DIECAST RACING REPORT January 19, 2021– Vol. 2 No. 2
Inside: Lubing Up – Gaslands TV – Racing in the Snow – Small Trucks & More!
2 | Diecast Racing Report
In This Issue
Table of Contents Editor’s Notes News Briefs Calendar Resources
4
QuickTips
7
5 6
Contest Tournaments
19
10
Main Street Racers 11 WeRaceDiecast
12
Indiana Diecast Racing
15
OnTheTrack
7
I Like Cheese
16
Chaos Canyon
17
RTR
17
Flat Rabbit Racing Club 19
20
3DBotMaker Cover Art: Vern Davis
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9
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, Stefan Huwer, DeeZaster Jakk, Christopher (Kit) Kidder-Mostrom, Ali Kidder-Mostrom, Steven King
January 19, 2021 | 3
Editor’s Note Normally in this space, I talk a bit about the issue that you’ve just opened. I’m going to deviate from that pattern and jump ahead by one issue. Let’s talk about the February 2nd issue of DRR. It will be our firstever Double Issue!
So, that leaves us without a feature story this time. Our scientist will be back in the lab redoing a sizable chunk of her tests before the next issue, and we’ll look at that as one of the three features in our double issue.
That means that we’re going to have more content than ever before! That’s exciting! It also means that there is only one issue in the entire month of February. So, while we’re packing the issue full of stuff, it will have to be enough to tide you over until we’re back again on March 2nd.
In the meantime, there’s a lot of racing action in this issue, along with some exciting news.
I wanted to make sure that you have ample notice before we seemingly go missing for a month. But, we expect to give you a nice going-away present first. Cool? So, now we can get back to this issue. You’ll notice there’s a lack of a feature article this month. We had a really cool feature lined up for this issue. Our resident scientist (a legitimate chemist) had done a really cool experiment and had a lot of interesting results to report. Sadly, though, chemists are not computer scientists, and so when her laptop’s hard drive failed, about half of the videos and documentation of the experiment was lost.
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That’s what I look forward to each issue: seeing what’s happening in the world of Diecast Racing. And when I say world, I mean the whole world, all around the globe. Did you notice that last issue included a new columnist? Stefan Huwer will be doing a monthly write-up about diecast racing in Germany. Sometimes the column will be in English, and sometimes it will be in German. As we continue to expand, we’ll be adding correspondents who are able to write for diecast fans in countries that don’t speak English. When we do that, we’re hoping to bring the sport to even more people than before. In this issue you will see the writing of another new staff member:
Kit Kidder-Mostrom Editor-in-Chief
DeeZaster Jakk. Please welcome DZJ, who will be providing coverage of RTR Diecast Racing League and WeRaceDiecast. I feel blessed to have people join us who want to write about this awesome field, and to help share it with you and others. I hope you enjoy what we put on the page. Also, I hope that you’re willing to share what we do with others. My special request this month is that you do consider sharing the magazine with at least one other person. Let’s spread the joy of diecast racing!
News in Brief
Kid Bubbas Wins Pinks for the Cure Title The charity fundraising racing tournament known as Pinks for the Cure concluded last week in a series of races that crowned a Modifieds Division champion, and saw a showdown between Bayou City Bandits of Michael’s Diecast Garage, and the previously crowned Stocks Division champion, Kid Bubbas of Live Young Die-Cast. In what may have been a surprise to many fans of Modified racing, the Stock vehicle took the overall championship, as Kid Bubbas drove his Nissan Custom “Z” to victory. The Nissan Custom “Z” was first released in 1990, and was last
cranked off the assembly line in 1997. The model features a metal base and metal body. The original casting included Ultra Hots wheels, but the one that Kid Bubbas was driving was a 1994 model with gold five-spoke wheels. Michael’s Diecast Garage had four cars in the overall field, but his HW Muscle Tone driven by Bayou City Bandits tore through the field of Modified cars on the way to capturing the title of Modifieds Champion. Rather than naming each of his cars, MDG submitted them in honor of breast cancer survivors. The Bayou City Bandits car was in honor of Bertha “Bert” Hall. The overall tournament champion was determined in a race dubbed the “Super Final”, and it was a hardfought battle between Kid Bubbas
and Bayou City Bandits. In the end, the classic stock model was just too much for the finely tuned custom mod.
