We are on our way to the biggest and baddest Nitro race of the year. John Piant and I are full steam ahead to the Dirt Nitro Challenge at the Fear Farm in Phoenix, Arizona. It’s been quite a long flight so far coming from Florida. It just seems for some reason we’ve been traveling too long already. Maybe it’s just that we are arriving so early compared with other races where we have been flying in on a Thursday for Friday practice. It must be a big race when you are flying on a Tuesday.

Just finished watching the movie Senna which put me in a racing mood. Great movie and really brought me back to many years ago. Before I watched the movie I was well aware of when Senna died while on the race track. It was 1994 and every year we would spend the last month of April at the Georgia State Championships in Savannah, GA. We had arrived early to the track and started preparing for main day when Bret, Brad and Jeff rolled up and started setting up their racer picnic tables. All 3 guys had very low energy and their body language was telling me that something was wrong. Bret was the one I noticed seemed most affected and I believe it was Jeff that said they were a little late getting to the track because they were watching Formula 1. As I wrenched on the RC10GT I casually asked what had happened in the race. Jeff, always the one to speak up, noted they had just watched Senna hit the wall and the reports looked as if he had died.

Brad broke down the details on what he thought had happened and Jeff delivered the bad news. Later that night, I saw the footage of the incident and it really stuck with me for some reason. That camera angle and impact is really embedded into my memory. Seeing the movie really brought back that moment. I admit that I’m not a huge 1:1 racing fan and more a casual viewer but I could read a reaction and it was pretty real. Even though it was a bad moment, I’d like to thank those guys for letting me know what was going on and giving me that track memory I’ll never forget. The point is its a good movie and I recommend checking it out.

I’m not going to turn this blog entry into a downer any longer. We are headed to Nitro Challenge. This is probably the most difficult and one of the strangest events all year long. The track layout is always wild and with Joey building the track you never know what to expect. 2 practice runs is all you get and it’s race time. Having your vehicle flame out or not finish a practice run is damaging to your track time and potential speed. Guys really hang their hat on this event and no matter what they say it’s probably one of the most important on the calendar. I came to the race to debut JConcepts racing tires in 2007 and I was back in 2008 for a follow-up year. In 2007 we brought the Double Dees to the table in 1/10th truck which Maifield used to win the first time out. We also debuted a very small pin 1/8th buggy tire which was also the Double Dees. At the time there were no tires on the market with that small a pin so I’d say we brought something to the table during that event never seen before.

Fast forward to 2009 and Maifield wins in dramatic fashion over Tebo with only several laps to go in the Final. Ryan Cavalieri dominated in 2010 and Jared Tebo dominated in 2011. As you can see its the big 3 guys at the top of the field for the past 3 years so that should tell you something.

This race previously kicked off the new racing season but now that the Reedy race is back in January, this race now more so kicks off the nitro season.

Follow us this weekend as the JConcepts Racing Team hits the track at the Fear Farm. We have some new products and new drivers for 2012 and we hope to bring a little of everything to the blog this weekend. Stay tuned!

Event: 2012 Motorama Extravaganza
Date: February 18-19, 2012
Venue: Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex

Chad Due, Matt Chambers, Max Flurer and Dave Duncan win with JConcepts at 2012 Motorama Extravaganza.

For the 3rd year in a row the JConcepts Racing Team made their way to the popular Motorama event in Harrisburg, PA. Paul Wynn had the JConcepts pits in order while the drivers prepped and readied for racing. The Motorama events crew elected to have 2 separate tracks with completely different surfaces, conditions and track layouts for 2012. An all electric event brought an amazing turnout of roughly 600 entries filling the respective track areas. The main man himself Scotty Ernst handled the 1/8th and SCT track while Charlie Suangka kept things running smoothly on the 1/10th track.

