Diecast Racing Report - February 5, 2021 - Vol II, No 3 by diecastracingreport

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DIECAST RACING REPORT

February 5, 2021 – Vol. 2 No. 3

Inside: The Chemistry of Chrome Removal – Holding Grudges in San Francisco – DIRS (Almost) & More!

2 | Diecast Racing Report

Editor’s Note Okay, so… Cool thing about a double issue. There’s a lot of stuff in here. Oddly enough, this is our largest issue to date. There are two feature articles, a new monthly column, and a new resource (product reviews!). Another cool thing? Our staff now gets a bit of a break. February is a short month, and so we’re really only getting an extra week or so before the first issue of March, but this effort has been go, go, go since the beginning of June, and everyone is a little lacking in energy. Everything that we do here at Diecast Racing Report can be very rewarding. We’re lucky to be able to cover such a vibrant and growing community of racers, customizers, and content creators. As you look through this double issue, please take a moment to consider joining our Patreon page. It’s the only way to get a printable/downloadable version of every issue of the magazine, and that alone should be worth a buck a month to you.

up and getting going again. Many of the major players in the diecast racing scene weren’t putting out a lot of content over the first few weeks of the year, and others were just accepting submissions in anticipation of future races. Well, now time has passed, and everyone is in gear and going. Kit Kidder-Mostrom It’s great to see so much new Editor-in-Chief content out there. Winners have been declared in a few tournaments already, and others are deep into their final rounds. Man! It’s good to be back to racing again.

For me, I have now passed my first anniversary in the field. 3DBotMaker’s major run of press coverage started in mid- to late-January, and that’s when I found this community. So, now that I’m over a year in, I want to thank all those who’ve made this a great part of the world to be a part of! If you’re reading this, that includes you. Thanks!

But, it also gets you exclusive content and early access to our videos, like the one that accompanies Ali’s new column “Just Another Pop Culture Reference Mystery Box”. That is such a long title! Patreon patrons got that video 2 days before the rest of the world. Drivers for our resident tournaments are selected from patrons first, and we have a number of cool events coming up that are patron exclusives. The first one will be announced very soon. And, as you may guess, only to the Patreon patrons. So, please consider going to https:// www.patreon.com/ DiecastRacingReport and signing up. We haven’t set any levels of membership. Set a number you’re comfortable with. Okay… on to other matters! This is the time of year when things really start to get rolling. Much of the last month was taken up by recovering from the holidays and then by gearing February 5, 2021 | 3

In This Issue

Table of Contents

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Notes News Briefs Calendar Resources Product Review QuickTips

3 7 6

Features Down By The Bay 14 Chemistry of Chrome 18

8 9

12 Columns Mystery Box The Flying German

10 12

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 neâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 Cover Art: Kit Kayem 4 | Diecast Racing Report

In This Issue

Tournaments Wallside Diecast Racing

28 WeRaceDiecast 30

Indiana Diecast Racing 33 Rust Belt Diecast Racing 33

18 OnTheTrack 34 Chaos Canyon 35 RTR

Flat Rabbit Racing Club I Like Cheese Live Young Die-Cast

37 39

3DBotMaker

42 43

TranSport Diecast Racing

February 5, 2021 | 5

Calendar

Mail-in Race Deadlines Stock: Re-STOCK-ing the Shelves – Deadline for Entry: February 28, 2021. Road Course. 70 gram weight limit. Cars must be NASCAR-style stock cars. Limit 4 entries per household. Stocks race in same division as Modifieds. Entry fee. Racing for Charity. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Diecast 64 March Madness (Feature Stock) – Deadline for Entry: March 6, 2021. Drag Strip. Any model is eligible. Dry lubes allowed. Entry Fee. More Info: RaceHotWheels.com Death Valley Showdown – Deadline for Entry: March 31, 2021. Drag strip. 135 gram weight limit. Limit 2 entries per household. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Sunday Pinks – Deadline for Entry: Ongoing. Road course. No weight limit. No FTE/NPAs. Limit 2 vehicles per entrant. Weekly headto-head races. Racing for pink slips. Submissions must be on original card. More Info: Rust Belt Diecast Racing

Modifieds:

2021. Drag strip + obstacle course. 100 gram weight minimum - 300 gram weight maximum. Vehicle must be a tank. Limit one tank per entry. More Info: Rust Belt Diecast Racing Re-STOCK-ing the Shelves – Deadline for Entry: February 28, 2021. Road Course. 70 gram weight limit. Cars must be NASCAR-style stock cars. Limit 4 entries per household. Entry fee. Racing for Charity. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Sock Hop Slam – Deadline for Entry: March 1, 2021. Road Course. 50 gram weight limit. Cars must be American cars from the 1950s. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Diecast 64 March Madness (Modified Street & Open Modified Classes) – Deadline for Entry: March 6, 2021. Drag Strip. 57 gram weight limit. Street class must be actual production cars. Open may be any model. Entry Fee. More Info: RaceHotWheels.com Diecast 64 March Madness (Builder’s Challenge: Drag’n’Fly) – Deadline for Entry: March 6, 2021. Drag Strip + Jump. 60 gram weight limit. Entry Fee. More Info: RaceHotWheels.com

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

The Devil’s Backbone Inaugural Invitational – Deadline for Entry: March 13, 2021. Road Course. No weight limit. Cars must be realistic four-wheeled vehicles. One entry per driver. Limit 2 entries per household. More Info: RedlineDerby.com

March of the Tanks – Deadline for Entry: February 28,

BlueLine Middle Weight Modified Tournament – Deadline for Entry: March 23, 2021. Drag strip. 125 gram

6 | Diecast Racing Report

News in Brief

Mail-in Race Deadlines (cont.) weight limit. Cars must start as an original car/truck body. Fantasy cars/trucks are allowed. Limit 2 entries per household. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Garden Canyon Run Spring Classic – Deadline for Entry: March 27, 2021. Road Course (Outdoor). No weight limit. Limit 2 entries per household. More Info: RedlineDerby.com Death Valley Showdown – Deadline for Entry: March 31, 2021. Drag strip. 135 gram weight limit. 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

News Briefs Muscle Mania 2021 Has Action & Multiple Winners

being held after repairs were made to the gate, as well as to the support of the track support structure. The American Muscle category was only run once, as its first iteration was held after the repairs.

The Redline Derby Racing event that had originally been scheduled for November 2020 in North Carolina, but after a host and location change took place, the event took place over a couple of weeks at the end of January and the beginning of February 2021 in Tecumseh, Michigan.

In the interest of fairness, once winners were determined in the redone American Street and Lowriders categories, the previous winners and the new champions had a race-off in order to determine the overall champion in each division.

Race host Nick Deavers welcomed 80 cars to the Tecumseh Proving Grounds from 17 builders who entered across three divisions: American Muscle, American Street, and Lowriders. Competitors could enter up to two cars per class. Most opted to send in six cars, but some only competed in one or two categories, while others competed in all three, but only sent one car per class. Due to a starting gate malfunction involving bolt threads catching on cars, two of the three categories were run twice, with the redux races

In the American Street division, the championship race came down to a race-off between Flips Racing (the original winner) and Voxxer (champion of the redo). After their head-to-head series, Voxxer took the crown for American Street 2021. The Lowriders redo was won by DXP who then had to go up against Romy Rivera for the overall championship. DXP took that title. Fixing the track clearly had an effect on the overall results, as both divisions were eventually won by racers who won the second go’round.

In the American Muscle category, the winner was Voxxer, who took out Mattman213 in the head-to-head finals. There was no previous champion to contest the title in this category, so Voxxer won outright.

Swiss Cheese Invitational Concludes with MDG Speed Lesson What started as a Rust Belt Diecast Racing three-track event wrapped up with a bonus track and a special video presentation by Michael Mathis of Michael’s Diecast Garage and Racing (MDG). Nine builders rose to the challenge of taking a 2018 Mustang (Hot Wheels) and reducing them from the stock weight of 32 grams down to the race maximum weight of 22 grams. The weight loss had to be accomplished by drilling holes in the body and

(NEWS BRIEFS cont. on page 17) February 5, 2021 | 7

Resources

Product Review: Riverruns UV Clear Glue (Resin) Available at Amazon.com for $6.14 by Ali Kidder-Mostrom

hat you get: the kit came with three different glues (Thick, Thin and Power Flex) and a UV light. What it did not come with was 2 AAA batteries (for the light) and, more importantly, instructions. The three glues are each a slightly different viscosity (before curing) and hardness (after curing). The Standard (Thick) Original was about the same consistency as a gel superglue. When placed onto a Hot Wheels plastic base, it had nearly negligible spread, making it the go-to choice for axle installation. Alternately, the Thin Original was much thinner, quickly spreading and wicking into crevices in the base. Both of these formulations dried to be quite hard. The Power Flex Original formulation was less viscous than the Thick, but didn’t spread quite as readily as the Thin. Unlike the other two, when cured it was a more pliable texture (closer to epoxy), bendable and able to take an imprint. In order to truly test out this

8 | Diecast Racing Report

product, we tried It out on the final stages of car modification. The Thick was used to install a set of axles and it worked like a charm! This did not spread and cured quickly with use of the provided UV light. There wasn’t a noticeable change to indicate when it was cured (in about 1 minute, though the online product information says 2-4 minutes), but the result was secure and hard. This process did reveal some limitations of the product, specifically: this is not a good option for when an axle jig is needed to align wheels, and therefore the base flipped glue-side down, or any other time the UV light will not reach the glue (as the light is required to cure the glue). Similarly, you have one shot to get whatever you are gluing positioned correctly. It goes from zero to hard quickly enough that there isn’t really time to wiggle parts into place or make mistakes. Especially when you are using your free hand to hold a

UV flashlight. However, this seems a reasonable trade-off for not needing to ever hold a piece “just so” for 5+ minutes (while the epoxy dries) ever again.

