Eric’s fleet of Viper-built Super7 NASCAR rigs. Very fun and smooth cars to drive.
We didn’t have enough participation to record Round 2 of the Summer 50/50 Series, but we had some fun racing anyway.
It was a lot of practice and testing laps, followed by just one fuel race. Six drivers, 30-lap segments, and a 34-lap fuel allocation.
For the one IROC race of the day, we had Webster Motorsports, Team Maddox, and Team Fast Lane on the starting grid. We were running Eric Lane’s latest addition to the track’s IROC fleet, a set of Viper-built Super7 chassis’ with Tyco NASCAR hardbodies.
The short story is that Team Fast Lane’s Eric Lane and Team Maddox’s Shaylin Maddox battled fiercely throughout this race, all the way to the end. Eric won one heat, and Shaylin won one heat. In the end, Eric consistently finished 1, 2, and 3 and ended up on top. Team Maddox junior driver Abe Maddox won the final segment with a perfect score of 30 laps despite Kevin Webster’s blistering fast laps in pursuit.
Eric Lane withstood the competitive pressure and placed second overall, sandwiched between two Experts in first and third—some exhilarating and competitive racing, for sure.
Not to be outdone by the older drivers, Team Maddox’s youngest driver, Grace Maddox, completed 86 laps of this race and clicked off her fastest lap of 6.375 in the orange lane–nice!
Thank you all for hanging out and racing little cars with me!
We didn’t have enough attendance to pull off an official race, but race we did.
There was some practice and testing but we actually completed five “fun” races; three IROC and two Builder/Tuner races.
We ran Eric Lane’s new Super 7 NASCAR set with replacement bodies. No breakage this time but the bodies definitely need to be taped or better secured to the chassis.
Short Story Of The Day On The SR3 “Fast Esses” Road Course
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart
527
262
5687.813
2
Aaron Castro
527
241
5798.367
3
Kevin Webster
442
183
5832.26
4
Jerry Pearson
326
133
2826.058
5
Abe Maddox
93
32
921.978
Notice that Home Cook’n and Aaron Castro completed the same amount of laps on the day. That’s close racing!
Notes: Pearson Racing completed three races, Team Maddox completed one.
Current Series Points Standings After Round 1
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart
434
233
2754.266
2
Aaron Castro
415
203
2698.972
3
George Peters
408
194
2696.241
4
Jordan Walker
302
133
2894.16
5
Jerry Pearson
229
106
1710.905
6
Kevin Webster
174
89
996.869
7
Eric Lane
209
76
1794.119
Let’s target next Saturday, July 27 to complete Round 2 of the series. We’re also playing with the idea of a weeknight track session. I’ll see if we can schedule something soon, perhaps next week, we’ll see.
The first round of the Summer 50/50 Series is in the books…
The cookbooks, that is. It was a blisteringly hot day, and the heat and beach traffic tolled the paddock and drivers.
In Round 1, we ran on both SR2 and SR3. The first two races were on SR3’s “Fast Esses” course, and the second two races were on SR2’s “Straight” Road Course.
Short Story and Points Standings After Round 1
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart
434
233
2754.266
2
Aaron Castro
415
203
2698.972
3
George Peters
408
194
2696.241
4
Jordan Walker
302
133
2894.16
5
Jerry Pearson
229
106
1710.905
6
Kevin Webster
174
89
996.869
7
Eric Lane
209
76
1794.119
Only the top three completed the entire program of four races. Between the heat, late arrivals primarily due to beach traffic, and other drama, this round took its toll on the field.
Race 1: MegaG+ 1.7 “Modifieds”
We started off with our paper-bodied MG+ 1.7 Modified cars to get things rolling. Jerry Pearson was on fire in this race, with three second-place segments and one first-place segment. Nice driving, Jerry! Aaron Castro clicked off some blistering laps trying to overtake Jerry in the race’s final laps, tying Jerry on points and laps, but ended up with a slightly longer total runtime. Details
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart
118
58
907.571
2
Jerry Pearson
117
55
870.327
3
Aaron Castro
117
55
887.849
4
George Peters
105
42
874.183
5
Eric Lane
107
36
950.126
6
Jordan Walker
98
36
890.816
Race 2: Viper Super7 RTR NASCAR IROC Set
Again, Eric Lane graciously donated another 6-car IROC set to the program. This time, they were Viper-built Super 7 chassis with Tyco NASCAR hardbodies. These cars were close to full-punch at 15v (L10 traction mags) but often lost bodies when they came out of the slot. We’ll need to better secure the bodies and remove some of the stock glass.
