Category: Events

Stewart Raceway’s primary mission statement is to foster fair, balanced, and competitive slot car racing. This “Under The Lights” event proves that this can be accomplished. The final race of the night, with our MegaG+ 1.7 Modified platform, wasn’t the closest race ever recorded here, but it was amazingly close for a 120-lap fuel race. See Race 2 below for more.

Up-and-coming Sportsman driver Dustin Jolley showed up with two Junior drivers, his son Rye and Rye’s friend Austin Brentmar, both 14 years old. Across the spectrum of skill levels, the racing was some of the closest and most competitive we’ve seen in quite some time. Oh, and way fun, too!

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Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	230	160	1963.954
2	Dean Donaldson	224	135	2020.333
3	Dustin Jolley	226	127	2003.490
4	Joe Clarke	208	106	2088.158
5	Austin Brentmar	204	100	2060.362
6	Rye Jolley	187	68	2147.751

Race 1: Viper V-SPEC F1/Indy 1.7 (i) Lexan Eric Lane Set

This one was also a 120-lap fuel race, using Eric Lane’s set of very predictable, fast Viper V-SPEC L4 cars across all six lanes.

Very likely, our next Expert advancer, Dustin Jolley, upset Expert Dean Donaldson for the second podium step. Primarily because Dean struggled in the two “gutter” lanes, Red and Yellow. This was also the debut race on the new “Bus Stop” SR3 road course layout, which made those two lanes much more of a challenge than the “Fast Esses” course.

Sportsman driver, Joe Clarke, of Scotts Valley, returned to the raceway after a long layoff supporting his other “sport”, duck hunting. Joe had a good run in his first race back, holding onto 2nd place through the first two segments, then locking in a 4th overall.

Dustin, Austin, and Home Cook’n got the honors of setting all six new lap records on this new course layout. The time to beat right now is 4.990 in White. Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	117	91	995.363
2	Dustin Jolley	114	66	1007.032
3	Dean Donaldson	111	66	1040.297
4	Joe Clarke	103	49	1110.750
5	Austin Brentmar	95	40	1067.309
6	Rye Jolley	97	36	1056.856

Race 2: MegaG+ 1.7 Modified

As mentioned above, this race was a barn-burner! The two Experts were separated by just 12 seconds after 120 laps of racing.

While Home Cook’n had his hands full with Joe Clarke in the first three segments, Dean Donaldson and Dustin would both struggle with their Red and Yellow lane segments. To make things even more interesting, Home Cook’n had a horrible run in the Blue lane with a tire problem, and our newest Junior phenom, Austin Brentmar, was picking up points as the old guard nervously struggled to remain in or step up to the podium positions.

Halfway through the race, neither Dustin Jolley nor Dean Donaldson had recovered from their difficulties in the gutter lanes and were sitting in 5th and 4th. Home Cook’n was still holding onto the lead, but his grip on it was loosening. Austin Brentmar would win the fourth segment with a perfect run of 20 laps, and Dean and Dustin also had great runs, Dean 2nd, Dustin in 3rd.

In the 5th segment, things got even more interesting as Dustin would win the segment, Dean would bag 2nd, and Austin would bag 4th, tying Expert Dean Donaldson in points and sitting 3rd overall going into the final segment. This is slot car racing at its best!

At the end of Segment 5, you could have heard a pin drop on the floor (if the music hadn’t been so loud) as the intensity and apprehension peaked. Home Cook’n still had a 10-point lead, but he would finish in the dreaded Red lane while Dean would finish in Blue, and Dustin in Orange. The only good thing about Home Cookin’s situation was that phenom, Austin Brentmar, would finish in the Red lane. It sure got quiet from then on as the “sharks” smelled blood in the water.

In the end, Dean Donaldson would win (in Blue, no less), which was exactly what he needed to have a shot at overtaking Home Cookin’ for the overall win. To make things even more tense for Home Cookin, first-segment winner Joe Clarke had a great run in the White lane, finishing 2nd and narrowly missing the podium behind the speedster Austin in 4th overall!

So, there you have it. One of the closest races ever, and segment wins by five drivers! Junior driver, Rye Jolley didn’t have a great showing, but considering he’s only visited the raceway twice, and the incredible level of competition in this one, he did pretty well.

One again, Dustin, Austin, and Home Cook’n got the honors of setting all six new lap records with the MG+ 1.7 Modified platform on this new course layout. The time to beat right now is 5.324 by Dustin Jolley in Orange.

