As the temperatures continue to rise outside, so do the wins for the JConcepts race team! Read about where we stayed red hot at in this new edition of the weekly Race Team Update!
We start this week’s report down at Indy RC World in Garland, TX. This past weekend they hosted the final round of the RC Pro Oval Series which saw nearly 120 entries! Team driver Cody Babbitt competed in the finals in the Midwest Mod class and took home the win!
JC driver Kevin Mcnatt raced in the SC Mod class and would finish 2nd, plus he collected 4th place in this class after the season points were added up!
Team driver Jordan Hefler kept busy at the finals as he ran in three classes. He set the TQ in all of them plus finished 2nd in Midwest Mod and racked up two wins in the Late Model and SC Mod classes!
Team products used:
- 3196 – Gold compound Ellipse 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3077 – Gold compound Dirt Webs 2wd front buggy tire
- 3131 – Silver compound Smoothie short course truck tire
- 3397 – 9-Shot 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3398 – 9-Shot 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
- 3420 – 9-Shot SCT wheels
- 2734 – 10th Scale Buggy Tire Inner Sidewall Support Adaptor
Jordan wasn’t done racing this past weekend as he then traveled to RCCA (RC Car Club of America) located in the Ridgmar Mall in Fort Worth for the finals of their Carpet off-Road Series. Once again he ran in three classes and finished with a TQ and W in the 13.5 4wd and 17.5 Stadium Truck classes, plus he picked up a 3rd win in the 17.5 2wd Buggy class!
Team products used:
- 4017 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 4018 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 2wd front buggy tire
- 4019 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 4wd front buggy tire
- 4049 – Smoothie 2 LP truck tire
- 0475 – F2 body for the AE B6.4
- 0388 – Finnisher truck body for the T6.x & YZ2-T
- 3347 – Mono 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3348 – Mono 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
- 3354 – Mono truck wheels
- 3353 – Mono 4wd front buggy wheels
Now let’s head Eastbound and down to RC3 (Rocket City Radio Controlled Race Club) in Huntsville, AL. This past weekend they held their 14th Annual Rocket City Challenge which saw 136 entries! Let’s see how the team performed starting with team driver Randy Enger. He competed in both the 1/8 Nitro and Electric Buggy classes and would race on take the win in both!
Joining him on the nitro buggy podium in 2nd place was fellow JC driver Trevor Michael! Trevor also finished in 5th place in the e buggy class too!
Also competing in this race was team driver Chris Rakus. He wasn’t able to stay for the entire event due to a conflict so he would miss the mains, but he made the most of his track time as he TQed 1/8 Nitro Buggy and qualified 2nd overall in 1/8 Electric Buggy!
Team products used:
- 3132 – Blue compound Triple Dees 1/8 buggy tire
- 3186 – A2 compound Kosmos 1/8 buggy tire
- 3173 – Blue compound Teazers 1/8 buggy tire
- 0477 – S15 RC8B4e body
- 0478 – S15 RC8B4 Body
- 2990 – Radial NMB Bearing Set for the RC8B4 | RC8B4e
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
- 2800 – F2I 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Staying in Alabama let’s now go to OnTrack Raceway in the town of Theodore to catch up with team driver Danny Smith. He recently competed at this track for their Mid-Summer Meltdown in the 17.5 2wd Buggy class where he finished 2nd overall!
Team products used:
- 4017 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 4018 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 2wd front buggy tire
- 0474 – S2 body for the AE B6.4
Crossing the stateline we land in Loganville, GA where the Loganville RC Complex is located at. This track hosted the finals for SOS (Southern Off-Road Series), and team driver Shay Brand finished 3rd overall in the 1/8 Nitro Buggy class after the 25 minute A Main!
Team products used:
- 4034 – Blue compound Relapse 1/8 buggy tire
- 3175 – R2 compound Stalkers 1/8 buggy tire
- 0364 – S15 HB Racing D819 body
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Crossing the stateline again to the north we now blast our way to Bullet Town RC in Milan, TN. This track recently hosted their Summa Slamma Race and team driver Will Scott competed in the 40+ 1/8 Electric Buggy and Mini Truggy classes where he qualified 4th and 10th overall! In the mains he would run into some gremlins as he finished both races with a DNF, but still had a good time and was running fast up to that point!
Team products used:
- 3006 – Green compound Double Dee’s V1 truck tire
- 3175 – Green compound Stalkers 1/8 buggy tire
- 0483 – S15 TLR 8ight-X 2.0 | XE body
Veering back east we now head to PLRC (Powerline RC) in Fredericksburg, VA for our next report. Team driver Jose Zayas raced at this facility this past weekend for their 2023 Backyard Nationals, and he finished 2nd overall in 1/8 Electric Buggy, plus a TQ and W in the 1/8 Electric Truggy class!
Team driver Rusty Mihelich brought out the family for this race and they put in some solid results!