Pros: •

It dries fast

•

When cured it is hard, but not brittle

•

There are multiple options for various projects

•

The bottle tip provides small enough drops for direct application

•

It cures truly clear

•

It won’t off-gas like superglue

Cons: •

You have to be able to reach the glue with a UV light to cure it

•

It’s a bit of a guessing game as to when it is cured

•

There’s no wiggle room for error

Resources

Quick Tips

Awesome Axles! Totally Tubular!

hether you want to fit your favorite axles to a new base or swap them out for something more smooth – axle tubes are the way to go. But making sure your separated wheels stay in place and run true isn’t as easy at is seems. Don’t worry! Follow these quick tips to make your next axle tube mod a breeze. 1. Make room for the tube. Axle tubing is thicker than original axles, so make sure to open up the base to fit your modification. In “Episode 122 Replacing Axles and Wheels on Diecast Toys”, MrLEDiecast shows how to bore out the groove and then sand it smooth. 2. Cut ‘em short. In order to avoid adding friction (or, even worse, glue) to your wheels, be sure to leave a space between the end of your tube

and the edge of your base. See how Ldizzy1978 does it in “How to make axles for hot wheels wheel swaps”.

installing axle tubes. In part 2 of the series, he shows a unique technique where he grinds away a small portion of the tube so that epoxy can reach the axles while he’s adhering the tubes to the base.

3. Crimp to keep it tight. If you want your axle to stay in place, crimp down on the tube. A good pinch on the tubing should hold the wheel in on its own, but if you want to really make sure it will survive the track, be sure to add epoxy. In the video “How to build custom axles. Hot wheels and match box. Perfect wheel fitment”, Tenza Builds takes you through his whole process.

5. We have the tools, we have the technology, we can rebuild it! When placing new axles and tubes in your base, having the right tools can make all the difference. Make sure your axles are straight with a jig while the adhesive dries. Redline Derby Racing sells one that works great!

4. Let epoxy do double duty. Chris Raab has a whole series of YouTube videos about

Bonus - Watch out for wobble. With new axles on your car, you may see a bit of wobble or vibration. The general rule of thumb is “the quieter the car, the faster it is”. So, what can you do to reduce the wobble? Check out the discussion at Redline Derby.

February 5, 2021 | 9

Column

MYSTERY BOX by Ali Kidder-Mostrom

hat inspires you? My team “Just Another Pop Culture Reference” is just what it sounds like. But, let’s be honest there is just SO MUCH to choose from when it comes to the world of pop culture. Sometimes, it helps to have a bit of guidance, some self-imposed limitations, to help inspire creative design. When I first saw the Mystery Build video posted by the everimpressive Gaslands builder JH Miniatures, I knew that I just had to follow suit. It took nearly a year to get going, but here it is!

The goal is to create one car per month, each with a random paint color and pop culture theme selected by roll of the dice. Also, there will be a unique challenge for each car (basically the reason I turned to the box) just to keep things interesting. This could be a technique to use or race to prep for or well, the sky’s the limit! Challenge: Paint with Nail Polish Die Rolls: Theme: Comics (1) Color: Red (2)

Build/Design Notes: Nail polish is a cheap and easy paint option, but there seems to be a dearth of YouTube videos on how to do it well. After success on a previous build using nail polish to convert a normal enamel paint job to a more traditional car metal flake appearance, I thought this is something I could show folks how to do. Of all the cars to pick (I didn’t pack the box, so I have no idea what is in it), I pulled a car that is already red! But I have a specific painting challenge so (after drilling it apart) into the dip it went and out it came, ready for a new red paint job. There are a number of red comic book characters, but something

about this car – its electric design, perhaps – made me think Shazam! The enamel base coat is Testors Gloss Red. To get the gold accents, I just painted over the chrome insert with Testors Gold Metallic. After waiting a few days for the enamel to fully dry, I brought out my red nail polish options. For this build, I broke what I’d consider a cardinal rule of nail polish (car) painting: cheaper is better. Higher quality polishes dry faster, so I had to be extra careful to get it right the first time. I’d say the rule of thumb is: work in about the area of a thumbnail, make sure it looks good before moving to the next nail’s worth. Of the available options, I picked Ali’s Big Break, by OPI, which provided a metal flake lacquer coat, just slightly darker than the enamel it covered. In order to stick with comics and not film, I was careful to avoid images from the 2019 movie when researching my design. Comic book characters change over time and the biggest

See the Video! Just Another Pop Culture Mystery Box on the Diecast Racing Report YouTube Channel! 10 | Diecast Racing Report

Column distinction here was his chest lightning bolt. I decided on the New 52 era costume and kept the Shazam! #9 cover saved as a reference. To get the black depth/electric blue-looking lightning bolt, I started with a basic black waterslide decal. This is where I have the chance to screw things up – detail painting. Here I broke another rule: don’t use your good brushes on nail polish (it just doesn’t clean up well and you could ruin your brush). A great thing about nail polish bottles is they come with a brush included – use it whenever possible. However, to paint over the tiny decal, I also needed a tiny brush. Acetone at the ready. I used a cheap glitter coat and, after it dried, finished the detail with gold edging. To double (triple?)

down on nail polish, the white (cape-inspired) accents were also painted using OPI polish. The wheels are fine, so they are staying on. That said, to make her competitive, I need to add weight and reduce friction before screwing the car together. Before epoxying in weight, I sanded the wheels and applied graphite. I like to do these when the wheels are on the base, but before putting the car together, to avoid damaging my paint job.

forward. All I had to do was remove a little of the interior’s underside and the tungsten cubes fit in perfectly. In a final dose of nail polish, I added a clear lacquer coat. This car could see many races between now and December, so I’d like to avoid any of my paint flaking off. Once everything’s dried, I just screwed it all together. One post was spinning too much, so I added a dab of super glue (this is a horrible idea, do as I say not as I do) and off to the races she goes!

I’m sending the car to MnM Racing’s Ladder Wars, which has a 50g maximum. That’s great, because this car is a real light weight and adding weight isn’t cheap. I pulled enough to get me just under 50, but when all is said and done ended up at 47.5g to avoid moving the center of gravity too far

February 5, 2021 | 11

Column

The Flying German: Diecast Racing In Germany by Stefan Huwer

'm sitting here thinking about what I can write about and I thought, "What is the thing with the driver's name, really?” Kit Kayem, Cupcake, Diamond Dave, Milkman, Dirty Murray, Tooth Fairy...Who doesn't know the names that appear in the live races every day? The driver’s name is something special! You don't give it to yourself, that's not common in the live diecast racing scene, you get it. I still know how I came to my name. At the beginning I had used my player name, which I gave myself in darts. A name that has meaning for me. The last words I remember that my grandma said to me: “You're crazy!” (well, I had my hair pink at the time) And that I have a coaching license in football, the second part came naturally: “Crazy Coach”. In the scene, the diecast racing world, this kind of

12 | Diecast Racing Report

naming is similar, only you get it there from the community. In the end, it comes from a funny situation or facts that involving a person. You can go with your middle name in the scene for years, but then it happens. In my case, a flying car, on Shrubbery Lane, gave me the name. An orange Mazda RX7 took off after the finish line and landed directly on the roof of a gas station, which served as the decoration of the track. Since this race, I’m “The Flying German.” If you look at the other names of the drivers, it quickly becomes clear that such a name is something special and you can be a little proud of it. Josh Paufler aka “Cupcake”, I think it's because of his hairstyle. John Receveur aka “Milkman”, he is one of the youngest in the community.

Column And, of course, Randy Jarusewic aka “Tooth Fairy”... The son of Amanda and David Jewell actually lost a tooth at a live event. It is, as you can see, funny situations or facts that give you the name.

So wait and see! Everyone gets their special driver's name somewhere, somehow. Yours Flying German

How Did You Get Your Racing Name? Inspired by Stefan’s column, we wanted to hear how you got your diecast racing name, so we made a post on Facebook. (https://www.facebook.com/ DiecastRacingReport/posts/248442666912740) Join in the discussion to fill us in on how you got your nom de course! Here are some of the responses we’ve received so far: • Boog of Foursix Diecast Racing (Josh Miller) – “I go by Josh or Boog but certain tracks give me my own nickname (killer Miller...) My demolition derby friends gave me the nickname Boog, from the bear in the Open Season movies, I guess because I'm fat and hairy like a bear??? So my driver for Foursix Diecast Racing is Boog. My wife Kara Miller is Baby Girl because that's what I call her haha!” • Glenn Harding – “An artist's product is his name so I always use my own name.” • Fractal Panda (Davron Elliott) – “For my entries in modified diecast races, my main driver and team name is the PSN handle I've had since 2007 Fractal Panda. Second driver name is my son's name. Except for some very early builds in May 2019 when I hadn't decided on those names yet.” • EnZed Racing (Michael Hall) – “I just use my team name, EnZed Racing, as I’m from NZ. Otherwise they use my real name if I join a race via Facebook.” • Steven King (3-time DRC champion) – “I race under the fake name Steven King. My real name is Steven King. I enjoy the anonymous freedom it gives me.” February 5, 2021 | 13

Feature

Down By The Bay by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom

he San Francisco Bay area is often cited as the hilliest metro area in the United States of America. And with its iconic Golden Gate Bridge, it has one of the most picturesque stretches of suspended road anywhere in the world, so when Darrell Alexander of nearby Concord, CA was looking for a setting for his new diecast racing layout, he didn’t have to look far. “I chose ‘Bay City’ because it wasn’t specifically a city, yet represented the entire Bay Area,” Alexander explains. Growing up in Lakeport, a small town in Northern California, Alexander and his best friend would play with Hot Wheels up and down the hallway of his best friend’s house. “He had a lot of straight track,” he remembers. “I had about twenty cars, I’d say. Enough to fill that little car briefcase thing.” At that time his favorite car was a Darrell Waltrip NASCAR. Just as many others did in 2020, Alexander came across the YouTube videos of 3DBotmaker and he started collecting again after many years. “I don’t have as many 14 | Diecast Racing Report

Feature

as you might think,” he contends. “I’m up to about 400. Actually, it’s closer to 500. I forgot about my unopened cars.”

match events. But the big move that is taking the track to another level is Alexander’s first mail-in tournament: “Dynasty of Dodge”.

