The race report tells the story. Fast forward past the warmups and get to the racing. Our new “Pit Cam” captures some cool footage at times. Hope you like it.
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Race 1: MegaG+ 1.7 Lites
Race 2: Viper V-SPEC “SPEC STOCK” Lexan
I took some measurements of a set of MG+ 1.7 IROC cars with Modified paper bodies, but other than that, stock out of the box cars with rear tire upgrades, including various sizes of Super Tires and a couple with Viper low-pro MG+ tires.
The average change in downforce when flipping a traction magnet is roughly .7 grams of downforce, which is reasonably significant. The measurements of the orange car are a bit suspect, but the others are fairly consistent. The Yellow lane car measurements were a bit of a surprise, but we’ve seen up to 6.3 in tech recently, which would definitely indicate a high-downforce orientation of N30 magnets in a Modified chassis.
| MegaG+ 1.7 “Modified” IROC Set (stock rear axles, super tires, low-pro VSR tires) | ||||||
| Yellow | Blue | Orange | Green | White | Red | |
| VRP Meter (grams) | 5.8 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.5 |
| Flipped | 6.6 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 5.4 |
| Change | 0.8 | 0.9 | -0.1 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| Average Change (grams) | 0.7 | |||||
| Gauss Readings | Gs Range | VRP Meter before/after flip (grams) | Change | |||
| N30 (Stock) | 2700 – 2800 | 5.5 | 6.8 | 1.3 | ||
| N42 | 3200 – 3290 | 7.5 | 8.8 | 1.3 | ||
| N52 | 3400 – 3600 | 9.7 | 10.8 | 1.1 | ||
The above N30 measurements were from one of my Modified platforms with N30 mags and a VSR replacement rear axle assembly with double-flange (.250) hubs and VSR PST Silicone soft Rear Tires (.432). Some run the Lo-Pro VSR tires in both the Lites and Modified classes, which are slightly taller (.445). Aftermarket parts are only allowed on the Modified version of this car, so we shouldn’t see “Lite” cars with downforce much greater than 6 grams on the VRP meter and “Modified” cars with downforce not much greater than 7 grams on the VRP meter.
Of course, different VRP magnet meters can vary by up to +/- 5%. So, the maximum downforce for each class is as follows:
If a car’s downforce measurements exceed the above before racing, resolve the excessive downforce by using larger tires/hubs, or flipping a traction magnet. If a car has downforce greater than the above after a race, the car is disqualified from any races completed.
Note: If you're looking to get more downforce out a chassis, reduce the size of the rear tires (lower rear of chassis) to get more downforce. Lowering the chassis too much will result in slower top speed and usually slower lap times. It's a trade-off between speed and handling, find what works best for your driving style.
We may encounter modified-rules cars exceeding this maximum downforce limit due to unforeseen tire and/or hub sizes, or other factors. We’ll address that if/when it arises.
Please feel free to comment or discuss this addition to our MG+ rules here on the site or at our next event. Keep in mind, any rule can be changed if a majority of drivers/teams support it.
The Fast and the Furious returned to Stewart Raceway for Round 2 of this hotly contested series. This round was only two races, but boy, the adrenaline was wild!
This wasn’t my birthday, but Team Maddox can’t make it next Saturday for Round 3, which is my birthday. Shaylin and Grace made me a beautiful and delicious birthday cake with yellow cake and chocolate frosting. It was absolutely fantastic, and most of us got a piece after Race 1. Thank you, Team Maddox!!
