters 461 204 3114.904
4 Eric Lane 419 163 2923.108
5 Kevin Webster 396 133 3108.326
6 Jerry Pearson 230 102 1536.13
7 Martha Elderon 102 36 775.14

It was a very competitive race day! Jerry and Martha had to depart after Race 2. All others completed all four official races.

Race 1: MegaG+ 1.7 Modified (IROC)

Our latest and increasingly popular car class. It is a perfect warmup for the subsequent individual Modified class. Again, an extremely competitive race, with nearly all drivers winning at least one segment. Second through fourth were only separated by one lap at the finish, and the top three finishers were separated by just one point.  While Sportsman driver Kevin Webster jumped out front, winning the first segment, Sportsman Jerry Pearson won the next three and remained in the lead until segment 5 when Expert Aaron Castro took over the lead through segments 5 and 6.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 118 55 755.518
2 Aaron Castro 115 54 788.33
3 George Peters 114 53 759.984
4 Jerry Pearson 113 47 792.398
5 Kevin Webster 105 43 762.624
6 Eric Lane 103 41 757.853
7 Martha Elderon 102 36 775.14

Race 2: MegaG+ 1.7 Modified

Not actual podium, Race Director spaced–again!

After 120 laps with an IROC version of the same car, everybody was well-prepared for this barnburner race. Jerry Pearson dominated this race with one segment win and three second-place finishes. Jerry led the race from Segment 2 through to the finish, besting a hard-charging Expert, Aaron Castro, by just two points and grabbing the top podium spot, great driving, Jerry!

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Jerry Pearson 117 55 743.732
2 Aaron Castro 119 53 780.164
3 Steve Stewart 116 52 788.384
4 George Peters 117 50 747.699
5 Eric Lane 110 44 744.725
6 Kevin Webster 96 28 770.995

Race 3: Viper V-SPEC F1/Indy 1.7 Lexan (IROC) c/o Eric Lane

Another great IROC set to prepare for the day’s finale, the Viper V-SPEC “Spec Stock” class. Sportsman driver Eric “Fast” Lane graciously donated these cars to Stewart Raceway. How many tracks have you visited that have Viper V-SPEC IROC sets?  This mainly was a fast and furious battle between the three Experts, but Eric Lane put in a great effort in Segment 1, placing second to Home Cook’n just one lap down and very close on total run time–Nice driving, Eric!  Aaron Castro would win two segments but came up short of Home Cook’n despite a perfect 30 laps in the final segment.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 120 61 934.366
2 Aaron Castro 116 56 926.674
3 George Peters 112 46 950.901
4 Eric Lane 102 38 760.075
5 Kevin Webster 100 34 913.266

Race 4: Viper V-SPEC “SPEC STOCK” Lexan

Pinned Lexan F1/Indy bodies.

It is always an adrenaline-pumping race, but this one was really hot! Aaron Castro blasted into the lead from the get-go, winning the first segment just ahead of George Peters but on the same lap. Aaron would hold the race lead until the final segment, but George was clicking off high-speed lap times, vying for his first race win of the day. George was clicking off faster and faster laps but missed besting Home Cook’n at the finish of the last segment. George was just .381 seconds off the race winner’s segment run time and short just four points–great effort, George!

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 117 59 649.245
2 George Peters 118 55 656.32
3 Aaron Castro 117 53 646.564
4 Eric Lane 104 40 660.455
5 Kevin Webster 95 28 661.441

Speaking of lap times, George set new lap records on three lanes during this race, and Aaron set another. George’s fastest time of the race was 4.270 seconds in Lane 4 (Orange). Aaron clicked off a 4.409-second lap in Lane 5 (Blue). Blistering pace!

We did one fun race after the official races were over, running Eric’s MegaG+ 1.7 (Scooby Doo) Vans IROC set–way fun cars, thanks Eric!

Official Series Standings After Round 3:

With two more Rounds to go, Kevin Webster and Eric Lane are in a heated contest for Sportsman honors, with just two points separating the two drivers after Round 3.

