Diecast Racing Report - September 1, 2020 - Vol I, No 6

DIECAST RACING REPORT September 1, 2020 – Vol. 1 No. 6

Inside: Tracks Around the World (Part 3) – Weight Dynamics The Art of Decals – 3DBotMaker’s DRC Event IV

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In This Issue

Table of Contents Principal’s Office 4 Announcements 5 Calendar 6 Physical Science CanToo Much Weight be a Bad Thing?

7

Teachers Lounge Live from the Rust Belt

10

8

Geography World Tour (part 3)

10

Battle Zone Preview

15

Visual Arts

QuickTips

16

Pop Quiz

10 Q’s with JD Elst 17

8

Intramurals

RLD, Sub4Ra, Indiana Diecast Racing, World Diecast Games 19

Media Center

22

7

3DBotMaker

22

Chaos Canyon

24

Flat Rabbit Racing Club 25

Diecast Racing Report is a publication of Kit Kayem LLC, 7511 Greenwood Ave N #112, Seattle, WA 98103, 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: Emile Abed, Christopher (Kit) Kidder-Mostrom, Ali Kidder-Mostrom, Steven King, Josh Paufler Cover Art: Steven King September 1, 2020 | 3

Principal’s Office

I

t’s September, and school is back in session. In this year when all things seem to be different from any time before, the familiarity that goes along with the academic calendar is welcome. So, even though many of our kids will be home schooled, or learning remotely over the internet, we can take a moment to be glad that some semblance of routine is returning to life. It may not be the old routine, but it is routine, nevertheless.

So, this issue of Diecast Racing Report will be honoring the return to school. You’ll notice that our department headings are not as usual. Instead, we’ve named them after parts of the educational experience and the school day. This Editor’s Note works as an example: today it’s the “Principal’s Office”. I could have made it “Headmaster’s Office” for our international readers, but as I am in the USA, so I went with American terminology.

Speaking of our international friends, this issue marks our third to focus on the greater world of diecast racing across the globe. You will find coverage of three Southern Hemisphere tracks in our “Geography” section.

We’re welcoming a new contributor to the staff from England. His work won’t be found in Geography, though. Emile Abed is a science educator in real life, and

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you’ll find him in his Physical Science classroom in this issue.

Emile’s looking at an unexpected side of weight dynamics.

Ali has set-up her Visual Arts studio in the Quick Tips section this issue. Decals are the topic at hand.

And in an issue dedicated to Kit Kidder-Mostrom education, it only seems right Editor-in-Chief that Josh stops by the Teachers Lounge to talk about the act of teaching and how much it means to share one’s diecast racing know-how.

Previously, we’ve primarily covered leagues that resemble 3DBotMaker’s in that they are performative and have a storytelling element to their presentation. Those leagues will remain in their own section. This month it is dubbed the Media Center. This month we launch coverage of other leagues which are strictly racing for racing’s sake. Normally we’ll be calling that section “Tournaments”. Today, they are “Intramurals”.

Announcements

News In Brief

Rust Belt Hosts Shop Truck Challenge Sept 5 Not every modding challenge is a race. And, while Rust Belt Diecast Racing hosts a lot of races, they have also been hosting other diecast themed events, such as their weekly Swap Meet.

The newest offering from the multitrack racing league is essentially an online car show specifically for custom shop trucks.

On the morning of Sept 5, David Jewell (one of the folks who runs the league with DRR’s Josh Paufler) will post a thread on Rust Belt’s Facebook page. This is not a mail-in

event. Once the thread is posted, anyone with a custom shop truck can comment on the thread with pictures and/or video of their build.

“Any make, model, or wheels are good to go,” states the official Facebook event listing. “This is less of a competition and more a community activity.”

Buying Hot Wheels Stamps Supports USPS Hot Wheels stamps have been around since late 2018. They were originally put out in conjunction with Mattel to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diecast cars.

Now, with people looking for ways to get funds to the US Postal Service, there are two diecast-related ways to support those men and women in blue.

The first is to buy the Hot Wheels stamps that are still available. They are first class “forever” stamps that feature 10 classic Hot Wheels cars.

The second way is to purchase the USPS lines of diecast cars that are produced by Greenlight. Just like the stamps, you can order these collectible diecast cars through the Post Office website at usps.com.

In addition to the diecast mail trucks and the like, they also inexplicably have a line of American muscle cars for purchase. All funds go to ensure timely delivery to your favorite mailin races.

September 1, 2020 | 5

Calendar

Mail-in Race Deadlines Stock: Diecast 64 Open Stock and Hot Off The Shelf (September) – Deadline for Entry: September 19, 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 Redline Derby Racing League September Races - Deadline for Entry: September 23, 2020. Drag strip. Weight limit 65 grams for stock vehicles. Field limited to 32 participants. One car per participant only.

More Info: RedlineDerby.com Pinks for the Cure – Deadline for Entry: October 1, 2020. Road course.

70 gram weight limit. Cars must be pink in color. Entry Fee. Racing for Charity.

More Info:: RedlineDerby.com

Modifieds: Honda City Turbo Throwdown Deadline for Entry: September 5, 2020. 5-race series. Road courses. 50 gram weight limit. Honda City Turbo only acceptable model.

Modifying for speed and appearance, with limits.

More Info: Rust Belt Diecast Racing Grocery Getter 250 - Deadline for Entry: September 12, 2020. Road course. 70 gram weight limit.

Production model station wagons only. Must modify for appearance.

One car per participant. Limits on axles (mainline only).

More Info: Rust Belt Diecast Racing Dixie Grand Prix 3 - Deadline for Entry: September 16, 2020. Road course. 50g weight limit. Only Indy Car and F1 style vehicles permitted.

Two cars per team.

More Info: RedlineDerby.com Cops v. Robbers – Deadline for Entry: September 18, 2020. Road 6 | Diecast Racing Report

Course. 50 gram weight limit. Cars must be obviously cop cars or robber cars. No FTE axles allowed.

More Info: Jack John and Katie Racing Diecast 64 Open Modified & Modified Street (September) – Deadline for Entry: September 19, 2020. Drag strip. 57 gram weight limit in both categories. Entrance fee.

More Info: RaceHotWheels.com Diecast 64 Six Wheel Big Rig Race - Deadline for Entry: September 19, 2020. Drag strip. 6-wheeled SemiTrucks only. Modifying for speed.

Limited modifying for appearance.

100 gram weight limit. Entrance fee.

More Info: RaceHotWheels.com Redline Derby Racing League September Races - Deadline for Entry: September 23, 2020. Drag strip. Weight limit 60 grams for modified vehicles.

Field limited to 32 participants. One car per participant only.

More Info: RedlineDerby.com Miatas at the Crest – Deadline for Entry: September 30, 2020. Road course. No weight limit, but weight must no exceed height of doors.

Modding for appearance required.

More Info: RedlineDerby.com Pinks for the Cure – Deadline for Entry: October 1, 2020. Road course. 70 gram

weight limit. Cars must be pink in color. Entry Fee. Racing for Charity.

