Author: Race Director

Just an old slot car racer and Race Director at Stewart Raceway.

Thursday Night “Under The Lights” Round 3 — Hot Yellows and the Squeeze Lane make for for an interesting night on SR3.

Wow! Another way fun Under the Lights event.

Dean prepared an amazing meat spaghetti feast, Erik (Tracker Clay” brought a delicious Spanish rice dish, and our newest addition to the program, Jerry Stebrig, brought a very tasty Tri-Tip dish. Kathy made some sourdough bread, Cece & John brought a pasta salad, and Dustin brought his traditional, delicious tortilla chips and guacamole. What a feast!!

We tested a new version of the standalone “Hot Yellow” software solution that Dean imagined and Home Cookin’ delivered. Version 2 seems to work much better than Version 1, but still causes problems for some drivers during the power transition from yellow to green, especially when maneuvering through a tight corner. We encountered another issue in the final Viper race; both issues are covered at the end of this post.

AI-generated content unless indicated otherwise.

Stewart Raceway “Under the Lights” – Event Recap & Analysis

The April 2026 “Under the Lights” event at Stewart Raceway’s SR3 Road Course (Squeeze Lane) delivered an unforgettable evening of slot car competition. Across four intensely competitive classes, the grid saw fierce battles, blisteringly fast laps, and impressive endurance from the field. While Steve Stewart secured the overall top points, the true spotlight belongs to the incredibly tight margins and standout performances delivered by the rest of the grid.

Dustin Jolley was an absolute force to be reckoned with, taking second place overall with 436 total laps and remaining a constant podium threat in every single class. Dean Donaldson captured third overall with 427 laps, saving his best performance for the final race of the night. John Rogers (422 laps) and Cece Caro (389 laps) also completed the full gauntlet of races, demonstrating incredible stamina and consistency.

A special nod goes to the drivers who joined the fray for the opening half of the event. Kevin Webster, Jerry Strebig, and Trakker Clay brought immense energy to the Mega-G+ classes before retiring for the evening, leaving their mark on the track’s challenging squeeze lane.

Driver Highlights & Accomplishments

  • Dustin Jolley: The model of consistency. Dustin finished second overall (436 laps) and was a razor’s edge away from the top spot in multiple races. He tied for the most laps (98) in the opening FireBird Camaro race and tied for the most laps (97) in the Jag TR-3 GT race.

  • Dean Donaldson: Dean found his rhythm as the night progressed. After solid midfield runs early on, he unleashed incredible pace in the Viper V-SPEC class, tying for the win with a massive 148 laps and laying down a scorching 4.571s fast lap.

  • John Rogers: John was the dark horse for absolute pure speed. In the Jag TR-3 GT Speed Racer class, he laid down an awe-inspiring 5.111s fast lap, out-qualifying almost everyone on pure pace. He tied for the top lap count in the Mega-G+ Lites class (96 laps).

  • Cece Caro: The ultimate Iron Woman of the night. Cece raced in every single class, maintaining excellent median lap times and staying out of trouble. Her best finish came in the Viper V-SPEC class, where she confidently banked 126 laps.

Partial-Event Competitors

  • Kevin Webster: Kevin was a serious contender in the first two races, tallying 288 laps overall. He was incredibly quick in the Mega-G+ Lites class, hitting a 6.096s fast lap, and returned to run the Vipers where he logged 108 laps.

  • Jerry Strebig: Competing in the first two events, Jerry put down a highly respectable 157 total laps. He found a great groove in the FireBird Camaro class with a fast lap of 6.233s.

  • Trakker Clay: Trakker joined for the opening double-header, bringing home 148 laps. His highlight was a smooth 6.328s fast lap in the FireBird Camaros.

Detailed Race Analysis

Race 1: MegaG+ 1.7 FireBird Camaro Deans Mix

The opening race set a high bar for the evening. Dustin Jolley came out of the gate swinging, tying for the overall lead with 98 laps and laying down a highly consistent 5.994s median lap. John Rogers kept the pressure firmly on with 97 laps, while Dean Donaldson pushed hard to secure 95 laps. Steve Stewart also logged 98 laps.

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
Dustin Jolley 98 5.760 5.994
Steve Stewart 98 5.681 5.970
John Rogers 97 5.796 6.250
Dean Donaldson 95 5.670 6.220
Cece Caro 92 6.221 6.500
Kevin Webster 91 5.887 6.692
Jerry Strebig 83 6.233 7.062
Trakker Clay 82 6.328 6.715
(Source)

Race 2: Mega-G+ 1.7 Lites (Support Class)

The support class saw John Rogers and Dustin Jolley lock horns in an epic duel, both finishing with exactly 96 laps. Dean Donaldson improved his pace from the first race to grab 93 laps, fueled by a 5.597s fast lap. Kevin Webster showed his teeth here with an 89-lap run before exiting the event. Steve Stewart finished with 100 laps.

