DIECAST RACING REPORT December 1, 2020 – Vol. 1 No. 12
Inside: Holiday Shopping Guide – Sub4ra’s Truck Series – Rally Comes to Chaos Canyon - And more!
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In This Issue
Table of Contents Editor’s Notes News Briefs Calendar Features Holiday Shopping Guide
5 6
9
Tournaments
9
4
Big Poppy
14
Sub4ra
15
Rust Belt
17
Diecast 64
18
OnTheTrack
Flat Rabbit Racing Club 20
26 14
15
Live Young DieCast
21
Chaos Canyon
22
RTR Diecast
26
3DBotMaker
27
Cover Art: Steven King
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: Jim Desaulniers, Christopher (Kit) Kidder-Mostrom, Ali Kidder-Mostrom, Steven King, Josh Paufler
December 1, 2020 | 3
Editor’s Note
I
’m mostly going to keep this note as short as I can this issue. We’ve now officially made it to the six-month mark. Thanks to all of you who have read our pages, given suggestions, made requests, and who have come to depend on our coverage of your favorite channels and sites. Six months ago it seemed as though the sport of diecast racing had exploded in size, so it was time to start covering it as a legitimate form of competition and entertainment. The growth has kept on at a staggering pace. Nearly every day I learn about a new site, a new modder, a new channel that wants to be a big part of what we’re all doing in this field. It’s exciting. It’s also more and more difficult to cover everything that is going on in the world of diecast racing.As you probably know, we have a tiny staff. Most of the time it’s just been me, Ali, and Josh doing the writing. Occasionally others have jumped in on a single issue basis. I’m thrilled to announce that DRR is adding another staff member! Some of you will know the sound of Jim Desaulniers’ voice from his commentary on the Indiana Diecast Racing channel. His wry, self-deprecating humor makes for really enjoyable viewing as he brings IDR
4 | Diecast Racing Report
broadcasts to life. Now he’ll be on the job for us with regular updates from the IDR, as well as taking over as the official Chaos Canyon correspondent. You’ll see his first article in this issue! A good chunk of this issue is a holiday buying guide with a diecast racing theme. We know that it isn’t universally Kit Kidder-Mostrom comprehensive. That would be Editor-in-Chief impossible, as new products to help in the creation of tracks, dioramas, cars, and videos are coming out almost as quickly as people are joining in on the whole diecast racing experience. Nevertheless, I hope you find inspiration on these pages if you happen to be searching for the right gift for that collector, modder, racer, or host on your list. There’s only one more issue after this one in 2020. After that it’s on to a new year with new races, new crates of new models, and new friends joining in the fun!
News in Brief
Diecast 64 Announces New Structure, Rules In the November edition of The Race Report, Robby Comeford of Diecast 64 explained that the 2021 season would have fewer races than previous years, as well as fewer racing classes. The new year will see Diecast 64 events in the odd months, with the first starting right away in January. The cars will be due at the beginning of the month. In previous years the cars were due by the third Saturday of each month. Now racing will take place over the second and third weeks of the month and videos will be released on the fourth Saturday of each month in which there is an event. This new schedule will ensure a high quality product despite the challenges of quarantining, and difficulties with the postal service. In addition to the new schedule, there will be one fewer category for racers to compete in. The Hot Off The Shelf category is being retired. Furthermore, the Stock category will no longer be an “open” field. Rather, each event will have a theme. The first event’s theme is Funny Cars. Later in the year, there is an event in which all the stock cars must be Hot Off The Shelf, so folks who miss the overall category will have a chance to race nostalgically. The Open Modified and Modified Street categories will remain primarily the same as in years past. As will the monthly featured race,
though it will be renamed “Builder’s Challenge” so as to avoid confusion with the “Feature Stock” category. A few decisions have been made about the admittance of wheel bearings into the competition, and for 2021 the Open Modified category will allow bearings to compete . However, they will not be qualified to be part of the Car of the Year competitions at the end of the season. The schedule of Feature Stock themes and Builder’s Challenge themes has been posted at www.racehotwheels.com.
Chaos Canyon Closes Outlaw Enrollment Chaos Canyon’s open call for participants in the next round of Canyon Outlaws is now closed. The next opportunity to apply for entry into the ongoing call-out series will be in March. Chaos Canyon plans to accept new vehicles on a quarterly basis. Participants call-out drivers who are already on the Canyon Outlaws top ten list and join the list if they win the call-out battle.
will be filled once the new vehicles arrive on site in New Zealand. Dr. Thom “Spanners” Watson will surely explain in detail once the new season begins in the new year.
Diecast 4 Life Declares His Return in Video For long-time diecast racers, the words “Race On!” belong to one man only, and that is Diecast4Life. After a year away from the racing community, D4L has teased his return to the scene in a newly posted YouTube video. In the past, Diecast4Life hosted a Summer Racing Series and a Winter Racing Series, both of which were held outdoors. It remains to be seen what activities will show up on the Diecast4Life channel , as the world of diecast racing has changed quite a bit over the last 12 months.
Matt Allen Conquers All #8Modders
Currently there are eight racers involved. The current round of newly accepted drivers will more than double the field of potential Outlaws.
In the duration between the last issue of Diecast Racing Report and this one, the participants in the #8Modders: Custom Ford Maverick project assembled at Psychedelic Speedway where DRR hosted a tournament of the participating customized cars.
Chaos Canyon’s own Frank “Guru” Gibbs currently holds the top spot. With only eight drivers at the moment, the ninth and tenth spots are currently vacant. There is no word yet on how those two spots
In a single elimination tournament, Matt Allen (Mattman213) established himself as the fastest of the modders in this iteration of the project. Complete results for the race can be seen at RedlineDerby.com December 1, 2020 | 5
Calendar
Mail-in Race Deadlines Stock: 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 entrant. More Info: RedlineDerby.com 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 Diecast 64 Winter Nationals (Feature Stock) – Deadline for Entry: January 2, 2021. Drag strip. Funny Car castings only. Dry lube only. 2 cars per team. Entrance fee. More Info: RaceHotWheels.com BlueLine Stock & Modified Car Tournament – Deadline for Entry: January 25, 2020. Drag strip. 65 gram weight limit for stock cars. Production cars only, no trucks, vans, concept cars, or fantasy castings. More Info: RedlineDerby.com
Modifieds:
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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 entrant. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Small Truck Tournament Deadline for Entry: December 9, 2020. Four course series. No added weight allowed. Modding for appearance only. No axle or wheels mods allowed. All trucks must be one of four approved castings. More Info: RedlineDerby.com
Deadline for Entry: January 2, 2021. Drag strip. No weight limit. 2 cars per team. Entrance fee. More Info: RaceHotWheels.com Race to be the Alpha – Deadline for Entry: January 9, 2021. Drag strip. Multi-week series. Cars must have Real Rider wheels/tires. Dry lube only. 2 cars per team. Limit 1 entry per household. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Muscle Mania 2021 – Deadline for Entry: January 22, 2020. Drag strip. 65 gram weight limit. Three categories of muscle car drag racing. Cars must appear on approved lists. 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
BlueLine Stock & Modified Car Tournament – Deadline for Entry: January 25, 2020. Drag strip. 60 gram weight limit for modified cars. Production cars only, no trucks, vans, concept cars, or fantasy castings. More Info: RedlineDerby.com
Diecast 64 Winter Nationals (Open Modified & Modified Street) – Deadline for Entry: January 2, 2021. Drag strip. 57 gram weight limit. Two cars per team. Categoryspecific limitations. Entrance fee. More Info: RaceHotWheels.com
Friday Night Cheese– Deadline for Entry: rolling (open submissions). Road Course. 150 gram weight limit. More Info: ILC Race Series
Diecast 64 Winter Nationals (Heavyweight Downhill Dash) –
King of the 621– Deadline for Entry: rolling (open submissions). Drag strip. 100 gram weight limit. More Info: RedlineDerby.com
10 Questions
December 1, 2020 | 7
Feature
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Feature
It’s the gift-giving time of year. On the following pages you’ll find perfect gifts for the diecast aficionado in your life. Or, you can always give yourself a gift! You deserve it! *NEITHER DIECAST RACING REPORT NOR OUR STAFF HAVE RECEIVED ANY PAYMENT OR COMPENSATION IN CONNECTION WITH THIS FEATURE ARTICLE OR ITS CONTENTS* December 1, 2020 | 9
Feature Hallmark Hot Wheels Riveted Ornament A good gift for those who want to deck the halls. This bright green, decoupage, Hot Wheels ornament would make a great addition to anyone’s tree, but is perfect for those ready to race into the Holiday season!
