Author: Race Director

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

Thursday Night “Under the Lights” Series, Round 5 Series Finale — May Melee: Sportsman Drivers Continue to Amaze

AI-generated Race Report

May Melee: Sportsman Drivers Hold Their Ground “Under the Lights”

The May 7, 2026 edition of the “Under the Lights” series at Stewart Raceway’s SR3 Road Course brought another incredible night of tight racing and blistering speeds. The treacherous squeeze lane tested the reflexes of the entire grid, but the true headline of the event was the continued emergence of the Sportsman drivers challenging the Expert veterans.

While track host Steve Stewart (Expert) logged the most overall laps, the spotlight belongs squarely on the rest of the field, where razor-thin margins and personal bests defined the night.

John Rogers (Sportsman) put on an absolute clinic in consistency and pace, securing 3rd place overall with 336 total laps. John proved he can go toe-to-toe with the pros, famously out-lapping Expert Dean Donaldson in the lightning-fast Viper V-SPEC Lite class.

Cece Caro (Sportsman) delivered a magnificent 4th place overall finish, completing all four grueling races for a total of 318 laps. Cece’s crowning achievement came in the Mega-G+ Lites class, where she laid down a 5.505-second lap—the absolute fastest lap of the entire class, beating every single Expert driver on pure pace.

Dean Donaldson (Expert) utilized his veteran track knowledge to secure 2nd place overall (348 laps), running a highly tactical event. Meanwhile, Dustin Jolley (Expert) proved to be the ultimate sprinter. Despite missing the opening Midget race, Dustin was a dominant force in the remaining three classes, racking up 278 laps and capturing a phenomenal victory in the Viper V-SPEC finale.

Detailed Race Analysis

Race 1: OS3 TFX Midget Paper (i)

The notoriously tricky paper-bodied Midgets opened the night. Dean Donaldson (Expert) paced the contenders with 77 laps, surviving the squeeze lane to bank a solid 9.510s fast lap. John Rogers (Sportsman) kept the pressure high, dropping into the low 9-second range with a 9.284s fast lap and completing 70 laps. Cece Caro (Sportsman) drove a smart, survival-focused race to bank 62 laps. Track host Steve Stewart finished with 80 laps.

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Category Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
Dean Donaldson Expert 77 9.510 10.513
John Rogers Sportsman 70 9.284 10.290
Cece Caro Sportsman 62 10.406 11.082
Steve Stewart Expert 80 8.908 9.365
Details

Race 2: MegaG+ 1.7 Formula e (i) 18v

With the voltage cranked up, Dustin Jolley (Expert) joined the fray and immediately made an impact, logging 79 laps to tie for the race lead. Dean Donaldson (Expert) was right on his bumper with 78 laps. The Sportsman drivers were phenomenal here; John Rogers banked 77 laps with a highly consistent 6.578s best median, and Cece Caro secured 74 laps, dipping into the 5.8-second range for her fast lap. Steve Stewart also logged 79 laps.

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Category Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
Dustin Jolley Expert 79 5.407 6.093
Dean Donaldson Expert 78 5.470 6.394
John Rogers Sportsman 77 5.743 6.578
Cece Caro Sportsman 74 5.844 6.826
Steve Stewart Expert 79 5.448 6.151
Details

Race 3: Mega-G+ 1.7 Lites (Support Class)

This race was an absolute thriller. The entire grid was separated by a mere 3 laps at the finish! Dustin Jolley (Expert) and Steve Stewart tied at 79 laps, closely followed by Dean Donaldson (Expert) with 78 laps. However, the drive of the race belonged to Cece Caro (Sportsman). She not only banked a highly competitive 76 laps, but she unleashed a perfectly slotted 5.505-second fast lap—the outright fastest lap of the race, defeating the entire Expert field on pace. John Rogers finished with 77 laps.