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
Steve Stewart 100 5.364 5.621
Dustin Jolley 96 5.412 5.968
John Rogers 96 5.748 6.272
Dean Donaldson 93 5.597 5.817
Cece Caro 91 6.199 6.500
Kevin Webster 89 6.096 6.742
Jerry Strebig 74 6.766 7.868
Trakker Clay 66 6.930 8.084
(Source)

Race 3: Jag TR-3 GT Speed Racer Dean Set

With the grid narrowed down to the ironman competitors, the track opened up for some blistering qualifying-style laps. John Rogers was the absolute star of the timing sheets, throwing down a phenomenal 5.111s fast lap. Despite Rogers’ raw speed, Dustin Jolley relied on his trademark consistency to capture 97 laps, tying with Steve Stewart for the lead. (Note: A timing anomaly of 3.219s for Dean Donaldson in segment 5 has been excluded from the true pace metrics).

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
Steve Stewart 99 5.373 6.025
Dustin Jolley 97 5.378 6.052
John Rogers 92 5.111 6.601
Dean Donaldson 91 5.506 6.521
Cece Caro 80 5.872 6.946
(Source)

Race 4: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan

The nightcap was an absolute masterclass by Dean Donaldson. Harnessing the grip of the Lexan bodies, Dean pushed his Viper to the absolute limit, tying Steve Stewart for the overall race victory with 148 laps. Dean also secured the second-fastest lap of the entire race at 4.571s. Dustin Jolley wrapped up his stellar evening closely behind with 145 laps, while Kevin Webster returned to the track to put in a valiant 108-lap effort.

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
Dean Donaldson 148 4.571 4.975
Steve Stewart 148 4.522 4.981
Dustin Jolley 145 4.722 5.059
John Rogers 137 4.858 5.774
Cece Caro 126 4.798 6.034
Kevin Webster 108 5.258 5.856
(Source) 

End of AI-generated content

Hot Yellow Woes

As mentioned, we tested our new “Hot Yellow” solution during the night’s racing. The “Hot Yellow” is a standalone software solution that replaces the usual “Track Call” button or FOB that shuts off power to all lanes. Since SR2 and SR3 have individually programmable power supplies controlling power to each lane, the individual driver can manually change their lane voltage, and the race director can also change the lane voltages globally.

The Hot Yellow” feature allows us to race with marshals or without by initiating a “Hot Yellow” flag condition, where the power is not shut off, but lowered to a preset level. This means that the cars that are still slotted do not stop; they continue to roll at a preset reduced speed. This simulates a real Big Car race and penalizes the crashing driver by the distances that the uncrashed cars travel during a yellow flag condition.

This also allows drivers to become marshals, as they can just keep their controller triggers pulled and easily marshal a nearby car or corner without disrupting their own car’s progress while under yellow.

While feedback on the new feature was very positive, we did reveal a couple of issues that need to be addressed:

    1. The yellow-to-green transition is not as smooth and linear as it should be. This issue can cause drivers to de-slot on tighter corners as the power is increased from yellow voltage to green voltage.
    2. In the Viper race, Dean’s car was almost twice as fast as all other cars under the yellow flag voltage. This meant that during a yellow flag situation, Dean would put nearly a lap on the rest of us during the yellow flag slowdown and then return to full power.
      We didn’t encounter this issue with any of the other car classes tested, which indicated that something was amiss with Dean’s car. Dean’s car passed our visual and technical inspection after the race.It looks like we can’t use the “Hot Yellow” feature with Vipers, since some Vipers may roll under a powered yellow flag condition much faster than others.

Oh well, maybe it’ll work well enough for all the other cars we run.

As I mentioned in my previous race report post, we're switching back to a timed segment/heat rotation period. While we sped things up nicely during this event, using corner marshals when we had enough, and running as many lanes as we could, we're still taking way too much time to complete our four-race 50/50 format. So, we're going to institute a 2.5-minute limit on lane transition during future rotations. Bottom line: racing starts automatically after 2.5 minutes between segments/heats.

A big thanks to everybody who showed up to race Round 3 of our current “Under the Lights” series. Two more to go before a Sportsman driver gets a mondo trophy for winning the series and advances to the Expert Division.

