Carpet Munching

[Iowa crawler]

It was fun. I managed to finish next to last in one of the qualifiers. Other than that I was dead last. The cars did fantastic and I can feel the potential. I just need so practice. I won’t get any but I will be back in a couple weeks to do it again.

 

[DavidB1126]

Nice to see you getting back into off road. Have you made any changes to the 22 x 4 from the stock kit setup?

 

[Iowa crawler]

Nice to see you getting back into off road. Have you made any changes to the 22 x 4 from the stock kit setup?

I put in the slipper clutch to replace the gear diff in the center and the carbon fiber chassis plate. The set up is from the instruction manual. The car is fantastic. I am very happy with it. Last night was really the first time I ever drove it. I was three seconds off the pace but almost never crashed. Need some gearing changes and a ton of practice. I am so involved in oval at this point indoor carpet is overwhelming honestly. In four weeks the whole season changes to outdoor off-road and the summer indoor seasons. Outdoor dirt is my favorite. And the track is ten minutes from my house. So I can practice free every night.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Sunday morning at the track. Four classes. And everything is working. I I have to do is stay off the walls.

 

[Iowa crawler]

They cleaned the white plastic ends of the track. It’s called ice and it’s meant to be slippery. Over the last three month the traction compound has built up and they turned black.
Well Saturday they cleaned them off and now if you hit the ice you will hit the wall. So it’s a new ball game.

Look how wide they are running .

 

[Doom!]

Ok, that's kind of a cool feature to keep you honest.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Actually it sucks. It changes the track and make things crazy. They wiped some of it off. But it was not helpful.

 

[Iowa crawler]

That’s was a fun day. My modified won both qualifying heats with 3.9 second laps and I was a lap ahead in the main event before I got taken out. I managed to push back and finished a ver satisfying second place.
And my legend was actually going really well and I finished third. That’s a good finish because there was 3 qualifying heats and a B main. It’s a very competitive class. But eight cars in the main event was wild.

My 4 tech is a mess I bend to do some work there.
And my sprint car was going pretty well and today it was almost un drivable. It would not turn them suddenly hook and traction roll. I think there is something wrong with the servo.
But in the main I got it sorted enough to battle for third place when an unexpected hit took out my motor.

Next week is pan cars .
We are coming to the end of this season. So I have a couple toss outs for the points.

 

[Iowa crawler]

The track ice dried out and after about three heats it stopped being so slippery. But the whole dynamic was changed. Yes everyone got real honest after the first qualifying rounds. Fortunately for me running breakout I have been practicing NOT touching the ice. And today it payed off.

 

[Iowa crawler]

This is getting out of control. Haha
Four cars tonight if any shows up.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Tonight was a kinda off night. It’s called oval fun night and not to many people showed up. That gave the ones that did a good opportunity to tune and practice.
Best of all the designer of my new 21.5 super truck took the time to help me with the set up.
The body looks great and he went threw all the set up stuff and cut my tires.
At first the car was super smooth and stable. Faster than anything I have but very composed. After 135 laps the motor was super hot. So cutting the tires changed the gear ratio. Also setting all the suspension setting made the truck super fast. Not sure But it looked like 3.7 second laps.
I still have a couple thing to do. But Sunday is the first race for the truck and last race of the winter season. So it will be in the summer points race next month. I need to really pay attention to the set up and document everything I can.

Everything else went well. The modified is so dominant I just went out and got a lap ahead of the pack and then backed off enough to win. Did that through both qualifiers running a personal best of 3.812 second lap to set the top qualifying time then it was just a matter of not hitting the wall.

Sunday is the big boy racing so lots to do to prep for that.

 

[Iowa crawler]

That was one tough day.
First I tried to run my new 21.5 super truck. 3.5 minutes in and the motor shut down with over heating issues. I basically spent a bunch of time and still over heated in round two. Finally after some trial and error I figured out the ESC was not set to Blinky mode. After buying a couple gears and everything I figured it out. But then I forgot to soup my tires. Forth in the BMain.
In breakout I was doing pretty well but broke out one time and that is first to last. Managed to get back to forth.

