DIECAST RACING REPORT July 1, 2020 – Vol. 1 No. 2
Inside: Tracks Around The World ~ Racing for Charity ~ The Man Behind “Superman” ~ & much more ...
Editor’s Note
Who Is That Masked Man?! Hey everyone! There’s a large part of me that wants to be able to put some really profound thoughts in this space. But, to be honest, this is only the 2nd issue of DRR, and while I once minored in philosophy, you’re not needing to hear my pontifications on any random topic. Instead, I’ve got some tidbits of news to throw your way.
Kit Kidder-Mostrom Editor-in-Chief
First, we made it! We’re officially past the sophomore slump. Issue number two is on your screen! And along with that bit of news comes another bit: we’re growing! The first issue was only twelve pages long. This issue is 18 pages. I’m betting we’ll be around 24 pages for issue three. We have a new artist working on the magazine now. I expect he’s someone you’ve heard of, but perhaps not in this way. And we’ve brought a columnist on board, though he won’t be starting until next issue. It’s all very exciting! This issue started out as an “International” issue – whatever that means! The primary article involves tracks in four different countries, but clearly one issue isn’t enough to cover just how big downhill diecast racing has become worldwide. So... What was going to be a single issue’s content will now be stretched over three issues July 1, August 1, and September 1. Say... I want to let you know something. For the first couple of issues here we aren’t selling the ads you see on these pages. These various websites, leagues, and businesses are supporting our efforts in other ways, and in exchange we’re giving them free ad space, which also makes for great looking samples when we do start selling space in the near future. But, what I’m trying to say here is that so far we’re doing this for free. And we could use a little help. If you’d like to give us a hand, and perhaps toss a few dollars toward the future of the DRR, swing by our Patreon page. I just got it set up, so it’s not glamorous at the moment, but know that our patrons will be getting access to all sorts of extras, starting later tonight! 2 | Diecast Racing Report
In This Issue
Table of Contents Editor’s Notes
2
Resources QuickTips
Calendar 4
10 9
Features Where InThe World Is Dr. “Spanners” Watson?
4
When Racing Helps Others, Everyone Wins 8
10
8
10 Questions Silverback Racing
14
OnTheTrack Meet the real-life Steven King
16
16
Cover Art: Steven King
Diecast Racing Report is a publication of Kit Kayem Ltd. of Seattle, Washington, USA Comments or letters to the editor: comments@diecastracingreport.com Are you a writer, photographer, artist, or other ne’er-do-well? Drop us a line: submissions@diecastracingreport.com Staff: Christopher (Kit) Kidder-Mostrom, Ali Kidder-Mostrom, Steven King, Josh Paufler Photos by: Christopher Kidder-Mostrom (pg 2, 18); SewCream (pg4, 5); Jorge Tracanas (pg 12); Kundra (pg 8); Aaron Bird (pg 6, 7);YouTube Screen Captures (pg 10, 12,16 ); Warwick Rule (pg 13); July 1, 2020 | 3
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WHERE IN THE WO
The First Leg of a Th
As things stand right now, international travel seems unlikely to be a part of life again for quite some time to come. Thanks to the internet, though, it is easier than ever before to feel directly connected to others thousands of miles away. Diecast racing tracks have sprouted up all over the globe over the last few years, and that growth has exploded during the recent months of quarantine. There are races happening all over. So, today we’re going to travel across many miles of terra firma and over leagues of ocean blue thanks to the miracle of travel by map! To the right, you will notice four red diamonds. Each marks the home of a track to which we’ll be navigating. Our trip starts in Calgary, Alberta in Canada where we will meet Aaron Bird, known to most as Hot Wheels Calgary. Bird has just wrapped up a virtual tour of his own, so we will pick up right where he left off. Next we are headed 2500 miles South-ish to chat briefly with Adriel Johnson (a.k.a. 3DBotMaker). A dip down through the panama canal and then a cruise across the Atlantic lands us just outside Lisbon, in Sintra, Portugal where we will meet Jorge Tracanas, creator of DieCast Racing Portugal. Finally we embark upon a plane for the longest stretch of our journey. Flying in the westerly direction, we will cross over the Atlantic, Central America, and most of the South Pacific, making a a 28 hour flight that in no way could be taken right now (New Zealand’s borders are completely closed to foreign flights), touching down in Auckland, where we will meet Warwick Rule of Chaos Canyon, as well as the titular character of this article, Dr. Thom “Spanners” Watson. It is a lot to do in a little time, but for those who grew up playing Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego, or watching Indiana Jones travel by map, you should know already how we are going to get this done. And... We are off to destination number 1:
Alberta, Canada Aaron Bird has lived in Canada almost his entire life. While it is true that he was born in the United States, he has been calling the land of beavers and maple leaves home since 1978. So, it is safe to say that despite 4 | Diecast Racing Report
Aaron Bird Hot Wheels Calgary
Adriel Johnson 3DBotMaker
ORLD IS DR.“SPANNERS”WATSON?