Series Standings After Round 3

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
Sportsman Division
1 John Rogers 823 401 6967.671
2 Cece Caro 763 322 6795.441
4 Jeff Seltzer 254 94 2395.870
5 Bev Seltzer 235 67 2445.042
6 Mark Wialbut 235 65 2423.299
7 Jerry Strebig 157 72 1625.683
8 Trakker Clay 148 60 1669.686
Expert Division
1 Steve Stewart 1171 621 8822.776
2 Dustin Jolley 1134 568 8938.696
3 Dean Donaldson 1120 530 9117.420
3 Joe Clarke 347 138 2718.592
4 Kevin Webster 288 125 3080.373

I’m thinking we should stick to Thursday nights for the “Under the Lights” program since Cece and Roger can typically attend. Oh, and don’t forget to review and comment on the revised “Active Club Car” rules. They will take effect at our next event.

Okay, shut up and drive!

Platform Rules Update

We’ve really only been running three different builder classes in the last couple of seasons.

I’ve tried to simplify the rules for each of the major “builder” classes we run, and I’ve removed other car class rules that may have been confusing or conflicting.

For the time being, the following classes can be considered “active” racing classes, and their rules have been revised:

I’m not going to go over the specific changes here. The main purpose of the changes is to make sure everyone is clear on the platform rules and that we keep things competitive, but as low-cost and simple as possible.

Please review each class carefully and configure your stable of cars accordingly. I don’t think anyone recently racing at Stewart Raceway violates any of these revised rules, but please carefully review them at your earliest convenience to be sure.

Of course, we can add any new class to “active” status. I propose adding at least one of the Jag Hobbies platforms to the mix. The NC-2, RS-6, or the PR-5 come to mind.

Please feel free to comment, make suggestions, or ask questions.

Monday Night “Under The Lights” April 6, 2026 — Only Two Races, But They Were Epic!

AI-generated race analysis from the April 6th and 7th events at the SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane, segmented to highlight the intense battles within both the Expert Division (Steve Stewart, Dean Donaldson, Dustin Jolley) and the Sportsman Division (Jeff Seltzer, Bev Seltzer, Mark Wialbut).

Overall Event Summary & Closest Finishes

The combined results across both classes created two distinct, thrilling narratives: a battle for second place in the Expert division and an absolute dead heat in the Sportsman division.

    • The Expert Duel: Steve Stewart dominated the event overall with 310 total laps. However, the closest finish of the entire event was between Dean Donaldson and Dustin Jolley. In Race 1, they tied exactly at 97 laps. In Race 2, Dean squeezed out 195 laps to Dustin’s 194. Ultimately, Dean claimed 2nd place overall with 292 laps, besting Dustin’s 291 by a single lap.

    • The Sportsman Dead Heat: Jeff Seltzer comfortably led the Sportsman group with 254 total laps. The battle for 5th overall, however, resulted in an exact tie in lap count between Bev Seltzer and Mark Wialbut, both completing exactly 235 laps across both races. Bev claimed 5th place on a tiebreaker, edging Mark out on segment points (67 to 65).

Race 1 Detailed Report: MegaG+ 1.7 Formula e (18v)

Track: SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane

Segment Length: 25 Laps

Steve Stewart ran a flawless race, winning three of the six segments to take 1st place. Dean Donaldson and Dustin Jolley fought hard, both ending on the same lap, with Dustin officially taking 2nd on points/run time. In the Sportsman group, Jeff Seltzer put together a highly consistent run, while Mark and Bev traded fastest times in the later segments. Details

Race 1 Driver Performance Table

Place Division Driver Total Laps Total Points Fastest Lap Lane of Fastest Lap
1 Expert Steve Stewart 100 58 5.454s Orange (Seg 3)
2 Expert Dustin Jolley 97 58 5.540s Blue (Seg 6)
3 Expert Dean Donaldson 97 56 5.404s White (Seg 6)
4 Sportsman Jeff Seltzer 87 46 5.785s White (Seg 4)
5 Sportsman Mark Wialbut 85 32 6.009s Green (Seg 3)
6 Sportsman Bev Seltzer 78 32 6.175s Green (Seg 6)

Race 2 Detailed Report: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan

Track: SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane

Segment Length: 35 Laps

With longer segments, the Viper V-SPEC class allowed for blistering speeds. Steve Stewart again took the win, but the lap times plummeted across the board. Dean Donaldson set an incredibly fast pace, logging the overall fastest lap. The Sportsman division saw a massive highlight from Mark Wialbut, who laid down a lap time that rivaled the Experts. Details

Race 2 Driver Performance Table

Place Division Driver Total Laps Total Points Fastest Lap Lane of Fastest Lap
1 Expert Steve Stewart 210 93 4.269s Orange (Seg 4)
2 Expert Dean Donaldson 195 71 4.169s Green (Seg 4)
3 Expert Dustin Jolley 194 68 4.694s Blue (Seg 3)
4 Sportsman Jeff Seltzer 167 48 4.985s Green (Seg 5)
5 Sportsman Bev Seltzer 157 35 5.295s Blue (Seg 4)
6 Sportsman Mark Wialbut 150 33 4.468s White (Seg 5)

Note: Data extracted from and.