JConcepts drivers Dave Duncan, Matt Chambers and Chad Due led the way on the 1/10th track TQ’ing stock truck, modified truck and 4wd modified respectively. On the 1/8th and SCT track it was Barry Pettit taking TQ honors in the 1/8th e-truggy class while Max Flurer showed everyone how it’s done in the SCT 2wd modified class. Those drivers relied on JConcepts to put their vehicles on the pole position.

With the large entry count, drivers chased tire and insert combinations all day, going from treaded tires to slick tires and then back to tread as the 1/10th track started to dry out. On the 1/8th and SCT track the wet track conditions produced traction but also led to a bumpy surface making things a little more difficult on the SCT trucks and the 2wd’s in particular. An array of tires were popular for the JConcepts crew starting with Subcultures and moving on to either Hybrids or Double Dees as the light loamy dirt turned into extremely bumpy holes.

Drivers packed it in Saturday night and had an opportunity to get some dinner and a good night’s sleep for Sunday’s main events. Sunday started bright and early and a long wait produced some tense moments as track conditions continued to dry out. Drivers second guessed themselves constantly but could only make one choice heading into the single 5 minute main.

The Stock Truck A-main quickly took the track with Dave “Double Dee” Duncan getting off to a slightly rough start but quickly recovering on lap 2. Duncan looked great as he pulled a small lead after the first several laps and locked into a cruise mode holding a gap on 2nd place. Dave pushed out to a 3 second lead taking a well deserved victory. Mark Smyka finished 2nd and Mike Speranza 3rd.

Matt Chambers TQed the modified truck class and got an extremely clean start in the A-main. Matt’s TLR 22-T with JConcepts Bar Codes looked on point as Matt made quick work of the first few laps. Stretching the gap out to roughly a 4 second lead over Brent Thielke, the 5 minute A-main was all Matt as he looked to sew up one of the first big mains of the day. Crossing for the win Matt Chambers took 1st place, Brent Thielke 2nd and Phillip Atondo in 3rd.

At the start of the 2wd modified main it was Matt Chambers taking the early lead with Steven Hartson in 2nd. A small mistake by the leader put Chad Due into 2nd place where he hunted down the leader and maintained smooth and consistent laps. Out front, Chambers looked comfortable but a small mistake allowed Due to take his first lead of the race. Due, running his trusty Bar Codes in blue compound, maintained the lead to the finish line taking his first win of the day. James Schlick finished 2nd and Matt Chambers 3rd.

The last main of the day, 4wd modified started with TQ Chad Due taking the first few turns very smoothly and maintaining a small gap over Steven Hartson. Hartson made a small mistake and allowed Rob Betts to enter the race and run among the top 3. Just when things were looking smooth, Due encountered a steering problem and had to drop back a few places which allowed Betts to take the lead. Hartson put on a charge but made a small mistake which allowed Due to go by. With only 2 laps to go Betts was in the lead but made a small bobble which put Due back out front. Chad Due showing the patience made the last lap on cruise control to take 1st place. Rob Betts finished 2nd and Steven Hartson 3rd.

The A-mains just started to crank-up on the 1/8th and SCT track and it was Max Flurer sitting on TQ in the SCT 2wd modified class who appeared confident. Leaping out to a comfortable lead, Max was just laying down laps with his JConcepts equipped SC10 FT and pulled away. Chad Due and Matt Chambers had a great race swapping positions on several occasions. The bumpy conditions made the race even more exciting but extremely difficult for the battling drivers. With Max out front and cruising, 2nd and 3rd continued to battle. At the finishing line, Max Flurer took 1st place, Chad Due 2nd and Matt Chambers 3rd. All 3 drivers relied on JConcepts all weekend with Subcultures tires providing the winning grip on the somewhat loose and lightly loamy conditions.

In the 1/8th e-buggy main JConcepts / Mugen driver Barry Pettit held a comfortable lead over TQ driver Taylor Peterson deep into the race. The 2 drivers would battle to the end with Barry suffering a crash in a really rough section with only 2 laps to go which gave the lead to Taylor. It was a mad dash to the finish line with Taylor taking 1st place, Barry Pettit 2nd and Brent Thielke 3rd.