hree-Part Tour Exploring Diecast Racing Around the World
Jorge Tracanas Diecast Racing Portugal
Warwick Rule Chaos Canyon
July 1, 2020 | 5
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other members of the diecast racing community.
A resident of Winnipeg until 2001, he set his sights westward toward the Canadian Rockies and a brighter future, which he claims to have found in Calgary, Alberta. “It’s a beautiful city, and a beautiful province”, he affirms.
He cites the “family-like spirit amongst racers” as his favorite part of that community, which is why it makes complete sense that when he and his mother returned to Ohio after almost twenty years, the trip not only included the American side of the blood relatives, but also Bird’s “Hot Wheels Family”.
Of course, diecast racing fans know that is where you will find Bird. After all, he isn’t known as Hot Wheels Winnipeg. No. He is Hot Wheels Calgary, and he’s been on the scene for long enough that his handle has been well known among other racers for years. Bird has a following online, but he also cultivates very real friendships with the
6 | Diecast Racing Report
Road Trip! – Aaron Bird (left) hangs out with HotWheelRacerMike (center) and Julius Harris (of Cleveland City Diecast, right) while traveling through Ohio on “The Hot Wheels Calgary Family Reunion Tour” in October 2019.
“We made several trips and stops along the way to meet many of the great people that have helped Hot Wheels Calgary grow and have truly become family to me,” Bird remembers. “If it wasn’t for the generosity of many of these people, the trip wouldn’t have been half as amazing as it was.” Only a few months after returning to Calgary, the pandemic had become the world’s new reality, and Bird committed himself to creating a new track for the races that he hosts. His previous track, Birdco Raceway (pictured top opposite), was a 20-foot-long four-lane drag strip that cascaded down from its 6-foot tall starting gate. Bird’s new plans were for a massive, winding mountain pass racetrack called Birdco Pass. He just needed time to complete the new track. So, why did he launch a completely
Feature sofar as there is no travel involved. Instead, seven tracks participated in a parade of races at their home tracks narrated by Bird as a guest announcer. “[The track owners] record five days of races for me,” Bird says. “No commentary. They add sound effects and editing features if they so wish, then send them to me.”
new video series entitled the “Track Tour Series” at exactly that same time? “The primary reason for the Track Tour Series was to give me a little more time to get the new track together,” Bird explains. “It also allowed me to help other channels get noticed and build their viewer base.” The tour isn’t technically a tour, in-
The process then moves completely into Bird’s hands. “I do the voiceover commentary, edit things at the beginning and end, accordingly, and post it.”
Track Tour Series. Having had a lovely time in Calgary, it’s now time to make our way to California to check in with the guy who has been spreading the good word of diecast racing to the world. Cue the traveling music... And we’re there:
California, USA
The idea for the tour goes back to that road trip last year, or possibly before that.
It may seem strange that the person most directly responsible for the exponential growth of Hot Wheels (and other 1:64 scale) racing as a spectator sport, didn’t play with Hot Wheels as a child.
“Originally the idea was something my wife and I had talked about quite some time ago, but it was Nick Deavers [of Nick Deavers Racing] who really put the idea into my head recently and got me going on the idea.”
“It wasn’t something me or my friends played with,” says Adriel Johnson, the man whose YouTube productions have made the past few months bearable for many. “I was very much into Micro Machines.”