Sportsman Highlights:

      • Mark Wialbut’s Breakout Lap: While finishing 6th in lap count, Mark’s 4.468s lap in Segment 5 was absolutely spectacular. It was faster than Dustin Jolley’s best lap and earned Mark a permanent spot in the track record books.

      • Jeff Seltzer Breaks the Barrier: Jeff successfully broke the 5-second mark, logging a 4.985s lap to solidify his grip on the Sportsman lead.

      • Bev Seltzer’s Consistency: Bev hit her stride in Segment 4, laying down her best lap of 5.295s and securing the laps needed to tie Mark overall for the event.

New Track Records (Set April 6, 2026)

The aggressive driving from both divisions resulted in several new track records at the SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane. Most notably, Sportsman driver Mark Wialbut captured a Lane 2 record alongside the Experts.

MegaG+ 1.7 Formula e (i) 18v Records:

      • Lane 2: 5.404s — Dean Donaldson

      • Lane 4: 5.454s — Steve Stewart

      • Lane 5: 5.517s — Steve Stewart

Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan Records:

      • Lane 1: 4.567s — Dean Donaldson

      • Lane 2: 4.468s — Mark Wialbut

      • Lane 3: 4.169s — Dean Donaldson

      • Lane 4: 4.269s — Steve Stewart

      • Lane 5: 4.403s — Dean Donaldson

      • Lane 6: 4.688s — Steve Stewart

We had a little controversy during the technical inspection of the Viper SPEC STOCK class podium finishers. Dean’s car had .328 front tires installed, while everyone else was running .350 fronts.  In Dean’s defense, our currently published rules “related” to this class of car, allow front and rear tire diameter changes, unrestricted.  We currently call this class “Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan,” which is not exactly accurate. HOPRA.net rules allow any diameter front or rear silicon tire. However, our version of the HOPRA rules allows a Lexan body, which HOPRA’s rules do not, only a factory hardbody.

So, all that said, I’m proposing that we clarify our rules for our Viper “SPEC STOCK” class (aka: Box Stock), which has, for the last year or so, verbally specified a completely stock (standard build) V-SPEC V1 Level-4 chassis, with only low-profile shoes, rear tire compound and diameter changes, and a Lexan body allowed. All other HOPRA SPEC STOCK rules apply. This will be considered our “Lite” version of the Viper V1 chassis.

To avoid further confusion, I’m in the process of updating our active car rules and will republish them as soon as possible.  The reason for our “Lite” or “Box Stock” classes is to better support entry into our program by drivers who lack the interest and/or the skills to “tune” or otherwise prepare cars for racing. I recognize the interest of several drivers to go faster and allow more modifications. I will work on a proposed set of new rules for both our MegaG+ 1.7 and our Viper V-SPEC platforms, which will give our more tech-savvy drivers more flexibility to prepare cars and compete in these higher-level car classes.

Season Points Standings Summary 🏁

Here is how the leaderboard looks when separated by skill level:

Expert Division 🏆

These drivers currently hold the top positions in the overall standings:

      • Steve Stewart: 4280 points

      • Dean Donaldson: 3573 points

      • Dustin Jolley: 3204 points

      • Joe Clarke: 1194 points

      • Kevin Webster: 278 points

Sportsman Division 🏎️

The Sportsman field is much larger, with several drivers in a close battle for the division lead:

      • Ramsey Wright: 570 points

      • Jeff Seltzer: 490 points

      • Joe Vargas: 330 points

      • Bev Seltzer: 325 points

      • Bill Whiteside: 300 points

        (Note: There are 21 additional drivers in this division further down the standings)

A big thanks to this awesome group of drivers for bringing great things to share (except Dean, who was supposed to bring SAUSAGES!) Seriously, it was a great meal prepared by Kathy, and all kinds of treats to go along with it. Thank you all!!

Given that we were only able to get two races completed in almost six hours, we may have to reinstitute a strict RMS-controlled 90-second rotation time. We’re taking way too much time between segments these days.

Okay, shut up and drive!

Thursday Night “Under The Lights” — High-Speed Battles and Photo Finishes (April 2, 2026)

Mostly AI-generated content

The green flag dropped at Stewart Raceway on April 2, 2026, kicking off a marathon night of slot car racing! With four distinct classes testing our drivers across both the SR3 Road Course (Squeeze Lane) and the Stewart Raceway II Straight Road Course, the night demanded both technical precision and raw, wide-open speed.

After over 2,400 combined laps of intense side-by-side action, here is your definitive race recap.