Then my Busch light car was running well in the first heat. Second heat I forget to charge my battery then forgot the soup my tires for the main. Actually had to pull out because I was a hazard.

The RJ legend was my final hope for a podium. I did really well in the qualifying heats sitting in second for the main. When the race started I was in a great position and just running out the clock in second place. Got in behind the leader with twelve laps to go and some one hit me and I hit the wall and broke my king pin.
Day over.
That was the last point race for the pan car and I am someplace in the top ten in all the classes. Not a bad first season.
The others series I’m doing better and still have two mor races to go.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Back at it for the end of the season.
I am leading the points in RJ midgets and RJ modified I am tied for second and ten points behind the leader. My car is running much better than the competition so it’s all going to come down to luck and finishing.
The legend is doing really well but I’m in fifth place in that points race.

 

[Iowa crawler]

That was called stress.
I am a big old number 2
In the legends race I finished second. Car was fantastic but got bettered by a better driver with a faster car.

The midget I finished second after struggling all day a managed to pull off a second place to the same better driver with a much better car set up.

Then came RJ modified class.
The car just dominated the first two heats winning By a lap.
In the main event I started well and everyone got into a tangle and the race got red flagged. The restart put me a lap down. After the restart I lapped the field and fell into a tough battle with the season points leader and very fast driver. With three laps to go in passed him and then tagged the wall bending a steering link and finishing just behind in second. Great race for sure.

Two weeks till the season final and double points race.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Went to the track at lunch today. Just to test my Busch Pro car and my RJ modified.
The modified has a new set of tires and the pro is kinda new.
I’m racing the modified Friday night but not for the points.
And the last race of the season is in two weeks. I am in second place with just a space to catch first if I get Top Qualifying time and then win the race. So the pressure is on there. But I went 3.7 second lap today and the car feels very stable. 3.7 is a personal best with that car and most of the competition is going 4.0. So I just have to stay clean.
The pro car is actually for next season. But today I drove it to a new personal best lap of 3.4175 second lap. It can go 3.0 but not with me and not consistent.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Sunday morning racing was moved to Saturday and Friday night went late. Lots of really good racing last night.
Today is the last race of the pan car series and my first pro race. Points finished last month so this is kinda like a shake down run. Everything is ready .

 

[Iowa crawler]

Well that was not good. The points ended last weekend because of the Easter holiday and they voted to have the last season race on Saturday. No points and a holiday means no one shows up. It’s all good, I got a free practice day with some of the top drivers. My Busch Pro car got a new personal best lap time of 3.366 second.
And steady four second laps. I have some ideas that might get me to the 3.2 second laps .


The new truck is also smooth and steady with average laps in the 3.8 second category. It is just a touch twitchy so I might change the spring preload. But I have to document everything before I make changes.

Next week is the end of the season. So I have a bunch of prep to do but I’m ready.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Well this is it. The last race of the season. It’s a bitter sweet time. I have really fallen in love with oval track racing. But the summer season will be great.
I am really looking forward to the outdoor dirt racing and competition rock crawling plus fun trail driving that comes with six months of warm weather.

 

[Iowa crawler]

First round is over
Legends class
I hit the wall with five laps to go last place
Midgets
Second place with a stripped spur gear.
RJ modified
First place.
On to the next round.
Second round is done.
Legends I got second
Midgets I got third by 00.3 of a second.
In modified I get hit and broke my frame. Foxy it and ready for the main event.

 

[Iowa crawler]

Well the seasons is over
The A main race finishes today was
First place in RJ modified
Third place in Legends
Second place in midgets

For the points champions I got
First in Midgets
Second in RJ modified
And forth in Legends

I think I’ll end the thread here it was a really fun season. And I am very happy with the progress I made racing carpet oval.