After two rounds of qualifying in their respective classes, BMiller Racing’s own Justin Moon earned TQ honors in Pro Buggy and would start in the back of the inverted grid in the #10 spot. Brian Mincks was the second qualifier in Pro Buggy and started #9, followed by Sawyer Bruer in #8, Patrick Zhao in #7, and Nate Henry in #6.

Longtime stock standout Nathan Lavery TQ’d in 17.5 Buggy and was placed in the #5 position for the Challenge with Jace Tillman on the #4, Shon Wilcox on the #3, Craig Patterson on the #2, and Terry Wickum on the #1.

Each duo was asked to come up with a team name for the feature race, prompting a myriad of creative monikers: “Punch It” (Moon and Wickum), “Team Shadow” (Mincks and Patterson), “The Medical Militia” (Bruer and Wilcox), “Raider Racers” (Zhao and Tillman), and “The Nate Doggs” (Henry and Lavery). In the end, the object of the race was the team with the most combined laps (and fastest combined time) would win a pair of $50 A Main Hobbies gift cards provided by the folks at BMiller Racing.

Dropping the Green Flag…
After some warmup laps and driver introductions, the field went at the tone and threw it into the first turn full throttle. An immediate pile up collected four cars in the back of the grid, allowing the 17.5 guys to open up a little gap in the early going. Coming around for lap one it was Patterson on top with Wickum in second and Tillman in third. That group led for the first two minutes of the race, but it was Moon who was on the move after avoiding the carnage in the first turn collision that collected many of the Pro Buggy drivers.

Just before the halfway mark, Patterson and Wickum got tangled in the rhythm section, allowing Moon to jump to the front of the pack. Ultimately, it was all the help Moon needed, as the BMiller/A Main Hobbies/AKA/DE Racing driver dropped consistent 15- and 16-second lap times to open up a sizable advantage. Meanwhile, Patterson and Wickum continued their battle for the second and third spots along with Mincks and Tillman.

With four minutes down and one minute to go the running order was Moon, Wickum, Patterson, Tillman, Mincks, Lavery, Henry, Wilcox, Bruer, and Zhao. At the finish it was all Moon, who was the only driver to complete 19 laps. Patterson moved up to take the second spot and Mincks grabbed the third step on the podium, while Wickum and Henry finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

As for the team results, team “Punch It” took down the title as Moon’s dominate win proved to the be the difference while BMiller teammate Wickum stayed close enough to the lead pack for the duo to earn top team honors with 37 combined laps. The Patterson/Mincks “Team Shadow” contingent finished second with 36 laps and a total time of 10:05 while “The Nate Doggs” (Henry and Lavery) were third with 36 laps and a combined time of 10:13.

In the end it was another great night of racing at LSR Speedway. Class winners for the regular portion of the program included Eddie Bernal in 4wd Buggy, Bill Budd in Rookie, Chris Budd in 2wd Sportsman SCT and 4wd Sportsman SCT, Troy Hanson in Pro 4 SCT, Chris Havens in Sportsman Buggy, Lavery in 17.5 Expert Buggy, Moon in Pro Buggy, Rob Moots in 17.5 Sportsman Buggy, Scott Whitlow in Stadium Truck, and Wickum in Pro 2 SCT.

Special thanks goes out to LSR Speedway owners Scott and Heather Rowles and the entire LSR track crew for their continued hard work as well as Brian Crum, who provided the thrilling live-action call of the BMiller Racing Stock vs. Mod Buggy Challenge.

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Piloting a Kyosho Ultima SC in the 17.5 spec short course class, Pearson convincingly won the points championship by posting three wins and two second place showings in the five rounds he competed in. Jerry Douglas finished second overall in the class and Shaun Klobas was third.

The battle for the spec stock buggy crown, however, was as close as it gets. Pearson, who is the manager for A Main Hobbies’ retail store in Chico, CA, rallied in the final three rounds of the series with a win and two seconds to win the overall title with his Associated B4.1 by just one point over Jeff Fridrich and Brian Romo.

Other class winners included Romo in Spec 2wd Stadium Truck, Kerry Lemos in Open 4wd Short Course, and Ronnie White in Rookie.

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4wd Short Course proved to be the weekend’s premier class with 33 entries. Figueria earned the TQ with his Losi SCTE 2.0 but it was his teammate O’Connell, starting from the No. 2 position, who led the field through the first two laps. A bobble by O’Connell in lap four catapulted Figueria back into the top spot, where he stayed for most of the eight-minute A main. Figueria returned the favor with two minutes to go, suffering a hard crash in the big jump section in front of the driver’s stand that put O’Connell back in charge. That was all O’Connell needed, laying down a blistering final five laps for the win in his Losi SCTE with Tekin RX8 speedo and Pro 4 4600 motor, ProTek R/C Supreme Power 100c lipo battery, and super soft Panther Raptors mounted on white DE Racing Borrego wheels. Figueria held on for second despite suffering some electrical issues from the late-race crash and Jason Melfa was third.

Figueria redeemed himself in the 10-minute eBuggy A main. Again starting on the pole with the TQ, Figueria left no doubt in this one, winning wire-to-wire by running all but one of his 28 laps in either 21 or 22 seconds (other lap was a 23). Powered by a Tekin RX8 speedo and T8 motor with two ProTek R/C Supreme Power 100c lipo batteries, Figueria had his Mugen MBX6 ECO planted on the loose dirt surface with super soft Panther Talon tires glued to white DE Racing Borrego 8 buggy wheels. Figueria ended up winning by 12 seconds with Mark Schroeder second and O’Connell third.

Hanson was locked and loaded all weekend in 2wd Short Course with his Associated Factory Team SC10. Dialed up with a Tekin 8.5 motor and RS speedo matched with a ProTek R/C Supreme Power 100c battery, Hanson earned the TQ and won the eight-minute A main by 21 seconds. The high-speed, big-air layout was a challenge for the 2wd SCT’s on the loose surface, but Hanson’s ride found plenty of traction with super soft Panther Raptors mounted on yellow DE Racing Borrego wheels accented by black carbon fiber wheel sticker disks. Austin Hansen finished second and Mike Bunker ended up third.

O’Connell also found himself in an epic battle in Nitro Buggy with Schroeder, Brett Bowen, and Trevor Lund. The foursome went toe-to-toe for the first 10 minutes of the 20-minute main with the lead changing hands nine times before attrition starting taking its toll on the leaders. Bowen suffered servo problems right after the halfway point, and then O’Connell was forced to the sidelines while leading with three minutes to go, suffering a broken front end. Schroeder, who TQ’d, stayed steady throughout and earned the hard fought victory.

Other class winners included Red Patten in 2wd Mod Buggy, Greg Newman in 4wd Buggy, Melfa in 1/8 Truggy, and Tom Swaney in Novice. With a record number of entries, the race proceeds allowed the club to donate more than $2,000 to the neighboring Northern California Veterans Museum.

Built approximately five years ago by a strong local RC racing community, Rattlesnake Raceway (http://www.rattlesnakerc.com) is located at 3747 Meadowview Drive in Redding, CA and features both off-road and oval racing. Jason Schurig serves as club president, and represented the facility in a first-class manner as an outstanding race director for the NCVM Benefit Race.

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Powered by a brand new Tekin Pro 4 4600 motor and RX8 speedo as well as a recently-released super-charged ProTek R/C 100c lipo battery, the SCTE 2.0 was on rails all weekend on a large outdoor layout that required a combination of power and dialed suspension.

BMiller teammate Josh O’Connell actually earned the TQ going into the eight-minute main and led the first third of the race. Kyle Turner (who ended up finishing 3rd) grabbed the lead on lap 5 and paced the field for the next five laps before a bobble allowed O’Connell to recapture the top spot in lap 11. Meanwhile, Figueria, who was able to keep traction on the loose surface throughout the weekend using a combination of Panther Raptors and Boas mounted on white DE Racing Borrego wheels, stayed steady throughout and found himself right in the mix for the stretch run.

The final six laps produced an epic battle between O’Connell and Figueria, as the teammates and friends were never separated by more than two seconds on the sprawling, big-air layout. Running his fastest laps in the late stages, Figueria found himself right on O’Connell’s bumper with one lap to go. The decisive move came in the back section of the track when O’Connell maintained his regular line through the rolling triples while Figueria decided to square up off the turn and launch it and hold on. Figueria made the pass in the air and then it was a drag race to the finish line with Figueria winning by just over a second.

Other March Madness class winners included Phillip Atondo in expert nitro buggy and truggy, Brandon Curran in sportsman nitro buggy and truggy, Jacob Haas in eBuggy, Ron Kammerer in 40+ nitro buggy, Keith Henry in 40+ nitro truggy, and Jonathan Hernandez in the Dash 4 Cash.

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Yoder TQ’d and won all three rounds he participated in Stock SCT, piloting a Kyosho Ultima SC-R with Panther clay Rattlers mounted on black DE Racing Borrego wheels. Yoder had his power provided by ProTek batteries from A Main Hobbies.

In Mod Buggy, Yoder registered two victories and one second to stand on top of the box with his Losi 22. Again powered by ProTek batteries, Yoder’s 22 sported Panther clay Bobcats in the front with clay Rattlers in the rear glued onto yellow DE Racing Borrego wheels.

The other series class winners included Matt Meyers in Rally, Justin Zaugg in 4×4 SCT, and Robbie Price in Sportsman. Cheese City Xtreme R/C is located in Monroe, WI and features year-round indoor/outdoor off-road and oval racing with a well-stocked hobby shop on site. For more information on the facility, check out their website (http://cheesecityxtremerc.com) or give them a call at 608-325-4502.

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Kowalski posted three top three finishes, including a win in Round 4, en route to winning the title with his Traxxas Slash 4wd.