In the 1/8th e-truggy class, TQ driver Barry Pettit got off to a great start and looked comfortable and quick in the early moments. A slight bobble by Barry put Mugen teammate Taylor Peterson into the lead. Barry was in attack mode and making up ground when a difficult landing off the large table-top jump broke the rear camber link and forced him out or the race. Toward the middle of the race, Taylor Peterson started having some shut-down issues which allowed TLR driver Anthony Mazzara to take the lead. Anthony was on a stellar drive and took the victory, Taylor Peterson finished 2nd and Christopher Sytsma 3rd.

A special thank you to the Motorama events crew, staff and especially race directors Scotty Ernst and Charlie Suangka who have all come together to make the event an extreme success.

JConcepts products used –

· 3033-01 Bar Codes blue compound (2wd rear)
· 3016-02 Bar Codes green compound (2wd rear)
· 3017-02 Bar Codes green compound (2wd front)
· 3020-01 Bar Codes blue compound (4wd front)
· 3021-01 Bar Codes blue compound (1/10th truck)
· 3048-02 Hybrids green compound (1/8th buggy)
· 3034-02 Subcultures green compound (1/8th buggy)
· 3042-02 Subcultures green compound (SCT)
· 0212 Finnisher +8mm B4.1 body
· 0213 Finnisher B44.1 body
· 0216 Punisher T4.1 body
· 0224 RC8.2e Punisher body
· 0122 Hi-Clearance wing (B4.1 / B44.1)
· 0113B High down force rear wing
· 0222 Hi-Flow SCT body
· 0200 Chevy 1500 SCT body
· 2043M Advanced Formulated Tire Glue
· 2135 B4.1 front clamping hex adaptor
· 2091 B4.1 rear clamping hex adaptor
· 2134 SC10 front clamping hex adaptor
· 2081 SC10 rear clamping hex adaptor
· 2076 – 8/32″ serrated wheel nuts
· 3347 and 3348 – Mono 12mm hex wheels
· 3344 Hazard +3mm offset SCT wheels (white)
· 2089 4mm serrated wheel nuts
· Silent Speed Spur Gear for AE – 81, 84 and 87

Another dominating night at OCRC for JConcepts!

Race: TLR Series, Round 3
Track: OCRC Raceway
Dates: February 19th, 2012
Format: 2 IFMAR Rounds, Single 5 minute A-Mains

TLR and JConcepts driver’s Frank Root and Ryan Dunford, along with Tamiya Driver Jake Thayer, were on hand at the 3rd round of the TLR Series Sunday at Orange Country R/C Raceway (OCRC). The track had fantastic traction and a very fast layout. The entry count was very strong at over 110 and a great day of racing was had by all.

2wd Modified Buggy – There were 2 heats of modified buggy and the qualifying action was intense. Jake Thayer had a great run in the first round nearly taking the early TQ, but Frank Root would charge back hard in the round 2 to take a strong TQ by over 4 seconds. When the tone went off, Root jumped out to a quick start to gap the field. About 4 minutes in, Frank had a slight interaction with traffic, and surrendered the lead to Jake. The 2 JConcepts drivers would then have an intense wheel to wheel battle for the next 3 laps until a little bobble by Jake allowed Frank to take the lead for good. After regaining the lead, Frank would make it by for his 16th lap, and cruise home for the win. Both drivers ran JConcepts Gold Bar Codes front and rear, with JC closed cell inserts in the rear.

1/8 Electric Buggy – Jake Thayer was debuting his new Tamiya 1/8th electric buggy in preparation for next week’s Nitro Challenge. His car was fast and easy to driver on 1/8 Gold Bar Codes, and took strong TQ. When the tone went off in the main, Jake quickly pulled away and sailed off into the sunset taking his first win in 1/8 electric buggy in his first race in the class!

