Rudy Rico shines at the JConcepts Comstock Challenge!

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By Thomas Tran
LiveRC.com

Press release from Randy Pike via Tracktime:
www.tracktimehobbies.com

The JConcepts Comstock Challenge by all measures was a great success.  With a completely fresh layout going in the weekend prior by the hard working TTH track crew, brand new pipe,  fresh paint and some other minor upgrades the facility was prepped for some of the best racing the region has seen.  Just over 120 entries for the race  meant there would be plenty of battles and with the layout being quick along with a few technical aspects would allow races to battle each other with room to flex their “strengths” in their favorite sections.  A full length 120+ foot “West Racing” straight away would lead you into the Factory RC mogul sweeper, into the launch ramp into the “rumble” section leading into the step on step off section, into the triple and down the stair case section, into the double leading into the off camber section and finally past the JConcepts finish line.

The track surface maintained it’s well known level of grip throughout qualifying and the mains. The race program was ran by Nate Hart and Randy Pike and was kept on schedule without any major issues.  Drivers were treated to an early morning practice and early qualifying allowing everyone to break for a nice sit down dinner getting out on Saturday around 6pm after 3 rounds of qualifying. Sunday hosted a quick 1 hour controlled practice and into the final round of qualifying. After a quick water break and main setup, mains were posted an racing began. Stock classes were given bump ups while mod classes had Triple A mains.

4wd SC truck was dominated by MIP’s own Matt Olson. Matt was overall Tq by a decent margin with Caster Racing’s Rick Jenkins starting from the 2, and Tekin/MIP teammate Kyle Linton starting from the 3 position. The full field would make their way through the triple A’s without too much carnage, all drivers finishing each main.  Olson would take the overall win by taking A1 and A2 tone to tone. Rick Jenkins, Kyle Linton, Joe Trainer, would all battle for the remaining podium spots all the way down to A3. A3 would see Matt Olson sitting out the race allowing the rest to battle it out for the last two spots.  Kyle Linton would have a great race taking off with Jenkins for the first few laps. Linton would force an error from Jenkings taking the lead and running away with the race. Jenkins and Trainer would have a great cat and mouse race all the way til the last lap. Jenkins would check up on a lapped driver and stop allowing Trainer to sneak by in the last corner for the final podium spot.

2wd Modified buggy was the largest class of the event. 5 heats deep and some of the fastest drivers in the area converged to battle it out with factory drivers such as JR Mitch, Matt Olson, Rudy Rico, Chris Jarosz, and Eric Willardson just to name a few. Rudy Rico found his footing early on and put his AE B5m on point for the triple A’s.  Amain factory driver Justin Moon try to keep Rico in sight but would to have both eyes open with a hard charging Eric Willardson behind him always nipping at his heels. The two would be nose to tail with nearly identical lap times each and every time around the JConcepts finish line. Willardson would get by Moon after a small mistake only to give it right back the next lap. Rudy Rico would take A1 with Justin Moon in 2nd, Eric Willardson just a few seconds back in 3rd.  A2 would once again have Rico out front once again running a pace just outside the rest of the field. Moon and Willardson would once again have an epic battle swapping positions around lap 4 and go back and forth the next 2 laps swapping positions. Moon would hold the 2 spot down until lap 25 where a small roll over would give Willardson the position. Moon would regain the position on the last lap when Willardson would make his own small error.  A3 would have Rico sitting out the race. Justin Moon would take off from the tone only to roll over after the step on/off section falling to 4th and giving Eric Willardson the lead.  Moon would battle back passing Chris Jarosz around lap 9, Jr Mitch on lap 19 and hold his second position with Eric Willardon taking the win!  Rudy Rico would win the overall with Justin Moon taking 2nd only after the tie breaker of combined laps/times over Eric Willardson.  This was some of the cleanest and best racing I’ve seen in quite some time. My hat is off to everyone in the 2wd Mod Buggy Class (Randy Pike)

Modified Stadium truck was up next and had some great racing. Visiting TLR/Tekin/Jconcepts driver JR Mitch would take the Tq position and start on point. JR would have Tekin/TLR teammate Kyle Linton for company and on lap 2 Kyle would capitalize on an error by JR to take the lead. JR would make up the gap quickly and take over the lead and hold onto it for the remainder of the race. Linton would hold onto 2nd after a battle with Brant Pradere who would finish 3rd.  A2 had JR putting on a clinic taking the win from tone to tone. Behind him however would be an epic battle between Kyle Linton, Ray Hayman, Mike Pradere, and Brand Pardere.  The four drivers changing positions repeatedly with the group finally settling for positions around lap 15.  Kyle Linton would retain 2nd overall, with the battle for 3rd going all the way to the last lap with Brant Pradre taking the position over Ray Hayman on the last corner!  A3 had JR sitting out. Ray Hayman would make a mistake early on allowing Jerred “Moose” Mattingley to take the lead. Jarred and Mike Pardere would have a great battle swapping positions around lap 12 and settle it out 5 laps later with Jarred taking the win. Pradere would take 2nd with Kyle Linton taking 3rd.  Triple A results had JR Mitch on top, Jarred Mattingley 2nd, and Kyle Linton 3rd overall.

