DIECAST RACING REPORT November 17, 2020 – Vol. 1 No. 11
Inside: #8Modders: Custom Maverick Edition - King Kong Massive Mountain of Miata Madness - And more!
2 | Diecast Racing Report
In This Issue
Table of Contents Editor’s Notes News Briefs Calendar Features
10 Q’s: John Tran 8 Modders,
1 Car Tournaments
8
4 5 6 7 8
Rust Belt
20
Big Poppy
21
Sub4ra
22
OnTheTrack
Flat Rabbit Racing Club 24
7 21
27
RTR Diecast
25
I Like Cheese
26
3DBotMaker
27
Chaos Canyon
29
Jackson Pass
30
Live Young DieCast
31
Cover Art: Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
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: Christopher (Kit) Kidder-Mostrom, Ali Kidder-Mostrom, Steven King, Josh Paufler
November 17, 2020 | 3
Editor’s Note Six months ago this magazine did not exist. We took on the task of putting out a twice-monthly magazine, or journal, about the quickly growing sport of Diecast Racing. It’s been fun so far. But, we have to admit, it’s not been easy. This is the second issue in a row that is coming out later than our originally promised 1st and 15th of each month. Readers have asked me if we’re coming out too often. I don’t think so. The sport changes so quickly, and there is so much to cover that every two weeks or so seems just right. However, what we’ve learned is that the first and fifteenth of any given month doesn’t fall on the days of the week that make production easiest. So, we’re going to make a change in the next month. We’re shifting our publication to the first and third Tuesdays of the month.
forward to the next installment of the project. When will that be? Well, if we were keeping to our three-month period between the inaugural project and this one, we’d do it all again on February 16th. However, as I mentioned, there will only be one issue in February. That means that we’ll do the next #8Modders in the March 2nd issue.
Kit Kidder-Mostrom Editor-in-Chief
Now, in December that is still the 1st and 15th. After that, though, the dates will shift from month to month. And, due to the short month of February, we still plan for the Feb 2nd issue to be a double issue, followed by March 2nd (we’ll return to twice monthly thereafter until the following February).
As many areas have started back into stay-at-home orders and lockdowns, we’re about to be in a situation like the one we saw in the spring in many ways. Though there have been some sporting events in the interim, many specific dates have been postponed or canceled by Covid19. I’m expecting that Diecast Racing will continue to grow at an amazing rate while we all try to find productive and fun things to do during another prolonged time of private isolation.
It’s been a fun few months, and we’re looking forward to bringing you a great magazine for a long time to come. As we get ready for the new year to come, we’re doing a little planning. There will be some changes – let’s call them improvements.
The people who are featured in this issue are some of the names you will hear a lot over the next few months. Hopefully having some insight into their part in the racing world will help them keep you company for a while.
As this is an #8Modders issue, it makes sense to look
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4 | Diecast Racing Report
News in Brief
Muscle Mania Finds New Date, Host Track As part of the recent shake-up at Redline Derby Racing involving cutting ties with the previous head of racing events, the Muscle Mania event originally scheduled for November of 2020 was canceled. Many racers had already been working on their American Muscle, American Street, and Low Riders for the event when the decision was made to pull the plug. In order for everyone to still be able to race these cars, a new event was planned, and a host stepped forward to ensure its success. Nick Deavers will be the new host of the event at
the Tecumseh Proving Grounds. The new date for the event is Friday, January 22nd, 2021. The rules remain the same as the original event so that the cars already in process won’t have to meet new requirements. The three divisions consist of the same makes and models as the original event, as well. Cars must be to Michigan by the Wednesday preceding race day.
Canyon Outlaws, DIRS Looking For Drivers Chaos Canyon has put out two calls for drivers (read: modders). Their resident race series Canyon Outlaws has need of 16 new drivers to join the
8 already in the ongoing tournament. Unlike other YouTube racing tourneys, this one features the same cars week after week, and is driven by call-outs as the racers jockey for position. The original eight cars are competing currently, and the next 16 drivers will join the fray after the first of the year. Those interested in becoming part of the action must submit a photo of their proposed entry prior to being allowed to submit. This is a juried event. More information can be seen at Chaos Canyon’s discussion forums. Additionally, the DIRS (Diecast International Racing Series) is expanding both its schedule and its list of entries. The original DIRS,which completed its run last month, involved four tracks and all contestants were submitted by the owners of those four tracks. In its 2021 incarnation, the series will expand to seven tracks. And the call for drivers is an open one. Due to the series traveling thousands of miles, there is a $10 entry fee required to participate. The fee covers some of the mailing fees incurred by the race hosts. Unlike the original series, there will be no Stock division. All entries must be modified in some way. There are other requirements that are clearly for the sake of ensuring that the vehicles are camera-worthy, such a no visible weight, and the necessity of using a driver figurine if leaving the windows open. As with the first DIRS series, the event is a winner-take-all thing. The points winner at the end of all seven races will take possession of the entire field of cars. November 17, 2020 | 5
Calendar
Mail-in Race Deadlines Stock:
More Info: RedlineDerby.com
Garden Canyon Run Winter Classic - Deadline for Entry: December 1, 2020. Road Course. No weight limit. No axle or wheel restrictions. Limit two entries per household. More Info: RedlineDerby.com
Plethora of Party Wagons Deadline for Entry: December 1, 2020. Road course. Weight limit 50 grams. Must be Partywagon casting. No nickel-plated axles. Limit 2 entries per household. More Info: RedlineDerby.com
Redline Derby Racing League December Races: Redline Derby Speedway - Deadline for Entry: December 5, 2020. Drag strip. Weight limit 65 grams for stock vehicles. Field limited to 32 participants. One car per participant only. More Info: RedlineDerby.com
Santa Claus Is Coming Town Deadline for Entry: December 1, 2020. Drag strip (Sledding Hill). Weight limit 70 grams. Car must be Hot Wheels Rockin’ Santa Sled only. Cars must have glitter on exterior. More Info: Rust Belt Diecast Racing
Birdco 1000 - Deadline for Entry: December 11, 2020. Drag Strip. Field limited to 128 vehicles. Limit of one car per household. Winner take all tournament on New Years Day. Entry fee. More Info: RedlineDerby.com
Modifieds: Raceway Construction @ Red Eye Customs - Deadline for Entry: November 28, 2020. Road course. No weight limit. Some appearance restrictions involving windows.