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Aaron Castro | 239 | 456 | 1406.549 |
| 2 | Steve Stewart | 239 | 444 | 1414.639 |
| 3 | George Peters | 235 | 436 | 1433.862 |
| 4 | Jerry Pearson | 230 | 404 | 1471.171 |
| 5 | Eric Lane | 216 | 296 | 1504.305 |
| 6 | Abe Maddox | 101 | 152 | 815.824 |
| 7 | Shaylin Maddox | 102 | 144 | 751.938 |
| 8 | Kevin Webster | 96 | 112 | 695.821 |
Invariably an exceptionally competitive class, this one did not disappoint anybody except folks who were running their low-downforce “Lite” MG+ chassis with a Modified body. The “Modified” rules differ from the “Lite” rules, as they allow very few performance upgrades or aftermarket parts, and require cars to be set up with their traction magnets in their low-downforce position. We need to finalize and publish the modified rules so everyone is clear on the differences.
In the Expert ranks, the racing was very close with just a few laps separating the 1st from 4th. Shaylin Maddox clicked off the fastest lap of the race with 5.003 in segment three on the Orange lane. And Abe Maddox dazzled with some very impressive laps in Segment 5 and a 2nd place finish just behind Expert driver, Jerry Pearson, who also had a great race, finishing 2nd overall. Aaron Castro bagged the top step on the podium with a perfect 120 laps and three segment wins. Details
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Aaron Castro | 120 | 244 | 734.300 |
| 2 | Jerry Pearson | 117 | 224 | 806.101 |
| 3 | Steve Stewart | 120 | 220 | 751.108 |
| 4 | George Peters | 116 | 204 | 769.335 |
| 5 | Abe Maddox | 101 | 152 | 815.824 |
| 6 | Shaylin Maddox | 102 | 144 | 751.938 |
| 7 | Eric Lane | 105 | 128 | 813.600 |
The highlight of this one was Eric Lane’s outstanding performance as the only Sportsman driver in the mix. Eric bagged one 2nd place and three 3rd place finishes in this one. Eric was on fire and having a blast with his very fast Viper after sorting out a better rear tire setup. It seemed like Eric was on his way to the podium, but a hard-charging Jerry Pearson edged him out by just six points in the end. Nice driving, Eric!
This last race of the day got off to a rough start and ended even rougher. Early in the third segment, Expert driver, George Peters’ car was triggering the minimum lap time, and he was losing laps. Sadly, because it was late in the race, we couldn’t just change the minimum lap time, and we ended up having to restart the whole race.
George ended up winning the overall, but it was later discovered that his car had a configuration that violated “SPEC STOCK” rules. As it turned out, George had run the car up in Sacramento a couple of weeks before in a class that allowed the configuration. Unfortunately, George had forgotten about the changes and didn’t realize the car was illegal before starting this race.
I know firsthand that this is a relatively easy mistake to make. I grabbed a car out of my box a few weeks ago and ran it without looking it over. Turned out it had an illegal front-end for the class we were running, and I lost all the points earned from that race.
The moral of this story is to check your cars for rule violations before racing. We typically don’t tech cars until after races are completed. At that point, a rule violation means a disqualification and no opportunity to correct the problem without penalty. Details
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 119 | 224 | 663.531 |
| 2 | Aaron Castro | 119 | 212 | 672.249 |
| 3 | Jerry Pearson | 113 | 180 | 665.070 |
| 4 | Eric Lane | 111 | 168 | 690.705 |
| 5 | Kevin Webster | 96 | 112 | 695.821 |
| 6 | George Peters | 119 | 0 | 664.527 |
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| Sportsman Standings | ||||
| 1 | Shaylin Maddox | 182 | 376 | 1352.417 |
| 2 | Abe Maddox | 178 | 376 | 1381.189 |
| 3 | Dean Donaldson | 268 | 312 | 2113.847 |
| 4 | Eric Lane | 216 | 296 | 1504.305 |
| 5 | Fred Ebert | 70 | 168 | 591.964 |
| 6 | August Feinstein | 71 | 164 | 637.325 |
| 7 | Forrest Feinstein | 70 | 152 | 605.196 |
| Expert Standings | ||||
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 509 | 828 | 3485.663 |
| 2 | Aaron Castro | 239 | 456 | 1406.549 |
| 3 | Jerry Pearson | 230 | 404 | 1471.171 |
| 4 | Kevin Webster | 329 | 376 | 2843.467 |
| 5 | George Peters | 235 | 320* | 1433.862 |
Okay, next weekend is another Friday Night Under The Lights Series event and, maybe Round 3 of this series. We are expecting our special guests, William Mansfield visiting from the UK, and Dave Feber from Los Cumbres to join us for at least a race or two—Obviously, the more attendance on Saturday, the better for our guests.
