MOMENT WITH MIKE: Eight things to watch for at this week's ROAR Fuel Off-Road Nationals

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Mike Garrison

0 June 19, 2017, 10:18 a.m.

By Mike Garrison
LiveRC.com

Today is Monday, but it is no ordinary Monday. It’s pre-Nats Monday! We are only a few days away from the start of the 2017 ROAR Fuel Off-Road Nationals at Stateline Raceway in Fremont, Indiana. The excitement has been building, the teams have been testing, and as the days are counting down I’ve put together a list of my top eight things to watch for at this year’s event.

Worlds Qualifier

A ROAR national title is the highest-ranked achievement in North American R/C car racing. The only thing more prestigious than a national championship win is a world championship win. To have a shot at a world championship win, you must first earn a spot on the world championship team. This spot is earned at the ROAR Nationals. This year is a Worlds qualifying year, and with the 2018 IFMAR World Championships to be held in Perth, Australia, everyone is itching for a spot. Too often, the World Championships are found in less than desired or glamorous locations; however, survey says there isn’t a driver on this year’s ROAR Nats entry list who would willingly turn down a trip down under.  The top 32 minus those who made the final at the Vegas Worlds (those six drivers are locked into a spot for Australia) will earn their position on Team USA for the 2018 World Championship. 

(MORBC in Perth, Australia - host of the 2018 IFMAR Worlds)

Head Sets

For the first time at the ROAR Fuel Off-Road Nationals, ROAR has made an official announcement to allow headset communication between drivers and their pit crew. This is not the first time we’ve seen headsets used at a nitro race, but it will be the first time it is allowed at such a high-profile event. With ROAR giving the go-ahead, it will be interesting to see how many of the top pros choose to whisper in their headset, as opposed to yelling over screaming engines while communicating with their mechanics.

(Photo courtesy of RC Racing Communications)

Entries

With the chaos surrounding the entries for this year’s ROAR Nationals, the latest update on the ROAR Racing website shows no drivers on the waiting list. This means everyone has a spot to race at this point. Despite ROAR making room for everyone possible after the pre-entry fiasco, my guess is that many of the keyboard warriors who spent more time throwing a fit online than they do racing will either A) not show up despite getting a spot, or B) won’t attempt to sign up even though there is no one in line on the waiting list. Even though 1/8-scale nitro racing attendance has been up and down in the Midwest there is no doubt that the event will be packed; however, I am more curious to see following the event if it will it have any impact on local/regional 1/8-scale nitro racing for better or worse.

Local Talent

Every track in America has a local hotshot. Sometimes that hotshot makes a name for him or herself nationwide, while other times that driver is simply known as the fastest racer at that one specific track. Stateline Raceway has a list of local and regional talent that isn’t always in the headlines of the national scene, but I believe that a handful of them could very well take full advantage of the “hometown” race and make their mark.  A few of these drivers to keep an eye on will be Aydin and Austin Horne, Tyler Jones, Brad Shearer, Collin Weatherholt, and — of course — Dakotah Phend. Dakotah is quite familiar with the Stateline Raceway facility; so much so that his wife, Chloe, is the track owner’s daughter. Perhaps the confidence of knowing the track and being surrounded by family will be Dakotah’s ticket to the top.

Blowouts

Something in the R/C water has escalated the amount of out-of-control driving, aggressive moves, blowouts, and angry turn marshals this season. With several recent cases of drivers blowing out and causing actual bodily harm to innocent bystanders and/or turn marshalls, I believe (or at least hope) to see ROAR and the race committee cracking down on racers at this year’s event. What many people don’t realize about a ROAR National, is that the race announcer only has so much say in what happens, how it’s handled, etc. ROAR, the race management team, and the race director (at major ROAR races, the director and announcer are two different people) are the ones who make the decisions and discipline the drivers. I believe this event, more than ever, will have staff on high alert, watching and waiting to put a quick stop to anyone misbehaving on or off the race track.

Soggy Weather

Stateline Raceway hosted last year’s ROAR 1/8-Scale Electric Off-Road Nationals, during which the track crew miraculously salvaged the track after a continuous downpour of rain. Looking at this week’s forecast, I am guessing that the track crew already has mud boots, shovels, and rain ponchos ready to go. According to the weathermen's predictions (which we all know are never wrong) rain is expected Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Saturday is expected to be cloudy skies, which is not ideal for drying out a muddy race track. On the sunny side of things, temperatures are supposed to be in the 70-80-degree range, which is far more welcome than 90-100 that we’ve seen at the ROAR Nationals in years past. 

Old Dogs

If, in fact, we are faced with adverse weather conditions, I believe that we will see the “old dogs” of the sport shine. Racing in mud and less than ideal track conditions seems to be a thing of the past, in which a lot of the new breed of racers have little-to-no experience racing. Setups, driving styles, pit strategy, etc. all change when race conditions change for the worse. The wide open and “whip it big” style driving of the new generation will always look the fastest, but in the mud the old dogs have the experience and knowledge to be less worried about looking fast and more about adapting to get the job done.

The Track

This year’s track layout features very little elevation change, but it is far from boring. The track features a rhythm section on the front side, followed up by a gnarly whoop section leading into what I suspect will be a very tricky double/wall jump/dragon's back. After a quick breather around a turn or two leads into a massive “booter” that looks like it will send the cars twice as high as it does far. These obstacles will all test the driver’s patience and technical skills, while a full wide open straight on the backside, leading into another wide open straight and speed double on the right side will test their machines horsepower and setup. Multiple lines and wide lanes will offer excellent passing points throughout the track. At first sight, I believe the Stateline layout is a beautiful blend of technical, high speed, and gnarly - resulting in what I expect to provide a fantastic weekend of racing to crown this year's National champs. 

The LiveRC live broadcast of the 2017 ROAR Fuel 1/8-scale Offroad Nationals begins Thursday, June 22nd - Tune in LIVE for play-by-play coverage, pit interviews, exclusive content, and more!