Hanson also enjoyed a successful series, placing third in both 2wd Stock SCT and 4wd SCT. He won Round 5 in 2wd SCT to get on the podium and registered top three’s in Pro 4 in each of the four rounds he took part in.

Both Kowalski and Hanson were powered by ProTek R/C lipo batteries from A Main Hobbies throughout the series.

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Taking a look at those old photos got me to thinking … What could I do to make a 1/10 scale RC replica of that old yellow #580 baja bug? I headed out to the garage and grabbed my new Team Associated SC10B and saw that I could make it happen with a few modifications and new body. So I logged onto the A Main Hobbies website and bought the Pro-Line Volkswagen Baja Bug body and the Pro-Line SC10 Extended Rear Body Mounts. The next day it was at my doorstep, so I painted the body yellow and found the right decals, did a little modification on the front and rear shock towers, and was ready to go.

I was so happy with how everything came out that I decided to do a video and show how RC cars are the perfect avenue to bring back some amazing childhood memories. Take a look …

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Justin Moon, a former professional full scale open wheel formula BMW and champ car driver, has been on the verge of a breakout since returning to RC racing two years ago, and he may have gotten it at the Outback Shootout with a victory in Open 2wd Buggy. Driving a T2 Evo buggy from Team C with power provided by a Gen 2 9.5 motor and RS speedo from Tekin and the recently released ProTek R/C Supreme Power 100c Shorty Pack, Moon earned the TQ with four strong rounds of qualifying. In the eight-minute A main he led from start to finish and was the only driver to lay down 32 laps. 14-year-old BMiller Racing teammate Nathan Bernal registered the fastest lap of the race at 15.014 and made a strong charge at the end of the main to finish second just three seconds back of Moon, while A Main Hobbies pro driver Tyler Vik placed third.

Just prior to the Open 2wd Buggy main, the up-and-coming Bernal pulled out a dramatic victory in 2wd Stock Buggy with a borrowed Team Associated B4.2 that was built only hours before qualifying on Saturday. Starting from the No. 2 spot on the grid, Bernal (who also finished 3rd in Open 4wd buggy) trailed teammate Terry Wickum through much of the eight-minute main but strung together a series of impressive late-race laps with a Tekin Gen 2 17.5 motor and RS speedo and ProTek R/C Supreme Power 100c Shorty Pack to eventually take the top spot in the final minute and register a comfortable winning margin. Wickum held on for second while another standout Team Associated youngster, Tanner Matesa, finished third.

Open 4wd Short Course provided the most entertaining races throughout the weekend, and the eight-minute A main did not disappoint. BMiller Racing’s Josh O’Connell started in the second spot on the grid behind teammate Patrick Zhao, who led for the first two minutes. In lap seven, however, O’Connell took advantage of a Zhao miscue and never looked back, guiding his Losi SCTE in consistent fashion behind the power of Tekin electronics (Pro 4 4600 and RX8) and a ProTek R/C Supreme Power 100c Hard Case lipo. O’Connell had to stay aggressive and focused throughout because Team Tekno and A Main Hobbies factory driver Austin Blair was all over him before settling for runner-up honors. Zhao held on for third place, while BMiller drivers Wickum and Lou Figueria finished fourth and fifth, respectively. All four BMiller drivers in 4wd SCT were mounted on Borrego wheels from DE Racing.

Figueria and Zhao also provided an epic battle in Open 2wd Short Course with the top of the box undetermined until the final turn. Zhao earned the TQ with a borrowed Associated SC10 stocked with a Tekin 8.5 and RS speedo and ProTek lipo and led for most of the eight-minute A main. But Figueria, who was driving team owner Brad Miller’s Losi 22SCT with Tekin 10.5 Gen 2 motor and RS Pro speedo and ProTek lipo, was on a mission from his No. 6 qualifying spot. Hanging around in the middle of the pack in the early going, Figueria started to make his move up the charts at the midway point but still trailed Zhao by five seconds. With one minute to go he had closed to within three seconds and then found himself right on Zhao’s bumper with one lap to go when Zhao got tangled with lapped traffic. The two battled as the crowd amped up with Figueria making the hero pass on the final straight to earn the victory. Randy Pike of Team Tekin and Panther Tires rounded out the podium in third. All three podium finishers in Open 2wd SCT had their tires mounted on DE Racing Borrego wheels.

Additional class winners included Eric Albano (Open 4wd Buggy), Tyler Vik (Open 2wd Stadium Truck), Nathan Lavery (Stock 2wd SCT), Kendall Bennett (Stock 2wd Stadium Truck), and Clayton Buck (Rookie).

With two world-class facilities, A Main Hobbies will be the hub of RC off-road action in 2013. More than 10 premier competitions will be held in Chico at Silver Dollar R/C Raceway and Outback Raceway, highlighted by the JConcepts Summer Indoor Nationals in July (7/13-14), ROAR 1/10 Electric Off-Road Nationals in August (8/8-11) and IFMAR Electric Buggy World Championships in September (9/22-29).

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Moon won and TQ’d four of the six Pro Buggy rounds and was second in his other scoring round (top 5 finishes were counted in final points). BMiller teammate Nathan Bernal finished third in the final series points standings, winning the two rounds that Moon did not win.

Figueria won four of the five Pro 4 rounds he competed in and finished second in the other scoring race to handily win the title. Teammate Patrick Zhao posted five top five finishes en route to placing second in the final Pro 4 standings.

Other class winners in the LSR Speedway Winter Off-Road Series were Craig Patterson (17.5 Expert Buggy), Rich Stidham (17.5 Sportsman Buggy), Cameron Kerndt (2wd Expert SCT and 4wd Buggy), Tom Sores (2wd Sportsman SCT), Mike Wielatz (4wd Sportsman SCT), Josh Goldstein (Sportsman Buggy), and Ashlyn Rowles (Rookie).

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Facing a premier list of 100 open division competitors in both 2wd and 4wd buggy, Strange was dialed all weekend with both his vehicles powered by ProTek R/C lipo batteries from A Main Hobbies.

Piloting an Associated B44.1 with white DE Racing Borrego wheels, Strange qualified sixth overall in 4wd to earn a spot in the double A mains. In the 10-minute A1 he drove a steady 31-lap race and bounced between the fourth, fifth and sixth spots before settling for fifth. In A2 Strange was an immediate factor among the lead pack, climbing to third place by the end of lap one. He battled in the third and fourth positions for the first one-third of the race before losing a bottom shock spring cup in lap 11 and falling off the pace. He stayed with it, however, and nursed the car around for a seventh place showing. Combining the two finishes, Strange ended up right where he qualified, placing sixth overall among a stacked field of factory drivers.

His efforts in 2wd were almost equally as impressive. Qualifying 19th, Strange was steady throughout the 10-minute C main and finished second to bump to the B main. It was in the B that he almost pulled off the unthinkable. Starting from the No. 10 spot on the grid, Strange gradually worked his way through the pack and was third at the halfway point but well off the pace of the top two transfer spots. But that did not stop him from putting together a huge surge in the second half of the race with his TLR 22 on white DE Racing Borrego wheels. Running his fastest laps in the final two minutes, Strange closed to within three seconds of second place but had to settle for third in the main and an 11th place overall finish.

“It was a tremendous experience to take part in my first Reedy Race of Champions event,” stated Strange. “The competition was outstanding, and it was a great test to see where I am at right now as I look to become a factor at the national level during the 2013 season. I can’t thank my sponsors enough, BMiller Racing, A Main Hobbies and ProTek R/C, Panther Tires, and DE Racing. Without their support this entire experience would have not been possible.”

Another great story for BMiller Racing at Reedy came via the efforts of young 14-year-old Nathan Bernal. After a tough four rounds of qualifying, Nathan found himself landing in the K main of 2wd. Starting from the eighth spot in the 10-minute main, Nathan drove though the pack to win the K and transfer to the J. He then went on to finish second in the J and I mains, and then won the H main to climb into the upper mains. He then placed second in the G main before finally ending the run with a seventh place finish in the F main, which earned him a Top 50 overall finish. When it was all said and done, Nathan raced 60 minutes of 2wd heads-up action with five bumps.

Nathan’s father, Eddie Bernal, also produced a Top 50 finish for BMiller Racing, placing fourth in the 4wd F main.

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A Main Hobbies videographer Derrick Threatt produced the following video to recap the highlights of the memorable Pay It Forward Race.

As for the racing, class winners included Brian Strange in Open 2wd Buggy, Austin Blair in 4wd Buggy, Ron Chunn in 2wd Stock Buggy, Jeff Lorenzo in Open Stadium Truck, Mike Maxwell in 2wd Open Short Course, Lou Figueria in 4wd Short Course, and Ethan Thulin in Rookie.

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Brad’s overall national contribution to Big Brothers Big Sisters has totaled nearly $1 million over the years. For the past eight years he has hosted the Brad Miller Golf Outing, Gala & Auction. This past Fall the event raised more than $150,000 for the local chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters in his hometown of Kendallville, Indiana. More than 600 community members came out to participate in the two-day extravaganza.

Brad has a special place in his heart for Big Brothers Big Sisters due to the fact he was mentored by the program as a youth. In 1985, a then eight-year-old Brad was matched with Big Brother Dewey Forbes in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Although their official match in the program ended when Brad turned 18 years old, their relationship remained strong as Brad’s career advanced him from Purdue University to the NBA.

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Gilley won both the Stock Buggy and 4wd Short Course titles and placed second in stock short course for a final total of 29 points. Shannon Werntz competed in all four scoring classes and finished second overall with 24 points, while Kevin Kretsinger was third overall with 21 points, highlighted by a win in Rally.

Additional class winners included Cory Yoder in Stock Short Course and Kirk Kowalski in Sportsman.