🏆 Overall Event Standings

Consistency is king in slot car racing, and Steve Stewart proved it by never finishing below second place across all four events, securing the overall victory. Meanwhile, John Rogers and Dean Donaldson fought a dead-heat battle for laps, with Rogers taking the final podium spot entirely on segment points!

Overall Place Driver Total Laps Total Points Total Time (s)
🥇 1st Steve Stewart 416 220 2736.857
🥈 2nd Dustin Jolley 407 210 2672.601
🥉 3rd John Rogers 401 209 2687.603
4th Dean Donaldson 401 192 2693.302
5th Cece Caro 374 159 2715.913
6th Joe Clarke 347 138 2718.592

Closest Head-to-Head Sprint: Race 4, Segment 3

If we look at the closest side-by-side racing within a single heat, the crown goes to Joe Clarke and John Rogers during Segment 3 of the Viper V-SPEC race on the straight road course.

      • Both drivers ran a flawless heat, maxing out the segment cap at 30 laps.

      • Joe Clarke completed his 30 laps in 121.139 seconds.

      • John Rogers completed his 30 laps in 124.364 seconds.

      • The Margin: After 30 blistering laps in the fastest cars of the night, Clarke beat Rogers by a microscopic 3.225 seconds.

If we look for the closest true race—where both drivers ran the exact same number of laps in a heat—the crown goes to John Rogers and Dustin Jolley. They both maxed out the segment cap at 25 laps.

      • John Rogers (Yellow Lane): 161.633 seconds

      • Dustin Jolley (Blue Lane): 161.666 seconds

      • The Gap: 0.033 seconds

      • Context: After 25 laps of side-by-side racing, John Rogers beat Dustin Jolley to the line by just 33 milliseconds. This was the tightest pure racing finish of the entire night.

🏁 Race Breakdowns

Race 1: MegaG+ 1.7 Formula e (i) 18v

Track: SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane

The night began on the highly technical Squeeze Lane. Surviving the squeeze requires patience, and Steve Stewart capitalized on a steady rhythm to take the inaugural win of the evening. Dean Donaldson threw down the gauntlet with a blistering fastest lap in Segment 6, but Stewart’s volume secured the gold. Details

      • Fastest Lap: Dean Donaldson (5.491s)

      • 1st Place: Steve Stewart (99 Laps | 56 Pts)

      • 2nd Place: Dustin Jolley (98 Laps | 55 Pts)

      • 3rd Place: Dean Donaldson (95 Laps | 54 Pts)

Race 2: Mega-G+ 1.7 Lites (Support Class)

Track: SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane

The support class delivered the closest finish of the night. Dustin Jolley and Steve Stewart crossed the line with an identical 99 laps. However, Jolley’s aggressive sector times paid off, giving him a massive 61 segment points to take the victory on the tiebreaker!  Details

      • Fastest Lap: Dustin Jolley (5.519s)

      • 1st Place: Dustin Jolley (99 Laps | 61 Pts)

      • 2nd Place: Steve Stewart (99 Laps | 56 Pts)

      • 3rd Place: Dean Donaldson (97 Laps | 53 Pts)

Race 3: Tyco 440-X2 Wide-Pan Porsche 935 Hardbody

Track: Stewart Raceway II Straight Road Course

Transitioning to the SR2 Straight Road Course, the drivers broke out the classic Tyco hardbodies. Dustin Jolley carried his momentum from Race 2 to secure back-to-back victories. Notably, John Rogers fought his way onto the podium here, despite running two laps fewer than Jolley, by racking up a field-leading 56 segment points. Details

      • Fastest Lap: Steve Stewart (5.006s)

      • 1st Place: Dustin Jolley (99 Laps | 50 Pts)

      • 2nd Place: Steve Stewart (98 Laps | 47 Pts)

      • 3rd Place: John Rogers (97 Laps | 56 Pts)

Race 4: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan

Track: Stewart Raceway II Straight Road Course

The finale was an absolute blur. The Viper V-SPECs delivered the highest speeds and lap counts of the event. Steve Stewart found another gear, putting down a staggering 120 laps to cement his overall event win. But the loudest cheer of the race went to Cece Caro, who unleashed the “Lap of the Night” by ripping a jaw-dropping 3.219-second lap in Segment 6. Details

      • Fastest Lap: Cece Caro (3.219s)

      • 1st Place: Steve Stewart (120 Laps | 61 Pts)

      • 2nd Place: John Rogers (118 Laps | 56 Pts)

      • 3rd Place: Dean Donaldson (115 Laps | 40 Pts)

Driver of the Night: Steve Stewart for a masterful display of consistency, but honorable mention goes to John Rogers for a gritty comeback in the second half of the event to secure an overall podium finish!