For someone who has just returned to collecting in the last ten months or fewer, he has done all right for himself. But is Alexander finding the cars he is really searching for? “I collect cars that I can and will hopefully race someday. I don’t collect cars for money (obviously), and I don’t have thousand in a bin never to be opened,” he says. “I’m not sure that there is a ‘Holy Grail’ car out there for me. However, when I was young, my sister had a ‘69 Chevelle, and I loved that car.”

As he puts it, “I chose to do the ‘Dynasty of Dodge’ tournament because I wanted to race good old fashioned American muscle. I chose Dodge specifically because it seemed like the more popular models of Ford and Chevy had already been done.”

Clearly, he’s a classic car man. “With that Chevelle, and the fact that my best friend built and raced late model cars, I am very interested in that genre of diecast cars,” he expounds, “which is why I’m so excited about the Dodge tournament.” Although Bay City Diecast Racing has already had its inaugural tournament and has staged a number of grudge

In the original listing for the tournament the entries were limited to being Darts, Challengers, Chargers, and Vipers. Since then, Alexander has permitted the list of included cars to be any Dodge model. At least one builder is sending in a Dodge Omni. And as a nod to the fact that it was modeled on a classic Dodge body, the HW Rodger Dodger is also an eligible casting for the tournament. Alexander’s first attempt at hosting has garnered a sizable response. “I currently have over 40 cars verbally committed. With a little over a week left, I’m hoping to get as many as 64 entries.” February 5, 2021 | 15

Feature With people sending cars his way, Alexander could easily decide that he has his hands full for the foreseeable future, but “I recently started modifying cars… It looks fun, and I wanted to be a part of it.” A very practical man, Alexander acknowledges that it’s not all fun and games, however. “I think it’s a great way to support other tracks and hosts, as well as getting the Bay City name across other channels as well. It’s a win-win.” He admittedly spends a lot of time producing his videos. “On any given day, I can spend two to twelve hours on mods, track adjustments, editing, and social media. It adds up.” So he makes sure there’s time for important life stuff, too. “I learned early on that balance is key,” Alexander explains. “I don’t want to sound like Mr. Miyagi from ‘Karate Kid’, but you really have to make sure all aspects of your life are balanced before you can take on something like this, because it can very easily consume you.” When not doing diecast-related tasks, Darrell Alexander is a family man, first and foremost. “I also coach travel baseball, and enjoy golf, bowling, and softball.” Part of getting a lot done, despite a busy life, is the help of friends and colleagues. Alexander knows that he has had help along the way so far. “I want to personally thank Derek “Doc” Riepe for encouraging me to get more involved [in diecast racing],” Alexander expresses gratefully. Riepe encouraged him “to put on a great tournament,” and made it clear that “people really do 16 | Diecast Racing Report

like my track and what I’m doing over here.” Within the diecast racing community, he credits John Tran of TranSport Diecast Racing, Josh Paufler of Rust Belt Diecast Racing, and Dave of WeRaceDiecast as people integral to his development process. JD Elst and Erik Slan have also been extremely helpful. Alexander says that’s one of the special things about this community. “A couple of those guys are doing very well in this sport, and for them

to take time our of their day is amazing.” On the whole, he is “thankful for the friendships that have developed within the community. For those interested in participating in the upcoming “Dynasty of Dodge tournament, information can be found on RedlineDerby.com. The deadline for submissions is February 14th. Darrell Alexander and his Bay City Diecast Racing would be happy to have you as a part of his community.

News in Brief (NEWS BRIEFS cont. from page 7) chassis only. The interiors had to stay fully intact. The cars started their journey at the Sky Drop at Rust Belt Raceway Park in Buffalo, New York. They then proceeded to the Tecumseh Proving Grounds in Michigan. The final stop on the tour was the Bayou City Raceplex in Houston, Texas. MDG took the crown after a final against Nick Deavers on the Good Night Trail, which is a scale quartermile track. The bonus of going to the Bayou City Raceplex is that MDG has two tracks set up right next to each other. So, the cars got to see how they fared in a real sprint on the scale eighth-mile of the Bayou City Blaster track. The finals came down to Nick Deavers and Michael Mathis on the shorter track, again. And, the overall result was identical to the quartermile finish. MDG took the title. In a bonus video entitled “The Professor of Speed evaluation”, Mathis took the time to break down the cars that raced in the series and how their methods affected their performance.

Diecast 64 Introduces Merit Badges to Racing The final race of the 2021 season at Diecast 64 will determine the league’s overall champion. In past years points were collected throughout the season, and the top point-getter would be the season champion. This could, and did, result in the season champion being

decided well before the year’s end. In an attempt to make the competition more equitable, Robby Comeford introduced a new system of “Achievement Badges” which can be accumulated throughout the year. Anyone accumulating ten or more badges by the end of the season can compete in the Pro Championship at the end of the year, and thereby have a shot at the season title. There are 24 possible Badges that can be earned by accomplishing specific benchmarks at Diecast 64 events. Some of the more basic ones are tied to participation in the various classes. Others are tied to hitting certain speed levels. Achievements such as ranking in the top-15 or -10 in a racing class, and winning a class outright in any given month will earn a racer a badge. After January’s “Winter Nationals”, ten racers have already accumulated 10 badges or more. Voxxer Racing and 9.81 Racing have both collected double the number needed, and only have four remaining to obtain a full set. The others who are already qualified for the year-end championship are: Flip’s Racing, G-Force Racing, Rivera Racing, Pink Flamingo Racing, JAC Racing, FPD Racing, Pink Piggy Racing, and Superchief. Seventeen others earned badges in the first event of the year. With

March Madness’ deadline on March 6th, there is plenty of time to get a team of four cars together for the various classes. A racer who submits to all four races in any given month is already halfway to attaining “Pro” status and the right to compete for the championship at the end of the season.

Diecast Racing Report Looking for Writers Readers may have noticed that even in months when there isn’t a double issue, the magazine has been growing. You may further notice that the diecast racing community is growing even faster. As we try to keep up with the rapidly expanding number of tracks and channels, we need more writers to keep tabs on what is going on in the realm of diecast racing. If you would be interested in being part of our coverage team, drop a line to info@diecastracingreport.com and let us know. There are great tracks out there that warrant regular coverage that are being neglected because we just don’t have enough writers with enough time to cover everything that is out there. February 5, 2021 | 17

Last year, a quesďż˝on was raised in th t â&#x20AC;&#x153;How do you strip [chrome] paint fr The diecast racing community answ However, with so many people reco By turning to science, of course! 18 | Diecast Racing Report

by Ali Kidder-Mostrom

he 3D Botmaker group on Facebook: the rom these plas�c parts?” wered the call! ommending so many varied techniques, how’s a modder to choose? February 5, 2021 | 19

Materials and Methods: Each of 12 products (9 from the original post and 3 because I had them and it’s fun to melt things) were selected as follows*: • 409 Glass & Surface Cleaner • Clorox Splash-less Bleach • AutoZone Brake Fluid (DOT-3) • Coca Cola • Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide (aka Cold Caustic Soda aka Lye aka NaOH) • Isopropyl Alcohol (91%) • Kroger Regular Nail Polish Remover (aka Acetone) • Easy-Off Fume Free Oven Cleaner • Purple Power Industrial Strength Degreaser • AutoZone Power Steering Fluid • Jasco Paint and Epoxy Remover • Klean Strip Paint Thinner *All brands were used based on availability and may be substituted with similar products from another source.

11 of the products were already liquid; the cold caustic soda (referred to herein as NaOH) was a solid and was dissolved in water to an approximate concentration of 5M. All products were compared to a “control”, in which the parts were left untreated by any product. After initial experiments were completed, 409 was tested by spraying onto a chrome part and observing the result for 1 hour, in order to compare it to use by soaking/submerging. Chrome parts were pulled from two specific Street Beasts models (“Tur-Bone Charged” & “Turbo Rooster”) in order to have as much consistency as the pegs allowed. They were placed in each liquid for observation over 13 hours. 20 | Diecast Racing Report

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February 5, 2021 | 21

Each piece was photographed at set time intervals (1 min, 3 min, 5 min, 15 min, 30 min, 1 hour, 3 hours and 13 hours/overnight) and the progress towards chrome removal (or lack thereof) was noted for the sake of Science! Prices were pulled from Fred Meyer (Kroger), AutoZone, Target and Loweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, depending on the product, in order to compare cost effectiveness. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) were also reviewed for each product to get a look at toxicity, flammability and other potential hazards. Not all products required eye and skin protection, but gloves, lab coat and safety glasses were nonetheless worn throughout the experiment.

Results and Observations: Figures 1. through figure 12. show a pictorial representation of each productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chrome removal capabilities over the course of the experiment. Four products fully cleared the chrome (without damaging the base plastic part) in under 30 minutes. These were 409, bleach, NaOH and Purple Power. The NaOH was the fastest, removing all chrome in approximately 1 minute. When the part was fully submerged, 409 removed the chrome in less than 15 minutes; when sprayed on, 409 only achieved partial chrome removal (with scrubbing) after 1 hour of observation. Coca Cola, brake fluid, isopropyl alcohol and oven cleaner also removed the chrome with varying degrees of success. Coca Cola only achieved full chrome removal when left for a full 24 hours. After chrome removal, the oven cleaner left behind a white residue which continued to develop over time. Paint thinner and power steering fluid did basically nothing, while nail polish remover and paint remover each did more damage to the part than to the chrome on it. Based on a cost per 100 mL (approximate volume used of each for this experiment), the products ranged from cheapest to most expensive, as follows: bleach, Purple Power, NaOH, paint thinner, 409, isopropyl alcohol, Coca cola, nail polish remover, brake fluid, oven cleaner, steering fluid, paint remover. Upon review of the associated product SDS, Coca ColaRacing (notReport surprisingly) was the least 22 | Diecast

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February 5, 2021 | 23

hazardous substance, though quite acidic (pH 2.5). NaOH, on the other end, was the most basic (pH 14.7), most caustic substance and most hazardous. It is hydroscopic and releases a good amount of heat when dissolved in water. Most products were fairly safe, but held some health risk. The most common hazard was some level of irritation to skin and eyes. Paint remover stood out as having a higher health risk than most, including causing damage to organs. 409 and splash-less bleach were the only products that did not require the use of gloves, based on the SDS recommendations. It was noted by comparing SDS that the splash-less bleach product used for this experiment was a safer alternative to regular bleach; a regular/ non-splash-less preparation of bleach poses higher health risk, requires additional PPE (personal protective equipment) and qualifies as a corrosive substance. Isopropyl alcohol, oven cleaner, paint thinner and acetone were all a flammability risk. The paint remover contained flammable substances, but in a non-ignitable preparation.

