Month: December 2025

2025 Racing Season Year End Bash

The 2025 Stewart Raceway racing season ends with four races, good pizza, great eggnog, and the following well-deserved award presentations:

      • Junior Champion: Abe Maddox
        Abe only did 18 races in 2025, but his three overall race wins, multiple lap records, and a 3.1 placing average earned him his second consecutive Junior championship.
      • Sportsman Champion: Dean Donaldson
        In his very first season at Stewart Raceway, Dean completed a whopping 64 races in 2025 and finished with a 2.4 placing average, 10 lap records (SR2 & SR3), and six overall race wins. Dean joins the Expert driver ranks for the 2026 racing season.
      • Rookie of the Year: Dustin Jolley
        Dustin didn’t discover Stewart Raceway until October, but quickly established himself as a very talented and versatile slot car racer. Dustin completed 19 races with a 2.3 average placing, four race wins, and seven lap records in a variety of lanes and cars. Dustin is expected to upgrade to the Expert ranks early in the 2026 season.
      • Most Improved Driver: Jared Johnson
        Jared doesn’t get to race much (only six races in 2025), but when he does race, he’s typically on or near the podium. In their third season at Stewart Raceway, Team Johnson has been a force in both the Junior ranks and now the Sportsman ranks. Team Manager, Jared, invested in a Viper V-SPEC car and two MG+ 1.7 F1 cars during the 2025 season. Team Johnson also invested in a new development driver with the birth of his third child, Luke. I’m sure we’ll see Luke in the paddock in 2026 and beyond.
      • Team of the Year: Team Maddox
        We didn’t do much organized team racing in 2025, but the Team Maddox duo of Abe and Shaylin is clearly a force in any racing at Stewart Raceway. With Abe being our top Junior driver and Mom, Shaylin, holding nearly 20 lap records, and bagging two overall race wins in 2025, they easily won the Team of the Year honors.
      • Promoter of the Year (recruiter): Dean Donaldson
        We’ve always shown great appreciation for drivers who bring new drivers into the fold. Dean has set a very high bar for this recognition going forward. Dean introduced nine (9) new drivers to our program in 2025.  With that level of recruiting, we can now typically run a weekly program with enough drivers and marshals to support an official race day/night easily. Dean is also very active each week, chasing down RSVPs and urging drivers to attend events—hat tip to Dean for outstanding contributions to our hobby/sport.
      • Best Eggnog of the Year: Kathy Stewart
        Well, surprisingly, there wasn’t very much competition for this award. Kathy cleaned out Safeway’s stock of a delicious Eggnog brand that Eric Lane introduced to us at our end-of-season bash in 2024. This stuff is good!
Racing Short Story

The important thing to note here is that Team Maddox took over for Home Cook’n in Race 3, starting in segment 4 of 6. Both Shaylin and Abe switched off in the final three segments, which very likely kept Home Cook’n in the hunt for the Expert overall. Abe bagged a second-place finish in segment 5, which netted 13 points.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 338 210 3055.293
2 Dean Donaldson 338 194 3901.942
3 Jeff Seltzer 310 141 2964.951
4 Bev Seltzer 242 80 2520.254
5 Mike Langell 190 79 2238.219
6 Dustin Jolley 146 68 1795.775
Race 1: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan

Dean Donaldson cements his Sportsman Championship win and advancement to the Expert ranks with a win in the fastest race of the day.  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Dean Donaldson 99 58 601.807
2 Steve Stewart 98 58 639.526
3 Jeff Seltzer 90 40 617.176
4 Bev Seltzer 79 32 632.561
Race 2: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan (Dash Race)

Bev Seltzer, getting back to racing after a long layoff, shows her stuff with a nice podium finish in a hard-fought Dash race with the fastest car we run. Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 40 16 254.780
2 Bev Seltzer 40 14 113.362
3 Dean Donaldson 38 11 259.974
4 Jeff Seltzer 34 7 103.923
Race 3: Tyco 440-X2 Wide-Pan Porsche 935 Hardbody

This one was a great example of why less lanes and more marshals is better. We had six drivers, so we decided to run six lanes. Which left us with just a race director at the keyboard and one marshal, making this a very long race due to many crashes forcing yellow flags. Home Cook’n led this one at the halfway mark, but handed over the reins to Team Maddox. Thanks to Abe’s and Shaylin’s driving, the team was able to secure a nice podium position. The detailed results show Dustin winning this one on laps. However, when sorted by points, then laps, which is our typical method of scoring, Dean came out the winner with Dustin bagging the final podium spot. Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Dean Donaldson 143 73 2650.090
2 Shaylin Maddox, Abe Maddox, S. Stewart 140 72 1787.480
3 Dustin Jolley 146 68 1795.775
4 Jeff Seltzer 132 54 1819.615
5 Mike Langell 137 47 1830.633
6 Bev Seltzer 123 34 1774.331
Race 4: Viper V-SPEC F1/Indy 1.7 (i) Lexan Eric Lane Set