Pro4 (Modified SC) – Ryan’s Losi Ten-SCTE equipped with the JConcepts Gold Bar Codes was untouchable all day. Ryan would take the TQ in both rounds of qualifying, earning the overall TQ by almost 10 seconds! Ryan started on form at the sound of the tone and quickly pulled out from the field, leaving the battle for 2nd place. Doug “Casper” Nielsen also had a strong run finishing on the podium in 3rd, but the day belonged to Ryan with a statement TQ and Win!

The JConcepts team won using the following equipment:
1/10 Buggy Gold Bar Codes – JCO301605
1/10 2wd Buggy Fronts, Gold Bar Codes – JCO301705
Short Course Gold Bar Codes – JCO304405

A few more videos from todays practice.

Additional photos can be found HERE.

Event: 2012 Rumble in the Rockies
Date: February 11-12, 2012
Venue: MHOR R/C Raceway – Denver, Colorado

This past weekend was the Rumble in the Rockies hosted by MHOR R/C Raceway in Denver, Colorado. There were nearly 200 entries with drivers from many parts of the country which would make for some good racing. The layout for the event was very high speed and combined with a small track size, the lap times dropped into the 11-12 second range.

Modified 2wd Buggy:
Dustin Evans would take TQ honors for this class by taking rounds 2, 3, and 4. Kody Numedahl and Michael Schoettler would qualify 2nd and 3rd respectively. Kody took A-1 and Michael took A-2 which meant that A-3 would determine the winner. Kody bobbled on the first lap but made his way back up to second only behind Dustin. A three way tie would go in Kody’s favor by .2 seconds giving him the overall win.

Modified SC:
Kody Numedahl would take TQ of pro 2 followed by Matt Chambers. The first two mains were won by Dustin Evans who had to make his way to the front from the 4th spot on the grid. A-3 went to Kody setting up the podium of Dustin, Kody, and Matt.

Modified 4wd Buggy:
Again, Kody would take the TQ of this class followed by some of Tacoma’s best in Michael Schoettler and Luke Smith. Kody saw some mechanical issues in A-1 dropping him out of the race leaving Michael to cruise on to an early win. In A-2, an early bobble from Michael let Kody return the favor and take the easy win. A-3 would decide the overall winner and proved to be a close race. Kody made a small mistake early letting Michael get around. He followed him closely but another mistake while pressuring for a pass let Michael take the overall win.

Modified 4wd SC:
Scott Brown was the star of the 4wd SC class. Qualifying did not totally go his way as Scott had two mechanical issues putting him in the second spot on the grid. A 2nd place finish in A-1 and a win in the last corner of A-3 would make for a three way tie for the win but the tiebreaker would go to Scott by only 1.2 seconds.

Overall it was a great weekend for JConcepts as they swept the modified classes at the 2012 Rumble in the Rockies.

Event: 2012 Montpellier GP
Date: February 10-12, 2012
Venue: Montpellier, France

The 2012 GP Montpellier was by all accounts, a cool race. Unseasonably cool temperatures blanketed the region, bringing the temp, and the wind chill to extremely chilly conditions. None of which was in the control of the host track.

What was in their control, they did well. A large car park, all covered in gravel. A large pit area with three sections under roof, with permanent tables throughout, also with a gravel base. A friendly track dog, a mix of lab-pointer, was everyone’s friend. When he barked, I had no idea what he said, hey!, it was in French. Ha! Also, the track had nice signage, to let any visitor know where to be, and what to see. Also a well staffed, friendly concession stand that was cranked up all day long, with the areas specialties. I spent a lot of time there.

To recap the weekend, controlled practice on Friday, giving every driver four 5 minute heats. Saturday was three rounds of qualifying, using the best two out of your three rounds. Track time was crucial due to the limited amount of laps. Team Associated showed with a strong team, newly signed French fan favorite, Yannick Aigoin, British driver Neil Cragg, and US’s very own Ryan Maifield, along with a good group of French’s AE team, all pitting in the same location. With banners hanging on the fence, it was easy to spot AE’s corner of the paddock.