Conclusions: In a 2013 video, Bare Metal HW mentioned that chrome on plastic Hot Wheels parts is a thin layer of aluminum. He recommended using a strong acid or base, which makes sense because both are indeed reactive with aluminum. However, this chemist would definitely recommend using a safer alternative to concentrated hydrochloric acid. Based on the experiment reported here: if cleaning the chrome off your plastic parts is all that matters, 409, bleach, NaOH and Purple Power will all get the job done. All are quite basic, but (with the exception of NaOH) are common household chemicals with minimal associated hazards. When all is said and done (taking into consideration price and health risks for each product), 409 is the winner. Particularly when purchased in a refill jug, the cost is one of the lowest options. That said, you will definitely want to submerge rather than spray to get the full, fast result. 24 | Diecast Racing Report

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February 5, 2021 | 25

If you already own/use bleach or Purple Power, those are great alternatives. They are slightly cheaper than 409 and only a slightly higher safety concern. It is, however, worth repeating the regular/non-splash-less bleach should be handled with extra care. As the fastest, but most hazardous product, NaOH is only recommended for those you have the experience and PPE to properly handle it. So, what exactly is happening? The chemical components of 409 include a cationic (positively charged) surfactant and source of chlorine ions. Chlorine in solution is quite reactive with aluminum and some research has indicated that cationic surfactants speed up the reaction. Bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is also a source of chlorine in basic solution. As mentioned above, both acids and bases react with aluminum. NaOH in solution reacts with aluminum to form sodium aluminate and hydrogen gas (so that’s where the bubbles you see are coming from). The last of our successful products, Purple Power, contains both NaOH and a chelating agent in its mix. Chelating agents, by their very nature are designed to react with metal ions (like aluminum). If you want to use an acid, Coca Cola (tested here) though not particularly concentrated is still quite acidic and – if you don’t mind it taking longer – will clean away the chrome just as well. The remaining products (oven cleaner, nail polish remover, isopropyl alcohol, paint thinner, paint remover, brake fluid and steering fluid) are all not recommended. This is due to their inability to effectively clean chrome off of plastic, ability to melt plastic and/or hazardous nature, as referenced in the Results and Observations section.

26 | Diecast Racing Report

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February 5, 2021 | 27

Tournaments

Wallside Diecast Racing 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.

This month’s featured track is Wallside Diecast Racing. (https://youtube.com/channel/ UCiihHXXDa7X9AyvPQC4XE uQ)

he last two weeks have been quite busy at Wallside, with two race events brought to a close, another just getting underway and the official kick-off to Season 5. They’ve come a long way from literally racing along a wall, but the fun wallside spirit remains the same. The first event to wrap up was the Wacky Races, which were exactly what they sounded like – featuring cars like the TMNT Party Wagon and Street Beast castings. We saw from the Semi-Finals through the Grad Final and the crowing of a wacky champ. The semi-finals kicked off in a battle of duck vs train. For a while, it looked like Capper’s Duck N Roll would rule the day, but then Compkiller thought he could, thought he could come from behind. Which he did, eliminating the fanfavorite duck. Another favorite, a 28 | Diecast Racing Report

donut driven by Hayden Mulvey, was also eliminated in a close race with a fish (driven by Ghost Rider). After more wacky racing, it would be Danny “Dynomite” Mercado in the Croc Rod and Cain Holsen in the Party Wagon to join these two in moving on to the Grand Final. In the battle of croc vs fish, the Croc Rod was out for blood and nearly shut out Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider fought back in lap 3, but still couldn’t beat the Croc overall. The next race looked very different, with two bigger than average behemoth’s battling it out for the last final spot. In the end, it was Cain Holsen who eliminated Compkiller’s Loco Motorin’ and went to face Mercado in the final race. The final race required five lap wins to earn the crown and it was a battle the whole way. Holsen took the early lead, but let Mercado fight back to a 3-3 tie. With only two laps between them and the championship title, each racer gave it their all and took the tourney to a sudden death battle in which the croc devoured the turtles, ending Cain Holsen’s championship dream. The All Stars tournament also saw its Semi-Final and Grand Final races. This tournament featured former winners and Wallside champs. There was a lot of impressive racing,

but in the end Cain Holsen was able to win this one and earn a spot in the upcoming Champion of Champions race. Dreams do come true. While two tournaments ended, the 2021 Mighty Mustangs tournament also just got underway with group stages. This tournament will see 16 stock Mustangs competing to earn a spot in the Champion of Champions event. Many Wallside regulars, including Compkiller, Richard Good and High Octane made appearances, as well as Thom “Spanners” Watson, visiting from Chaos Canyon. Each race of the group round paired two Mustangs up to race in a best of three, head to head. The track for this race incorporated a unique feature – the golf hole, a cup positioned at the (sudden) end of the track. Richard Noggin was the first to take his (Gulf) Mustang into the (golf) hole, but he wouldn’t be the

Tournaments last, including Spanners who ended up in the hole while facing off against Compkiller in the very last race of the day. One of the most impressive races in the second phase of the Mighty Mustangs group stage pitted Wild Mike against Tux McBea. Each of these drivers gave it all they had in the first day of racing and had a lot on the line in this second set of races. Points are cumulative for the tournament, so every win and every loss makes the difference on where you stand. In the end, Tux McBea took the points from Wild Mike.

Finally, the Main Event: Season 5 kicked off with qualifiers. If you want to get in at the start of something, now’s a great time the qualifiers have just begun for what will be an over 20 week-long event.

Also on day two, Richard Good, in the blue Mustang favored to win the whole thing, faced off against Compkiller who once again slayed the competition.

In the first qualifier, it looked like Cube Boyd, in a 2018 Bugatti Divo, was guaranteed a spot moving forward. His consistent performance for the first three laps meant he held the lead for a long time.

Compkiller will definitely be the one to watch moving forward. Also, in a somewhat surprising turn, Scooter Roundwell, in the pale blue convertible Mustang, had wonderful runs and ended the day tied for points with Richard Good.

However, a devastating fall in the fourth and final lap, meant that it was Simone Evans and her HW Warp Speeder that instead grabbed the 5th spot of Season 5 (the first four already filled by the top four drivers from Season 4).

In the most recent Mustang video, eight cars were eliminated and eight moved on to the semi-final round of Mighty Mustangs and from the very first race of the day, it was apparent that every racer knew the stakes.

The second qualifier featured a celebrity guest, Jeremy Clarkson. This is a tough track – long and winding – allowing for many lead changes, but also many spin-outs. This was definitely demonstrated in race two, which required many resets. When compounded with Clarkson’s unsurprisingly ruthless run, this race saw more than its fair share of spills. In the end it was Nathan Clark for team Turbo Junkies who claimed the next Season 5 spot. The most recent qualifier posted less than two days ago and featured a couple oddball vehicles, including the very heavy Speed Dozer and a Donut Drifter (which has become a regular at the track). Both are driven

by frequent Wallside racers, so this race is worth it just to see how they handle the new track. This channel is great for fans of: - Variety – there are multiple tournaments going at once - A cartoon aesthetic - Chaos Canyon – though produced in different style, this track is popular with the online Chaos Canyon community - Team competition and reward 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! February 5, 2021 | 29

Tournaments

WeRaceDiecast by DeeZaster Jakk

ound 3 of the Small Truck Tournament was originally scheduled to take place on an outdoor version of the 621. Due to weather and labor restrictions, this round had to be moved to the "There & Back" track, that was used in round 2. This round would be six point based laps, six drivers per group, with only 16 moving onto round 4 and Clutch Mt. Phuoc Nguyen Huu jumped out to a quick lead, followed closely by Doc in the first lap of Group 1. In laps 2 and 3, Mayfield41 said "Not so fast!" to Huu, and came back from a bad start to move into 1st overall. In lap 4, another driver that didn't start out so well, Willy Maykit, put on the gas for a first place lap, with Doc taking 2nd and fighting to make it to the mountain. Lap 5 saw Mayfield41 take another first place lap that sealed his place in the next round, with A Bear following behind for second. In the hard fought final lap, A bear jumped out to a win while Doc and Huu got tied up in the corner causing Huu to crash, not only out of the lap, but out of the race. In the end group 1 saw Mayfield41, A Bear, Willy Maykit, and Remy 12 Gauge all moving on with Doc and Phuoc Nguyen Huu going home. In the second group action heated up as Penny shot out to a quick lead in the first lap, followed by Kuz, but in lap 2, Penny found herself DNF as she flipped on her side coming out of the corner, giving the win to Cube Boyd, followed by Teddy. In the third lap The Traveler got out to a quick led but tried to block the 30 | Diecast Racing Report

pack going into the corner. Out of the corner, Teddy and Wizard tried to push by Traveler, but Wizard got pushed up onto the side of the track, soon to be launched off, barreliing into the canyon below. The Traveler blocked the pack once again to hold onto first. Wizard would not let his wreck "haunt" him as he fought past Kuz to get first place in the fourth lap. In lap 5 Teddy took a page from Traveler and tried to block the pack but gets flipped upside down, Penny pushed by while the ever determined Wizard, shot from last place to almost get first from Penny. The last lap saw Teddy get out and try to block again, but this time he stays upright. As Wizard tried to push past his font end gets up on the back of Teddy, and he rides "Teddy-back" to the finish. In the end Penny, Wizard, Cube Boyd, and Teddy would all move on while Kuz and The Traveler had a long road home. Group 3, the first lap would set the tone for this round as the pack would stay tight through the finish giving Dante the lead in points. Lap 2 started out much as the first, but the pack broke up coming out of the corner and "pinballed" a bit as