More Info:: RedlineDerby.com Friday Night Cheese– Deadline for Entry: rolling (open submissions).

Road Course. 150 gram weight limit.

More Info: ILC Race Series

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

Physical Science

Can Weight be a Bad Thing? The Other Side of Added Grams

by Emile Abed

L

et me introduce myself, I’m a Physics teacher with an engineering background and teach 11 – 18 year olds in the UK the wonders of the physical world. This doesn’t make me a diecast guru but I do have a nerdy interest in making sense of one of world’s most chaotic sports.

The first things most of us do to try and make our cars go faster is to increase the weight. This is because when trying to make anything go fast you want the forward force, in this case the weight, to be as high as possible giving you enough acceleration to only ever see your fellow competitors as everdecreasing dots in your rear view mirror.

What would you say if I told you weight makes no difference to acceleration? You’d think I’m crazy.

But if there is no friction this is true.

If you’ve ever watched the grainy footage of an astronaut dropping a feather and a hammer on the moon you see them both hit the ground at the same time.

There’s a much clearer video of Professor Brian Cox doing something

similar in a giant vacuum chamber with a bowling ball and feathers.

Without air resistance everything drops with the same acceleration. It all seems unreal as we only ever experience objects traveling through air. So what does this mean for diecast cars going down fig. 1 – Weight raises the centre of gravity of a vehicle. How it is positioned can have an effect on your speed. the track? Is weight as where a student normally turns important as it seems and, to really round and shouts, “Hang on a turn things onto its roof, can weight minute, that means a heavier car has slow you down? more energy that’s why it’s faster!”.

But it takes more energy to move a Now, I can’t go through a Physics car with more weight. If you do the “lesson” without talking about calculations, when all the energy. With diecast racing we gravitational energy is converted into normally start with gravitational kinetic energy, a change in the mass energy, the stored energy of a object has no effect on final speed. (Don’t at a height, and we want this all to worry I’m not going to bore you with turn into kinetic energy, the stored calculations here!) energy of a moving object.

Now, I could tell you weight makes As all the cars start at the same no difference and give your height the only variable that effects (Heavy Science cont. on page 14) its energy is the weight. This is

September 1, 2020 | 7

Teachers Lounge

Live from the Rust Belt Be a Giant: Be a Teacher

by Josh Paufler

I

f ya ain’t learning, yer losin’.

Sounds like something Mater would say in a “Cars” movie, but it’s become my diecast racing mantra.

With all the resources available, there’s no reason not to absorb as much knowledge as possible. The cars that are beating you every race were built by people with tons of experience. Experience doesn’t come easily so it’s important to soak up as much from those racers that are willing to share. While some like to maintain “trade secrets”, there are plenty of veterans out there looking to make the sport more competitive and help rookie racers.

One such veteran is Robby Comeford from Diecast 64. As one of the innovators of adult diecast THE ROOKIE – Bob racing, Robby (played by Robby has seen it all.

Comeford of Diecast 64 does his best to Recently, he learn what he can decided to about diecast racing. share his knowledge in a YouTube series he calls “The Rookie”.

In “The Rookie”, Comeford plays a character named Bob who is just getting into diecast racing. The series follows Bob from picking out cars all the way to race day and beyond. He shares tips and tricks as he figures out how to make his cars faster. He also shares resources to get more information and links to buy recommended materials. This is a must watch series for any racer; veteran and rookie alike.

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But how does Robby make this information so accessible and easy to understand? The approach to teaching is much the same as raising a child. You must share the information in a way that keeps them excited to learn.

Your job as an educator (or a parent) is to prepare your students for the task at hand. Robby uses this series as an introduction to diecast racing and, because of that, assumes the viewer knows absolutely nothing.

With his wealth of knowledge, he could easily talk down to the viewer and just say “Do this and it goes fast”, as I’ve seen many veterans do. But, instead, he takes on the role of the viewer, acting just as excited to learn.

That excitement goes hand in hand with encouragement. Throughout the videos, Robby encourages the viewer to try new things and see what works best for them.

I think it’s easy to find our own methods and assume “this is the way”. But, realistically, our way is one of numerous ways to do the same thing. When teaching someone, you need to recognize that they won’t learn in the same way you do. So, it’s important to encourage them to keep at it till they find their groove. It’s also important for us to keep learning. Never assume that you know it all. Continuing education, especially into adulthood helps us to grow, not only as builders, but also as people.

Teachers Lounge But what good is that gained knowledge, if we don’t pass it on? Like Robby, we need to get the knowledge out there into the community. As our beloved sport continues to grow in backyards and basements across the globe, more and more rookies come on the scene with typical “rookie questions”.

Remember, when commenting on a post, you too were a rookie once. Wouldn’t it have been great if someone with the experience you have now helped you out then? It’s easy. Just be a Bob’s Robby. Be that person that someone comes to when they’ve hit a wall. For me, it’s been Nick Deavers and Michael Mathis. These two legends of the sport have been available for any questions I have and give lots of sage, sometimes even unsolicited, wisdom.

They’ve both taken it as their calling to help others get faster.

It’s lonely at the top so why not bring others up there with you? Racing is nothing without competition. My son loves playing time trials in Mario Kart because he’s always in first place. I have to laugh, but it reminds me that when there’s no one creeping up in your rear view, you have no motivation to go faster. What kind of satisfaction is there in winning if not for good competition? It’s nice to see a couple veterans helping the community to get faster.

So, as you build, think of the things you do. Think of the steps you take and the techniques that you’ve developed.

Is there anything that could save someone else years of trial and error? I realize that standing on the shoulders of giants without gaining the experience to stand alone is sometimes a surefire way to fall, but there are some things we can pick up from those giants, and some things we as giants can share.

Keep learning and stay fast

September 1, 2020 | 9

Geography

Thiago Penteado Corridas de Carrinhos

The Final Leg of a Three-Part Tour Exploring Die

by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom

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VISITING LANDS BEL

Geography

James Gray DC World Racing

The road has been long, with many a winding turn. Our journey ends after today. Over the last three months, we have visited ten tracks around the world. We started at the very heart of the diecast racing world in California, USA. We’ve not been back to the US since. We’ve been exploring three international locations each month. That remains unchanged this month. What is unique about our third leg of this voyage? We will not be going north of zero degrees latitude. We’re headed to southern seas and three different continents, two of which we’ve not been to before.

Simon Denny Hot Car Track

ecast Racing Around the World

LOW THE EQUATOR

Our travels most recently paused in Canada, so now we’ll head straight down through the Americas and start out in the largest land mass in South America.

São Paulo, Brazil Thiago Penteago has been at the diecast racing game a little longer than most of the YouTube crowd who have come to the sport thanks in part of the Covid-19 pandemic. His YouTube channel is over 3 years old, and he has been cranking out quality content from Brazil’s largest city since the beginning.

The channel is called Corridas de Carrinhos (literally, Toy Car Racing). And racing toy cars is what he does.

