Big buggy-class wins by Sletten and VanDalen highlight MNRC second round

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By Aaron Waldron
LiveRC.com

Race report by Sean VanDalen:
www.ftrcr.com

May 21st-22nd was the Minnesota Off-road Racing Series or(MNRC). With this being the second round of a 7 race series. Competitors from around the region started rolling in on Thursday to set up, by Friday night the FTR facility looked like a camp ground with all the pit trailers and campers set up. Track being open for Practice from 3pm-11pm on Friday. The FTR crew with many new improvements to the facility like Indoor pits available next to the track and the new lights were a big hit amongst the racers as many of the 140 entrants practiced late into the night.

Saturday is qualifying day and 3 rounds of qual points are on the docket. Starting at 10am with 1/8 E-Buggy. This being the largest class of the event they are awarded the Dash for cash at the end of qualifying. Then the 2wd Sportsman class hit the track, always fun to see the new faces compete. Next up was the 1/10 Stock Buggies, now this was interesting! With FTR being the largest track on the series and having a reputation for fast flowing sections and big air thrown in the mix the Stock Buggy drivers were surely going to be challenged. Next Nitro Truggy class warming up and ready to hit the track it was a treat to go from watching the 1/10 Buggies servive to the 1/8 Nitro Truggies just trash this gnarly layout. Up next was the 4wd Sportsman, a mix of young drivers with parents as pit help and new comers to the hobby just getting their feet wet at a big event. Then the Pro 4 SCT class hit the track and for the first time durning qualifying the wind started to blow! Or maybe it was those big parachute bodies. Never the less it was fun watching the drivers strategize when to go for the big jumps and when to lay them up do to the wind. Last on the heat sheets was 1/8 Nitro Buggy, with some of the regions fastest like home track favorite Seth VanDalen driving for Tekno, Kyosho's Kyle Holmberg, Kyosho's Kendall Welch, Hot Bodies Kyle Praske, Mugen's Tony Sletten, Team AE's Neil Feneis, Mugen's Josh Ford all MNRC series regulars.

Now on to the Dash for cash with $376 raised to split between the winning ticket and the winning driver. The 12 car field starting in reverse order with no marshalling allowed. Meening your TQ driver Seth VanDalen was starting dead last. As the tone sounded they all took off and choose to layup the first few jumps and collecting your TQ and ended his run for the money, as the race continued more racers crashing and dropping out. Only 5 were left led by Kyle Holmberg, Bradley Olson, Sam Sovacool, Allan Smith and Kyle Smith. Bradley about 6 seconds back and pushing hard closing on Kyle Holmberg as he rolled all the big jumps. Bradley would case the big triple in the middle and end up side down ending his charge. Kyle now with a nice lead the battle was for pride and Sam and Allan put on a show for the crowd. Back and forth until the last lap was finished, Sam ending up in the 2 spot and Allan 3rd only other driver to finish was Kyle Smith. At this point the track remained open for practice till 11pm for last minute testing. All the mains posted and a 9am start time, many prepped cars late into the night and early morning.

Top 3 and TQ Awards for the event were sponsored by 510 Raceway and Full Throttle R/C Raceway owned by Sean VanDalen. Three other awards were going to be handed out after the mains on Sunday, A Marshalling Award, Tough Luck Award and a Long Haul award to the driver who drove the farthest.

Sunday 9am came quickly.

Race 1 to hit the track was 10 minute C-main E-Buggy only 3 would move onto the B. John Huttner with the win followed by Nic Peterson and Justin Sletten getting by Chad Johnson on the last lap to take third.  

Race 2 a 30 minute Nitro Truggy C was next with only 4 of the 8 finishing. Jon Ignaszewki taking the win over Grant Olsen and Stefan Benende.

Race 3 a 30 minute Nitro Buggy C had 6 racers top three moving on were Derek Ruport, Chad Johnson and Torban Mirsch.

Race 4 a 10 minute E-Buggy B-main was exciting with a lastlap battle for the bump spot, the Series Chairman Danny Williams getting caught by 4 tenths of a sceond by the loop. Advancing to the A-main would be Neil Feneis, Nic Peterson and Bradley Olson. 

Race 6 a 30 minute Nitro Truggy B-main was up and a full 12 truck field would hit the track and Tony Swenson taking the win followed by Jon Ignaszewki and Bruce St. Yves all advancing to the A-main

Race 7 a 15 minute 4wd Sportsman B-main had 8 racers. with Ross Miller winning and calvin Artmann in second and Brady Anderson taking the final bump to the A-main.

Race 8 a 8 minute Pro 4 SCT saw a good battle against the wind. Derek Ruport taking the win and a close battle for second ended with Shane Madrinich and Brody Ignaszeki in third. 

Race 9 a 30 minute Nitro Buggy B-main saw some fast guys battle it out in the end Nic Peterson took the win followed by Ryan Sobozak and Rex Welch. 