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Category Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
Dustin Jolley Expert 79 5.535 6.115
Dean Donaldson Expert 78 5.594 6.241
John Rogers Sportsman 77 5.754 6.213
Cece Caro Sportsman 76 5.505 5.923
Steve Stewart Expert 79 5.526 5.910
Details

Race 4: Viper V-SPEC Lite Lexan

The nightcap brought out the incredibly fast Lexan Vipers. Dustin Jolley (Expert) drove a spectacular race to capture 120 laps and take the win. The biggest upset of the race occurred mid-pack, where John Rogers (Sportsman) flawlessly wheeled his Viper to 116 laps, officially defeating Expert Dean Donaldson (115 laps). Cece Caro (Sportsman) wrapped up her iron-woman performance with 103 laps. Steve Stewart finished with 119 laps.

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Category Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
Dustin Jolley Expert 120 4.407 4.677
John Rogers Sportsman 116 4.444 4.825
Dean Donaldson Expert 115 4.271 4.665
Cece Caro Sportsman 103 4.662 5.612
Steve Stewart Expert 119 3.904 4.662
Details

Event Fast Laps Summary

The sheer speed achieved by the Sportsman drivers this month was incredible. Cece Caro’s overall track dominance in the Lites and John Rogers’ raw speed in the Midgets prove the gap is closing fast.

Car Class Fastest Driver Category Fast Lap
OS3 TFX Midget Paper John Rogers Sportsman 9.284s
MegaG+ 1.7 Formula e 18v Dustin Jolley Expert 5.407s
Mega-G+ 1.7 Lites Cece Caro Sportsman 5.505s
Viper V-SPEC Lite Lexan Dean Donaldson Expert 4.271s

New Lap Records

Class Lane Date Time Driver
OS3 TFX Midget Paper (i) 3 May-07-2026 8908 Steve Stewart
Viper V-SPEC Lite Lexan 2 May-07-2026 4407 Dustin Jolley
Viper V-SPEC Lite Lexan 5 May-07-2026 3904 Steve Stewart

Final Series Standings

The dust has settled on the Thursday Nights “Under the Lights” series, and the final standings tell an incredible story of growth and fierce competition.

The undisputed highlight of the series is John Rogers’ undeniable ascension into the Expert ranks. After weeks of battling the veterans and logging blistering fast laps, John amassed a massive 778 points and 1,537 laps across the series, securing 4th place overall in the standings. His performance proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he has outgrown the Sportsman class and is ready to permanently trade paint with the pros.

Sportsman Division – Series Finale Standings

With John Rogers graduating to the next level, Cece Caro stands as the undisputed endurance champion of the Sportsman grid. Cece completed a staggering 1,441 laps over the course of the series to finish 5th overall with 653 points, consistently keeping the pressure on the top drivers.

The rest of the Sportsman field showed great flashes of speed and tactical driving throughout their respective campaigns:

Rank (Overall) Driver Total Points Total Laps
4 John Rogers (Promoted to Expert) 778 1537
5 Cece Caro 653 1441
7 Trakker Clay 161 379
10 Ramsey Wright 122 241
9 Jeff Seltzer 94 254
13 Jerry Strebig 72 157
11 Bev Seltzer 67 235
12 Mark Wialbut 65 235

Expert Division – Series Finale Standings

In the Expert division, the battle for the top spot was a grueling marathon between Dean Donaldson and Dustin Jolley. Dean ultimately edged out Dustin by just 20 points (911 to 891), utilizing his massive 1,830 completed laps to secure 2nd place overall in the series.

Rank (Overall) Driver Total Points Total Laps
2 Dean Donaldson 911 1830
3 Dustin Jolley 891 1679
6 Joe Clarke 246 567
8 Kevin Webster 125 288
– Steve Stewart 1087 1922

Okay, that’s a wrap on the Thursday Night 50/50 Series. I’m thinking a change-up for our next Thursday “Under The Lights” Series. How about an endurance series featuring the SR3 Super Speedway Oval? Something like this:

    1. Practice
    2. Qualifying (Seed number and starting lane choice)
    3. Food and Hydration break after first segment
    4. 500 Lap Feature (125 lap segments, 45-lap fuel allocation)
    5. Experts have a 3-sec longer fuel fill-up.
    6. We’ll start off this five-race series with Mega+ 1.7 Lites fitted with NASCAR hardbodies. Start working on your MegaG+ 1.7 Modifieds with the new class rules. Your existing Modified cars will do okay in this class, but cars prepared under the new rules will definitely do better.