Penteago sees the channel as a realization of childhood September 1, 2020 | 11

Geography endeavors. “Many of us wanted to do something similar with our cars since we were kids,” Penteago explains, “and it brings back memories from that time, which is a great thing.”

Because he’s been at it for a while now, Penteago’s influences are not the same as those of others. He cites Ghostjerker and Races And Fun as two of the tracks that he follows closely. “The channel that hooked us into creating my own channel was Ghostjerker...and, I love Races And Fun for their creativity”.

When thinking about the sport’s future, Penteago looks toward the past: “When we started the channel a few years ago, most diecast channels were focused on showing collections,” he remembers. “Today you can see a large number of channels for racing. I find it difficult to predict the future, but every day I see people investing in new tracks, different formats of competitions, and the tendency is to increase the offerings of good channels for our enjoyment.”

Enjoyment of the sport and hobby of diecast racing seems to be integral to

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Penteago’s approach to his channel.

In addition to his races, he also features frequent unboxing videos.

Creating the unboxing videos flows naturally from a Brazilian maxim that suggests one ought to “combine the useful with the pleasant”.

According to Penteago, “They’re easy to do. I’m always buying new diecast for my collection.” That means he is always able to create content, and it is content he enjoys.

A quick canvas of the YouTube channels and Facebook pages that are the digital domain of diecast racing, one becomes aware that the viewers and/or consumers of the videos must be primarily of an Anglophone persuasion. Most of the content creators are either from English-speaking countries, or they have a good command of English themselves, and they present primarily in that tongue.

Thiago Penteago captions his races, rather than announcing them. This allows his presentation to be multilingual. The captions for every race are in both English and Portuguese.

This is helpful because 30% of his viewership is from Brazil. The next largest population of viewers is from the USA (about 10%).

Corridas de Carrinhos is really an international phenomenon.

70% of the channel’s viewership is outside of Brazil. “It really spreads all over the world,” observes Penteago.

In addition to unboxing videos, and a recent tournament of British cars, the channel is replete with content of various types. For two years, Penteago hosted daily races, and he does intend to bring those back soon after a bit of revamping.

Readjusting the way his track is set up has become second nature to Penteago. “Unfortunately, I live in a small apartment,” he says, “and there’s no space to build a permanent track, with scenery and all. So, whenever we go racing, we have to build it from scratch.”

This constant ability to restructure the space may grow out of necessity, but it also creates a uniqueness to each racing series that sets the channel apart from others.

Sydney, New South Wales And so, it’s off to Australia we go.

Last month we visited Perth on the western coast of the continent. This month we’ll try the better known coast, and the country’s biggest city.

We’re in Sydney to visit Hot Car Track and its proprietor, Simon Denny.

Denny has made his presence on the diecast racing scene known pretty quickly and very effectively. He is currently hosting an eight-car round robin tournament called Road Warriors (naturally named after the Australia-based Mad Max series of movies).

“It’s un-Australian to not be a fan of Mad Max,” Denny laughs. The series was limited to eight cars from 8 customizers from around the world.

The names of the participants are well known in the greater racing community: Po’ Boy Racing, James Kleman’s 100 Proof Racing, and Redline Salvage Inc are all regulars on American tracks and channels

Geography Anyone who is interested in being a part of Road Warriors can drop Simon Denny a line on Facebook to inquire about how to become involved.

He works in video production as his regular job, Eight is Enough-- The complete field of the first Road Warriors so it seems to tournament at Hot Car Track’s Mount Western Speedway. make sense that one of the like 3DBotMaker and I Like Cheese. highlights of watching a Hot Car Denny’s series has some Track video is the exceptional heavyweights in the mix, and that production level. The graphics are means he’s doing something right, solid, and the sound mixing is top because as he points out, “sending notch. Additionally, Denny adds cars to Australia can be expensive for digital effects to his races. Smoke some people, in particular custom and flames can be seen coming out of cars, as they can weigh up to 120 the tailpipes of the cars as they rev grams for my tournament.” up at the starting line.

Part of what makes the Road Warriors series something that racers want to be in is the structure of the tournament.

“I wanted something different than a head-to-head race where the loser is never seen again, “ Denny explains.

“So, I devised a plan where I limited the competition to 8 custom cars that race each other over seven weeks, with week 8 as the final.”

“I think this is great value for the builders as they have spent time, money, etc. building these cars,” continues Denny, “so the crazy plan of Road Warriors began.”

The final round of the first Road Warriors tournament concluded at the end of August, but season two is already ready to go, and there are “cars arriving for seasons three and four, with more cars arriving every week,” according to Denny.

“I’m always reaching for something new on the track to make this more lifelike (it that’s possible),” Denny comments. “I also have a stack of explosions with flames and some which might make an appearance one day.”

One can certainly hope. In a sport where chaos and carnage are often celebrated, a big boom with accompanying effects will most certainly be welcomed by viewers.

If you thought that the 2020 Java

Java, Indonesia Cup was about coffee, it’s probably a good thing that you’re in the geography lesson. The popular upstart DC World Racing, is now three rounds into its inaugural tournament. And that tournament takes place on the island of Java, one of the many islands that make up the

nation of Indonesia.

James Gray started his life in Blackwood, Scotland. Like many a kid in the UK, he played with Matchbox cars, but he doesn’t remember having any specific favorite.

Diecast cars didn’t hold their sway over him until years later when he discovered 3DBotMaker’s races on YouTube this past May. Gray found himself alone in Indonesia, and suddenly had discovered something to do with his free time.

“My wife had to go back to the UK for some family matters at the end of February, and because of the COVID lockdown has been unable to retun [to Java],” Gray relates, noting that his wife is likely to be able to return by later this month.

In the meantime, “to keep me busy at the weekend during her absence, I have built Fraser Ridge Raceway.”

Since May, Gray has not truly been alone in his building project.

Hundreds of people across the world have been closely following the development of the track thanks to Gray’s regular posting of his progress in a Build Journal on Redline Derby, and in various discussion threads on Facebook.

“I find it very rewarding,” states Gray. “I would encourage anyone starting out on track building, to join the Redline Derby site. The feedback I have received from various Facebook forums has been exceptional. [Diecast racers are] a very supportive and encouraging community.”