⏱️ New Track Records Set!

The April 2nd event wasn’t just about podiums; several new blistering track records were etched into the history books on the SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane:

      • Mega-G+ 1.7 Lites (Support Class):

        • Dustin Jolley set a new record on Lane 2 with a time of 5.519s.

        • Dustin Jolley set a new record on Lane 3 with a time of 5.524s.

        • Dustin Jolley set a new record on Lane 4 with a time of 5.533s.

        • Dustin Jolley set a new record on Lane 5 with a time of 5.567s.

      • MegaG+ 1.7 Formula e (i) 18v:

        • Dean Donaldson set a new record on Lane 2 with a time of 5.529s.

        • Dean Donaldson set a new record on Lane 3 with a time of 5.636s.

        • Dean Donaldson set a new record on Lane 4 with a time of 5.491s.

        • Dean Donaldson set a new record on Lane 5 with a time of 5.640s.

See you all at the next race! Make sure your shoes are flat, and your tires are clean.

Big thanks to everybody for helping to make the event a huge success. Oh, and a special thanks to Full-Speed Racing and Clarke Racing. Dean brought the delicious beef stew, and Joe brought the awesome chocolate cream pie!

Okay, shut up and drive!

Wednesday Night “Under The Lights” March 25, 2026 — The Squeeze Lane Returns

Not one, but two new drivers in the field for this one. Dean Donaldson (Full-Speed Racing) continues to dominate the competition for 2026 Promoter of the Year. Introducing “Wild Bill” Whiteside and “Tracker Clay.”

      • Bill is a local racer from the Stetson Road area and, obviously, a very talented one.
      • Tracker Clay is actually a code name for Eric Newton, who lives in Campbell, and a good friend was invited to race with us by another great local driver, Max Dunn. 
Mostly AI-generated from here.

Overall Results:

Wednesday Night Under The Lights Event (Three Races on SR3 Squeeze Lane Road Course) The Stewart Raceway Wednesday Night Under The Lights event consisted of three races on the SR3 track using the Squeeze Lane road course layout. Steve Stewart dominated with 370 laps and 216 points, but the field was competitive among the top four, separated by just 26 laps. 

Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time (sec)
1
Steve Stewart
370
216
3411.162
2
Dustin Jolley
358
172
3524.342
3
Bill Whiteside
347
150
3564.999
4
Dean Donaldson
344
164
3517.826
5
Ramsey Wright
301
104
3537.086
6
Max Dunn
132
40
1348.612
7
Tracker Clay
97
30
1368.364

Three-Race Analysis

Total run times for the top five drivers cluster tightly around 3400–3565 seconds (roughly 57 minutes of actual racing across three heats), indicating consistent event pacing with each race likely running 18–20 minutes. The Squeeze Lane’s tight central section amplified differences in setup and driver technique, rewarding cars that could maintain momentum through the narrow pinch point while punishing minor errors.

Key metrics calculated from the data:

    • Average Lap Time (seconds/lap): Total time ÷ laps (lower = faster).
      • Steve Stewart: 9.219 (strongest pace overall)
      • Dustin Jolley: 9.845
      • Dean Donaldson: 10.226
      • Bill Whiteside: 10.274
      • Ramsey Wright: 11.752
      • Max Dunn: 10.216
      • Tracker Clay: 14.107 (highest, indicating significant adaptation challenges)
    • Points Efficiency (points/lap): Points ÷ laps (higher = better scoring relative to distance).
      • Steve Stewart: 0.584 (highest – dominant consistency)
      • Dean Donaldson: 0.477
      • Dustin Jolley: 0.480
      • Bill Whiteside: 0.432
      • Ramsey Wright: 0.345
      • Max Dunn: 0.303
      • Tracker Clay: 0.309

Top-three battle: Steve, Dustin, and Bill were separated by only 23 laps total, with Steve’s superior average lap time and points haul securing the win. Dean Donaldson’s 4th-place finish is notable—he scored more points than Bill despite fewer laps, suggesting stronger individual race wins or segment bonuses on the Squeeze Lane, where clean runs through the narrow section paid big dividends.