6 | Diecast Racing Report
Stock Car Smack Down at Mac Mountain - Deadline for Entry: December 4, 2020. Road course. Weight limit 60 grams. Cars must be models that have competed in NASCAR. Any Era. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Redline Derby Racing League December Races: Redline Derby Speedway - Deadline for Entry: December 5, 2020. Drag strip. Weight limit 60 grams for modified vehicles. Field limited to 32 participants. One car per participant only. More Info: RedlineDerby.com
Small Truck Tournament Deadline for Entry: December 9, 2020. Four courses of various designs. No added weight allowed. Modding for appearance only. No axle or wheels mods allowed. All trucks must be one of four castings: Mazda Repu, Datsun 620, ‘91 GMC Syclone, and Volkswagon Caddy. More Info: RedlineDerby.com El Jefe de la Montaña - Deadline for Entry: December 12, 2020. Road course. No added weight allowed. Modding for appearance only: cars must have custom paint job. No axle or wheels mods allowed. Limit 3 entries per household. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Friday Night Cheese– Deadline for Entry: rolling (open submissions). Road Course. 150 gram weight limit. More Info: ILC Race Series King of the 621– Deadline for Entry: rolling (open submissions). Drag strip. 100 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
10 Questions
Ten Q’s w/ TranSport Diecast Racing We asked ten questions of John Tran, the founder of TranSport Diecast Racing. John is currently hosting Miatas at the Crest, an epic event in which every entry is a Mazda MX-5 Miata. Tran caught the attention of many through his construction of a really long track with laned and open track segments not limited to a standard S-curve shape. 1.
Q: Where did you grow up? A: I grew up in Long Beach and have spent most of my life in Southern California.
2. Q: Did you play with Hot Wheels as a Kid? If so, how? What was your favorite car? A: I played with Hot Wheels as a kid but I mostly crashed them with my brother. Whoever flipped over lost. Our hands took a beating. We got most of our Hot Wheels in McDonalds Happy Meals. My favorite car back then was the 93 Camaro with the green and yellow krackle paint. I just found out now that it's a Camaro! 3. Q: You have a sizable race course. Exactly how long is it? What inspired the track? A: The track is about 65 ft from start to finish. It started out with a 4ft x 8ft footprint in its current location and then eventually grew to a 6ft x 10ft footprint. I kept wanting to go bigger and bigger. My track was heavily inspired by 3DBotmaker's DRC and KOTM tracks. I love both of his tracks, favoring DRC more, except for its short length. I wanted my track to be a combination of the two with a little something different. For the diorama, it's loosely based on the Angeles Crest Highway, a 30 minute drive from me. I originally wanted to model it after Mt. Akina from the anime Initial D, but that would've required a lot more work which I wasn't willing to do at the time. I'm going to change it later on when I rebuild my track in my garage. 4. Q: You’re currently running a race of 100% modified Mazda Miatas. How is that going? Is there anything unexpected about running a competition that is one-model-only? A: Miatas at the Crest is going well! If I had to pick something, I would say that the results have been unexpected. The fastest qualifier is almost 30g lighter than the next two! We'll see if the weight plays a bigger role when they're on the track together. The interest has been unexpected as well. I wasn't sure how many people would be interested in participating or watching, but people seem to love watching these little cars fly around the track. 5. Q: Do you have a Holy Grail of cars? One that you have been looking for forever, and it would be something special if you found it? A: I apologize for the boring answer, but I don't, actually. I've only recently gotten back into collecting due to quarantine, and since then, I've never looked for must-have cars. I just buy whatever appeals to me. I do wish Hot Wheels would make a NB generation Miata. 6. Q: Do you have your next event in the pipeline? If so, what is it? A: I have 2 official events in my pipeline right now. There are more in planning. The first event is the Tournament of 32 that begins at the end of December. It's a 32 car tournament where I'll be introducing people to 4-car racing on my track. I'm using my own cars but I've allowed the already-selected drivers to submit their own cars as substitutions. The second event is my 65g KOTM, or KOTC (King of the Crest). I'm hoping to start that at the end of February or beginning of March. It's using the same rules as KOTM but the weight limit is 65g. It may get moved back a little to accommodate the DIRS event. 7. Q: You were recently asked to be one of the DIRS courses for 2021. How’s that feel? A: It's a great feeling. I've always wanted to do a multi-track series but it takes a lot of time and effort to plan one. I'm very grateful to Chaos Canyon for taking this on. The first DIRS event went great and it's only going to get better! I can't wait to get started. 8. Q: If you were to do another one-model-only race series, what would be the next model you’d want to tackle? A: I'm actually planning to do a lot of one-model-only events in the future. I really like the idea of everyone building the same car. It's a much better way to test your skills. After my 2 events I have lined up, I'm planning on doing an NSX-only event. I'd also like to do a Tooned Chevelle event, I love the way those castings run together.
(TRANSPORT cont. on page 23) November 17, 2020 | 7
Feature
8 MODDERS 1 CAR
CUSTOM FORD MAVERICK EDITION
by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
Three months ago, Diecast Racing Report’s official track, Psychedelic Speedway, was still being constructed, but we took a few days to run a race on the Box Canyon Loop. In that race, we had 8 cars. All of those cars were Rodger Dodgers that had been put together by eight of the top customizers from around the diecast racing world. That race came a week after a photo essay article just like this one. A fact which may lead you to believe that we’re about to see some of the best in the world go head-tohead again. And, we are. That race will hit the Diecast Racing Report YouTube channel next week. For now, though, we should take a look at what’s really important: the way these folks do just what they do. For so many in the racing world, it can feel like we’re elusively chasing speed. How do we learn to get faster? 8 | Diecast Racing Report
Well, there’s a lot of bumps and bruises along the way if you take the path of the school of hard knocks. Another way to learn? See what other folks are doing, and steal their ideas. Steal from the best. Now, not everyone is just chasing speed. Some place looks as high on their list of importance. Some even feel that’s more important. There are lessons to be learned from these modders, too. In fact, not all modders race, but they have techniques that may come in handy for those of us who do. Learn what you can where you can. This installment of the #8Modders Project moved on to a different casting: the Custom Ford Maverick. Whereas the Rodger Dodger was a classic casting, the Maverick is a newer casting of a classic compact muscle car. The modders invited this time are exceptional. Their names populate the leaderboards of almost any serious race in the world. We’re thrilled to have them here.
Feature
The Custom Ford Maverick has only been around for three years. Its first casting was in 2018. This isn’t the first time Ford’s other late-60s/early70s muscle car has been put forth by the good folks at Mattel. The first Maverick casting was released in 1970. That casting was called the Mighty Maverick (also released under the name of Street Snorter, for some reason). The Mighty Maverick was based on Ford’s 1969 model.
The Car
In 2010, the ‘71 Maverick Grabber made its debut as a mainline casting. It has been released in some form almost every year since (exempting a twoyear hiatus in 2015 and 2016). It is a faithful representation of the Ford production model.
The Participants Matt Allen Robby Comeford Heather Harmon Mark Heisler Frank Kline Romy Rivera Warwick Rule Jon L Soffa
The casting that our modders were assigned at the beginning of this project was not only based on the 1972 model, but on a very specific 2016 customized car created by Sung Kang: the UDog. In 2020, Hot Wheels released the Custom Ford Maverick in three colors, all of which were part of the HW Flames collection: black, red, and powder blue (a Kroger exclusive). We sent each of our modders the light blue car to work with. Unlike our Rodger Dodger modders three months ago, not a single Maverick modder left the paint job as they received it. Three did incorporate blue into their finished product, but it’s safe to say that the modders did not let their creativity be limited by what they received in their initial package. Clearly, the Custom Ford Maverick is agreeable canvas for their art.
