Category: Stewart Raceway III

All about Stewart Raceway

Open Track Day Report

Julian, Abe, and Grace cutting laps on SR3. Right-click and open a new browser window for larger pics.

Wow! I think we broke records for attendance at Stewart Raceway yesterday.

What a great turnout of junior drivers, parents, and club drivers preparing for next Saturday’s 50/50 Series opening round.

Thank you to all our friends and parents who brought their kids to the track Saturday. It was fantastic to see all lanes busy, parents helping and coaching the kids, marshaling crashes, and supporting all the young drivers as they clicked off hundreds of laps. That was cool!

Eric Lane’s healthfood contribution to the event. Thanks, Eric!

Yea, it was a bit crazy at times but what do you expect when you hand over control of a little car capable of doing 600 (scale) miles per hour? The kids like to go fast but they also like their total lap counts, which seemed to be the focus of the day.

Once again, the top junior driver was Abe Maddox. Abe clicked off the most laps in both “kids” sessions and wasn’t shy about it either.  That was his goal and he nailed it. Madeline Johnson was next best in terms of total laps in both sessions running on the outside Yellow lane. Yes, there were faster young drivers in the field today but Abe and Madeline seemed to understand the “Turtle and the Hare” story better than most. Dax Schwartz hung in there for both sessions and was a close third in total laps running in the other outside lane (Red), which is definitely not the ideal lane for total laps.

It wasn’t an “official” race but all the kids were very keen on keeping track of their lap counts and making sure their car was quickly placed in the slot after crashes. I’m amazed at the focus and attention they gave to driving these little cars for so long, totally cool.

Okay, it is clear that the kids enjoy this stuff just as much as we older “kids.” That said, I think we should have another “official” junior race soon. However, I think it might be more fun if the parents team up with the kids and do some sort of “teams” event. Anyway, I’ll look into it and see if the software we use can support it.

Thanks also to the veteran drivers who helped the kids while they patiently waited for access to the busy track. The kids eventually got bored with little cars and moved on to other things and the older kids got to get some track time in also. All in all, a great day playing with little cars.

Okay, stay tuned for details on a future parents/kids race day and get-together. Until then, next Saturday, February 4, kicks off the 2023 50/50 Racing Series. This is a “big kid” race event involving driver/owner-prepared Viper V-SPEC cars, the new Mega-G+ class, and two IROC class races. Register here. Mega-G+ car prep videos here.

Okay, shut up and drive!

 

 

 

 

Race Report: 2022 IROC Championship Series – Round 3

Round 3 of the 2022 IROC Championship Series was again a shootout between the top Expert and Sportsman drivers, but this time on the SR3 banked oval and a car lineup that would, hopefully, recreate the great era of American dirt-track racing. Race one got underway at 11:30ish Saturday, November 12 under clear blue skies and warm sunshine. Oh, and some of us enjoyed the awesome Krispy Kreme donuts that Eric Lane brought into the paddock–thanks, Eric!

The “Day On The Oval” started with the wild and loose MG+ 1.5 “Midget” hardbodies running at 18v and ended with the always popular Viper Jet (SPEC-JET) with Lexan NAStruck bodies at 12v. A little twist was added to the mix (from Kevin Webster) to only run on the two inside and two outside lanes.

We also got to witness the first-ever female driver participate in our formal racing program. Martha Elderon was amazing in her debut at Stewart Raceway. Martha won heats (segments) in both the MG+ 1.5 “Midget” race and the Retro-Viper “Maximum Leeway” race–Nice!

Short Story Round 3 Overall Results
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 400 48 1551.692
2 Kevin Webster 383 40 1644.271
3 Jordan Walker 372 29 1608.379
4 Eric Lane 365 22 1684.491
5 Jerry Pearson 222 18 997.273
6 Martha Elderon 204 9 1020.019
* Steve Stewart 418 64 1507.187
Race 1:  MegaG+ 1.5 “Midgets” (18.1v)
MegaG+ 1.5 “Midgets” 3D-printed bodies available from MTS 3D Hobbies on eBay or Shapeways.

These cars are a handful to drive since they have no traction magnets and a weighted independent front end. To make things even more challenging for the drivers, two of the cars on the inside lanes were underpowered at 18v and required extreme patience and skill to limit the losses each driver would suffer in those two lanes. Martha Elderon, surprised us all by bagging her first-ever heat win in the Red lane. Martha drove the wheels of the car and had a huge smile on her face after winning that segment late in the race.