Get it at Target: $7.00
Helping Hands A tool for every modder Show that special someone you care, by giving them a helping hand… literally. This is an essential tool that makes modding a breeze.
Buy them at a local hardware or hobby store, or online... Amazon: $7.87
Stocking Stuffer
Gift Bag
FlashForge Adventurer 3 3D Printer
Testors Enamel Paint and Brush Tray
For the truly committed track builder, there’s nothing like making your pieces yourself.
Perfect for the modder who loves to hand-paint cars (and needs a way to organize all those little bottles).
Download an .stl file and print that track connector you’re missing, or design a chicane unlike anything else out there, and then print it yourself!
Stores up to 25 standard square Testors paint bottles, with an extra tray space for brushes. Plus, they stack up nicely for when the first one gets full.
This printer is super quiet. Perfect for home use!
Available from McMaster3D on Etsy: $24 - $29 (Gift Wrapping Available)
Find it at MicroMark.com: $449.95
Wrap It Up Under the Tree 10 | Diecast Racing Report
Feature D-Line 2 Shot Start Gate
Craft Smart Golden Taklon Detail Brush Set
Every track needs a good starting gate, and what could be better than a gate that lets you drop the gate at the touch of a button? How about one that also resets the gate remotely?
This one is for the detail painters.
Order it from JLHKrafts.com: $55 - $65
With four brushes in sizes small to smallest (0, 3/0, 5/0, 10/0), any modder can start adding the sort of details which make their car stand out.
Available at Michaels:
$5.99
Stocking Stuffer Gift Bag Route 66 Vintage Cars Facemask A great idea for any classic car enthusiast. If you’re going to wear a facemask anyway, why not show off your love of classic cars? Comes in multiple sizes, with or without a nose wire.
Hot Wheels 50 Car Pack
This is a great way to start a collection, or to expand a collection. 50 cars in one box! Found in the wild, these are either all 2020 N Case or 2020 P Case cars on short cards.
Available from countryshab on Etsy: $12
Stocking Stuffer
Found at Target: $45.99
Under the Tree December 1, 2020 | 11
Feature Diecast US Postal Truck This one is for the patriot in your life. What could be better than adding a unique truck to your collection while also supporting the US Postal Service? This Greenlight casting has functional doors and all!
Available at store.usps.com: $12.99
Gaslands: Refuelled Know someone who would like to mod cars for more than racing? Give them the official rule book for Gaslands, the game of post-apocalyptic racing mayhem. Great for anyone planning to mod for dystopic themed races too.
Available from bookstores, game stores and Osprey Publishing: $30
Gift Bag
Wrap It Up
DIY Timer Kit This is a great value. The timer comes with every thing you need to time your races, taking your track to the next level. The timer is pre-programmed. You just connect the wiring and hook it up.
Get one through Slanman Customs: $55 - $65
L.A. Colors Metal Nail Polish Perfect for the modder on the go. Apply a quick coat of metallic shine without spending a lot of time or money. Many shades only require one coat for a metal flake look.
Find them at your local drug store or lacolors.com: $3
Under the Tree Stocking Stuffer 12 | Diecast Racing Report
Feature Vallejo Wash Set Complete Rivet Restoration System 2-56 Sampler Pack It’s literally everything you need to take your car apart, and put it back together again! All in one kit! Drill bits, tap & handle, screws, washers, and wrenches.
For those who want to take it up a notch Adding an acryllic wash to your paint job can bring out detail or layer on a weathering effect.
Available from hobby stores and MicroMark.com: 21.95
Get the whole kit from Bright Vision Wheels: $29.95
Stocking Stuffer Gift Bag
Shipping Containers Car Storage Box – Set of Six
Good for those designing a track or looking for a fun way to store cars. Whether for a race track or Gaslands game or just a unique way to store your favorite car, these containers can bring a little joy to the room.
DIY Hot Wheels Car Kit
Know someone who wants to try customizing, but dreads cracking a car open and stripping the paint off? Well, Muncle Mikes has 80 kits to choose from that are all ready to be painted, weighted, and put back together!
Available from FunBoardGames on Etsy: $28 - $35 (gift wrapping available) Get a kit at MuncleMikes.com for $12.50
Wrap It Up
Stocking Stuffer December 1, 2020 | 13
Tournaments
Big Poppy Racing by Ali Kidder-Mostrom
A
fter an extra week break, the 2020 Diecast Games returned with Event 8, “The Combo”. This event required an interesting mix of racing skills: starting with a straight-away into a 180 degree turn and jump, followed by three more sets of straight-aways and turns. Each of the competing cars went down this course solo and were ranked based on their time. It was pretty straight-forward racing, so it quickly became a question of “can you make the jump?”. Uncle Elvis was only the second team to run and his Mazda RX7 was the first to take a nosedive off the jump (and a DNF for the event). Big Poppy followed and his Lancer Evo managed to barely make the jump, but barely works and both of Big Poppy’s cars finished the event. Unfortunately, for Bad Burn Racing his Subaru did not have as good of luck. It failed the jump both times, with the second attempt leaving the car comically hanging on for dear life. His Rodger Dodger 2.0 did manage to fair better, however, landing the jump on attempt two and rolling ahead to a 9.657 finish.
