Category: Stewart Raceway III

All about Stewart Raceway

Race Report: 2022 IROC Championship Series – Round 2

Round 2 of the 2022 IROC Championship Series is in the Slot Car Racing books. The 4-race schedule commenced at 11:30ish Saturday, October 29 on the SR3 straight road course. We started slow and loose with Box-Stock OS3 TFX TransAm Camaros running at 18v and finished off the day with super-fast,  Super G+ Lexan F1/Indy cars running at 15v.

Short Story Round 2 Overall Results
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 369 50 3344.134
2 Brad Sandahl 360 42 3331.948
3 Kevin Webster 335 26 3394.977
4 Eric Lane 321 22 3408.631
5 Jerry Pearson 171 18 1842.371
6 Steve Stewart 378 64 3289.529
Race 1:  OS3 TFX “Box-Stock” Camaros (18.1v)

Starting slow and loose, the first race was OS3 TFX “Box-Stock” TransAm Camaros. These cars are way faster than the typical pancake car but still way loose compared to most cars we run.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 80 16 938.946
2 George Peters 77 13 943.663
3 Jerry Pearson 76 11 1007.412
4 Brad Sandahl 74 7 919.638
5 Kevin Webster 70 6 980.669
6 Eric Lane 69 5 1015.717

This race was quite a surprise. Conventional thinking was that the more experienced TFX/T-Jet drivers would dominate this one. However, George Peters and Brad Sandahl would sit out the first heat, which gave rookie driver Jerry Pearson, an excellent opportunity to walk away with a nice win in the first heat. By the end of the race, George Peters would establish a solid second-place finish and Jerry Pearson would best 2021 ROTY, Brad Sandahl by just two points.  Very impressive racing by Jerry driving one of the most difficult-to-drive cars we run. (Details)

Race 2:  MegaG+ 1.7 “Box-Stock” Winged Super Modifieds (18v)

Race 2 was a bit faster utilizing stock MG+ long-wheelbase chassis’ with cool MTS 3D-printed winged Super Modified bodies. Typically fairly top-heavy, with traction magnets these cars actually go pretty well on a road course.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 98 16 788.671
2 Brad Sandahl 97 13 783.274
3 George Peters 97 11 808.725
4 Jerry Pearson 95 7 834.959
5 Kevin Webster 91 6 788.261
6 Eric Lane 88 5 800.873

The Sportsman drivers seemed to really like these cars and Jerry Pearson, Kevin Webster, and Eric Lane would remain in the top three race leader positions up until the fourth heat. In the last two segments, experts, George Peters and Brad Sandahl would overtake them, finishing second and third overall. (Details)

Race 3:  Viper-Jets with Lexan CanAm Bodies (12v)

This one was pretty much a battle of the Experts but Sportsman drivers, Kevin Webster and Eric Lane put their marks on it with two second-place heat finishes while the three Expert drivers battle it out.

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 100 16 819.166
2 George Peters 98 13 830.954
3 Brad Sandahl 94 11 848.308
4 Kevin Webster 84 7 838.387
5 Eric Lane 77 6 810.143

In the end, it was Home Cook’n with the top spot, George Peters second, and Brad Sandahl in third. Very close racing at all levels. (Details)

Race 4: Super G+ with Lexan F1/Indy Bodies  (15v)

This race would be the fastest race of the day and a very competitive one at that. The big story was Kevin Webster leading the race after four segments, with a win in that segment and a second in the third segment–nice!

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 100 16 742.746
2 George Peters 97 13 760.792
3 Brad Sandahl 95 11 780.728
4 Kevin Webster 90 7 787.66
5 Eric Lane 87 6 781.898

In the end, only two laps separated George Peters in second and Brad Sandahl in third, and only three laps separated Sportsman drivers, Kevin Webster and Eric Lane. Close racing!  (Details)

Top to bottom: TR3 Augorans, Webster MG+ Camaros & Mustangs, Tyco-Jets, Retro Vipers

All in all, it was a fun day of racing, and great to see our Sportsman drivers breaking through the Expert ranks and not only winning heat segments but also the top podium spot in the OS3 TFX race. Good driving all around!

Kevin Webster and Jerry Pearson are neck & neck in the series Sportsman standings while George Peters has a very solid lead over Brad Sandhal in the Expert standings.