Stirling, who finished second in lap 1, took first place, followed by Scoupe. Lap 3, the majority of the pack was straight out to the finish as Dante takes first, but James Stirling and Avery Sky get tied up for a DNF. The big pack broke into two smaller packs coming out of the corner for lap 4, as Avery Sky tied up Dante and Scoupe for a 1-2-3- finish while Stirling tied up James and Grant for 4-5-6. In lap 5 Oliver James blocked Grant and Sky to finish 1-2-3, while Stirling tied up Dante for a big DNF. The pack started out fast and tight in lap 6, but Scoupe blew the pack apart, and was all smiles as he moved from third to take first. Grant and Sky got tied up right at the end of lap 6, both get a heartbreaking DNF and their exit from the tournament as Scoupe, Dante, Oliver James and James Stirling all live to see Clutch Mt. The fourth group was off to a crazy start as Bee Stonham blocked the pack to finish first, while Hunny Puff and El Jefe got tied up for a DNF. In lap 2 Hunny got spun, but recovered to take first, with bee in second. The third lap Hunny, Dycon, and

Tournaments Michael's all shot through the corner and went on to quickly take 1-2-3. Dycon was hot out of the gate for the forth lap and grabbed first, with El Jefe and Michael's rolling in at second and third. Michael's jumped out in front of Bee in lap5, but then went into a spin, Bee slid by to take first, but in the rear Jaycen flips coming out of the corner and tied up Dycon, both would get a big DNF. In the last lap, Dycon slips past Michael, spinning to a victory, leaving Michaels and Bee to fight it out for second. Bee Stonham, Thomas Michael, Dycon, and Hunny Puff would all be moving on to Cluth Mt and saying goodbye to El Jefe and Jacen. Round 4 of the Small Trucks Tournament is sure to be action packed at the premier of Clutch Mt. Issues with labor have cause round 4

to be postponed after workers went on strike, demanding an afternoon break time be added. This new "snack time" should be company paid with cake and ice cream. Track management came to an agreement with the labor union and provided and ice cream truck on site every Friday afternoon. With this labor crisis averted, laborers went back to work with sticky fingers and ice cream"mustaches".

King of the 621 Moving on to the 621, with 3 races and eighteen drivers to challenge, could the current champion, JT Kwik, remain the King? Cody, Chevalator, Daddy G, Jim D., See4Escalater and Skeeter Bo would all take the track to shoot it out in Round 11, with only the top 3 moving

on to face the king. Out of the gates, Daddy G seemed to spring ahead and cutting through the pack, managed to cause some carnage as he made it across the finish in 1st, followed by Jim D, Chevelator, and Skeeter Bo on his roof! The next few races were pretty much the same, as Daddy G continued to dominate with Chevelator on his heels. The big shake up in race 2 and 3 was when See4Escalater, who got tied up in race 1, really dropped the peddle and pushed through traffic to move up to 3rd overall. Race 5 was a nail biter as Skeeter Bo hung with the points leaders, bumper to bumper he crossed the finish line in a tie with Daddy G. In race 6, Chevelator, See4Escalater and Daddy G all glided to a 1-2-3 victory, and a chance to challenge for the title of "King of the 621".

February 5, 2021 | 31

Tournaments JT was quick to jump on the track and show these challengers why he is the king. Kwik came in 2nd to Chevelator in race 1, and Daddy G in race 2, but the three we all tied in points after 2. In race 3 it looked like Chevelator might just take the crown as he blocked out Kwik for the win, but Kwick said; "youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not that fast.." and came back in race 4 to win. The heart-breaker for Chevelator came when the photo finish revealed he came in 3rd, just a bumper behind See4Escalter, taking the points, and giving the overall points win to JT Kwik. In round 12 a unique mix of vehicles made their way to the 621 to go head to head in hopes of becoming the new king. Xamot, Green Meany, Khei Grant, Boxer, Fractal Panda and Grey Wizard lined up for race one, and left any friendships "at the door" as they knew only three of them could move on to challenge the king. After 3 races, the "big boys" were out to show those "small cars" that they meant business, but as they continued to slam into each other, Xamot had the points lead, with the big black armored car of Fractal Panda right behind. In the later three races Fractal Panda and Xamot kept battling for 1 & 2, but were surprised in race 6 when Grey Wizard turned up the heat to get a win, and stay alive. In the end two of the "big boys", the black armored car of Factal Panda, and the white & blue Dodge van of Grey Wizard, would join the chrome Camaro of Xamot, to challenge the king. JT Kwik bolted out of the gate on race one and two, showing these guys, he wasn't gonna be easy to 32 | Diecast Racing Report

beat. Xamot and Panda hang with the might Kwik but the Grey Wizard must have been under some kind of spell, ending up on his side race one and spinning in circles during the second race, or maybe he was just caught in the turbulance created by Kwik's speed. In race 3 and 4, Kwick continued to dominate, and other than the close finish with Xamot in the fourth race, Kwik showed he was unbeatable. JT Kwik would once again wear the crown looking towards the next great battle. Round 13, and 6 new racers, C4 Rescue, Glenn Harding, Assdragger, Lord Lucien, Daddy G, and Leafar 12, would face off and battle it out for the chance to be king. After the first two races Assdragger and Glen Harding were in a solid 1-2, while Leafar and Daddy G were back and forth between third and forth. Race three saw some real carnage as C4 Rescue rolled off the track and Daddy G was moving up in points leaving Hading spinning into third. Assdragger continued to dominate, with first place in races 3,4 and 5 he insured himself a spot in the challenge match, but with all the points jumping, second, third and fourth would have to be decided in race 6.

Assdagger got a bit tied up in the sixth race allowing Daddy G to slip by for first and gain his spot in the challenge match. Leafar came in behind Harding, but in the end, Glenn didn't have the points and Leafar would get the third spot along with Assdragger and Daddy G to take a shot at Kwik. Assdragger got the drop and jumped out to the lead in the first race, letting Kwik know he didn't come to play games and leaving Kwik to get tangle up for a fourth place finish. In the second race, Kwik, blocked by Leafar, was held to a second place finish, and third in points, if JT didn't do something quick, he would lose the crown. In race 3 Kwik went head to head with Assdragger, but at the finish Assdragger leapt ahead by a bumper to grab first as Leafar "tumbles" his way into third. In the fourth race JT Kwik let it all go to take a first place win, but in the end he was short on points and there was a new king to be crowned. The black and Blue Mustang of FPD Racing was proud to see Assdragger as the new King of the 621. Assdragger knew how to get the crown, but only time will tell if this boy has the skills to remain the king.

Tournaments

Indiana Diecast Racing by Jim Desaulniers

hank you to our fans, as we just hit 300 subscribers! All 3 groups of Round 3 hit the track in the latter part of January, and the results were bananas. Lily the Dog, Flip, Big Al, and Kirk Adams faced off in group 1. Flip looked strong, finishing in the top 2 on 3 out of 4 laps. The last lap saw one of the funniest, and slowest, DNFs of the tournament, be sure to check it out if you haven’t seen it! Group 2 saw Daddy G, Oliver James, Nathan Desaulniers, and The Grey Wizard battle it out. While he didn’t finish top 2 in points, Oliver James was clearly the fastest wagon on the track in this group. The finish funnel played a big role, preventing

Grey Wizard from scoring 3 points on the last lap. Group 3 was the battle of the Ryans, with both Ryan Lopez and Ryan Kelly, as well as Secondhand Speed and Dave. Points were hard to get in this group, as the dreaded DNF popped up on every lap, but at least we got to see some really unique wrecks. To make things even more confusing, the Ryans went to a runoff for 2nd place. Round 3 was wrapped up with a

crazy 3-way runoff for the 2nd of 2 wild card spots. The runoff itself came down to the final lap to decide who would be the final driver to reach the semi finals. If you’ve missed any of this shellerific action, be sure to check it out before the last 2 races!

Rust Belt Diecast Racing by Jim Desaulniers

Frozen 4-Banger

Other Highlights

The Pauff kicked off a new limited (due to weather) outdoor series featuring off-road racing on a homemade snow track.

Congrats to Gwilliam Bell, who won his first podium since November!

In typical Rust Belt fashion, the host and voice-over really make this a great event. Is this a road course? Is it drag racing? I don’t really know, but it’s definitely entertaining! The drivers definitely took this seriously, as several wrecks were induced by aggressive driving. Be sure to check out the 3 upcoming races and what’s bound to be an exciting championship round!

If you haven’t been watching Sunday Pinks, be sure to get on it, as Randy’s been giving away cars to random members of the audience! If you like stats, the current track record at TFT Raceway is 3.241 seconds, set by a yellow shadow jet.

Auction Benefits Autism Grace of Lenawee

Rocket Dragway unveiled a new track named Rocket Falls! It produced so much mayhem during its inaugural week!

The Rust Belt team has also been running a week-long charity car auction. From finish gates to older castings & even some treasure hunts, this is a great idea and hopefully something we’ll see again in the future! Thanks to everyone who donated to this event!

Despite the changes, “High Octane” Cheyenne Wheeler held onto the top spot all week and made history by tying his own previous record of 6 consecutive days of victory. Wheeler is the first driver to secure 3 spots in the championship race.