Gaslands TV Brings Racing to the Table Top There have been a number of traditional racing channels that featured post-apocalyptic racing scenarios over the last year. Diecast 64 hosted a Gaslands mail-in tournament last summer, and Flat Rabbit Racing Club features wasteland races as their primary content. There’s a new game in town now, as Gaslands TV joins the racing world. For those unfamiliar with Gaslands, (NEWS BRIEFS cont. on page 8)
January 19, 2021 | 5
Calendar
Mail-in Race Deadlines Stock: BlueLine Stock & Modified Car Tournament – Deadline for Entry: January 25, 2021. Drag strip. 65 gram weight limit for stock cars. Production cars only, no trucks, vans, concept cars, or fantasy castings. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Sunday Pinks – Deadline for Entry: Ongoing. Road course. No weight limit. No FTE/NPAs. Limit 2 vehicles per entrant. Weekly head-to-head races. Winners keep losing cars. Submissions must be on original card. More Info: Rust Belt Diecast Racing
Modifieds: Muscle Mania 2021 – Deadline for Entry: January 22, 2021. Drag strip. 65 gram weight limit. Three categories of muscle car drag racing. Cars must appear on approved lists. More Info: RedlineDerby.com BlueLine Stock & Modified Car Tournament – Deadline for Entry: January 25, 2021. Drag strip. 60 gram weight limit for modified cars. Production cars only, no trucks, vans, concept cars, or fantasy castings. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Race to be the Alpha – Deadline for Entry: January 29, 2021. Drag strip. Multi-week series. Cars must have Real Rider wheels/tires. Dry lube only. Limit 1 entry per household. More Info: RedlineDerby.com The Peg Clearing Brawl – Deadline for Entry: January 30, 2021. Drag strip. 80 gram weight limit. Cars must be on approved list of four models. More Info: Rust Belt Diecast Racing Rookie Rally 2001 – Deadline for Entry: January 30, 2021. Drag strip. 57 gram weight limit. No limits on axles or models. Participants must self-identify as a rookie at racing modified cars. New builds only. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Sub4ra’s ADRC (Adult Diecast Racing Cup) & Liquid Ruuush Racing Series – Deadline for Entry: February 1, 2021. Multiple road courses. 65 gram weight limit. Up to 4 cars per team. Limit 4 drivers per entrant. Entrance fee. More Info: Sub4ra Racing Channel Micro Mods – Deadline for Entry: February 4, 6 | Diecast Racing Report
2021. Road course. 1:150/1:144 scale (Micro Machines size). Racing for Charity. More Info: Rust Belt Diecast Racing Dynasty of Dodge Tournament – Deadline for Entry: February 14, 2021. Road Course. 75 gram weight limit. Cars must be one of four approved castings. Custom paint job required. One entry per driver. Limit 2 entries per household. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Ladder Wars – Deadline for Entry: rolling (open submissions). Road Course. 50 gram weight limit. 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 TD Grudge Wars– Deadline for Entry: rolling (open submissions). Road course. 90 gram weight limit. More Info: TranSport Diecast Racing
Resources
Quick Tips
Let’s Look at Lubrication
Y
ou’ve been told you should lubricate your axles if you want to make your wheels spin faster. You’ve probably bought some graphite. You may have even been applying it to your modified builds for years. But what’s really going on when it comes to lubrication? Like a thin layer of graphite, we’ve got you covered. Just check out these quick tips to learn the ins and outs of what keeps your wheels spinning ‘round and ‘round. 1. Don’t skip lubrication! It may be tempting to send a car off without applying a bit of the grey stuff. After all, if you’ve sanded your wheels and polished your axles it can’t make that much of a difference… it’s just going to fall out anyway, right? Wrong! Even if you can’t see it, dry lubricants are smoothing out your axles and speeding up your car. Liquid Wrench lets their lead chemist explain it in “Liquid Wrench Dry Lubricant: How does it work?”.
2. Keep it dry. Even if the race doesn’t specify “Dry lube only”, you’ll probably want to forgo wet and aerosolized lubricants. As Cars Simplified explains in his video “What is Dry Lubrication?” liquid applications may include chemicals which are hazardous to your car’s plastic parts. Melted wheels do not roll well. 3. Break it in. By rolling your wheels and applying multiple layers of graphite, you’ll prepare your car for long-lasting speed. See DerbyDust take it to the extreme (using a treadmill) in “How to Apply Pinewood Derby Graphite Break in Derby Dust Dry Lube Application”. 4. Size Matters. Particle size can make all the difference in how well the graphite you apply works for your ride, as can hardness and additives. DerbyDust.com breaks it
all down (and makes the argument for keeping it simple) in their post “Best Pinewood Derby Graphite” and Diecast 64 puts a range of graphite products to the test in his video “Hot Wheels Race Science – Graphite”. Science! 5. Just erase it! Don’t let application of graphite ruin your paint job. If your car is looking a little gray around the gills, you can use an eraser to remove graphite. It’s what pencil lead is made of, after all! Check out Pencils.com for more graphite cleaning ideas or – pro-tip: apply graphite before reattaching your base to keep that paint job pristine. BONUS: If you’re new to applying graphite and want to see the basics in action, check out the video “How to Lubricate Hot Wheels and Make Them Faster” posted by TranSport Diecast Racing in fall of last year.