In the Expert ranks, it’s not as close, but certainly still up for grabs between the top three points earners.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Kevin Webster 1046 349 7360.796
2 Eric Lane 1077 347 5300.734
3 Jerry Pearson 910 290 3850.142
4 Shaylin Maddox 176 88 1428.228
5 Pam Ebert 154 64 1390.808
6 Abe Maddox 148 64 1337.006
7 Martha Elderon 102 36 775.14
1 Steve Stewart* 1567 697 8659.291
2 Aaron Castro* 1557 656 8656.26
3 George Peters* 1539 606 8651.218
4 Jordan Walker* 590 140 2405.214

*Expert

Okay, Round 3 of this incredibly competitive and exciting series is in the books. Stay tuned for a post on other lap records broken in Round 3. Drivers continue to get faster and faster on SR3.

Round 4 is tentatively slated for March 30th.

Race Report: 2024 Open Wheel Series, Round 2

The series continued to Round 2 on Saturday, February 24 on the SR3 oval course. We had a great showing by nine drivers throughout the day with some very competitive racing, as always.

In the spirit of “open-wheel” racing, we tried to run all open-wheel livery in each official race. However, we didn’t get one of the two IROC sets completed in time so had to substitute the venerable Maximum Leeway late-model sportsman cars for race 1. We did four races in all. Below is the short story but there is a whole lot more to it than the numbers below show.

All races were run with 45-lap heats (segments) and a fuel allocation of 62 laps. In addition, to try to make things even more competitive, Expert drivers were handicapped with a longer fuel refill time than Sportsman drivers, initially set two seconds longer but lowered to one second after the first couple of races.

Overall Short Story

Place Name Laps Points Adjust1 Total Time
1 Steve Stewart* 706 231   2285.962
2 Aaron Castro* 695 215   2302.982
3 Eric Lane 628 182   2393.738
4 George Peters* 685 149 61 2270.22
5 Jordan Walker* 584 148   2454.01
7 Jerry Pearson 340 94   1157.006
6 Kevin Webster 483 81 53 1685.595
8 Shaylin Maddox 281 79   1163.514
9 Abe Maddox 255 70   1185.256

* Expert Driver
1 Points lost from a rules infraction

Race 1: Viper Jets with Maximum Leeway Late-model Sportsman Bodies (IROC) (12v)

We started with the fast but loose Viper Jets. Just as much speed and power as a regular V-SPEC Viper but with brass weights instead of traction magnets. As might be expected, most of the Expert drivers came out on top in this one. Sportsman drivers, Eric Lane and Jerry Pearson drove these cars very well and were not too far off the pace considering the experts have far more track time with these cars than they do.  Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart* 173 59 649.321
2 George Peters* 177 58 680.100
3 Aaron Castro* 178 55 689.752
4 Eric Lane 155 40 707.989
5 Jerry Pearson 161 38 706.243
6 Jordan Walker* 138 32 691.378

Race 2: MegaG+ 1.7 “Modified” (20v)

Jerry Pearson, Home Cook’n, Eric Lane

Our latest and one of the most competitive classes we run. These cars use the popular Racemasters MegaG+ long-wheelbase chassis with a super-light photopaper body. This creates a much better handling platform and because they are pretty much out-of-the-box chassis’, the racing is extremely close.

Not sure if it had anything to do with the longer fuel stops for Expert drivers or what but Sportsman drivers, Jerry Pearson and Eric Lane put on a show in this one, besting the usual suspects quite convincingly with Jerry tying in points with Home Cook’n but besting him by one lap to take the top podium spot. That’s close racing! Both Jerry and Eric won two segments each. Way to go, Jerry and Eric!  Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Jerry Pearson 179 56 450.763
2 Steve Stewart 178 56 485.505
3 Eric Lane 174 52 480.824
4 Aaron Castro 167 51 462.639
5 George Peters 171 44 458.157
6 Jordan Walker 157 38 511.229
7 Kevin Webster 147 32 490.550

Race 3: MegaG 1.7 “Whelen/SK Modifieds” (IROC) (15v)

Aaron Castro, Home Cook’n, Eric Lane

These cars are another challenging platform with a powerful inline motor, they pack a lot of power but have no traction magnets and run hard-compound (B) Super tires in the rear. Very drifty and difficult to drive.