February 5, 2021 | 33

On The Track

On The Track: RTR Diecast Racing League by DeeZaster Jakk

ith the finish of the All Star Tournament wrapping up all the great winners from the last year and no major events or tournaments scheduled, RTR Diecast Racing League hosted one last Saturday Night Grudgefest before taking a break from entertainment to give builders the time to remodel and extend Mayes Mountain Motor Speedway. In this last event, a black Hot Wheels Dodge Challenger would face a green Matchbox of the same model. In the first of three races, the black Challenger roared out of the gate and slid in front of the green Matchbox. The black Hot Wheels Challenger didn't take his foot off the gas and rocketed through the second corner burning hot and fast

through the final stretch and using the jump to clear the finish line for first. In the second race, the black Hot Wheels Dodge Challenger once again flew out of the gate, but lost control after the first turn, only to crash into the side of the second one-eighty turn. The black car bounced and hopped about the turn, the green Matchbox cruised by for victory as the black challenger eventually came to rest upside down in the parking lot of the Mayes Mountain Motor Speedway garage. With the match tied up, race three was set to start. With the green Matchbox Challenger in the inside lane, he got the jump on the black Hot Wheels Dodge. The Black challenger tried to pass, but the green Matchbox blocked him out to keep the lead and secure his victory. Another Matchbox win in another great Saturday Night Grudgefest. With the finish of that fastpaced face-off, Mayes Mountain was officially closed and ready for construction to begin. In this long awaited update and expansion, the start gate was taken out and placed

34 | Diecast Racing Report

further up the mountain. Now, out of the gate, drivers will face a descent across a very high, and very old looking wooden bridge before rocketing into a high-banked ninety degree turn. The "fast" turn leads into a steep drop where the starting gate used to be, and on to the Mayes Mountain we have all come to know and love. This seemingly "small" addition, adds so much more action to the already fast paced Mayes Mountain Motor Speedway, not to mention the visual attractions with the very high, very old bridge over a nice flowing river to crash and fall into way below. All of these additions are ready for peak spring fun and ready to play host to the Diecast International Racing Series(DIRS) as they make their way through the eight different tracks. The DIRS will come to RTR Diecast Racing League and get to see some time on the new and improved Mayes Mountain Motor Speedway in round 3. Thirty-two cars will be making their way to Mayes Mountain to test their skills on a still new and unproven track. Although a lot of these drivers have been to the "old" Mayes Mountain of the past, the new section of track is sure to add excitement and an all new challenge for returning drivers. For the premiere, the "New and

On The Track Improved" Mayes Mountain Motor Speedway kicked things off with an action packed Saturday Night Grudgefest as a silver Matchbox Subaru Impreza faced off against a red Hot Wheels 98 Impreza. The silhouette of the silver and red Subaru's were beautiful against the background at the starting gate as Grudgefest was set to kick off. Both cars jumped out of the gate in the first race, but the silver Matchbox came out of the new first turn quickly, to jump into first.. The red Subaru didn't give up and stayed in to make his move in the final stretch, finding a way to slip by the silver Impreza to win. The two lined back up on a scenic

starting gate for lap two. This time the red Subaru seemed to jump out to a lead, but not before the silver Matchbox Impreza could bully its way through to take a commanding lead. With all its speed the silver Impreza gained in the final turn, but momentum caused it to lose control and the silver Matchbox ended up on its roof, coming to a rest just shy of the finish line. Meanwhile, the red Hot Wheels Subaru cruised past the twisted wreck, that once was a Matchbox, to take first and gain an overall victory

for team Hot Wheels. Another Grudgefest finished and another Hot Wheels victory on a new track that has already shown another added level of speed and excitement to Mayes Mountain. Tune in next issue of the latest from the track and to keep up to date with the latest from the DIRS.

On The Track: Chaos Canyon by Jim Desaulniers

Canyon Outlaws No more Jade Munky! Guru has announced the retirement of his competition-crushing ride! Canyon Outlaws returned midJanuary, and after a tense couple of weeks what had seemed to be a quickly escalating and dramatic situation with Sid was brought to a timely (or un-timely?) resolution. Over the holiday, Kit Kayem was able to build a new car for competition, complete with a subtle fiery nod to his previous ride. We

also saw the arrival of Frank’s nephew Dayton “Daytona” Johnsonson. Daytona made quick work of Kit, and proceeded to deftly smash all but the top 2 drivers on the list. Xanthippe finally shut the door on the rookie, but it took a great pass in Carhooner Corner & an incredibly fast lap to do it. Keep an eye on this kid, it won’t be long before he reaches the top! Xanthippe also had a moment of glory, taking down Mike Mayes for the top spot.

New Arrivals! 10 hopeful competitors arrived at the track last week vying for the last 2 spots on the Canyon Outlaws list. As usual, the fellas made the format unique and interesting, challenging the new drivers to a “full-on round-robin.” To use a technical term, that meant we February 5, 2021 | 35

On The Track drivers representing eight different manufacturers. Again, the boys have put their special spin on things, and the rules for this tournament are brutal. A DNF doesn’t necessarily result in no points if you’re on your wheels. Wrecking off track means you skip the next lap for repairs. It sure seems like the key to this one is running smooth, even if it’s not the fastest.

were in for a crap-ton of racing, with the 2 drivers accumulating the most head to head wins joining the Canyon Outlaws. Because I appreciate the time & effort these drivers put into their cars (and their clever nicknames), here’s everyone who took a shot: – Petite Meow - Cat Pirate – Binford 5000 - Tim “Tool Man” Taylor, Widowmaker Run – Rat Bird - Daddy G, G4 Diecast Racing – Mother Canucker - Crazy Canuck, The Eh Team – Desert Rat - Fractal Panda – TKO - Boxer - Maker’s Box Motors – Bad Apple - Sweet Tea, Tea-Time Racing – Broken Wings - Griffin Cross, Lion Hawk Racing – Impalinator - Marcus Firegone, Canadian Driving Club – Cave In - Bobby Ore, Coal Hills Racing Daddy G & Rat Bird stormed out of the gate, quickly dispatching nearly every other driver. The Tool Man & his Binford 5000 was probably the most entertaining to watch, even if he wasn’t the most competitive. At the end of the day this was a great bit of racing and really fun to see a new group of drivers and cars at the Canyon. 36 | Diecast Racing Report

Spoilers: Congrats to Daddy G & Crazy Canuck on earning your Canyon Outlaw designation & good luck! Be sure to check out this monster 27-minute video!

GT Manufacturer’s Cup Spanners & Guru also got a new series started, featuring a field of 32

With eight cars on track each lap, the chaos was a bit like the NASCAR tournament from last year, but these drivers seem to be a little more experienced with Canyon-driving, as most of them didn’t seem to have as many problems finishing a lap. Just filming this first group must’ve taken days, as there was so much going on I don’t know how they kept track of it all!

On The Track

On The Track: Flat Rabbit Racing Club by Ali Kidder-Mostrom

The SCARnage Winter Games are now in full swing! This private corporate event has been infiltrated by Flat Rabbit Racing Club (FRRC) and the video feed hi-jacked by KNWâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Valen, so we can catch all the action! Two new events made it across the transmission recently and, this time, Cross and Keys were able to join Glitch in going behind enemy lines

for a little winter fun. The first new event was the Ultra Air event â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a downhill run with jumps and hazards built in. Ultra Air is all about style, with competitors earning points for each hurdle cleared, each ball hit and for a stylish finish. This time ten monster trucks competed, including a full contingent of FRRC rabbits among the SCAR ranks. It makes one wonder if at some point the authorities will get suspicious.

Raydn, SCARs winner for the first event was back, in his black Bone Shaker. New additions included Keys, in her yellow Queen Bee truck and Cross, in a #68 Demo Derby truck with graffiti style. Kedron kicked things off with an impressive 9 point (out of 11) run, which would make him a hard one to beat. Dagger tried an impressive flip and instead flopped right to the bottom

February 5, 2021 | 37

On The Track with 2 points and Reballato faired only slightly better; instead of careening down the track, he stayed upright (until the last hill), but didn’t show enough pizazz and only earned 3 points.

his score did not reflect his superior showing, however, and Glitch joined Kedron at a suspicious 7 points.

Hydro just couldn’t make it across the final hump, landing with 6. Grem showed similar performance but earned an extra two point when he landed on the right (finishing) side of the hill.

Keys didn’t have quite the same style, but still landed on her wheels and with 6.5 points on the board. Cross also landed at 6.5, after an impressive jump and fine finish.

Grem must be a favorite of SCAR brass because in the final standings for the day Kedron was somehow listed 2nd to Grem, with a mysterious drop to 7 points. Perhaps there were some behind-the-scenes dealings in favor of the driver of the Test Project. The first day was a snowy one and the competition got called early to avoid the blizzard. The final five competitors returned another day to put points on the board. The second day of racing saw a lot less snow and a lot more FRRC drivers. Glitch started the day with a fantastic run, coming off the final hill with particular flourish. Somehow,

SCAR’s Radyn stumbled through, which must have been disappointing compared to his event one finish, but he still earned 6 points. The final competitor for the day and the event was Malakye. His run was the real surprise! It wasn’t so much the technique, as the 10.5 points he earned (that it did not seem to deserve). Not surprisingly, it seems SCAR can’t be trusted to play fair. In between Ultra Air days, Glitch took the mic from Valen and let our favorite dystopic radio personality take her place behind the wheel. Glitch provided the track commentary for a downhill drag race of non-monstrous cars. It was a best of 5 competition with both Cross (in a VW Golf) and Valen (in a Mustang) facing off against SCAR agents Radyn and Reballato. In race 1, Valen faced off against Radyn (in a black Dodge Demon). She had a great first two runs, but lost control in the third

lap and landed in a snow bank during the fourth. In the last lap, though, she returned to her early performance and squeezed out a win and chance to move on to the Finals. Unfortunately, FRRC fan-favorite, Cross, did not fare quite as well in race 2. His off-road tires should have made him a shoe-in to win this snowy drag race, but Reballato’s souped-up blue Camaro just had the bigger wheels. Cross did manage to pull off an impressive pass on lap one, but couldn’t keep his car under control on the ice for laps two through four. In the final round, Valen faced off against Reballato’s monster Camaro and the SCAR racer took her to task. And, so, that was yet another SCARnage Winter Games event in the bag for the home (corporate) team. There is still more SCARnage to go and more frozen challenges to be revealed! Plus, it doesn’t look like Glitch and the gang are gonna take the unfair treatment from SCAR lying down. Hopefully, they can escape the SCARnage unscathed. As Valen said, “Stay Tuned! Stay Frosty!”.