January 19, 2021 | 7
News in Brief (NEWS BRIEFS cont. from page 5) it is a table top miniatures game played with modified 1:64 scale vehicles, rather than little figurines. The cars use templates to move about and shoot each other. Cars are most often modified to appear like Mad Max-style rides, and are usually enhanced with obvious weaponry. Luca Vince Caltabiano is the owner of Gaslands TV, a YouTube channel and Etsy store that cranks out content on building terrain and modifying vehicles for playing the Gaslands game. Caltabiano has teased the idea of racing in the Gaslands TV Facebook
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group for a few weeks now, and earlier this week, he released the first Gaslands Die-Cast Racing video. The track will seem familiar to most, as it is primarily constructed out of Crash Racers sets, but there are a handful off things that make it especially suited to the Gaslands setting. A break in the track doesn’t line-up quite right, and that’s intentional; as is going back to single lane after being on the wide track, which results in a lot of sideways action. Now that the first race has been posted, Gaslands TV is accepting submissions to race. Those interested should join the Gaslands
TV group on Facebook and contact Caltabiano directly. There isn’t currently an open call for drivers, so much as an invitation to inquire about joining in on the fun.
Simon Denny Gives Tips on Filming Races Hot Car Track always has great video of their races, and now we know why. Simon Denny, the proprietor of Hot Car Track in Australia, has just released a twopart presentation about how he sets up his cameras for filming diecast car action. They are exceptionally detailed and helpful. Check out the videos at these links: • Part 1 • Part 2
News in Brief
DIRS Qualifies Field of 32 The Diecast International Racing Series (DIRS) has returned for a second year. Last year the series traveled to four tracks, three in the United States and one in New Zealand, making the DIRS the first international touring series in the world of diecast racing. This year, the number of tracks has been expanded to seven, and the number of cars participating is up from eight to 32. In the first year, the eight cars were all from participating tracks. And there was a theme of “Beauty and Beast”. So each track provided two cars, one a stock model and the other a modified rat rod. This year, the field was opened up for submissions. Over all, more than 70 contestants submitted their names for entry. Of those, 66 actually got their cars in on time to to the first track in the series,
TranSport Diecast Racing in Southern California. The field had to be narrowed down to the allowable 32. Seven of those 32 spots were already spoken for by the event host, so the other 59 drivers were competing for 25 spots. Basic math made it clear that fewer than half of those present would be making it into the tour’s active roster. After four days’ worth of qualifying runs, the fastest time was recorded by the host track’s own car, driven by Oliver James. The time recorded by the HW Muscle Bound was 14.428, the only sub-15-second time. The field includes some big names, including Romy Rivera of Rivera Racing and Nick Deavers of NDR. Much of the field is comprised of newer competitors who are currently making a name for themselves such as Fractal Panda, Gnocchi Jack, Lily the Dog, and Glitch from Flat Rabbit Racing Club. While he was part of the original
four members of the DIRS in 2020, Glitch had to qualify just like everyone else this time, as Flat Rabbit Racing Club is not one of the host tracks this year. Once the 25 open slots were filled, the track hosts put up their own times to see where they were slotted into the pre-season rankings. With TranSport taking the top spot, one might fear that the host teams would all be at the top of the list, making this tour lopsided in their favor, but only two other track hosts made the top ten, namely WeRaceDiecast and Monster Motorsports. Live Young Die-Cast, RTR, and Chaos Canyon all landed their rides in the bottom ten. That leaves Jackson Pass Speedway’s car squarely in the middle of the pack. Initially, Josh Paufler of Rust Belt Racing was bumped out of the race by just .002 of a second, but one of the other qualified vehicles bowed out of the competition for reasons that haven’t been publicly announced, and Paufler now gets to race around the world.
January 19, 2021 | 9
Contest
Enter to Win a Prize Pack! Diecast Racing Report and Flat Rabbit Racing Club have teamed up for an awesome give away! The winner gets the pace car from our upcoming Psychedelic Speedway Grand Opening Race Series (a Cory C Whyte custom 1970 Ford Escort RS1600 in Gulf livery) and a Flat Rabbit Racing Club T-shirt!
Here’s what you need to know: Xanthippe’s racing team is called “Just Another Pop Culture Reference”, and every one of her builds has something to do with a movie, comic book, song, or piece of literature. One of her cars appears in the New Year’s Get Up Stay Up race at Flat Rabbit Racing Club. In order to win the Prize Pack, you need to be the first person to identify what character her car is an homage to, and from what book series that character comes. You’ll find hints in the January 6th issue of DRR in the Flat Rabbit Racing Club “On The Track” article.
To submit a guess, send an email to info@diecastracingreport.com with “Xanthippe Prize Pack” in the subject, and your guess in the body.
Bonus Hint: The books are set in Chicago 10 | Diecast Racing Report
Tournaments
Main Street Racers by Ali Kidder-Mostrom
In 2021 here at Diecast Racing Report, we’re shining the spotlight on some lesser-known (or at least lesser-followed) track channels. Each month, one channel will get a full month of race write-ups alongside our established tracks. With so many tracks, there is no way for anyone to catch all the racing action, but this should spread the net a little wider. Hopefully, one of these new channels will catch your eye and become a favorite worth following.
