- The full article was originally published on JConcepts (Racing) -
The Alabama Manufacturer Shootout 12.0 was a race weekend like no other. After 11 years, the RaceTime Entertainment crew revamped the way racing would go down, and added an updated twist.
Before we get into the new format, let’s start with the basics. The AMS has been around for years, originally it started in 2010 and was later acquired by the RaceTime Entertainment crew as it is one of the most popular races of the year. The race has always taken place in an agricultural center in Cullman, Alabama!
As trailers rolled in Wednesday evening, everyone was eager to get the best pit spot. However, things looked a bit different this year with almost half the amount of entries as usual. This was intentional, as the event was capped at 300 entries due to the new format and to give drivers more track time!
As for tires this weekend the team primarily utilized clay compounds such as gold or silver and ran the rehab tire a lot during seeding and qualifying. When it came time to run longer races that would range from 10 to 45 minutes, they had to consider what tire would be fast but also go the distance. When it came time to run the mains, some of the JConcepts fastest drivers opted to run the Blue Rehab in Nitro Buggy and Blue Reflex in E-Buggy.
The new format:
Thursday: 2 Rounds of Practice, 1 round of seeding: All 5 minute heats.
Friday: 3 rounds of qualifying: Qualifying was scored with your two fastest top 3 consecutive lap times. Each heat was 5 minutes long. They were combined for your overall score. Check out the image of the scoring below to see an example.
Saturday: Super Pole and Lower Mains: Qualifying determined whether or not you made it into the A-Main and where you would start on the grid in the super pole. The Super Pole would determine the starting grid order for the mains. Drivers would race it out, heads up, for 10 minutes and wherever they finished would be their starting position for the main. If a driver won the B-Main Super Pole they would automatically bump into the A-Main. As for the regular bumps, 4 drivers would bump from each lower main to create a 15 driver main. For example, if you finished in the top 4 during the Pro Nitro Buggy B-Main then you would bump into the A-Main. All lower mains were 30 minutes long. Electric Classes had double 10 minute B-Mains. They would take your best score in the double B-Mains and from there the top 4 overall would bump.
Sunday: B-Mains would conclude Sunday morning and then it was time for the main events! The A-Main Nitro Classes would be 45 minutes and Electric Classes were triple 10 minute mains.
Overall, it was refreshing to try out a new format/race schedule and the team produced great results! We had a great time in Cullman Alabama for the AMS 12.0! It’s a quick turn around for the team as we transition to 1:10 off-road carpet racing at Beachline RC Raceway in Cocoa, FL for the Florida Carpet Champs. In the meantime, stay tuned for the AMS 12.0 full length Pro A-Main videos along with a vlog!