Sportsman driver, Jordan Walker dominated this one until the last couple of segments, dropping to 4th overall after Kevin Webster and George Peters.  In the end, Sportsman driver Kevin Webster came out on top with a heat win and three 2nd-place finishes. Sportsman driver, Jerry Pearson took the final podium spot with a very nice heat win in the final segment.

These cars were intended to be run at 22v but the consensus was that they were easier to drive at 18v. Sadly, they were tested and tuned at 22v and two of them did not run nearly as well at 18v as the other two.  (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Kevin Webster 115 13 534.661
2 George Peters 114 11 522.128
3 Jerry Pearson 111 7 536.974
4 Jordan Walker 109 6 528.271
5 Martha Elderon 109 5 552.024
6 Eric Lane 108 4 569.509
* Steve Stewart 118 16 517.322
Race 2:  Retro-Vipers “Maximum Leeway” Lexan (15v)

These are way cool cars based on the Viper V-SPEC chassis but using weights instead of traction magnets and a special motor magnet design that minimizes downforce. These cars can also be a handful but the newly minted Hot Wheels “Maximum Leeway” Lexan bodies seemed to help keep the cars firmly planted even at 15v.

Retro-Viper chassis with a replica Hot Wheels “Maximum Leeway” late-model Lexan dirt-track bodies.

This race and perhaps this car would be the most competitive of the day with nearly every driver winning at least one heat.  Martha Elderon won her second heat race of the day in the first segment on the Blue lane. Besting second and third place by two laps–Go, Martha!

In the end, Expert Driver George Peters would come from behind and steal the show from the hard-charging Jerry Pearson in second. Kevin Webster bagged the final podium spot and some valuable points needed to maintain his lead in the series. (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 115 13 421.945
2 Jerry Pearson 111 11 460.299
3 Kevin Webster 103 7 435.335
4 Eric Lane 101 6 457.765
5 Jordan Walker 100 5 443.116
6 Martha Elderon 95 4 467.995
* Steve Stewart 120 16 406.225
Race 3:  MegaG 1.7 Whelen/SK Modifieds  (18v)
MegaG 1.7 Whelen/SK Modifieds 3D-printed bodies available from MTS 3D Hobbies on eBay and Shapeways.

Another “drifting” type of car with good power and speed. These cars are a hoot on the oval and this race was also very competitive. We would lose two drivers prior to the start of Race 3 but it didn’t get any easier for anybody. We dropped down to three lanes, running just the Yellow, Green, and Red lanes freeing up two drivers to marshal.

New Sportsman driver, Eric Lane would bag his second heat win of the day in this one by winning segment four, less than a second ahead of 2nd place finisher, Jordan Walker. Close racing, indeed.

This race was also a heated battle between the two Expert drivers, George Peters and Home Cook’n. George fought valiantly and even won the final segment in convincing fashion. However, losing four laps in the first segment in the Green lane would prove a bit too much to overtake Home Cook’n for the overall win. Also very close racing in the Sportsman class, for sure. (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 85 13 333.192
2 Jordan Walker 77 11 340.254
3 Kevin Webster 77 7 356.492
4 Eric Lane 74 6 355.435
* Steve Stewart 90 16 308.313
Race 4:  Viper Jets (SPEC-JET) (12v)

The final race of the day was the venerable Viper Jet under HOPRA SPEC-JET rules and requiring fuel stops at 28-laps. These cars are way fun and on an oval course, even more fun. Super fast and way more “stuck” than any of the previous cars, this one was a battle throughout.

Current Junior of the Year, Jordan Walker, led this one until 4th segment when George Peters took over the race lead with a nice second-place finish and his usual crafty pit-stop strategies. Going into the final segment, George was done with his rotation at 86-laps, tied with Jordan Walker sitting second overall.  Would 86-laps be enough for the win?

Box-Stock Viper Jets with Harden Creek NAStruck F-150 Lexan bodies.

Only Kevin Webster and Home Cook’n had a shot at bumping the two drivers off the podium. Kevin went into the final segment with 58-laps, Home Cook’n with 60. In the end, Home Cook’n prevailed with a 30-lap total in the final round. Kevin Webster would end up with 88-laps, bagging second overall and therefore winning the final race of the day. Kevin didn’t win any heats, he just methodically focused on getting laps and managing fuel perfectly.

