RC Grass Track

[ahr43]

Closed out Event 1 of the 2025 UTRL season. MT10R took gold on the podium by absolutely demolishing the competition with a track record final. Bandit came second.

Competition cut the grass Tuesday so both entries had the same surface. Both broke into the 2min zone. MT10R being quicker and more consistent yesterday. Win was by such a wide margin, may have to look at spec'ing a different tire for the May Champ Car 16 lapper.

Bandit to its credit did o.k. for first event out today. Due to its fast time in the first round elims, she got Push-To-Pass (PTP) 54% THR instead of 50% on second heat of the final. That and setting in a EXP TH -20 to soften acceleration off corners brought it on pace.

Next up in March, 33ft no-prep drag racing event. Bandit sits this one out as she is a grasstrack-only build. Cheers. -AC

 

[ahr43]

Finished painting the driver platform today. March is an off-month for the track, so need to scrub the mold off the start/finish/staging brickyard in advance of the April 'Homecoming' event.

Somewhere there are banners and bunting squirreled away. Need to dig them out for display as well. Cheers. -AC

 

[ahr43]

Did the Las Vegas Qualifier for the May grass track event yesterday. A bit early but wanted to see where the Bandit Sprint fell on the 6-car pro ladder. TRX 'Blue Streak' Rustler TQ'd with a Jack of Diamond draw. Bandit Sprint (aka Midget) came Q5 and runs second session against the Q2 Senton 2WD. Tough draw. Was hoping for a bye run but not to be.

May is Event 4 on the UTRL 2025 calendar and is billed as a "Champ Car" event. Meaning a longer 2 x 16 lap event instead of the usual 2 x 12 lapper. Champ Car event uses a 6-car pro ladder rather than the 6-car sportsman ladder. Prefer the sportsman ladder as it better matches cars capabilities against each other. But national sees it differently. Shrug it off and drive on. Cheers. -AC

 

[majin]

I'm SO envious! my yard is a giant hill, can race to the bottom but back to the top uphill is just weird. love the course and love the yard, looks like a blast!

 

[ahr43]

I'm SO envious! my yard is a giant hill, can race to the bottom but back to the top uphill is just weird. love the course and love the yard, looks like a blast!

Thanks, majin. Understand where you are coming from. Had a similar challenge when the Army posted us to Korea for a 2-year tour. Ended up building a RC hill climb out back of our quarters. Good luck. You'll find a way. Cheers. -AC

 

[ahr43]

Month of May features Event Four of the 2025 UTRL back yard tri-oval season. Track is greening up and showing some definition against the taller infield and outfield growth.

Have tabled the scheduled season ending June Concours. May try to squeeze in one more tri-oval event. Perhaps a 4-lap trophy dash? Cheers, mates. -AC

 

[CertifiedMike]

The track is looking good!!! Another exciting season!!! I'll be watching!!!

 

[ahr43]

Ran off Event 4, Heat 4 today. 16L + 16L. Final is set. Two TRXs. Been a while seeing that happen. Bandit vs Rustler. One second time difference between them in Round 1. Expect close racing in the final.

UTRL National throws in a rule change - just for grins. Now and moving forward for future events. Battery selection determined by a 2D6 roll of the dice. Rolling 1-6 gets the Spec 1 battery. Rolling 7-12 gets the Spec 2 battery. Keeps me from using the same battery all the time. And throws in a bit of a variant to boot. -AC

 

[CertifiedMike]

Ran off Event 4, Heat 4 today. 16L + 16L. Final is set. Two TRXs. Been a while seeing that happen. Bandit vs Rustler. One second time difference between them in Round 1. Expect close racing in the final.

UTRL National throws in a rule change - just for grins. Now and moving forward for future events. Battery selection determined by a 2D6 roll of the dice. Rolling 1-6 gets the Spec 1 battery. Rolling 7-12 gets the Spec 2 battery. Keeps me from using the same battery all the time. And throws in a bit of a variant to boot. -AC

View attachment 235171

Thats a good idea! Plus, it keeps the other guy from cheating!
The bandit is looking good out there this season!!!

 

[ahr43]

Thanks, Mike.

Spec 1 battery is 2s2p x 6000mAh 7.6v HV shorty. Comes in at 45.6 Wh and 7.7oz wt.

Spec 2 battery 2s2p x 5000mAh 7.6v HV shorty coming in at 38.0 Wh and 7.3oz wt.

Pretty closely matched, but enough difference, me thinks, to make a divergence in set-up and driving strategy. Should make for a fun factor. Another discriminator to earning a "W." And keeping racing close on the track. -AC

 

[WickedFog]

So who won?

 

[Guest D]

So who won?