Remember: It’s the best total points of three of the four events.

IROC Championship Series Points Standings After Round 2
Sportsman Class
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Kevin Webster 578 58 5967.985
2 Jerry Pearson 419 57 4419.561
3 Eric Lane 550 47 5967.415
Expert Class
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 634 105 5905.876
2 Brad Sandahl 360 42 3331.948
3 Steve Stewart 646 125 5829.804

Round 3 of the series is tentatively slated for November 12, 2022 and will be contested on the SR3 Oval Course. Stay tuned for details on ROund 3 and, hopefully, some video of this last round on our Youtube channel.

Okay, shut up and drive!

Race Report: 2022 IROC Championship Series – Round 1

Round 1 of this exciting new series kicked off Saturday, October 1, 2022 with just five drivers but a competitive bunch for sure. We ran exclusively on the SR3 “straight” road course and with a 4-race format instead of 6. New driver, Eric Lane, joined in for his first “official” race at Stewart Raceway. Eric raced 1/32 cars back in the day and looks to be getting back into slot car racing with a large collection of HO-scale cars.

Round 1 Overall Results
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 265 55 2561.742
2 Jerry Pearson 248 39 2577.19
3 Kevin Webster 243 32 2573.008
4 Eric Lane 229 25 2558.784
5 Steve Stewart 268 61 2540.275
Race 1: Retro Vipers (12.5v)

We started the day with the challenging Retro Viper platforms and decided to run three lanes so we could allocate a couple of drivers to marshaling, which worked out well for this class.

The Retro Vipers are really better suited for oval track racing but it was surprising how well everyone adapted to the cars. Of course, the seasoned Fray/T-Jet drivers dominated this one. The big story here was that Jerry Pearson bagged the final podium spot in this one, only four laps off the pace of 1st and 2nd, and won his final heat. Impressive driving for a guy who seemed to prefer L4 Vipers. (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 60 16 636.668
2 George Peters 60 13 668.988
3 Jerry Pearson 56 11 722.443
4 Kevin Webster 51 7 660.196
5 Eric Lane 46 6 676.079
Race 2: Tyco-Jets (12.5v)

Another “loose” but much easier to drive platform. This race debuted two new cars for the SR3 IROC set. Both without weighted front-ends for the orange and green lanes. While one weighted FE car won two of the five heats, the two unweighted cars won three.  And, both Jerry Pearson and Eric Lane won heats in this one–nice! (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 59 16 637.996
2 George Peters 59 13 647.849
3 Jerry Pearson 55 11 614.09
4 Kevin Webster 54 7 684.675
5 Eric Lane 50 6 630.976
Race 3: MegaG+ 1.7 Camaros and Mustangs (15v)

The usual suspects battled it out in this race utilizing Kevin Webster’s nicely prepared set of MegaG+ 1.7 cars. Most of us have driven these cars before and they are very smooth and predictable. Jerry Pearson won the final heat of this fuel race with some nice fuel management tactics. Jerry is well on his way to a 2022 Rookie of the Year award. (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 75 16 758.092
2 George Peters 71 13 732.61
3 Kevin Webster 70 11 716.082
4 Eric Lane 68 7 724.382
5 Jerry Pearson 66 6 727.872
Race 4: Jag Hobbies TR-3 “Augorans” (15v)

The TR-3 is an amazing car. An inline 6-ohm chassis that fits old-school screw-on bodies, including JL, AW, Aurora, MM and Dash. Still, it’s a blazingly fast magnet car with superb handling and driveability.

2022 NASCAR MADness Series winner, George Peters, dominated this final race of the day by winning all of his heats. Jerry Pearson took the final podium spot with two second-place heat finishes. (Details)

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 75 16 512.295
2 Steve Stewart 74 13 507.519
3 Jerry Pearson 71 11 512.785
4 Kevin Webster 68 7 512.055
5 Eric Lane 65 6 527.347
2022 Series Points Standings After Round 1
Sportsman Class
Place Name Points Total Time
1 Jerry Pearson 39 2577.19
2 Kevin Webster 32 2573.008
3 Eric Lane 25 2558.784
Expert Class
Place Name Points Total Time
1 George Peters 55 2561.742
2 Steve Stewart 61 2540.275

Round 2 is tentatively slated for October 29, 2022. Stay tuned for details.