Bird documented his two recent diecast-related tours, and they are both easily enjoyed at his YouTube channel. Viewers can take in the entirety of The HWC Family Reunion Tour, and the action at all the tracks involved in the
As pointed out in videos on the 3DBotMaker YouTube Channel, Johnson got into the business of making accessories for Hot Wheels tracks back in 2014, and that has been his primary employment ever since. Now with six years under his belt operating 3DBotMaker, he has left the manufacturing aspect behind, and shifted primarily to producing his exceptionally popular racing videos. (WorldTour cont. on page 11)
July 1, 2020 | 7
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When Racing Helps Others, Everyone Wins While creating the calendar listings for the premier issue of Diecast Racing Report two weeks ago, something jumped out: a pattern of sorts. Among the details that declared whether a car could be modified with custom axles, or what the maximum weight can be, there was another bit of information that kept cropping up: “Racing for Charity”. It seemed as though there were a significant number of people hosting races for the express purpose of raising funds for worthy causes. When you look at the calendar listings in this issue, you will once again see that there are a number of races that are being hosted for the good of others. We contacted the folks who are running these races, so that we can share with you what they are doing, and how you can get involved should you so choose. First up is the Westfield 500. Hosted by Indiana Diecast Racing. This race is raising funds for the WestfieldWashington Library. Jim Desaulniers is a scout leader, and the library has provided a lot of support for his efforts, “so I thought I could return the favor,” says Desauliers. Each participant in the race made a $5 donation per car. So far $50 has been donated. More cars are likely to have arrived since we spoke yesterday (I know for a fact that my cars had yet to be collected from the post office), so that number will be higher by race time. It’s too late to submit a car, as the deadline was July 1st. However, if you are interested in making a contribution, you can contact Jim at the Indiana Diecast Racing facebook page. 8 | Diecast Racing Report
David Currin has a busy summer ahead of him. And it hasn’t been devoid of activity up to this point. He is coordinating Charger Summer for Redline Derby, he hosted the first series of races, and will host the final installment of the event after the cars get back from the 5 other tracks they’re going to. In the middle of all that, he’s helping his college-aged daughter move back to campus. He’s got a lot on his mind. One other thing is on his mind. Currin lost his father to cancer last year. To honor the memory of his father, and to raise funds for Cape Fear Hospice in order to help supply their Kitchen which supports families of those in hospice. Most racers know Currin as “League of Speed”. His tournament is called the Poppa Speed Invitational, and he is donating $300 plus $1 for each car entered into the tournament. A full field will result in another $320 donation. Added to those two amounts will be those donations sent in by participants. Currin hopes to have the total donated be $1000. Information on making a contribution and on entering cars into the races (there are five divisions) can be found at RedlineDerby.com Silverback Racing Diecast is hosting a fundraiser for St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital in tandem with Tune Trax Speedway. This event isn’t a mailin event, so it won’t be appearing on our deadlines calendar. It is, however, discussed at length in the article about Silverback Racing Diecast, which can be found on page 14 of this issue. Further info is available on Silverback Diecast Racing’s Facebook announcements page.
Calendar
Mail-in Race Deadlines Stock: Poppa Speed Invitational – Deadline for Entry: July 11, 2020. Drag strip. One of five divisions is Stock: Funny Cars. Racing for Charity. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Diecast 64 Open Stock and Hot Off The Shelf (July) – Deadline for Entry: July 18, 2020. Drag Strip. Two of five divisions are stock. Open Stock is any 1:64 scale cars. Hot Off The Shelf must be 2019 or 2020 Mainline cars. Entrance fee. More Info: RaceHotWheels.com 2020 Diecast Games – Deadline for Entry: August 1, 2020. Multiple Tracks. Ten events. A participant must send a team of 4 cars meeting specific requirements. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Stock and Mod Rally Race – Deadline for Entry: August 15, 2020. Road Course. 70 gram weight
limit. Cars must be models that have raced on Rally circuit in real life. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Modifieds: Poppa Speed Invitational – Deadline for Entry July 11, 2020. Drag Strip. Four of five divisions are modifieds: Dragsters, Pro Stocks, Gassers, and Ground Up Dragsters (GUD). Racing for Charity. More Info: RedlineDerby.com