Not to be outdone by the more experienced drivers, Eric Lane would quietly and brilliantly win the final segment of this race. Going into the final heat with 52-laps, he knew he wasn’t in contention for the overall but he was on a mission. Eric ended the race with a perfect 30-lap score and clicked off the fastest lap of that segment in the process–Go, Eric! (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Kevin Webster 88 13 317.783
2 George Peters 86 11 274.427
3 Jordan Walker 86 7 296.738
4 Eric Lane 82 6 301.782
* Steve Stewart 90 16 275.327

Wow! I was a bit apprehensive about the car lineup for this oval round of the series. Typically, most slot car drivers don’t enjoy the more difficult-to-drive cars. This group not only enjoyed the “fast & loose” cars, but they also drove them extremely well–very impressive driving by all!

Series Standings Summary

Going into the final round of the 2022 IROC Champs Series, Kevin Webster has a nearly unassailable points lead in the Sportsman class with steady appearances and strong race results.

George Peters has pretty much locked up the 2022 IROC Championship win in the Expert standings. With only one round left, he only needs to show up and finish a couple of races to take home yet another massive trophy.

IROC Championship Series Points Standings After Round 3:
Sportsman Class
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Kevin Webster 961 98 7612.257
2 Jerry Pearson 641 75 5416.834
3 Eric Lane 915 69 7651.906
4 Jordan Walker 372 29 1608.379
5 Martha Elderon 204 9 1020.019
Expert Class
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 1034 153 7457.567
2 Brad Sandahl 360 42 3331.948
* Steve Stewart 1064 189 7336.991

The final round of the series is tentatively slated for November 26, 2022 and will be contested on the SR3 Road Course. Though track management is considering a slightly different layout. Stay tuned for more details on the Round 4 finale.

* Home Cook’n results are not factored in the series points. Owning the track means enjoying a massive advantage. And even more so when you build or maintain many of the IROC cars being contested.

Okay, shut up and drive!

Race Report: 2022 IROC Championship Series – Round 2

Round 2 of the 2022 IROC Championship Series is in the Slot Car Racing books. The 4-race schedule commenced at 11:30ish Saturday, October 29 on the SR3 straight road course. We started slow and loose with Box-Stock OS3 TFX TransAm Camaros running at 18v and finished off the day with super-fast,  Super G+ Lexan F1/Indy cars running at 15v.

Short Story Round 2 Overall Results
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 369 50 3344.134
2 Brad Sandahl 360 42 3331.948
3 Kevin Webster 335 26 3394.977
4 Eric Lane 321 22 3408.631
5 Jerry Pearson 171 18 1842.371
6 Steve Stewart 378 64 3289.529
Race 1:  OS3 TFX “Box-Stock” Camaros (18.1v)

Starting slow and loose, the first race was OS3 TFX “Box-Stock” TransAm Camaros. These cars are way faster than the typical pancake car but still way loose compared to most cars we run.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 80 16 938.946
2 George Peters 77 13 943.663
3 Jerry Pearson 76 11 1007.412
4 Brad Sandahl 74 7 919.638
5 Kevin Webster 70 6 980.669
6 Eric Lane 69 5 1015.717

This race was quite a surprise. Conventional thinking was that the more experienced TFX/T-Jet drivers would dominate this one. However, George Peters and Brad Sandahl would sit out the first heat, which gave rookie driver Jerry Pearson, an excellent opportunity to walk away with a nice win in the first heat. By the end of the race, George Peters would establish a solid second-place finish and Jerry Pearson would best 2021 ROTY, Brad Sandahl by just two points.  Very impressive racing by Jerry driving one of the most difficult-to-drive cars we run. (Details)

Race 2:  MegaG+ 1.7 “Box-Stock” Winged Super Modifieds (18v)

Race 2 was a bit faster utilizing stock MG+ long-wheelbase chassis’ with cool MTS 3D-printed winged Super Modified bodies. Typically fairly top-heavy, with traction magnets these cars actually go pretty well on a road course.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 98 16 788.671
2 Brad Sandahl 97 13 783.274
3 George Peters 97 11 808.725
4 Jerry Pearson 95 7 834.959
5 Kevin Webster 91 6 788.261
6 Eric Lane 88 5 800.873

The Sportsman drivers seemed to really like these cars and Jerry Pearson, Kevin Webster, and Eric Lane would remain in the top three race leader positions up until the fourth heat. In the last two segments, experts, George Peters and Brad Sandahl would overtake them, finishing second and third overall. (Details)

Race 3:  Viper-Jets with Lexan CanAm Bodies (12v)