Okay, shut up and drive!

Open Track Session Report: August 20, 2022

Thanks to all who came out for a few hours of track time on SR3 Saturday, really appreciate the interest and support!

The goal was to give Sportsman drivers some tips and tricks on driving technic and style. Unfortunately, only one Sportsman drive showed up (Kevin Webster) and he doesn’t really need any help.

Expert driver and 2021 Rookie of the Year, Brad Sandahl showed up with his daughter, Carrie, and did a bunch of laps. Brad certainly doesn’t need much help either but he tested various controller settings and by the end of the day had the fastest lap.

Julian Schwartz, another local junior driver, made an appearance and got to cut a bunch of laps with an OS3 Pro controller, which he seemed to adapt to well, and hopefully, gained some valuable experience for the next Kid’s Race at Stewart Raceway.

Kevin and I tested his various HOPRA-legal SUPER STOCK cars. The purpose of the testing was to determine if the HOPRA SUPER STOCK rules should be adopted. While these cars are very smooth and fast, they really weren’t all that much faster than an L4 V-SPEC Viper (HOPRA SPEC RACER) we currently run. Different, yes, but not really worth the extra expense of forcing a switch to ceramic motor and traction magnets. The HOPRA Super Stock class rules also allow dual-compound tires, which further increases cost and complexity.

The goal of introducing this new class to our racing program was to provide more advanced drivers and builders with a bit more flexibility in tuning their cars. The general consensus was that having to swap magnets and purchase dual compound tires was a bit much from a budget and performance gain perspective.  So, we decided to introduce the Super Stock class into the program but without the ceramic magnet and dual-compound rear tire specs–for now.

So what’s different?

Well, without the ceramic magnets and the dual compound rear tires, not much. But, you can run different gearing than just a 7/23 pinion/crown. Higher gearing, for example, can make the car not only easier to drive on twisty technical courses but also faster on tracks with longer straights. The idea is to allow the more advanced racer more tuning flexibility.

What does this mean to you? This class presents a bit more flexibility in tuning. Meaning, that you can purchase a few different rear axle assemblies with different gearing for different track layouts or conditions. Just swap axle assemblies to change the handling and speed characteristics of a SUPER STOCK class car.

Do I need to buy another car?

No, the Super Stock class is essentially a SPEC RACER chassis. The only difference is that you can run any gearing available in the SUPER STOCK class, the HOPRA SPEC RACER class is restricted to 7/23 gearing.

Will the SUPER STOCK class be run at all Stewart Raceway events?

No, at the moment only a few drivers are interested in this class.  If interest grows, it could be a popular class but only time will tell. Buy a couple of different rear axle assemblies and see if going to higher or lower gearing helps your lap times. If you determine that you’re faster with the gearing flexibility, then lobby in support of this class.

Keep in mind, that both classes allow adjustable armature brush tension on a brush-barrel type chassis, which is also a very useful tuning option. If you’re running that type of chassis, try them both and see what happens.

The SUPER STOCK class is intended to provide a bit more flexibility and a more sophisticated level of tuning for those interested in going faster and finding that winning setup on race days.

Okay, shut up and drive!

2022 NASCAR MADness Series Finale is August 6!

We’ll conclude the series on the SR3 road course Saturday, August 6, 2022.

George Peters currently leads the series with an unassailable points lead. George also leads the Concours d’ Elegance points and will very likely win that competition as well.

All eyes will be on the battle for the second spot on the coveted Stewart Raceway podium. Kevin Webster leads Jordan Walker by 25-points. Both drivers know that the second podium spot is within their reach. Both drivers will certainly be bringing their “A” game to the party.

Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 3088 297 26542.46
2 Kevin Webster 1899 151 16994.23
3 Jordan Walker 1903 126 19503.4
4 Jerry Pearson 1175 81 14225.5
1 Brad Sandahl ♦ 900 55 3561.313
2 Steve Stewart ♦ 3291 353 26011.41

Rookie Sportsman driver, Jerry Pearson, is tentative for the finale but has had some very impressive heat wins and lap records in previous rounds of the series.

Regardless of other drivers making an appearance in the final round, the top three spots on the Sportsman podium are pretty much spoken for.