Enjoy the pics below of our new Pit Cam.
Okay, shut up and drive!
A smaller turnout than usual, but again the great food, wine, and other hydration products were plentiful, and the racing was as competitive as ever.
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 155 | 432 | 1204.211 |
| 2 | Joe Clarke | 149 | 384 | 1255.017 |
| 3 | Dean Donaldson | 150 | 380 | 1202.277 |
| 4 | Kathy Stewart | 140 | 308 | 1365.239 |
Kathy Stewart (Stewart Raceway) came off the starting line on fire, winning the first segment over 10 seconds ahead of the hard-charging Joe Clarke (Clarke Racing) in second. In the end, Joe would come out ahead in the Sportsman class, bagging two seconds and a first-place finish in the final segment. Dean Donaldson (Full Speed Racing) had a superb run in the third segment, besting Home Cook’n by six seconds and taking that win. Kathy actually clicked off the fastest lap of the race with a 5.405 lap in the Green lane and the first segment win. Details
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 77 | 212 | 618.004 |
| 2 | Joe Clarke | 77 | 212 | 667.949 |
| 3 | Dean Donaldson | 74 | 180 | 614.753 |
| 4 | Kathy Stewart | 70 | 148 | 614.547 |
Full Speed Racing’s Dean Donaldson recovered from his early overhydration problems suffered in Race 1 and put in a solid run in his favorite race, the Viper V-SPEC Lexan class. Dean clicked off a 4.647 lap in the Orange lane and posted the best Median lap time of the race (5.147) on his way to taking the top Sportsman honors. Clarke Racing’s Joe Clarke had the next fastest single lap with a 4.689 lap in the Green lane. Expert driver, Home Cook’n, needs to step up his game; these guys are getting faster and faster with every race. Details
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 78 | 220 | 586.207 |
| 2 | Dean Donaldson | 76 | 200 | 587.524 |
| 3 | Joe Clarke | 72 | 172 | 587.068 |
| 4 | Kathy Stewart | 70 | 160 | 750.692 |
I’ll update the Friday Night Series points before or after the next event. Stay tuned for videos of both races on Rumble soon.
Okay, shut up and drive!
Another way fun Friday Night Under the Lights event and another boom from yet another new driver. Dean brought a giant salmon fillet and queued it to perfection, Kathy cooked up a tasty pan of meat lasagna and garlic bread, and Jessica brought a very delicious bowl of sausage and vegetables. Both Team Clarke and Team DeVincenzi Cellars brought hydration products to help prevent overheating during the racing action. I chose the 2018 Meritage red; it was excellent.
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 210 | 532 | 1890.951 |
| 1 | Dean Donaldson | 202 | 460 | 1818.332 |
| 2 | Frank Virgil | 107 | 244 | 1075.160 |
| 3 | Joe Clarke | 110 | 224 | 1136.950 |
| 4 | Lisa Clarke | 84 | 152 | 1191.066 |
| 5 | Kathy Stewart | 83 | 140 | 841.835 |
Green font denotes an Expert-ranked driver.
We attempted to run a set of Jag Hobbies NC-2 Mustang hardbody cars, but the group found them too challenging to drive and preferred the more “stuck” Viper V-SPEC platform. Thanks to Eric “Fast” Lane, we had a nice set of Viper V-SPEC L4 cars with Lexan F1/Indy bodies to campaign.
