Six months into 2024 and the JConcepts race team shows no signs of slowing down out on the track! Read all about it for yourself in this week’s edition of the Race Team Update!
We start this week’s report out west at Coyote Hobbies Indoor RC Raceway in Victorville, CA. This past weekend they held their 14th Annual JConcepts Mid Summer Shootout that brought in 140 entries! Let’s see how the team finished up starting with team driver Matthew Gonzales. He competed in the Mod 2wd Buggy class and would come away with the win! His fellow JConcepts teammates Davey Batta (TQ & 2nd) and Levi Raymond (3rd) joined him to complete the JConcepts podium sweep!
Levi also raced in the Mod 4wd Buggy class where he locked up 5th place overall!
His brother and fellow JC driver Chase Raymond also competed in both Mod 2wd and 4wd Buggy, and he would secure 7th place in Mod 2wd and 3rd place in mod wheeler!
Team driver Jeff Guest raced in the 40+ 13.5 4wd Buggy class and would take home the TQ and win!
Team products used:
- 4017 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 4047 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 thick sidewall 2wd front buggy tire
- 4048 – Silver compound Smoothie 2 thick sidewall 4wd front buggy tire
- 0614 – F2 body for the AE B7
- 0397 – F2 body for the AE B74.1
- 5159 – 8mm Fin Titanium Front Stand-Off for the RC10B7 | RC10B7D
- 5160 – 10mm Fin Titanium Front Stand-Off for the RC10B7 | RC10B7D
- 5137 – Radial NMB Bearing Set for the RC10B7 | RC10B7D
- 5136 – 3.5mm Fin Titanium Turnbuckle Set RC10B7 | RC10B7D
- 3347 – Mono 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3348 – Mono 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
- 3353 – Mono 4wd front buggy wheels
- 0504 – Carpet | Turf | Dirt, 7″ Wing – Pre-Trimmed
Taking an angle to Arizona we meet up with team driver James Rodriguez. He recently went to San Tan Speedway in San Tan Valley to compete in the 3rd Round of the AZRC Summer Series. He signed up for the Late Model and Outlaw Sprint classes and would lock up 4th place in both!
Team products used:
- 3170 – Aqua 2 compound ReHab 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3171 – Aqua 2 compound ReHab 2wd front buggy tire
- 3133 – Aqua 2 compound Sprinter 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3134 – Aqua 2 compound Sprinter 2wd front buggy tire
- 5138 – Upper Titanium Top Hat Screw Set for the B7
- 5139 – Lower Titanium Screw Set for the B7
- 3397 – 9-Shot 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3398 – 9-Shot 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
Working our way up to Wyoming we stop in at Sweetwater R/C Park in Rock Springs. There we find team driver Shane Wheeler who visited this facility to compete in the Wyoming State Championships.
He would set the TQ but suffer a DNF in the Sprint class, but his luck was better in the Midget class as he crossed the finish line in 1st place!
Team products used:
- 3133 – Green compound Sprinter 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3134 – Green and Blue compound Sprinter 2wd front buggy tire
- 3170 – Green compound ReHab 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3171 – Green compound ReHab 2wd front buggy tire
Shooting down to Texas we make our way to RCCA (RC Car Club of America) in Forth Worth. Team driver Kyle Wilson recently visited this track to compete in Round 2 of their Summer Series, and he would finish 2nd overall in the Expert 17.5 2wd Buggy class! Joining him on the podium in 1st place was his tire teammate Mike Stoll!
Team products used:
- 0615 – S2 body for the AE B7
- 3165 – Pink compound Fuzz Bite LP Slim 2wd front buggy tire
- 3152 – Pink compound Fuzz Bite LP 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 5138 – Upper Titanium Top Hat Screw Set for the B7
- 5139 – Lower Titanium Screw Set for the B7
- 3347 – Mono 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3348 – Mono 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
- 3276 – Scalloped 2.2″ Carpet | Turf Rear Inserts
- 0197 – Carpet | Astro High-Clearance 6.5″ Rear Wing
Staying in Texas let’s now move to Justin where Thompson R/C Raceway is located. This past weekend they hosted the RC Pro Series, and team driver Kevin Lenderman took the TQ and win in the Street Stock class!