Rowdy Rat Rods Invade Shubbery Lane - Deadline for Entry: July 17, 2020. Multiple Tracks (Drag strip & Road course). 40 grams. Awards for Best in Show, Most True to Theme, and Best Use of Rust. More Info: The Racers that Say Ni Diecast 64 Open Modified & Modified Street (July) – Deadline for Entry: July 18, 2020. Drag strip. 57 gram weight limit in both categories. Entrance fee. More Info: RaceHotWheels.com Diecast 64 ZAMAC Half-Mile Deadline for Entry: July 18, 2020. Drag strip. ZAMAC cars only. Modifying for speed. Limited modifying for appearance. 80 gram weight limit. Entrance fee. More Info: RaceHotWheels.com Silverback Racing Invitational – Deadline for Entry: July 24, 2020. Road Course. 60 gram weight
limit. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Stock and Mod Rally Race – Deadline for Entry: August 15, 2020. Road Course. 70 gram weight
limit. Cars must be models that have raced on Rally circuit in real life. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Cavalcade of Calamity Custom Competition – Deadline for Entry: August 22, 2020. Road Course. 90
gram weight limit. More Info: RedlineDerby.com
If you have a race you would like to see on this calendar listing, please add it to the listings at RedlineDerby.com. Doing so just makes everyone’s lives a little easier. Thanks! Kit K-M
!Special Event! for Stocks & Mods! JLHKRAFTS.COM Truck Series at
Deadline for Entry: August 4, 2020 Driver Limit of 4 cars per team / Max of 2 teams 70 gram weight limit Entries must be Trucks Any brand, Any model Stocks & Mods will compete directly against each other Entrance fee if sending in more than three trucks. Diecast Racing Report has signed on as a secondary sponsor of this six race series.
MORE INFO July 1, 2020 | 9
Resources
Quick Tips
Not Van Gogh? You Can Still Paint Like A Pro! Whether you’re just learning to modify cars or want to take your paint jobs up a notch, follow these quick tips to make your next mod a masterpiece!
Detailing Diecast cars. 4. Don’t forget the details. Spending a little time on the little things can make a big difference. Luca’s Dad shows you how in Painting Hot Wheels Headlights.
1. Start with a blank canvas. You can apply primer to plastic bodies to start with a clean slate, but you’ll need to strip away the original paint from metal cars. SidewaysKing75 takes you through the options in his video ‘HOW TO’ remove paint from die-cast cars.
5. Take it to the next level. Using a wash can bring out the details in your casting or add a rustic realism to your design. See the possibilities in How to Make an Oil Wash for your Custom Hot Wheels by BaremetalHW.
2. Choose the best tools. You can brush on paint or spray on paint, but using an air brush will give your car the thinnest, most even coat. Know nothing about airbrushes? Miniac has you covered! Next Issue: 3. Keep it clean. Want more than one color? Use masking tape to create clean lines when adding layers to your paint job. See how it works in Manga Garage’s video Tape Masking for Airbrush & Touchup
10 | Diecast Racing Report
Your car may have been through a lot. Make it clear just how much! Mid-July’s focus is Rust Effects
Feature (WorldTour cont. from page 7) Back on January 24, 2020, the G/O Media’s automotive-themed website, Jalopnik carried a story about Johnson’s videos entitled “These ‘Diecast Rally Championship’ Videos Are Way Too Good”, and the first major surge in 2020 of new viewers arrived at the 3DBotMaker channel. Jalopnik is a sister site to other G/O owned outlets such as The Onion, Jezebel, and Gizmodo. So, very little time passed before a lot of other sites were covering what was going on in the diecast racing scene. Twelve major sites and press outlets have covered the channel and Johnson’s racing series since that first article. “I didn’t expect that kind of attention,” Johnson admits. Although, he continues that “the 3DBotmaker channel has always had a bigger reach than just diecast racing fans.” He credits changes that he’s made to this year’s programming as leading to the channel’s expanded reach. “I’m proud of everything I’ve made in 2020,” he says. What is his favorite creation to date? “My favorite video is usually the one I’m currently working on.” Given that a new video comes out every few days, Johnson probably has a new favorite video just as you’re reading this.
Just like Aaron Bird, Johnson enjoys the community that has grown up around his channel. “The fans of the channel are overwhelmingly positive,” he expresses. When asked about what he enjoys most about the community on the whole, he says “the memes, definitely the memes”. With another video being released imminently, we need to let Adriel get back to his work, and so we’re on our way to our next stop.