“I am very pleased with the overall excitement around the build,” says

(WorldTour cont. on page 18) September 1, 2020 | 13

Physical Science (Heavy Science cont. from page 7)

the centre of gravity the competitors an advantage in a world- likeliness of the car shattering diecast conspiracy. But tipping over goes weight does make a difference. up (fig. 1). This is why taller vehicles The important thing here is the are inherently less percentage of energy loss a car has stable. If you have from its initial energy. This is where ever watched or weight can make you faster. The tried to race same loss of energy will slow the anything like food lighter car down more than the trucks you’ll know heavier car. So what I’m going to what I’m talking look at here is what could make a about. This is fig. 2 – The car moving on the track applies downward pressure, heavier car lose so much energy that particularly and energy is lost in the process it becomes slower than a lighter car. important when there is a chance of To try and understand what happens anything that may destabilise a car. more likely. If the axles survive this to a modified car with extra weight (Bumps, curves, jumps or some abuse there would be an increase in imagine it was possible to make a car friendly paint swapping.) friction on the axles with the added very heavy, I mean so heavy it’s a weight again preventing the wheels minor weightlifting session just to It is possible to add weight and from moving. What we have now is a lift it onto the track. What would distribute it well enough to make the very cool paper weight. happen? Although this is unlikely to car more stable. So let’s make sure be possible the factors that effect the weight in this sumo wrestler of a If our car doesn’t suffer this level of this neutron star of a car will, to a car is very well distributed. So well failure there is still an additional much lesser extent, affect a modified that we can assume it has the centre strain on the axles, resulting in less car with additional weight. So let’s of gravity similar to a child’s movement to soak up any bumps in get started with a selection of the inflatable bopper toy. The toy that the track, and could result in a very issues that might arise. no matter how hard you punch it, bumpy ride losing precious energy. the resilient clown always comes Possibly the most obvious Everything would be intensified on a back up. disadvantage to increasing weight is banked curve as the additional Gstability. By increasing the weight it What other factors would this force would increase the force acting is likely that the centre of gravity of incredible weight effect to slow the downwards on the car. the car will increase in height. car down?

Okay, so what if we modify the car With any increase in the height of Our imaginary car will be so heavy it further with good clearance, larger is likely to bend arches and reinforced axles that are its axles causing polished to a mirror shine with the the wheels to best lube available to keep alloys rub in the wheel spinning indefinitely. arches or worse Surely this will be the fastest ground out in possible diecast racer of all time? the start gate.

With lots of Well, there is one more thing I want racing cars to mention and unfortunately a having low ground clearance diecast modifier has very little and large wheels, control over it. The track. that just about I know my own track is likely to fit in the arches, collapse if this behemoth of a car was fig. 3 – Inertia of a heavier vehicle will tend to move the car in a this problem straighter line, making cornering more difficult. to be positioned at a start gate. If the becomes much 14 | Diecast Racing Report

Physical Science straight could take the weight it would bend, absorbing precious energy(fig. 2), and when coming to a corner it is likely to just keep going in a straight line through an unsuspecting barrier, requiring special digging equipment to dig it out of a football pitch size crater.

This is because the faster an object goes and the greater its mass the

more it will resist any change in direction or change in speed (fig. 3).

This inertia is advantageous when an unwitting challenger attempts to nudge you out of the way and finds themselves surrounded by sparks as they attempt to steer an inverted car.

But if the car needs to change direction it could result in a significant loss of energy or a much

faster route down the mountain!

So with this limited look at whether weight can slow you down the answer is yes. However, used correctly and in the right amounts weight could make your car an unwavering, challenger crushing, finish line seeking, speed beast.

September ‘Battle Zone’ Invasion Comes to War On I4

by Josh Paufler

W

hile Luthrell Church has been running primarily stock car races on YouTube for months, this September the modifieds are getting their shot at the wicked and wild Harrison Speedway in Central Florida in what will be Church’s first mail-in tournament.

He’s calling it “Battle Zone”. His fully custom coroplast track is the home of War on I4 Diecast Racing and has proven to be an unforgiving road

course with its flat turns, elevation changes and, debuting in this tournament, the chicane section.

“For Battle Zone, the thing I'm looking forward to the most is seeing how the other drivers’ custom vehicles preform at Harrison Speedway”, says Church about his upcoming tournament. “The new chicane will prove to be challenging for some vehicles.”

At the 175g limit, I’m looking forward to seeing some crazy custom builds. With the flat turns at

Harrison Speedway, any top weight will force the car right over the edge of the track, rather than roll it over like on a banked turn.

All in all, this should be an awesome first mail-in tournament for Luthrell Church. The first video is scheduled to post the week of September 21.

So, what’s next for Harrison Speedway?

On the horizon is a super car mail-in tournament featuring Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maclarens and other hyper style racing cars.

But, what I’m most excited about is the upcoming Stadium Truck Series.

For the first time, jumps will be added to the speedway so that’s got chaos written all over it.

Coverage of War on I4’s custom races will be found in future issues of Diecast Racing Report in the On The Track section starting in the Oct. 1 issue.

Have a comment or question about Diecast Racing Report?

Harrison Speedway – The uniquely wide lanes and flat turns make for dynamic racing unlike the action at any other track.

Email us: comments@diecastracingreport.com September 1, 2020 | 15

Visual Arts

Quick Tips

Adding Detail and Decals Demands Artful Determination Grab your tools and let your creativity flow… Today in art class, we’re going to learn the basics of how to make and apply waterslide decals! If you’ve always wanted to add a little pizzazz on top of your paint, these quick tips will be the perfect lesson to get you started with decals on your next mod.

1. Know what you’re working with. Not all decal paper is created equal. If you are going to print your own, you’ll want to know what kind of paper works best for your project. In the video “Difference between Inkjet & Laser Watersilde Decal Paper”

SUNNYSCOPA shows you the differences between inkjet and laser printing, as well as when to use clear or white decal paper.

2. Measure twice, cut once.

SidewaysKing75’s video “'HOW TO' make water-slide decals for die-cast and model cars” provides a comprehensive primer on making and applying waterslide decals. Where he really stands out is showing the process of research, measurement and manipulating vector images used to create your own masterpiece. Plus, his recommendations to print a test copy and two final sets, allows room

for inevitable human error.

3. Sometimes, low tech is best.

If you don’t have a hi-res vector image, you can follow the lowtech example of PowerPoint Scale Model Assassin and build your own light box to trace any image you need. Check out his video “How To: Create Custom Waterslide Decals (inkjet) For Models” to see how.

4. Start with the best surface.

Want to create the perfect rally number, but don’t have white decal paper or white ink? Find your decals are coming up a little short around the edges? Try pre-painting where you plan to apply, as demonstrated by Doug Mount in “Pre-Painting 1/64 NASCAR Custom Diecast before applying waterslide decals”.

5. Remember: wetter is better.

As you learn the basics of decal application, ELP Modelling gives all sorts of tips for water slide decal application in his video “How to Apply Water Slide Decals”. These tips include: secure the car so you can use both hands, decals go onto glossier paint more easily and always keep your applicator tool wet. Check out the video for many more!

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Pop Quiz

Ten Q’s w/ JD Elst

W

e asked ten questions of JD Elst who has recently launched his track’s Facebook group page: The Cliff International Raceway. The group is already growing fast and has an active membership. The track’s design has a lot of people excited. JD has rapidly become a regular of the racing scene, and it’s about time that we get to know him.

1.

Q: Where did you grow up?

A: I spent most of my childhood in Salt Lake City, Utah

2. Q: What is your “day job”?

A: I am an Operating Engineer by Trade and been with Caesars Entertainment going on 17 years. I currently manage the Purchasing Dept. for Facilities / Engineering.

3. Q: You have just recently launched a Facebook page for your track, The Cliff International Raceway. Could you tell us about the design, and what inspired it?

