“It was a crisp Thursday night in late February, and the garage lights buzzed to life over the big HO (1/64) slot car track. The black plastic lanes gleamed under the bright bulbs, casting sharp shadows on the colorful cars lined up at the start. Four lightning-fast racers were ready to battle:
Joe Clarke in his sleek silver Mustang, always smooth and precise.
Dean Donaldson piloting a bright red Camaro, aggressive and fearless on the turns.
Dustin Jolley behind the wheel of a blue-and-white Corvette, quick to recover from any mistake.
And Home Cook’n, the mysterious local legend in a matte-black Dodge Charger with glowing red pinstripes—no one knew his real name, but he cooked the competition every time he showed up.
The four friends plugged in their controllers, thumbs hovering. “Thursday night under the lights,” Joe said with a grin. “No mercy, boys.”The power pack hummed.
Green flag dropped!
The cars shot forward like rockets. Dean took an early lead, hugging the inside lane through the first chicane. His Camaro’s tires squealed (in imagination, anyway) as he powered out of the curve.
Joe Clarke stayed calm, drafting right behind, waiting for the perfect moment.
Dustin Jolley was right there too, bumping the wall once but bouncing back stronger. Home Cook’n? He hung back in fourth, engine whining, like he was studying the pack.
Lap after lap the track roared with electric buzz. Dean’s red Camaro led for ten straight laps, but Joe started closing in, lane-switching like a pro.
Dustin made a daring pass on the outside, nearly clipping Dean’s bumper.
Then, on lap 22, Home Cook’n made his move. He cranked the controller to full throttle down the long straight. The black Charger surged, passing Dustin on the left, then Joe on the right. By the hairpin, he was wheel-to-wheel with Dean.
The two cars neck-and-neck, sparks flying from the guide pins, controllers trembling in sweaty hands.
“Here he comes!” Dustin yelled. Home Cook’n edged ahead just enough—his Charger nosed in front as they hit the final straight. Dean fought back, but Cook’n held the line.
Checkered flag waved!
Home Cook’n crossed first by half a car length. Dean finished second, Joe third, Dustin a close fourth.The garage erupted in cheers and groans.
Controllers hit the table. High-fives all around.”Man, that was too close,” Dean laughed, shaking his head. Joe wiped his brow. “Thursday nights don’t get better than this.” Dustin grinned. “Rematch next week?
“Home Cook’n just smiled quietly, unplugged his Charger, and said, “Bring your best, boys.”The lights stayed on a little longer as they packed up, already talking strategy for next Thursday.
Under those garage lights, four really fast 1/64 slot car racers proved once again: speed, skill, and friendship make the best kind of race.”
AI-generated content, ha ha!
The real story was four seriously fast dudes battling it out in three different races: one builder’s class, and two IROC races, all with fuel allocation dynamics. Oh, and fantastic eats before the racing began.
Short Story
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 338 | 189 | 3034.965 |
| 2 | Dustin Jolley | 334 | 149 | 3061.039 |
| 3 | Dean Donaldson | 318 | 138 | 3091.830 |
| 4 | Joe Clarke | 293 | 88 | 3187.531 |
Race 1: Jag Hobbies PR-5 GT F1/Indy (IROC)
Joe Clarke didn’t win any segments, but he was clearly the fastest driver in the house all night. Joe clicked off the fastest lap with the newest Jag Hobbies PR-5 GT IROC set with a 5.118 lap in the Orange lane. When he was on, he was ripping it. Details
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 100 | 64 | 1052.316 |
| 2 | Dustin Jolley | 98 | 50 | 1060.435 |
| 3 | Dean Donaldson | 90 | 46 | 1092.400 |
| 4 | Joe Clarke | 79 | 28 | 1112.469 |
Race 2: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan
Joe Clarke wasn’t done with his exhibition of speed in Race 2. Joe clicked off another fastest lap in this race in the Green lane, a 4.607. This was set on the “Bus Stop” layout! Dean Donaldson and Dustin were in a veritable Dog Fight with just 4-sec separated them at the finish. Details
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 120 | 64 | 834.503 |
| 2 | Dean Donaldson | 117 | 50 | 844.419 |
| 3 | Dustin Jolley | 117 | 46 | 848.597 |
| 4 | Joe Clarke | 106 | 28 | 863.282 |
Race 3: Mega G+ 1.7 Corvette C8 (IROC)
Dustin Jolley was on a mission in this final race, winning the first segment and taking 2nd in two others. Dustin actually beat Home Cook’n on laps, but came up a bit short in points. As you can see in the detailed results, the Green lane car was not quite up to IROC standards, as most drivers lost laps with this car. Dustin was the only driver to complete all 30-laps in the Green lane. Dean Donaldson was the fastest in this one, clicking off a blistering 6.088 lap in the White lane. All of these fast laps are current lap records on the “Bus Stop” layout for each car. Details
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 118 | 61 | 1148.146 |
| 2 | Dustin Jolley | 119 | 53 | 1152.007 |
| 3 | Dean Donaldson | 111 | 42 | 1155.011 |
| 4 | Joe Clarke | 108 | 32 | 1211.780 |
I must say, these weeknight events are quite competitive and a lot of fun.
Thanks to all who attended and for all the great treats and munchies!
Saturday is SR3 oval action!