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The 17.5 Buggy vs. Pro Buggy Challenge Cup was up first with the top five qualifiers from the heats in both classes participating in the 15-lap dash. With the 17.5 TQ driver taking the pole, the five 17.5 qualifiers took off at the tone with the five Pro Buggy competitors taking chase after a nine-second delay.

Nathan Lavery, the 17.5 TQ, led the field through the first three laps but a rollover took him out of contention, and allowed BMiller Racing’s Josh O’Connell to take the lead in his 17.5 buggy. Meanwhile, the Pro Buggy drivers were in full chase mode, paced by BMiller drivers Eddie and Nathan Bernal. O’Connell held off the Bernal duo until 14-year-old Nathan executed a sweet inside pass to take the top spot in lap 12. A smooth final two-and-a-half laps gave the younger Bernal the title and a brand new ProTek R/C Supreme Power 70c Shorty Pack. Eddie Bernal went on to finish second with BMiller Racing’s Terry Wickum taking the final podium spot with his 17.5 buggy.

The Pro 2 vs. Pro 4 Short Course Challenge Cup was equally as thrilling with the top five 2wd SCTs taking off with a nine-second head start over the top five 4wd qualifiers.

Cameron Kerndt earned the pole as TQ in Pro 2, and used the advantage to take a big lead in the first half of the 15-lap sprint. But meanwhile the Pro 4 chase group was in full effect, paced by BMiller drivers Lou Figueria and O’Connell. It was Figueria who found himself picking off the Pro 2 group first, and by lap 10 had Kerndt in his sites. But Kerndt was on rails with his Associated SC10 and was able to hold onto the top spot until lap 12 when Figueria piloted his Losi SCTE into the lead and the eventual win. Kerndt ended up finishing second with O’Connell third. For his efforts, Figueria won a ProTek R/C Supreme Power 70c Hard Case Battery Pack.

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BMiller Racing’s Brian Strange won the premier Open 2wd Buggy event as well as the Open Stadium Truck title, and teammate Patrick Zhao took home the 4wd Short Course crown. In all, BMiller Racing grabbed seven podium finishes.

Coming off Top 30 finishes in 2wd buggy, 4wd buggy and stadium truck at the ROAR SuperNationals back in August, Strange has only gotten faster as the calendar inches towards what promises to be an eventful 2013 for the Sacramento, Calif., resident. Facing a number of the area’s top buggy drivers at the Fall Brawl, Strange lapped the entire field in his Losi TLR 22 powered by a ProTek R/C Supreme Power 70c shorty pack. With Panther Burner Slicks mounted on white DE Racing Borrego wheels, Strange started in the second qualifying spot but was in the lead by the end of lap one. He ran the first 12 laps in nearly flawless manner, laying down either a 17 or 18 second mark in each of those laps, and never looked back. BMiller Racing’s Justin Moon posted one of his finest career showings to finish second in the feature race, while Team Associated factory driver Eric Albano was third.

Strange’s dominance was even more pronounced in stadium truck, again lapping the entire field during the eight-minute A main with his Losi 22T. Strapped up with a ProTek R/C Supreme Power 70c hard case lipo and grounded with a combination of clay Panther Switch and Burner Slick tires on white DE Racing Borrego wheels, Strange earned the TQ and then posted a fast lap in the main that was nearly a full second quicker than anyone else in the race.

Zhao, who resides just one block from Strange in Sacramento, is ascending along the way in learning the ins and outs from Strange. In just his second year of RC racing, Zhao has become a force in 4wd SCT and his performance at the Fall Brawl provided the proof. Battling a stacked field, Zhao earned the TQ with his Losi SCTE equipped with Tekin electronics (Pro 4 4600kV and RX8) and a ProTek R/C Supreme Power 70c hard case lipo. In the eight-minute main, Zhao led from start to finish, carving up the Outback Raceway layout with Panther Switch clay compound tires mounted on white DE Racing Trinidad wheels. When it was over, Zhao won by eight seconds over BMiller teammate Josh O’Connell and Team Tekin’s Jason Moberly, who were second and third, respectively.

BMiller Racing’s other podium finishes came from Terry Wickum’s second in Stock 2wd Buggy and Open 2wd Short Course and Eddie Bernal’s second place showing in 4wd Buggy.

Other event class winners included Nathan Lavery in Stock 2wd Buggy, Chris Jarosz in 4wd Buggy, Moberly in Open 2wd Short Course, Chris Ularte in Stock 2wd Short Course, and Raysen Chunn in the Kids Class.

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Powered by Tekin electronics and a 4100mAh 70c ProTek R/C shorty pack from A Main Hobbies, Moon had to win in the Round 6 finale in order to take the overall series victory. He was dialed in the eight-minute Round 6 A main on clay Panther Bobcats (front) and clay Switch 2.0’s (rear) and came away with a 10-second victory over the field.

Eddie Bernal finished second in the final pro buggy standings and his 14-year-old son, Nathan Bernal was third overall. The elder Bernal won Round 3 and was second in the first two legs, while young Nathan took the top spot in Rounds 2 and 4.

BMiller Racing was also represented on the top of the box of Pro 4 short course with team drivers Patrick Zhao and Lou Figueria taking first and second, respectively. Zhao won Rounds 1, 2, and 5 and Figueria took Rounds 3, 4, and 6. But the final overall one-point difference came from Zhao earning three TQ bonus points to Figueria’s two bonus points.

Both Zhao and Figueria drive Losi SCTE’s muscled by a Tekin Pro 4 4600 kV motor and RX8 speedo, ProTek R/C 70c lipo batteries, and Panther Switch tires in clay compound mounted on DE Racing Borrego SC wheels.

Other class winners included Nathan Lavery in 17.5 NR Buggy, Jace Tillman in Sportsman Buggy, Jeff Lorenzo in 2wd Open SCT and Stadium Truck, Craig Patterson in 17.5 NR 2wd SCT, Frank Deaver in 2wd Sportsman SCT, and Tom Sores in 4wd Sportsman SCT.

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Powered by a ProTek 70c lipo battery from A Main Hobbies and Tekin electronics, Zhao had his Losi SCTE were dialed all weekend. After winning A1 in the triple A main format and finishing second in A2, Zhao was on rails in A3 with Panther soft Rattlers mounted on white DE Racing Trinidad wheels to win by more than seven seconds and take the overall victory. Team Tekin driver Jason Moberley finished second and Tim Martens was third.

BMiller Racing’s Brian Strange had an impressive showing in 2wd invite open buggy and 4wd open buggy, finishing third in both classes. Strange was consistent throughout the weekend, finishing in the top three in each of the eight rounds in mod invite buggy, including victories in three of the heats. Team Losi Racing’s Phillip Atondo came away with the overall victory and former IFMAR 2007 World Champion Hayato Matsuzaki was second with Strange rounding out the podium.

In triple A mains for 4wd buggy, Strange was third in A1, second in A2, and third in A3 to finish third overall behind Eric Albano and Derek Stephansen.

Another closely contested battle came in 17.5 invitational buggy, where BMiller Racing’s Terry Wickum and Sawyer Bruer battled a tough field to finish second and third, respectively, after the eight scoring heats (top 6 races count toward final standing). Wickum actually won all seven races he competed in (missed one race due to a practice lap mechanical failure), but lost to Nathan Lavery on the time tiebreaker.

Wickum also was fourth overall in 2wd open short course.

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Bernal started fifth on the grid for the eight-minute A main in expert buggy but worked his B4.1 Worlds Factory Team Associated up to third after three laps. Laying down four consecutive 18-second laps, Bernal shortly thereafter moved into second and then first on lap 12. From there he never looked back and took down the top spot by a little more than 10 seconds with the only 27-lap run. Bernal also finished second in SCT Open Expert behind Team Losi driver Phillip Atondo.

Wickum has been on fire all summer in 17.5 buggy, and the Short Course Explosion added to his resume. Piloting his Associated B4 with soft Panther Lynx 2 ribs on the front and soft Panther Raptors in the rear and DE Racing black Borrego wheels all around, Wickum was absolutely dialed in the main. Starting in the TQ position for the eight-minute main, he won by nearly two laps over the rest of the field and posted a 26-lap run that would have finished in the top five in the 2wd expert open main.

Zhao just recently took up 4wd buggy but has found the transition pretty easy after running 4wd SCT for the past year. Earning the TQ with his Associated B44.1, Zhao took home a close win with a 27-lap run driving on Panther super soft Raptors on the front and Panther super soft Rattlers in the rear with white DE Racing Borrego wheels on each corner.

Zhao also took home first place and the $100 winner-take-all cash prize in the Delta Derby, teaming with local standout Dennis Close in a five-minute, 20-car short course shootout, featuring 10 teams of two drivers each racing with no corner marshals. Zhao was the only driver to complete 16 laps and Close registered 15 laps to come away with a two-man total of 31.

The other two BMiller Racing podium finishes came from a second place showing by Troy Hanson in 4wd Intermediate SCT and a third place from Justin Moon in 4wd buggy.

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The highlight of the End of Summer Shootout will be the first-ever BMiller Top Driver Challenge with a $100 cash payout awarded to the overall winner. The top qualifying drivers competing in open 1/10 2wd buggy, stock 17.5 SCT, 4×4 SCT, 1/8 nitro buggy, 1/8 e-buggy, and 1/8 nitro truggy will be awarded points based on a 10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 points system. Drivers can compete in any or all of the six BMiller Top Driver Challenge classes, as the $100 top prize will be awarded to the driver with the most accumulated points at the end of the day.

BMiller Racing’s own Cory Yoder is expected to compete for the Challenge crown along with local standouts Jason Mayer, Ben Nguyen, Justin Zaugg, and a number of other top drivers from the Northern Illinois/Southern Wisconsin area.