When it comes to comical jumps, Tune Trax’s Batmobile should win an award: it essentially cartwheeled over the jump and managed to drive the rest of the way to the finish line backwards. For style, he gets a 10. However, for speed he also got a high number (11.417) and that is not what a racer wants to see. JX4 Racing’s Chevy Impala had even worse luck: after making it across the jump on his second attempt, the car slowed in later turns and, sadly, still took a DNF. QC Racing’s Honda Sprocket was the first to buzz by the competition, putting an impressive time of 9.131 on the board. This time would ultimately land the car in 7th place. Much later in the race, Nick Deaver’s Camaro IROC was the first car to break 9 seconds, finishing with an impressive time of 8.944 (and third place in the final standings). It took the car two attempts to make the jump, but once it did, the heavy casting could not be stopped. One could expect a Jaguar to also race ahead in the standings, but as Red Nelson Racing proved “not all Jaguars are speedy”, finishing with a time of 10.645. Similarly, Uncle Elvis’
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Jaguar XJ220 finished with a time of 11.662. But all Jaguars are not created equal and Simon D Hot Car Track brought a fast one: his XJ220 put up an impressive 8.905 and finished in 4th place, overall. As the event wrapped up, Gen-X Vintage Racing’s “little chunk of car” Modena showed up and just kept speeding toward the finish line. It’s 8.767 time was only passed by one other late-racing car, League of Speed’s Aston Martin, which snatched away first place with a time of 8.546. Most recently, Event 9 straightened the competition out in “The 1 Mile”. This event consisted of a steep drop leading to a long, long straight-away. Each car took a single trip down the track and the fast times made the mile seem like a much shorter trek. Tune Trax kicked things off and set the bar with two solid runs, his Delorian finishing in 6.534 and the FTE Batmobile in 6.468. MDG came up next and, with a time of 6.239, quickly bumped Tune Trax from the top spot, although not too far. Tune Trax’s Batmobile stayed in scoring contention all the way to the end. Another top performer for this event was Tie One On – Sandy Mc. The
Tournaments team’s XJ220 Jaguar and Rodger Dodger each pulled in the low-6 times necessary to score (at 6.100 and 6.300, respectively). The older, heavier castings brought by KA-Boom Racing demonstrated the kind of speed that can be brought to this event, both finished at just over 6.2. Red Pill Racing, in the Carbonite, proved that it didn’t hurt to be a fantasy casting on this track, finishing with a fast 6.167. However, not every fantasy casting finished so well; Fast V’s F Racer was near the bottom of the pack, with a 10.504. This was another event where it paid to be a Ferrari F40. Of the four entered into the event, all four earned points for their team and three ranked in the top 10. Those top contenders belonged to Your Nightmare Racing, My Hot Wheels Collection and Hot Wheels Calgary.
While Your Nightmare Racing’s Ferrari did well (clocking in at 6.103), his Studebaker did even better. The Johnny Lightning casting almost broke the 6 second barrier, blowing past the competition to finish first overall with a time of 6.001. In the end, this was the first time 33 cars earned points – as Gen-X Vintage Racing’s Ferrari 360 and Crazy Fresh Entertainment’s Mitsubishi tied for 32nd, each with a time at 6.533. With all the points tallied, we now know the new team standings. Red
Pill Racing is back on top with 350.5 points for the team, Your Nightmare Racing comes a close second with 341.5 points and League of Speed is in third at 305 points. There is only one event left for the 2020 Diecast Games, so if these teams want to finish with the gold, they’ll really have to bring their A-game in order to defend against or overtake the competition.
Sub4ra by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
O
nce the ADRC wrapped up at Martinsville, the trucks moved in. What better time than a holiday weekend for some qualifying runs for the inaugural event of the JLH Krafts Truck Racing series? The track is a difficult one in many ways. Rhyno’s short track set-up is termed “The Paperclip”, and it does closely resemble its namesake shape. Three straightaways of decreasing length are joined by two classic (read: from the 80s or before) ellipsoidal 180 turns that give the inside track a distinct advantage distance-wise if the drivers can manage to fight off the g-force that whips them toward the outer rim of the curves.
All but the last few feet of the track are divided lanes. Then, just before the finish line the course opens up to let the passing begin. That’s all good to know looking ahead to the main event, in the meantime, qualifying only involved the inside lane of track, and only one truck at a time took to the course.
roll to their right rather than on to the finish line. And that did happen from time to time. But, some models came with assorted other issues that complicated their attempts at qualifying for the field of 36. The largest inhibitor to any particular truck getting onto the
Going into the event one might have wondered if the top-heavy trucks might find the inside lane too tight, feel the squeeze, and December 1, 2020 | 15
Tournaments starting grid was the sheer number of trucks making the attempt. After speed week a few weeks ago, the list trucks that remained eligible for the season stood at 113 entries. Only 36 of those that started a qualifying lap would make it in. Seventy-seven drivers would be watching from the stands. One driver, Maxzilla, had already earned a spot in the field by being the top finisher during Speed Week. So, on this day, 35 more trucks would make their way into the field of the first JLH Krafts Truck Series race. The first truck to take the track was an orange Solid Muscle (Hot Wheels) marked with the 01 normally associated with the General Lee, but sans the rebel flag. According to Rhyno’s commentary, this was one of the first, if not the first vehicle that Nero 62 modified. Sent in a couple years before this event finally came to be, the reputable modder whose YouTube videos inspire many clearly had to start somewhere, and this truck does not represent his best work. All of that is to say that the truck failed to muscle its way around the track, and came to a stop just after exiting the first turn.
Each of Nero 62’s four trucks (each customizer could submit up two teams of up to four drivers each) met with the same fate, starting off the day of qualifying with an inauspicious beginning. The first seven trucks to cross the starting line failed to even catch a glimpse of the finish line, and the drivers up to that point were some surprising ones to hear in conjunction with DNFs. The opening event of the Truck Series would not be seeing cars from Nero 62, 3DBotMaker, or Dave Akers. Of the first ten trucks to hit the track, only Rusty Nubbins completed a lap, coming to rest directly on top of the finish line. His time of 5:47 set the first benchmark of the day. And he was able to stay on the pole for a while, because a series of DNFs followed him. Eventually Lil Bit completed the course with a 4.61, taking over the pole in a field of two. As more trucks made their attempts, trends were starting to become evident. Trucks that were too long tended to get stuck in the second corner. Trucks that were too wide failed to come out of the first turn cleanly and often skipped off the track to the right, getting stuck on the divider. The first car to make it below the 4.50 mark was Gen-X Vintage Racing’s
Miscreants in a Lionel NASCAR Authentics Super Truck. His 4.26 would eventually be the 24th best qualifier, so a number of faster trucks were still to come... As were a lot of non-finishers. The eventual pole-sitter turned out to be Karlee K of Dragon Claw Racing with a time of 3.79 seconds. While no team got four drivers into the main event, Dragon Claw Racing not only managed to get three trucks into the field, but also landed all three of them in the front 10. Cutrock’R, Po’BoyRacing, and F.P.D Racing each successfully qualified three trucks for the main event. FPD’s fourth ride sat just outside the starting grid as the 39th fastest car on the day. Of the early completions, Rusty Nubbins didn’t have a time fast enough to get into the top 36. Nubbins was the only one of the Dave Akers team to finish a lap, but he was only the 51st fastest time. Lil’ Bit did manage to just make the field at the 35th position. Johnny Ironfire of HSL Motorsports claimed the final spot in the grid at 36 with a time of 4.67 seconds. Frank Kline of Red Pill Racing found himself among those not in the race, but overall the day was good for his Red Pill Racing team. James Kleman’s 100 Proof Racing also fared well, with two of the top five spots claimed by James and Tony Kleman. With the amount of carnage that took place during the qualifying session, one must expect that the same thing will happen once there is traffic on the track. Martinsville is certain to provide a lot of exciting racing action.
