In this edition of the JConcepts Friday5 we talk to Missouri team driver, Jake Stoeltzing!
1. Ok let’s start with how you got first involved in RC. Did you pick it up from someone, stumbled across a local track, etc.?
Like a lot of kids, I was first introduced to RC by my dad. He found out about Fastlane Raceway on the internet around 2013. We went and watched the JConcepts Winter Indoor Shootout and Invitational at Fastlane, and I was shocked at how cool and fast those guys made racing RC cars look. It wasn’t until around 2016 that I got my first real buggies, but I messed around with Traxxas vehicles before then.
2. As a new driver for JConcepts in 2024, what do you feel you bring to the team and what are some of your racing goals?
As a new driver for JConcepts, I feel I have an opportunity to help the local Fastlane scene with 1/8 tire choice. On top of that, last year I started traveling a lot more to hit some big 1/8 races. I’ve placed really well in Intermediate 1/8 Nitro Buggy, Truggy, and Electric Buggy. My goals for the new year are to figure out my go-to tires to run at all the events, and get a larger win as I’ve been close before but the pieces haven’t quite added up for me.
3. In your opinion what is your biggest personal win to date and why?
I’m still chasing my first “big win.” However my best results came from the 2023 AMS (Alabama Manufacturer Shootout). I finished 3rd in Intermediate 1/8 Nitro Buggy and 5th in Truggy in the 45 minute mains, and that felt great with the amount of competition I was facing. I got another top five in Nitro Buggy at SIC (Southern Indoor Championship) this past January with it being my first outing on JConcepts tires. However my win with the most entries was actually the 2022 March Mayhem in 13.5 4wd Buggy at Fastlane. I had a pretty impressive drive coming from the B Main to win the A Main against some fast guys.
4. JConcepts is well known for its tires and bodies, but in your opinion what tool or accessory is a must have on race day that other drivers might overlook?
Something that I think is a must have, but a lot of people don’t think about are the 1/8th Carbon Fiber Body Shell Washers. They have really increased the lifetime of my bodies. I also have had good luck with the Fin Titanium Turnbuckles which look great in blue.
5. Besides piloting a RC car what other hidden talent or skill set do you possess that might surprise someone?
A somewhat hidden talent of mine is that I do 3D printing. I started learning CAD during the summer before high school, and have been really enjoying messing around with it for the last several years. I plan on going to college next year for mechanical engineering, and I feel like RC and my 3D printing stuff have taught me some skills I wouldn’t otherwise have.