    • Ramsey Wright (5th, 301 laps, 104 points, 3537.086 s): Solid mid-pack endurance but the slowest average pace among full participants (11.752 s/lap). His points efficiency was the lowest of the top five, indicating he was rarely contending for top segment finishes. The Squeeze Lane likely exposed setup or driving-line issues in the narrow section, costing him 1–2 seconds per lap compared with the leaders. With only 301 laps (roughly 20–25 laps per race behind the winner), small improvements in consistency could push him into podium contention next event.
    • Max Dunn (6th, 132 laps, 40 points, 1348.612 s): Participated in approximately one-and-a-half races (roughly half the laps and time of the leaders). His 10.216 s/lap average was respectable and actually faster than several full-event runners, suggesting strong pace when on track but limited participation—possibly due to mechanical issues, scheduling, or testing. Points efficiency (0.303) was low, implying he didn’t convert speed into high finishes in the segments he ran. The Squeeze Lane’s demands may have contributed to early exits or conservative driving.
    • Tracker Clay (7th, 97 laps, 30 points, 1368.364 s): Clearest example of the Squeeze Lane’s difficulty for newer or less-practiced drivers. Only ~97 laps across the three races (likely partial runs) with the event’s slowest average (14.107 s/lap) points to repeated time losses in the narrow squeeze zone. His low points total (30) and efficiency reflect minimal segment success. However, completing any laps on this layout shows commitment; targeted practice on the pinch point and minor car tweaks (gearing, tires, or body alignment) could yield rapid gains in future events.

Overall takeaways: Steve Stewart’s lap and points dominance confirmed his mastery of the Squeeze Lane layout. The event highlighted how the narrow section turned small setup differences into large lap gaps—especially for the lower placers. Dean Donaldson’s high points despite 4th in laps shows the scoring system rewards racecraft on technical sections. For the back half of the field, the Squeeze Lane proved unforgiving, but their respectable fastest-lap potential (visible in the pace of Max Dunn when running) indicates upside. Expect closer racing next time with refined setups tailored to the squeeze section.

Race 1 Analysis

Track: SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane
Date: March 25, 2026
Class: Mega-G+ 1.7 Lites (Support Class)
Format: 7 × 25-lap segments (lane rotation + 1 driver sits out each segment)

Final Standings

Place
Name
Total Laps
Total Points
Total Run Time
Avg Lap Time
1
Steve Stewart
150
91
1,335.025 s
8.900 s
2
Dustin Jolley
147
80
1,351.608 s
9.195 s
3
Dean Donaldson
138
67
1,370.473 s
9.931 s
4
Bill Whiteside
138
54
1,372.458 s
9.945 s
5
Max Dunn
132
40
1,348.612 s
10.217 s
6
Ramsey Wright
125
44
1,365.594 s
10.925 s
7
Tracker Clay
97
30
1,368.364 s
14.107 s

Details

Scoring note: In each segment, points are awarded 16 / 13 / 11 / 7 / 6 / 5 for 1st–6th place. Sitting out = 0 points.
Tiebreakers: Total laps first, then total points.

Key Takeaways

      • Steve Stewart’s dominant comeback
        He sat out Segment 1 (0 laps, 0 points) but still won the race by 3 laps over Dustin Jolley. Once he started racing in Segment 2, he was nearly perfect:

        • Ran full 25 laps in every one of his 6 segments (150 laps total).
        • Won 5 of 6 segments he ran (16 points each) + 1 third-place finish (11 points) = 91 total points.
        • Fastest overall pace by a wide margin (8.900 s/lap).
      • Dustin Jolley led early (won Segments 1 & 3) and stayed in the hunt with 147 laps, but lost ground with a couple of lower-lap segments (23 in Seg 4, 24 in Seg 6). Still an excellent 2nd-place effort.
      • Dean Donaldson vs. Bill Whiteside
        Both finished with 138 laps, but Dean’s higher segment points (67 vs. 54) gave him the clear 3rd-place tiebreaker.
      • Pace comparison (overall average lap time)
        Steve Stewart was in a class by himself. The top four drivers were all under ~10 seconds per lap, while the field dropped off noticeably after that.
      • Segment winners
        • Seg 1: Dustin Jolley
        • Seg 2: Steve Stewart
        • Seg 3: Dustin Jolley
        • Seg 4: Steve Stewart
        • Seg 5: Steve Stewart
        • Seg 6: Steve Stewart
        • Seg 7: Steve Stewart

Steve essentially took control of the race the moment he entered and never relinquished it. This was a classic “miss a segment but still win” performance thanks to flawless full-segment runs and consistently strong lap times once he was on track. The Mega-G+ 1.7 Lites look quick on the SR3 Squeeze Lane — several sub-6-second fastest laps were turned across the night. 

Race 2 Analysis

Track: SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane
Date: March 25, 2026
Class: OS3 TFX Super Lite (i)
Format: 5 × 25-lap segments (lane rotation + 1 driver sits out each segment)Final Standings

Place
Name
Total Laps
Total Points
Total Run Time
Avg Lap Time
1
Steve Stewart
100
64
1,282.398 s
12.824 s
2
Dustin Jolley
94
47
1,364.788 s
14.519 s
3
Bill Whiteside
93
48
1,342.930 s
14.440 s
4
Dean Donaldson
90
44
1,332.660 s
14.807 s
5
Ramsey Wright
81
32
1,376.179 s
16.989 s

Details

Scoring note: 16 / 13 / 11 / 7 points for 1st–4th in each segment (5 drivers = 1 sits out each time). Tiebreakers: total laps first, then total points.