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Tournaments
Rust Belt Diecast Racing by Josh Paufler
T
his week saw one of the wildest live racing events we’ve hosted so far. The Rust Belt Racegiving Day Parade was a 32 car choose-your-ride style race. But it wasn’t just one race. Cars were chosen by group members on Facebook and were run at TFT Raceway in the afternoon on Thanksgiving Day. Later that evening, the same cars were run a bit farther north at Four Seasons Raceway. To round it out, the winners from both tracks faced off at Midnight Shrub on Saturday. The overall format gave the feel of an endurance race as drivers moved from track to track throughout the day. When Saturday night finally came, Chris Lowey of TuneTrax Racing was the top turkey, defeating John Receveur. "Tooth Fairy" Randy Jarusiewic made history at Rocket Dragway by becoming the first 3x podium champion with his current reign at 3 days. "High Octane" Chey Wheeler is still the winningest champion in Rocket lore as he captured the win in the Season One Championship against the first 16 podium sitters. Thank you to all who participated in the "Veterans Day Victory Lap" charity race helping to accumulate over $700 for the Travis Mills Foundation! The Mini Stock class on Friday Night Food Fights has been run by Rusty Martin…until now. Reese Burg notched another point but Martin took the win this past Friday to keep the points lead heading into the final 2 weeks of racing. If you want to talk about dominating racing, you have to talk about Ernie Irvan and the clinic he runs in Big C’s
Chop Shop Mini NASCAR Series. But Irvan was held off the podium this week. In fact, he was held out of the feature race all together. Up and comer, Geoff Bodine, put Irvan into the wall to take the win in heat 1. While Irvan still retains the points lead with little to no viable challengers, Michael Waltrip crept ever closer with a feature win on Friday. Our weekly contest winner, Kevin Fairbairn, could not win his heat and so, another member will drive the number 90 next week. For your chance to be a driver, visit the Rust Belt Diecast Racing Facebook group. In the Shorty Showdown, Chicken George has been reining strong in the 87g Smart Car. With victories over Rusty McQuade, Dale Pryor and Sweet Tea, Chicken George now holds the record for most consecutive wins at 3. This week, he’ll have to out run the law as McGriff the Crime Dog takes to the Sledding Hill for the first time.
last week for his first challenge victory. This week he’ll be facing a mystery racer. With only 2 weeks left in its inaugural season, Friday Night Food Fights is loading the grill with some of the finest racing around. Stay tuned every Friday for more Food Fights, Shorty Showdown and Mini Stocks! At Rust Belt Raceway Park, we kicked off a week long tribute to the holiday classic, Christmas Vacation. Each day, we’ll be running races themed around iconic scenes from the movie. As a bonus, and for the first time ever, all the live races this week will be run on the fan-favorite track, The Sledding Hill.
In the main event, MDG fell to Dax Quade to snap his win streak at 5. MDG will remain tied with Fractal Panda for most consecutive wins. Quade went on to defeat Bob and Linda Belcher December 1, 2020 | 17
Tournaments Over in Ohio, Midnight Shrub was the debut of the new track in Ohio, The Cave. A Dungeons & Dragons themed track with purple lights and jagged rocks galore. Jimmy John Hanson was the first winner at the new track in the weekly late-nite live race. Sunday Pinks was postponed this week but that doesn’t mean we stop racing. The live pink slip race was replaced with a special choose-yourride event debuting the Four Seasons Raceway Christmas theme. The aptly named Winter Wonderland Shootout was won by Das Kids, who is making a name for himself at the Belt, winning podiums across the circuit. As for live racing at The Shrub, Kevin Fairbairn and
Das Kids won their spots in the next Shrub Championship race. The Rockin Santa Sled race is coming December 18, featuring the Rockin Santa Sled casting that needed to showcase glitter and allow for the Santa figure to bob up and down. It’ll be a slow and sparkly race! Christmas Day will be the backdrop for the Food Fights Final, featuring all of the Shorties and Food Trucks from season one. Our next mail-in event is scheduled for January 30 and racers will be required to build one of four “peg
warmers”. Visit the Facebook group for more details on this race. Stay tuned for all of that plus live daily races only at Rust Belt Diecast Racing.
Diecast 64 by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
I
t’s the end of the year, and that means it’s time for the Car of the Year races at Diecast 64. Racing took place in nine of the months prior to November. August was skipped due to scheduling conflicts. That means there were nine cars in each of this year’s four standard categories that needed to compete to find out who had the best ride.
In the Stock category, there was a good deal of variety in the way of whose car won each month. Seven different racers had cars in this final contest of 2020. Two racers had two cars. Where the variety was less prevalent was in the models represented. While other models did make it in, a sizable chunk of the field was made up of Mirada Stockers (both the red and the yellow versions) and Frontrunnin’ Fairmonts. One notable exception was a Matchbox Camaro Z28 with Laser Wheels. The field was winnowed down to the top four. The final was between two Fairmonts, the Z28, and a Mirada Stocker.
ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL – These four cars were really close to being equal.
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In the end, this race could be said to be about how the Mirada casting just couldn’t keep up with the
Fairmonts. G-Force Racing took the annual crown with a 2.3135 second time, and a very respectable speed of 414.96 scale mph. In the Modified Street category (D64’s most popular group), the monthly winners were limited to only three people. 9.81 Racing was represented here by one car. JAC Racing had three in the contest, and the remaining five belonged to Voxxer Racing. The early heats of this category were dominated by JAC Racing. Five heats in a row were his. Voxxer then took heats six and seven. JAC took number eight, and then voxxer closed out the preliminary heats with a win in number nine. If heat wins determined the overall winner, then this was in the bag for JAC. However, it is fastest time and highest speed that makes it all official. The top four cars were once again in the finals, and this time the
Tournaments familiar Frontrunnin’ Fairmont made up half the field, and the other two cars were the Cadillac V16 Concept casting. When all was said and done, the pink Caddy v16 of Voxxer Racing held the title of Car of the Year. Hot Off The Shelf might seem to be a more equitable category. Surely, when the cars are straight out of the package, the diversity of successful racers must be spread amongst more people? Nope. Diecast 64’s most dominant racers also dominate this field. The nine monthly winners were made up of 4 racers. Voxxer, JAC, C-Dawg, and 9.81. JAC had the overwhelming majority of the cars in this section. He must have remarkable luck when picking cats out at the store! The final round was made up of what league owner Robby Comeford declared as 2020’s fastest castings. There were two 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolutions (“Evos”), a
Jauguar XJ 220, and a Zoom-In. Each of these castings has their fans, and many may have expected the an Evo or a Zoom-In to take the day. But this was the Jaguar’s moment to shine. Some controversy popped up late in the season (read: September and October) when some modifiers submitted wheels on bearings in the Modified Open category. Despite some racers’ protests, Comeford stuck by his policy that “open” means open, and that just about anything goes in this competition class. Prior to the arrival of bearingequipped cars, the year had been dominated by Voxxer’s modified Zoom-Ins. Five of the monthly winners were Voxxer Zoom-Ins. 9.81 Racing had two cars in the event, while JAC only brought one to the party, but it is the one that changed the game for most. JAC’s car was the September winner, and it
was the first of the two bearing entrants. The other was Voxxer’s sixth in this contest. One of Voxxer’s signature sleek cars was almost able to keep up with the bearing cars, but close just isn’t enough when racing. Voxxer’s stripped down bearing vehicle was consistently over 420 scale miles per hour, so it is no surprise that it took the final title in the event. D64 fans will know that each month actually had five races, rather than just these four categories. However, the Feature races don’t compete for the title of Car of the Year. Their wildly varying specs would result in a completely inconsistent and unfair competition, the racing equivalent of comparing apples to oranges. The 2021 season is starting in January with the initial deadline for submissions on January 2. See the calendar listing at the front of this issue for more information on the new categories, and new rules.