We start this month with Main Street Racers (https:// youtube.com/channel/ UCiihHXXDa7X9AyvPQC4XEu Q)
O
ver the last two weeks, many more match-ups have graced the Main Street Racers track. This included three Hot Wheels vs. Matchbox faceoffs, another Crazy Crossover and a six-car drag race, sponsored by Glenn’s Car Creations. In the first match-up, a pale blue Matchbox Volkswagen Beetle showed its strangely-tuned Hot Wheels counterpart the door in a
clean sweep, best 3 out of 5. In the next Hot Wheels vs. Matchbox contests, first we saw Porsches head to the track. In what started as a close pairing, the convertible 911 Carrera (from Matchbox) slowly widened it’s lead from lap to lap, ultimately leaving the ’96 Carrera (from Hot Wheels) in its dust. The final Hot Wheels-Matchbox match-up was between Land Rovers, one in tan (Matchbox) and the other in green (Hot Wheels). Having lost the last two contests, Hot Wheels clearly came to win. On the first trip down, the green racer pulled ahead at the flat to take a first-lap win. Matchbox’s tan Land Rover kept it close in the second lap, losing by a nose. Then in the final lap Hot Wheels again returned to finish the race with a full car-length lead and the overall win. Last week, a Nissan Skyline faced off against a Subaru Impreza. They didn’t match a particular theme, but the did match each other for speed. The Nissan ended up walking away with the title, but the Subaru took it to a true photo-finish first. Back for another round of craziness, we also saw the Crazy Crossover, this time a Honda City Edition. Like
the last Crazy Crossover race, two cars were sent down an otherwise normal drag strip to ultimately collide at a crossover installed into the flat. The black Turbo II went head-to-head with a red Turbo in what turned out to be a first to two wins race. For the first lap, a collision in the crossover worked out well for the black Honda, as it went careening out of control and right across the finish line. The second lap let both cars land on their wheels, but this time it was the red Honda to take the win. Going into lap three, it was clearly going to be a tight competition. However, when both cars went flying this time, neither made it on their wheels or past the finish line – double DNF! The fourth and final lap ended like none this report has ever seen before: with both cars under the gate, in the same lane, wheel-to-wheel with one another. Since the black Turbo II crossed the line slightly ahead of the red car (before settling into their This channel is great for fans of: - RTR’s “Grudgefest” themed head-to-head races - Short videos! - No-frills drag strip racing, like Diecast 64 - Not needing to wait for their next racing fix (frequent videos) January 19, 2021 | 11
Tournaments cozy final pose), it took the lap and the title for the race. Most recently, a sponsored event came to Main Street. It was a showcase of six classic American muscle cars. Dodge and Ford and Chevy – oh my! There were two red Corvettes, but it was the 1964 model from Hot Wheels (released new for 2021) that came out head and shoulders above the rest. Other cars gave the little classic car a run for her money. Particularly, the yellow Dodge and both Fords had closing speed that you just have to see. But, in the end, baby, that little red Corvette was much too fast… to catch. We’d love to hear from you! To nominate a track for consideration,
just drop a line to comments@dicastracingreport.com. The rules are simple: 1) the channel must have fewer than 500 subscribers 2) they must have some sort of demonstrated commitment to putting out content 3) it should be fun! Rule #3 is really Rule #1. Recommend whichever track makes
you smile: narrative-style videos or just straight-up racing, new to the scene or a long-time track, high production quality or keeping it simple, drag strip or fat track or something else. Each month we’ll pick from the nominated tracks to bring you something new!
WeRaceDiecast by DeeZaster Jakk
A
new year brings new racing, new tracks, new cars and all new tournaments, so we kick off a new builder at WeRaceDiecast with the Small Truck Tournament. The tournament, which got off to a late start due to holiday shipping, actually started in late December of 2020. The first round of the Small Truck Tournament kicked off December 30th as 72 drivers took the 621 Track to see who could prove their worth as number 1. The trucks, from 4 different manufacturers, were stock trucks with 66 having custom paint. 23 Datsun 620's, 21 GMC Syclone's, 16 Mazda Repu's and 12 Volkswagon Caddie's faced off in a round that would only let the top 48 drivers advance. The 72 trucks were broken up into 12 groups with 6 drivers per group. The 12 | Diecast Racing Report
top 4 drivers in each group would move on based upon points in the 6, drag style races. Round one brought the heat and saw a few upsets along with drivers out to show that they are willing to win. Every race saw tough fights, with many races decided by a point or two. In the end the manufacturers really shined in this round of racing as 20 of the 21 original GMC Syclones advanced. The VW Caddies held out well losing only 3 drivers, while Datsun (13 drivers left) and Mazda (six drivers left) both took a big hit and lost ten drivers each. The red hot action from round one only picked up in round two as the tournament moved to the "There & Back " track. In this round, drivers would break up into 12 groups of 4 drivers for 4 laps where only the top 2 drivers per group would be moving
onto round 3. Drivers didn't come to play as the first race of round 2 saw a clean, fast start, The Traveler going "slideways" for last part of the lap, and Ragefist, who had dropped to 3rd, sneak around A Bear and The Traveler to take first, "by a hair...maybe". The next three laps were fast, tight and clean as A Bear and The Traveler both drove to 1st and 2nd to move on to round 3. If the driving in this first round was just an example of what was to come, fans were in for a real treat.