#8MODDERS November 17, 2020 | 9
Feature Robby Comeford (Diecast 64): Robby started modifying cars for racing around 2014. In the beginning it was just some basic modifications, but through the years he picked up lots of tips and tricks and the speed of his cars improved dramatically over those first few builds. Comeford built cars for many races over the years, mostly for races at Redline Derby, Diecast 64 (which are mail-in races that he hosts) and the Hot Wheels Downhill Racing group. He built lots of cars that he’s proud of. One that stands out is his Redline Derby Rookie Race Champion Dieselboy,which provided one of Robby’s first big wins in 2015. Another is his D64 Heavyweight 2020 winning car. Those two cars remind him of the progress he has made. But Robby’s not done yet. He knows there is more speed left out there to be found, and he’s excited to find it!
The Maverick has a unique width. It’s a challenge to find a perfect fit to swap axles straight across, so I look at other Mavericks for a good set of wheels. This one wasn’t bad, but I found some wheels and axles that I felt would be a bit faster. Instead of a custom paint job I decided to strip the paint and go bare in a shameless (or perhaps shameful) promotion of the D64 Bare Metal HalfMile coming up in 2021.
To get as much speed as we can out of this baby I need to polish the axles. A good set of polished mainline axles can be just as fast as nickel plated Faster Than Ever axles that a lot of racers swear by.
When gluing in axles, it's important to make sure they are parallel to one another. Using an axle jig can be helpful. I've made a lot of different versions over the years. This is a 3D printed custom D64 jig.
I removed some of the interior to add some weight. When racing on fat track I try to keep the weight as low as possible and toward the center of the car.
Custom Ford Maverick by Robby Comeford
84.3 grams
10 | Diecast Racing Report
Feature
November 17, 2020 | 11
Feature Matt Allen (Mattman213): Matt started his obsession with Hot Wheels like most, at a very early age. This obsession quickly led him down the road of modding and altering. First, with a hammer, but when modeling skills and abilities came around more constructive modding came about. The flame has since been rekindled by Matt’s two-year-old little boy, Luke. Now there is a wildfire ablaze and its most often quenched in the form of modding and racing diecast cars and restoring old Redline castings. What started as a childhood passion has become something they both can enjoy in so many ways.
Fresh start.
All the parts sourced and ready to put together.
Paint stripped. These castings are horrible under the paint. I stripped 3 bodies and all were equally pitted and had odd runs in the casting.
Polishing up to attempt Spectraflame style paint.
Not entirely digging the Spectraflame. Metal is dull despite the mirror polish and would take too much work to get smooth. Going back in the stripper. After 3 trips to the stripper, I finally got some silver undercoat and yellow top coat and called it done.
Custom Ford Maverick by Matt Allen
91.7 grams
12 | Diecast Racing Report
Feature Jon L Soffa (Voxxer Racing): Jon L Soffa is one of the most dominant forces in downhill diecast racing, and Voxxer Racing’s trademark style is so distinctive that his cars are instantly recognizable at races around the world. A resident of Parker, Colorado, Soffa travels regularly to the Annual Hot Wheels Convention as both a competitor and presenter. He presents on topics such as aerodynamics in downhill racing, and what are the best wheels to use. He is the reigning 2020 Champion of the Diecast 64 Open Modified Division and the Modified Street Division. Voxxer is in the top three in every tracked category on Redline Derby Racing’s website.
Interior, glued in only on the bumpers, since all the rest will be removed.
Filling in the windows. You can see the sections of the interior that were left after removing the rest.
Grinding down.
Now, fill and sand: I usually have 10 cars in various stages. It takes me about 10 days to do just the body.
Sanding’s done. Off to paint...
Custom FordMaverick by Jon L. Soffa
72.9 grams November 17, 2020 | 13
Feature Warwick Rule (Chaos Canyon): Having never had kids, Warwick has had the toys all to himself. He’s raced 1/10th RC cars and collected and modified 1/24 scale cars for years but it was early 2020 when the 1/64 racing bug bit him. He carried over his love of modifying and building into this new hobby and started with simply repainting cars but soon that wasn’t enough and began adding body modifications, wheels swaps etc to his vehicles. Warwick leans towards the patina style and likes his vehicles to be unique and generally rat rod in style and if they run well, that’s a bonus.
The wheel flares had to go and it needed bigger shoes so some body sculpting was in order. At this point Guru felt we could squeeze even bigger shoes onto it. So it was back to grinding. The body off, you can see the new, bigger shoes. These wheels were mounted onto polished steel pins. The pins go into a small tube and are then bent along the chassis and glued down.
The body gets mounted onto the chassis to check for fit before Guru and Spanners get to work with bonnet scoop and lowering the roof. The wheels are close to the body but still rotate freely.
A shot of the new rear, custom wing. The paint has been stripped off the whole chassis here as well.
First look at the bonnet scoop (from a tooned Chevelle) and the chopped roof. You can also see on this angle that pretty much all of the fender flares have been shaved off.
Mav by Warwick Rule
39.3 grams 14 | Diecast Racing Report
Feature Heather Harmon (LionHawk Racing): Heather "Sweet-Tea" Harmon is a new diecast racer, having only joined the community in 2020. For more than 20 years she has been active in other geeky tabletop strategy and wargames, including most recently games such as Gaslands and Warhammer 40K. Heather's favorite Hot Wheels casting is the classic T-Bird (or "Tea-Bird," as she calls it). Her modding style is still evolving, as she learns more about what works well in this new hobby. Today's submission is heavily influenced by "Orktober," which is an annual event Heather participates in to celebrate her favorite Warhammer 40k faction. You can catch her in racing action on the LionHawk Racing channel and on the Rustbelt Diecast Racing channel.
Step 1: Inspiration. Think about concept and come up with something I find exciting. In this case: ORKtober!
Step two: Strip the paint and get a clean canvas to begin the creative process.
Step three: Dry fit the bits. Play around until it looks good. Try new things.
Basecoat! (After an all-over primer). First green. Then silver bits. Then the red (because red wunz go fasta!)
Graphite and balance the wheels. And then add bits before reattaching to the model.
The WAAAGH Machine by Heather Harmon
43.6 grams November 17, 2020 | 15
16 | Diecast Racing Report
Feature Mark Heisler (Jackson Pass Speedway): Mark Heisler, along with his son “Gnocchi” Jack, operates the Jackson Pass Speedway Track and YouTube Channel. They claim to be virtual novices at modding Hot Wheels, as this was only their second complete drill, strip, and paint mod. The first was Jack’s entry into the Cavalcade of Calamity Custom Contest going on currently on the Jackson Pass Speedway channel. Like almost everyone in the hobby now, they got into it with their hours of free time from self-isolation and lack of entertainment. It has been a great opportunity for father and son to bond over a shared love of cars
I wasted a few cars practicing drilling and then tapping the screw accurately. Once confident enough to work on this I drilled, separated and stripped the paint down to the bare metal. Next was a coat of grey primer, and I almost left it grey and tried some rust, but Jack wanted a slick paint job.
