Category: Series/Season Standings

This was supposed to be a Saturday race, but ended up pushing to an Under The Lights event due to not enough RSVPs and prior commitments. Not a massive turnout with just three drivers, but the racing was way fun and competitive nevertheless.

Short Story

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	284	181	2427.767
2	Dustin Jolley	269	154	2429.026
3	Dean Donaldson	233	123	2039.156

Race 1: AutoWorld Super III NASCAR 1.7 (i)

The AW Super III chassis isn’t the best choice for a SPEC STOCK platform. However, with a tire upgrade and some minor tweaks, it can be a fun car to drive. Our 2025 Sportsman champ, Dean Donaldson (full Speed Racing) didn’t take to this platform as well as Dustin did. Dean managed a nice second-place finish in the final heat, besting Dustin by two laps, posting the fastest lap of the segment in the White lane, and a perfect lap score of 20. Dustin had a very productive race with two 2nd’s, a 1st, and a 3rd. Going into the final segment, Dustin had a perfect lap score of 60 and was just three points behind Home Cook’n and a better total run time. Dustin ended up struggling in the Green lane, losing two laps and finishing third to Dean.

Still a terrific run for Dustin while setting a new lap record (6.317) in the Blue lane for this platform.  Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	80	61	765.127
2	Dustin Jolley	78	53	785.733
3	Dean Donaldson	73	46	942.068

Race 2: MegaG+ 1.7 Lites (Support Class)

As always, this “Builder” class was a barn-burner. Dustin came out swinging in the White lane, posting the fastest lap of the first segment, getting all 25 laps, and crossing the line .372-seconds behind the winner. In the second segment, Dean Donaldson took advantage of not one, but two Home Cook’n “Senior Moments” and won the segment with a perfect 25 laps and the best segment run time, putting him in 2nd-place overall going into the final segment. Home Cook’n would drop from first to third after his disastrous rotation, losing 3 laps early on due to his foopah (hooking up in the wrong lane).

Going into the final segment, Dustin was the race leader by one lap, but one point down on both Dean and Home Cook’n. I don’t remember the fuel dynamic, but both Dean and Home Cook’n needed to make up their lap and hope Dustin had a bad run in his final segment. Neither scenario played out. Dean would have a disastrous run in the segment, losing four laps and finishing third. Home Cook’n had a great run in the Green lane, but failed to get the lost lap back, winning the race but came up short putting a lap on the race leader, Dustin Jolley. Dustin put in the fastest lap of the segment, came up four points short, but held on to his one lap lead, and posted a better overall runtime to win!  Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Dustin Jolley	75	39	508.919
2	Steve Stewart	74	43	557.980
3	Dean Donaldson	70	38	516.095

Race 3: Viper V-SPEC SPEC STOCK Lexan

Dean Donaldson (Full Speed Racing) was on a mission in his favorite race. The fastest car we run at Stewart Raceway, these races are typically very close, and the adrenaline is very high. Dean drove the wheels off his Viper in all three segments, ending with a perfect 90-lap score, three 2nd place finishes, and the fastest lap in Segment 2 in the Green lane. Dustin, on the other hand, had a disastrous Viper race, losing multiple laps in each segment and clearly not in the hunt. In Dustin’s defense, his L4 GT-40 Viper is not the ideal setup for SR3, and his results drove that point home. I’m sure Dustin is considering procurement of a new, more competitive Viper V-SPEC platform as I write this report. Congrats to Dean for stellar performance!

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	90	48	537.628
2	Dean Donaldson	90	39	580.993
3	Dustin Jolley	76	33	567.327

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

After losing Dean due to attrition from the grueling Viper race, Dustin and I turned down the speed dial a bit. The TFX platform isn’t the slowest car we run, but with roughly half the downforce of the typical magnet car and considerable acceleration, it is very challenging to drive.

This was more of an exhibition race than anything else. But the detailed results show that Dustin is an excellent, diverse driver, improving lap times, winning the last segment, and smiling throughout the race.  Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	40	29	567.032
2	Dustin Jolley	40	29	567.047

A big thanks to Dustin for bringing a delicious chocolate cream pie to the event. We didn’t serve dinner, but we paused between races 1 and 2 to enjoy the excellent pie. Thank you. Dustin!!

Okay, I think that about does it for the official 2025 season at Stewart Raceway. We’re hoping to do an end-of-season event next Saturday (Dec 27) to celebrate the following award winners, enjoy some good eats, and run a few fun races to end the year.

• • • 2025 Junior Champion
    • 2025 Sportsman Champion
    • 2025 Rookie of the Year
    • 2025 Most Improved Driver
    • 2025 Team of the Year
    • 2025 Promoter of the Year (recruiter)
    • 2025 Best Eggnog of the Year

Okay, stay tuned for more details, enjoy Christmas, and shut up and drive!