 

[ahr43]

Who won? Would you believe, a Traxxas? Yet to run off, Kevin. Hopefully this week. At least one of the two in the final if not both. Still a fresh track through today. Tomorrow and Thursday it becomes a 'mature' track. After that an 'aging' track. Finals must be run on either a fresh or mature track. After that will have to re-cut the grass - at least on the track.

Bandit RC tops the ladder, so it is on first, Guest. Cheers. -AC

 

[WickedFog]

Who won? Would you believe, a Traxxas? Yet to run off, Kevin. Hopefully this week. At least one of the two in the final if not both. Still a fresh track through today. Tomorrow and Thursday it becomes a 'mature' track. After that an 'aging' track. Finals must be run on either a fresh or mature track. After that will have to re-cut the grass - at least on the track.

Bandit RC tops the ladder, so it is on first, Guest. Cheers. -AC

I bet the Bandit gets the better of the Rustler.

 

[ahr43]

I bet the Bandit gets the better of the Rustler.

Dunno. Gonna be close, Kevin. I'll put your marker down. Bandit is wicked fast and loose with its high end 4000Kv motor. Rusty is smooth and quick with its low end 3250Kv motor. Could go either way FTW (For The Win).

With only one second difference in their 16L + 16L times it'll all come down to tires and what the track gives me thinks. That and having an additional 4% Push-to-Pass THR available for the final may become the deciding factor. -AC

 

[ahr43]

UTRL Event 4, ChampCar 16L + 16L a done deal.

Yep, Kevin, Bandit Hawaiian High Boy got the best of Rustler Blue Streak. Collect your marker, you pegged that win.

Bandit laid down a blistering 3m:38s on the radio up-timer for the 16 + 16 combined time for the "W".

Rusty put down a competitive 16lap first session. But, drivers being drivers, wanted more. Punched in a 'push-to-pass' +2 TH THR . That upset her chassis overpowering what the track would give. She ran high and wide, ending up flush against the retaining wall and requiring a self-marshal. She finished the event but well out of the running. Thanks for looking in and following along all. -AC

 

[WickedFog]

UTRL Event 4, ChampCar 16L + 16L a done deal.

Yep, Kevin, Bandit Hawaiian High Boy got the best of Rustler Blue Streak. Collect your marker, you pegged that win.

Bandit laid down a blistering 3m:38s on the radio up-timer for the 16 + 16 combined time for the "W".

Rusty put down a competitive 16lap first session. But, drivers being drivers, wanted more. Punched in a 'push-to-pass' +2 TH THR . That upset her chassis overpowering what the track would give. She ran high and wide, ending up flush against the retaining wall and requiring a self-marshal. She finished the event but well out of the running. Thanks for looking in and following along all. -AC

View attachment 235782

I want to build an offroad Bandit some day. But my first one is going the no prep route. I managed to run across a website awhile back that makes carbon chassis and such, and he was supposed to be doing a Bandit chassis, but I don't think he ever did.

 

[ahr43]

Is this a great looking RC dirt oval, or what? Leighton Speedway, Leighton, Iowa. Image lifted from the JConcepts Team blog, June, 1st week, 2025. Report highlights Jeremy Cathlina's P7 finish and David Fast's TQ / P4 in the 410 Sprint Class.

Gives me something to aspire toward as a new backyard grasstrack design takes shape here for the 2026 Season. Closing out the 2025 Winter season 19th of this month, with a three-month summer break to prep and test RC upgrades and builds on a new track.

2026 track emerging as a twin ring expanded in both width, length and lane width. Pix to follow. -AC

 

[CertifiedMike]

Is this a great looking RC dirt oval, or what? Leighton Speedway, Leighton, Iowa. Image lifted from the JConcepts Team blog, June, 1st week, 2025. Report highlights Jeremy Cathlina's P7 finish and David Fast's TQ / P4 in the 410 Sprint Class.

Gives me something to aspire toward as a new backyard grasstrack design takes shape here for the 2026 Season. Closing out the 2025 Winter season 19th of this month, with a three-month summer break to prep and test RC upgrades and builds on a new track.

2026 track emerging as a twin ring expanded in both width, length and lane width. Pix to follow. -AC

View attachment 238170

I'd never leave home again.

 

[WickedFog]

Is this a great looking RC dirt oval, or what? Leighton Speedway, Leighton, Iowa. Image lifted from the JConcepts Team blog, June, 1st week, 2025. Report highlights Jeremy Cathlina's P7 finish and David Fast's TQ / P4 in the 410 Sprint Class.

Gives me something to aspire toward as a new backyard grasstrack design takes shape here for the 2026 Season. Closing out the 2025 Winter season 19th of this month, with a three-month summer break to prep and test RC upgrades and builds on a new track.

2026 track emerging as a twin ring expanded in both width, length and lane width. Pix to follow. -AC

View attachment 238178

Sorry if I missed it, but weren't you moving somewhere up north? Did that ever happen?

And yeah, that is a sweet looking little track!