Plaques will also be distributed to the top three in each of the aforementioned classes as well as in the electric-only sportsman class. For more information on the race or the Race EM RC facility, go to http://www.raceemrc.com/site/

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Seven members of BMiller Racing competed at the Shootout, representing team sponsors A Main Hobbies, ProTek R/C, Panther Tires and DE Racing, and managed to come away with six first place victories and three second place showings. Besides Wickum’s triumphant triple, Patrick Zhao posted wins in pro 4wd short course and 4wd open buggy and Justin Moon took home the pro 2wd buggy crown.

Wickum put both his Associated Factory Team SC10 and B4.1 on the top of the box using ProTek R/C 6400 mAh 70C lipo batteries. He mounted clay Panther Switch 2.0 SC tires in the front and Panther Switch Rattler SCs in the back on black Trinidad wheels from DE Racing on his SC10. In 17.5 buggy Wickum again utilized clay Panthers, going with Bobcats on the front and Rattler 2.0s in the rear with black DE Racing Borrego wheels all around.

Zhao too had both his winning 4wd vehicles powered by ProTek R/C 6400 mAh 70c batteries. His Losi SCTE was on rails all day long in pro 4wd SCT, running clay Rattler SCs with white DE Racing Trinidad wheels on all four corners.

Moon ran a near flawless eight-minute main in winning pro buggy with his Durango DEX 210. Powered by Tekin electronics and a ProTek R/C 4100mAh 70c shorty pack, Moon was stuck to the track with clay Panther Bobcats on the front and Panther Rattler 2.0s in the rear with white DE Racing Borrego rims on all four tires.

The highlight of the race program came before the main events with the running of the BMiller TQ Challenge. Each of the 10 class TQs advanced to the three-minute sprint with inverted starting positions (slowest TQ on the pole). The catch in the race for a brand new ProTek battery was that the new layout at LSR was to be run in reverse direction and with no turn marshals.

Wickum started in the fourth spot but grabbed the lead before the end of lap one. With the field driving extra cautious, Wickum extended his lead over the next few laps. Surprisingly, most of the field stayed on its wheels with the crowd lining the track and rooting their favorite competitor, but with less than one minute to go drivers started to take chances in attempting to reel in Wickum. The primary charge came from Zhao in his Losi SCTE and teammate Eddie Bernal in his Associated B44.1, who started in the ninth and tenth spots, respectively. Over the final two laps, Bernal made several big air moves but could not make the pass, allowing Wickum to hold on and cross the line for the narrow victory.

The other class winners included Brian Mincks in stadium truck, Craig Patterson in 17.5 short course, Tom Leman in Sportsman Buggy, Devin Samonte in rookie and his Dad, Glenn Samonte in 4wd sportsman short course.

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Sawyer Bruer continued his recent hot streak in 4wd short course, piloting his Losi SCTE to a second place finish in the class, while placing fourth in 17.5 stock buggy. Teammate Lou Figueria was in the mix as well in 4wd SCT, coming home in fourth in the AAA main format.

Terry Wickum also has been on a roll as of late, and that did not change at the Nor Cal Championships, finishing second in 17.5 stock buggy and fourth in 2wd open short course.

Eddie Bernal battled all weekend long but came up just short of reaching the podium, placing fourth in stadium truck and fifth in 2wd open buggy. His son, Nathan Bernal, won the B main in 2wd open buggy.

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Wickum was dialed all weekend long in his Associated B4.1 in the Schuur Speed Stock 2wd Buggy class. Powered by a ProTek R/C Supreme Power 70c 4100mAh shorty battery pack, Wickum TQ’d after the four rounds of qualifying with clay Panther Bobcats on the front and clay Panther Rattler 2.0’s in the rear mounted on black DE Racing Borrego wheels. It was all Wickum in the eight-minute A main, leading all 24 laps en route to a 12 second victory. BMiller Racing teammate Josh O’Connell started from the sixth spot on the grid and worked his way up through the field with a late charge that moved him to second by race’s end.

Strange was the busiest member of BMiller Race Team, taking part in mod 2wd buggy, 4wd buggy and stadium truck. But the hectic schedule did not deter Strange from reaching his goal of qualifying for the very talented A mains in all three events. Powered by ProTek batteries in each of his three vehicles and driving on Panther tires, Strange finished eighth in a pro-loaded field in Tekin Open 2wd Buggy, ninth in Mylaps Open 4wd Buggy, and sixth in TLR Open 2wd Truck.

BMiller Racing was well-represented in the Thunder Power Pro 4 Open SCT class, grabbing three of the 10 A main qualifying spots. Sawyer Bruer, Patrick Zhao, and Lou Figueria each placed their Losi SCTE’s in the show with ProTek R/C Supreme Power 70c 6400mAh batteries, Tekin Pro4 4600kV motors, and DE Racing Trinidad wheels. Bruer qualified seventh and shined in the main with one of his finest career performances, finishing fourth behind factory drivers Matt Olson of MIP, Team Associated’s Steven Hartson, and Team Tekin’s Jason Moberly, and missing out on the final podium spot by less than a second. Zhao went on to finish seventh and Figueria was 10th after some unfortunate mechanical issues early in the race.

In other BMiller Racing A main qualifications, Justin Moon finished eighth in the pro-packed Mylaps Open 4wd Buggy field, Eddie Bernal charged from the No. 8 qualifying spot to finish fifth in TLR Open 2wd Truck, and Todd Pearson placed fourth in DE Racing Pro 2 Stock SCT, missing the podium by just two seconds. Wickum and Bruer represented the team in Associated Pro 2 Open SCT and finished seventh and eighth, respectively.

The 2012 JConcepts Summer Indoor Nationals drew nearly 250 entries with racers coming from as far as Florida and Illinois and featuring many of the best of the West from California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, and Idaho. The tacky clay layout at Outback Raceway proved to be a technical challenge for both pros and amateurs alike, but fun for all. When everyone exited the A Main Hobbies facility on Sunday, the overriding sentiment was … can’t wait for the 2013 JConcepts Summer Indoor Nats!

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O’Connell started in the No. 2 spot on the grid but dominated the seven-minute main from start to finish. Despite very little pre-race practice on Sacramento RC Raceway’s huge layout and big-air jumps, O’Connell adapted quickly and had his SCTE running lap times close to those being laid down by the 1/8 nitro vehicles. Figueria TQ’d but struggled in the opening minutes of the main, only to recover and easily finish second. Hanson was steady throughout to round out the BMiller Racing sweep in third.

O’Connell also was headed for the victory in 1/8 electric buggy as well, having lapped the field with two minutes left in the 10-minute main, but a mechanical failure sent him to the sidelines with a DNF.

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“This was a unique event that gave sportsman and novice drivers a chance to compete against fellow competitors at their same level,” stated Pike. “The racing proved to be outstanding. Everyone improved over the course of the day, and the mains were very exciting. With pro drivers also on-hand to provide instruction, the Sportsman Shootout was a tremendous success.”

The day’s activities featured three rounds of qualifying and mains in five classes – 2wd Open Buggy, 2wd Short Course, 4wd Short Course, Stadium Truck, and Rookie Debut.

Local veteran racer Tom Leman came away with the victory in 2wd Open Buggy, keeping fellow local and TQ Travis Ott at bay over the final three minutes of the eight-minute A main. Hugo Colmenero finished third.

Richard Bautista made the trip from to Clear Lake, California to compete in four classes and walked away with the title in Stadium Truck after qualifying in the seventh spot. Young phenom Drew Lorenzo finished second and Brian Romo was third in the eight-minute main.

Nine-year-old Lorenzo stepped to the top of the box in 4wd Short Course, putting together an outstanding showing during the six-minute A main to win convincingly. Mike Johnson held off a charging Aaron Chinn by less than five-tenths of a second for second and third, respectively.

In 2wd Short Course, local newcomer Jace Tillman survived the attrition to pull out the victory in the eight-minute A main. Lorenzo led the first half of the race but then broke. Johnson held the top spot for a few laps but then also had to retire due to mechanical failure, putting the steady Tillman in first with three minutes to go. Chris Budd and Matthew Yapelli battled in the final laps to finish second and third, respectively, but could not catch Tillman.

The concept behind the development of the Sportsman Shootout was to give intermediate and novice drivers an event that was focused solely on having fun and the enjoyment of racing against similar level racers. That led to the addition of a Rookie Debut class. Racers of all ages competed in the class with Garrison Samples pulling off the win, followed by Gregory Yee, Jr. and Melissa Elze.

The raffle proved to be one of the biggest highlights of the day with prizes for pretty much everyone in attendance. Numerous RC industry leaders stepped up in a big way with raffle prizes, including Tekin, Team Losi Racing, Team Associated, A Main Hobbies, Panther Tires, Great Planes Hobby, Futaba, Racer’s Edge, B-Fast R/C Performance Products, DE Racing, RPM RC Products, Duratrax, RC Insider, and Chef Dave.

Sportsmanship and big smiles certainly were prevalent throughout the day, not only on the track, but in the pits as well. It was great to see buggy driver and LSR regular Brian Crum win a Reedy charger in the raffle, and then hand it over to young Couver Smith, who did not own a charger of his own.

Another sampling of the behind the scenes highlights came in the C main of 2wd Short Course when little Cameron Townsend won for the first time in his young RC career. His dad was overwhelmed with joy as Cameron walked off the drivers stand and gave him a huge hug. But that meant a bump into the B main, and suddenly Dad realized, “oh wait, what do we do now – do we have time to charge a battery?” Of course there were plenty of people right there on hand to help young Cameron and Dad get ready for the B main. Oh for the joys of that first-ever win!

A special thanks goes out to track owners Scott and Heather Rowles and the LSR track crew and race volunteers. The clay track and new layout was dialed, and the program was smooth, efficient, and entertaining. The only question everyone was asking as they left the building was … when is the next Sportsman Off-Road Shootout?