Tournaments
January 19, 2021 | 13
Tournaments In round 2 there was a lot of back and forth for those top two spots. The last lap was a real scrap as 4th place Teddy pushed by the pack to grab first place. Sneaky Bob and Coen both got tied up behind Hunny Puff who finished 2nd, spinning to the next round. The 3rd group saw a manufacturer face off between all GMC Syclones. The action was tight and fast though the four races that eventually saw the two black and yellow Syclones of Bee Stoneham and Avery Sky take 1 and 2 to see round 3. In the second race of the fourth group there was a major accident out of the big 180 turn. Cube Boyd got out to an amazing lead and coming out of the turn, he got spun sideways and the front half of his truck got up on the edge of the track. Boyd grinded the rail of that truck as he tried to recover, but his momentum was too great and it took him off the edge of the track and into the canyon below. Cube was found to be okay, and the truck actually came out just fine as well, the pair went on to take first, with Doc taking 2nd to move onto the next round. In the fifth group of round 2 a group of Syclones faced off against the one lone VW Caddie of Ben, who got launched off the track by the tight pack bouncing about. Ben and Eli Storm fought hard, but Dycon held out for first and James Stirling got second to move on.
The sixth group started hard as Willy Maykit went "slideways" and with a push from Cookie Monster and Dante, launched off the track. Willy wouldn't let that minor setback hold him back, and went on to get second place behind Dante's first place victory. The seventh group was on fire and at one point saw El Jefe going "slideways" and almost launching off the track. Not only did he recover and win the race, but he went on to win the round in fashion when he jumped his truck backward at the finish to avoid a collision with James Harding and Scooter Roundwell. The Wizard was right behind El Jefe's fabulous victory to take second and move on. The 8th group had a lot of tight, fast paced racing, and a lot of changes between the leaders, but what seemed to be the more dominant Syclone of Erik Z eventually fell to the two Mazda's of Mayfield41, who finished first, and Scoupe finishing second. Group 9 saw Thomas Michael take 1st after being launched off the track
in an earlier race, and the Datsun of Phuoc Nguyen Huu for a hard fought 2nd. Group 10 was another pack of Syclones with a single VW Caddie, but in the end Rowan and Leafar didn't have enough to get past Jacen, second, and Remy 12 Gauge, so happy with his 1st place win, he backed off a cliff!!!! In group 11, 2 more Mazda's shined as Penny's pink Mazda fought hard to stay out in front and take 1st, and Khei Grant's "Homer Simpson" Mazda took 2nd. In the final group of round 2, a single Syclone faces a pack of Datsuns. In the end, Oliver James and Kuz, drove hard, and "helped" each other to move on to round 3. What is going to happen in round 3 and round four? What has been going on at The 621 while The Small Truck Tournament is on? What is happening next at WeRaceDiecast? Only time, and some great racing, will tell.
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Tournaments
Indiana Diecast Racing by Jim Desaulniers
W
hile the torrid pace of tortoise videos has slowed, the intensity of the competition has not. Since the last DRR, Round 2 in its entirety has aired, winnowing the field from 20 wagons to 12. We even had a cameo from April O’Neil herself! This round saw a fight for two wild card spots, in addition to the usual top two from each group. Competition was fierce, as the difference between top two and bottom two was only one point in each of all five groups, with no driver winning more than two laps. If you’re worried all the chaos was run off the track in round 1, have no fear. If one thing has been consistent
throughout the tournament, it’s that hitting the final straight in first place does not mean you’re safe.
seen on an Indiana Diecast Racing track. And if you’re a fan of the quadruple DNF, don’t worry, we haven’t seen the last of those either!