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	113	69	968.591
2	Dean Donaldson	113	69	980.036
3	Dustin Jolley	112	61	996.458
4	Austin Brentmar	109	60	993.053
5	Joe Clarke	105	57	977.408
6	Rye Jolley	90	32	1090.895

Okay, shut up and drive!

Another beautiful California evening and more great food, snacks, desserts, and hydration products. Dean made some great chicken soup and bread to complement the house bread, and we had a very tasty dinner before racing commenced.

Once again, our stellar 2025 Promoter of the Year, Dean Donaldson, invited two more new drivers into the fold, and last Saturday’s new driver, Mark Wialbut, returned for his second visit to the raceway. A very solid group of slotheads and plenty of competition.

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Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Dustin Jolley	200	118	2093.197
2	Jeff Seltzer	106	62	1154.160
3	Max Dunn	103	49	999.582
4	Bev Seltzer	104	44	1035.450
5	Tara DelaGarza	89	38	1002.428
6	Mark Wialbut	98	35	1058.522
Expert
1	Steve Stewart	194	127	2105.784
2	Dean Donaldson	197	111	2093.983

Yeah, yeah, Home Cook’n is always at or near the top of the Expert leaderboard, big surprise (His tracks!). That said, those days are numbered, as you can see from the Race 1 summary below.

In fact, Sportsman driver Dustin Jolley placed second overall in this event, which he does quite frequently. He’s either going to earn an Expert upgrade or request one soon.

Race 1: Viper V-SPEC F1/Indy 1.7 (i) Lexan Eric Lane Set

Wow!  While we probably could have run four lanes with good corner marshal coverage, we opted for segment sit-outs to man the keyboard and went with all six lanes for racing.

Again, with newer drivers in the mix, it’s a good idea to go with a top-level magnet car as they get up to speed with slot car racing. It’s cool to compare early lap times to later ones. Talk about getting up to speed quickly.

The big story in this very hotly contested race was Jeff Seltzer, who, with the exception of just one of the eight segments, held onto 3rd place until the very last segment. In fact, if you take the Experts out of the equation, Jeff finished 2nd overall. Jeff put on a clinic on mastering refueling, cutting fast laps, and achieving consistent top 3 segment finishes.

Our newest drivers, Tara DelaGarza and Max Dunn, both had impressive moments in the race and posted some nice best laps. Tara clicked off a 5.539 lap in the blue lane, while Max had a 5.368 also in the Blue lane. I think they had fun, and both clearly got faster as the race went on. Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	119	87	1000.273
2	Dustin Jolley	119	78	975.064
3	Dean Donaldson	111	71	987.044
4	Jeff Seltzer	106	62	1154.160
5	Max Dunn	103	49	999.582
6	Bev Seltzer	104	44	1035.450
7	Tara DelaGarza	89	38	1002.428
8	Mark Wialbut	98	35	1058.522

Race 2: Fray T-Jets (i)

This race was way fun, but a but we lost over half the field before the start. No, it wasn’t because of the car choice; it just got late, and it was time for some to go home.

The Fray T-Jet is definitely not an ideal platform for new drivers or the typical hobbyist. The Fray T-Jet is based on the oldest H.O. scale slot car platform out there.  Fray enthusiasts have transformed this 1960s toy chassis into a very sophisticated, high-performance car. The best way I know to describe this platform is to call it a “hyper-tuned Swiss Watch.”

The best part about this race was that both Dustin and Dean absolutely loved racing these things. Dean, who previously had declared the Viper V-SPEC L4 platform as the only thing worth racing, has recently discovered the challenge and thrill of racing cars that you have to actually drive every inch of every lap.

The big story of this one was that these cars hadn’t seen track time in a long time and were not well prepared to race. Consequently, they were not well matched, with the White lane car markedly better than the Green lane car, and the Orange lane car almost impossible to stay on the same lap as the Green car by the time the last segment rolled.

If you have time, the detailed results pretty much tell the story. The Orange lane car’s tires were nearly worn out at the start. By the time the race was over, the tires were toast. Surprisingly, each driver won their White lane segments, and Dean “Magnet Man” won the race! I think he’s finally realizing that there is a whole lot more to slot car racing than “stuck” magnet cars. Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Dean Donaldson	86	40	1106.939
2	Dustin Jolley	81	40	1118.133
3	Steve Stewart	75	40	1105.511

Thank you all for supporting our cool weeknight program! These events have been tremendously successful. A special thanks to Dean for his amazing advocacy and promotion of slot car racing in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

This Saturday is still open for a Junior/Parents Team event and/or regular Sportsman racing. I’ll shoot out an invite ASAP.