Team products used:
- 3077 – Green compound Dirt Webs 2wd front buggy tire
- 3196 – Green compound Ellipse 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
Heading north we make our way to Taylor Park RC Raceway in Yukon, OK for our next update.
This past weekend they held their 2024 SC Mod Shootout, and team driver Kevin Mcnatt took the TQ and W in the SC Mod class!
Also competing in this race in the Open Sprint class was fellow JC driver Tyler Keel. He would set the TQ then drive on to finish 2nd overall!
Team products used:
- 3128 – Green and Blue compound Sprinter SCT tire
- 3077 – Green compound Dirt Webs 2wd front buggy tire
- 3196 – Green compound Ellipse 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 2993 – Radial Ceramic Bearing Set for the B6.4 | B6.4D | T6.4 | SC6.4
Next, we move into Missouri to get a few updates from the team competing at different events. Our first stop is in the city of Pacific where Bigfoot 4×4 Inc is located. They held their annual open house and Trigger King R/C simultaneously held a RC event there too. Team driver Chris Parrish competed in the Retro Monster Truck Racing class, and he would take the win in the finals with his Bear Foot Racer! In the ProMod class his Firepower truck made it to the finals to finish in 2nd place!
His JConcepts teammate Jeremy Mark was also at this event, and he made the semi-finals in the Retro and Sport Mod classes!
Team products used:
- 3183 – Gold compound Golden Years monster truck tire
- 3168 – Blue compound Renegades monster truck tire
- 2813 – Regulator chassis conversion kit
- 2823 – Regulator Servo Mount Kit (BAS)
- 0332 – 1988 Chevy Silverado monster truck body
- 3377 – Tribute 2.6″ monster truck wheels
- 9004 – Silent Speed 27T Brushed Fixed End Bell Competition Motor
- 9003 – Silent Speed 17T Adjustable Timing Competition Motor
- 3242 – Slam-Tech monster truck insert
- 2651 – Tribute | Aggressor wheel mock beadlock rings
- 2852 – 18mm Aluminum 25T Clamping Servo Horn
- 2855 – 20mm Aluminum 25T Clamping Servo Horn
Our next stop in the state is at Fastlane Raceway in Blue Springs for the 3rd round of their Slideways Dirt Oval Series. Team driver Jeremy Cathlina was at this event, and when it had concluded he would set the TQ in the Open Sprint and Late Model classes, then race on to finish 2nd in Sprint and also picked up wins in MidWest Mod and Open Late Model!
Team products used:
- 3077 – Gold compound Dirt Webs 2wd front buggy tire
- 3196 – Gold compound Ellipse 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3397 – 9-Shot 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3398 – 9-Shot 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
Heading up I-35 we now stop in at Leighton Speedway in Leighton, IA. They hosted Round 2 of the King Of Iowa Series and team driver David Fast would finish 5th in the 360 Sprint class, plus picked up the W in 410 Sprint!
Team products used:
- 3196 – Blue compound Ellipse 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3197 – Blue compound Ellipse 2wd front buggy tire
- 3133 – Blue compound Sprinter 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3134 – Blue compound Sprinter 2wd front buggy tire
- 2995 – Upper Titanium Top Hat Screw Set for the B6.4
- 3347 – Mono 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3348 – Mono 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
Continuing north on I-35 we cross over into Minnesota and stop in at North Branch where Loosenuts Raceway is located. This past weekend they hosted Round 2 of the MNRC Nitro Race Series, and team driver Joe Scaramell competed in three classes. He would finish in the lower mains for 1/8 Nitro Buggy, 11th place in 40+ 1/8 Nitro Buggy and 6th place in 40+ 1/8 Electric Truggy! His family business also helped to sponsor this race and all together they were able to bring in 80 door prizes for the racers too!