This round features what was probably the hardest hit we’ve ever
January 19, 2021 | 15
Tournaments
On The Track: I Like Cheese By Christopher Kidder-Mostrom
When minor celebrity Harwood took the title of Big Cheese, it was a good feeling to have an Oklahoma boy atop the tower of cheese. But, of course, any champion will have their title challenged, and in the most recent edition of Friday Night Cheese, another of Oklahoma’s favorite sons came to the Man-Pam Motor Speedway with one thing in mind: claiming his own golden wedge of cheesy goodness. Wolfe74 has made a name for himself in the Stock Car Cheese Series in 2020, taking the trophy home at the end of the year. He also recently took a spin in the Siesta Motel Series. Now his eyes were set on snatching the cheese from Harwood’s fingers. As part of this event, ChapmanFilms introduced us to the new track improvements at Man-Pam Motor Speedway, primary of which is the addition of an extended straightaway which goes into a turn underneath a cave, then back out to the finish line. The two cars were very closely matched, with the lead swapping back and forth in lap one. Wolfe74 took the checkered flag on both the first and second laps, though, and that means he claims the title of Big Cheese, and Harwood waits for a chance at Second Cheese. 16 | Diecast Racing Report
Another race took place at ManPams. JD Elst (a.k.a. The Zombie) took to the track in his 2020 ILC Champion GMC Syclone (black) against newcomer Anthony Counts in a red truck of the same make and model. This race was an exhibition race, with no points, standings, or title on the line. This was just for bragging rights. The newcomer handily took lap 1,
leaving the Zombie shambling behind. JD won the second lap with ease, though. And that led to the first Sudden Cheese of 2021. Counts got the inside lane advantage for lap 3, but he couldn’t capitalize on the pole position. JD even managed to win the lap lined up backwards at the starting gate. At the time of this issue going to press, Race 3 of the Siesta Motel Series is in the midst of a 5-day, 5Heat race. We’ll cover it next issue.
On The Track
On The Track: Chaos Canyon By Jim Desaulniers
Looney Mooney’s
T
he boys got back into racing with a bang and some old school muscle car mania. If you’re unfamiliar with the format for this one, they pit four drivers against each other in an initial one-and-done round with different groups of cars. Based on accumulated points in the first round, drivers then get to choose their ride for a final 4x4. This go-round they featured Big Dady D, Traffic Hazard Travis, Levi the Legend, and Zac Attack. Group 1 saw a cavalcade of Chevelles produce a bit of the usual chaos. Group 2 put the drivers in a torrent
of Torinos (I personally love the look of Torinos!), and shockingly we got see an atypically smooth and fast run on the canyon. Group 3 gave us a mess of Monte Carlos, a full-on Lily the Dog rollover, and a particularly close finish. The 4th group of classics gave us some muscle-y, masculine Mustangs, complete with 70s mustaches. Okay, maybe no mustaches but they would
have fit perfectly with the era chosen to race. To see which cars made into the finals, who the drivers picked, and the epic finish, be sure to get down to New Zealand and check out this competition!
On The Track: RTR Diecast Racing League By DeeZaster Jakk
T
hey brought in the new year at RTR by crowning the king of the old in the All-Star Tournament. Eight winners from different races came together to see who was really "The Best of the rest."
Mayes Mountain Motor Speedway was set up for race one to see the return of #4 seed Maria Mayes in her 2019 Firebird going against #5 seed Chandler Reagan in his 95 Camaro SS. Both of these drivers faced off in the Firebird vs. Camaro Tournament last year and looked to be a great
match up to start the series. Mayes jumped out to a lead in the first race and didn't look back, but the second race was bumper to bumper at the finish line. Mayes barely won the second race, moving her onto the semi-finals and once January 19, 2021 | 17
On The Track again defending her title as the Firebird vs Camaro overall winner. The second race set between the #3 seed Arcade XD, Corvette Champion, in his 1969 Corvette against #6 seed Phillip DeTank, Exotics Champion, in his Bugatti Veyron. Lap 1 saw Arcade XD rocket out of turn one to take a commanding lead, but DeTank wasn't about to let it go that easy and came back in lap 2 to tie it up. In lap 3 Arcade once again shot out of turn 1, almost lost control through turn 2,but held on to win and advance. Race three would pit #2 seed Gnoochi Jack, Mustang Mania Champion, in his Mustang Super Snake against the #7 seed Chad Hall, Truck Series Champion, in his Chevy Silverado.
take a large lead and even did a couple "victory spins" across the finish as she moved on to the semifinals. The Semi-Finals first race would bring Arcade XD to the track to face off against Gnocchi Jack.
Hall took a quick lead in the first lap, but soon lost control, Gnocchi Jack took advantage to slide by Hall where he took first, ON HIS ROOF!! Jack's speed into the 2nd turn caused him to flip, but couldn't keep him from an amazing win.
Lap one started with both drivers out of the gate quickly and head to head through turn one, but Arcade XD shot into the lead coming out of the first turn in the stretch. XD would hang on through the second turn to take the win.
Gnocchi Jack took a quick lead in the second lap, and despite being spun backward, still finished first to move on to the semi finals.
The second lap saw Jack and XD head to head out of the gate, but that wouldn't last long as Jack rockets out of the first turn, leaving XD spinning behind, to take the lead, and the win.