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December 1, 2020 | 19
On The Track
On The Track: Flat Rabbit Racing Club by Ali Kidder-Mostrom
T
he feed out of New Westrock is always filled with wicked racing, but the most recent transmission took a rather surprising twist: introducing a wicked racer. Until this point, SCAR (Steel Corp Auto Repo) was the looming villain in the dystopian city. However, when a lunatic named Axel Travis rolled into town, we got our first taste of what an individual villain could look like. The peek into that world was a bit unsettling and a great allegory for the kind of everyday street harassment many women face.
disturbing laugh and no sense of how a decent person asks someone for a race. But race they did, in a best out of five trip through the city.
We don’t often get to see Keys take to the track, but in this transmission, it was really her time to shine. It turns out, she’s not just an ace on the keyboard, she’s also on fire behind the wheel. Axel Travis, on the other hand, is a creepy cabbie with a
Both cars appeared to be evenly matched. So much so, that three out of five races ended with a last minute and mid-air switch for who had the lead. However, upon closer look, Keys’ El Camino was really the faster car. On a straight-away, she would
often zoom past Axel’s cab. Not surprisingly, Axel was more likely to drive a little dirty: choosing to turn sideways and block Keys’ pass, rather than just hitting the accelerator in his own car. However they got there, the cars kept it close and swapped wins – taking the race to a full five. In the fifth and final lap, Keys gave Axel a taste of his own medicine: turning sideways to block his entrance into the rabbit hole. Axel’s behavior didn’t improve, even when the race was decided and SCAR caught up with the pair. Eventually, Keys had enough of the cabbie’s shenanigans and gave him a sharp incentive to get off the road. Axel took a very impressive dive off the highway and right into the arms of awaiting SCAR authorities. It’s not usually a good thing to see one of the racers towed away by SCAR, but in this case, it seemed like the most fitting end.
20 | Diecast Racing Report
On The Track
On The Track: Live Young Die-Cast by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
A
fter a star-studded first round of “Race to the Cave”, the drivers of the second round may be less familiar to those who don’t follow Live Young Die-Cast’s channel closely. But, then, the second batch of Batmobiles are also lesser known models compared to those from the classic TV show and movies. The cars featured this time included the Batmobile from “Batman Infinity”, an animated series; the Arkham Asylum (video game) Batmobile; the Justice League (Joss Whedon/Zach Snyder abomination/ movie) Batmobile; and the Batmobile from “The Batman” (another animated series, not the upcoming movie). The drivers of the B-squad of Batmobiles were Ultima Semper in the Batman Inifinity, Elvira in the Arkham Asylum, Ramses in the Justice League, and The Goat in The Batman. The structure for the races was the same as round 1: four laps in roundrobin fashion, followed by a race-off between the top two point-getters. The winner of the face-off would get the honor of going up against Michael Keaton in the series finale. The first lap set the stage for all that came afterward: Ultima Semper drove a smooth race, and the Batman
Infinity Batmobile was the only car to finish the race. The car almost made the jump for an extra point, but after some deliberations, the judges settled on awarding only the cave entrance bonus, and not the jump bonus for that run.
Ramses and Ultima Semper headed back to the top of the hill for the face-off.
Lap 2 had little in store for anyone, as all four cars were involved in a collision that left no one making the finish line.In this tournament, a 4way DNF is not reset. So, nary a point was awarded for lap 2. All four competitors recorded a goose egg on the score card.
Heading into the two-lap mano-amano, the stakes seemed as high as they could go, and the drivers acted accordingly. Ramses spent much of the first lap employing blocking tactics on the Batman Infinity Batmobile, straightening out just in time to take the lap victory.
Coming into Lap 3, just about everyone had something to prove, but it was Ramses who rose to the occasion. The Justice League Batmobile rocketed through the course and flew over the jump, past the finish line and deep into the Bat Cave, successfully claiming all 7 points available on the run, and propelling himself to the top of the standings. Elvira brought the Arkham Asylum in for a cozy 2nd place finish.
Lap two was payback time in Ultima Semper’s eyes, and it was a speedy drive down the mountain and straight into the cave for the Batman Infinity. The full seven points were claimed for the second time in this group. But this time, things got dirty at the end. After crossing the cave bonus line, the Batman Infinity slammed it into reverse and kept Ramses outside the cave, denying the Justice League a final bonus.
In a very low scoring round overall, the results of the fourth lap would prove pivotal. The Justice League Batmobile won, and Ultima Semper came in second. With that result,
Too little too late, Ultima Semper could not keep Ramses from winning the day. The Justice League Batmobile will be in the finals later this week. December 1, 2020 | 21
On The Track
On The Track: Chaos Canyon By Jim Desaulniers
Canyon Outlaws
K
ia ora from the Canyon! In the third week of November several new challengers arrived at the track, and the fellas were skeptical these new folks had what it takes to be a legitimate outlaw. After all, we’ve seen many a race-veteran take a tumble on what is arguably one of the toughest tracks around. So, it was Clowns vs. Outlaws in Round 4. Right out of the gate, Nick couldn’t keep control of his Surf’s Up through the jump and Suzie cruised to an easy win in Kermit, her green Honda S2000. Point one to the clowns, I mean challengers. Taking the line for the 2nd matchup, Gina and her Smoke Wagon were paired up with Barry in an impressive looking red Acura Integra called Red Dawn. Once again, it was no contest, with Barry coasting to an easy victory for
the challengers. Tavor in Fast & Furious then faced off with Jimmy in Bolt, a blue Nissan Silvia. In what was becoming almost comical fashion, Jimmy and the challengers would win again, despite Tavor being the first Outlaw on the day to reach the finish line. Tamara would try to save face against shirtless Sid in Skyrim, a fan favorite Nissan Skyline, but Sid would make it 4 for 4 on the day, winning easily. In Tamara’s defense, she did save herself from what could’ve been a nasty wreck after the jump. After completing the sweep, Sid somewhat shockingly called out Thom & Frank, to which Guru did not take kindly. Guru and Jade Munky would get the benefit of the inside lane, but he wouldn’t need it. After deftly pulling ahead through the first turn and smoothly making the jump, I’m not even sure he noticed Sid wrecking behind him. He was probably counting how many wins that makes in his so-farundefeated streak. Fans in the crowd were heard questioning the fairness of Jade Munky always starting on the inside, perhaps that’s an additional challenge Guru will need to answer?