As usual, expert driver, Aaron Castro dominated this race, winning four segments! The bigger story, however, was Sportsman driver, Eric “Fast” Lane bagging the final podium spot. Eric drove these cars exceptionally well bagging three second-place segment finishes and one third-place. Nice driving, Eric!

Our lone Junior driver, Abe Maddox, bagged two second-place segment finishes while his awesome Mom, Shaylin Maddox also bagged two second-place segment finishes. Very impressive driving by Team Maddox adapting to these difficult-to-master cars.  Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Aaron Castro 180 64 744.708
2 Steve Stewart 177 58 748.214
3 Eric Lane 153 50 794.221
4 Kevin Webster 159 49 792.067
5 George Peters 162 47 744.761
6 Abe Maddox 139 38 779.530
7 Shaylin Maddox 136 38 750.750
8 Jordan Walker 125 32 823.799

Race 4: Viper V-SPEC “SPEC STOCK” F1/Indy Lexan (15v)

Home Cook’n, Jordan Walker, Aaron Castro

As always, the V-SPEC class was another barn burner race with literally every driver posting impressive segment finishes. Shaylin Maddox, started her Race 4 rotation in the white lane and posted a perfect 45 laps, the segment win, and the fastest lap of the day at 1.654 seconds–a new SR3 oval course lap record! Way to go, Shaylin!

Unofficial Race Results

Yes, the final race was without a doubt the most intense and hotly contested race but not without some additional drama.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 175 61 387.202
2 Steve Stewart 178 58 402.922
3 Kevin Webster 177 53 402.978
4 Jordan Walker 164 46 427.604
5 Aaron Castro 170 45 405.883
6 Shaylin Maddox 145 41 412.764
7 Eric Lane 146 40 410.704
8 Abe Maddox 116 32 405.726

In the end, expert driver George Peters dominated this one. George took the checkered flag after winning three segments and placing second in another.

However, during the race, several drivers noticed that Jordan Walker’s car seemed exceptionally faster than any other car. The Race Director decided during the race that there would be a technical inspection of all cars entered post-race.

Each car was tested on the house VRP Dynometer and VRP Magnet Downforce Meter. To our surprise, Jordan’s car was well within the typical RPM and downforce ranges for this type of car. However, during the remaining testing and inspection, a balanced and trued armature (Hot Stock) was discovered in race winner George Peter’s car. In addition, when testing Kevin Webster’s car on the downforce meter, his car measured well over double the typical downforce of a Viper “SPEC STOCK” platform.

The “SPEC STOCK” rules we employ at Stewart Raceway do not permit hot stock armatures and Kevin’s downforce readings were well beyond the “SPEC STOCK” rules maximum for this car. Consequently, both drivers were disqualified and lost all points earned in Race 4.  Detailed Results

Race 4 Official Results
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 178 58 402.922
2 Jordan Walker 164 46 427.604
3 Aaron Castro 170 45 405.883
4 Shaylin Maddox 145 41 412.764
5 Eric Lane 146 40 410.704
6 Abe Maddox 116 32 405.726
7 George Peters 175 0 387.202
8 Kevin Webster 177 0 402.978

I’m sure George’s rule infraction was simply an oversight. I’ve raced with George since I got back into slot car racing way back in 2017 and he’s always been very competitive and compliant with all racing rules. I’m sure George either mistakenly chose that particular car or just didn’t notice it had a hot stock armature installed.

As for Kevin’s infraction, I’ve also been racing with Kevin for nearly the same amount of time and he too has always complied with all house and racing rules. I suspect Kevin may have also made a mistake in choosing that particular car for this race.

This type of incident is not uncommon in slot car racing and very often the reason these things happen has much less to do with willful disregard for rules, but usually unintentional or careless selection of cars and/or parts.

Whatever the case may be, all this reinforces the importance of regular technical inspections at official races to help influence drivers and builders to be more diligent in preparing their cars for racing.

2024 Open Wheel Series Points Standings after Round 2

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Kevin Webster 834 229 5302.031
2 Eric Lane 628 182 2393.738
3 Shaylin Maddox 369 123 1877.628
4 Abe Maddox 329 102 1853.759
5 Jerry Pearson 340 94 1157.006
6 Pam Ebert 77 32 695.404
1 Steve Stewart* 1103 467 5903.035
2 Aaron Castro* 1088 429 5904.457
3 George Peters* 1062 336 5886.131
4 Jordan Walker* 584 148 2454.01

* Expert driver

Okay, Round 2 is in the books and the series points just got a bit more interesting after Round 2. Stay tuned for details on next week’s open track day and potential dates for Round 3.