A: 3DBotMaker gave the initial inspiration. Next would have to be my wife, Vanessa. She made the suggestion to build a track, and she made the space for it to happen. She’s been behind me all the way and I wouldn’t have been able to do it without her. The size and shape of it came from using materials that I had on hand, and the amount of space we had available. As far as the name goes, one of my favorite places to be is at Snowbird Utah, Ski and Summer Resort where they have “The Cliff Lodge”. The “International” comes from the fact that we will be hosting races from around the World, and as both of my parents were immigrants to the USA, my mother is from New Zealand, and my father is from Holland, and my wife is from the Philippines.

4. Q: When do you plan to have races up and running?

A: We are really hoping to do a Halloween Inaugural Race. If all goes well, it could be sooner, but there is still tons to do! One of which is figuring out how to edit video….ugh….

5. Q: How long have you been into diecast racing?

A: I started watching / participating back in March 2020, furloughed from my job and being stuck at home due to Covid-19.

6. Q: Did you play with Hot Wheels as a kid? If so, how? What was your favorite car?

A: I always played with Hot Wheels as far back as I can remember. I had drag tracks, Sizzlers, played with them in the dirt, smashed them with hammers to look wrecked, and gave them paint jobs to match my mood. My favorite car was probably the Red Baron. Some of my best cars were the Funny Cars. And, yes, I used to have The Snake Funny Car that’s now worth a small fortune!

7. Q: You’ve been collecting diecast cars for most of your life. Is there one “Holy Grail” that you’d love to get your hands on?

A: I would love to have that Snake Funny Car again…

8. Q: You are a “driver” at other tracks. What is your favorite part of participating in races on other channels?

A: I think it’s a blast, sometimes silly, but a blast nonetheless, and it’s racing!! The camaraderie with the guys and gals in other groups really is what makes it a fun sport and great community.

9. Q: Over at Chapman Films’ “I Like Cheese” series, you’ve supposedly died in a horrible accident. And yet you’ve raced since then, having been dubbed “The Zombie”. Do you anticipate that moniker following you to other tracks?

A: LOL! Yeah that was something! I actually found it hilarious!! Yeah, it’s already started to happen. Someone called me Zombie in a group post and it actually took me a few seconds to figure out what he was talking about.

I’m totally cool with it and will be using it in the future.

10. Q: What do you think of the racing community as a whole?

A: This community is the greatest! So many kind and supportive people wanting to share their knowledge and love of the sport and have fun doing it.

September 1, 2020 | 17

Geography (WorldTour cont. from page 13) Gray. “But, ultimately it is about racing. I want to do everything I do to compliment and support the racing, as that’s where the real excitement is.”

Gray seems to know what the audience likes. His favorite part of his track aligns with what viewers like, too: “My favorite part of the track has to be ‘The Beast’,” he says, referring to the first turn which is located inside a tunnel. “It is absolutely amazing all the action that happens as a result of that sharp 180 degree two-lane corner inside the tunnel.”

Meet The Beast! – The first corner is hidden from the cameras, which leads to big surprises at the tunnel exit at Fraser Ridge

Gray is also an eager ambassador for his new sport. “I have introduced a number of my UK friends and family to diecast racing as a result of all of this.” He’s also got a sizable following of his channel among the locals in Indonesia, too.

is amazing how the smallest change to the layout can have a very big effect with how the cars perform on the track.”

In addition to suggesting that anyone building a mountain should join Redline Derby, Gray reflects on what he has learned along this process: “The best advice is to continually check and test the track as you build. It

And, as an outside observer, one can learn a lot about how to stir up excitement for one’s YouTube channel by seeing how James Gray built his community by building publicly. And a great build it is!

As our tour comes to a close, there are many tracks in countries that we’ve not yet visited. I feel a bit disappointed that I’ve not yet discovered any tracks in Africa or mainland Asia. If you happen to know of anyone running a league from those parts of the world, pass along the info by sending an email to comments@diecastracingreport.com. We will happily visit them in our next look at international tracks. Also, in the unlikely event that you’re reading this within the confines of a research facility in Antarctica, let me know if anyone there is racing Hot Wheels. The photos of that would be something I’d like to see!

involved for a long time, the quarantine/lockdown months were something that spurred people on towards attempting to build something new while stuck at home, and whether that was a track or a car, that is now a part of their world, and a part of them going forward.

One thing that became clear in the writing of this series was just how closely the community of diecast racers has bonded everywhere during a pandemic that restricts personal travel to a high degree. Thanks to YouTube videos and Facebook groups, these ten track owners and many others like them have created an outlet for creativity and competition that literally knows no borders.

I asked each of the interviewees about what they saw in the future for diecast racing. Every one of them mentioned the growth of the sport. No one said that they thought the end of the pandemic (whenever that might be) would bring about a shrinkage of the diecast racing populace. It seems that, even for those who have been 18 | Diecast Racing Report

One of the tracks we featured in our first leg of the journey, Chaos Canyon in New Zealand, has taken the lead on pulling together an international tour of four tracks (three in America, one in New Zealand), and that will be coming up very soon.

Another of our first issue stops, Hot Wheels Calgary, has started showing daily races on his new track.

Over in Ontario, Beaverworx (featured in our second installment of the series) has finished their primary racing track and the footage from the first race there looks impressive.

Many of the cars that are headed to Stefan Huwer’s track in Germany are being gathered up in Buffalo, New York for a unified shipment to his VW Golf event. And viewers of 3DBotMaker’s King of the Mountain recently saw one of Huwer’s kids’ cars representing Germany in a qualifying run at Race Mountain.

It’s good to keep up with our international friends.

Intramurals

Redline Derby Racing

by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom

tournament.

Redline Derby Racing has enough of a history as one of the primary racing leagues, that I won’t be recapping all of their previous racing action in this first Tournaments Report. Instead, we’ll just jump right in and look at the season’s most recent events.

Point standings for the year haven’t been released recently, as the league scorekeeper has been dealing with pandemicrelated family issues. We’ll report them in detail after the September races. In the meantime, we can look at the very top echelon of racers.

Currently there are two series that are ongoing. First is the RLD Racing League. That is a monthly floating drag race that is limited to 32 builders, one car per builder.

Participating builders must submit a new build each month. No car is allowed to reprise its prior performance.

July’s races ended up postponed until August, and so the two month’s races were run as a double header at the Bayou City Diecast Raceplex in Houston, Texas. Michael Mathis (a.k.a. MDG) hosted both sets of races on his each of his tracks. July’s races were held on the Goodnight Trail (a scale quarter-mile track), and August’s were held on the eighth-mile Bayou City Blaster track.

In July’s race sixteen cars were entered, and the head-to-head tournament eventually came down to a final between Frank Kline of Red Pill Racing, and Jon Soffa of Voxxer Racing. These two are major players in the league, as you’ll see when we talk overall results shortly.

For now, know that Red Pill Racing managed to take the day and win the July races.

August’s races had the same number of entrants but completely different results. Both of these names should be familiar to diecast fans, as well.