DRAMA OFF THE TRACK– Sid issues a challenge to Spanners and Guru that can’t be ignored.
22 | Diecast Racing Report
With the grudge matches over, the day turned to the list call-outs. From way
down in the 8th position, Big Mike from EnZed Racing and Ugly Betty called out Phillip de Tank in #7 Nancy Wilson. Big Mike won the toss for the inside lane, and despite Phillip’s early lead, he and Nancy Wilson failed to stick the landing. Easy win for Big Mike, maybe he should’ve aimed higher on the list? He moves up a spot to #7. Sharon and Jumping Spider called out Glitch’s Grinder, and the latter would get the inside lane. Glitch would make Flat Rabbit proud, flying out of the gate and winning so handily Sharon was nowhere to be seen. As it turns out, Sharon just managed to keep her car on the track, nearly mimicking one of those crazy crashes we saw in (let’s be honest) every race of the NASCAR competition earlier this fall. Grinder stays at #5 while Jumping Spider remains #6. Xanthippe and Click got their chance to call out Mike Maze and #2 Scud, and Xanthippe would have to make the attempt from the outside
On The Track lane. That alone would be her downfall, as she would wreck trying to catch Mike, who flew cleanly through the track. Clearly warmed up and ready to go, Mike & Scud got right back on the track to try to steal that top spot on the list from Guru. Guru and Jade Munky would again win the coin toss (c’mon guys, how many times can this happen?!), and he’d also have the advantage of a cooler engine. Mike would have to hope his warmer tires would be able to handle a little extra speed on the outside lane. For the first time all day, both vehicles would have fast, clean runs, but again that inside lane would prove victorious. On the plus side, Mike can stop at Buster’s for some great post-race donuts, and Scud has looked really good lately...Guru better watch his back!
After round 4, there was a massive rock slide near the top of the canyon, and instead trying to remove the rock, it’s now been incorporated into the initial straightaway. The inside lane THE ROCKY ROAD – This seemingly straight track provides bumps and advantage is no bruises aplenty for the drivers of the Diecast Rally 2020. more! Will Jade Munky maintain his impressive run, far out front that Phillip scored or has the “rock-qualizer” now another victory. NW was definitely leveled the field? Sounds like it’s dialed in after a disappointing round time to another hashtag: #noexcuses! 4. No challengers this week, and the Outlaws jumped right into callouts. Phillip De Tank took Nancy Wilson in a head to head rematch against Big Mike’s Ugly Betty. The new bit of track didn’t do much to slow Nancy down, and Phillip cruised to an easy win after sticking a perfect landing. Big Mike is relegated to 8th once again. Since Ugly Betty had called out Sharon Tarshish’s (wow, that’s a mouthful) Jumping Spider, that meant Phillip would now get a chance to jump two spots in the list. This time it was Jumping Spider’s turn on the new lane and wow did it have an effect. Nancy Wilson was able to come out of turn one so
For the third race in a row, Nancy Wilson would be the challenger, this time facing Grinder, driven by Glitch. This time, Nancy’s competition was neck and neck as they hit the jump, but once again Phillip drove a flawless lap to nab the turkey (because, ya know, it’s Thanksgiving). Could Nancy Wilson make it 4? This time Phillip would have to face Kit Kayem’s El Dardo. Nancy Wilson would come out of the jump with the lead, but this time Phillip couldn’t keep her upright and the great turkey run would come to an end. The husband-wife matchup of Kit Kayem and Xanthippe hit the track next, with Xanthippe’s Click on the inside lane. The two looked pretty evenly matched, with Click just taking the win about a car length ahead. With Click’s win, she’d maintain the right to take on Scud in another week 4 rematch. As is often the case at the canyon, the jump proved the deciding factor, as Click would wreck just like last week’s race. So with all that said and done, Scud December 1, 2020 | 23
On The Track would get another shot at the title versus Jade Munky. Scud would make short work of the inside lane, and was seemingly on his way to a win until he wrecked after the jump. Not a great run for Guru, but it’s good enough to hold onto 1st. The new inside lane curve was definitely having an effect, as many of the races saw competitors reaching the jump at relatively the same time.
Diecast Rally 2020 On November 29th, the boys also kicked off the Diecast Rally 2020 @ Chaos Canyon with the first of three stages: the Rocky Road. Matched up in pairs, all drivers have to do is make it down a straight bit of track. There are several catches, however. Competitors have to contend with opponents’ vehicles while navigating a very rough road surface. On top of that, the sidewalls of the track are unevenly shaped. For something that seems straightforward (see what I did there?), there’s sure to be tons of chaos. Stage 1 did not disappoint. Twenty-four drivers began stage 1, competing for 16 spots in stage 2. At the end of stage 2, only the top 8 will earn a trip to the final stage 3. Drivers could earn a point for passing each of 3 checkpoints, passing the finish, and a bonus point for getting there first. Fan-favorite Grandma brought an Advan-branded Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution (Evo) to face off against Lily the Dog’s white Escort Rally. Granny would rocket down the track for the win and 5 points, making it look like freshly paved asphalt. Lily would roll over like a dog and come to a stop short of the finish line 24 | Diecast Racing Report
for 3 points. Dax Quade, also in an Evo, took on Lightning Jim in a copper-colored Nissan Skyline. The race would be fairly even, and both cars would stop just short of the finish after Dax bounced off both sides, rolled, and finished right side up. They’d both come away with only 3 points. Cretin in an Audi faced James Kirk, driving a Ford Focus. Instead of warping away, Kirk seemed to focus on keeping his phasers locked on Cretin, positioning to block the entire way down. Again, both cars would stop short of the finish line for 3 points. The fourth race featured Herman the German in a yellow Citreon (yep, a German in a French car) vs. Big Samm in a black Escort Rally. Big Samm would flop big time, failing to block Herman, who would just squeeze past. Herman would settle for 3 points while Samm would be
going home with 1. Gnocchi Jack and his green Audi took to the track against Sir RB in the #2 BMW. Too bad you don’t get points for style, because RB would do a great job spinning a 540 while blocking twice to keep Jack at bay, but in the end it would only earn each of them 3 points. Cole Peters brought a snazzy blue Subaru Impreza against Ian Parks’ orange Escort Rally. Parks sported some nice looking tires, but they wouldn’t fare well on the track, allowing Cole to fly to an easy victory and the full 5 points. Granny, take notice! 1 point for Ian means he would certainly be going home. Driving a gold Ford Focus, Cyrano Buckminster paired up with Vin Dictive and his orange Ford Escort for a battle of the Fords. Almost as if on cue, Vin wipes out almost immediately after the fellas comment