We found a really nice blue metallic spray so we experimented. I had to strip it and re-prime it twice, because I was too impatient and got thumb prints in the wet paint.
Painted the seats, steering wheel and stick shift for some details and then added weight and balanced the frame so it wasn’t too front or back heavy.
Painted some detailing on the head and tail lights and Blue Steel was ready to race.
Blue Steel by Mark Heisler
52.3 grams November 17, 2020 | 17
Feature Romy Rivera (Rivera Racing): Born and raise in Boyle Height, California, Romy started collecting Hot Wheels in the late 80's and by the mid 90's he had his own collectible business specializing in Hot Wheels. Since then he attended most of the Hot Wheels Conventions in the last 25 years. Rivera started to race Hot Wheels at conventions. Downhill racing has been a highlight for him and his whole family. Over the past few years the HW Convention started a new racing class, Hot Wheels Modified, and he’s been racing modified cars at conventions ever since. At the conventions is where he met people like, Jon Soffa (Voxxer Racing) and Michael Mathis (MDG Racing) along with many other modders. Ever since then he stayed in contact with the others and eventually started racing online with them. Romy seriously loves modding cars and racing them. “I honestly couldn't do it without the support of my family,” he says. Through the process of taking off the tampos, I used Acetone and a Q-tip.
The car with all the flame tampos removed. A clean blue canvas.
I used spray cans for paint and topped it off with clear paint in the end.
Originally, I was going with FTE Wheels in axle tubes.
I ended up switching them to Redlines at the last minute. I liked the look, thought it would be a little different, yet the function or speed stayed the same. Hidden inside is a square carbide piece of metal used for counter weights.
Blue Ashes By Romy Rivera
74.0 grams 18 | Diecast Racing Report
Feature Frank Kline (Red Pill Racing): Frank Kline runs the races at Red Pill Hill in Georgia. He is listed at Redline Derby Racing as the top racer of 2020. His custom build dubbed “Mad Catter” was one of the heaviest cars to ever race at 3DBotMaker’s King of the Mountain series, weighing in at 200 grams. Red Pill Racing’s signature flat back paint job and red highlights is well known at all the major tracks in diecast racing.
Taking a look at the original, unaltered car.
After adding some weight inside and doing some wheel work, put the car back together using 2-56 screws.
When sending cars to races, label the underside to identify your car. It helps everyone.
Black out the windows. It hides the weight inside and matches the look of the putty in the open ones.
Give the car a test drive. Run it down the track to see how it turned out.
Custom Ford Maverick by Frank Kline
109.9 grams November 17, 2020 | 19
Tournaments
Rust Belt Diecast Racing by Josh Paufler
A
s we finished up Racetober and now half-way through Racegivings (?), the action continues at Rust Belt. Bus Bash 2020 concluded with its final two events, Chicken n Pigs and Black Ice Challenge, in which the buses needed to navigate a winding open track. In the end, Potsey Atwood took the championship, racking up 80 points over 5 events. Ian Parks finished second with 67 points and your humble narrator rounded out the podium with a modest 59 points. Elsewhere at Rocket Dragway, Dave Davis is clinging to the podium after 5 days with a chance to tie “High Octane” Chey Wheeler for most consecutive podium wins when the races return to Michigan in 2 weeks. Also, the Veterans Day Victory Lap has been run and over $720 raised for The Travis Mills Foundation https:// www.travismills.org. The event was won by Donavan Kinyon. The herd is starting to separate in the Mini Stock class on Friday Night Food Fights. Rusty Martin has been the front runner for a points championship but, Cinderella story, out of nowhere, Reese Burg is nipping at his heels and, with his win this week, has tied Martin for
the points lead. In Big C’s Chop Shop Mini NASCAR Series, Ernie Irvan was held out of the feature race for only the second time this season but he’s still firmly atop the leaderboard with 16 points, 7 more than Michael Waltrip. Barry Porter ran this week for the second time, in relief of Dick Trickle, but did not score any points, so there will be a new contest winning driver this week. For your chance to be a driver, visit the Rust Belt Diecast Racing Facebook group. In the Shorty Showdown, Rust McQuade has been tearing up the Sledding Hill with back to back wins but, this week a new challenger emerged. The legendary Chicken George brought an 87g Smart Car to the track and defeated the champ in a thrilling sudden death matchup. George will face a new driver this week; Dale Pryor of DXP Racing. In the main event, MDG Racing and the Hot Diggity Dog has tied Fractal Panda’s consecutive win streak at 5 victories. If you remember, Fractal Panda went on a tear early in the season and dominated every food
20 | Diecast Racing Report
truck he faced. Can MDG break his record? Find out this week! The action is just heating up as Friday Night Food Fights enters the last 4 weeks of season 1. Stay tuned every Friday for more Food Fights, Shorty Showdown and Mini Stocks! At Rust Belt Raceway Park, Robert Manore currently sits atop the C3PO Podium in the Hot Wheels Split Decision after defeating Das Kids, who held the podium for 3 days. The first leg of the Swiss Cheese Invitational ran on Saturday. No spoilers but please go check it out on our YouTube channel. There’s a code in the video for 10% off at Slanman Customs. Slanman provides the diecast racing community with high quality and affordable 3D printed track pieces and accessories. The second leg will run this month at the Tecumseh Proving Grounds in Michigan. Over in Ohio, Four Seasons Raceway
Tournaments had entered the autumn theme with harvesters and leaves changing. With that has come a changing of the guard. Ian Parks is holding the podium and will be challenged as live daily racing returns to Four Seasons this week. At the time of this publication, another Midnight Shrub will have run but, last week’s winner was Dale Pryor. The Honda City Turbo Tournament kicked off last week and saw MDG Racing win the first event. The next event will be up soon and
continue through November. And in the October edition of King of the Belt, Rust Belt’s monthly live modified racing series, Fractal Panda won the lightweights class and MDG, who has been on a hot run, took the heavyweights….with yours truly finishing second in both classes. Always a bridesmaid. Sunday Pinks ran this passt weekend. The weekly live pink slips stock car race at TFT Raceway in Ohio has picked up steam this month with more and more teams added each week. For your chance to
race live for pink slips, visit the Rust Belt Racing Facebook group for details. November has already seen some incredible racing and there’s even more to come with Rockin Santa Sled race in December, the Food Fights Final on Christmas Day and the newly announced Peg Clearing Brawl. It’s a tournament featuring 5 of the most overlooked castings of 2020 to kick off the new year. Stay tuned for all of that plus live daily races only at Rust Belt Diecast Racing.