Rivera Racing and Mattman213 went head-to-head in the final and took first and second, respectively, in the

According to Redline Derby’s August Racer Report, Red Pill Racing is sitting pretty with four first place finishes. Voxxer and Mattman213 each have three wins, and Diecast 64 and 41-14 Racing are tied-up right behind them.

The marquee RLD event for the summer is Charger Summer, which is a 64 car tournament that travels from track to track. The same cars compete all summer long. They are packed up after each race and mailed to the next racing location.

The most recent iteration of the Charger Summer took place at Red Pill Hill in Georgia. Frank Kline hosted the tournament, the fifth of the year.

As of this writing, the race-in heats were run. There are more than 64 cars on the circuit, resulting in 8 cars facing off each tournament to get into the bracket action.

Also, both sides of the bracket’s first round have been run. The videos of the subsequent rounds have not been

posted to YouTube.

The overall points for the summer to this point haven’t been posted recently, although we expect to be able to report the standings thus far in our next issue.

Like the RLD Racing League’s point totals, the Charger Summer standings are currently held up by family issues that will soon be rectified.

We look forward to covering each of these series as they move forward.

The September race dates have been announced, and a registration link can be found in our Mail-In Calendar here at Diecast Racing Report.

Also, the winter companion to the Charger Summer has been announced. The 2021 RLD Nationals will feature Datsun/Nissan Z cars.

More information can be found at RedlineDerby.com.

Next issue we will have more complete results for you, as well the special charity race tournament: The Poppa Speed Invitational.

September 1, 2020 | 19

Intramurals

Indiana Diecast Racing

by Josh Paufler

After a full month and a half of racing at Le Cellier in Indiana, the Westfield 500 came to its thrilling conclusion this week as the top 4 cars competed for the “somewhat nice hot glued and spray painted trophies”.

If you’ve been watching since the beginning, you’ve witnessed some spectacular crashes, incredibly realistic passing, last-minute heroics and the finish line camera getting smashed repeatedly. The championship had all that and more.

Jim Desaulniers of Indiana Diecast Racing started this charity event to raise money for his local library and the diecast racing community rallied around his cause. In total, 36 cars started the race in mid-July.

Group 2 and 4 proved to be the best heading into the tournament as they produced all 4 cars in the final race.

Group 2 brought us the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento of George Stackert and the Golden Ticket of Kit Kayem, who had the lowest points coming into the finals. The points-leading yellow Mustang of Nathan Desaulniers and the Color Changer HyperTruck of “Jimmy John” Hanson came out of group 4.

Nathan started with a commanding win on lap one and never looked back. Everything behind him seemed like utter chaos as Nathan won three laps in a row. After finishing second and third behind Nathan, Stackert’s Lambo needed to beat him for the opportunity to tie it up.

But Nathan also had to DNF on the final lap. Sure enough, the odds were in his favor and Stackert crossed the line first as Nathan had issues in the 20 | Diecast Racing Report

always troublesome turn one and wrecked just before two. This forced an exciting run-off for the championship.

Nathan took the inside lane as the driver with the most points in the semis and the run-off began.

Stackert had the best jump heading Westfield 500 Finals – Cars in action and taking action to raise into turn one but, as funds for the Westfield (Indiana) Public Library. tradition has it, the turn was cruel to him and slowed limited lighting and even learning him down. Nathan saw his how to edit videos. opportunity for the pass and cruised on to the podium, hoisting the gold Over the course of the race, the trophy. videos got better and better as Jim took all the setbacks in stride and Kayem only had one lap in which he put together a fantastic production finished higher than last and so 4th of his first complete tournament. We place was decidedly his. A middlelook forward to more of, as Jim puts packer throughout the semis, it, “slightly above mediocre diecast Hanson worked his way to a bronze racing”. cup finish even after posting a DNF on the final lap.

Next up at Le Cellier is the continuation of the IDR Open, a race Of course, running a mail-in race of Jim started in May. It’s a stock this size is not without its challenges tournament from Jim’s own and it proved to be a learning collection. In total, he’s sent 80 cars experience for Jim. down the track in 17 videos. The intention was to get his feet wet and One of the largest hills to climb was debut the track, but he initially getting the event out there unintentionally put out some great and visible to a prospective audience. racing content with which to launch This is a well-known struggle among his channel. Since the last posted YouTubers. video in the IDR Open, Jim has made some improvements to his track and Hopefully, the viewership at Indiana to the lineup. He took a cue from Diecast Racing can pick up as Jim Facebook racers and had people sign continues to put out quality content up to drive the remaining 32 cars. I’d (go subscribe now). recommend checking out the previous races to get ready for the Other hurdles included track seams continuation of this tournament. separating from moisture in the basement, multiple start gate swaps,

Intramurals

2020 Diecast Games

by Ali Kidder-Mostrom

Opening ceremonies have aired for the 2020 Diecast Games hosted by Big Poppy Racing.

This tournament features 32 teams, each consisting of four stock Hot Wheels cars, which will be participating in a series of ten Olympics-style events.

The 2019 games were by invitation only, so this is the first year the event has been made open to public submissions.

individual events, plus the Fat Track Free-For-All and 4 Car Relay which involve every car on the team.

No team can have more than two cars in any specific event, which helps keep things fair and equitable.

Each team consists of one American car, one European car, one Asian car, and one Fantasy casting.

The first event, “The Push”, will be released on Labor Day weekend and races will continue through December.

Each car will participate in 4

In-depth coverage of the events and

the teams will begin in our next issue.

sub4ra

by Ali Kidder-Mostrom

In the last two weeks, there’s been a lot of action from the Diecast Demolition Federation on the sub4ra channel. The inaugural Diecast Demolition Derby Tournament made it all the way to the final round and crowned the first ever DDF champion.

There were two ways to be eliminated in this competition: either by being the first car flipped or by

being raced out (when one car reached the opponent’s ramp before he could make it down his own hill).

The 2nd day of the derby culled the crowd to 16. It was quick and dirty, with most competitions ending in a one and done collision.

A surprising early favorite was the Wild Thing from Nero 62, which was able to pick up a swift win due to its ability to get under and tip its competitor right off the track. This made Wild Thing look unstoppable going into the next round.

Not all of Nero 62s luck was good. In a surprising third race, his Camaro was raced out by, of all things, a

flatbed truck (from Juice Box Racing). This proved that it’s not only demolition, but also speed that makes a difference in this tournament. As if to emphasize this fact, multiple races that day ended with a car racing out the competition just before being flipped, letting speed carry them into the next round.

That said, there was plenty of demolition to be found. Some races ended in double knock-outs and, in one spectacular hit, a Kool-Aid Thunderbird (driven by Mike from Key West Racing) sent a Speed Trap (from C&C Racing) flying all the way across the ring. This carried Mike forward, proving he was a real contender for the crown.

Day two ended with four cars, which had so-far survived on draws, doing a (Sub4ra cont. on page 26) September 1, 2020 | 21

Media Center

On The Track: 3DBotMaker

by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom

T

he past fortnight has been a busy one in the 3DBotMaker Diecast Racing League. The Camaro Summer Tournament has come to a close, three King of the Mountain qualifiers were held, and the Diecast Rally Championship has just started it’s fourth and final event of 2020.