On The Track on the poor performance of other escorts so far. CB, however, makes the course look easy in only the 3rd smooth run-through so far. Five points for Gryffindor...I mean Buckminster, and Vin would walk away with a mere 2 points. Another battle of the Fords, this time different Escort models, saw Julius Harris in the Green & White vs. Sterling Johnson in the “Steven King” style Escort. They would separately suffer front-end collisions with the side walls, but Julius would be able to limp to the line in reverse for 5 points. Sterling would finish with 2 and a bruised ego. Race 9 saw Oz Nitro76 in the Porsche 959 face off against The VMan in a Ford RS200. Both cars featuring real-riders, and surprisingly they both ran quite well. V-Man flies to a 5-point finish, but Oz would also finish, making this the first double-finish matchup of the stage. 4 points for Oz at this point actually puts him safely through to stage 2, perhaps we’ll see a rematch? We’d get another real rider matchup in race 10, with Rob Allen in the Lancia and Griffin Cross in the Porsche 993 GT2. It’s too bad premium cars don’t get you premium points. This race was not quite as impressive, but it was entertaining. The boys were neck and neck most of the way until Griffin stalls out past the 3rd check point. Rob would finish for 5 points. Po Boy in a red Citroen faced Eddie Vedder in the Volvo 850 Estate. I would think after all these years fronting Pearl Jam, Mr. Vedder would be able to afford a swankier rally car? In any case, it seemed to work for him, as he would get the win for 5 points. Po Boy would benefit from a questionable decision by the judges (possibly because many didn’t come nearly as close to
finishing), awarding PB 4 points. He did execute a fairly impressive handbrake slide, so maybe you do get points for style? Finally, Lord Brain brought a Porsche 914 Safari, which would seem ideally suited to this type of race. In the other lane was Idiot Luggage, driving a less-suitable Astana Hotto car from the Fast & Furious line. Idiot Luggage would wreck across the finish line for the win, but Lord Brain would suffer the most epic wreck of the day, completely clearing the track wall after Idiot Luggage turned into him. Lord Brain’s vehicle would be totaled, bringing his competition to a quick end. Shockingly, Lord Brain would have to be rushed to the hospital due to a severed arm (he would be okay, severed arm reattached and all). No talk of waivers having been signed was heard. Ten drivers earned 4 or more points, sealing their spot in Stage 2, but 9 drivers scored 3 and would have to run again for the final 6 spots. Lily the Dog would fetch 5 points against Lightning Jim. Dax would clear the line in the air for 5 points while showboating for stunt of the week. Sir RB would attempt his spinning defense again, but it would only translate to another 3
point run. Due to the odd number of runoff cars, Griffin Cross would catch a break and have a clear track for his run. Amazingly, Griffin slams into the wall just shy of checkpoint 2. Several drivers again tied with 3 points and would have to run a third time. Jim Kirk & Lightning Jim would both fail to impress with points, but Lightning Jim would again wreck spectacularly. Herman would benefit from a wreck by Cretin, but once again would only come away with 3 points. Gnocchi Jack would finally have a good run against Sir RB, taking the win for a spot in Stage 2. Another runoff would see James Kirk stealing a win from Lightning Jim after the latter wrecked (again). After all that somewhat confusing run-offery, the fellas were able to sort out the top 16. The drivers heading to the Canyon Road Track include Grandma, Cole Peters, Cyrano Buckminster, Julius Harris, V-Man, Rob Allen, Eddie Vedder, Idiot Luggage, Po’ Boy, Oz Nitro76, Lily the Dog, Dax Quade, Gnocchi Jack, Sir RB, Herman the German, and James Kirk.
FRONT END DAMAGE– Lord Brain’s Porsche 914 wasn’t the only thing that needed a bit of body work after the race... Lord Brain, himself, lost an arm!
December 1, 2020 | 25
On The Track
On The Track: RTR Diecast Racing League By Ali Kidder-Mostrom
T
he last two weeks have seen a mountainous amount of truck racing action at the Mayes Mountain Motor Speedway. In just a fortnight, two more groups have raced before making it all the way through to the final round of the Truck Series. Group C was a tale of two trucks. In the first and fourth laps, Marc D pulled ahead to a commanding lead coming out of the final turn. Marc D’s Chevy clearly has what it takes on a straight-away. On the second lap, everyone was much tighter overall. And there was a little excitement right at the end when Rubber Tow (in a bright yellow Chevy) passed Galactic Gangsta’s blue Ford at the very last minute, taking second place. Rubber Tow
never looked back, taking first on the third lap and giving Marc D a run for his money (finishing second) in the final lap. When Group D hit the track, they seemed less to drive and more to slide down the mountain; there was a lot of spinning and rubbing and wrecking. The battle went all the way to the end (and beyond). Bryan Arrington’s Nissan drove into the semi-finals at the top, but to decide the second car moving on it had to go into a race-off. So, after four full laps, Vee McVagger and Red Stussy carried their competition into the next day. In the best of three race, each driver proved they really were well matched, but ultimately Red Stussy’s yellow Dodge drove on to the next stage of the tourney.
The Quarterfinals began with “Group E” – Rubber Tow, Todd Owen, Bryan Arrington and Chad Hall. Rubber Tow was a bright spot of sunshine among the other three (dark) cars. The Chevy’s yellow color isn’t the only reason he stood out – in lap three he flipped onto his side and stopped just shy of the finish line (a DNF that would haunt him in the final standings). Otherwise, it really was anyone’s race; the cars swapped spots (and DNFs) throughout. When the points were counted, each car was only one away from his closest competitor. But, close competition or not, it was Todd Owen and Chad Hall (with 11 and 10 points, respectively) who would make it to the semi-final round. The remaining four competitors (“Group F”) were Str8line Livie, Marc D, Red Stussy and Big H. In the first lap, this group was extra tight. Big H played a little dirty in lap two, knocking Marc D into the wall and, from then on, the cars seemed to give each other a little more room. In the end, neither Big H nor Marc D would move on, so I guess it doesn’t always pay to rub while racing. Moving into the semi-finals, Str8tline Livie and Red Stussy joined Todd Owen and Chad Hall on the track. Chad Hall took a solid lead in lap one but seemed to stall out in the first turn of lap two. After a slow start, Todd Owen proved he came to
26 | Diecast Racing Report
On The Track win and took first place finishes in both the second and third laps. In the third lap, it looked like Str8line Livie would be the one to walk away with it, but when she tried to block off the other competitors, Todd Owen took advantage of her distraction and pulled around to take the win. That rivalry may still have had Str8line Livie shaken in lap four, because – in a photo finish – Todd Owen once again came from behind to pass her, this time for second place. Chad Hall made a come-back in lap four, finishing first. So, moving on to the final round we would see Chad Hall in a black Chevy Silverado versus Todd Owen in his much leaner silver Mazda REPU. Todd Owen took to the turns better than his bulkier competitor, leaving the Silverado in his dust for the first two laps. Just when it
looked like it would be the shortest final ever, Chad Hall decided to show up and took a solid victory for lap three. In lap four, Todd Owen’s Mazda flipped on the final straightaway letting Chad Hall pass, which meant the competitors would go to a full five laps. What first looked like it would be Todd Owen’s race to lose, ended up being Chad Hall’s race to win. Both competitors brought their all to the final lap, but it was Chad Hall’s Chevy that drove away with the day and the title of tournament champion. For fans of the Saturday Night
Grudgefest, there was a bit of that over the weekend too. This time, it was Porsche vs Porsche, with Matchbox bringing a green Porsche 911 Rally and Hot Wheels Showing up in a yellow Porsche 914 Safari. This was a solid set of races, with each car having their chance to shine. However, after all things were said and done, it was the Hot Wheels car’s tenacity in the final leg which led it to a win.
