This past weekend the JConcepts Team traveled up north to RC Madness in Enfield, Connecticut, talk about having it all. RC Madness is an incredible facility complete with everything an RC enthusiast could want! There was a giant rock crawling course, an on road course, a turf track, an outdoor off-road dirt track, an indoor carpet track, pit space, monster truck competitions, and a hobby shop. When you pull up to the facility it was kind of on its own with not much around, but the amount of passion and effort that went into its creation was extremely apparent. The team felt like the track layout on the turf track was more challenging this year, but it was a lot of fun to race on!
This weekend the spec tires were Swaggers and Nessi Tires. If you’re not familiar with racing on surfaces such as carpet or turf, it requires a tire that provides stability and forward-bite. One of the key features of the Nessi Tire is its blended medium-sized pin that gives the bite you’re looking for while keeping grip-rolling to a minimum. Pairing that with the swagger tire in the front made for the perfect combo. Two key features the swaggers bring to the table are their responsiveness and their straight line tracking ability.
We had many JConcepts drivers attend this event which really amped up the community vibe. It was awesome to see drivers helping each other out, wrenching together, and sharing some good laughs. The feel good vibe at this event was contagious! One of the coolest things was seeing young drivers go up and talk to pros like Phend and get autographs, photos, and share their fan art. The positivity, desire, and enthusiasm for the sport that these young drivers showed reminds us why we are all ultimately here. We’re here for the community, we’re here to be a part of something, we’re here to add an extra dose of positivity into our lives when everything else around us maybe feels less. At the end of the qualifying day we took a photo of some of the guys who TQ’d like Bishop, Breshanan, and Phend. After the photo was taken, the sun was setting, the fall weather was rolling in and the guys were congratulating each other one their runs.
Another event that took place at the same time over on the outdoor dirt track at RC Madness was the RC Monster Truck Challenge! They were a very cool group of people! Essentially there are two lanes, one for each driver, that are identical and it’s about who finishes first with the least amount of DQs. DNF’s or DQ’s will move you to the bottom of the qualifying bracket. Jason Ruona brought 4 of his monster trucks up with him to compete. He was running back and forth between doing the turf race and the monster truck competition. Ruona had a great finish in the Pro Mod class taking 2nd place with his Hot Wheels truck. Derrick Algieri won driving the Titan and Kyle DeFalco earned the final podium spot driving the War Wizard. In the Retro Monster Truck class, Cierra Maimone dominated taking the win and Ethan Saunders also had great performances taking the 2nd spot! Cierra was running the JConcepts Regulator Monster Truck Chassis and Steering Conversion Kit as well as the 1989 Ford F-250 body. Popular Tire choices for this event were the Renegades and Firestorms!
Qualifying ( 2 of 3):
13.5 Short Course: 1- Eric Bresnahan
13.5 Stadium Truck: 1- Eric Bresnahan 3- Tom Bishop
2wd 17.5 Buggy: 1- Andrew Bishop 2- John Cravotta
2wd Modified Buggy: 1- Dakotah Phend 2- Alex Kosciuszek
40+ 2wd Mod Buggy: 2- Matt Perault 3- Jason Ruona
4wd 13.5 Buggy: 1- Andrew Bishop 3- John Cravotta
4wd Modified Buggy: 1- Dakotah Phend 2- Alex Kosciuszek
Final Results:
13.5 Short Course: 1- Eric Bresnahan
13.5 Stadium Truck: 1- Eric Breshnahan 2- Tom Bishop
2wd 17.5 Buggy: 2- Tom Bishop
2wd Mod Buggy: 1- Dakotah Phend
After winning all 3 rounds of qualifying Dakotah Phend started off in the 1 position. Kosciuszek, Evans, Marcy, and Setser were all battling right off the starting grid. Phend was cruising through with a 6.5 second lead in front of Evans. Evans and Kosciuszek battled all the way to end! The race finished with Phend, Evans, and then Kosciuszek. Phend blazed through the finish as the only driver to achieve 17 laps. A2 went a little differently compared to the other mains. Phend led the entire race but Kothman and Sianez went 2 and 3. Phend secured the overall win and TQ after A2 so the remaining main was about battling for the other two podium spots. Kosciuszek started the race leading, meanwhile Kothman tried to reel in Evans. Evans made a small bobble off the triple and Kothman went on to pursue Kosciuszek in order to chase him down. Koscuiszek was giving it his all to lengthen the gap and secure his spot. After battling it out, the race ended with Kothman taking the 1, Evans in the 2, and Setser in the 3.
40+ 2wd Mod Buggy: 2- Jason Ruona 3- Matt Perault
4wd 13.5 Buggy: 1- Andrew Bishop
4wd Mod Buggy: 1- Dakotah Phend 2- Alex Kosciuszek
A1 started with Phend and Koscuiszek going one and two. Early on Koscuiszek got the worst of it and Kothman took over the 2 spot, but Koscuiszek was determined to hunt him back down. Phend had a small bobble early on followed by a wheelie but he did it with style and powered through hanging on to that lead spot the entire race. Phend was on fire. Meanwhile, Kothman closed the gap a little more. Evans and Statkiewicz got in the thick of things and started battling it out for the 2 and 3 spots. A1 finished with Phend, Evans, and Statkiewicz going 1,2, and 3. In A2 the battle between Koscuiszek and Kothman started right out of the gate. Meanwhile, Phend was blasting through each lap on the track leading the entire time. Koscuiszek opened up a gap creating some breathing room for himself. Evans came up on Kothman giving him a run for his money for that 3rd spot. In a blink of an eye, Marcy came up into the 3rd spot and things were quickly changing. Kothman and Evans hung in there battling Marcy for that third spot. Phend kept his 7.5 second lead over Koscuiszek who was in 2nd. With 30 seconds to go In the race everyone really spaced out and Phend, Koscuiszek, and Evans locked in the top 3 spots for A2. After leading and winning both A1 & A2 Phend officially secured the overall win for 4wd modified buggy! The A3 race was all about locking in the 2nd and 3rd positions. Koscuiszek made it challenging for Kothman not allowing him to have an easy win. A3 ended with Kothman in 1st, Koscuiszek 2nd, and Marcy 3rd.
Overall, it was a great weekend of racing, community, and supporting a great local track! We’ll see you at The 2020 Southern Nationals in Louisiana!
Winning Products:
Swagger Tires
Nessi Tires
Mono Wheels
S2 Body
AeroWing Package
F2 Body
Hi Flow body
Fin Titanium Turnbuckles
Golden Years Tire
Regulator Chassis Kit
Tribute Wheels
1989 Ford F-250 Body