Thank you all for making the trek to Stewart Raceway!  

Okay, shut up and drive!

2024 Open Wheel Series: Round 1, February 10

Pam Ebert, Abe Maddox, Shaylin Maddox

Despite some last-minute bails due to fear of transmitting sickness, we started the racing action with seven drivers. Team Maddox was the most represented with three drivers; including Pam Ebert, Shaylin’s Mom, and Abe’s Grandmother. Pam had never raced slot cars before but she jumped right in after a brief practice session and started her first-ever race. The Maddox/Ebert clan have racing in their genes, Grandpa, Fred Ebert, showed up last year in much the same way and also drove amazingly well having not raced slot cars in many, many years.

The Short Story

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart* 397 236 3617.073
2 Aaron Castro* 393 214 3601.475
3 George Peters* 377 187 3615.911
1 Kevin Webster 351 148 3616.436
2 Shaylin Maddox 88 44 714.114
3 Pam Ebert 77 32 695.404
4 Abe Maddox 74 32 668.503

* Expert

Race 1: MegaG+ 1.7 “Modifieds”

Home Cook’n, Aaron Castro, George Peters

In the spirit of open wheel racing, we started with our MegaG+ 1.7 “Modified” class (paper bodies). Everybody had been practicing with this car so it was a great choice to kick off official racing with.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 100 64 687.115
2 Aaron Castro 100 58 654.395
3 George Peters 94 55 672.205
4 Kevin Webster 90 44 684.087
5 Shaylin Maddox 88 44 714.114
6 Pam Ebert 77 32 695.404
7 Abe Maddox 74 32 668.503

Even though there were three Experts in this race, Shaylin Maddox, managed to place third in every one of her heats, very impressive driving! Shaylin ended up second in the Sportsman class points, tying class winner, Kevin Webster, on points and just two laps down after 100 laps of racing. Meanwhile, Abe and Pam engaged in another heated battle with Grandma besting young Abe by three laps. (Let’s not tell Abe about this until he’s a bit older.) Detailed Results

Race 2: Viper V-SPEC “Box Stock” F1/Indy (Eric “Fast” Lane IROC set

Aaron Castro, Home Cook’n, George Peters

Team Maddox unfortunately had to bail out early but we forged on with the schedule with Eric’s excellent set of Vipers with F1/Indy Lexan bodies.

This one was pretty much an Aaron Castro show. Aaron won two heats, Home Cook’n won two heats, and they tied on points. However, Home Cook’n faltered in the third segment, losing three laps battling with a hard-charging, George Peters, and Aaron finished all four heats with a perfect 25 laps each. Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Aaron Castro 100 56 950.478
2 Steve Stewart 97 56 943.948
3 George Peters 97 44 957.695
4 Kevin Webster 88 32 951.598

Race 3: MegaG+ 1.7 “Lites” F1/Indy Hardbodies (Webster Motorsports IROC set)

Home Cook’n, Aaron Castro, George Peters

This IROC set had two very nice cars (orange & green lanes) and two not-so-nice cars (blue & white) lanes. The blue lane car handled great but lacked top-end speed while the white lane car had a bursty powerband that was difficult to manage entering and through corners.

The results below don’t show it but this race came down to the final segment. Aaron Castro went into the final segment just two laps down on Home Cook’n and only three points behind in total points. Not a great position to be in but certainly within reach of the overall win.

Aaron would need to complete all 25 laps and finish two positions ahead of Home Cook’n. The problem for Aaron was his last segment would be in the white lane with a difficult-to-drive car.  Home Cook’n would finish in the orange lane with a very predictable and fast car and George Peters would finish in the green lane with another predictable and fast car.

