Thursday Night “Under the Lights” Series, Round 4 — Night Moves & Lexan Lightning: The Sportsman Division Steals the Show

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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

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.

Author: Race Director

Just an old slot car racer and Race Director at Stewart Raceway. View all posts by Race Director