Big Poppy Racing by Ali Kidder-Mostrom
E
vent six was a long one for the 2020 Diecast Games, so it was almost surprising to move on to Event Seven. This event, “The Slolam”, was a breath of unique, fresh air and a great event to followup the mayhem of the Fat Track Free For All (FTFFA). The Slalom is just what it sounds like: a slightly downhill track of curves and straights, nine 90 degree turns in total. Each of the competing cars went down this course solo and were ranked based on their time, that is assuming they could finish. Like the FTFFA which preceded it, this event was a good one for Ferrari F40s. Unlike previous events, longer cars generally had a hard time handling the turns and typically fell short. Fast V had a deceptively fast car off the start; deceptive in that though it started fast, it wasn’t able to finish. Just when it was feeling like most cars weren’t going to get to the finish line (only 3 of the first 14 were able to find their way to the end), Po’ Boy showed up with a Shadowjet that
DECEPTIVELY DIFFICULT – The nine curves along the Slalom’s gently sloping track made life hard for many rookies and veteran racers alike.
just never slowed down (finishing with a time of 11.527). Both of Po’ Boy’s cars finished and the overall field seemed to improve from there. Big Poppy, Crazy Fresh Entertainment and Jim L both had two cars make it to the end. Jim L’s Honda Sprocket even zoomed into first place, though it was quickly unseated by Lady of Speed’s Way 2 Fast (which would take the overall win, when all the cards were counted). Though the field was looking up overall, it was Red Pill, with a
Datsun and Camaro both finishing in under 12 minutes, that truly impressed. Your Nightmare Racing, Tune Trax, Hot Wheels Calgary and League of Speed also saw two cars finish the challenging track. The Rogue Racer brought a classic Rodger Dodger, which was a joy to see and a quick competitor – finishing at 11.989. Other fun laps included Your Nightmare Racing having one car stall in the last turn, but come back to finish in attempt two and League of Speed pulling off the seemingly impossible – getting the Astin Martin through to the end. November 17, 2020 | 21
Tournaments Peter Bee Vids also did something unexpected – he sent a School Bus down The Slalom course. That is a race you’ll want to see. Gen-X Vintage Racing’s luck took a turn in this event – he had two cars finish and, for a change, neither was bumped from the top 32. Which is, of course, important as each of the top 32 cars added points to their
overall team score. Dirty Deeb’s BWM Roadster didn’t make it to the top 32, but when he ended exactly on the finish line (with a time of 22.333) it was like a middle-aged Ninja Warrior contestant - you were just so excited to see him finish! Dirty Deeb’s other car finished in 32nd, bringing home points.
Nick Deavers only had one car make it to the end of The Slalom course, but considering that one car landed in 2nd place he shouldn’t have too much to complain about. On the other end of the list, Silverback Racing ended the event with a disappointing run from two long cars. As mentioned above, this course was a tough one for just that kind of car.
Sub4ra by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
The eighth event in the 2020 Adult Diecast Racing Cup (ADRC) season is Martinsville. The race is a short track, and is the “paper clip” configuration that also doubled for Bristol back in the spring. Rhyno’s marquee series is running a little behind this year. Not unlike many track owners, his ability to crank out content has been affected by the pandemic and the ensuing life changes associated with Covid-19. So, while this race was originally supposed to take place earlier in the year, the wait seems to have been well worth it. The action was far more exciting than one might expect when the track is divided lanes for all but a couple of feet right before the finish line. Two cars in divided lanes might lack in wild moves, but the action with six or more cars at the starting line leads to all sorts of knocking about and good old fashioned chaos. The pole sitter for the entire event, the number 5 car of Green Parrot, a green Plymouth Superbird, flipped over in turn one and rode on his roof all the way to turn two where the other cars nudged him out of the way and off the track. Many laps saw cars come off the track partially, only to get back on and finish the lap. But many others were caught over the edge for good, or tipped over when smashed between the preceding and trailing cars. There’s not a lot of wiggle room on the divided orange track that 22 | Diecast Racing Report
GOING TO THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUM – Lady Red Pill sets her own pace, and while it has her lagging in this heat, she’s doing quite well in the season standings.
makes up most of the Martinsville Speedway. Green Parrot got to go back to the back of the field because he landed on his wheels on that first lap. But his next lap ended upside down and the fastest qualifier was out before the race had really gotten going. The Red Pill Racing cars of Frank Kline and Maxzilla were the ones to watch in the next group. Kline has been rapidly moving up the rankings in the second half of the season. The RPR cars started in the middle of the 6-car group, but quickly moved up to the front row on subsequent runs. Kline managed to win the group, but Maxzilla was passed by Lucky Jackson at the very end of the final lap. Luke Allen and Doctor Paul were on the front row of Group 3. Both drivers are rookies in the ADRC this season. Doctor Paul made some savvy blocking moves to stay in front of much more experienced drivers. Allen fell victim to the track in turn
two and Doctor Paul won the group. As the races progressed over the duration of the 45-minute event, a healthy number of cars were eliminated by failing to finish upright and on the track. Book’um Danno and Gator McKluskey put on a show in Group 5. Lady Red Pill kept a slow and steady pace to rack up points for season scoring. But it was McKluskey who moved on to race again. Of the six preliminary groups, only one pole sitter made it to the main event. The seven cars (the six group winners and the winner of the “seconds” race) had a less error prone set of laps. Doctor Paul took the lead on the second lap. The one car to leave the action early was, yet again, the pole sitter (Geoff Bodine). The rookie Doctor Paul held on to win for John, Jack, and Katie Racing.
10 Questions (TRANSPORT cont. from page 7) 9. Q: Since the beginning of your channel, you’ve shared all of the testing of your track and its features in public videos. Were you at all nervous about showing the unfinished bits of your project with the world? A: I wasn't nervous at all. The track was never going to be finished (it still isn't finished now, I'm always tweaking things), so I didn't care to wait before sharing. I had also shared many videos on 3DBotmaker's page before so it was all the same to me. I wish I had taken pictures of the build process so I could share it with everyone! 10. Q: If you had one piece of advice some someone building their own track, what would it be? A: Don't use the slow cars for testing while tuning. You can either build a track for slow cars or for fast cars, but not both. Well you can, but the racing won't be as good as it can be. If I'm building a track for slow cars, I have to use lower banks on the curves so that the slow cars don't slide down. If a fast car takes that same curve, there isn't enough bank to push the car so it'll fly into the outside wall.
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD – The twists and turns and ups and downs make each run of Miatas at the Crest unique.
November 17, 2020 | 23
On The Track
by Ali Kidder-Mostrom
W
ith New Westrock finally recovered from the spider invasion, it was time to get back to racing. When an unknown (and surprisingly pristine) ’69 Camaro (named “The Reaper”) rolled into town Cross saw the opportunity to defend his title from the “Get Up. Stay Up.” Tournament, which started over the summer. Many months have passed, so it’s hard to say whether this ’65 Mustang (named “Beast”) driven by Cross is the same one he used the last time he raced to “stay up”. Either way, Beast has a much darker and distinctly FRRC vehicle design than the pale Gulf look that he rescued from repossession in July. Cross came to defend his title and TLaMont, driving The Reaper, came to see if he would be the one to get up to the top of the tournament instead.