Support “Diecast Racing Report” through Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DiecastRacingReport 38 | Diecast Racing Report

On The Track

On The Track: I Like Cheese Race Series by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom

There has been so much going on the Chapman Films channel in the last 2+ weeks that I don’t want to waste any of the space that I should be using to tell you about it, but before you read another word of this article, I want you to take a look at that screen capture right over there on the right-hand side of the page. That was Jason Chapman’s comment on a post in his Facebook forum dedicated to the I Like Cheese Race Series. Now that you have read it, we can proceed. We’ll start with Race 3 of the Siesta Motel Racing Series. This race was a five-day event that pitted Kevin Rose in a classic 1987 Matchbox Mercury Police Car with Laser Wheels against a new challenger each day that week. At the end of the week, if Rose had defeated all comers, he would move on to the championship race at the end of the season. The

other cars merely had to beat the cop car to move on. Also, Rose would start each race in the outside lane, having a slight disadvantage in each heat. But, there were two bits of good new for Rose as he prepared for his monumental uphill battle. First, while the other cars had only one way to beat him (namely, beat him to the finish line), he had two ways to win: win outright, or knock his competitor off at the Danger Changer. The Danger Changer segment of track has become a popular addition to the various setups of the tracks for the Siesta Motel Race Series. And it has already played an active role in the early part of the season. With the cards stacked against him by way of sheer volume of victories he had to attain, and by starting in the longer lane, this additional path to victory was a good thing for Rose. The other thing that Rose had going for him from the start is that while Matchbox wheels are often besmirched by those in racing circles, their late80s Laser Wheels were not only cool to look at (each wheel looks like it has a tiny compact disc as a hubcap), but they were also fast. Very fast.

It was set to be an epic set of daily races which would make up one big race that would result in someone qualifying for the even bigger race at the end of the season! And it would get started right after a pre-race race each day. That’s a lot of racing. This is where I ask you to review the screen captured Facebook comment in the upper right-hand corner. In each daily video of the five heats that make up Race 3, ChapmanFilms and the ever-creative and highlywise Commissioner Sammy decided that before the main event, an opening act would take place, and each of these opening acts would be a race. Okay… that’s fair. Exhibition races are a common way to fill time in a racing video. Long-time fans of the 3DBotMaker channel will remember food truck races prior to a season final, for instance. But, nobody does things like ChapmanFilms! In the first pre-race race of the week, Mario and Bowser of Nintendo’s Mario Kart fame, faced off in a solid choice of novelty racers. The Current set-up of the track has an overpass/underpass February 5, 2021 | 39

On The Track exchange as part of the first straightaway. And that becomes an issue once one realizes that the Mario Kart cars sit particularly high, and Bowser in his Badwagon may very well be the tallest of them all. So, the pre-race race was short-lived was Bowser crushed his head and/or shell on the street above him, and mayhem ensued. For the sake of expediency and my own sanity, I’m going to stick to all the pre-race races for a moment. They are all of note, but they also have no direct ramifications on the Race 3 event in total. On subsequent days, the participants in the pre-race races were all non-car entries. First, there was a foot race of sorts in which James Kleman, a longtime regular of the ILC, and JD Elst (aka The Zombie), long-time dead person. The brightly painted figurines sat at the starting gate and plummeted to what would have been their deaths had they not been 1:64 scale and made of resin. The following day has a frictionfilled race in which non-wheeled items from Hot Wheels, namely the track connector pieces, faced of against each other in a sort of toboggan sled race. The next day two chocolate chip cookies took the plunge, and somehow managed to go farther than one might expect. And finally, ChapmanFilms and 3DBotMaker each hopped into a barrel and they took the drop to determine individual and channel supremacy. I’ll not spoil the results of this race! If Jason Chapman’s goal was to produce some of the oddest racing videos I’ve seen in a while, he did it. If these weren’t the result of him trying to come up with what he threatened in his Facebook comment, then I truly fear the day 40 | Diecast Racing Report

that he does try! Okay, let’s take a look at the racing… Daniel Hermann was the first challenger of the week in an Audi RS5 Coupe. Race three was a oneand-done affair, and that means that when Kevin Rose left Daniel Hermann in the dust, the latter driver’s day was over. Technically Rose’s day was also over, but he would be back to race on the following day, so that’s something. The second heat of Race 3 (Day 2) featured John Hanson in a white Mercedes. This was a more evenly matched race than the previous day’s heat. And that worked out perfectly for Rose who bumped into Hanson in the Danger Changer, pushing the Mercedes out of the way and clearing a path for Rose’s second lap victory. Heat three saw Kenneth Van Pelt take the wheel of a blue Dodge Charger. It also saw KVP get skunked by a cop car from 1987.

Jeep on all four wheels through the Danger Changer, and the Mercury Police Car asserted its dominance once again.

Terry Hill made his happy return to the ILC in a Jeep Renegade from Matchbox. Two Matchbox cars atop the starting gate, and a legend at the wheel. This was the first time all week that Kevin Rose may have felt a little fear during his pre-race routine. And yet, Terry Hill couldn’t keep his

The final day of Race 3 brought Kevin Rose face to face with one of the best track cars of the last couple of years, a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. If you’ve watched any downhill diecast racing in the last year or two, you know this casting well. You might even associate it directly with Terry Hill’s success at

On The Track 3DBotMaker’s track. But, Hill had been eliminated the day prior, and this Evo was in the hands of Cheyenne Wheeler. Wheeler took a quick lead, and it appeared that he would pull off an unexpected upset on the fifth and final day of Race 3, but his lead wasn’t enough, because Kevin Rose was able to catch him and broadside him in the Danger Changer, knocking “High Octane” Cheyenne Wheeler off the track and cementing a 5-0 victory! – That has two meanings there (I’m clever). With his clean sweep of the challengers in Race 3, Kevin Rose moves on to the finals. Elsewhere in the ILC universe, it was time for a new installment of Friday Night Cheese. Brad of Garage 688 was determined to remove Wolfe74 from the Big Cheese throne. Brad came to town packing lead, and a lot of it. His Corvette outweighed Wolfe74’s Mustang by 104 grams, coming in at 159 grams.

Despite being the lightweight, Wolfe74 won the first lap, albeit by being pushed across the finish line in what was termed by ChapmanFilms as “a failed bump-and-run”. The second lap was much the same as the first, but with the order reversed. The featherweight Mustang had little difficulty staying up on the Corvette’s bumper, but couldn’t make the contact pay off and the Ford pushed the Chevy across the line to victory. With the score matched at one apiece, it was time for Sudden Cheese! Finally in this heat the heavier car showed its advantage, and Brad swept the floor with Wolfe74. Up to this point there hasn’t been a single repeat Big Cheese, but that will change as the year progresses. In what was already a jam-packed fortnight on the Chapman Films channel, a new series launched that provided drag racing every other day for a week. Three more races!

On what might be the shortest drag strip since 3DBotMaker’s infamous 4-inch drag race, ChapmanFilms took his track straight through downtown Slapout, Oklahoma, which explains why the track is so short. In the first match-up, two Honda Preludes duked it out. John Hanson made his third appearance 2021 appearance on the channel, and his second in a blue Prelude. Mike Patterson lined up in his own silver Prelude. Patterson took lap 1. And lap 2. John Hanson has now lost three times total this year, and twice in that specific car. In the second drag race of the week, Brad (the reigning Big Cheese over at Man-Pams Motor Speedway) came to knock Mike Patterson off his pedestal. And Brad came in a Corvette (but not his Modified Corvette from Friday Night Cheese). Patterson proved that his Honda tuner was more than a match for the Corvette, and sent Brad off to lick his wounds. If you think that a Honda Prelude is an unlikely champion in a drag racing series, you might consider that Patterson is coming up against some unusual competition, like Thunder Thunder driving a 1956 Ford Panel Van. As things go, Mike Patterson took three races quickly and cleanly. As of now, he’s the only person on the leader board for the drag racing series. As of the day of publication, a new Friday Night Cheese has hit the YouTobe channel, but we maintain a 48-hour spoiler-free period on races, so that one will be covered in our next issue.

February 5, 2021 | 41

On The Track

On The Track: Live Young Die-Cast by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom

For regular followers of the LYDC channel, you will know that league owner Baines Kinnison is currently in the process of moving, and therefore his tracks have actually been pulled down. Luckily for us, he was able to film a couple of race series prior to packing, and we’ll be seeing those for a while until he gets settled and has his new track in place. And, there’s no doubt that he will have a new track in place shortly after moving in to the new digs, because he’s one of the DIRS hosts. He’s on a deadline. Over the last few weeks we witnessed the first of the hiatus tournaments from the old Baja Drag track. The tournament, termed “Baja Buggies”, featured the track’s regular cadre of drivers, and the first installment of the races saw Chips Maghee, Baby Driver, The Goat, and The Flying Frenchman each in an offroad vehicle. The racing action was wild. Chips Maghee landed a beautiful jump off the track’s first jump, but basically coasted over the two following jumps. The Flying Frenchman also flew ably over the first jump but turned around a bit in the process. Baby Driver ended up on his side, while The Goat got stuck in traffic and didn’t finish.

42 | Diecast Racing Report

The second lap was turned into chaos as Baby Driver tried to block the entire field with his VW Baja Beetle going sideways before the first jump. It wasn’t pretty, but Chips Maghee made it through traffic to take the lap victory. Flying Frenchman took the third lap, and he led the final lap with a massive jump, but he failed to finish the lap, and that meant that Chips Maghee carried the day, but they both advanced to the finals. In the second group four more buggies took to the track. The second group of drivers was made up of Ramses, Katie Wheeler, Doug Gnarly, and Levi Bubbs. Katie Wheeler has a tremendous first lap. Ramses was off to a hot start, but then failed to finish. Levi Bubbs managed to pick up the second place position by pulling a turtle move on Ramses’s rabbit. Wheeler had her second consecutive perfect lap on lap 2, while everyone else wiped out. Lap 3 saw Levi Bubbs slam into a wall and then remove most of the rest of the field from the race. Wheeler survived the mayhem and limped to her third lap victory.

Katie Wheeler was the only finisher in the final lap, which means that Levi Bubbs advanced to the final round on a total of only 3 points compared to Katie Wheeler’s 27 points. Wheeler established herself as the favorite in the finals. As the finals got going, it appeared that Katie Wheeler would run away with this tournament, but off the first jump she careened into the ground, as did the Flying Frenchman and Levi Bubbs. Chips Maghee borrowed a page from Wheeler’s own playbook and coasted to an uncontested lap victory. With points being cumulative, the collective DNF didn’t do any favors for The Flying Frenchman or Levi Bubbs. Wheeler was still sitting on a hoard of points, but this lap brought Chips Maghee within striking distance.

