Category: Series/Season Standings

Race Report: 2026 50/50 Series, Round 1, May 14, 2026 — Team Jolly Rogers Dominates the Squeeze Lane

This race report is AI generated. It summarizes the competitive slot car action held on May 14, 2026, at the SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane, featuring the Mega G+ 1.7 Corvette C8 and the Viper V-SPEC Lite Lexan classes.

Race Report: Team Jolly Rogers Dominates the Squeeze Lane

The SR3 Road Course Squeeze Lane lived up to its name this week, providing a high-tension backdrop for some of the most dramatic racing of the 2026 season. While the usual Experts were in attendance, the night truly belonged to Team Jolly Rogers, with John Rogers securing the overall victory across both events and Cece Caro showing incredible poise in the final segments.

Team Jolly Rogers captured the final moments of the final Viper race segment on video. It's a pretty good watch. Thanks, John!!

Overall Championship Standings

At the conclusion of the double-feature, John Rogers (Expert) stood atop the podium as the overall champion, edging out the veteran field with a total of 198 laps.

Place Driver Total Laps Total Points Total Time
1 John Rogers (Team Jolly Rogers) 198 116 1222.349
2 Dean Donaldson (Expert) 195 118 2503.277
3 Dustin Jolley (Expert) 193 107 1186.217
4 Steve Stewart (Expert) 192 114 2511.786
5 Cece Caro (Team Jolly Rogers) 176 85 2539.547

Race 1 Analysis: Mega G+ 1.7 Corvette C8 (i)

The first race of the night saw John Rogers take the overall win with 78 laps. Cece Caro showed significant progress, finishing 5th overall and proving she can run with the Experts.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 John Rogers 78 58 565.696
2 Steve Stewart 77 58 1877.118
3 Dean Donaldson 75 54 1852.741
4 Dustin Jolley 75 52 554.380
5 Cece Caro 75 45 1904.337
6 Joe Clarke 73 44 604.971
7 Kevin Webster 71 42 1876.475
8 Max Dunn 70 34 593.813
9 Trakker Clay 68 36 606.143

Details

Segment Breakdown

      • Segment 1: Steve Stewart took an early lead, but the story was Cece Caro holding a steady 3rd place on the Green lane with a fast lap of 6.795s.
      • Segment 2: Dean Donaldson asserted himself on the White lane, taking the segment win.
      • Segment 3: Stewart found speed in the Orange lane, while Cece navigated the difficult Blue lane to keep her total lap count competitive.
      • Segment 4: Dustin Jolley set a blistering pace on the White lane, securing the segment win with a fast lap of 5.844s.

      • Segment 5: Dean Donaldson returned to the top in the Blue lane, with John Rogers shadowing him in 2nd on the White lane.

      • Segment 6: John Rogers took control of the Green lane, winning the segment and signaling his intent for the overall title.

      • Segment 7: Dustin Jolley won the segment, but John Rogers remained remarkably consistent in the Orange lane to maintain his aggregate lead.

      • Segment 8: John Rogers won again, this time in the Blue lane, setting up a clear path to victory.

      • Segment 9: In a brilliant display of late-race speed, Cece Caro took the win in the final segment on the White lane, finishing her race on a high note while the leaders managed their gaps.

Race 2 Analysis: Viper V-SPEC Lite Lexan

The Viper race was a masterclass in speed by Dean Donaldson, but it will be remembered for the strategic “fuel” battle between John Rogers and Dustin Jolley.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Dean Donaldson 120 64 650.536
2 John Rogers 120 58 656.653
3 Dustin Jolley 118 55 631.837
4 Steve Stewart 115 56 634.668
5 Joe Clarke 102 44 634.172
6 Cece Caro 101 40 635.210
7 Kevin Webster 100 38 673.606
8 Max Dunn 95 40 771.990
9 Trakker Clay 87 28 671.836

Details

Segment Breakdown

      • Segments 1–4: Dean Donaldson was untouchable, winning four consecutive segments and setting times that reset the expectations for this track.

      • Segments 5–7: The Expert field traded blows, with Steve Stewart and Dustin Jolley picking up segment wins as Dean rotated out.

      • Segment 8: John Rogers found his rhythm, winning the segment in the White lane, just ahead of Dustin Jolley.

      • Segment 9: The Dramatic Finish: The final segment was a heart-stopper. John Rogers drove a clinical race to take the segment win. Meanwhile, Dustin Jolley, pushing his Viper to the absolute limit to close the gap, famously “ran out of fuel” (metaphorically or mechanically) at the most critical moment, settling for 2nd in the segment and 3rd overall.