BEFORE THE DESCENT – Cross (left) and T-LaMont (right) line up at the starting gate, ready to plunge into the madness of New Westrock.
The two were quite evenly matched coming out of the gate, but TLaMont was able to pull ahead over time to take the first lap win. The two cars continued to be well matched throughout the race, swapping laps, wins, and paint throughout.
In the third lap, the Mustang seemed to stall out for a bit and let TLaMont’s Camaro pull well ahead for an easy win. However, Cross continues to have AN ERIE RED LIGHT – A new installment in Flat Rabbit Racing Club’s better luck “Get Up. Stay Up.” has a revised track, but the same old FRRC feel. than his 24 | Diecast Racing Report
competitors when making the final jump prior to the rabbit hole. This luck allowed him to come back and tie them at two wins each at the end of lap four. So, it came down to the fifth and final lap. Both black vehicles kept it tight for the whole lap. T-LaMont pulled ahead slightly and blocked Beast’s attempts to pass him, thereby pulling away to a ‘Get Up’ victory. It takes four times defending the “Get Up. Stay Up.” title in order to achieve legendary status at the FRRC. Will another contender get up and knock T-LaMont down or will he be able to ‘Stay Up’ at the top? Or will SCAR finally manage to shut the whole operation down? We’ll have to keep an eye on the transmissions coming out of New Westrock to see.
On The Track
by Ali Kidder-Mostrom
L
ast week’s Saturday Night Grudgefest, pitted a red Jeep Gladiator (representing Hot Wheels) against a white Jeep Wrangler (racing for Matchbox). The Matchbox pulled ahead to an early lead in lap one and, in a trick fit for Chaos Canyon’s Lily the Dog, literally rolled across the finish line and landed on her wheels. Lap two saw a similar stunt from the white Wrangler; unfortunately, this time landing in a much less glamorous posture, as well as second to the red Gladiator. With each Jeep recording a win, it all came down to lap three. This one was clean racing, with each competitor giving it all they had to jump across that finish line to the win. However, after pulling ahead it was ultimately the Jeep Gladiator that walked away with a rare Hot Wheels win. Once that grudge was settled, it was on to the most recent main event to
grace the Mayes Mountain Motor Speedway: the RTR Truck Series. In this tournament, groups of four compete in a round-robin race to see which two will move on in the series. Groups A and B raced this week sending the first four on in the competition. Group A started with Po’ Boy in the lead out of the gate, but when he flipped in the final straightaway, Alex Payne took advantage and drifted across the finish line, well ahead of the rest of the competitors. In lap two, two cars stood out from the pack: Str8tline Livie’s deep blue Chevy took a commanding lead coming out of the first turn to win the lap and Po’ Boy demonstrated that (when he can stay on his wheels) he had impressive closing speed, coming up from nowhere in the final straightaway to finish 2nd. Lap three ended in a photo finish between Str8tline Livie and Todd Owen. In lap four, Str8tline Livie lost some luster (finishing last), but it was still enough to carry that
Chevy on to the next round. Str8tline Livie moves on with Todd Owen, who snuck up from behind, moving from third to first throughout the round robin race. Group B featured a Chevy, a Datsun and two Fords. These trucks liked to stick together, but as inevitably happens, the competitors eventually spread out, with Chad Hall (in a black Chevy) finishing first in 2 laps. When all the points were tallied, Big H and his white Datsun managed to join Chad Hall in moving forward to the next round, after he took a long lead out of the turn and a lap four win. He just edging out Cole Peters ’ orange Ford (which won lap three). For those who want a little extra racing action, RTR also posted footage of the “Four Horsemen” (RTR, FRRC, Chaos Canyon and Jackson Pass) doing a practice run of vehicles apparently headed to the Hot Wheels Calgary Birdco 1000. If you’ve also got a vehicle headed to Canada, this might be the perfect opportunity to scope out the competition. November 17, 2020 | 25
On OnThe TheTrack Track
by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
N
ovember is the end of the year for Friday Night Cheese at the ILC. The 2020 season’s final two races happened this past fortnight. The reigning Big Cheese at the beginning of Race 53 was Nick Deavers in a lovely rat rodstyle pickup truck. Despite the fact that James Kleman could not mathematically be removed from his spot atop the overall rankings and would be crowned the 2020 Friday Night Cheese Champion after the conclusion of Race 54, Deavers drove like a man unwilling to release his hold on the Big Cheese title. In his first lap against Warpig76’s Rapid Responder, Deavers left the significantly lighter truck in his dust. But, a much closer heat was just ahead, as the second lap in the best of three race was full of rubbin’ all the way to the very end. Warpig76 stuck to Deavers like chewing gum
on a 7-year-old’s tennis shoe. But, with a slick spin move just before the finish line, Deavers broke away and retained his title for another week. The last few races have featured vehicles and SURPRISINGLY CLOSE – Warpig76’s Rapid Responder drivers that are getting a gives Nick Deavers a run for his money. second go at the Man-Pam Motor Speedway. In fact, Deavers The two were close down the first himself was a Second Cheese driver straightaway, but Kleman pulled in this truck not too many weeks ahead coming out of the first turn. ago. As the season wound down, it He gathered speed on the middle was only fitting that the overall straightaway, and hit turn two so champion of the season got to take fast that he launched right off the his turn at Second Cheese in Race back of the embankment, completely 54. out of the Speedway. Kleman’s signature General Lee lined up for a chance to take the title of Big Cheese back and to be the reigning title holder as well as the season champion. Deavers knew there was a lot on the line, since if he could hold on to the title, he would start the 2021 season (launching in December) as the first Big Cheese of the new go’round.
ETERNAL FLAME – James Kleman’s General Lee lights up the night, but not in the way he’d hoped.
26 | Diecast Racing Report
The cars were all business. Kleman’s car weighed in slightly heavier at 119 grams. Deavers truck is 114 grams.
Deavers kept a level head and kept on truckin’ to a lap one victory. And, because leaving the track is an automatic forfeiture, that single lap win means that Deavers will start 2021 as the Big Cheese yet again. Elsewhere, just outside the stadium, the General Lee of James Kleman met an ignoble end, becoming a fireball (or at least a fire ring) and ending its time at the ILC. James Kleman torched all comers all year long, but when the finale of the season came, it was his car that got burned. As the 2020 Champion of Friday Night Cheese, James Kleman will receive the much lauded $1.19 Walmart gift card that is the ILC prize.