In the end, the white-lane situation was too much to overcome. Aaron would finish third in the final segment and lose two more laps. George placed second with a perfect 25 laps sealing the deal on the final podium spot. Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 100 61 1255.513
2 Aaron Castro 96 53 1264.628
3 George Peters 89 38 1259.671
4 Kevin Webster 83 36 1260.16

Race 4: Viper V-SPEC “SPEC STOCK” Lexan GTP

Home Cook’n, George Peters, Aaron Castro

Yeah, I know, this is supposed to be an open-wheel series. We didn’t get the open-wheel Lexan bodies finished in time so we ran our GTP bodies.

Another barn-burner race, as is always the case with this platform. This final “official” race of the day was so fast that we had at least two laps that exceeded the previously set minimum lap time.

Each of the Expert drivers would win heats (segments) but George Peters won two! In the end, Aaron and George both had less-than-perfect runs in the blue lane, each losing three laps in blue. Both drivers finished very strongly in the final segment, completing all 25 laps and George winning it.  Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 100 55 730.497
2 George Peters 97 50 726.34
3 Aaron Castro 97 47 731.974
4 Kevin Webster 90 36 720.591

2024 Open Wheel Series Points Standings After Round 1:

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart* 397 236 3617.073
2 Aaron Castro* 393 214 3601.475
3 George Peters* 377 187 3615.911
1 Kevin Webster 351 148 3616.436
2 Shaylin Maddox 88 44 714.114
3 Pam Ebert 77 32 695.404
4 Abe Maddox 74 32 668.503

We did one ‘UNOFFICIAL’ race after the four official races. An IROC race utilizing a set of Webster Motorsports MegaG+ 1.7 chassis’ with LMP hardbodies. Another very close race with Home Cook’ just barely edging out Aaron Castro for the win by just one lap and tied in points.

Another great day of racing at Stewart Raceway. Thank you all for supporting our racing program!

Stay tuned for a post of videos for four of the five races on the day. Sadly, yours truly, spaced recording the first race of the day. Sorry, Team Maddox! May have well been the best race. 

Okay, shut up and drive!

2023 50/50 Xtreme Series: Round 4 Series Finale

The final race of the 50/50 Xtreme Series was decided by just one point and three laps. Our newest Sportsman driver in the mix, Aaron Castro, not only closed the deal on the series win today but also finished 2nd overall in Round 4, against two Expert drivers.

Short Story
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart* 558 236 4327.801
2 Aaron Castro 544 182 4347.334
3 George Peters* 541 181 4459.477
4 Kevin Webster 507 149 4426.83
5 Jerry Pearson 273 98 2311.258

*Expert Driver

Race 1: Jag Hobbies NC-2  70′ Boss Mustang Hardbodies
Home Cook’n, George Peters, Aaron Castro

The Jag NC-2 chassis is a very serious racing platform. However,  with these stock AutoWorld Super III bodies installed, they can be a bit unpredictable.

George Peters was on fire in Race 1 with three 2nd-place segment finishes and completing the race just eight seconds behind the race winner and on the same lap!  Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 140 64 1352.88
2 George Peters 140 50 1423.44
3 Aaron Castro 136 47 1291.1
4 Jerry Pearson 134 46 1365.84
5 Kevin Webster 114 28 1384.37
Race 2: MegaG+ 1.7 “Modified”
Home Cook’n, Jerry Pearson, Kevin Webster

This car is the most competitive platform out there, by far. This race had three different segment winners, Jerry Pearson won two of the five segments!

In the end, Jerry Pearson finished on the same lap as the race winner and less than a fraction of a second behind. Way, way competitive racing!  Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 139 53 945.131
2 Jerry Pearson 139 52 945.422
3 Kevin Webster 135 45 982.405
4 Aaron Castro 138 44 999.324
5 George Peters 134 41 976.465
Race 3: MegaG 1.7 Whelen/SK Modifieds (IROC)
Home Cook’n, Aaron Castro, George Peters

We just couldn’t get enough of the MG+ platform. This set was Box Stock 1.7 chassis’ with the new “paper” bodies. Again, very competitive. George Peters drove the wheels off his cars, winning two of the four segments and holding on to a 5-point lead over Aaron Castro going into the final segment. George was sitting in a very nice position going into the final segment, just one lap and one point behind the leader. In the end, George struggled with the Blue lane. At the same time, Kevin Webster came alive, besting George by only one lap but bagging the final podium spot and dropping George to a 4th-place finish, handing Aaron the points he needed to bag the 2nd-place podium spot. Again, way close racing with the MG+ platform. Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 139 55 1036.9
2 Aaron Castro 135 47 1042.257
3 George Peters 134 46 1039.166
4 Kevin Webster 128 40 1042.051
Race 4: Viper V-SPEC “SPEC STOCK” Lexan