George Peters was the fastest with these cars, setting the lap record at 5.203 in the Blue Lane. Details
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart
119
58
840.501
2
Aaron Castro
117
55
815.666
3
Jerry Pearson
112
51
840.578
4
George Peters
114
50
849.277
5
Eric Lane
102
40
843.993
6
Jordan Walker
93
28
859.448
Race 3: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan
After a couple of teams abandoned due to the heat, we moved things indoors and ran the last two races on SR2, in a much cooler environment.
As always, this race was a barn burner. Jordan Walker didn’t make the podium, but he set new lap records for this class and track on every lane, clocking a 2.982 lap in the Blue lane.
It was a heated battle between George Peters and Home Cook’n for the top podium spot. George would tie on points but came up 3-laps short. Newly upgraded Expert driver Kevin Webster would get his first podium as an Expert in Round 1, nice!! Details
To keep things fast and furious, we ran Eric’s previous contribution to the program, a set of Vipers with F1/Indy clip-on Lexan bodies from HCSlots. They are very nice cars, and the first time we’ve run them on SR2.
Before abandoning Round 1, Jordan Walker would click off the fastest lap and establish the SR2 Straight Road Course track record for this platform of 3.119 in the Blue lane. When Jordan’s on, he’s the fastest in the bunch. Details
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart
100
64
481.9
2
Aaron Castro
92
50
474.458
3
George Peters
95
49
477.737
4
Kevin Webster
82
44
474.048
5
Jordan Walker
23
28
641.929
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the video recording set up properly on either track, so we don’t have anything to share there.
Many of us were affected by the refueling bug on SR2. I’ll try to find time to film the issue and see if I can get help from the SlotTrak folks to resolve it. It only seems to occur when doing track calls without marshals. If we can’t fix it, we won’t do fuel races on SR2.
Round 2 is currently slated for July 20th; stay tuned for details. For sure, focus on your MG+ Modified and Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK cars. The other two “official” races will be IROC.
Thank you all for bearing the heat, traffic, and chaos of Round 1; it was hectic and grueling at times but a fun day of racing. Oh, and thanks to Eric “Fast” Lane for all he does to make our program more fun!
Jag Hobbies TR-3 “Lites” Grand Sport Corvette bodies or maybe the short wheelbase Augoran bodies.
Another option for a new class could be the MG+ 1.5 chassis. We could run many hard bodies or paper bodies on that platform.
I’m bullish on the Jag Hobbies platforms but open to anything the group considers a good choice. Please review the links above and let me know what platforms you’d be okay adding to the mix by completing the following survey.
New Platform Survey
Other than the Viper V-SPEC chassis at ~$50.00, all the others are relatively cheap. The Jag Hobbies TR-3, for example, is only $25.00 for a complete rolling chassis. In any case, expect to invest roughly $50 to $75 to procure any of these platforms with the appropriate body.
Wow! Another barn burner race day in this super-fast open-wheel series. We opened the day with slower and loose MG+ Whelen/SK Modifieds, which are way more fun on an oval course. However, in the spirit of open-wheel competition, we ran them on the road course anyway. Happy Easter!
Short Story
This was another example of the highly competitive nature of the cars we’re running these days. I spaced and forgot to set the longer fuel fill times for Expert drivers in this round, but the results show that the racing was very competitive.
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart*
477
235
4447.139
2
Aaron Castro*
467
212
4389.815
3
George Peters*
458
194
4603.055
4
Kevin Webster
404
142
4416.555
5
Jerry Pearson1
319
110
3413.512
* Expert (1 Jerry Pearson completed three races, not four.)