Sintra, Portugal Not unlike Johnson, Jorge Tracanas did not play with Hot Wheels as a child either. “They weren’t a thing in Portugal in the 80s,” says the 38-year-old Sintra native. “I had a lot of Majorette 1:64s that I raced a lot...I still have my very first diecast car today.” He restored it a couple of years ago and gave the car a permanent place in his collection. When he is not taking calls in the call center of a major coffee company, Tracanas enjoys photography as a hobby. And, as you might expect given his inclusion in this article, he’s very much into diecast racing. “I started collecting Hot Wheels about three or four years ago,” Tracanas confides. He had previously been involved with RC models, but when that got to be too expensive, he naturally shifted to 1:64 scale cars. And once he started collecting, the next natural step was to build a track. “I think it was last year that I had my first tournament. It was a drag track, only.” Despite having been actively racing for some time now, the pandemic gave him a little more time to focus on track upgrades. “I’ve always used a 1.5 cm starting lance from Hot Wheels that I got a while ago, and in my first and second versions, I used slot tracks for the turns and straightaways, too,” says Tracanas, relating the history of his track’s development. “I can say this is version 3.0 of the initial track. This track was started one week before the Covid-19 quarantine got here, so I’ve had to use what I’ve already got to do the track. Right now I’m still using slot track in the turns, but I’ve made my straights out of Coroplast [corrugated plastic sheets].” All of the redesigning and work on the track is intended to remove the remaining slot track from the overall structure. Tracanas is a bit of a perfectionist with regards to his set-up. “I don’t think I will ever be happy with it, because my goal is to do a diorama, and to also store my Hot Wheels, so I believe I’ll be constantly expanding and changing something.” One thing that is unlikely to change is Diecast Racing (WorldTour cont. on page 12) July 1, 2020 | 11
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Track 3.0 – The track structure is always being improved at Diecast Racing Portugal. The most recent track featured slot-racing track and Coroplast sections.
(WorldTour cont. from page 11) Portugal’s unique style of presentation. While Tracanas’s command of English is exemplary, he still prefers not to have to do commentary for the videos in his non-native tongue. Instead of his races being described by on-air announcers, he uses dialog bubbles akin to those in comic books. This creates an aesthetic unlike any other races currently online. Another deviation from the standard practices of other racing channels gives Tracanas’s races a distinctly local flavor. He doesn’t use names of online racers as his drivers. “I’m using the tournaments to raise awareness of the sport in Portugal, so my drivers are mainly Portuguese people who followmy DCR page and channel.”
Tracanas has a lot of exciting ideas about the future of his track, including a couple that we can’t tell you about just yet. But, you can be sure that when he is ready to share the new aspect, it will be different from what anyone else is doing, and that we will cover it here in Diecast Racing Report.
With that little bit of teasing, we will make our final jump in this bit of globetrotting.
Te Ika-a-Māui, New Zealand I don’t know how to pronounce the official name (above) of New Zealand’s North Island, but that’s where you’ll find the city of Auckland, and in Auckland we will find the home of Chaos Canyon. Warwick Rule is different than the other men mentioned in this article, in that he was not actively participating in diecast racing prior to the Covid-19 quarantine. He, like many others, discovered the sport by way of seeing an article about Johnson’s races. Yet he has one very important thing in common with the others featured here. He is actively trying to grow the worldwide community of diecast racing fans. Rule’s involvement in the community has taken a very steep trajectory since his getting sucked-in by his first 3DBotmaker viewing. “I started with some orange track on our deck and it grew quickly from there.,” he reminisces.
Graphic and Novel – Diecast Racing Portugal uses dialog bubbles to convey the race commentary.