On The Track
by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
A
new king has been crowned at Race Mountain. It’s not Steven King, the three-time DRC Champion, although he will be seen on the mountain in the not-toodistant future, as the end of the year event will feature the DRC all-stars on the regular 3DBotMaker road course. No, it isn’t even Terry Hill, the winner of the first KotM tournament. At the end of
Tournament 2, the winner got to take on Hill for the Mountain’s most prestigious title. And that head-tohead match-up was one for the ages! The KotM Finals featured cars that had done exceptionally well in the earlier rounds. The first-seeded Kong, driven by the FGC Family managed to advance to the finals despite some very erratic driving in the earlier rounds. Garbanzo MacElroy drove Dynamo through the same exact bracket in a more reliable manner, and one could argue that he deserved to be the favorite coming into the final race. From the other side of the bracket, Timmy Vincent drove Audihouse consistently well and hoped to continue on theme in this event.
some time. The rules for the final were somewhat different than they had been in earlier rounds. The first four laps would be done exactly as they had been for the rest of the tournament, but after that, the top two drivers would face off head-tohead to earn the right to face off against Terry Hill’s Dollar General Evo. Lap 1 saw Garbanzo MacElroy and the FGC Family neck & neck through turn 3. Coming out of the turn, Dynamo led Kong by about a car length as they went down the final stretch. Lap 2 was taken by Audihouse and the Executioner, in first and second, respectively. Kong flipped in turn two. In lap 3 FGC pinballed about and let both T-Lamont and Garbanzo MacElroy pass for a one-two finish.
T-Lamont returned to the track in The Executioner. This car was dominant through the lower rounds of the tournament.
All of the cars were in contention until the last lap. Only the highest seed in the tournament hadn’t won a lap outright up to that point. And the FGC family looked like they would be missing out on a chance to become “King” Kong.
The cars were well matched, and this Final round was probably the most anticipated set of races in quite
But, the fates had other ideas, as Kong was the only car to finish the fourth lap. The other three cars’ DNF altered the point standings greatly, and T-Lamont and the FGC Family were slated as the two cars November 17, 2020 | 27
On OnThe TheTrack Track in the head-to-head match-up. In a best two-out-of-three, The FGC Family managed to put in a great run with straight lines and good approaches to the curves. T-Lamont, on the other hand, put the Executioner on its lid. In the second lap, both Kong and the Executioner were off their wheels between the second and third turns, and neither was able to finish the lap. According to the rules at 3DBotMaker, the Double DNF is reset with the same starting positions, and that means both cars take a mulligan on lap two. In Lap 2 Redux, FGC won the cleanest lap of the entire tournament. Kong held tight lines through the corners and was true the whole way down the mountain, putting up a fantastic time of 16.900. Somehow, by coming through at the right time, Kong made good on the FGC Family’s number one seed. At the top of the mountain, Terry Hill awaited his new challenger in his once-again-orange color shifter 2008 Mistubishi Lance Evolution. Terry Hill was clearly the best car in the field in the first KotM tournament of 2020. There can be only one king, so winning the second tournament was not the end of Kong’s journey. The FGC Family clearly had learned from past years’ 3DBotMaker videos, as they pulled out a maneuver that hasn’t been seen much since the days Fat Track and Coroplast. Kong went into turn two nose-high and blocked the Dollar General Evo through the entire 180 degrees, straightening out only once it was clear that Terry Hill’s car wasn’t 28 | Diecast Racing Report
going to get its momentum back. The FGC family took lap 1 in style. The block may have done something to THE CROWNING EVENT – The FGC Family leads the fourth and final lap the Evo, or perhaps Terry of Kong’s head-to-head match with Terry Hill, the former King. Hill’s confidence was shaken, because he time to fit in the previously plugged wasn’t the dominant racer fans of race of the DRC All-Stars. The cars 3DBotMaker have come to know. that are competing are a rogues gallery of famous vehicles, and it is Lap two of the best-of-five finale sure to be a fun tournament. With went easily to the FGC Family who cars such as the 1966 Batmobile, Mr. posted a quite zippy 16.716 track Bean’s Mini, Doc Brown’s time time. machine, and the 1982 GMC Vanura from the A-Team, the cars are all over This was looking like it might be a the map when you compare their quick three laps and done. But, Kong vital stats. But, as the axiom says, returned to erratic behavior and open track is the great equalizer. drove right off the side of the mountain at the McClyde site. Not There is no word yet as to whether to worry, that VW Golf is like a there will be a race of all the series Timex. It took its licking and kept champions of 2020. There was a race right on ticking. of that type at the end of both 2018 and 2019, so there is hope that 2020 Back at the top of the mountain, the won’t deviate from the pattern. two cars lined up once more. And, after pulling long before the chicane There was also a post in the yet again, Kong carried the day, and 3DBotMaker Facebook group earlier became the new King of the this week updating potential drivers Mountain. on the status of entries into the future KotM tournaments. To sum The only other new content on the up: all cars that have already had 3DBotMaker channel in the last two timed qualifying solo runs will be weeks was a promo for the upcoming headed for the group qualifiers Fast and Famous Car Tournament. before those that have not yet taken This tournament is a result of a vote their solo trips down the Mountain. taken on the channel’s subscriber page. There are so many cars in 3DBotMaker’s studio, both qualified The eight car tournament is quite and yet-to-be qualified, that there small for the regular races at the will not be another call for cars in the Mountain, but with just six weeks near future. In fact, the notice stated left in the year, it’s just the right size. that the current batch of cars will be Otherwise, there won’t be enough racing into 2022.
On The Track
by Ali Kidder-Mostrom
T
he Canyon Outlaws series is now well underway. The list has been set and, each week the Outlaws return to challenge each other for Canyon supremacy. Two weeks ago, it was the first chance for Outlaws to find a way to raise their standings on The List. But before the main event there were grudges to call out and races to be run. This set of grudge match races included more than one 8Crate (not surprisingly) and culminated in a ute on ute race featuring the Canyon’s own Thom “Spanners” Watson. Once the Outlaws started to race, each called out the one ahead, in an attempt to rearrange their standing from the week prior. Starting from the bottom, Nancy Wilson called out Ugly Betty and managed to move away from 8th place. Scud had a flawless run against Jumping Spider, moving into 5th place and perhaps providing a window into future success for the rogue missile. El Dardo De Chetarra called out Glitch (in Grinder) and, with a lastminute pass, pulled into third place. This was some classy racing from the driver who has a tendancy to deliver crazy antics. They don’t call it Kayem Corner for nothing. In a redemption run, Xanthippe (in Click) called out Frank “The Guru”
Gibbs (in Jade Monkey), but unlike the day’s other challengers, Click was unable to unseat her competitor and Jade Monkey stayed squarely on the top. Spoiler alert: That’s where Guru ended the day after last week’s race as well. Otherwise, Round 3 of the Canyon Outlaws was far from what one would expect. The day started with a set of grudge races between Canyon residents and some fast, furious posers. Chaos Canyon ruled the day, with a particularly exciting bit of racing by Gina, who led her competitor to a photo finish. Phillip the Tank (in Nancy Wilson) called out Sharon Tarshish’s Jumping Spider. This time the Baracuda couldn’t jump over the competition and Tarshish kept his 6th place standing. Not willing to settle for 6th, Jumping Spider went on to battle Scud. Unfortunately for the spider, he was unable to reclaim his 5th seat spot (lost to Scud the week before). What happens next should not be missed: In a domino-effect series of races, Scud flew from 5th place all
the way to 2nd, racing Grinder, El Dardo De Chatarra and Click on the way up. Myke Maze’s Scud had three clean races, unlike each of his three competitors – who each ended the lap on their roof. For a diversion from the serious competition of the Canyon Outlaws, last week also saw the Looney Mooney family return, this time racing in some famous cars - all movie machines. This epic line-up included 8 The Fast and The Furious cars, some Venom Marvel cars and… Batman (Batmen?)! The Mooneys weren’t the only special guests in the Canyon; cinema fans will spot many a familiar vehicle who stopped by to watch the race. One modern family even rolling in from the Stone Age. In the first run of the night, Big Daddy D rolled away to a rare set of wins for both laps one and two. His sons took the last two laps. But in the final race, Big Daddy rolled away with his first-ever overall win. It was a good day to be Big Daddy.