If you haven’t already, please register for Round 5 by 10:00PM, Friday, August 5.

Okay, Shut up and drive!

Race Report: 2022 NASCAR MADness Series, Round 4

Despite a bunch of drivers out of town and one canceling due to illness, we managed to pull off Round 4 on the SR3 oval.

We skipped the Concourse d’Elegance competition in favor of running four races before Jerry Pearson had to bail out. In total, we ran the usual six races, including a couple of fuel races.

Short story, George Peters—again—dominated. However, this time, George dominated the Sportsman and Expert classes overall!

Round 4 Overall Results
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 695 90 4912.85
2 Jordan Walker 597 62 4973.59
3 Jerry Pearson 404 32 3717.331
2 Steve Stewart ♦ 695 84 4915.27
Race 1: Tyco 440-X2 Wide-Pan NASCAR Bodies

These cars are fast and fun to drive. Basically a Tomahawk with a NASCAR-style hardbody instead of Lexan, these things rip. Georgie started out the day winning three of four segments in this first race on points and by one lap to second place. Jerry Pearson drove well as Georgie and Home Cook’n battled and pushed each other to three new oval lap records. In fact, Jerry set a new lap record in the green lane with a 2.393-second lap!  Detailed Results

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 100 16 963.01
2 Steve Stewart 99 13 965.633
3 Jerry Pearson 92 11 996.669
4 Jordan Walker 79 7 990.532
Race #2: Jag NC-2 Lite NASCAR Bodies (BOX STOCK)
Georgie actually won this race with car #4!

Close racing by all and action-packed. Georgie won two segments and in the end, stole the show by approximately 8-seconds in total run time for the win. Jordan and Jerry also had a barn-burner race going on for the final podium spot with Jordan besting Jerry by just two laps, their run times were almost identical. Details 

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 100 16 446.763
2 Steve Stewart 100 13 455.275
3 Jordan Walker 84 11 454.147
4 Jerry Pearson 82 7 454.661
Race #3: VSR Viper V-SPEC (SPEC RACER) **Feature**

Another amazingly competitive race. While George and Home Cook’n were busy trying to seal the deal, Jordan Walker slyly won the final two heats of this double-rotation feature event.  Jerry got a good feel for what it’s like racing the fastest car we run. But always an uphill battle when the veterans are pushing each other so hard. He hung in there and, hopefully, gained some valuable experience in our premier class. Jordan showed how much he likes the V-SPEC car with brilliant driving in the last two segments of the feature event. Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 199 16 885.022
2 George Peters 199 13 885.74
3 Jordan Walker 188 11 888.635
4 Jerry Pearson 162 7 889.773
Race #4: Jag PR-5 Lite (BOX STOCK)

Georgie and Home Cook’n battled it out again in the PR-5 race with Home Cook’n besting Georgie by just four laps. Pretty much carbon copy segments in this one. Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 Steve Stewart 100 16 1357.812
2 George Peters 96 13 1368.245
3 Jordan Walker 78 11 1369.561
4 Jerry Pearson 68 7 1376.228
Race #5: GP Designs AFX M/T “Mercs” IROC

Georgie’s venerable Merc Jalopies. Fast and loose cars and very fun to drive.  Georgie dominated this one also, winning two of the four segments and the overall by one lap.  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 100 16 580.288
2 Steve Stewart 99 13 574.904
3 Jordan Walker 87 11 595.221
Race #6: OS3 TFX “Lites”

Georgie completely dominated the final race of the day, winning all four segments and overall by two laps.  Details

Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 100 16 668.804
2 Steve Stewart 98 13 676.624
3 Jordan Walker 81 11 675.494

All in all, a very good day of racing and a bunch of new oval lap records. Congrats to George for a very productive Round 4!

Series Points Standings after Round 4:
Place Name Laps Points Total Time
1 George Peters 3088 297 26542.46
2 Jordan Walker 1903 126 19503.4
3 Kevin Webster 1899 151 16994.23
4 Jerry Pearson 1175 81 14225.5
1 Brad Sandahl ♦ 900 55 3561.313
2 Steve Stewart ♦ 3291 353 26011.41

♦ indicates Expert Class driver. Scored separately in series.

The Round 5 Finale is Saturday, August 6!

Okay, shut up and drive!