This bunch loves Vipers, so we pulled out Eric “Fast” Lane’s coveted set of Formula V Lexan IROC cars and went racing again. The results below are deceiving; this race was short, very intense, and each segment ended the same. Jeff Seltzer bagged the final podium spot over Mike Langell, largely due to his best segment run in the more difficult Blue lane with the second fastest median lap time of 5.398.  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 60 64 373.507
2 Dean Donaldson 58 52 390.071
3 Jeff Seltzer 54 40 424.237
4 Mike Langell 53 32 407.586

Other than the painfully long Race 3, it was a great day and evening of racing, good food, and a great bunch to hang out with. A big thanks from Kathy and me to all who showed up and made it a great and fun event!

That’s a wrap for our 2025 racing season. Thank you all for your continued support of our racing program. Kathy and I wish you all a very Happy New Year, and look forward to an even better 2026 season.

Race Report: Saturday Night Under The Lights, December 20-21, 2025

This was supposed to be a Saturday race, but ended up pushing to an Under The Lights event due to not enough RSVPs and prior commitments. Not a massive turnout with just three drivers, but the racing was way fun and competitive nevertheless.

Short Story
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 284 181 2427.767
2 Dustin Jolley 269 154 2429.026
3 Dean Donaldson 233 123 2039.156
Race 1: AutoWorld Super III NASCAR 1.7 (i)

The AW Super III chassis isn’t the best choice for a SPEC STOCK platform. However, with a tire upgrade and some minor tweaks, it can be a fun car to drive. Our 2025 Sportsman champ, Dean Donaldson (full Speed Racing) didn’t take to this platform as well as Dustin did. Dean managed a nice second-place finish in the final heat, besting Dustin by two laps, posting the fastest lap of the segment in the White lane, and a perfect lap score of 20. Dustin had a very productive race with two 2nd’s, a 1st, and a 3rd. Going into the final segment, Dustin had a perfect lap score of 60 and was just three points behind Home Cook’n and a better total run time. Dustin ended up struggling in the Green lane, losing two laps and finishing third to Dean.

Still a terrific run for Dustin while setting a new lap record (6.317) in the Blue lane for this platform.  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 80 61 765.127
2 Dustin Jolley 78 53 785.733
3 Dean Donaldson 73 46 942.068
Race 2: MegaG+ 1.7 Lites (Support Class)

As always, this “Builder” class was a barn-burner. Dustin came out swinging in the White lane, posting the fastest lap of the first segment, getting all 25 laps, and crossing the line .372-seconds behind the winner. In the second segment, Dean Donaldson took advantage of not one, but two Home Cook’n “Senior Moments” and won the segment with a perfect 25 laps and the best segment run time, putting him in 2nd-place overall going into the final segment. Home Cook’n would drop from first to third after his disastrous rotation, losing 3 laps early on due to his foopah (hooking up in the wrong lane).

Going into the final segment, Dustin was the race leader by one lap, but one point down on both Dean and Home Cook’n. I don’t remember the fuel dynamic, but both Dean and Home Cook’n needed to make up their lap and hope Dustin had a bad run in his final segment. Neither scenario played out. Dean would have a disastrous run in the segment, losing four laps and finishing third. Home Cook’n had a great run in the Green lane, but failed to get the lost lap back, winning the race but came up short putting a lap on the race leader, Dustin Jolley. Dustin put in the fastest lap of the segment, came up four points short, but held on to his one lap lead, and posted a better overall runtime to win!  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Dustin Jolley 75 39 508.919
2 Steve Stewart 74 43 557.980
3 Dean Donaldson 70 38 516.095
Race 3: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan

Dean Donaldson (Full Speed Racing) was on a mission in his favorite race. The fastest car we run at Stewart Raceway, these races are typically very close, and the adrenaline is very high. Dean drove the wheels off his Viper in all three segments, ending with a perfect 90-lap score, three 2nd place finishes, and the fastest lap in Segment 2 in the Green lane. Dustin, on the other hand, had a disastrous Viper race, losing multiple laps in each segment and clearly not in the hunt. In Dustin’s defense, his L4 GT-40 Viper is not the ideal setup for SR3, and his results drove that point home. I’m sure Dustin is considering procurement of a new, more competitive Viper V-SPEC platform as I write this report. Congrats to Dean for stellar performance!