On The Track: 3DBotMaker By Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
R
unning an eight-car tournament isn’t a regular occurrence on the 3DBotMaker channel. Over the years the size of the tournaments has been getting smaller, but never has a regular season competition spanned so little time. One advantage of such a small contest is that very few videos are necessary to tell the whole tale of the competition. In fact, the Fast &
Famous Car Tournament happened entirely between the last issue of this magazine and the one you’re currently reading. That means we can talk about the entire thing without waiting for the next issue to do complete analysis.
So, there were eight cars selected to be in the races. Why these specific cars were chosen isn’t entirely clear, December 1, 2020 | 27
On The Track especially given how they performed. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s look at the field: In Round 1 Group 1, James Bond was driving his 1963 Aston Martin DB5. Bruce Wayne was at the wheel of the 1966 Batmobile. Michael Knight was present in the drivers seat of K.I.T.T. And finally, Dennis Nedry of Jurassic Park was driving a Jeep Wrangler from Isla Nublar. Round 1 Group 2 consisted of Mr. Bean driving his signature Austin Mini. Brian O’Connor brought his Skyline GT-R (R34). Doc Brown appeared in his second series of the season, though this time in a nonmodified Delorean Time Machine. The field was rounded out by BA Baracus in the A-Team’s 1983 GMC Vandura. One highlight of this race series was 3D and 2D incorporating bits of pop culture references into their dialogue. At times they were able to do commentary entirely from quotes lines, or titles of movies. That was quite entertaining. It was also fun that the drivers for this series were the characters who drove the vehicles in the TV shows or movies. In all of the year’s earlier tournaments’ drivers were chosen from a list of forum members who had correctly guessed which car would win a previous tournament. Some of the fun of watching a 3DBotMaker tournament has traditionally been cheering on the
28 | Diecast Racing Report
fantasy drivers who become characters in their own right over time. But, a little change is good from time to time. And this seemed to be well received by the channel’s audience. Celebrity drivers are fun to cheer for, too. In the first lap of the Group 1 episode, James Bond pulled away from the pack early and maintained his lead through to the finish line. He did slow down after some rough moments coming out of turn three, but Michael Knight gave him a bumper booster and nudged 007 just enough to keep everyone else from being able to pass the secret agent. Dennis Nedry turned his Jeep on its head in turn two, and that allowed for some fun banter about how he did that same thing in the original Jurassic Park movie. Apparently, the move had become second nature to Nedry, for this would not be his last
time to tip over on the track. Lap two saw Bruce Wayne lead from start to finish. James Bond came in second. Lap three was led by K.I.T.T. but Bond was making headway on catching up when Knight knocked the Aston Martin onto the berm. The remaining cars swung by to give Bond another nudge which landed the DB5 upside-down in a stand of trees. Despite the rough and tumble way he made it through the preceding two laps, it was clear in Lap 4 that Bond was the fastest man on the track in this round. Although Knight held his own and came in second, giving him enough points to move on to the finals alongside Bond. In the Group 2 episode, rough and tumble would be an inadequate description of the action. Lap 1 set the tome for the day with
On The Track Brian O’Connor’s Skyline being the only car that finished the lap. BA Baracus and Doc Brown turned over in turn 2, while Mr. Bean lost control of his vehicle coming out of turn three. Lap 2 had similar results with the primary difference being that Doc Brown was the only one who finished. As Lap 3 got underway, the A-Team van instigated a 4-car pile-up. On Lap 3 (redux), BA Baracus finally got his act together and completed the lap. Not only that, he took the checkered flag. All others finished the lap, except Mr. Bean. Due to his performance op to that point, Bean would not be advancing. As often happens when such a declaration is made, the object of the statement rises to the level of spoiler or even giant-killer in the subsequent heat. So it was with Mr. Bean in Lap 4. Mr. Bean’s driving skills were finally on display as he took the final lap. BA Baracus also finished, much to almost everyone’s surprise. Also
surprisingly, O’Connor’s failure to finish the fourth lap meant that he didn’t have enough points to move on. He had to join Mr. Bean on the sidelines. Doc Brown and BA Baracus advanced to meet James Bond and Michael Knight in the finals. The finals video started with a stunt performed by Mr. Bean. He sat atop his car, as he had previously done in the cinema. From his perch, he rode the Mini over a ramp to soar above two Pontiac Fieros. The car made the jump and landed on all four wheels. Mr. Bean, however failed to remain with his car and barreled into the PA system and 2D. Fearing that yet another casualty had occurred during a 3DBotMaker racing event, 3D quickly sent the feed to a commercial break. When the regular programming resumed 2D was found to be okay. He also made two clever callbacks to DRC videos from earlier in the year, saying that he woke to the taste of motor oil in his mouth and that some guy was telling him to just “walk it off”. It’s clever self-referential banter like
that which reminds you why this channel is so successful. Once the action resumed, it was on to Lap 1 of the finals. BA Baracus and K.I.T.T. ended up with their wheels in the air, so this became a two car race. Doc tried to employ blocking tactics, but swerved his way off the left edge of the track, clearing the way for Bond to take the only points on the first trip down the track. On Lap 2 BA Baracus improbably sped his way to a win. Bond had been closing the gap all the way to the end, but Doc’s erratic driving style kept 007 from making his way all the way to the front of the pack. Lap 3 ended much the same way as many had thus far in the competition: only one car finished the lap. This time it was Michael Knight who crossed the finish line. Lap 4 seemed to be a two car race between Knight and Bond, but both cars managed to come off the track, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The result was a 4-way DNF. After a restart, James Bond became the only driver to complete the final lap, and thereby was declared the overall winner of the tournament. His victory earns him a place in the end of the year race which will feature a bevy of people names James. Crazy Jimmy and Crazy James don’t have exclusive rights to their first name. And given how the Celebrities did during the Fast & Famous Car Tournament, I’m not sure they’ll be the only “crazy” ones in the race later this month. With a promise of a special race in the month of December, as well as the end of the year race, there is a lot to come in the next few weeks on the 3DBotMaker channel. December 1, 2020 | 29
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