Team Jolly Rogers captured the final moments of the final segment on video. It’s a pretty good watch.

New Track Records

The May 14 session saw a massive shift in the record books for the SR3 Road Course.

Viper V-SPEC Lite Lexan: Dean Donaldson shattered the previous Viper benchmarks (which were in the 4.2s range) with a jaw-dropping 3.665s lap in Segment 4.

Mega G+ 1.7 Corvette C8: Dustin Jolley set a new class benchmark of 5.844s.

Technical Spotlight: Anomaly or Rocket Ship?

The community is already buzzing about Dean Donaldson’s 3.665s lap in the Viper race. To put this in perspective, the previous records for similar Viper classes rarely dipped below 4.2 seconds.

Interestingly, Trakker Clay also clocked a 3.693s in the same segment. Given that both drivers simultaneously saw a nearly 1-second improvement over their average lap times in Segment 4, it is highly probable that this was a sensor anomaly or a crash/rider situation rather than pure mechanical speed. However, until a track inspection proves otherwise, the record stands as a testament to a very “hot” moment on the Squeeze Lane.

Final Results Summary and Series Points Standings:

      • Overall Champion: John Rogers (Team Jolly Rogers)

      • Corvette Winner: John Rogers

      • Viper Winner: Dean Donaldson

      • Hard Charger: Cece Caro (Team Jolly Rogers)

Based on the scoring reports from May 14, 2026, here are the series points standings categorized by driver classification. Standings are calculated from the combined totals of the Mega G+ 1.7 Corvette C8 and Viper V-SPEC Lite Lexan races.

Expert Division Standings

The Expert field was incredibly tight, with only four points separating the top three drivers after both events.

Rank Name Total Points Laps Completed Total Time
1 Dean Donaldson

118

195

2503.277

2 John Rogers

116

198

1222.349

3 Steve Stewart

114

192

2511.786

4 Dustin Jolley

107

193

1186.217

5 Joe Clarke

88

175

1239.143

6 Kevin Webster

80

171

2550.081

Sportsman Division Standings

Cece Caro leads the Sportsman division, notably outperforming Expert Kevin Webster in total points and Expert Joe Clarke in total laps.

Rank Name Total Points Laps Completed Total Time
1 Cece Caro

85

176

2539.547

2 Max Dunn

74

165

1365.803

3 Trakker Clay

64

155

1277.979

Next Thursday is looking very good for us. I’ll shoot out an invite ASAP.

Okay, shut up and drive!

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.

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!

Race Report: Wednesday Night Under The Lights, Jan 14, 2026

Carnage in the Viper-built Super 7 IROC race.

It looks like the “Promoter of the Year” competition is heating up for 2026. We had two new drivers visit Stewart Raceway for this “Under the Lights” event on SR3.

First, a warm welcome to Phil Rogers and Ramsey Wright. Phil is a local resident who lives just a few miles away near Full-Speed and Seltzer Racing Teams. Ramsey is a college friend of Team Jolley’s, Dustin Jolley. Both new drivers seemed to have a great time, and we look forward to their return to Stewart Raceway for more slot car action soon. Phil hadn’t raced slot cars since the 70’s. Ramsey has been a slot-car enthusiast since he first discovered them, but had never raced on a routed track.

Short Story
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 245 142 2032.795
2 Dean Donaldson 239 120 1991.125
1 Dustin Jolley 236 119 1977.112
2 Jeff Seltzer 231 98 2052.440
3 Bev Seltzer 206 85 2055.125
4 Ramsey Wright 202 85 2005.230
5 Phil Rogers 71 28 710.348

Dustin and Ramsey arrived too late to get much practice in, but after a very nice dinner of pan pizza, salad, and cheese bread, we got down to business with racing.

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

We again used this new House IROC set of PR-5 GT chassis’ with AFX/Racemasters F1 hardbodies to kick off the night. With seven drivers, we had nearly enough participants to run a normal race without excessive interruptions from track-call button(s).

We actually had eight people in the paddock, so the Race Director decided to cut the lanes down to four, leaving three drivers free to corner marshal, and Kathy available to handle track calls on the keyboard. SR3 typically requires four corner marshals to pull off a fluid and timely raceday.

Unfortunately, one team in the paddock vehemently opposed this prescription, sparking controversy. Once all that got settled, and the opposition team finally gave up insisting we run all six lanes with individual driver track-call buttons, we got underway with four lanes, 25-lap segments, and a 30-lap fuel allocation.