Congrats to John Rogers for making the transfer to the Expert ranks. He’s a great driver and will definitely increase the adrenaline levels in the paddock.

As always, a big thanks to Kathy and all who brought stuff to share. Another very successful “Under The Lights” event, for sure.

Thursday Night “Under the Lights” Series, Round 4 — Night Moves & Lexan Lightning: The Sportsman Division Steals the Show

Wow! While we typically have a little drama in the Expert ranks, this round of the series was all about the Sportsman division bringing the heat on the Experts. A big thanks to Dean for his superb promotional skills, bringing together another great group of Slotheads for some extremely competitive racing and an absolutely outstanding array of great food and hydration products.

AI-Generated Analysis

The April 23-24 “Under the Lights” event at Stewart Raceway II was a masterclass in trigger control and endurance. The SR3 Road Course (with that treacherous squeeze lane) separated the contenders from the pack, yielding some spectacular battles between the Expert and Sportsman classes.

Short Story

Here is the final breakdown of the April 23–24 “Under the Lights” event, separated into the Sportsman and Expert divisions. This highlights just how intensely the Sportsman drivers challenged the overall standings.

Sportsman Division Summary

The Sportsman division was the true story of the event, with drivers consistently outperforming class expectations and taking the fight directly to the Experts.

  • John Rogers: John led the Sportsman charge, securing an incredible 2nd place overall across the entire field with 378 total laps and 205 points. He captured 5 segment wins across the four races and recorded a blisteringly fast 3.223-second lap in the Viper V-SPEC class. He also laid down the fastest lap of the entire event in the Mustang class (6.797s).

  • Cece Caro: Cece was the ultimate endurance driver, finishing 4th place overall with 360 laps and tying for 3rd in overall points (186). She accomplished the rare feat of winning a segment in every single car class she entered (4 total segment wins) and matched John Rogers’ 3.223-second fast lap in the Viper V-SPECs.

  • Ramsey Wright: Competing in three of the four races, Ramsey captured 6th place overall with 241 laps and 122 points. His strongest showing was in the Mustang class where he broke the 100-lap barrier (104 laps), and he achieved a personal event-best lap of 6.689s in the Lites.

  • Trakker Clay: Trakker also ran a three-race schedule, finishing right behind Ramsey in 7th place overall with 231 laps and 101 points. He successfully secured a segment win in the tricky Mustang class and logged his fastest lap of the night (7.090s) in the Lites.

Expert Division Summary

The Expert drivers had to fight tooth and nail to defend their positions on the leaderboard, especially on the technical SR3 Squeeze Lane track.

  • Dean Donaldson: Dean relied on his veteran consistency to secure 3rd place overall with 362 laps and 186 points, narrowly beating Cece Caro by just two laps for the final podium spot. He picked up 2 segment wins over the course of the event and laid down a 3.298-second fast lap in the Viper V-SPECs.

  • Dustin Jolley: Despite only running the first three races, Dustin was a dominant force, taking 5th place overall with 267 laps and 169 points. He tied for the most non-Stewart segment wins (5 total) and was a constant threat at the top of the heat charts, clocking a 5.776s fast lap in the Lites.

  • Joe Clarke: Joe completed a solid three-race run to finish 8th place overall with 220 laps and 108 points. His best pure speed came in the Lites class, where he recorded a 6.592s fastest lap.

  • Steve Stewart: Steve secured 1st place overall with 395 laps and 239 points. He collected 11 segment wins and the overall fastest lap of the event at 3.211s in the Viper V-SPEC class.

Let’s drop the green flag on the results!

Event Summary: A Sportsman Revolution

The overarching story of this event is the incredible rise of the Sportsman drivers challenging the established Expert hierarchy. While Steve Stewart (Expert) secured the highest overall lap count, the true fireworks happened throughout the rest of the field.

Cece Caro (Sportsman) deserves a massive standing ovation for her phenomenal overall results. She logged a staggering 360 laps across all four grueling races, securing 4th place overall and tying for 3rd in total points. Her ability to stay smooth, keep the car in the slot, and put pressure on the Expert class is a testament to her growing skill.

John Rogers (Sportsman) was an absolute powerhouse, capturing 2nd place overall with 378 laps. Time and time again, John out-paced the Experts, proving that pure speed and consistency can shatter class boundaries.