On The Track Levi Bubbs surprised everyone and led the pack down the track, and winning after gaining some separation from the crowd. Maghee and the Flying Frenchman made the first jump but failed to complete the course. Wheeler didn’t have a perfect run, but she did enough to ensure her victory in the end.

else finished.

Lap 3 looked much like the previous lap, but with first and second reversed. The final lap was a moment of mass carnage, but the Flying Frenchman had enough speed to actually finish a lap and to take first in that lap, given that nobody

Despite there being only two cars, the points awarded for the first and second place finishes remain 5 and 3, respectively. Which means that with a couple of inconvenient DNF’s Chips Maghee could catch up to Katie Wheeler.

In their smaller tournaments, LYDC has the two top point-getters face off in a head-to-head race to determine overall supremacy. So Katie Wheeler and Chips Maghee went back up the hill to settle this thing once and for all.

And, in the first lap, that is just what happened. Wheeler flew off the track and Maghee cruised to an easy five points. Wheeler made it farther down the track on lap two, but she still didn’t finish, letting Maghee grab another five points. On the final lap, Wheeler finally got her act together and managed a perfect score. In doing so, she won the event having reestablished a sizable lead in points at the end of the day.

On The Track: 3DBotMaker by Christopher Kidder-Mostrom

At the time of publishing our last issue, only a few hours had passed since the final round of the McClyde Memorial Race, so we didn’t write about the video’s content since that would have been within the 48-hour spoiler buffer that we try to afford the channels that we cover. Now that we’re free to speak of it, let’s look at what went down in Part 3 of the van race: Or rather, let’s talk about the video. Like the content of the broadcast, we’re going to take a moment to do something else, first. In the video, 3D sang a song in honor of McClyde. He did it with the McClyde van of old behind him at the site where the now-deceased racer drove off the cliff and into infamy.

The song set up what I wanted to talk about: Susan. I doubt that we’ll ever find out who it is, at least not with a straight answer, but it was nice to hear a female voice on the channel. And it was great for 3DBotMaker to join channels like Jackson Pass, Flat Rabbit, and DRR

in showing some variety and gender parity in the announcer booth. Susan announced the drivers’ names and then sent the video to commercial. Clyde dominated the first lap of the February 5, 2021 | 43

On The Track finals. James Thomas managed to finish the lap despite being on his side around the final turn. Taz Turner and Tyler Witt got stuck after the second turn. Tyler Witt took the second lap, redeeming himself after his first lap failure. James Thomas was the definition of consistency, coming in second again. Clyde managed to putter across the line for third, and Taz Turner posted another goose egg on the score card. Taz Turner made an massive impact on his third lap, leading from start to finish. He pulled away from the pack just as the announcers were stating that he had no chance. Timing is everything. Clyde came in second after he failed to close distance due to pinballing down the final straightaway. All four vans finished the lap for the first time in the final round.

44 | Diecast Racing Report

The fourth (and final) lap was just what should have happened if the race were completely scripted. Clyde took the lap from beginning to end, and captured the title of tournament champion. It seems fitting that he won the tournament honoring his father’s memory.

King of the Mountain Qualifying Rounds In the last two weeks, two groups of cars attempted to qualify for the third KotM Tournament. The first of the two groups (and the third group in this season), consisted of Ford

Mustangs. Four of them. Two of the group were 1965 Fastbacks. The other two were a classic GT 500 named after a famous movie ‘67 Mustang designed by Caroll Shelby, and a 2005 Mustang in green. The first lap was won by The Meta, driven by Sigma. Memphis Raines took the second lap. Raines accumulated enough points to win the night’s scoring after only three laps, so it looks like 3D will have to put up with a multitude of video comments about the risks of having a

On The Track car named Eleanor in his videos for at least a couple more videos when time for the tournament rolls around. At the end of this video, 3D introduced some story elements that fans speculating on whether the announcers could get in trouble with the law. As there have been a lot of fans hit with cars on the sidelines of 3DBotMaker races for a while now, it seems fitting that the dangers of the sport start to have repercussions within the universe that 3D has created. Naturally, with one round of qualifiers being all fords, the next batch of racers had to be exclusively in Chevrolets.. After a nothing-but-Mustangs round, a round made up of three Chevelles and a Corvette seems remarkably diverse. In this episode, a new scoring format was introduced. The drivers, after completing the well-established four-lap round robin will now have to run a fifth lap with their order being determined by their accumulated points up to that point. It’s unclear why this change was made. It’s also unclear if it would have changed any results in the past three groups that were not handled this way. But, the change was announced and it started effective

immediately. After dominating three of the four laps, Golden Girl in a car named Orange Peel (a ‘69 Chevelle SS) would have normally walked away with this title had the race been over after the fourth lap. But with the fifth lap coming, and double points potentially being awarded, her lead was at slight risk of being overturned. The average of the whole field’s qualifying times is just 17. 059. That is far faster than either of the last two tournaments at this point, and better by far than their full-field averages. It’s pretty safe to say that we’ll again see some slower vehicles getting into the tournament, but for now this list seems to be headed in the right direction. The Chevrolet video was once again followed by a snippet of plot. It

seems that the police are building a case against 3DBotMaker for running an illegal street racing operation. I’m hoping that this story goes somewhere unpredictable, and that it’s not being used to set up the end of KotM tournaments on Race Mountain. There has been a lot of forum chatter about 3DBotMaker adding stories to his videos recently. Despite what many of the newer fans contend, this isn’t actually a new part of what 3D does. If you go back and watch the old seasons of KotM from the beginning, the post-race scenes between 3D and 2D are awesome. They bring back scenes drama to the whole operation. Those were the videos that established 2D as a character, and they proved 3D’s storytelling acumen long before the pandemic exposed him to so many new viewers. The stories are fun, and I want to know where they are leading us. I’m sure we won’t have to wait too long to find out. February 5, 2021 | 45

On The Track

On The Track: Transport Diecast Racing by Ali Kidder-Mostrom

Last week, after a full four months of racing, the Miatas at the Crest final rounds arrived. This all-Miata tournament had made its way to this epic conclusion, which started with the top 6 cars facing off in best out of three pairings. Reagaroo Racing’s Doc gave it his all in the first lap, but Erik Slan wouldn’t cut him any slack or allow him any pass. The second lap was more of crawl than a run for Doc and Slan shut him out to advance. With a time over 17 seconds, however, one had to wonder if the Slanman Customs car needed a tune-up to be semi-finals ready. Next up, Uncle Elvis and Benny Wilson battled it out down the winding crest. Though he had the better start, when Uncle Elvis swung out in lap one, he allowed Benny Wilson to catch up and fight to the finish, barely missing the pass. With an even worse run for Uncle Elvis (he stalled out) in lap two, the pair was tied for the match-up and miraculously tied for lap times. With fairness at a premium, each car had the opportunity to race from the inside lane before a winner was crowned. It all came down to lap time, as Uncle Elvis won the first go, but crashed in the second. If Benny Wilson had just made a clean go of it, the team from Slanman Customs would have seen a second contender 46 | Diecast Racing Report

in the semis, but instead Uncle Elvis got a second lease on life and the tournament. The last pairing saw Dom Woodley and the home team’s Ollie take to the track. The cars were neck and neck, or rather bumper to bumper, nearly all the way down for the first lap. The second lap looked much the same, but with a different competitor crossing the finish first. Since Transport’s Ollie put up the better time, he won the inside lane advantage going into lap three. Both cars battled it out, but when pulled off an impressive pass in the last turn, he pulled away with the win and the last semi-final slot. This semi-final race put all three cars on the track and rotated through in a points-based face-off. Dom Woodley started in the back row, but with a repeat performance of impressive passing, managed to pull ahead of the pack for lap one. You’d think he would make the most out of that advantage, but gave it up in lap two, a lap in which Uncle Elvis pulled off a flawless finish.

Going into the last lap, Uncle Elvis and Dom each had 5 points, with Erik Slan keeping it close with 4 points. It really could be anyone’s lap to lose, because only 2 cars could advance. And it seemed Erik Slan was indeed determined to lose – spinning out early on, crawling to the finish and ultimately handing the finals to the other two competitors. So, in the culmination of this Miata madness, Dom Woodley and Uncle Elvis fought for the crown. Dom fought hard for lap one, but lost it to Uncle Elvis, who also took (much more easily) lap two. This left the best out of five battle an uphill one for the racer from Dom’s Tuner Shop. But the climb proved to be too steep. Uncle Elvis gave not quarter and quickly claimed the crown. For those itching to see some Diecast

On The Track International Racing Series (DIRS) action, there was a bit of a preview this week, with the Almost DIRS 28 car tournament. The DIRS’ also-rans got a chance to also run down the first track slated for the competition – Transport’s own Angels Crest Highway. Four cars at a time ran down the winding road and rotated through in the points-based tourney. Richard Stark had an impressive first two laps in group one, but then took a surprising flip off the track very early on in lap three. He fought back to a lap four win, however, and moved on to a race-off next week with Marcus Firegone (each tied at 13 points). Richard Stark could breathe a sigh of relief, but DIRS competitors should take note of this perilous cross-over point in the track when planning out their battle plan. Jason Paul’s green car took a quick

and commanding lead in group two, but flipped in the second lap. SweetTea’s red rider took the opening and the opportunity to add another 5 points to the board. She followed this with a commanding lead in lap four grabbing her chance to advance. Bizarro’s boxy ride couldn’t be beat in lap one of group three. Lap two, however turned into a bit of a demolition derby, with Top Jimmy claiming the top spot. It the end, it was Top Jimmy who would be top of the class and the one to advance. Probably the most entertaining and

expressive commentary to date was seen in group four, when Gringo Loco decided to take a stroll behind the other competitors. No words were necessary, just a lovely musical juxtaposition. The crazy purple car may not have been playing by the same rules as everyone else, but it was KJ who really came to play – posting an impressive 16 points for the round and a place in the upcoming Almost DIRS finals. For the final group, it was Griffin Cross who decided to take a stroll and who got the same tonal treatment. However, since Sam Haul really hauled butt to the finish line he’s the one to remember – as he wracked up an amazing 18 points. The question is: is Sam Haul that far ahead of these competitors or can the other group finalists beat him when they share the track?

February 5, 2021 | 47

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