These cars are pretty quick (4.960) on SR3, but not quite as “stuck” as a Viper F1 Lexan (4.657). Still, a good platform for new drivers to get up to speed on routed tracks quickly. Dustin Jolley led this race from the second segment all the way to the final segment. Of course, the newly upgraded Expert driver, Dean Donaldson, was having none of that and took over the second-place position from Bev Seltzer at the end of segment three, holding on to second until the final segment, just one point behind the race leader Dustin Jolley.

Newcomer, Ramsey Wright advanced from 4th to 3rd going into the final segment, but was done with his rotation with 42 points. Dustin Jolley was also done with his rotation, leading with 56 points, and Dean Donaldson, in second, had finished his rotation with 55 points. Home Cook’n was in 4th overall going into the final segment with 48 points. Was the leaderboard about to get shuffled?

Team Seltzer came out of the gate in the last segment blazing. Jeff Seltzer had put the hammer down and completed every lap with very consistent times, finishing 2nd in the segment and securing the third podium spot. Bev Seltzer was on fire in this one also, clearly getting back in her groove. Bev completed all 25 laps, had the fastest median lap time, and won the segment handily. When the two Experts were removed from the leaderboard, Jeff finished the race in 2nd and Bev in 3rd. Very sold driving by Team Seltzer!  Dustin Jolley’s 56 points were just enough to put him in 2nd overall and 1st in the Sportsman class. Great driving!  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 100 59 725.646
2 Dustin Jolley 97 56 673.951
3 Dean Donaldson 95 55 656.617
4 Bev Seltzer 89 45 714.937
5 Jeff Seltzer 96 44 746.281
6 Ramsey Wright 83 42 668.954
7 Phil Rogers 71 28 710.348
Race 2: Viper Super 7 NASCAR Eric Lane Set (i)

We lost Phil Rodgers after the first race, which I’m sure felt like being thrown into a pit of Vipers. Phil actually did pretty well, considering he’s been away from slot car racing for quite a spell.  We hope he enjoyed the experience and returns to racing with us again soon.

Phil’s departure changed the marshaling situation, so we went back to six lanes and track calls for crashes. This extends the runtime considerably, which shortens the number of races possible.

This IROC set is a lot like running a Viper V-SPEC L4 hardbody car, but with a little less speed and handling, mostly because stock Tyco 440-X2 NASCAR hardbodies are used.

This one seemed like three races going on at once. The two Experts, Dean Donaldson and Home Cook’n, duked it out the entire race, swapping the race lead nearly every segment. Sportsman drivers, Dustin Jolley and Jeff Seltzer, battled for the third podium spot the whole race, and Bev Seltzer and Ramsey had a heated battle going for 4th overall in the last few segments.

New driver, Ramsey Wright, had a good groove going, battling Dustin for third until the fourth segment, when Jeff Seltzer made his move in the Green lane to drop Ramsey (Blue lane) down to fifth place, and fighting off a hard-charging Bev Seltzer, who was just one lap down on him going into the final segment.

In the end, Home Cook’n won the Expert battle by just one lap, Dustin won the Sportsman battle by four laps, and Ramsey bagged the final Sportsman podium by just two laps ahead of Bev Seltzer.  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 145 83 1307.149
2 Dean Donaldson 144 65 1334.508
3 Dustin Jolley 139 63 1303.161
4 Jeff Seltzer 135 54 1306.159
5 Ramsey Wright 119 43 1336.276
6 Bev Seltzer 117 40 1340.188

We lost Full-Speed Racing and Team Seltzer after Race 2, and it was pretty late in the evening. Dustin, Ramsey, and I played around with a few of Ramsey’s tricked-out cars, then called it a night around 1:00 AM.

A big thanks to everybody for contributing to another great night of “Under the Lights” racing!  The highlight of the night (for me) was seeing Ramsey come down the driveway with a handmade slot-car box. I have one of those that I made in woodshop during my high school days in the mid-seventies. That was cool!

Still way too early to post seasonal points, but I predict that Dustin Jolley will be the next Sportsman driver to advance to the Expert ranks.

If you're the Sportsman points leader for 5 consecutive raceday events, you advance to Expert.

Due to the NFL Playoffs, no Saturday track action this week. Kathy’s and my Mom’s favorite teams are both playing Saturday. Hopefully, we can get another “Under the Lights” event in the books this coming week, and maybe even a Saturday event; we’ll see.  Have a great weekend!