Race 1:Â MegaG 1.7 Whelen/SK Modifieds IROC
Home Cook’n, Aaron Castro, George Peters
Okay, it may not be the best choice to start the day, considering the lineup for the following three races, but it was pretty intense once everybody made some controller adjustments and settled into the race. Aaron Castro jumped into the lead early, winning the first segment by 3 seconds over Home Cook’n. Aaron would go on to win two segments and led the race after segment four but completed his rotation with 117 laps. Home Cook’n needed to finish the final segment second or better to steal the top podium spot, which he did with a perfect 30 laps and the win. George Peters fought hard for the second podium spot but came up short by six points. The big story in this one was Sportsman driver, Jerry Pearson, who was driving these very loose and unpredictable cars exceptionally well for a guy who prefers much more downforce. Jerry ended up with two third-place segment finishes and bested his Sportsman rival, Kevin Webster, by two laps and four points. Detailed Results
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart
120
61
1594.322
2
Aaron Castro
117
56
1646.073
3
George Peters
112
50
1694.095
4
Jerry Pearson
105
36
1635.197
5
Kevin Webster
103
32
1594.884
Race 2: MegaG+ 1.7 “Modified”
Aaron Castro, Home Cook’n, George Peters
This race was the fastest MG+ “Modified” race ever. Aaron Castro would crush his previous race lap record of 5.146 in the Orange lane, clicking off a blistering 5.026 in the White lane, winning segment two by five laps! Aaron would win the following two segments, but the lead had already changed three times going into segment four. Aaron held the lead by six points and three laps into the final segment. George Peters would be the spoiler in the last segment by taking the win and the points second place finisher, Home Cook’n needed to overtake Aaron Castro for the overall win. Aaron and Home Cook’n tied in points, but Aaron edged out the win with just one more lap over Home Cook’n. Not to be outdone by the Expert drivers, Kevin Webster and Jerry Pearson both notched second-place segment finishes in this one. Blistering pace! Detailed Results
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Aaron Castro
118
55
729.94
2
Steve Stewart
117
55
833.805
3
George Peters
112
49
834.142
4
Jerry Pearson
105
38
751.684
5
Kevin Webster
105
38
761.6
Race 3: MegaG+ 1.7 “Lites” AFX Alpha Romeo F1 Team Cars IROC
Home Cook’n, Aaron Castro, George Peters
Could be the first and last time these limited edition AFX cars see IROC action anywhere. Aaron bought a set, and Home Cook’n bought a set, so we decided to run them in our open-wheel series. Aaron’s set was in the White and Green lanes, and Home Cookn’s set was in the Orange and Blue lanes. Aaron blasted out front early, winning the first segment and holding onto the race lead through segment three. Kevin Webster held on to second place after the first two. In the end, Home Cook’n seemed to fair the best with these totally “Box Stock” cars, winning the race by six seconds and five laps. Sportsman driver Kevin Webster would finish fourth but tied in points with 3rd place finisher George Peters. Detailed Results
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart
120
64
952.757
2
Aaron Castro
115
47
958.644
3
George Peters
116
44
1001.05
4
Kevin Webster
106
44
980.686
5
Jerry Pearson
109
36
1026.631
Race 4: Viper V-SPEC “SPEC STOCK” F1/Indy Lexan
Home Cook’n, Aaron Castro, George Peters
Yet another barn burner Viper V-SPEC main event. Once again, Aaron Castro jumped into the lead, winning the first segment and clicking off a new lap record of 4.251 in the Orange lane in the process. Home Cook’n would take over the lead after segment two, but Aaron would come roaring back, winning segment three with a roughly 8-second better runtime and leading the race into the final segment. Aaron and Home Cook’n were separated by just one point going into the final segment with Aaron ahead by one point but down two laps. George Peters would once again prove the spoiler by winning the final segment by two seconds over Home Cook’n, but this time, Aaron would lose one lap and come up short by just one point, finishing third in the segment and second overall. It doesn’t get much closer than that! Detailed Results
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart
120
55
1066.255
2
Aaron Castro
117
54
1055.158
3
George Peters
118
51
1073.768
4
Kevin Webster
90
28
1079.385
Points Standings After Round 4
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart*
2044
932
13106.43
2
Aaron Castro*
2024
868
13046.08
3
George Peters*
1997
800
13254.27
4
Kevin Webster
1450
491
11777.35
5
Jerry Pearson
1229
400
7263.654
6
Eric Lane
1077
347
5300.734
7
Jordan Walker*
590
140
2405.214
8
Shaylin Maddox
176
88
1428.228
9
Pam Ebert
154
64
1390.808
10
Abe Maddox
148
64
1337.006
11
Martha Elderon
102
36
775.14
NOTE: This is a best out of four series. If you're behind because you missed a round, the series points winners will be determined by their best four rounds points totals, not all five.
While we usually do a bunch of racing after the official racing is over, we only did one “unofficial” race after Round 4 wrapped up. This was a four-car rotation using Webster Motorsports prepared cars, which were very fun to drive and soothing after the blistering pace of the Viper V-SPEC cars in race 4.
Place
Name
Laps
Points
Total Time
1
Steve Stewart
120
64
1225.128
2
Aaron Castro
115
52
1251.755
3
Kevin Webster
105
44
1264.05
I can’t remember which race it was right now, but we had a strange finish in a segment where the leader thought they had a lap on a pursuing driver and stopped to get fuel before the next segment. When the pursuing driver went through the pits, he won the race. These could have been perfectly legitimate results, but we definitely need to review the tapes.
Speaking of tapes, we got all the “official” and “unofficial” action on tape this time. I’ll process that video ASAP, post the individual races on Rumble, and update this post with links.
I have no idea how the final points standings will play out since they’re still very close in both the Expert and Sportsman ranks. The final standings will be based on your total points from your best four of the five rounds.
Stay tuned for a post on the video action for Round 4 and the schedule for the rest of the series.
We didn’t have enough attendance to pull off an official race, but race we did.
Race 1: MegaG+ 1.7 “Modifieds”
Race 2: Viper Super7 RTR NASCAR IROC Set