Okay, shut up and drive!

What a fantastic day and night for slot car action. Beautiful weather, a great make-up of cars, fuel racing, two new drivers, competitive racing, and some very tasty grub and treats.

Short Story

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	432	236	3756.741
2	Dean Donaldson	414	193	3796.966
3	Joe Vargas	378	165	3808.923
4	Dustin Jolley	177	74	1447.689
5	Mark Wialbut	185	66	2205.114
6	Rye Jolley	146	42	1601.420

Race 1: Jag Hobbies PR-5 GT F1 Hardbody (i)

New driver, Mark Wialbut, got thrown into the fire after just an hour or so of practice. Mark hasn’t raced slot cars in many years, but he had a smile a mile wide during and after the race. Joe Vargas returned to the raceway after a fairly long layoff; his last visit was in October 2025.

The results don’t really tell the story here. This IROC set is fast and stuck, much like a Viper L4 car. Of course, our 2025 Sportsman Champ, Dean Donaldson, pressured Home Cook’n from the first green to the last checkers. Dean loves magnet cars, and it appears the PR-5 “GT” chassis suits his driving style well.

The leaderboard never changed in this one, but there sure were some battles going on. Joe edged out Mark for the final podium spot. No surprise there, since Joe’s average placing after six appearances is a nice 3.4. Again, Mark Wialbut was all smiles, and by the end of his first race in over 40-years, he was posting very respectable lap times. I suspect he’ll return with his beautiful wife again soon.  Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	80	64	617.241
2	Dean Donaldson	80	52	632.205
3	Joe Vargas	63	44	636.245
4	Mark Wialbut	46	28	672.606

Race2: MegaG+ 1.7 Modified

Dean and Dustin came out swinging in this Modified race, swapping the race lead over the first three segments. While Home Cook’n was struggling with Dustin and Dean’s blazing pace, Joe Vargas was driving the wheels off his rig, chasing Home Cook’n. Home Cook’n finally recovered from the blistering early pace and got to the top of the leaderboard for Segment 4. After that, it was a battle between Dean and Dustin for the second podium spot.

Dustin brought his son, Rye, to this event. Rye has raced on his Dad’s home sectional track, but had never raced a Modified car or on a routed track. By the end of the race, Rye was cutting close to sub 6-sec laps.

The battle for 2nd between Dean and Dustin was hot and heavy, but Dustin managed to stay in 2nd through to the end, though both Dean and he had ample opportunity to steal the top spot from Home Cook’n. Dustin appears to be our next Expert addition, with a very good run and a lap record in the Modified class (5.745 in Yellow).  Mark Wialbut may not have finished on the podium in his first visit to the raceway, but he clicked off a new lap record in this class with a 4.959 lap in the Orange lane! By the end of the race, he was clearly getting back into his groove with near sub 6-sec lap times.  Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	173	79	1461.730
2	Dustin Jolley	177	74	1447.689
3	Dean Donaldson	170	64	1474.797
4	Joe Vargas	158	51	1467.177
5	Rye Jolley	146	42	1601.420
6	Mark Wialbut	139	38	1532.508

Race 3:  Viper V-SPEC F1/Indy 1.7 (i) Lexan Eric Lane Set

Well, after some great racing and a wonderful BBQ pork loin ribs dinner (Thanks, Mrs Stewart!), we still had a few drivers interested in racing more. Of course, Dean lobbied for Vipers, so we dragged out Eric Lane’s very cool set of F1/Indy Lexan cars.

Joe was up against two Experts deadset on not letting the other one beat them, not an ideal position to be in, but he stayed focused and got as many laps as he could. Going into the final Segment, Dean and Home Cook’n were tied in points at 29. Of course, Joe was thinking it might be an opportunity to be the spoiler, since he was finishing in the Orange lane. In the end, Home Cook’n pulled off the win with a little help from the Green lane. Dean came up short due to ill-timed crashes, but he had the fastest laps of the race (4.741 in White) and the fastest median lap time. Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	89	45	570.659
2	Dean Donaldson	83	42	569.004
3	Joe Vargas	74	33	568.684

Race 4: OS3 TFX Box Stock Dash Aston Martin (i)

Believe it or not, Joe and I overruled Dean’s preference for more magnet car action, and we pulled out this way cool set of TFX cars for the final race of the night. Dean was not pleased with our choice, but he begrudingly hung in there and hooked up to give them a try.