Things were going well for Ryan, as he was getting comfortable on the layout, and the multiple surface circuit. Obviously some form of dirt, some wood planks in the shape of a table top, a rubber like surface on the face of a few jumps, carpet, polished concrete, as in garage floor style, and brick pavers comprised the unique racing circuit. As we learned, it is the complete opposite of a US track. Watching video from last year’s event, the track looked grooved, with a medium amount of traction. Towards the end of qualifying, we learned the traction was as high as it was going to be, and even deteriorate from this point on.

After some good qualifying efforts, Ryan was sitting second in the 1/2 semi. There would be a warm up towards race time, since the drivers had not been on the track all day. Well, most drivers. AE’s Neil Cragg had a rough go of qualifying, only finishing one round with a sixth. Obviously on pace, he moved quickly through the field to claim the bump-up. Too quick. As drivers were gathered to watch, there were friendly wagers on what place he would be on the first lap, and on what lap he would take the lead. All in good fun. Unfortunately, his run would end in the semi, with the high speed needle backing out on his engine. After five races, and almost an hour and a half of track time. His day was done. Too bad, his car was looking very good, with the team working well together on a common set up.

In the warm up, we learned the truth about the track. With very little time, a set up change, and a different set of tires were in order. In the semi, a very rough first lap had Ryan in the tail end of the twelve car field. With only 20 minutes to gain a qualifying position, Ryan put his head down, and worked his magic to secure the third place spot with about five minutes to go. Good enough to place him fifth on the grid for the hour long A final.

With a poised pit crew Ryan was in good position to make a run in the A-final. A poor start combined with some setup changes that didn’t take well to the super cold conditions left us with little confidence in the early going. Ryan recovered from a poor start and made his way up into contention and within the top 5 but by this time the leaders were gone. A sudden ghost flame-out dropped us back into the pack even further which eliminated our hopes of a great finish. Ryan finished the race showing a lot of speed and endurance but it just wasn’t our day. Congratulations to the winner and podium drivers.

A special Thanks to Yannick, our French AE teammate, interpreter, and host. The British crew of Neil Cragg, pit man Mick Cragg, and Craig Dresher. As well as the host track of Montpellier, and the host city. It was a very well ran event, in a very nice setting. Yeah, yeah, yeah

Au revoir.

Motorama, the nations largest all indoor Motorsport’s event. This years event will take place February 18th and 19th 2012 in Harrisburg Pennsylvania at the Farm Show Complex the event that attracts over 50,000 motorsports enthusiasts annually.

The JConcepts team is well represented at this years Motorama, check out some track footage of Chad Due and Steven Hartson during practice earlier today. More updates from Paul Wynn, photos and videos will be posted throughout the weekend.

JConcepts dominates EBOR 24 hour Endurance Race.

Event: EBOR24
Track: York Off Road Car Club
Date: February 11-12, 2012

The 2012 York ‘EBOR 24′ – 24 hour endurance race took place this weekend at the York Off Road Car Club’s indoor venue in the UK. The name ‘EBOR’ comes from the ye-olde roman name for York – Eboracum.

Seven teams took part with drivers coming from all over the UK. 6-12 drivers were in each team and they had to use one car for the full 24 hours and control tires.

After a few early problems with electrics the eventual winners by 310 laps for the second year running were team CML/AE – running the Team Associated B44.1 with a stealth looking JConcepts Finnisher Body.

The car was all stock apart from using Velcro to hold the lipos in for super fast battery changes.

Endurance team: Paul Bradby, Ben Jemison, Dave Compton, Stephen Lawson, Gareth Stanton, Graham North, Jim Dixon

Products used
Finnisher body
Hi Clearance rear wing
JC Car Stand

Event Name - 2012 Cabin Fever Indoor Supercross
Event Location – Lewiston, ID
Event Date - February 10th – 12th 2012

The 2012 Cabin Fever race held in Lewiston, ID was host to around 250 entries of nitro and electric racers. This race is very popular among the nitro racers in the pacific northwest, but electric is on the rise. The track is more suitable for the 1/8 machines as the track size is around 115 x 150.