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13-year-old Nathan Bernal is one of the real up-and-comers in RC racing and after finishing second at the Traction Raceway Showdown in Reno last month, his victory in Modesto validates the kudos. Powered by a Tekin Redline 10.5 and RS Pro esc and ProTek R/C 6400mAh 70c battery in his Associated B4.1, Bernal used his smooth driving style with tight lines to win both the A1 and A2 mains for the clinching victory.

Nathan’s father, Eddie, put together two strong showings in A2 and A3 after a DNF in A1 to finish third overall in mod 2wd buggy with Team Tekin’s Derek Stephansen placing second in the class behind Nathan. BMiller drivers O’Connell and Terry Wickum also had impressive outings in what would be considered their secondary classes, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.

Eddie Bernal put together a dominant performance in stadium truck, earning TQ honors on Saturday and then convincing victories in A1 and A2 on Sunday to step to the top of the box. Bernal recently dropped in a Tekin Redline 6.5 motor and RS Pro esc to go with the ProTek R/C 6400mAh 70c battery in his Associated T4.1 and the combo has been lightning fast, posting lap times capable of running in the range of even the fastest pro buggies.

O’Connell added another notch to his belt in Pro 4 short course. Having already won the Race for the Cure in Modesto, the Turkey Shootout in Chico, and the Traction Raceway Showdown in Reno over the last eight months, O’Connell added the Motown Showdown title to his trophy case with TQ and wins in A2 and A3 in his Losi SCTE. Tekin powered with a Pro4 4-pole and RX8 combo, O’Connell was ballistic over the “make or break” quad and down the back straightaway, posting consistent 18-second lap times that would rival what the 4wd buggies were laying down during the competition.

Nevertheless, O’Connell had to work hard for the victory with local standout Marcus Plumlee and BMiller teammate Lou Figueria breathing down his neck all weekend long. Plumlee would go on to finish second overall and Figueria third while BMiller Racing’s Troy Hanson was fourth.

Wickum represented the BMiller crew in 2wd open short course, finishing third behind Stephansen and Plumlee. In 2wd stock short course, Hanson finished second overall behind winner Ron McCaul.

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Josh O’Connell led a group of six BMiller Racing drivers who made the trip to Reno, decisively winning the 4wd Expert Short Course A main. O’Connell TQ’d his Losi SCTE through the four rounds of qualifying and then enjoyed a wire-to-wire victory in the eight-minute main. Teammate Patrick Zhao ran a smooth and consistent race with his SCTE to finish second.

The BMiller contingent, representing team sponsors A Main Hobbies, ProTek R/C, Panther Tires, and DE Racing, came away with eight podium finishes. 13-year-old Nathan Bernal posted two of those Top 3’s, highlighted by an impressive second place showing in 2wd Expert Buggy from the No. 6 qualifying spot.

Bernal, who has shown tremendous improvement over the past three months, ran a near flawless race and made a strong charge in the late stages of the eight-minute main to challenge eventual winner Brian Eady. While Bernal was trying to catch Eady, TQ Eric Albano recovered from an early mishap and came charging through the field to finish third. BMiller drivers Eddie Bernal (No. 2 qualifier) and O’Connell also qualified for the A main but both suffered mechanical failures during the race and did not finish.

Albano, a factory driver for Team Associated and A Main Hobbies, dominated the 2wd Expert Short Course competition in both qualifying and the A main. BMiller drivers Terry Wickum and Nathan Bernal also enjoyed strong performances, placing second and third, respectively.

Eddie Bernal recently pulled his Associated T4.1 off the shelf and dialed it in for the Traction Raceway Showdown to finish second behind Jack Smash in Expert Stadium Truck. Team Manager Troy Hanson rounded out the BMiller contingent, placing second in 2wd Sportsman Short Course and third in 4wd Sportsman Short Course.

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The April Fools Classic is the second oldest active race currently held in the United States, attracting many of the nation’s fastest drivers. Qualifying will take place on Friday (Apr. 27) and Saturday (Apr. 28) with the mains on Sunday (Apr. 29). Strange will register for three modified pro classes, 2wd buggy, 4wd buggy, and stadium truck. Figueria will focus solely on his specialty, 4wd short course. Both Strange and Figueria, representing team sponsors A Main Hobbies, ProTek R/C, DE Racing wheels, and Panther tires, will be making their first trip to Utah to take part in the prestigious April Fools Classic.

Six members of the BMiller crew will head to Reno. Eddie and Nathan Bernal will represent the team at Traction Raceway along with Josh O’Connell, Terry Wickum, and Patrick Zhao. Qualifying will take place on Saturday (Apr. 28) with the mains on Sunday (Apr. 29).

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That certainly was the case in the 2012 outdoor season opener at Delta RC Racepark (Antioch, CA), where he came away with a pair of impressive victories in 2wd Buggy Open Expert and SCT Open Expert.

Wickum, who less than two months ago ran 1/10 buggy for the first time, defeated an impressive pro buggy field to win the A main. Starting fourth in his ProTek battery powered Associated B4.1, Wickum took advantage of mishaps from teammates Josh O’Connell (TQ), Eddie Bernal, and Nathan Bernal in the initial two laps to grab the lead by the time the pack came to the timing loop for lap three. From there he never looked back, reeling off 13 of the next 14 laps in either 20 or 21 seconds without any major mistakes.

Wickum went on to win the seven-minute main by more than 12 seconds with local standout Dennis Close finishing second. The remaining members of the BMiller contingent all finished in the top six with Nathan Bernal placing third, O’Connell fifth, and Eddie Bernal sixth.

Things went even better in 2wd expert short course for Wickum, piloting his Associated SC10 to the TQ and then a wire-to-wire win in the main. Local mainstays Ken Johns and Kevin Pitta finished second and third, respectively. BMiller’s Troy Hanson rallied from a series of rough driving incidents in the first two laps to move through the pack from 12th to finish fifth.

The current Delta RC layout can best be described as … fast, fast, fast. So when it came time for the evening’s final event, 4wd short course, everyone knew it was going to be flat out from start to finish. Fast and on the edge fits O’Connell just fine.

Pushing his Losi SCTE to the max, O’Connell TQ’d to take the pole for the main. However, after going wide in the first turn, O’Connell found himself in a pinball machine in the early going and quickly fell back to fifth. But once the action settled down, O’Connell drove thru the lead pack and re-gained the top spot in lap three. From there he never looked back and nearly lapped the field by the end of the seven-minute main. Close finished second and Johns was third.

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Each of the BMiller team members attending the festivities in Lakeport were powered by ProTek batteries from A Main Hobbies with Panther tires mounted on DE Racing wheels.

Bernal seemed immediately dialed on the clay within the 5,600 square foot layout at P1 Raceway. Going with Panther Bobcats in clay compound on the front and clay Panther Rattler II’s in the rear with DE Racing’s Borrego rims all the way around on his Associated B4 buggy, Bernal laid down the weekend’s fastest laps in practice and during race action. In the Pro 2wd Buggy A main, Bernal jumped out to a big lead and was never challenged in the wire-to-wire win. Eddie’s son, Nathan Bernal, finished third in the race.

The elder Bernal was equally dominant in Pro 2 X, piloting his Associated SC10 with Panther Switch 2.0 clay compound tires on DE Racing Trinidad rims to a resounding victory.

The most exciting race action of the day came in Pro 4 X where BMiller Racing’s Josh O’Connell and Lou Figueria put on a high-speed, door-to-door display before O’Connell took control midway though the race. Figueria made a late charge with some blistering laps but could not catch O’Connell at the line. Teammate Patrick Zhao ran a steady race throughout and completed the BMiller podium sweep. All three drivers had Losi SCTE’s on Panther Switch 2.0 tires in clay compound with DE Racing Trinidad wheels.

The crew at P1 Raceway ran an efficient program with a track record of nearly 100 entries, and their hosting of a TQ Trophy Dash added a lot of smiles to the day’s activities. With the TQ drivers from each of the eight classes qualifying, the two-minute sprint featured an inverted start (rookie class TQ on the pole), running the race in reverse track direction with no turn marshals. BMiller Racing had four qualifiers in the dash, and Bernal came out on top, passing teammate Troy Hanson (Pro 2 Lites TQ) in the final lap.

The P1 Raceway Spring Points Series features five rounds of racing with one drop. The remaining dates for the series are April 15, May 20, June 17, and July 15. P1 Raceway is located inside the Lake County Fairgrounds at 401 Martin Street in Lakeport (website: www.p1hobbies.com/track, phone: 707-376-8658).

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Entering Round 5 action, Strange held a one-point advantage over Bernal with Moon just five points back. In the first heat of qualifying, Moon posted the TQ in an attempt to earn the valuable extra series point. But Strange laid down a flawless second qualifying run to register the TQ, the extra point, and the pole position for the main. In other words, it was Strange’s title to claim; if he could manage to win the main or stay in front of Bernal and Moon, he would win the series.

Piloting his Losi TLR22, Strange jumped out to the lead in the six-minute main and never looked back, putting together a near-perfect run to win the race and series championship. Meanwhile, Moon and Bernal waged a monster battle while chasing Strange with Bernal taking advantage of a slight Moon bobble in lap 21 of 22 to move into second place. But there was no time to make a run at Strange, who won the race by just over three seconds, while Moon cruised to a third place finish.

For the series, the trio would finish in the same order; Strange 1st, Bernal 2nd, and Moon 3rd, running Panther tires coupled with DE Racing Borrego wheels and powered by ProTek “Supreme Power” lipo batteries. All three teammates ran Bobcat front tires in clay compound with Strange and Bernal mounting clay Rattler IIs in the rear with Moon opting for clay Switch 2.0s.