The final race of the series,  a very fast and very competitive class that is extremely competitive. This one was mostly a battle between Aaron Castro and George Peters, both bagging two 2nd-place segment finishes. In the end, George, after a couple of bad heats was five points behind Aaron going into the final segment. George needed a great segment and some luck. Aaron would finish fourth in the segment and George would finish in 2nd-place, three laps up on Aaron but tied in points. Aaron would take the 2nd-place podium spot with a 6-second better total run time. Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 140 64 992.894
2 Aaron Castro 135 44 1014.65
3 George Peters 133 44 1020.408
4 Kevin Webster 130 36 1018.002

So, there you have it. The 2023 50/50 Xtreme Series is in the books. Sportsman driver, Aaron Castro wins it over hard-charging Kevin Webster in the final round. Great driving by our newest member and congrats on the series win!

2023 50/50 Xtreme Series Final Overall Standings
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Aaron Castro 1559 583 13187.46
2 Kevin Webster 1532 491 15719.91
3 Jerry Pearson 634 244 8530.101
4 Eric Lane 339 112 6219.998
5 Shaylin Maddox 214 76 1574.672
6 Grace Maddox 82 45 716.313
7 Abe Maddox 81 42 789.937
1 Steve Stewart* 1782 820 15347.45
2 George Peters* 1337 469 9458.514
3 Jordan Walker* 141 75 2213.675

*Expert

Okay, that’s it for now. Stay tuned for details on next Saturday’s Kid’s Race and 2023 Season Awards Presentations.  We may do some team racing with qualifying and combining the fastest with the slowest on each team, we’ll see. Just a fun day at the track regardless.

Awards to be presented:
      • 2023 50/50 Xtreme Series Winner – Sportsman
      • 2023 Season Champ – Sportsman
      • 2023 Season Champ – Junior
      • 2023 Most Improved Driver
      • 2023 Rookie of the Year
      • 2023 Team of the Year

Okay, shut up and drive!

2023 50/50 Xtreme Series: Round 4 Series Finale

2023 50/50 Xtreme Series: Round 3, A Fine Day on the SR3 Oval

Abe Maddox pointing out his 1161 laps in practice before round 3.

Race 1: Johnny Lightning “Shaunadega” Vintage NASCAR (IROC) 18v
JL “Shaunadega” NASCAR podium: Home Cook’n, Aaron Castro, George Peters

George Peter’s dragged these cool cars out of his archives to run on the SR3 oval. They did not disappoint anybody. These cars are a hoot to drive, fast, and loose, but very predictable. The venerable pancake motor with vintage NASCAR bodies is a blast to race on an oval. The main battle in this one was between Home Cook’n, Aaron Castro, and George Peters, with Aaron finishing a close second and on the same lap as the winner. A secondary battle was going on between Sportsman drivers, Kevin Webster and Shaylin Maddox. Shaylin had never driven the SR3 oval course nor had she ever driven a Johnny Lightning “Shaunadega” car. In the end, Shaylin managed to take third in the final two segments, besting Kevin by four laps and just four points. Great driving!  Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart* 156 59 702.416
2 Aaron Castro 156 55 681.966
3 George Peters* 152 53 697.333
4 Shaylin Maddox 126 36 704.308
5 Kevin Webster 122 32 714.1
Race 2: MegaG+ 1.7 “Modified” 18v
MG+ Modified podium: Hone Cook’n, Aaron Castro, George Peters

