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!
We’ll conclude the series on the SR3 road course Saturday, August 6, 2022.
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.
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! 
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. 
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. 
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. 
Georgie completely dominated the final race of the day, winning all four segments and overall by two laps. 
Concourse d`Elegance Competition
So much for the pool party component. The kids focused mostly on driving little cars. Probably because the temps were actually very nice and the pool just didn’t attract as much attention.