Despite the national Thanksgiving holiday on Thurs, we had an excellent turnout for this Under The Lights event. Kathy prepared some delicious Chicken Tortilla Soup and cornbread muffins. Team Clarke brought a home-baked peach pie (I didn’t try it, but everyone else loved it). Team Jolley brought delicious tortilla chips, guac dip, as well as great cookies. Of course, plenty of good hydration products were floating around the paddock, also.

We didn’t get racing until about 7:00 pm and had to interrupt that first race for dinner and dessert. Race 2 got underway around 9:30, and we wrapped up racing just before midnight.

Short Story

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	214	156	1963.184
2	Dean Donaldson	210	133	2005.881
3	Dustin Jolley	207	126	1962.609
4	Joe Clarke	85	51	991.220
5	Harper Hutchinson	99	46	1075.561
6	Rylee Hutchinson	90	34	1042.174
7	Michael Hutchinson	89	34	969.277
8	Lisa Clarke	74	33	1004.625

Race 1:  Jag Hobbies NC-2 Lite BOX STOCK Mustangs (i)

The Jag NC-2 is a great magnet-car platform designed as an alternative to the AFX MegaG 1.5 platform. This IROC set utilizes out-of-the-box cars with paintable AutoWorld Mustang bodies. The AW hardbodies have a relatively high center of gravity, so they’re a bit tricky to drive on a road course.

This race was very competitive, with nearly every driver bagging a segment win. Dustin Jolley would be the quickest Sportsman driver, with the fastest lap (6.272 on Orange) and the fastest median lap time in segment 4 (8.871). Team Clarke’s Joe Clarke won a segment overall and put down some impressive lap times, but came up a few laps and just 2 points short of the podium.

In the end, Dean Donaldson would take top Sportsman honors, besting the hard-charging Dustin Jolley for the overall win. They tied in total laps, and Dustin had the better runtime and won the last segment, but came up 7 points short of the overall win. (Details)

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	97	68	1008.684
2	Dean Donaldson	93	60	1021.363
3	Dustin Jolley	93	53	1004.292
4	Joe Clarke	85	51	991.220
5	Lisa Clarke	74	33	1004.625

Race 2: Viper V-SPEC F1/Indy 1.7 (i) Lexan Eric Lane Set

Team Hutchinson joined in the fun for Race 2 after Team Clarke had to head home to prepare for T-Day travels. Michael and his daughter, Harper, have raced at Stewart Raceway twice before, once on the SR3 oval, and once on SR3’s Fast Esses road course. Harper has a 4.0 average, and Michael has a 4.5 average. Daughter Rylee was driving for the first time. Obviously, the deck was stacked against Team Hutchinson in this one.

After a brief warm-up, the race got underway with the stage being set quickly. The Sportsman battle was clearly going to be between Dustin Jolley and Dean Donaldson, while Team Hutchinson had their own heated battle going within the team. Dustin and Dean swapped segment wins from the start, and Dean ended Segment 5 in the lead by 3 laps and 5 points. Dean also had the fastest lap and median lap time.

To make things even more challenging for Dustin in the final segment, Harper and Rylee Hutchinson were posting increasingly faster lap times as the race progressed. Harper won the segment 4 Sportsman battle with a nice 2-place finish overall, completing all 20 laps, and posting the fastest Sportsman lap and median lap time in the Orange lane.

Unfortunately for Team Hutchinson, all three drivers would spend the final segment in “gutter” lanes. Rylee faired the best, completing 17 laps in the final segment, finishing 4th overall, and 3rd for the segment. Dustin Jolley drove the wheels off the White lane car, setting the fastest Sportsman lap and median lap time, completing all 20 laps, and winning the segment overall. But it just wasn’t quite enough to overtake Sportsman race-leader, Dean Donaldson. While they tied on points, Dean finished 3 laps ahead of Dustin for the coveted Sportsman win. (Details)

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	117	88	954.500
2	Dean Donaldson	117	73	984.518
3	Dustin Jolley	114	73	958.317
4	Harper Hutchinson	99	46	1075.561
5	Rylee Hutchinson	90	34	1042.174
6	Michael Hutchinson	89	34	969.277

It was great to see Team Hutchinson back at Stewart Raceway, enjoying the racing, and steadily improving their lap times. Congrats to Harper on her second podium appearance in just three visits to Stewart Raceway!