The track surface was quite slippery as the temperatures were quite low, but JConcepts Team Driver Mike Hudson had an impressive qualifying effort by TQ’ing all 3 rounds of 2wd modified and 2 rounds each in mod truck and 4×4 sc. Mike went on to win the first 2 mains in both 2wd modified and mod truck to claim the overall win and finished 3rd in all the 4×4 mains finishing up 4th overall.

Special thanks to the RCCCL (R/C Car Club of Lewiston) for putting on another great event for the first of many races of the 2012 racing season in the Pacific Northwest.

Products used:
B4.1 +8 Finnisher Body
T4.1 Punisher Body
Illuzion Hi-Flow SCT Body
Advanced Formulated Tire Glue

2wd Buggy Products used:
Rips (green compound)
Double Dees (green compound)
Flip Outs (green compound)
Mono wheels
Hex Adaptors

Modified Truck Products used:
Carvers (blue compound)
Double Dees (green compound)
Flip Outs (green compound)

4X4 SC Products used:
Double Dees (green compound)
Hazard Wheels

Event: Short Course King Series – R1
Date: Febuary 11, 2012
Track: FZRC – Sarasota, FL

JConcepts gets off to a great start at the 2012 Short Course Kings round 1 event. Tracy Carver taking the win in Stock 2wd SC, Eddie Ramirez winning Super Stock SC, and Paul Wynn, Daimon Borkowicz, and Chad Cason taking 1, 2, and 3 in Modified SC.

In Mod SC, Paul Wynn set the tone all day with his JConcepts Factory Team SC10. Battle for the second spot heated up all day between JConcepts Drivers Daimon Borkowicz and Chad Cason. Daimon secured the second spot in the first qualifier, but Chad came back to grab second in the last qualifier. The pack was set, and the last race of the day started off great. Daimon got into some trouble early with traffic allowing Paul and Chad to stretch out a lead. Chad stayed on the heels of Paul for half of the race, but began to fade out in lap traffic. With only 2 laps left in the race, Daimon was now hot on Chad’s heels for the second spot. Out of nowhere, Daimon puts a move on Chad Cason at the end of the straight away that defied all laws of Physics. Paul Wynn grabs the win and TQ, Daimon takes second at the last minute, and Chad Cason settles for third.

In Stock SC, the competition was intense! The battle heated up quickly with Tracy Carver putting a ton of pressure on Brian Bennett. With only a few laps in, Tracey made a move into the top spot and extended a nice lead over Brian. A late charge in the A-main by Brian to pull right into the bumper of Tracy, but it was too late. Tracy Carver takes the win in Stock SC, following Brian Bennett in 2nd, and Mark Papero in 3rd.

In Super Stock SC, it was Eddie Ramirez who set the TQ early in the day, and continued to be on his own pace all day. The battle on the track was between Ken Shiver and Seth Moore who bumped up to Super Stock this year after winning Stock SC last season. On the very last lap, Seth Moore was within a truck length of Ken Shiver. Seth made an aggressive move to look on the inside of Ken, but Shiver shut the door, securing the second position. Eddie Ramirez picks up 101 points with the TQ and win, Ken Shiver in 2nd, and Seth Moore in the 3rd position.

In 4×4 SC, the battle was headed between Chris Intravia and Andy Darby. Chris led from tone to tone all day including qualifiers. Darby made a great run in the very last qualifier and missed TQ by just a few seconds. In the A-main, Chris and Darby went to the front of the pack and stayed within striking distance of each other. Andy Darby finally lost sight of Chris after running into lap traffic and had to settle for 2nd place. Chris picks up the TQ and win with 101 points, Andy Darby in 2nd, and Billy England in 3rd.

Don’t forget, there is still time to enter the JConcepts Clash Iron Man Challenge, with a chance to win a trip to the 2012 JConcepts Clash. Click HERE for details.