This one was pretty much a battle of the Experts but Sportsman drivers, Kevin Webster and Eric Lane put their marks on it with two second-place heat finishes while the three Expert drivers battle it out.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 100 16 819.166
2 George Peters 98 13 830.954
3 Brad Sandahl 94 11 848.308
4 Kevin Webster 84 7 838.387
5 Eric Lane 77 6 810.143

In the end, it was Home Cook’n with the top spot, George Peters second, and Brad Sandahl in third. Very close racing at all levels. (Details)

Race 4: Super G+ with Lexan F1/Indy Bodies  (15v)

This race would be the fastest race of the day and a very competitive one at that. The big story was Kevin Webster leading the race after four segments, with a win in that segment and a second in the third segment–nice!

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 100 16 742.746
2 George Peters 97 13 760.792
3 Brad Sandahl 95 11 780.728
4 Kevin Webster 90 7 787.66
5 Eric Lane 87 6 781.898

In the end, only two laps separated George Peters in second and Brad Sandahl in third, and only three laps separated Sportsman drivers, Kevin Webster and Eric Lane. Close racing!  (Details)

Top to bottom: TR3 Augorans, Webster MG+ Camaros & Mustangs, Tyco-Jets, Retro Vipers

All in all, it was a fun day of racing, and great to see our Sportsman drivers breaking through the Expert ranks and not only winning heat segments but also the top podium spot in the OS3 TFX race. Good driving all around!

Kevin Webster and Jerry Pearson are neck & neck in the series Sportsman standings while George Peters has a very solid lead over Brad Sandhal in the Expert standings.

Remember: It’s the best total points of three of the four events.

IROC Championship Series Points Standings After Round 2
Sportsman Class
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Kevin Webster 578 58 5967.985
2 Jerry Pearson 419 57 4419.561
3 Eric Lane 550 47 5967.415
Expert Class
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 634 105 5905.876
2 Brad Sandahl 360 42 3331.948
3 Steve Stewart 646 125 5829.804

Round 3 of the series is tentatively slated for November 12, 2022 and will be contested on the SR3 Oval Course. Stay tuned for details on ROund 3 and, hopefully, some video of this last round on our Youtube channel.

Okay, shut up and drive!

Race Report: 2022 IROC Championship Series – Round 1

Round 1 of this exciting new series kicked off Saturday, October 1, 2022 with just five drivers but a competitive bunch for sure. We ran exclusively on the SR3 “straight” road course and with a 4-race format instead of 6. New driver, Eric Lane, joined in for his first “official” race at Stewart Raceway. Eric raced 1/32 cars back in the day and looks to be getting back into slot car racing with a large collection of HO-scale cars.

Round 1 Overall Results
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 265 55 2561.742
2 Jerry Pearson 248 39 2577.19
3 Kevin Webster 243 32 2573.008
4 Eric Lane 229 25 2558.784
5 Steve Stewart 268 61 2540.275
Race 1: Retro Vipers (12.5v)

We started the day with the challenging Retro Viper platforms and decided to run three lanes so we could allocate a couple of drivers to marshaling, which worked out well for this class.

The Retro Vipers are really better suited for oval track racing but it was surprising how well everyone adapted to the cars. Of course, the seasoned Fray/T-Jet drivers dominated this one. The big story here was that Jerry Pearson bagged the final podium spot in this one, only four laps off the pace of 1st and 2nd, and won his final heat. Impressive driving for a guy who seemed to prefer L4 Vipers. (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 60 16 636.668
2 George Peters 60 13 668.988
3 Jerry Pearson 56 11 722.443
4 Kevin Webster 51 7 660.196
5 Eric Lane 46 6 676.079
Race 2: Tyco-Jets (12.5v)

Another “loose” but much easier to drive platform. This race debuted two new cars for the SR3 IROC set. Both without weighted front-ends for the orange and green lanes. While one weighted FE car won two of the five heats, the two unweighted cars won three.  And, both Jerry Pearson and Eric Lane won heats in this one–nice! (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 59 16 637.996
2 George Peters 59 13 647.849
3 Jerry Pearson 55 11 614.09
4 Kevin Webster 54 7 684.675
5 Eric Lane 50 6 630.976
Race 3: MegaG+ 1.7 Camaros and Mustangs (15v)

The usual suspects battled it out in this race utilizing Kevin Webster’s nicely prepared set of MegaG+ 1.7 cars. Most of us have driven these cars before and they are very smooth and predictable. Jerry Pearson won the final heat of this fuel race with some nice fuel management tactics. Jerry is well on his way to a 2022 Rookie of the Year award. (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 75 16 758.092
2 George Peters 71 13 732.61
3 Kevin Webster 70 11 716.082
4 Eric Lane 68 7 724.382
5 Jerry Pearson 66 6 727.872
Race 4: Jag Hobbies TR-3 “Augorans” (15v)

The TR-3 is an amazing car. An inline 6-ohm chassis that fits old-school screw-on bodies, including JL, AW, Aurora, MM and Dash. Still, it’s a blazingly fast magnet car with superb handling and driveability.