This likely marks the end of the points chase for the 2025 Under The Lights season. Below are the points standings for our inaugural season:

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Dean Donaldson	3372	2915	38657.469
2	Kathy Stewart	710	878	7171.465
3	Joe Clarke	828	855	8419.542
4	Dustin Jolley	1193	568	10955.320
5	Mike Langell	630	467	6317.622
6	Jeff Seltzer	826	301	14673.877
7	Tom Langell	375	282	4622.009
8	Frank Virgil	107	244	1075.160
9	Lisa Clarke	255	230	3264.112
10	Bill Shrum	101	144	929.429
11	Joey Vierra	136	102	2145.284
12	Joe Vargas	215	99	2111.097
13	Kevin Webster	229	97	1795.770
14	Ron Williams	205	74	3324.955
15	Mick Dudas	94	63	2116.387
16	Harper Hutchinson	99	46	1075.561
17	Rylee Hutchinson	90	34	1042.174
18	Michael Hutchinson	89	34	969.277
19	Bev Seltzer	98	28	1186.187
0	Steve Stewart	3593	3431	39283.808

Dean Donaldson obviously won the Sportsman class points chase. Kathy and Joe are very close, with Kathy in 2nd place and Joe in third, 23 points behind. We could have a race-off between the two to see who comes out on top. Maybe we’ll get in one more race night before the end of the year; we’ll see. I think I’ve got some pretty solid video of both races. I’ll post those on Rumble soon.

I’ve still got some number crunching to do for the regular season (Saturday) points, but a couple of notable mentions for 2025 awards are Abe Maddox (3 race wins, 25 segment wins), Jared Johnson (Most Improved), and a decision on who earned Rookie of the Year honors.

I’ve got the 13th, 17th, 19th, and 20th available for an “End of Season” celebration event. If there’s enough interest, we’ll have lunch/dinner, present awards, recognize advancements, and maybe have a Race-Off between Joe and Kathy.

Okay, shut up and drive!

Please welcome Dustin Jolley, our newest driver and slot car enthusiast out of Scotts Valley. Dustin has a 4-lane home sectional track and gets together regularly with a few friends and races Tyco 440-X2, MG+, and Vipers. Dustin did very well in his debut on SR3.

Also, a big welcome back to Tom Langell and Joe Clarke, both great drivers and way too fun to race with.

We only did two races on the night and, once again, no video or pics. 🙁

Short Story

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve StewartEx	240	125	1918.234
2	Dean Donaldson	231	95	1950.328
3	Dustin Jolley	229	90	1987.657
4	Joe Clarke	134	38	1333.409
5	Tom Langell	136	37	1339.961

Race 1:

Don’t remember what we raced, but I think both races were house IROC sets. Dean took the Sportsman win, but Dustin was just one lap behind in the second spot. Joe and Tom duked it out the entire race, with Joe taking the final podium spot by just one point over Tom. Pretty competitive, I’d say.  Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve StewartEx	150	77	1260.435
2	Dean Donaldson	144	58	1267.585
3	Dustin Jolley	143	55	1302.034
4	Joe Clarke	134	38	1333.409
5	Tom Langell	136	37	1339.961

Race 2: MegaG+ 1.7 Modified (IROC)

We lost Joe and Tom to the demands of real life, but Dean, Dustin, and I soldiered on for one more race. Dustin, again, was knocking on Dean’s doors, only one lap off the pace and just three points short of the Sportsman win. More great racing!  Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	90	48	657.799
2	Dean Donaldson	87	37	682.743
3	Dustin Jolley	86	35	685.623

A way fun night, great food and hydration products, and some really good racing.

Under The Lights Season Standings

Yep, you gotta show up to be in the hunt for points. Given that there are only two months left in the 2025 season, I’d say Dean will be crowned the Sportsman champ for the 2025 “Under The Lights” season. Which means Dean is essentially an Expert-ranked driver now. Congrats, Dean!!

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	2409	2860	31724.980
2	Dean Donaldson	2335	2506	32099.450
3	Kathy Stewart	601	969	5669.916
4	Joe Clarke	500	842	4895.945
5	Frank Virgil	107	244	1075.160
6	Jeff Seltzer	613	217	12638.535
7	Tom Langell	242	189	2236.422
8	Mike Langell	105	188	883.814
9	Lisa Clarke	84	152	1191.066
10	Bill Shrum	101	144	929.429
11	Kevin Webster	229	97	1795.770
12	Dustin Jolley	229	90	1987.657
13	Ron Williams	205	74	3324.955
14	Bev Seltzer	98	28	1186.187

We’re hoping for another good turnout this coming Wednesday, October 22, 2025. Okay, shut up and drive!

Another way fun Friday Night Under the Lights event and another boom from yet another new driver. Dean brought a giant salmon fillet and queued it to perfection, Kathy cooked up a tasty pan of meat lasagna and garlic bread, and Jessica brought a very delicious bowl of sausage and vegetables. Both Team Clarke and Team DeVincenzi Cellars brought hydration products to help prevent overheating during the racing action. I chose the 2018 Meritage red; it was excellent.