12 | Diecast Racing Report
He was quickly
on to building his own track out of materials he had around his studio (like Tracanas, Rule is a photographer). He was using a PVC foam product that is sold under the name of Palight. And, he shared his experiences of his track building on RedlineDerby.com, where others in the community embraced his ventures into the field. “When I started, I struggled to find any other channel [other than 3DBotMaker] to watch, and then I found redlinederby.com and and found some new channels,” Rule relates. “The best thing is you don’t need a huge budget, you just need a camera and something to race on and there are some awesome handmade tracks showing up to prove it.” So, Rule built his own handmade track, gave it a post-apocalyptic vibe, and started to hold races with the cars he had on hand. “I went from having the 10-15 cars I had leftover from my younger days, to buying 45 just when I started at the end of March (as New Zealand went into lockdown), and now I have somewhere around 500,” Rule tells of his personal diecast collection. Rule’s races are presented in twoannouncer format. His two commentators are Dr. Thom “Spanners” Watson and Frank “The Guru” Gibbs. The former is voiced in Rule’s own relaxed tones, while the latter is digitally modulated up slightly in pitch and given a more rough-around-the-edges personality to go along. One of the most endearing things about the two characters is that they have well fleshed-out backstories, and that leads to solid storytelling as their relationship becomes more clear during races. “Spanners used to run a garage/ workshop and raced on the weekends, but he never made the big time. Now he has a chance to be involved with the racing scene
Feature and he is fully into it. Guru runs a speed and custom shop which focuses on more rat rod style vehicles. He is all about cool looking cars and going fast. He’s not always appropriate, because he talks before he thinks, but he just calls things as he sees them. He knew Spanners from a few races they met at and they became friends over that time. He was invited by Thom to join him and the producers agreed.” Rule’s characters are more than just his race announcers. The are also the hosts of his other major project, the DSPN (Diecast Sports Programming Network). DSPN is a weekly recap of diecast racing activities from all over the planet. The show is produced in conjunction with redlinederby.com and has already established itself as an indispensable commodity within the diecast racing community.
And Rule has quickly made other moves which ensure his relevance within the sport. His track, Chaos Canyon, was one of the seven tracks that Aaron Bird made part of his Chaos Canyon’s commentators and their respective rides – Dr. Thom recent Track “Spanners” Watson (left) and Frank “The Guru” Gibbs (right). Tour Series. “It was so much fun!” says Rule of the spheres, diecast racing brings toproject, “It was a lot easier for me gether a community that helps to as there was little production - one make the world a little smaller. camera angle only, no music or commentary to do, no graphics. I Editor’s Note: There is a lot more approached him when I heard he to each of the interviews that led to was doing it, to see if I could be inthis interview. If you would like to volved and he was open to it. I read any of the interviews in their think it’s a great idea and am defientirety, they are available to our nitely keen to do it again. It was Patreon patrons. Consider also quite funny to see how somebecoming a patron of DRR: one else commentates on my track. Click Here! Even in completely different hemi-
July 1, 2020 | 13
10 Questions
Ten Q’s w/ Silverback Racing We asked ten questions of Daniel Johnson, the founder of the racing team known as Silverback Racing, and John Hanson, his top lieutenant. Each issue we’ll be asking 10 questions of someone in the diecast racing community. This issue, we’re talking to a team! 1.
Q: Did you play with Hot Wheels as a kid? If so, what was your favorite car? A (D. Johnson): I loved anything diecast as a kid. My uncle and I used to paint model aircraft all the time. I had quite a few Hot Wheels as a kid and my favorite car was the Ferrari Testarossa. It had exceptionally beautiful lines in that casting.
2. Q: What do you think attracts people to the sport of diecast racing? A (D. Johnson): The competition, the thrill of having your car run down the track and winning. Most people who are in the sport are extremely competitive and have that will to want to win. 3. Q: You head a team, rather than a channel. What made you pick this way to participate in the sport? A (D. Johnson): Well, when I started in the sport, I did not have any content to start a channel. I was also very new to the competitive side of the sport. I wanted a place where people from various skill levels could come together in a partnership and family style element to help each other in the sport. The team element has always strengthened bonds within people chasing one common goal. The team element helped me to strengthen my skills. Silverback Racing TV on YouTube will be active in September. 4. Q: How many people are part of Silverback Racing? A (D. Johnson): We currently have 8 team drivers. We are always looking to expand. 5. Q: How do you recruit team members? A (D. Johnson): I normally just put out a blast on the Silverback Racing Facebook page. Interested drivers will then reach out to me. Then we converse and see if the chemistry is right and then if so, they join the team. I am currently working on a more formal process. 