The series finale in Pro 4 short course was not as dramatic, but the Round 5 race was wild and wooly as usual from start to finish. BMiller Racing’s Lou Figueria already had the series crown wrapped up in Round 4 but still went all out in qualifying to grab the TQ.

In the main, Figueria was flying off the start but suffered a self-inflicted crash midway through the first lap and dropped all the way back to seventh. Meanwhile, River City Racing’s Trever Lund, who was firmly sitting in second in series points, forged to a comfortable lead that he would never relinquish. Figueria regained his composure and had his Losi SCTE on rails with clay Panther Switch 2.0s and DE Racing Trinidad rims and a ProTek 6400mAh 70c lipo, laying down the race’s fastest lap to move into third and then eventually second. He ran out of time in the six-minute main to make a big run at Lund, and instead settled for the series championship while Lund and BMiller Racing’s Josh O’Connell finished second and third, respectively, in series points.

The series championship in Pro 2 short course was also decided before the final round with Bernal winning all four of the previous rounds in his Associated SC10 with clay Panther Switch 2.0s, black DE Racing Trinidad rims, and a ProTek 6400mAh 70c battery. Bernal opted to sit out the final round to allow for the remaining two series podium positions to be determined in an all-out shootout between BMiller Racing’s Todd Pearson and Terry Wickum and River City Racing’s Jeff Lorenzo.

Going into the final round, Pearson led Wickum by two points for second and was six points in front of Lorenzo. Wickum earned the valuable TQ point in the second qualifying heat and had the pole for the six-minute main with Lorenzo and Pearson lining up right behind him. The three battled early along with RCR’s Cameron Kerndt before Pearson briefly took the lead in lap four and then traction rolled just after the timing loop.

With Pearson’s need for marshal assistance and Lorenzo suffering some mid-race struggles, Kerndt and Wickum settled in for an outstanding heads up fight the rest of the way. The two raced cleaned lap after lap with Wickum making one final surge in the last two turns and down the straightaway to the line, but could not catch Kerndt who won by a mere .090. Pearson stayed smooth the rest of the way to finish third. In the final series standings, Wickum edged Pearson by one point for second behind the champion Bernal.

LSR Speedway continues to show why it is one of the real up-and-coming indoor tracks on the West Coast. With a world-class dirt oval and now an upcoming major expansion of the off-road layout, LSR Speedway has big plans for the rest of the 2012 season and beyond.

LSR SPEEDWAY THURSDAY NIGHT NATS SERIES
PRO CLASS FINAL POINTS TOP 5 FINISHERS

Pro Buggy
1. Brian Strange 399 points
2. Eddie Bernal 395 points
3. Justin Moon 389 points
4. Nate Henry 374 points
5. Nathan Bernal 366 points

Pro 4wd SCT
1. Lou Figueria 401 points
2. Trever Lund 394 points
3. Josh O’Connell 382 points
4. Shon Wilcox 378 points
5. Patrick Zhao 370 points

Pro 2wd SCT
1. Eddie Bernal 404 points
2. Terry Wickum 383 points
3. Todd Pearson 382 points
4. Jeff Lorenzo 374 points
5. Cameron Kerndt 368 points

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“BMiller Racing is doing some very interesting things in the world of radio-controlled car racing. They have an active race schedule and, most importantly, are focused on assisting others and finding ways to help grow the hobby of RC car racing. We at DE Racing are pleased to be part of the BMiller Race Team,” states DE Racing President Dave Enstrom.

DE Racing offers high quality aftermarket parts for the most popular electric and nitro radio-controlled off-road vehicles in production today. Located in Southern California, DE Racing is proud of the fact that all of their research, development, and production exists exclusively within the United States. The company’s most popular products are the Trinidad and Borrego wheels inspired by the full-scale short course trucks and buggies that navigate the grueling Baja 1000 and battle door-to-door in the TORC and Lucas Oil Off-Road Series’.

“I have been running DE Racing wheels on my vehicles for awhile now, and not only are they the most realistic looking rim in production today, they have a superior structural design and are extremely durable,” says BMiller Racing team driver Lou Figueria.

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Yoder only raced in the series minimum of six races in the series’ most popular class (46 competitors), Stock SCT, but TQ’d and won all six races he competed in to win the class championship with his Kyosho Ultima SC powered by a ProTek R/C Supreme Power lipo battery.

Midway through the 10-race series (with 4 drops), Yoder picked up a Losi TLR22 to race in 2wd buggy. He posted three firsts, a third, and fourth in the five races he competed in but did not race enough rounds to win the class championship.

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Brian Strange nearly pulled off the victory in Proline Pro 4wd Buggy, making a late surge in his Associated B44.1 before finishing second behind Aaron Biner. Strange qualified in the fifth spot running Panther Bobcats on the front and Panther Rattler IIs in the rear with white DE Borrego rims all around. He moved up to third early in the race and then surged to the lead in lap nine before Biner moved back in front on the next lap. The two would battle the rest of the way with Biner capturing the top spot by just 0.7 seconds over Strange.

Terry Wickum just recently started driving a buggy, borrowing a friend’s Associated B4. Wickum decided to pilot the rent-a-ride in the Tekin 13.5 2wd Buggy class and ended up qualifying third. Running second for most of the main, Wickum charged hard toward TQ and leader Nathan Lavery midway through the race and took the lead in lap 13. Lavery and Wickum put on a show the rest of the way with Lavery eventually winning by a second over Wickum, who mounted Panther Switch 2.0 tires on white DE Borrego rims throughout the weekend.

In Associated Pro 4wd SC, BMiller Racing snagged four of the 10 spots in the A main. Josh O’Connell was the team’s top qualifier (3rd) in a class that fielded 45 drivers. O’Connell diced with the top five much of the way in his Losi SCTE with Panther Switch 2.0 tires on black DE Trinidad rims. O’Connell kept the pressure on throughout and moved onto the podium in the final lap, finishing third behind Trever Lund and Ryan Kennedy. Teammates Lou Figueria, Wickum, and Patrick Zhao finished fifth, seventh, and eighth, respectively.

Todd Pearson registered a third-place showing in Tekin 13.5 2wd SC, driving a consistent race throughout in his Associated SC10. Pearson mounted Panther Switch 2.0s in the front and Panther Rattlers in the rear with silver DE Trinidads all around.

The team’s only disappointment came in Viper Pro 2wd Short Course, where Eddie Bernal seemed destined for a definite podium finish and possible victory when his ESC melted down. Bernal had moved past Biner with four laps to go and was closing in on eventual winner Eric Albano when he could feel the power in his Associated SC10 start to dissipate. With less than 40 seconds left in the race Bernal’s truck shut down, ending his possible title run.

Following is a breakdown of the 15 BMiller Racing A main event finishes:
Tekin Blinky 13.5 2wd SC – Todd Pearson 3rd
Tekin Blinky 13.5 2wd Buggy – Terry Wickum 2nd, Nathan Bernal 5th, Patrick Zhao 6th, Todd Pearson 7th
Viper Pro 2wd SC – Eddie Bernal 9th, Sawyer Bruer 10th
TLR Pro Stadium Truck – Nathan Bernal 6th
Proline Pro 4wd Buggy – Brian Strange 2nd
Associated Pro 4wd SC – Josh O’Connell 3rd, Lou Figueria 5th, Terry Wickum 6th, Patrick Zhao 7th
JConcepts Pro 2wd Buggy – Eddie Bernal 6th, Brian Strange 9th

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BMiller Racing, a radio controlled car race team formed by professional basketball player Brad Miller, recently launched an interactive website with a contest awarding quality prizes from A Main Hobbies.

Nearly 400 website subscribers entered the contest and the winners have been randomly selected.

Contest Winners

Rob Thulin (Concow, CA) – ProTek R/C P-8 1/8th Buggy Super Hauler Bag
Shane Theiss (Rochelle, IL) – ProTek R/C “Prodigy 610 DUO” Battery Charger
Joe Bauman (Hopkins, SC) – ProTek R/C “TruTorque” Metric Hex Driver Set
Marcus Plumlee (Modesto, CA) – ProTek R/C “TruTorque” Standard Hex Driver Set
Justin Zaugg (Roscoe, IL) – ProTek R/C “TruTorque” Metric Ball End Hex Driver Set
Zachary Wezenberg (Lacey, WA) – EcoPower “Electron” 2S Li-Poly 30C Battery Pack
Scott Cruse (Sarasota, FL) – EcoPower “Electron” 2S Li-Poly 30C Battery Pack
Michael Tucker (Texarkana, TX) – EcoPower “Electron” 2S Li-Poly 30C Battery Pack
Dane Bennett (Tyrone, PA) – EcoPower “Electron” 2S Li-Poly 30C Battery Pack
Lee Thomas (Adrian, MI) – EcoPower “Electron” 2S Li-Poly 30C Battery Pack
Mike Livingston (Medford, OR) – EcoPower “Electron” 2S Li-Poly 30C Battery Pack
Henry Gardner (Rockville, MD) – ProTek R/C Flame Resistant Charging Bag
Ben Dieball (Hartland, WI) – ProTek R/C Flame Resistant Charging Bag

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Figueria has been on fire for most of 2012, piloting his Losi SCTE with a ProTek RC 70c lipo battery, and the Thursday Night Nats Series has been no different. Running on Panther Switch 2.0 tires in clay compound with white Trinidad DE Racing wheels, Figueria battled Trever Lund in Round 4 before coming out on top in the latter stages of the six-minute main.

Bernal, running on Panther Switch 2.0s in clay compound mounted on black Trinidad DE Racing wheels, has had his ProTek RC powered Associated SC10 with Viper electronics dialed the entire series, handily winning all four rounds to date, including a wire-to-wire win this past Thursday. While Bernal checked out in the six-minute main, the battle for second was a good one with Jeff Lorenzo pulling away from BMiller’s Todd Pearson to finish second.