Key Takeaways

      • Steve Stewart’s repeat masterclass
        Sat out Segment 1 (0 laps, 0 points) but still cruised to victory. Once he entered the race:

        • Ran perfect 25 laps in all 4 segments he drove = 100 laps total.
        • Won every single segment he ran (16 points × 4 = 64 total points).
        • Blisteringly fast pace for this class (12.824 s/lap overall — over 1.5 seconds quicker per lap than anyone else).
      • Dustin Jolley again led early (won Segment 1) and stayed competitive, but the missed Segment 3 + a couple of 22-lap segments cost him. Still a solid 2nd.
      • Bill Whiteside edged Dustin in total points (48 vs 47) but finished 3rd because he completed 1 fewer lap.
      • Pace comparison (overall average lap time)
        Steve was in a league of his own. The rest of the field was tightly bunched in the mid-14-second range, with Ramsey Wright struggling to stay under 17 seconds.
      • Segment winners
        • Seg 1: Dustin Jolley
        • Seg 2: Steve Stewart
        • Seg 3: Steve Stewart
        • Seg 4: Steve Stewart
        • Seg 5: Steve Stewart

This was another “sit out the first heat and still dominate” performance from Steve — identical script to Race 1, just on a shorter 5-segment schedule and with slower TFX Super Lite cars. The OS3 class clearly runs about 4–5 seconds per lap slower than the Mega-G+ 1.7 Lites from earlier in the evening. 

Race 3 Analysis

Track: SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane
Date: March 25, 2026
Class: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan
Format: 5 × 30-lap segments (lane rotation + 1 driver sits out each segment)Final Standings

Place
Name
Total Laps
Total Points
Total Run Time
Avg Lap Time
1
Steve Stewart
120
61
793.739 s
6.614 s
2
Dustin Jolley
117
45
807.946 s
6.906 s
3
Dean Donaldson
116
53
814.693 s
7.023 s
4
Bill Whiteside
116
48
849.611 s
7.324 s
5
Ramsey Wright
95
28
795.313 s
8.372 s

Details

Scoring note: 16 / 13 / 11 / 7 points for 1st–4th in each segment (5 drivers = 1 sits out each time). Tiebreakers: total laps first, then total points.

Key Takeaways
      • Steve Stewart’s hat-trick of dominant comebacks
        Sat out Segment 1 again (0 laps, 0 points) but still won the race by 3 laps over Dustin Jolley. Once he joined:

        • Ran perfect 30 laps in all 4 segments he drove = 120 laps total.
        • Won 3 of 4 segments (16 points each) + one 2nd-place finish (13 points) = 61 total points.
        • Blistering overall pace (6.614 s/lap — over 0.29 seconds faster per lap than 2nd place).
      • Dustin Jolley started strong (won Segment 1) and stayed in the fight with consistent 28–30 lap segments, but the missed Segment 3 and one lower finish kept him in 2nd.
      • Dean Donaldson vs. Bill Whiteside
        Both ended with 116 laps, but Dean’s higher segment points (53 vs. 48) secured 3rd place.
      • Pace comparison (overall average lap time)
        This Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan class was dramatically faster than the earlier races (~6.6–7.3 s/lap for the leaders vs. ~9 s for Mega-G+ and ~13–15 s for OS3 TFX). Steve was again the clear pace-setter.
      • Segment winners
        • Seg 1: Dustin Jolley
        • Seg 2: Dean Donaldson
        • Seg 3: Steve Stewart
        • Seg 4: Steve Stewart
        • Seg 5: Steve Stewart

Same script as Races 1 and 2 — Steve skips the first heat, then takes over and never looks back. The Viper class produced some seriously quick times (multiple sub-5-second fastest laps across the night).

Announcements:

    • Dustin Jolley (Team Jolley) was upgraded to the Expert division a few weeks ago. Dustin topped the Sporstman points chase after five consecutive “Under The Lights” events. He’s currently in 3rd place in the Expert division.
    • Joe Clarke (Clarke Racing) also advances to the Expert division after leading the Sportsman points chase after five consecutive “Under The Lights” events.

Dustin has a placing average of 2.1 and an average lap time of 7.423. Joe has an average placing of 3.4 and an average lap time of 7.525.  Congrats!

We’re shooting for next Thursday night for another “Under The Lights” event and the beginning of a new five-event series. Stay tuned for confirmation and details.

Okay, shut up and drive!