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 90 48 537.628
2 Dean Donaldson 90 39 580.993
3 Dustin Jolley 76 33 567.327
Race 4: OS3 TFX Box Stock Dash Aston Martin (i)

After losing Dean due to attrition from the grueling Viper race, Dustin and I turned down the speed dial a bit. The TFX platform isn’t the slowest car we run, but with roughly half the downforce of the typical magnet car and considerable acceleration, it is very challenging to drive.

This was more of an exhibition race than anything else. But the detailed results show that Dustin is an excellent, diverse driver, improving lap times, winning the last segment, and smiling throughout the race.  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 40 29 567.032
2 Dustin Jolley 40 29 567.047

A big thanks to Dustin for bringing a delicious chocolate cream pie to the event. We didn’t serve dinner, but we paused between races 1 and 2 to enjoy the excellent pie. Thank you. Dustin!!

Okay, I think that about does it for the official 2025 season at Stewart Raceway. We’re hoping to do an end-of-season event next Saturday (Dec 27) to celebrate the following award winners, enjoy some good eats, and run a few fun races to end the year.

      • 2025 Junior Champion
      • 2025 Sportsman Champion
      • 2025 Rookie of the Year
      • 2025 Most Improved Driver
      • 2025 Team of the Year
      • 2025 Promoter of the Year (recruiter)
      • 2025 Best Eggnog of the Year

Okay, stay tuned for more details, enjoy Christmas, and shut up and drive!

Race Report: Wednesday Night Under The Lights, December 17-18, 2025

I must say, these weeknights “Under The Lights” are fun. Fantastic food (Pork Roast could have been tastier), amazing Egg Knog, tasty treats, and great racing!

Short Story
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 239 178 2017.824
2 Dustin Jolley 225 144 2047.247
3 Dean Donaldson 227 143 2128.064
4 Bev Seltzer 202 99 2268.720
Race 1: Mega G+ 1.7 Corvette C8 (i)

The house picked up a couple of new Corvette C8 MG+ cars on-sale and created a cool 4-car IROC set. The cars were pretty evenly matched, though the White lane car developed a shoe problem and wasn’t corrected until the third segment.

This one was a dog fight up until the last segment. Dustin, Dean, and Home Cook’n were tied in both points and laps, and each had won a segment. Fortunately for Dustin and Home Cook’n, Dean would finish in the Blue lane, while Dustin and Home Cook’n would finish their rotation in the slightly quicker Green and Orange lanes, respectively.

In the end, both Dean and Dustin would fall victim to Baja Bev’s stellar performance in her final segment in the White lane. Bev would end up with the 2nd place points, one lap ahead of Dustin and two laps up on Dean. Notice the total run time between 1st and 2nd.  This was Bev’s first race in over five months!  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 79 56 641.429
2 Dustin Jolley 76 51 641.682
3 Dean Donaldson 75 47 716.418
4 Bev Seltzer 68 34 726.629
Race 2: Tyco 440-X2 Wide-Pan Porche 935 Hardbody (i) (Team Jolley Set)

Another very cool IROC set. The yellow car was clearly the fastest, but also the hardest to drive. After getting off to a rough start in the Green lane, Dustin Jolley gathered things back up and won the second segment. Dutin would have an excellent rotation, placing second in his last two segments and finishing second overall, just a bit over a second slower than the race winner.  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 80 61 822.346
2 Dustin Jolley 77 53 823.493
3 Dean Donaldson 74 46 848.944
4 Bev Seltzer 63 28 919.738
Race 3: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan

The feature race was, as always, a blistering pace and very competitive. Of course, being Dean’s favorite car to drive, he came out swinging in this one. Dean would clock the fastest Sportsman lap in the first segment, but Dustin and Bev both finished on the same lap. In the second segment, Bev found her groove and won the segment overall with the fastest median lap, taking over second overall in the race. Despite Bev finding her groove with her brand new Viper V-SPEC car, Dean dominated the Sportsman class in the last two segments, completing all 20 laps in each and posting very fast lap times, as usual. Congrats to Bev for a very nice segment win with her new Viper. She’s definitely coming back up to speed very quickly.  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 80 61 554.049
2 Dean Donaldson 78 50 562.702
3 Dustin Jolley 72 40 582.072
4 Bev Seltzer 71 37 622.353

Speaking of speed, both Dean and Dustin are knocking (HARD) on Home Cookin’s door these days. Dean has dominated the Sportsman ranks this season and will upgrade to Expert for the 2026 racing season. Dustin is poised to be the next Expert upgrade with an average race placing of 2.5 and two overall race wins in just six appearances. And, of course, junior Abe Maddox is an obvious candidate for an Expert upgrade in 2026.

Thanks to all who participated and brought food or drink. It was a way fun night, as usual.

Hopefully, we can get together for a Saturday event soon and celebrate the end of the 2025 racing season with awards, a potluck feast, and an Egg Knog tasting.

Okay, Happy Holidays, and shut up and drive!