November 17, 2020 | 29
On The Track
by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
When the Cavalcade of Calamity Custom Competition first put out a call for drivers, the series was touted as an alternative to 3DBotMaker’s King of the Mountain, since the latter series would not be taking in new racers for many months, if not a couple of years. So, many of the rules were the same, or at least similar. One place that the Cavalcade differed in its limits was weight. 3DBotMaker’s rules call for a car to be between 65 grams and 115 grams. For the series at Jackson Pass Speedway, an upper limit was set at 90 grams, and the lower limit was axed. For this newest batch of competitors, that last bit is a good thing. Not a single one of the four cars in Qualifying Round 3 would have met the minimum weight at Race Mountain. Nevertheless they were all great looking modified cars that put on a good show. The four cars trying to get into the main tournament were a varied bunch. Kiwayli Nealy came to the Pass in a 40 gram 1970 Monte Carlo dubbed New Jersey Monte. Sparco Simpson was behind the wheel of Alice, a 40 gram ‘68 Chevy Nova displaying lovely Gulf livery. Cupcake (Josh Paufler using his Rust Belt Diecast Racing nickname) brought a Porsche 911 to the party. Cupcake’s car was named Lil Squirt” The yellow 911 had really nifty 30 | Diecast Racing Report
ROLL TIDE ROLL– THE Purple Tide of Myke Maze pulls ahead of the pack during the third lap of the Cavalcade of Calamity’s third round of qualifying.
custom decals advertising the Squirt carbonated beverage (Josh makes really cool decals). Lil Squirt tipped the scales as the group’s heavyweight at 56.5 grams.
In the first lap, Sparco won in very straightforward fashion. He had a completely clean run, following good lines. He was followed closely by Kiwayli Nealy.
The final entry in this group was Myke Maze whose dedication to Alabama’s Crimson Tide was represented in the name, if not the color of the HW Fish’d and Chip’d he drove onto the course: THE Purple Tide. Maze’s ride pushed the needle up to 42.9 grams.
What was on note in the first lap was how Myke Maze had been on his roof coming out of the Quarry turn, but flipped back on his wheels after coasting down into the side of the lane merger. Hopping back on his wheels, Maze claimed two points by puttering his way to the finish line. Cupcake set the tone of his evening by taking a DNF.
The points system for the Cavalcade is similar to those used by 3DBotMaker for the KotM Tournament 2 qualifiers, or the DIRS races that were hosted at Jackson Pass not too long ago. Normally it wouldn’t be necessary to break down how scoring works in a series that’s already had two earlier installments, but for this particular episode, the scoring really comes into play, so for a moment, we’ll remind you that first place each lap gets 5 points, second, third, and fourth get 3, 2, and 1, respectively. A DNF gets no points.
Lap two went wild right from the get-go. Mass carnage started just after the bridge, when the New Jersey Monte got loose and the only one to emerge unscathed was THE Purple Tide (editor’s note: the word “THE” is presented in all capital letters, as that is the way it was done on the Jackson Pass video). In the third lap, Maze, Simpson, and Cupcake finished 1-2-3, while Nealy flipped for the second lap in a row.
Although Cupcake finished, his point total was already to low to advance. But, that didn’t rule out his being a giant-killer in the final race (This is foreshadowing, folks!) Because the top two cars advance, from the qualifier, the other three drivers were still in the running. Even though the New Jersey Monte had failed to finish the previous two
by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
T
here seems to be something in the air this fall. Multiple channels are hosting television and movie cars tournaments. Chaos Canyon had one last week. 3DBotMaker will be starting one soon. But, if we’re living in the present, we must look at Live Young Die-Cast. They are hosting a Batman “Race to the Cave” tournament. In week one of the event, host Ron Silverly guided viewers through four laps of intense Batmobile action. The drivers in Group 1 are well known to most of everyone. They are the classic Batmans (Batmen?): Adam West in the 1966 Batmobile, Michael Keaton in the 1989 Batmobile, Val Kilmer in a Batmobile inspired by the Batman Forever (1995) car, and Christian Bale in the Tumbler from Batman Begins (2005). This race is point based, and has a couple of bonuses for the drivers to earn points beyond just finishing position. There is a bonus point
laps, a win would send Kiwayli Nealy on to the big show. Alas, the majority of the field didn’t finish lap four, and in this field, one more than half is three. Only Lil Quirt crossed the finish line. The other three drivers took a goose egg. At the end of a very hazardous episode, Myke Maze and Sparco
Simpson become the fifth and sixth cars to head for the next round of the tournament. In the near future, we should be seeing the second round of the Battle of the Centuries returning to the track, as well as more qualifying rounds. A lot of racing is coming our way from Jackson Pass Speedway.
available for taking the final jump on the course. Another bonus is available to the drivers if they make it past a second finish line located inside the Bat Cave, For the first lap, the pole position was a case of age before beauty. The front row saw West and Keaton toeing the line. In lap 1, Adam West was the rabbit. He controlled the race until he sputtered to a dead stop about 8 inches from the finish line. The early-modern era movie Batmans came in first and second: Kilmer then Keaton. Bale got The Tumbler stuck on the peak of the jump and joined West in the DNF category. Lap two was a completely clean lap in which all four cars finished. Keaton took the win. He and West got all the way into the cave. Bale and Kilmer came in 3rd and 4th, respectively, but remained outside For fans of the 1966-68 television classic, the sight of Adam West being beaten up before he later triumphs is a standard trope. In lap three of Group 1, West had to hope
that the trope was in play in racing as well as tv plots. He went Fight Club on himself, and gave himself a drubbing that left him the only car not to finish the lap. Kilmer, on the other hand, got the maximum number of points for the lap, not only getting into the cave first, but also clearing the marker coming of the jump. On the final regular lap, West got his act together and did, in fact, come out victorious after his previous adversities. Kilmer and Keaton came in behind him and all three got into the cave. The Tumbler was left outside. After points were totaled, Kilmer and Keaton had to have a head-tohead face off. Luckily Keaton took the day. Let’s be honest, nobody wanted Kilmer to be the winner here. Keaton was the best Batman. November 17, 2020 | 31
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