Fellow JC pilot Josh Ford was at this event and he would finish in 8th place in 1/8 Nitro Buggy, plus took the win in 1/8 Nitro Truggy! Joining him on the truggy podium in 3rd place was his JConcepts teammate Tony Sletten!
Team products used:
- 3121 – Green compound Reflex 1/8 buggy tire
- 3125 – Blue compound Reflex 1/8 truggy tire
- 3369 – Mono 1/8 truggy wheels
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Leaping over Lake Michigan we splash down at R/C Raceway at Novi Water Tower Park in Novi, MI. Team driver Jeff Todd was there to compete in the 2nd race in their points series, and he would finish in the lower mains of the 1/8 Electric Buggy class!
Team products used:
- 3184 – Aqua 2 compound Ellipse 1/8 buggy tire
- 0477 – S15 RC8B4e body
- 3357 – Mono 1/8 buggy wheels
- 2212 – Satellite Tire Rubber Bands
- 2043M – Medium Advanced Formulated Tire Glue
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
- 2333 – High-Flow 30x30x10mm Aluminum Cooling Fan
Bouncing our way to the “Hoosier state” we catch up with team driver Charles Hicks. He recently went to ARC Park (Advance RC Park) in the city of Advance to compete in the Hoosier Classic trophy race.
When the dust had settled he would finish the event with a 2nd place finish in Expert 1/8 Electric Buggy!
Team products used:
- 3121 – Green compound Reflex 1/8 buggy tire
- 3357 – Mono 1/8 buggy wheels
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Kicking it down to Kentucky let’s see how the team finished up at the recent Nitro vs. Electric cash race held at DRCR in the town of Hazard. Starting with team driver Wade Piggott he would set the TQ in the Pro 1/8 Electric Buggy class then race on to finish 2nd, plus grabbed another 2nd place finish in the cash race which netted him $150!
Fellow team driver Bella Rogers would also compete in these same two classes, and she would finish 3rd in Pro 1/8 Electric Buggy, plus picked up the TQ and win in the cash race which meant she came home with $500 in cold cash! Who says RC racing doesn’t pay?!?
Team products used:
- 3121 – Green and Blue compound Reflex 1/8 buggy tire
- 4073 – Blue compound Dirt Bite 1/8 buggy tire
- 0431 – S15 Tekno EB48 2.0 body
- 0364 – S15 HB Racing D819 body
- 3357 – Mono 1/8 buggy wheels
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Moving down to Mississippi we stop in at 342 RC Speedway in the town on Pontotoc. There we find team driver Drew Spurgeon who was there to compete in their King of the Hill trophy event. When the racing had completed he would finish with the double TQ and win in the Late Model and MidWest Mod classes!
Team products used:
- 3077 – Green compound Dirt Webs 2wd front buggy tire
- 3196 – Green compound Ellipse 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3170 – Green compound ReHab 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3171 – Green compound ReHab 2wd front buggy tire
- 3347 – Mono 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3348 – Mono 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
- 3397 – 9-Shot 2wd front buggy wheels
- 3398 – 9-Shot 2wd/4wd rear buggy wheels
Our next stop is at the Rocket City Radio Controlled Race Club (RC3) in Huntsville, AL. This past weekend they held their opening point series race and team driver Randy Enger would set the TQ and take the win in the 1/8 Electric and Nitro Buggy classes!