2022 NASCAR MADness Series winner, George Peters, dominated this final race of the day by winning all of his heats. Jerry Pearson took the final podium spot with two second-place heat finishes. (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 75 16 512.295
2 Steve Stewart 74 13 507.519
3 Jerry Pearson 71 11 512.785
4 Kevin Webster 68 7 512.055
5 Eric Lane 65 6 527.347
2022 Series Points Standings After Round 1
Sportsman Class
Place Name Points Total Time
1 Jerry Pearson 39 2577.19
2 Kevin Webster 32 2573.008
3 Eric Lane 25 2558.784
Expert Class
Place Name Points Total Time
1 George Peters 55 2561.742
2 Steve Stewart 61 2540.275

Round 2 is tentatively slated for October 29, 2022. Stay tuned for details.

Okay, shut up and drive!

Open Track Session Report: August 20, 2022

Thanks to all who came out for a few hours of track time on SR3 Saturday, really appreciate the interest and support!

The goal was to give Sportsman drivers some tips and tricks on driving technic and style. Unfortunately, only one Sportsman drive showed up (Kevin Webster) and he doesn’t really need any help.

Expert driver and 2021 Rookie of the Year, Brad Sandahl showed up with his daughter, Carrie, and did a bunch of laps. Brad certainly doesn’t need much help either but he tested various controller settings and by the end of the day had the fastest lap.

Julian Schwartz, another local junior driver, made an appearance and got to cut a bunch of laps with an OS3 Pro controller, which he seemed to adapt to well, and hopefully, gained some valuable experience for the next Kid’s Race at Stewart Raceway.

Kevin and I tested his various HOPRA-legal SUPER STOCK cars. The purpose of the testing was to determine if the HOPRA SUPER STOCK rules should be adopted. While these cars are very smooth and fast, they really weren’t all that much faster than an L4 V-SPEC Viper (HOPRA SPEC RACER) we currently run. Different, yes, but not really worth the extra expense of forcing a switch to ceramic motor and traction magnets. The HOPRA Super Stock class rules also allow dual-compound tires, which further increases cost and complexity.

The goal of introducing this new class to our racing program was to provide more advanced drivers and builders with a bit more flexibility in tuning their cars. The general consensus was that having to swap magnets and purchase dual compound tires was a bit much from a budget and performance gain perspective.  So, we decided to introduce the Super Stock class into the program but without the ceramic magnet and dual-compound rear tire specs–for now.

So what’s different?

Well, without the ceramic magnets and the dual compound rear tires, not much. But, you can run different gearing than just a 7/23 pinion/crown. Higher gearing, for example, can make the car not only easier to drive on twisty technical courses but also faster on tracks with longer straights. The idea is to allow the more advanced racer more tuning flexibility.

What does this mean to you? This class presents a bit more flexibility in tuning. Meaning, that you can purchase a few different rear axle assemblies with different gearing for different track layouts or conditions. Just swap axle assemblies to change the handling and speed characteristics of a SUPER STOCK class car.

Do I need to buy another car?

No, the Super Stock class is essentially a SPEC RACER chassis. The only difference is that you can run any gearing available in the SUPER STOCK class, the HOPRA SPEC RACER class is restricted to 7/23 gearing.

Will the SUPER STOCK class be run at all Stewart Raceway events?

No, at the moment only a few drivers are interested in this class.  If interest grows, it could be a popular class but only time will tell. Buy a couple of different rear axle assemblies and see if going to higher or lower gearing helps your lap times. If you determine that you’re faster with the gearing flexibility, then lobby in support of this class.

Keep in mind, that both classes allow adjustable armature brush tension on a brush-barrel type chassis, which is also a very useful tuning option. If you’re running that type of chassis, try them both and see what happens.

The SUPER STOCK class is intended to provide a bit more flexibility and a more sophisticated level of tuning for those interested in going faster and finding that winning setup on race days.

Okay, shut up and drive!