Race 10 a 10 Minute E-Buggy A-main was a great race to watch. Ending with the top 5 separated by 9 seconds. Some of the excitment from TQ of Seth VanDalen when his car stopped while leading by 20 seconds, quick thinking from follow racer Alex Kenison shutting off and turning back on the car Seth rejoined the race and battled back to second place with Neil Feneis edging out Kyle Holmberg for the third spot.

Race 11 a 15 minute 2wd Sportsman A-main. Allec Hins the TQ out early left his Brother Cadin Hins and Brody Ignaszewki to battle it out for the tops spot. Cadin taking the win by 7 seconds over Brody and Jake Hopkins in third. Dante Ugalde finished forth and Janel Petrick in the 5th spot.

Race 12 a 15 minute 1/10 Stock Buggy A-main. With strong winds and small cars on a big track with even bigger jumps the fact that all finished the race is remarkable. Close battle between TQ of Kyle Smith and Trevor Johnson and a even closer battle between Corey Hins and Chris Gosch. The finishing order was TQ of Kyle Smith out front then Trevor Johnson 13 seconds back with Corey Hins edging out Chris Gosch by less than a tenth of a second for the final podium position.

Race 13 a 30 minute 1/8 Nitro Truggy A-main. TQ of Seth VanDalen would make a mistake on the big triple up on the first lap and fall back coming across the loop on lap two back up 3rd place and by lap three was back into the lead and never looked back finishing 3 plus laps ahead of 2nd place Canadian Driver Nick Moxley followed closely by John Huttner 5 seconds back. 

Race 14 a 15 minute 4wd Sportsman A-main. TQ of Allec Hins made a mistake on the first lap allowing Brody Ignaszewki to take the lead for 6 laps at which time Zachary VanDalen would take over the lead until his truck shut down from over heating. When the dust settled the TQ of Allec Hins took the win followed by Dante Ugalde in second and Zander Johnson in third. Forth going to Cadin Hins and fifth to Jay Hedstrom.

Race 15 a 8 minute Pro 4 SCT A1. The wind was the biggest obstacle on the track for this class. A very close battle between the top 4 but the TQ of Sam Sovacool would hold on to be the only truck to get the extra lap with Nick moxley second and Bradley Olson in third only separated by a second.

Race 16 a 30 Minute 1/8 Nitro Buggy A-main. This race was intense! The TQ of Kyle Holmberg would lead for a few laps until a bobble would drop him to 3rd with Kendal Welch out front and Seth VanDalen in second for a few more laps then Seth VanDalen would take the lead for a few laps until his first pit stop allowing Kyle Praske to lead a few laps as pit stops continued. Seth then extending his lead until running out of fuel at the 13 minute mark, dropping him to 5th as Kyle Praske took over the lead until he ran out of fuel. Kendall out front with a nice lead and he runs out fuel. More crazyness as Kendall and Seth fight there way back to the front. Now with the last Fuel stops done the top three were Kendall Welch, Tony Sletten and Seth VanDalen all swapping the lead in the last few minutes. Kendall's tires torn from the crazy grip level would allow Seth and Tony to go by to battle the last two laps as Seth's tires started to tear of the wheel Tony inched closer and Seth would try to defend but Tony able to drive around. Seth able to battle back and make the pass with only 10 seconds on the clock Seth coming down the back straight would go off the track allowing Tony to take the lead. Tony has but one lap left and Seth one lap to catch Tony. In the end Tony Sletten would hang on to win, Seth VanDalen in second and Kendall Welch in third. Probably the most exicting finsih I've seen in a while.

Race 17 a 15 minute Pro 2 / SCB A-main. This class was a little light on entries this race but the drivers had fun. Corey Hins with the win and his two boys Allec and Cadin second and third for a all father son podium. 

Race 18 a 10 minute 1/8 E-Buggy A2. The TQ of Seth VanDalen would lead them around the first lap and then catch a rut on the triple step up and crash needing to be marshalled allowing Kyle Holmberg to take the lead followed by Steve Nelson and Sam Sovacool for a few laps while Seth worked his way back to the lead and battled back and forth for lead with Kyle Holmberg. At the end it was a 2nd to the last lap crash from Seth to give the lead back to Kyle Holmberg who would drive clean to finish on top. Sean VanDalen second and Sam Sovacool third. After the Tie breaker Seth VanDalen would take the win followed by Sam Sovacool and Kyle Holmberg.

Race 19 a 8 minute Pro 4 SCT A2. The last main of the day. The track all grooved up and rutted out these truck set out to face the wind. The TQ of Sam Sovacool leading them around. With good battles for 2nd - 5th in the end only separated by 9 seconds it was Sam Sovcool taking the win followed by Allan Smith and Bradley Olson. The overall final being Sam Sovacool first, Allan Smith second and Bradley Olson third.

For more information on the MNRC Minnesota Off-Road Racing Series, including the current points standings in each class, click here to visit the series' page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/MNRC-Minnesota-Offroad-Racing-Series/