First off, let’s congratulate Mad4Robots who became the newest champion crowned at Race Mountain. For much of the final round it appeared that Maya Bailey was in line to become Race Mountain’s first-ever female champion. But it wasn’t to be.

Mad4Robots beat her in a head-tohead Camaro showdown, as well as in claiming the title of first female champ. Most, if not all, viewers assumed Mad4Robots’ identity to be male, but that led to a very satisfying reveal at the very end of the series.

The after-hours races in the KotM qualifying rounds have recently been competing for the fifth place in the rankings. That means that the times have been average, at best. First up was the Hot Rod race, which featured two ‘57 Chevys, and a 1940’s Woody. But, none of those cars carried the day. Instead, it was CJ in “Jerry Rigged” who took a gasser station wagon all the way to a berth in the second King of the Mountain 22 | Diecast Racing Report

Tournament. CJ bumped That Van Guy out of the 5th place ranking, which the Limelight van had just claimed in the previous qualifier.

The next qualifier featured four 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions.

Longtime viewers will know that the Evo is a very Equal Evos – Quite possibly the closest photo-finish of 2020, the popular car for outcome of this race determined the overall winner. modders. King of the Mountain legend Terry Hill before him, took over the fifth seeded drove a James Kleman Customs built spot for the tournament.

Evo to the title in the last KotM tourney. The casting has a lot of Now, I know. Fifth place isn’t bad at interior room for adding weight, a all. In a field of 16, fifth is a great wide stance, and a pretty long place to be, but these cars that we’ve wheelbase. It’s almost a perfect been talking about so far are fifth out racing machine for this sport. of 8, 9, and 10. That’s pretty much exactly in the middle of the pack.

So, one might be forgiven for being a little gleeful about the prospects of It is possible that the cars that have only one Evo advancing thanks to yet to qualify will run slower times, them facing off against each other and that Bobby Padgett will hold on prior to the actual tournament. to the number 5 spot, but... Padgett’s Surely these were some fast cars that ride, “Spider King”, posted a time of were only going to be knocked out 17.502, which is slower than the by others of their ilk. But... Surprise! entire field’s average from the first These were not the speedy Lancers tournament (17.423). It stands to we are used to. With some very reason that there are some faster cars close racing between two of the four out there that will soon be taking cars, Bobby Padgett eventually came over the top spots in the upcoming out on top, and like the two winners tournament bracket.

Media Center in the real life WRC circuit.

The Volvo 850 Wagon is a long car that has a lot of its length out in front of its front wheels, which may make maneuvering difficult as races move into the multi-car stages.

There are two Renault cars: the Mégane and the Alpine.

These are my two picks to have the best chance at knocking off Steven King’s crown, or at least to tug on his cape a little.

King in his Castle – Can Steven King win a fourth DRC title in one year?

Then again...

The most recent qualifying race was touted as a battle of the nations.

Italy, Germany, the USA, and Australia were all represented by cars built in their respective countries. And when all was said and done, Australia’s Holden, driven

by Valareos Draconrouge, was on top. But not really. Holden On, as the car is named, managed to claim the lowest spot on the chart--11th place so far. Draconrouge’s over-20second lap time is significantly slower than all those who went before. That doesn’t bode well for the auto from Down Under.

Finally, the DRC has returned to our screens, and with it so too has “Superman” Steven King. The question on everyone’s minds is “Can Steven King be a four-time champion?”

Well, if the first round of the event is any indication, the answer is probably “Yes!” The seven new challengers include a familiar name among them. But, let’s put that off for a little bit. First, let’s look at the vehicles. There’s a Ford Fiesta, a car that is currently active

The Pikes Peak Celica is based on Rod Millen’s record-setting 1994 Celica GT that dominated the Pikes Peak Hill Climb back in the day. But, while the real car was an awesome machine, the low and protruding front spoiler will work to this car’s disadvantage at Race Canyon.

Many people had predicted the arrival of a can on the roster of vehicles, and though everyone’s guess about the driver being Granny D (perhaps 2D’s grandmother), the driver for the Chrysler Pacifica was chosen by random lot just like all the previously mentioned cars.

Prediction: It’s a van on a course designed to through you for a loop.

This is not going to be pretty.

And so... we’ve reached the inevitable. Fans had been clamoring for Crazy Jimmy and his Fiero to make an appearance in the DRC. And now the dubious Ferrari champion has once again entered a Pontiac Fiero where it doesn’t belong.

Over the decades, all sorts of cars have been rally cars. And yet, not once has a Pontiac of any sort been on the various rally racing circuits.

And, as Crazy Jimmy’s performance in the first round would indicate, the

1:64 scale version of the car fares just how one might expect a full-sized Fiero to do against precision driving machines. I do wonder how much roof damage is caused by Race Canyon’s rough terrain. I suppose Crazy Jimmy will be able to give us an answer shortly after his inevitable elimination at the end of the next round.

So, while a couple of the current stable of cars might be able to dethrone Steven King, it seems to still be the safe bet for King to remain in the champion’s seat.

Not willing to relinquish the “Superman” appellation just yet, King landed the round’s only perfect score to start the competition exactly where he’s ended each of the others: on top.

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Media Center

On The Track: Chaos Canyon

by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom

The new track at Chaos Canyon is finally getting its first full-fledged tournament, and it is huge.

Prior to this week, activity at the new track has been limited to a mini-tourney of four cars, and some shenanigans performed by resident daredevil Stuntman Sam. Even with no major tournament going on, there wasn’t a shortage of content. Stuntman Sam took a four-wheeler ATV (called a quadbike in New Zealand parlance) over a row of food trucks. He also jumped a Porsche onto the back of of a flatbed tow truck,which then drove away with its new cargo.

Both were impressive stunts, to be sure. And the latter one started to establish a story line that Stuntman Sam and fan-favorite driver Grandma may be involved at a more meaningful level. That’s a story that gets more treatment in the most recent two videos. More on that in a second.

So, the new tournament is massive.

It’s a 64-car NASCAR tournament.

Eight cars run the track at the same time. Now, mind you, this is still a divided two-lane track for much of its length, which means that when the cars escape the space that would normally 24 | Diecast Racing Report

accommodate half as many vehicles, the explode into the open track and right over the Cayon’s infamous jump. The crevasse that was once there has now been repaired, but the jump itself remains. And the cars go every which way. Which is one of the many reasons that this series is so aptly named “NAS-Carnage”.

One of the things that make me really happy about how this series is being run, is that 59 of the 64 drivers are first-timers – that is, rookies. There are five drivers involved in the tournament who have ever driven at Chaos Canyon before. Kudos to the Canyon for giving a shot to a whole slue of new drivers. One of the best ways to keep the sport growing is to give newcomers a real shot at being an active part of the action.

only to be declared miraculously okay to drive the next lap (note: the author of this piece is not admitting to having been that driver in the past... It was me).