6. Q: John, what appealed to you about joining a racing team, and Silverback Racing, specifically? A (J. Hanson): I was really a noob at Hot Wheels racing. I started, of course, watching 3DBotMaker, then all the other race channels. It got me hooked. Now I have a test track and mods. It’s exciting to watch and actually hear your name when you race your cars on other tracks... Now with Silverback, I was watching Rust Belt’s daily races and Daniel Johnson was looking to put a team together and I hopped on it and it’s been a blast. 7. Q: You’re sponsoring races at other people’s tracks. What does that entail? A (D. Johnson): It all depends on the owner of the racetrack and what their stipulations are. I normally find a track that I would like to have a race and I will approach the owner and then ask them what it would take to host a race at their track. Then we negotiate and the rest is history. The first track that allowed us to host a race series was Rust Belt Raceway. The Silverback Racing Invitational is going to be on August 15th, 2020. 8. Q: For the Silverback Invitational, you’re sponsoring a Customs race. For the St. Jude’s fundraiser, you’re doing a non-mail-in stock race. Do you have a preference for types of races you’ll sponsor? A (D. Johnson): It does not matter to me. I will sponsor any kind of race if the track is a good one and the track owners are responsible. I am currently working on a drag track of my own. Tentatively named the Silverback Racing proving ground. It will be a spring-loaded drag track which would enable me to have a quicker track. It would allow me to race Real rider tire cars. I am thinking on doing a ranking system from 1 to 10 and that would be the hierarchy of the track. It would allow people to enter the ranking, but they would have to beat the number 10 ranked car to get in. I would also host pink slips, cash days and grudge matches. 9. Q: Would you like to see the development of more independent teams like your own? A (D. Johnson): Absolutely. I think it would be great for the sport. 10. Q: What do you see as the future of Silverback Racing? A (J. Hanson): We want to be known in the diecast community as a great race team: a team you can join and be treated like family.
14 | Diecast Racing Report
July 1, 2020 | 15
On The Track
Steven King Can Survive Automotive Armageddon Once again DRR goes to press the same day as the newest installment of 3DBotMaker’s Diecast Rally Championship video, so this is where we point out that there is a 24-moratorium on spoilers, which means we won’t be commenting on what happened in the Round 3 video. We’ll just tell you to go watch it and see what’s up for yourself. In the meantime, we have had the chance to sit down and chat with Steven King, the real-life man behind the character that is the sentimental favorite to three-peat as the DRC Champion. King started out as a Minneapolis kid who grew up to be a Los Angeles-dwelling artist. He’s loved Hot Wheels since he was a kid. He had a track then. He has multiple tracks now. And he drew the art on this issue’s cover (pictured in miniature there on the right). King is no newcomer to diecast racing fandom. “I’ve been watching 3D and other YouTubers for years,” he points out. “The quarantine did give me time to get more involved, especially on the Facebook pages. Since he is a driver in the DRC, you might think he has the gift of prognostication given that most of 3DBotmaker’s race drivers are chose from previous guessthe-winner contests, but “for the first DRC it was a little different. We all picked the cars we liked and our names got listed on a wheel for that car. The driver was chosen at random.” King hadn’t even tried to be a driver before. “First try, and I hit it big. I never had before because I didn’t have the time to invest.” It seems that luck has been on King’s side since the very beginning of the process. But he hasn’t let so much winning go to his head. Nevertheless, you can guess who he’s pulling for on race day: “I really want to try and sound magnanimous here and rise above my own ego, but I can’t... Yeah, I cheer for myself.” 16 | Diecast Racing Report
He’s not alone. Before the most recent series of races began, “Superman” Steven King was selected by the largest group of fans to win his third championship. He has fans as well as “anti-fans”, as he calls them, and he shares that “they are all great.” King adds that the fans are “what makes this more than the sum of its parts”. When he’s in the forums he tries to put on a bit of the character of the fictitious version of Steven King that was created by 2D & 3D. “I try to think what someone would say if they are racing cars and found themselves in the same position talking to the people.” Being a diecast race driver has led to meeting new friends and helped him rediscover “a deep passion” and “a new way to approach” a hobby that he’d seen as a bit off for still being active in. When not appearing vicariously in races via his fictional self, King participates in a group event called Wasteland Weekend. He likens the sense of community in the 3DBotmaker community to that of the Mad Max-themed group headed by Jared Butler and Adam Chilson. “It is another group filled with amazing people.” And it is also car-themed. In fact, that theme continues in King’s art portfolio, which you can visit at https:// www.deviantart.com/oi101/gallery. Keeping on the motoring theme, King loves riding his Harley Street 750. And since he hangs with postapocalyptic road warriors you’d be a fool to laugh at his beloved bike.
July 1, 2020 | 17
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