For the final race before the semifinals, #1 seed Gina Mayes, Duo Series Champion, in her Ford GT40 was to take the track against #8 seed Nick Ledbetter, Rally Challenge Champion, in his Audi RS. Nick jumped out in the lead in lap one, but lost control and spun coming out of turn one, so Mayes could slide by in turn 2 and take the victory. Lap 2 started out with Nick and Gina head to head going into turn one, but Gina shot out of turn one to 18 | Diecast Racing Report
Both drivers shot out of the starting gate to start the third lap, all or nothing here, to get to the finals. Gnocchi Jack pulled ahead moving into turn one where he turned on the heat to easily move past XD and cruise on to the finals. The second race in the semi-finals would pit Maria Mayes against Gina Mayes in a "Family Face-Off". It was a close race from the start but Gina soon slipped into the lead. Maria had good speed out of turn one, but Gina
blocked Maria from getting around her in turn two, so Gina could take the win. In lap two both drivers went head to head into turn one, Gina gained the lead as Maria fell a bit behind. Gina lost a bit of momentum going into turn two, and it gave Maria a chance to catch up, but in the end Gina held on to go on to the finals. In the final match-up of the RTR AllStar Tournament brought the return of race veteran Gnocchi Jack and his Mustang Super Snake against racing super star Gina Mayes and her Ford GT40. A Ford vs a Ford in this all out, no holds barred, best 3 of 5 race to crown the All-Star Champion of 2020. Gina rocketed out of the gate in lap one to take the lead, and the win, instantly showing why she is the #1 seed of this tournament. Gnoochi Jack stayed head to head with Gina Mayes going into the first turn in lap two, but Gina gains some speed out of the turn and slips by to take the win with Jack right on her back door. Gnoochi Jack wasn't going to give up that easily, as he jumped out to a lead
On The Track in the third lap, he did get spun in front of Gina Mayes, but held on to win in reverse. With Gina up on Jack 2-1, Jack felt the pressure and turned up the heat in the first turn or the fourth lap to blast the doors off Gina and speed to the finish. Now with the finals tied, this fifth
lap would be the key to the All-Star Title. As both drivers lined up at the gate, tensions were high. And as the flag dropped, both Jack and Gina shot out of the gate head to head into turn one. Gnocchi Jack took a chance and tried to use his speed to slide into first, but got hung up on Gina and spun backward coming out of the
turn. Jack stayed in reverse, a play that worked well to block Gina coming though turn 2, and held on for a big ALL-STAR VICTORY!!! Congrats from Jakk to Jack on your well fought victory, and congrats to all the drivers who made the All-Star team.
On The Track: Flat Rabbit Racing Club By Ali Kidder-Mostrom
W
inter weather has found its way to New Westrock and with it has come the SCARnage Winter Games! This private corporate event was surprisingly infiltrated by Flat Rabbit Racing Club’s own Glitch. Here’s hoping that SCAR doesn’t detect the video feed hi-jacked by KNW’s Valen, because her broadcast of events was openly supportive of the undercover rabbit.
If their Games give us any indication, SCAR has a work hard, play hard attitude. This last weekend, we caught the first event of four. SCAR goons each crawled out of the cop car and into a monster truck to play on the slippery winter slopes. This first game was a 4X event down “Blood Glacier” and, as the name implies, carnage was the rule of the race. Eight trucks were split into two groups of four, with each group sent twice down the track to determine which two would move
on in the competition. In the first group, Raydn (in a black Bone Shaker) made it across the finish first, if upside down, and Grem managed to take advantage of the other front vehicle (driven by Kedron) flipping, to pull ahead to second place. After the lane swap, all drivers were amazingly able to keep the trucks on their wheels and battle it out all the way to the finish. Hydro’s bright blue and white Bone Shaker pulled off a surprising win and moved along with Raydn, who edged out Grem in a photo-finish second place finish. Glitch, hiding in a blue Bigfoot truck, started the second group in the back row and (after battling it out with Reballato) pulled across at third place. Dagger (in yet another Bone Shaker) took an easy win on that lap and Malakye’s One Bad Ghoul stalled out right before the finish. On their second run down the track, the front row was an unyielding levy against the back row’s attempts to January 19, 2021 | 19
On The Track advance. Glitch ultimately pulled ahead of Malakye halfway down the track, and earned his place in the semi-finals, with first-lap winner Dagger. Perhaps the SCAR racers should have noticed that there was an impostor in their midst, as Glitch’s Bigfoot was the only non-Boneshaker to make it to the semi-finals. His disguise held, if – sadly – his racing did not. Glitch gave it his all against Hydro when they started in the front row, but Hydro managed to take the win for lap one. The second lap was a tale of Raydn and Dagger battling it out in the front; Glitch lost control
right out of the gate and Hydro could not find an opening. After a tough run down, Raydn eked out a win and moved on to the finals against Hydro. Both of the Boneshakers, Raydn dark and Hydro light, ran side by side to the finish line during the final race. They were close battles, but Raydn managed to win the race and first event for the SCARnage Winter Games. Three more events are on the way, with more tracks to be revealed in
the frozen wasteland. And, if the radio traffic between Glitch and Keys is any indication, the rabbits have something “special” planned, though what it is has yet to be revealed. As Valen said, “Stay Tuned! Stay Frosty!”.