In Pro Buggy, BMiller Racing’s Justin Moon made the series points tally interesting, earning the TQ and going box-to-wire for the win. Moon, who has his Durango dex210 on clay compound Panther Switch 2.0s and DE Racing black Borrego wheels running strong, is third in the class in points just behind BMiller Racing’s Brian Strange and Bernal, who each run Panther tires, DE Racing rims, and ProTek batteries.

In Sportsman Buggy, BMiller’s Terry Wickum and Pearson continued their class battle, fighting it out down to the wire in the six-minute main with Wickum edging out Pearson by 0.8 seconds.

The LSR Thursday Night Nats Off-Road Series (www.lsrspeedway.com) concludes on March 15.

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The BMiller Race Team is preparing for this weekend’s 3rd Annual Outback Shootout at A Main Hobbies in Chico, California, and the team’s huge box of Panther tires and DE Racing wheels has been delivered.

The 4,600 square foot track at Outback Raceway is made up of tacky clay, so the BMiller team Panther tire order is comprised of mostly clay compound. The buggy tire combo of choice going into the weekend is the Rattler II in the rear and the Bobcat in the front. For the short course trucks, the SC Rattler and SC Switch 2.0 are the two tires in clay compound that the guys are preparing to run in Chico.

The BMiller racing roster will mount their tires of choice on DE Racing rims, born from the grueling miles of full-scale action in the Baja 1000 and wheel-to-wheel action in the “Big House” of Crandon, Wisconsin. The buggy drivers will be on Borrego wheels while the SCTs will sport the Trinidad line of rims.

So with the parts having arrived from A Main Hobbies and the wheels and tires now in from Panther and DE Racing, the BMiller Race Team is in full prep mode for this weekend’s Outback Shootout. It’s going to be a great weekend of racing on the A Main Hobbies campus, and BMiller Racing will be there in full force.

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Bernal TQ’d with his Associated SC10 but was challenged throughout the six-minute A main by teammate Sawyer Bruer. Bernal led the first three laps but Bruer surged ahead in laps four and five. Bernal recaptured the lead and stayed on top till the midway point when a rollover allowed Bruer to jump back up front. But Bernal put the hammer back down and ran a mistake-free final nine laps to win by 10 seconds. With victories and TQs in all three rounds of the five-race series (with one drop), Bernal needs just one top five finish in the final two rounds to win the series class title.

The race of the night came in pro buggy where Strange held off Bernal to win the six-minute A main. Running Panther clay compound Bobcats on the front and Panther clay Rattler II’s on the rear of his Losi TLR 22, Strange TQ’d to start on the pole. He got off clean in the main and grabbed the lead, but Bernal immediately moved into contention with his Associated B4.1 on Panther Rattlers in clay compound in the rear. Battling through the midpoint of the race, Bernal briefly grabbed the lead in lap 14, but Strange stayed strong and took over the top spot on the next lap. Bernal threatened over the final eight laps but Strange would not bobble and went on to win by 1.3 seconds. The series title in pro buggy should go down to the wire with Strange owning two wins and a DNF and Bernal tallying a first and two seconds.

In 4wd short course, Figueria tried Panther Switch 2.0′s in clay compound with white DE Racing wheels on his Losi SCTE and the combo was pure magic. Figueria TQ’d and was so dialed with the Panthers and DE rims that he won handily despite suffering a few miscues going around lapped traffic. With two wins and a second through the first three rounds, Figueria can wrap up the series class title with a top three finish in one of the final two rounds.

The five-race Thursday Night Nats series, sponsored by Tekin and BMiller Racing, concludes on Thursday, March 15. LSR Speedway is located at 8470 Belvedere Avenue, Suite B in Sacramento (website: www.lsrspeedway.com, phone: 916-217-5869).

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Strange, running on Panther Slicks in clay compound and powered by a ProTek R/C 4100 70C battery, started in the third spot on the grid and remained in third until lap four of the six-minute main when he moved past Jason Moberly into second place. Running his fastest lap of the race in lap five (18.990), Strange started to close in on leader Phillip Atondo, and then took advantage of an Atondo miscue in the next lap to take over the top spot. From there, Strange never looked back, registering a series of low 19-second laps to finish with 19 total laps and win by three seconds over Atondo. Mark Antaramian rallied to place third and Marshall Lopez was fourth, while Moberly was fifth.

Figueria grabbed a stronghold on the series points in 4wd open short course, having won each of the first three rounds. In Round 3, Figueria TQ’d with his Losi SCTE and ProTek R/C 6400 70C battery, and cruised to an easy victory in the six-minute main. Bruce Swenston held off BMiller Racing’s Troy Hanson in the final two laps as the two finished second and third, respectively.

The Hole-Shot Raceway Winter Series features eight rounds of racing with three drops. Hole-Shot Raceway is located at 903A N. Market Boulevard in Sacramento (website: holeshot-raceway.com, phone: 916-910-8936, e-mail: holeshotraceway@gmail.com).

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“I am so excited to get a chance to come on board with Randy Pike and the folks at Panther,” says Strange. “I started using Panther tires over the past month, and was really happy with how dialed my cars were on different tracks and under various conditions. The tire styles and compounds are first class and have given me a definite edge. I look forward to being part of a Panther program that is doing big things in the RC marketplace.”

Combining meticulous vehicle prep with a smooth and efficient driving style, Strange won more than 25 races in the Sacramento area in 2011 and is now looking forward to advancing to the regional and national levels. While much of his success last season came in 2wd buggy with his Losi TLR 22, Strange is also dialing in his Team Associated B44.1 4wd buggy and Losi SCTE 4wd short course truck for the 2012 campaign.

“I’m excited to work with Brian on a more consistent basis. He’s been showing great speed in and around our region. His cars are always well prepared and he carries himself very well in the pits. He’s helpful, fast, and he wins. I couldn’t ask for much more in a team driver,” states Panther Team Manager Randy Pike.

Strange’s attention to detail when it comes to his RC cars results from his other racing passion, serving as crew chief for his brother Billy’s #28x full scale sprint car. He is involved in all aspects of the Strange Motorsports program, including fabrication, car set-up, and maintenance.

Get the latest news on the Panther Race Team at http://panther-rc.com.

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The feature race of the night came in Pro Buggy where the BMiller Racing crew swept the podium. Bernal TQ’d in his Associated B4.1 and led all but one lap in the six-minute A main to win by six seconds over his 13-year-old son, Nathan Bernal, who held off hard-charging teammate Justin Moon for second. All three BMiller drivers were on Panther tires in clay compound with the Bernal duo using Rattlers and Moon sporting Switch 2.0’s.

Bernal was even more convincing in 2wd short course, posting the only 20-lap tally in the six-minute A main with his Associated SC10. BMiller Racing teammate Todd Pearson finished second as he continues to improve and has seemingly started to figure out the dynamics of running on dirt after racing most of his previous career on the pavement.

In Pro 4 short course action, Lou Figueria continued his hot streak, winning for the 11th time since New Year’s Eve. Figueria started in the No. 2 spot with his Losi SCTE behind teammate Patrick Zhao’s TQ showing. After a little trouble in lap two dropped him to sixth, Figueria started to find his grove and work his way back up, eventually passing another teammate, Josh O’Connell for the lead on lap 11. Figueria went on to register 21 laps and win by five seconds over Trever Lund, while BMiller’s Terry Wickum stayed steady throughout to grab the third spot. O’Connell and Zhao finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

The Thursday Night Nats series features five rounds of racing with one drop, and concludes on Thursday, March 15. LSR Speedway is located at 8470 Belvedere Avenue, Suite B in Sacramento (website: www.lsrspeedway.com, phone: 916-217-5869).

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Figueria is now in firm control of the series points lead in Pro 4 after posting the TQ on Saturday and wins in both rounds. Piloting his Losi SCTE with a brand new ProTek R/C 2S “Supreme Power” Li-Poly 70C Battery from A Main Hobbies, Figueria led most of the six-minute main but was challenged throughout by teammate Terry Wickum in an Associated SC10 4×4. Wickum grabbed the lead at the halfway point for two laps, but Figueria laid down his fastest lap of the day to re-capture the advantage in lap 10 and then held on for a 1.9 second victory over Wickum.

The feature race of the afternoon was in Pro Buggy where Strange put together a near flawless six-minute race in the 10-car A Main. Starting in the front of the grid after TQ’ing with his Losi TLR 22, Strange used Panther Slicks in clay compound in the front and rear to register the wire-to-wire victory on the pure clay 5,400 square foot track. Posting the only sub 18-second lap (17.598), Strange won by eight seconds over Round 1 winner Mark Antaramian, while Bernal put together a strong performance to finish third.

Bernal, who is also a member of A Main Hobbies’ ProTek R/C Race Team, recently pulled his Associated SC10 off the shelf, and has enjoyed immediate success in 2wd short course. After running second for the first five laps, Bernal moved to the lead in lap six and never looked back, finishing with a two-second victory over TQ Jason Smith, who was the Round 1 class winner. Wickum finished third to keep himself in the series points mix.

The Hole-Shot Raceway Winter Series features eight rounds of racing with three drops, and concludes on Saturday, March 31. Hole-Shot Raceway is located at 903A N. Market Boulevard in Sacramento (website: www.holeshot-raceway.com, phone: 916-910-8936, e-mail: holeshotraceway@gmail.com). BMillerracing.com

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How did you get into RC racing?

What was your first RC vehicle?
“It was a Jammin CRT.5. Then I sold that after a little while and bought a Losi XXX-CR buggy.”