Team products used:
- 4071 – Aqua compound Falcon 1/8 buggy tire
- 4073 – Blue compound Dirt Bite 1/8 buggy tire
- 0477 – S15 RC8B4e body
- 0478 – S15 RC8B4 body
- 2990 – Radial NMB Bearing Set for the RC8B4 | RC8B4e
- 3357 – Mono 1/8 buggy wheels
- 0519 – Razor Polycarbonate 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Now let’s fly down to Florida to see how the team finished up at Round 3 of the Florida RC Championships that took place at Callahan Off-Road RC Raceway in Callahan. Starting with team driver Gene Shrout Jr. he let us know that he took the TQ and win in the 1/8 Electric Buggy class, plus picked up another win in the 4wd Short Course Truck class! Joining him on the SCT podium in 2nd place was fellow JConcepts driver Joshua Vicidomini!
JC driver Patrick Rossiter Jr. also competed in this round and he finished 2nd in Pro 1/8 Electric Buggy, plus 1st place in Pro 1/8 Nitro Truggy!
Team driver Ajay Johnson set the TQ in the 40+ 1/8 Nitro and Electric Buggy classes, and after a DNF in the nitro class lady luck was on his side in the electric class as he took home the win! Joining him on the 40+ e buggy podium was fellow JC driver Tony Rivas in 5th place!
Team products used:
- 3128 – Green compound Sprinter SCT tire
- 3121 – Blue and Green compound Reflex 1/8 buggy tire
- 3122 – Blue compound Detox 1/8 buggy tire
- 4006 – Blue compound Relapse 1/8 truggy tire
- 4034 – Aqua 2 compound Relapse 1/8 buggy tire
- 4010 – Blue compound Recon 1/8 buggy tire
- 0477 – S15 RC8B4e body
- 0478 – S15 RC8B4 body
- 3357 – Mono 1/8 buggy wheels
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Heading up the east coast let’s stop in North Carolina to get a few updates from the team.
Starting with team driver Josh Parrish he let us know that he competed in Round 5 of the MidWeek Mayhem Series at Thunder Alley R/C Speedway in Lucama, and he was a triple threat that night as he picked up the TQ and win in the Mod 4wd and 2wd Buggy classes, plus 17.5 2wd Buggy!
Team products used:
- 3196 – Green compound Ellipse 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3197 – Green compound Ellipse 2wd front buggy tire
- 4017 – Aqua compound Smoothie 2 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 0397 – F2 body for the AE B74.1
- 0616 – P2 body for the AE B7
- 4019 – Aqua compound Smoothie 2 4wd front buggy tire
- 0501 – Carpet | Astro High-Clearance 7″ Rear Wing
Moving on we get our next update from team driver Ryan Rand. Round 2 of the TSOC (Two States One Championship) Series was held at Days of Thunder RC Raceway in the city of Lumberton, and Ryan would finish 3rd in 1/8 Electric Truggy, set the TQ and take 2nd in Pro 1/8 Electric Buggy, picked up the TQ and W in the Pro 1/8 Nitro Truggy class, and finally took home another victory in the Pro 1/8 Nitro Buggy class!
Team products used:
- 3121 – Green, Blue and Aqua 2 compound Reflex 1/8 buggy tire
- 4006 – Green and Blue compound Relapse 1/8 truggy tire
- 3184 – Aqua compound Ellipse 1/8 buggy tire
- 3357 – Mono 1/8 buggy wheels
- 2998 – Razor 1/8 buggy and truggy wing
Our final report this week is courtesy of team driver John Cravotta. He recently went to RC Madness in Enfield, CT to compete in their Turf Wars trophy event. He raced in the 17.5 and Mod 2wd Buggy classes along with 13.5 4wd Buggy. He would finish the day with a 3rd place finish in mod buggy, set the TQ and grabbed a 4th place finish in 17.5, and he also finished 2nd overall in 13.5 wheeler! Taking the win in the 17.5 2wd and 13.5 4wd Buggy classes was JConcepts driver Matt Sousa!
Team products used:
- 3180 – Pink compound Pin Swag 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire
- 3181 – Pink compound Pin Swag 2wd front buggy tire
- 3182 – Pink compound Pin Swag 4wd front buggy tire
- 3059 – Pink compound Drop Step 2wd/4wd rear buggy tire