On The Track: 3DBotMaker By Ali Kidder-Mostrom
T
he moment many have been waiting for is finally here – King of the Mountain tournament #3! 3DBotmaker’s fanfavorite mail-in modified competition kicked off last week with qualifying races. The first set of competitors featured Corky Bacon in a Subaru Impreza WRX, Ethan Murphy in a Mazda RX-3, CZ in a Lancer Evolution and Albert Veti driving a Nissan Skyline Corky Bacon was one wild ride right from the start, spinning to block the competition and then taking off – in reverse – down the track. The Impreza finally flipped and took a 20 | Diecast Racing Report
first place finish for lap one, sliding on his roof across the finish line. CZ came in second for this lap and then the next, when he closed the gap on Albert Veti (in the leading White
Arrow), but could not quite making it to first place. This was the beginning of a very promising performance by the Lancer Evo, which is a car know to perform well
On The Track on the mountain. CZ and Albert Veti faced off again for lap three, this time with each car starting in the front row. It looked like this would be a close race, but Corky Bacon’s shenanigans ended up blocking the white Skyline after the turn two, leaving CZ’s black Evo to run away with the lap. Rubbing salt in Albert Veti’s wound, CZ’s Impreza then took off again and posted second place points. The final lap was another battle between Corky Bacon, CZ and Albert Veti (poor Ethan Murphy never really had a chance). This time we saw CZ’s black beast eventually breaking free from the pack and, ultimately, winning the coveted KoTM qualifying spot. The next group of KoTM contenders featured three Germans and a Brit. Micky Fumes showed up in Lady B, a blue Aston Martin, while his competitors brought an Audi, a Mercedes and a VW. Dad’s Hammer (a Mercedes AMG GT 63S) was by far the heaviest car in the race (at 103.4 grams), unfortunately, he didn’t seem to know how to really carry that weight. In lap one, he wrecked in turn two after coming in high and slow. His performance did improve by the final lap, where – after starting unblocked in the front row – he was able to find a first place finish. However, it was too little too late. That was because Micky Fumes took off like a bullet right out of the gate in lap one. This hot little Aston Martin clearly has the speed it takes to race to the top of the KoTM pile. Each lap saw him zooming up to and past the competition. In lap three, he pulled off an impressive pass past Bicycle Horst (the red Audi).
However, the Audi was ultimately able to take back his lap, as – though fast – Micky Fumes is not very stable on those wheels and took a spill. Speed ruled the day and (pulling off a 16.302 qualifying lap) Micky Fumes ultimately had the points to move forward. That said, if the blue Aston Martin wants to be King of this mountain, he’s going to need to add some improved steering to his natural speed. The last two weeks also saw rounds two and three of the First Annual McClyde Memorial Race. Round three came out as this magazine is going to press, so we’ll keep the focus on round two. Once again we found ourselves in a lovely sunny day with exciting racing action, brought by Dave Akers customs. This race was a family affair, featuring Clyde (McClyde’s oldest son, because that’s how names work) in a grey Ford Transit SuperVan. Also running were Darkcyde in a black Chevy, Taz Turner in a gold Honda Odyssey and MFS Power in a green SuperVan (with beautiful wood paneling). As 2D astutely observed, lap one looked to be a battle between the dark and light side, with the front row comprised of Darkcyde’s black van next to Clyde’s light van (bedecked with angel wings). As the race progressed, the light side took the lead; though Darkcyde tried to close the gap, it really was as though Clyde had wings. The other two cars on the track somehow did not manage to finish, which works great
for this analogy I’ve built about a battle between the two frontrunners. After rotating positions going into lap two, Darkcyde took what looked to be an easy lead. Then he lost control and Clyde came from behind to give him a run for his money. In the end, the black Chevy was able block out the light and take first place for the lap. Clyde took second and MFS Power was able to finish in third, but well behind the other two. Clyde may have been the one with angel’s wings, but it was Taz Turner’s Honda Odyssey that seemed to be miraculously revived. After crashing in the two previous laps, the small gold van was able to take first place and even block out a last-minute pass attempt by the McClyde child. The gold van’s miracles continued in the final lap when Clyde (who looked certain to win the lap) suddenly wrecked in the final turn, blocking Darkcyde from finishing (and earning the points necessary to move forward). This opened up a golden opportunity for Taz Turner to pass them all, win the lap and move on. Taz Turner and Clyde join James Thomas and Tyler Witt from the last race. Round three – the highly anticipated final race – has just posted. So, go check it out and we’ll give you full analysis in the next issue of Diecast Racing Report. January 19, 2021 | 21
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