2010 JBRL Round 1, West Coast RC

Last weekend was round 1 of the 2010 JBRL season! I had planned to come out to West Coast RC to race Friday night and save a pit space, but bad traffic leaving San Diego caused me to turn around and go home, since I probably wouldn't have arrived until 5pm :( Instead, I left for the track early the next morning, getting there about 45 minutes before opening, only to find a line at the tracks door. The door opened right on time and we all filed in to grab a spot and get on the track. Luckily, we were all able to find some tables next to each other. After setting up my pit, I took some warm up runs, as I already learned the layout in the previous week's club racing. The track was really loose though, because the dirt was really dry. I decided to change tires from Suburbs to Switches and try them out, just in case the track stayed dry. The Switches hooked up much better! They were now my backup tires for dry dirt for the weekend.

Stock Truck was the biggest class of the event, with 4 heats! It would be a challenge to make the A main at this race. For round 1, I ran my Suburbs, since the track was watered less than 10 heats before my race. Unfortunately, the track wasn't holding water very well, drying out fairly quickly. The track was looser than during club racing and my lap times were about a second slower! I drove conservatively, to keep from crashing, and ended up finishing 4th. I ended up qualifying in the B after all 4 heats had run! Not good :( For round 2, I changed over to my Switches for more grip, since the track was really dry in the afternoon. That helped a bunch, as I was able to drive more aggressively, but I only improved my time by 1 second, due to getting tangled with lapped traffic a few times. After passing them cleanly, they would try to pass me back and I'd get tied up with them :( Those incidents cost me a 12 lap run and a shot at the A main.

The track was flooded overnight in hopes of it not drying out so fast for day 2 of the JBRL season opener. The track would also be watered more often during round 3 of qualifying. In watching the races leading up to mine, TQ times were being re-set almost every race! My brother's race was earlier than mine, and he told me that traction was good! I had my Switches on the truck, but with the track holding moisture and being so fast, I decided to change back to my Suburbs, in hopes of max grip and a chance of getting in the A! During my race, I was in 3rd place, but my pace would seat me 5th in the A! My previous fast time was only good enough to seat me 5th or 6th in the B main right now, so I had to keep it on its wheels, and finish this run to make it in. I kept it together and finished 3rd with a time fast enough to seat me 5th in the A! After all the heats of Stock Truck had run, I dropped down to 7th, but at least I was still in the show :)

For the mains, the track would only be watered at the start of each series of mains. So only before the C's, then B's, and finally A's. Thus, the track was dry again by the time my main had come up. Again, my brother's main was a few before mine, and he told me that the track was really loose, so I had him cahnge my tires back to Switches, as I had the Suburbs on my truck right before my race! He made the change for me while I was waiting up on the stand right before my main. (Thanks!) I took my warm up and my truck felt good, hopefully I would be able to move up! I got caught up in a pile up on the start and dropped to dead last :( I raced around in the back fighting for position and ended up finishing where I started, 7th.

The other class I raced to kill time (there were 30 heats per round!) was Intermediate Short Course. In this class, basically anything goes, but you need to run SC tires/wheels, and a 10.5 or slower motor. Any aftermarket SC parts are ok. In this class I was qualified last in the A or 1st in the B after each round. I had a tough time in the round 1, finishing 7th, but settled into a groove for the other 2 qualifying rounds, winning 1 qualifier, and finishing second in the other. I ended up being the "BQ" missing the A by a second I think.

In the B main, I got off to a clean start, and had the lead for the 1st few laps. But, I got sideways in the last hairpin before the straight, allowing the 2nd place truck who was following close behind, to get by. I tucked in behind, but a roll for me, gave him about a straightaway lead. I might lose my bump to the A! :( But, luck was on my side, as he spun out at the end of the straight a few laps later, allowing me to get by for the lead. I ran away with the lead after that, as more mistakes, by the guys in 2nd and 3rd allowed me to pull away. In the closing seconds of the race, I caught some lapped traffic, but decided not to try and pass them, as the race was almost over, and I had a good lead. In fact, I coasted down the straight and slowed on the way to the line waiting for time to run out. I crossed the line and took the win and bump into the A main!

Starting last in the A, I was hoping for a wreck to move up. Some pile ups and retirements in front of me allowed me to move up to 6th, where I ran for most of the race, but some mistakes on my part in the closing minute, dropped me to 8th. At least I didn't finish last and I still made the A!

My brother was also racing his 1st JBRL race! He ran his truck in Rookie Stock, and his new RTR SC10 in Spec Short Course. He managed to TQ Rookie, beating out 2 other "fast" rookie drivers and he also made the A for Spec SC! Not bad for his 1st JBRL! In fact, after 2 rounds of qualifying, he was the only 1 of our group that had made an A main! Justin who was also pitting with us, wasn't able to make the A in the classes he was running (Int. SC, Stock Buggy, and SS 4wd), but he was in a postion to bump into the A in all his classes. I took the bump from him in Int. SC, as he finished in 2nd behind me (sorry dude!), and he had no luck in Buggy, but he dominated the SS 4wd B main, to bump into the A :) Unfortunately, on an attempt to false start by another driver in the A (to help another driver that was having a mechanical problem), Justin hit his parked car on the grid and broke :( That sucked!

My brother and I were able to get some vids of some of our mains. Check them out!