Dean Donaldson (Expert) utilized his veteran experience to navigate the squeeze lane, banking 362 laps to edge onto the overall podium in 3rd place.

The Sprinters: Partial-Event Highlights

A grueling 4-race schedule isn’t for everyone, but the drivers who joined for the first three legs left a massive impact on the timing sheets:

  • Dustin Jolley (Expert): Dustin was a lethal force in the opening three classes, racking up 267 laps. He finished 2nd in the Midgets and consistently threatened the top of the leaderboard.

  • Ramsey Wright (Sportsman): Ramsey put together a beautiful 241-lap campaign. His performance peaked in the Mustang class with a rock-solid 104 laps.

  • Trakker Clay (Sportsman): Trakker drove a smart, tactical series to claim 231 laps. His consistency in the tricky Mustang class (103 laps) was fantastic.

  • Joe Clarke (Expert): Joe brought the heat for 220 laps, saving his best push for the Mustang class where he broke the 7.3-second barrier.

Detailed Race Analysis

Race 1: MegaG+ 1.7 65 Mustang Ken Miles Team Clarke (i)

The opening race set the tone for the Sportsman uprising. John Rogers (S) tied Expert driver Dustin Jolley at 111 laps, with John laying down an incredibly fast 6.797s lap. Dean Donaldson (E) stayed right in their mirrors with 110 laps. Cece Caro (S) drove a brilliantly clean race to bank 106 laps, easily holding off the rest of the pack.

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Class Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
Dustin Jolley Expert 111 6.810 7.372
John Rogers Sportsman 111 6.797 7.400
Dean Donaldson Expert 110 6.896 7.866
Cece Caro Sportsman 106 7.310 8.194
Ramsey Wright Sportsman 104 7.601 9.136
Trakker Clay Sportsman 103 8.119 8.747
Joe Clarke Expert 92 7.242 10.069
Steve Stewart Expert 120 6.834 7.319

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

The Lites class requires incredible momentum management. Dustin Jolley (E) and John Rogers (S) engaged in another epic duel, deadlocking at 77 laps apiece. Cece Caro (S) was spectacular, falling short of the leaders by just one single lap (76 laps) and putting down a blazing 5.927s fast lap. Dean Donaldson (E) and Trakker Clay (S) rounded out a highly competitive top-mid field.

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Class Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
Dustin Jolley Expert 77 5.776 6.364
John Rogers Sportsman 77 5.838 6.163
Cece Caro Sportsman 76 5.927 6.302
Dean Donaldson Expert 71 5.520 6.662
Trakker Clay Sportsman 65 7.090 7.771
Ramsey Wright Sportsman 63 6.689 7.412
Joe Clarke Expert 61 6.592 8.785
Steve Stewart Expert 80 5.511 5.870

Race 3: OS3 TFX Midget Paper (i)

These paper-bodied midgets are notoriously tricky to drive. Dustin Jolley (E) found the sweet spot, pacing the field (aside from Stewart) with 79 laps. John Rogers (S) again showed his versatility, slotting in right behind with 78 laps and the second-fastest lap of the class (9.306s). A brilliant three-way tie emerged mid-pack, with Cece Caro (S), Ramsey Wright (S), and Dean Donaldson (E) all grinding out exactly 74 laps in a true test of nerve.

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Class Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
Dustin Jolley Expert 79 9.618 10.480
John Rogers Sportsman 78 9.306 10.500
Cece Caro Sportsman 74 9.545 11.082
Ramsey Wright Sportsman 74 9.857 11.211
Dean Donaldson Expert 74 9.878 10.778
Joe Clarke Expert 67 9.813 12.864
Trakker Clay Sportsman 63 10.514 12.301
Steve Stewart Expert 80 8.817 9.687

Race 4: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan

With the field narrowed down to four endurance warriors, the Lexan Vipers delivered absolute warp-speed lap times. John Rogers (S) capped off a brilliant event by completing 112 laps, keeping the pressure on the Experts until the final buzzer. Dean Donaldson (E) locked in 107 laps with a blistering 3.298s best lap, while Cece Caro (S) finished her iron-woman run with 104 laps, dipping down into a 3.223s fastest lap—proving her reflexes are sharp enough to run at the absolute limit.

