We brought it back to our home state this past weekend for the JConcepts Spring Indoor Nationals! Due to restrictions in Washington state we had to relocate and SS Hobbies & Raceway agreed to host. SS Raceway is a premier facility located in Tampa, Florida. We couldn’t have asked for better weather this weekend, it was sunny and 70… well more like 80, but beautiful never the less! The track layout was a blast as it featured a turn into a small drop down, over a back double, into a center single, into a center double that turned into a final double before the straightaway. Check it out below:
The tire choice of the weekend were JConcepts Ellipses. The go-to compound is typically Aqua for this track but drivers quickly transitioned to our indoor super soft compound, Silver. The dirt at SS Raceway is high bite and they coat it with sugar until the desired surface is achieved. The track is under a pavilion so you get the amazing fresh air and breeze while staying out of the harsh Florida sun.
For our friends who enjoy some stats here’s the download:
- Entries: 133
- Drivers: 70
- JConcepts TQ’s: 7
- Classes: 8
- JConcepts Wins: 7
Qualifying (Best 2 of 3):
13.5 2wd SCT: Patrick Rossiter (1), Adam Rayls (2), Justin Sherman (4), Tom Sherman (5)
13.5 2wd Stadium Truck: Adam Rayls (1), Tom Sherman (4)
13.5 4wd Buggy: Kenny Setser (1), Davey Batta (2), Patrick Rossiter (4), Dustin Spallone (5)
17.5 2wd Buggy: AJ Marasco (1), Davey Batta (2), Kenny Setser (4),
2wd Mod Buggy: Lee Setser (1), Dakotah Phend (2), Cole Tollard (3), Julien Oliveras (4), Jackson Brunson (5)
40+ 2wd Buggy: Paul Wynn (1), Jason Ruona (2)
4wd Mod Buggy: Dakotah Phend (1), Cole Tollard (2), Lee Setser (3), Jackson Brunson (4), Julien Oliveras (5)
Final Results:
13.5 2wd SCT: Adam Rayls (1), Patrick Rossiter (2), Tom Sherman (5)
13.5 2wd Stadium Truck: Adam Rayls (1), Tom Sherman (2)
13.5 4wd Buggy: Davey Batta (1), Patrick Rossiter (3), Kenny Setser (4), Alesio Coffaro (5)
17.5 2wd Buggy: AJ Marasco (1), Davey Batta (2), Kenny Setser (3), Alesio Coffaro (5)
2wd Mod Buggy: Dakotah Phend (1), Cole Tollard (2), Lee Setser (3), Julien Oliveras (4), Jackson Brunson (5)
A1: Teammates Setser, Phend, and Tollard were running close in the top 3 spots. They were pushing it from the starting grid. Phend was looking for an inside line in order to make a pass on Setser (TQ). Setser went a little wide in the corner at 3 minutes, Phend got by taking over the lead. Tollard was still in the mix, sitting in 3rd waiting to make his move. 40 seconds to go, Phend got caught up on the pipe, Setser made the pass. Less than a half lap after taking over the lead, a car shut off in front of Setser. Setser tried to recover, Tollard got by and took the win.
A2: The first to switch positions were Brunson and Oliveras in 4th and 5th. Those top 3 (Setser, Phend, and Tollard) were all separated by .80 seconds. Phend was looking for a way around Setser at the halfway point. They were working through lap traffic with a minute to go, Setser got caught on the pipe, Phend took over the lead, and Setser started hunting him down as fast as he could with 60 seconds to go. 30 seconds to go and the race order was Phend, Tollard, and Setser. It would come down to A3 to determine who will take the win!
A3: Setser had a little bobble at beginning, Phend took over the lead and it was another Tollard and Phend Battle. Brunson was running 3rd they were all close together. Phend had a 3.5 second lead on Tollard so the close battle was 1.3 seconds between Brunson and Tollard. Phend took his victory lap and secured the overall win!
40+ 2wd Mod Buggy: Paul Wynn (1), Jason Ruona (2)
4wd Mod Buggy: Dakotah Phend (1), Cole Tollard (2), Jackson Brunson (3), Julien Oliveras (4), David Alberico (5)
A1: Phend started out leading the race, Teammate Tollard was going to give him a run for his money as he kept the racing close. Tollard and Phend were about a half second a part but creating a gap from the rest of the pack. Phend was consistently running mid 16 second laps. Tollard was getting into a rhythm trying to close the gap on Phend. Meanwhile Oliveras, Setser, and Brunson were rounding out the top 5 with 2 minutes to go. Those top two were about 1.2 seconds apart. Phend started to check out, so the closest battle on the track was between Tollard and Oliveras for 2nd and 3rd. Now only a half second apart with 45 seconds to go. Oliveras looked for a way around the switch back and he made the pass right before the center double into 2nd. Down the front straightaway Tollard took back that 2nd place spot.
A2: One, two, and three are all separated by equal gaps with 3 minutes to go. Shortly after, Brunson moved up into 3rd and Tollard started to close the gap on Phend. Phend ticks the pipe after that final double before the straightaway and Tollard made up a little time. The gap was getting smaller, but Phend was still maintaining the lead despite the pressure. Tollard was so close to Phend’s wing in the final 30 seconds, He’s trying to make a move. Phend was protecting the line, it could be anyone’s race! Tollard got caught right at the line, Phend took the win in A2, securing the overall.
A3: Phend already secured the win so this was to determine who would take those final two podium spots. Tollard was in first, meanwhile Brunson and Oliveras are .30 seconds apart battling for 2nd. Oliveras was looking for a way around, but Brunson is on the defense protecting the line. A marshal was assisting on the front straightaway as Brunson and Oliveras came blazing down and they all beautifully maneuver the situation and the battle continued. The race finished with the top three as Tollard, Brunson, and Oliveras.
We couldn’t have asked for a better weekend and our drivers really brought their A-game. The stock races were stacked between drivers like AJ Marasco, Davey Batta, Kenny Setser, which made for exciting races! The modified classes definitely had down to the wire battles as well as many of the other classes. Thank you to Lance MacDonald for calling the races, the Setser family for hosting, Matt Olsen with MOD Media for the live race coverage, and everyone who came out to participate in the INS series! We’ll see some of you next week in Las Vegas for Silver State!
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