Maddy Long
1/8 Nitro Buggy = TQ and 1st
1/8 Electric Truggy = Qualified 2nd and DNF in the main
1/8 Electric Buggy = 3rd
Rusty Mihelich
1/8 Electric Buggy = TQ and 1st
Stacey Mihelich
Sportsman 1/8 Electric Buggy = 1st
Team products used:
- 3121 – Blue compound Reflex 1/8 buggy tire
- 3140 – Blue compound Triple Dees 1/8 truggy tire
- 4010 – Blue compound Recon 1/8 buggy tire
- 3357 – Mono 1/8 buggy wheels
- 3369 – Mono 1/8 truggy wheels
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Heading north again we power our way to Oakland Mills, PA where LCRC Raceway is located. This past weekend they held their Mugen Challenge event which saw 470 entries! Team driver Tom Petrella competed in both the 40+ 1/8 Electric and Nitro Buggy classes, and he would go on to finish 6th in nitro buggy and 5th place in e buggy!
Team driver Aydan Manchanda competed in three classes at this race. In the Expert 1/8 Nitro Buggy class he finished 18th overall, in the Expert 1/8 Electric Buggy class he finished in 15th, and in the 1/8 Electric Truggy class he finished 5th! Joining him on the e truggy podium were fellow JC drivers Joey Bourdon (2nd) and Daniel Sedler (3rd)!
Aydan’s mom Bree Manchanda got in on the racing action too in the Powder Puff class. She borrowed Aydan’s e truggy and would lock up 2nd place on the podium!
Team products used:
- 3121 – Green, Blue and A2 compound Reflex 1/8 buggy tire
- 4034 – Blue and Aqua compound Relapse 1/8 buggy tire
- 3122 – Aqua compound Detox 1/8 buggy tire
- 3125 – A2 compound Reflex 1/8 truggy tire
- 0477 – S15 RC8B4e body
- 0478 – S15 RC8B4 Body
- 3357 – Mono 1/8 buggy wheels
- 3369 – Mono 1/8 truggy wheels
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Leaping over lake Erie we splash down at M-40 Raceway RC Track in Gobles, MI. This past weekend they held Round 5 of their Summer Point Series and team driver Kyle Munson let us know that he set the pace by TQing both the 1/8 Electric Buggy and Pro4 SCT classes! After the mains were ran he would finish 3rd in e buggy and took the win in Pro4!
Team products used:
Bouncing down to Indiana let’s get our next update from team driver Brian Dunbar. This past weekend he competed in the 1/10 Apocalypse trophy event held at Hoosier RC Hobbyplex in the city of New Albany. He competed in the Expert 13.5 4wd and 17.5 2wd Buggy classes, and he finished 2nd in wheeler and took the W in 2wd! Joining him on the 2wd podium were fellow JC drivers Lucas Smith (3rd) and Talon Henley (TQ & 4th)!
Team products used:
- 4017 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 4018 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 2wd front buggy tire
- 4019 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 4wd front buggy tire
Now we head to the “Land of Lincoln” for a few different reports from the team. Starting at Crawler Canyon RC Park in Rockdale, IL team driver Lukas Klein let us know that this past weekend he competed in an eliminator comp event where he finished 1st in Rounds 1 and 2!
Team products used:
Our next visit in the state is at Thunder Road Hobbies in the city of Moline. This past weekend they held Round 4 of their points series and team driver Cody Meiferdt competed in the 1/8 Electric Buggy class on both Friday and Saturday night.
Friday he would take the TQ and win, and then on Saturday he would take another win in the A Main over fellow JC driver Austin Wick!
Competing in the 1/8 Nitro Buggy class was his tire teammate Ashton Abdul. He would qualify 2nd overall and finish there after the main, and joining him on the podium to complete the JC sweep were fellow JConcepts drivers Mason Fuller (1st) and Austin Wick (3rd)!
Team products used:
- 3121 – Green compound Reflex 1/8 buggy tire
- 3186 – Green compound Kosmos 1/8 buggy tire
- 0477 – S15 RC8B4e body
- 0364 – S15 HB Racing D819 body
- 3357 – Mono 1/8 buggy wheels
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Our final tour stop in Illinois is at Cedar Bluff RC Raceway in the town of Delavan. Team driver Justin Driemeier recently raced there for their Battle At The Bluff dirt oval event that brought out 152 entries! He would finish 4th in Late Model and took the TQ and win in both the Mod Sprint and Midwest Mod classes!
Team products used:
- 3133 – Blue compound Sprinter 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3134 – Blue compound Sprinter 2wd front buggy tire
Heading to the “Show me state” let’s now get a few race updates from the team competing at several different events. Starting with team driver Brian Stanton this past weekend he was turning left hand laps at Fastlane Raceway in Blue Springs for their 2023 King of Dirt race that brought out 128 entries!
He had some rough luck in qualifying and just missed out bumping out of the C Main in the Mod Sprint class while running fast this past weekend!