Pace Summary (Best Segments)

Driver Class Total Laps Fast Lap Best Median Lap
John Rogers Sportsman 112 3.223 3.517
Dean Donaldson Expert 107 3.298 3.601
Cece Caro Sportsman 104 3.223 3.449
Steve Stewart Expert 115 3.211

Segment Wins Breakdown

Winning a segment requires absolute focus. Here is a breakdown of the segment victories by driver and car class for the April 23-24 races:

      • John Rogers (Sportsman) – 5 Total Wins: Mustang (1), Lites (1), Midget (2), Viper V-SPEC (1)
      • Dustin Jolley (Expert) – 5 Total Wins: Mustang (1), Lites (2), Midget (2)
      • Cece Caro (Sportsman) – 4 Total Wins: Mustang (1), Lites (1), Midget (1), Viper V-SPEC (1)
      • Dean Donaldson (Expert) – 2 Total Wins: Mustang (1), Lites (1)
      • Trakker Clay (Sportsman) – 1 Total Win: Mustang (1)

Here is the breakdown of the absolute fastest single laps recorded during the April 23–24, 2026 races.

While the Expert class captured three of the four fastest overall laps, the margins highlight just how fiercely the Sportsman drivers were pushing the limits. John Rogers (Sportsman) struck first by claiming the fastest lap in the opening Mustang race. In the final Viper V-SPEC race, Sportsman drivers John Rogers and Cece Caro were only 0.012 seconds behind the absolute fastest time of the night.

Fastest Laps: April 23-24 Event

Car Class Track Fastest Driver Category Lane Lap Time
MegaG+ 1.7 65 Mustang Ken Miles Team Clarke (i) SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane John Rogers Sportsman Green 6.797s
Mega-G+ 1.7 Lites (Support Class) SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane Steve Stewart Expert Blue 5.511s
OS3 TFX Midget Paper (i) SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane Steve Stewart Expert Blue 8.817s
Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan Stewart Raceway II Straight Road Course Steve Stewart Expert Blue 3.211s

Notable Runner-Ups

    • Lites (Support Class): Dean Donaldson (Expert) was a mere 0.009 seconds off the fastest lap, clocking a 5.520s in the White lane.
    • Viper V-SPEC: John Rogers (Sportsman) and Cece Caro (Sportsman) tied for the second-fastest lap at 3.223s, with both drivers achieving this blisteringly fast time in the Yellow lane.

Series Standings after Round 4

The Sportsman drivers continued to show immense dedication, with John Rogers and Cece Caro banking a massive amount of laps and points that rival the top Experts.

Sportsman Division – Final Points Standings

John Rogers took the top honors in the Sportsman division, breaking the 600-point threshold, while Cece Caro secured a highly impressive second place in the class with over 500 points.

Rank Driver Total Points Total Laps
1 John Rogers 606 1201
2 Cece Caro 508 1123
3 Trakker Clay 161 379
4 Ramsey Wright 122 241
5 Jeff Seltzer 94 254
6 Jerry Strebig 72 157
7 Bev Seltzer 67 235
8 Mark Wialbut 65 235

Expert Division – Final Points Standings

In the Expert class, Dustin Jolley managed to edge out Dean Donaldson in total points (737 to 716) despite Dean completing 81 more total laps across the event. Kevin Webster rounded out the Expert field, having competed primarily in the early stages of the event.

Rank Driver Total Points Total Laps
1 Dustin Jolley 737 1401
2 Dean Donaldson 716 1482
3 Joe Clarke 246 567
4 Kevin Webster 125 288
– Steve Stewart 860 1566

As always, thank you to all of you participating in this way-cool series and all the swag and goodies you bring to the events to help make this kind of program so successful.

Next Thursday night is out for Kathy and me. Maybe Friday might work, we’ll see. If not, the following Thursday looks doable for us right now. I’ll post a couple of Round 5 Google Calendar options ASAP.

Note: You can skip one race in each series and still be in the points hunt. We take the best four events of each driver to determine the five-event series winner in each division.

Okay, shut up and drive.

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!