In the first two groups of the new tournament, only three cars total remained at the end of the round.

Husband and wife team, Kit Kayem and Xanthippe each exited their respective groups early, Kit earlier than his bride. Kit’s exit marks the first of the veterans to go. Grandma was in the same group as Kayem, but she managed to stay active in her old age and come away with the group win.

One of the advancing drivers is from Bichon Racing. Her name?

Lily the Dog. Sounds like a bitch to me. (Insert groan sfx here).

With most of the veterans sitting out this go-’round, there is a fleet of drivers trying to prove themselves. That’s exciting.

Aside from Lily the Dog and Grandma, Herman the German of Red Baron Racing is the only survivor of the first two groups.

More excitement comes from the new rules for this tournament.

Cars are now eliminated if they land on their roof (without rolling back onto their wheels), or if they fly off the track. There’s no longer the possibility that a dashingly handsome driver will veer wildly off the track and fall the scale equivalent of seven stories or more

Most of the laps in the second group didn’t even have anyone finish. Merely surviving seems to be the primary goal. If you can outlive your competitors, you may be lucky enough to make a complete run down the course solo, or in the company of one other car.

Media Center I’ve really never seen anything like this. I can’t wait to see the next installment.

It’s difficult to identify any specific vehicle traits that will prove successful in this tournament. We won’t see a trial run from any of the drivers before we see them in

the group stage. And within the group stage it’s a challenge to assess any beneficial characteristics that could carry a car to victory.

Oh! A quick note about Grandma and Sam. Comments at the end of Group Two hinted at them being romantically involved, and the

most recent episode of Stuntman Sam (which came out today, so no spoilers) implied that she would trust that man with her life. I expect the story to unfold further in the next round of the tournament. Really, it’s the only thing I’m sure of.

On The Track: Flat Rabbit Racing Club

by Ali Kidder-Mostrom

T

he latest transmission intercepted coming out of Flat Rabbit Racing Club (aptly titled “The Wasteland”) appears to take place in the desert outside New Westrock. It sounds like Glitch, the FRRC leader, was facing some extra heat from Steel Corp Auto Repo (SCAR) in these harsh environs. This might be due to the havoc wreaked by the FRRC while clearing the road for a classic showdown.

The “Armored Rabbits” race featured Chops and Knuckles, both new names to those used to hearing the usual FRRC handles. That said, these two are clearly part of the club, as their preparations for the race included using armored vehicles bearing the FRRC rabbit logo to take SCAR vehicles out. With the road clear, Chops (in a ’64 Impala) went up against Knuckles (in a ’65 Mustang Fastback) in a best of 3 race. They kept it close and kept it clean, each taking one of the first two rounds and left it up to race three to decide the winner. It was solid racing, but came at the cost of pursuit. In the end, the pair headed into the desert and split up to try to lose the pursuing authorities.

This earlier action put the FRRC squarely in SCAR’s sights as suspects and may have put Glitch, with his distinct rabbit head Nova, at an extra disadvantage when he headed into the wasteland.

This wasn’t a simple pursuit either: SCAR was leading the rabbit

into a trap. Thankfully, Glitch got an assist when Fishhead showed up in his stark black ’69 Chevy Chevelle.

Fishhead first appeared on the feed at the end of July (in a transmission titled “The Visitor”), when he arrived in New Westrock looking for a good race. Immediately upon his arrival, Fishhead demonstrated his love for speed and especially for big air. In the best of five match that ensued, Glitch showed him whose turf he was on, but Fishhead has stayed a friend of the FRRC ever since.

Now, in the wasteland, Fishhead and Glitch turned again to speed and big air in order to lose the SCAR authorities. The dessert environment set the perfect stage for the kind of off-road and off the rails racing we haven’t yet seen in the confines of the city. So, after leaving the wreckage of SCAR behind, the best way for the pair to celebrate was, of course, with a race.

September 1, 2020 | 25

On Intramurals The Track (Sub4ra cont. from page 21) tag-team race for a bit of extra demolition action and a chance at the last two spots of the 16 cars set to advance. Kyle Miller, in his ’71 Dodge Charger RT Hemi demonstrated a good amount of power in this round, moving on and proving he was a solid choice moving forward.

Of the Sweet 16 which made it into day 3, the crowd was swiftly demolished. Many races were double-elimination and we watched the Flatbed King, an Audi Quattro, a Cruise Bruiser, a Chevy Nova, and many others (including a spectator) fall to the Demolition Derby carnage.

A feature race of the night was Wild Thing vs. Kyle Miller. In their first face-off, Wild Thing pushed Kyle Miller off the track, but since the Charger was able to stay on his tires they faced off again and, ultimately, the Wild Thing was raced out.

In the sixth race of the night, Mike’s “The BIG Man” Kool-Aid car had a convincing win and again smashed through the competition like the Kool-Aid Man through a brick wall.

Another stand-out race for the night, saw James Kleman go head to head

against Jason “ILC” Chapman, each in solid metal-on-metal vehicles. Both cars stood firm, but – because the ended in a draw – these champs were ultimately eliminated them from finals contention.

Good Looking Truck – Kit Kayem is driving the DRR #2 for Gen-X Vintage Racing in the JLH Krafts Truck Racing Series. Nailed the weigh-in!

After so much wreckage, the last day of the DDF series went straight to the final 4. In this final day of racing/crashing, we saw Kyle Miller’s ’71 Dodge Charger RT Hemi face Dave Akers' ’76 Greenwood Corvette in a battle of real rubber tires. Dave Akers’ low front led him to swift victory, flipping Miller and pushing him back to the ramp. In an upset, when faced with the Kool-Aid man’s might, Manny Many got right under “The BIG Man” and sent him flying off the track.

So, the last match-up saw Dave Akers vs. Manny Many, facing off in the first ever DDF Demolition final.

The cars were well matched, repeatedly making contact, but both staying on their wheels. After some

close calls, the cars faced off, or rather turned around and tailed off (?) for an overtime battle.

Manny Many gained speed but lost stability. In the first overtime race he almost raced out Dave Akers, but Dave Akers shut him out and, ultimately, took him out forcing a second overtime heat. With a decisive flip in that final round, Dave Akers proved that he had what it takes to be the inaugural DDF champion.

This week, on the other side of the channel, sub4ra introduced the field of competitors going into The JLH Krafts Truck Racing Series.

This field of 116 trucks submitted from all over the country is ready to go. We got to see each team weighed in and ready to race.

The JLH Krafts Truck Racing Series will be following a format similar to the already popular ADRC (Adult Diecast Racing Championship), which is Sub4ra’s marquee event.

The Full Field – Two+ years’ worth of truck submissions all are vying for the JLH Krafts Truck Racing Series crown.

26 | Diecast Racing Report

Speaking of marquees, you’ll notice that the Diecast Racing Report logo is all over the place on the JLH Krafts Truck Racing Series. As a season sponsor, we are thrilled to add this series to our regular in-depth event coverage.

September 1, 2020 | 27

After School

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28 | Diecast Racing Report