2wd Modified Short Course Truck qualifying was dominated by Tekin/TLR Jason Mo Moberly.  Jason would make a small mistake in A1 allowing Cameron Kerndt to take the lead but it would be short lived. Moberly would make the pass stick and never look back lapping the field.  A2 looked to be more of the same but once again a small bobble by Moberly would allow Kerndt to take the lead this time for 5 laps until Moberly would make the pass on lap 22 to take the win. Kerndt would finish strong in 2nd.  Moberly wrapped up the overall and sat out A3. A3 had Cameron Kerndt leading from tone to tone to take the win, and 2nd place overall. Dustin Salsby would take 3rd overall to round out the podium.

4wd Modified buggy was also hotly contested at the JConcepts Comstock Challenge. Rudy Rico once again took the overall Tq with some super fast and consistent laps.  Starting from the pole Rudy would look to run away from field with consistent speed. Behind him however Tekin/Xray Mason Eppley and Kyosho’s Chris Jarosz would battle it out for the entire main changing positions a few times til the end. Eppley would take second and Jarosz 3rd. A2 proved Rudy Tq’d for a reason leading tone to tone to take the overall win.  Mason Eppley would make some mistakes and fall back to 7th with the field being so closely matched in the class.  Tekin/TLR JR Mitch would make a move early on and hold the field off taking 2nd overall. TLR’s Eric Willardson, Mason Eppley, MIP’s Matt Olson and Chris Jarosz would all battle it out for the 3rd position with Eppley edging out the rest to take 3rd.  A3 had Rico watching from the sidelines rooting on his fellow racers. Tekin/TLR JR Mitch would capitalize on Eppley’s early bobble and run away with the win. Eppley would sustain major pressure from Chris Jarosz to take 2nd, with Jarosz taking 3rd. Overall Rudy Rico would take the top spot joined by JR Mitch second, and Mason Eppley 3rd overall.

Track Time Hobbies has a “2wd Box Stock Buggy” division which has very clear limited rules. All participants must use a Tekin Gen1 17.5 motor, any ROAR approved spec esc, and are not allowed to upgrade their buggies outside of any parts that do not come with the stock kit or some version of the kit available to the public. This helps reduce costs and helps promote clean tight fair racing. It’s becoming one of the most popular classes at the weekly club racing.  James Mikoliczyk would take the overall Tq for the division. Leading the way in the main with his Kyosho RB6 a small bobble early on would drop him to 3rd place. Dustin Salsby would inherit the lead but he too would make a mistake allowing Ernie Simmons to take the lead. James would make a hard push passing Salsby and Simmons to take the lead back and run the remainder of the race flawlessly. Salsby and Simmons would battle once more in lap 10 but Salsby would finally get away for the rest of the race to take 2nd overall, Simmons taking 3rd to round out the podium.

Stock 2wd Stadium Truck had a strong showing this weekend as well.  Ed Whitecotton would take the overall Tq running the brand new PRS-1 Truck for his first time. From the pole Ed would run away with the main and the win. Behind him however would be an epic battle between Keoni Pang, Cameron Kerndt, Will Smith, and Ronnie Holt.  Early on the battle was tight with guys swapping positions in nearly every other corner. Half way through guys would begin to stretch the gaps a bit and begin battling each other one on one. Kerndt would shake everyone behind him but Keoni Pang and Ronnie Holt.  Kerndt would drop to 4th when Pang and Holt pressed hard to push the pace. Holt and Pang would swap positions for the next 3 laps until back marker traffic would get the best of the battle. Pang would edge out Holt for 2nd overall and Kerndt would put a lass lap push to pass Holt and take 3rd overall.

2wd Pro Stock Buggy is where the expert stock racers do battle at Track Time Hobbies. Tq and MIP team driver Rudy Rico would once again start from the pole. This time however drivers like Matt Olson, Kyle Linton, Mike Pradere and the rest of the guys in this heat would have something to say about the win. Olson would follow Rico while the two pushed the pace and tried to break away from the pack. On lap 6 however Rico would bobble giving the lead to Olson. Olson and Rico would swap it back and forth for the next 2 laps all to the cheering of the crowd, while both laughing ecstatically on the stand. Kyle Linton would not be far behind and would inch up closer and closer while these two battled it out. Rico would hold off Olson for another 10 laps but once again falter allowing himself and Olson to once again laugh out the battle again to the crowds approval. Rico would take the win by the narrowest of margins after a small bobble of Olson with Linton rounding out the podium. This too was another race not to be missed, great passing and clean racing!  Randy Pike

4wd 13.5 buggy has been a class gaining popularity around the U.S.  This gives a stepping stone class to one of the fastest classes to race in r/c racing.  James Mikoliczyk would take the Tq position in his Kyosho Zx6.  James would bobble early on allowing 9 year old Utah phenom Cash Mattingley to take the lead. Mattingley would also bobble giving the lead back to Mikoliczyk. Mattingely would unfortunately DNF around lap 13 leading the race. Mikoliczyk would lead the rest of the race with Ernie Simmons take 2nd overall with Scott Burciaga rounding out the podium in 3rd place.

Everyone at Track Time Hobbies would like to thank everyone who made the trip out. We’d like to thank our event sponsors once again; JConcepts, MIP, Factory RC, West Racing, and Imagine it Graphics.

Thanks to Randy Pike for the race report.