This relatively new class has been very interesting and competitive. The “paper” bodies transform the MG+ chassis into a real speedster by virtue of less weight and overall mass, making the MG+ 1.7 platform much more exciting to drive. Unfortunately, Team Maddox had to abandon racing after the first event due to their younger drivers favoring other interests. That would leave just four of us to complete round 3 but it was still hot and heavy racing from then on. Race was yet another barn burner with Aaron Castro putting in a fierce effort to win Race 2. In the end, each segment of the race was identical in terms of finishing order with Aaron finishing on the same lap as the leader again!  Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart* 158 56 405.562
2 Aaron Castro 158 55 405.935
3 George Peters* 154 49 405.545
4 Kevin Webster 141 28 406.317
Race 3: OS3 TFX “Box Stock” 1968 and 70 Camaro Hard Bodies (IROC) 18v
TFX Podium: Aaron Castro, Home Cook’n, George Peters

In the spirit of the Aurora ThunderJet, these cars are completely stock TFX chassis’. Very challenging to drive, even on an oval. Sportsman driver, Aaron Castro, dominated Race 3 winning three of the four segments and clearly demonstrating his diverse driving skills with these fast but loose cars. Expert driver and veteran T-Jet driver, George Peters, fought hard for the win in this one but Aaron clicked off four perfect 40-lap segments and sealed the deal with a convincing win in the final segment.  Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Aaron Castro 160 61 1029.151
2 Steve Stewart* 155 55 1028.422
3 George Peters* 146 44 1037.697
4 Kevin Webster 120 28 1042.492
Race 4: Viper V-SPEC “SPEC STOCK” Lexan GTP 15v
Viper V-SPEC Podium: Home Cook’n, Aaron Castro, George Peters

One of our faster classes, these cars are essentially “box stock” Viper V-SPEC chassis’ with a Lexan body. No other mods are allowed. The fastest cars we ran in Round 3 and probably the most adrenaline-producing of the bunch. The final “official” race of the day was probably the most competitive of all with four very fast V-SPEC cars duking it out on the oval.  The big story of the day was the Sportsman points battle between Kevin Webster and Aaron Castro. Kevin was leading the points chase by 21 over Aaron going into Round 3. Kevin knew he wasn’t having his best day going into the final race and was clearly on a mission to salvage the day with a win.  Kevin came out of the gate with guns blazing and very fast laps, clinging onto second place until segment 3, when he had a disastrous run in the Blue lane only completing 34 laps.  George Peters was in a solid third position until segment 3 when Aaron Castro came out of nowhere and won the segment with a perfect 40 laps completed. That would set the stage for an epic battle in the final segment. In the end, Home Cook’n managed to hold onto a slim 2-lap lead to take the win. The final segment was very close with Aaron and George putting in a perfect 40-laps and Kevin only losing one lap but with the best median lap time of the segment.  That’s some very competitive racing, folks.  Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart* 158 61 501.295
2 Aaron Castro 156 47 503.668
3 George Peters* 154 40 505.022
4 Kevin Webster 151 40 505.363
Overall Results for Round 3
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart* 627 231 2637.695
2 Aaron Castro 630 218 2620.72
3 George Peters* 606 186 2645.597
4 Kevin Webster 534 128 2668.272
5 Shaylin Maddox 126 36 704.308

So cool to have Shaylin in the mix. She’s getting better and better each race and adapts amazingly well to every car, layout, and race format we throw at her. Way to go, Shaylin!

2023 50/50 Xtreme Series Points Standings after Round 3
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart* 1477 686 15573.7
2 Aaron Castro 1456 604 15715.95
3 Kevin Webster 1256 398 16165.68
4 Jerry Pearson 541 190 8600.651
5 George Peters* 606 186 2645.597
6 Eric Lane 339 112 6219.998
7 Martha Elderon 180 60 2304.775
8 Shaylin Maddox 126 36 704.308

By winning one race and coming in a close second in the other three events, Aaron Castro has rocketed into the lead in the Sportsman standings. With two more rounds to go, Kevin Webster is going to need a lot of luck and some very good driving to get back into a series-win position.

Vintage Fray T-Jets podium: Home Cook’n, Aaron Castro, George Peters

We actually didn’t stop racing after the four “official” races. The four of us clicked off four more fuel races, ending with a Fray T-Jet “slip-on” IROC race! Surprisingly, Aaron finished just two laps down on the leader having never raced a Fray car before.

Stay tuned for details on our next events at Stewart Raceway. Next weekend will be an open track and, hopefully, some junior racing. Round 4 of the series will return to the SR3 “Fast Esses” road course.

Okay, shut up and drive!