Sportsman driver, Dean Donaldson, came out swinging in the first segment, finishing less than a half second behind Expert driver, Home Cook’n. Dean would also click off the fastest lap of the race (5.074) in the White lane. Joe Clarke, returning from his impressive debut last Friday night, looked to be in a good position to repeat his outstanding 2nd-place podium finish with a MegaG+ “Modified” platform, having secured a solid 3rd in the first segment.
However, Frank Virgil, making his first-ever appearance at Stewart Raceway, put in an incredible run in the second segment, placing a close 2nd to segment winner Dean Donaldson and besting 3rd-place finisher, Home Cook’n, by almost four seconds. Frank would go on to finish the race in 3rd overall and earn a surprise podium visit.
Team Clarke driver Joe Clarke didn’t get into his groove in three of his later segments, finishing 4th in each one. In his final couple of segments, Joe got things turned around, bagging a 2nd in Segment 5 and a 3rd in the final segment. Frank, however, had racked up a very sizable points lead going into the final segment, and Joe would have to settle for a 4th place overall, despite Frank having a rough final segment in the Yellow lane, losing five laps, and finishing 4th behind Joe.
The lone female driver in the mix in Race 1 was Lisa Clarke, Joe’s amazing wife. I’m pretty sure this was her first slot car race, but she picked up on slot car racing very quickly, finishing fourth twice and clicking off a 6.5-second lap on her way to besting speedster, Dean Donaldson, in Segment 5 of 6.
Jessica did a few laps in practice but decided to pass on driving. But did a great job marshaling and keeping Dean’s team manager, Tucker, entertained and well taken care of. Details
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 120 | 352 | 1083.494 |
| 1 | Dean Donaldson | 116 | 300 | 1068.375 |
| 2 | Frank Virgil | 107 | 244 | 1075.160 |
| 3 | Joe Clarke | 110 | 224 | 1136.950 |
| 4 | Lisa Clarke | 84 | 152 | 1191.066 |
With dinner, hydration protocol, and all the team tactics trying to psych out the competition, we only managed to get one race completed before the attrition set in, and we lost a couple of teams early.
Kathy joined us for Race 2, and we decided on the venerable AFX Super G+ platform with Lexan F1/Indy bodies. This set has a lot of history, four of the cars came with the AFX Super International Raceway set I purchased to build my second sectional track, called Stewart Raceway I. Since the old plastic hardbodies are getting extremely scarce and expensive, we run them with cheaper Lexan bodies now.
This race had a very sketchy car in the White lane, which impacted all the drivers. We all knew that everyone had to drive the beast, so we plowed on and completed all rotations. Dean would post the fastest lap of the race (5.738) in the Green lane, but came up short by four laps and four points to Home Cook’n. Kathy had the sketchy car in the first segment and lost seven laps before rebounding in her 2nd and 3rd segments, finishing just four laps down in the end.
Dean and Home Cook’n were tied in both laps and points going into the final segment. The good news for Home Cook’n was that he had the fast Green Lane car for the finale, and Dean had the sketchy White lane car.
As expected, Dean struggled with the bad car and lost four laps in the last segment, coming in 3rd to 2nd place finisher, Kathy Stewart, who had a great run in the Orange lane with a fastest lap of 6.314 to Dean’s fastest of 6.648. Details
| Place | Name | Laps | Points | Total Time |
| 1 | Steve Stewart | 90 | 180 | 807.457 |
| 2 | Dean Donaldson | 86 | 160 | 749.957 |
| 3 | Kathy Stewart | 83 | 140 | 841.835 |
Another awesome Friday Night Under The Lights event! Thanks to everyone for joining us, for all the great food and hydration products, and the competitive spirit that makes the racing so fun and exciting.
Slightly edited videos. Fast forward where necessary:
Race 1
Race 2
Check out our new team’s delicious wines at DeVincenzi Cellars and say hello to Jessica and Frank.
Okay, shut up and drive!