Short Story

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	210	532	1890.951
1	Dean Donaldson	202	460	1818.332
2	Frank Virgil	107	244	1075.160
3	Joe Clarke	110	224	1136.950
4	Lisa Clarke	84	152	1191.066
5	Kathy Stewart	83	140	841.835

Green font denotes an Expert-ranked driver.

Race 1: Viper V-SPEC F1/Indy Lexan (IROC) (Eric “Fast” Lane’s set)

We attempted to run a set of Jag Hobbies NC-2 Mustang hardbody cars, but the group found them too challenging to drive and preferred the more “stuck” Viper V-SPEC platform. Thanks to Eric “Fast” Lane, we had a nice set of Viper V-SPEC L4 cars with Lexan F1/Indy bodies to campaign.

Sportsman driver, Dean Donaldson, came out swinging in the first segment, finishing less than a half second behind Expert driver, Home Cook’n. Dean would also click off the fastest lap of the race (5.074) in the White lane. Joe Clarke, returning from his impressive debut last Friday night, looked to be in a good position to repeat his outstanding 2nd-place podium finish with a MegaG+ “Modified” platform, having secured a solid 3rd in the first segment.

However, Frank Virgil, making his first-ever appearance at Stewart Raceway, put in an incredible run in the second segment, placing a close 2nd to segment winner Dean Donaldson and besting 3rd-place finisher, Home Cook’n, by almost four seconds. Frank would go on to finish the race in 3rd overall and earn a surprise podium visit.

Team Clarke driver Joe Clarke didn’t get into his groove in three of his later segments, finishing 4th in each one. In his final couple of segments, Joe got things turned around, bagging a 2nd in Segment 5 and a 3rd in the final segment. Frank, however, had racked up a very sizable points lead going into the final segment, and Joe would have to settle for a 4th place overall, despite Frank having a rough final segment in the Yellow lane, losing five laps, and finishing 4th behind Joe.

The lone female driver in the mix in Race 1 was Lisa Clarke, Joe’s amazing wife. I’m pretty sure this was her first slot car race, but she picked up on slot car racing very quickly, finishing fourth twice and clicking off a 6.5-second lap on her way to besting speedster, Dean Donaldson, in Segment 5 of 6.

Jessica did a few laps in practice but decided to pass on driving. But did a great job marshaling and keeping Dean’s team manager, Tucker, entertained and well taken care of.  Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	120	352	1083.494
1	Dean Donaldson	116	300	1068.375
2	Frank Virgil	107	244	1075.160
3	Joe Clarke	110	224	1136.950
4	Lisa Clarke	84	152	1191.066

Race 2: Super G+ Lexan F1/Indy Bodies (IROC)

With dinner, hydration protocol, and all the team tactics trying to psych out the competition, we only managed to get one race completed before the attrition set in, and we lost a couple of teams early.

Kathy joined us for Race 2, and we decided on the venerable AFX Super G+ platform with Lexan F1/Indy bodies. This set has a lot of history, four of the cars came with the AFX Super International Raceway set I purchased to build my second sectional track, called Stewart Raceway I. Since the old plastic hardbodies are getting extremely scarce and expensive, we run them with cheaper Lexan bodies now.

This race had a very sketchy car in the White lane, which impacted all the drivers. We all knew that everyone had to drive the beast, so we plowed on and completed all rotations. Dean would post the fastest lap of the race (5.738) in the Green lane, but came up short by four laps and four points to Home Cook’n. Kathy had the sketchy car in the first segment and lost seven laps before rebounding in her 2nd and 3rd segments, finishing just four laps down in the end.

Dean and Home Cook’n were tied in both laps and points going into the final segment. The good news for Home Cook’n was that he had the fast Green Lane car for the finale, and Dean had the sketchy White lane car.

As expected, Dean struggled with the bad car and lost four laps in the last segment, coming in 3rd to 2nd place finisher, Kathy Stewart, who had a great run in the Orange lane with a fastest lap of 6.314 to Dean’s fastest of 6.648.  Details

Place	Name	Laps	Points	Total Time
1	Steve Stewart	90	180	807.457
2	Dean Donaldson	86	160	749.957
3	Kathy Stewart	83	140	841.835

Another awesome Friday Night Under The Lights event! Thanks to everyone for joining us, for all the great food and hydration products, and the competitive spirit that makes the racing so fun and exciting.

Slightly edited videos. Fast forward where necessary:

Race 1

Race 2

Check out our new team’s delicious wines at DeVincenzi Cellars and say hello to Jessica and Frank.

Okay, shut up and drive!