How many hours a week do you spend prepping, practicing, and racing your Durango DEX210 buggy?
“I try to get out and practice at least twice a week, and do some tweaking on the car during those practice sessions. Usually I try to do a full prep on the car the day before a race. I also spend a lot of time on the internet just looking for tips and different ways to get faster.”

What are you doing when you are not RCing?
“I work full time in my Dad’s business, Nature Care Landscaping. I enjoy spending time with my girlfriend Jennifer when I am home.”

You have extensive experience in full-scale open wheel racing. How did you get involved with that?
“My brother Benny was the first to get into racing. Then when I was four years old I got into racing go-karts. I raced karts till I was 16, which is when I moved into champ cars and Formula BMW. I enjoyed some success in the BMW and Formula Atlantic racing programs, but maintaining the needed sponsorship dollars at that level is very difficult.”

Do you have any desire to get back into full-scale racing?
“Yes, absolutely. I spend a lot of time continuing to pursue sponsorship to get back into full-scale racing. If anyone is interested in a driver-for-hire, I am your guy.”

What are some similarities between full scale and RC racing?
“The hand-eye aspect is similar. In fact, some professional drivers like to utilize RC cars and simulation games to build that hand-eye coordination. I think some of the racing aspects are similar as well, such as choosing the fastest line around the track and hitting the apex (in a turn) the right way.”

What are some of the best aspects of being part of the BMiller Race Team?
“Building friendships with the other drivers on the team has been great. We all are looking to help one another, whether it is with car setups, tire selection, or how to drive a particular section of the track. It has really helped our performance levels. I enjoy traveling with the other drivers on the team, and it is great when we get guys up there on the podium.”

What are your RC goals going forward?
“My ultimate RC goal is to be a full-time sponsored driver and be able to travel around and enjoy success at a national level. The sponsorships by Brad Miller and A Main Hobbies are giving us an opportunity to at least pursue those goals.”

What class would you like to go into if you could expand your RC repertoire?
“I would like to get into 4wd buggy at both the 1/8 and 1/10 scale levels.  I think I would also like to get into oval RC racing if I can free up enough time to dive into it at a high level.”

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Brian Strange continued his LSR hot streak, winning at the track in pro buggy for the 10^th time in a row. Strange TQ’d in his Losi 22 on Panther tires and then led from start to finish in posting the victory in the eight-minute A main. BMiller teammate Eddie Bernal kept the pressure on Strange throughout and ended up finishing just three seconds back in second. Teammate Justin Moon completed the sweep, grabbing the third spot.

BMiller Racing also swept the podium in 4wd short course with Josh O’Connell returning to the top of the box in his Losi SCTE. O’Connell took the lead in the second lap of the six-minute A main and never looked back, driving a smooth race while working through lapped traffic. BMiller teammate Lou Figueria, who has been very hot of late, finished second just 3.9 seconds back and fellow team driver Patrick Zhao was a car length back of Figueria for third.

Bernal has been away from running his Associated SC10 for the past couple months, but it didn’t take him long to knock off the rust, winning the 2wd open short course class. Bernal TQ’d and put the top spot on the grid to good use, registering a wire-to-wire victory in the eight-minute A main. Local standout Nathan Lavery was second, 14 seconds back, while BMiller’s Terry Wickum was third just behind Lavery.

The Thursday Night Nats series features five rounds of racing with one drop, and concludes on Thursday, March 15. LSR Speedway is located at 8470 Belvedere Avenue, Suite B in Sacramento (website: www.lsrspeedway.com, phone: 916-217-5869).

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The win didn’t come easy as Figueria had to hold off teammates Josh O’Connell and Terry Wickum throughout the six-minute A main. Wickum earned the TQ and pole position in his Associated SC104x4, but had trouble in the first two turns to find himself having to work back up through the field. Meanwhile, O’Connell grabbed the first lap lead in his Losi SCTE, but a small bobble in the second lap gave Figueria a chance to get around him.

Figueria led the rest of the way in the 18-lap race but was challenged closely throughout by O’Connell, who finished just two seconds back. Wickum made a strong push in the mid part of the race and closed to within one second of the lead, but found himself getting tangled with lapped traffic in lap 13, forcing him to settle for third place.

In 2wd Expert Short Course, Wickum finished second in his Associated SC10 behind Jason Smith, who was unstoppable all day in the class.

The Hole-Shot Raceway Winter Series features eight rounds of racing with three drops, and concludes on Saturday, March 31. Hole-Shot Raceway is located at 903A N. Market Boulevard in Sacramento (website: www.holeshot-raceway.com, phone: 916-910-8936, e-mail: holeshotraceway@gmail.com).

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Strange has been unstoppable of late at LSR, having won Pro Buggy the last nine times he has entered at the Sacramento track. Piloting his Losi 22 on Panther tires, Strange earned the TQ and then led start to finish in the A main, winning by more than 12 seconds. Brain Mincks finished second and BMiller’s Justin Moon rallied from last after getting taken out in the opening lap to finish third.

In 2wd short course, Wickum and teammate Todd Pearson, the two original BMiller team drivers, battled up front throughout the eight-minute A main in their Associated SC10’s. Midway through the race Pearson tangled with some lapped traffic, allowing Wickum to surge to the lead. Pearson stayed within striking distance the rest of the way but could not get around Wickum, who won by two seconds over Pearson.

The most hotly contested race of the night came in 4wd short course where Lou Figueria narrowly earned the TQ over Shon Wilcox, who is getting faster each week since getting into the class just a few weeks ago. The action was just as close between the two in the six-minute A main. Figueria led the entire way and could not afford a bobble, as Wilcox stayed close from start to finish. Figueria, however, kept his Losi SCTE smooth throughout and earned a seven-second win over Wilcox in his new Losi SCTE. BMiller’s Patrick Zhao moved up from the seventh qualifying spot to finish third while Wickum was fourth.

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Nearly 80 racers turned out for the Friday night club event, ranging from enthusiastic beginners to some of the most talented drivers in the Northern Nevada area. The folks at Traction ran an efficient two round, 13-heat program with eight-minute A mains, and the announcing was outstanding for both the racers and spectators.

On the track, the BMiller team enjoyed its share of success with Brain Strange posting the victory in 4wd Open Buggy and Patrick Zhao winning in 4wd Short Course. Strange also was third in 2wd Open Buggy and Terry Wickum finished second and third in 4wd Short Course and 2wd Open SCT, respectively.

Strange had to rally in the second half of the 4wd Buggy main after getting tangled in traffic in the opening laps. But he stayed focused and smooth and started to reel Trevor Coons in before overtaking him on the 19th lap. Strange finished with 22 laps and a seven-second advantage over Coons.

Zhao started in the fifth position in 4wd SCT but worked his way up to second after three laps behind Wickum, who was the TQ. The teammates battled for the top spot for the next five laps before Zhao took advantage of a Wickum miscue and grabbed the lead. Zhao never looked back after getting to the front, registering consistent 22-second laps to finish with 22 total laps and an eight-second win over Wickum.

In 2wd Open SCT, BMiller’s Sawyer Bruer qualified third but jumped to the front of the pack in lap two. Bruer extended the lead and had nearly a 20-second advantage midway through the race. But in the final minute he had a series of unlucky events that allowed the pack to catch up and pull away. Local standouts Mike Pradere and Rick Jenkins went on to finish first and second, respectively, while Wickum was third and Bruer fifth.

Even after all that racing, no one seemed to want to leave the track, running off remaining charged packs till nearly 1am. After a quick load up, everyone headed over to the El Dorado Hotel and Casino for some dinner/breakfast at 2am. But despite plenty of tired eyes, no one seemed ready to sleep, so some of the guys found an all night bowling establishment, while a couple others headed to the poker room.

Finally getting to sleep around 5am, the team got a few hours of shuteye before getting up to hit the all-you-can-eat brunch buffet. The little bit of rest and good food gave everyone a second wind, so rather than heading back to Sacramento the crew packed in the cars and headed to the Grand Sierra Resort for the ultimate showdown – the BMiller Racing Go-Cart Challenge. The action was fast and furious and wheel-to-wheel with everyone taking turns leading some laps. No official winner was declared, but the whole team left the place with smiles from ear to ear.

When it was all said and done, it was a 24-hour action-packed trip that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Thanks again to the personnel at Traction Raceway for their tremendous hospitality. We look forward to going back up there soon!

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Eddie Bernal TQ’d his Associated B4 in the Pro Buggy class, and led from start to finish in winning the eight-minute main. Bernal, who laid down the day’s fastest single lap with a 16.192, finished seven seconds ahead of Moon in his Durango dex210, as the duo ended up being the only two competitors to complete 28 laps in the race.

Figueria was in second in the early stages of the 4wd Short Course A Main, but took over the lead in lap four and never looked back, winning the six-minute race in his Losi SCTE by eight seconds over LSR mainstay Shon Wilcox, who is quickly becoming a weekly contender in his SCTE despite only racing the truck for the past few weeks.

Eddie’s son, Nathan, was fast all day in 2wd Open Short Course, and ended up placing second in a borrowed Factory Team SC10. “Lil Nate” TQ’d for the eight-minute A Main and led through the first 10 laps before Jeff Lorenzo took over and maintained the rest of the way for the win.

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Lou Figueria finished second with his Losi SCTE in both 4wd short course and the invitational Dash 4 Cash. Josh O’Connell, who had some difficulties with his electronics in qualifying, got things back on track with his Losi SCTE in the 4wd short course A Main, finishing third behind Figueria and winner Jason Moberly of Team Tekin, JConcepts, and SMC.

In 2wd short course, Eddie Bernal was second in a borrowed Associated SC10 and teammate Sawyer Bruer was third with his Factory Team SC10.

Brian Strange closed out the BMiller podium parade, finishing third in Pro Buggy with his Losi TLR 22.

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