By his second rotation, Dean had changed his tune, made some adjustments, and acknowledged that the TFX is a fun and challenging platform to race. Joe and I both already knew that, and Joe’s 2nd place podium spot shows he’s not only a good magnet car driver, but he’s also a very versatile low-downforce driver.

Maybe there is hope for Dean. I know he didn’t like the result here, but he definitely enjoyed racing the TFX. Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	90	48	1107.111
2	Joe Vargas	83	37	1136.817
3	Dean Donaldson	81	35	1120.960

A big thanks to all participants for supporting our racing program and making Saturday another way fun event!

Okay, stay tuned for an invite for another “Under the Lights” this coming Wednesday. We’re on our own for food this time, so potluck or just winging it with snacks will be the fare for this one.

Oops, almost forgot about Mark’s incredibly tasty margaritas, amazing!

Okay, shut up and drive!

Just two teams showed up, comprised mostly of junior drivers. Team Maddox arrived first with 2025 Junior Champ, Abe Maddox, and relative newcomer and Junior driver, August Feinstein. August had visited the raceway just four times prior to Saturday’s racing, but was very excited about having a slot on Team Maddox and about doing more racing.

Team Johnson brought their two star Junior drivers, Madeline and Matthew, and their newborn “development” driver, Luke Johnson.  Luke wanted to race, but team racing requires an even number of drivers on each team. He’ll be back!

Short Story

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Abe Maddox	115	75	748.889
2	August Feinstein	114	69	737.333
3	Madeline Johnson	102	49	768.971
4	Matthew Johnson	93	43	751.298

Race 1: Viper V-SPEC F1/Indy 1.7 (i) Lexan Eric Lane Set

These kids love Vipers, so we ran Eric’s awesome set for race 1. August Feinstein came off the line blazing in the first segment, winning by two laps over our Junior Champ, Abe Maddox.

Abe didn’t dig that very much and won the last three segments convincingly. In spite of the heated battles between August and Abe, Team Johnson’s Madeline Johnson bagged a very nice 2nd place in segment 2 with the fastest lap of the segment in the Orange lane. Our youngest Junior driver, Matthew Johnson, followed that up in the next segment with a very nice 3rd place finish in the Green lane.

August fought hard throughout the race, holding onto 2nd place, just 4 laps behind Abe at the finish. Team Johnson did extremely well considering they’ve been busy tending to their new little brother and haven’t been racing much since last August. Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Abe Maddox	78	61	524.582
2	August Feinstein	74	53	533.670
3	Madeline Johnson	66	38	547.958
4	Matthew Johnson	66	36	533.345

 

Race 2: Dash IROC

We decided to mix it up a bit and do a Dash race instead of a full rotation race for the last one. We reversed the lane choices to make it a little more competitive. Matthew got to pick his lane first, Madeline second, and August third choice, which placed Abe in the toughest lane for the final race.

August Feinstein put the hammer down and won the 40 lap race by three laps. Abe bagged second with some very nice driving in the more difficult Blue lane. In the process, Abe clicked off the fastest lap of race with a 4.397. Team Johnson’s, Madeline Johnson, had the next fastest lap of the race with a 5.820, and she was just one lap behind Junior Champ, Abe Maddox at the checkers for the final podium spot.

Track: SR3 Road Course Fast Esses (Chicane)
Date: Jan-24-2026 16:30
Class:
Descr: superdash
Driver	Lane	Avg Lap	Fast Lap	Median Lap	Laps
August Feinstein	White	8858	5881	7454	40	1
Abe Maddox	Blue	9575	4397	7208	37	2
Madeline Johnson	Orange	9942	5820	9683	36	3
Matthew Johnson	Green	12839	6201	11716	27	4

Since we’ve never run this new Jag PR-5 GT set in a Dash race, we have some new lap records to report. Each of the four drivers in Race 2 set lap records in their lanes!

• • • August Feinstein, 5.881 in the White lane
    • Matthew Johnson, 6.201 in the Green lane
    • Madeline Johnson, 5.820 in the Orange lane
    • Abe Maddox, 4.397 in the Blue lane

Thanks to all the teams that showed up and made this event a fun day for the kids. They’re the future of slot car racing, and the future looks bright!