Fellow JC driver Jeremy Cathlina also raced at this event and he would finish 5th in Open Late Model, 4th in Open Sprint and he also took the TQ and finished 2nd in Midwest Mod!
Team driver Wesley Gifford competed in the Open and 13.5 Sprint classes, and he took the TQ in the Open class and secured wins in both mains!
Team products used:
- 3077 – Gold compound Dirt Webs 2wd front buggy tire
- 3076 – Silver compound Dirt Webs 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3196 – Silver and Gold compound Ellipse 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 0425 – L8D Decked Late Model body
- 3397 – 9-Shot 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3398 – 9-Shot 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
Our next update in Missouri is from the recent Midwest Nitro Challenge held at St. Louis Dirt Burners in Kirkwood which saw 233 entries!
Starting with team driver Charles Day he let us know that he competed in the Expert 1/8 Electric Buggy class and finished 2nd on the podium!
Team driver Braden Bruce would take the W in this class and he also finished 2nd overall in the Expert 1/8 Nitro Buggy class too! His father Calvin Bruce competed in the Expert 1/8 Electric Buggy and 1/8 Electric Truggy classes, and he would set the TQ and finish 4th in e truggy and in e buggy he raced on to lock up 3rd place!
Team products used:
- 3121 – Blue compound Reflex 1/8 buggy tire
- 4034 – Blue compound Relapse 1/8 buggy tire
- 3150 – Aqua compound Blockers 1/8 buggy tire
- 3125 – Blue compound Reflex 1/8 truggy tire
- 0477 – S15 RC8B4e body
- 0478 – S15 RC8B4 Body
- 0453 – S15 1/8 truck body
- 3357 – Mono 1/8 buggy wheels
- 3369 – Mono 1/8 truggy wheels
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Heading up I-35 we now make our way to Leighton Speedway in Leighton, IA for this quick update from team driver David Fast. This past weekend he raced there for a points series event, and he would wrap up the night with a 8th place finish in 410 Sprint after he suffered a DNF, plus 2nd overall in the Late Model class!
Team products used:
- 3196 – Blue compound Ellipse 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3197 – Blue compound Ellipse 2wd front buggy tire
- 3077 – Blue compound Dirt Webs 2wd front buggy tire
- 0425 – L8D Decked Late Model body
- 3347 – Mono 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3348 – Mono 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
Heading west down I-80 we now stop in at Omaha, NE where the HobbyTown USA HobbyPlex (The Plex) is located. This past Saturday was the 4th round of their Summer Series and team driver Brandon Kearney reported that he finished 7th overall in both the Mod 2wd and 4wd Buggy classes!
Fellow team driver Riley Filbert checked in to let us know that he finished 4th in Mod 2wd Buggy, 2nd in Mod 4wd Buggy and he also took the win in the 17.5 2wd Buggy class! Joining him on the 17.5 podium was fellow JC driver Orlando Martinez!
JConcepts driver Mason Herrick also raced in the Mod 2wd and 4wd Buggy classes, and he finished with a TQ and 3rd place finish in Mod 4wd along with a victory in Mod 2wd over fellow JC drivers Alex Vanderbeek (2nd) and Owen Vanderbeek (3rd)!
Team products used:
- 4017 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 4018 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 2wd front buggy tire
- 4019 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 4wd front buggy tire
- 0476 – P2 body for the AE B6.4
- 0499 – P2 body for the AE B74.2
- 0475 – F2 body for the AE B6.4
- 0397 – F2 body for the AE B74.1
- 3347 – Mono 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3348 – Mono 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
- 3353 – Mono 4wd front buggy wheels
- 2997 – 3.5mm Fin Titanium Turnbuckle Set
- 0501 – Carpet | Astro High-Clearance 7″ Rear Wing
Moving up to Minnesota we get our finals reports this week from the team who recently competed at Round 4 of the MNRC Minnesota Off-Road Racing Series hosted by LSRCC (Lake Superior R/C Car Club) in the city of Proctor. Team driver Josh Ford competed in the 1/8 Nitro Buggy and Truggy classes and would finish 2nd in buggy and take the W in truggy!
His JC teammate Kyle Holmberg competed in the 1/8 Electric and Nitro buggy classes and would double down with TQs and wins in both classes! Joining him on the nitro buggy podium were JConcepts teammates Josh Ford (2nd) and Tony Sletten (3rd) to complete the JConcepts podium sweep!
Team products used:
- 3121 – A2 compound Reflex 1/8 buggy tire
- 3125 – A2 compound Reflex 1/8 truggy tire
- 4006 – A2 compound Relapse 1/8 truggy tire
- 4034 – A2 compound Relapse 1/8 buggy tire
- 0387 – S15 Mugen MBX-8 body
- 0453 – S15 1/8 truck body
- 3357 – Mono 1/8 buggy wheels
- 3369 – Mono 1/8 truggy wheels
- 2800 – F2I 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing