- The full article was originally published on JConcepts (Racing) -
For the last 35 years, the RC racing world has kicked off the new year with the CRCRC MidWest Championships at the Ohio RC Factory. Located in Jeffersonville Ohio, racers from all over the country flock to this event to see where they stack up in the 1:10 scale realm. The Ohio RC Factory has been run by long-time owner Curt Schlichter. With nearly 350 entries the competition was stiff, but everyone was eager to prove themselves out on the track. This was a 5-day event with two days of practice, seeding, 4 rounds of qualifying, and triple A-Mains.
Check out the full photo gallery HERE.
For Tires, the go-to choice was the new (coming soon) Smoothie 2s in silver! We are beyond excited for the official release of these brand new pre-made slicks. However, some drivers did decide to go the traditional route and use sanded-down silver Ellipses! Both options were amazing on the track! As for foams, drivers seemed to have different opinions about whether they liked the traditional grey dirt-tech foams or the hard RM2 foams. Another option to add to the mix was the new inner sidewall support adaptor. It seemed like it was most preferred to use these alongside the harder RM2 foams.
Seeding:
17.5 2wd Buggy: Tom Rinderknecht (1), Doug Lariviere (3)
40+ 2wd Buggy: Brian Dunbar (1)
2wd Mod Buggy: Tom Rinderknecht (1), Spencer Rivkin (2), Cole Tollard (3)
Modified Stadium Truck: Spencer Rivkin (1), Dakotah Phend (2)
Qualifying:
17.5 2wd Buggy: Tom Rinderknecht (1)
40+ 2wd Buggy: Brian Dunbar (2)
2wd Mod Buggy: Tom Rinderknecht (1), Spencer Rivkin (3)
4wd Mod Buggy: Dakotah Phend (1), Spencer Rivkin (3)
Modified Stadium Truck: Dakotah Phend (1)
13.5 4wd Buggy: Doug Lariviere (1)
Final Results:
17.5 2wd Buggy: Tom Rinderknecht (1)
40+ 2wd Buggy: Brian Dunbar (3)
2wd Modified Buggy: Tom Rinderknecht (1), Spencer Rivkin (3)
Tom Rinderknecht led the way after taking the overall TQ. Rivkin started 3rd and held his line waiting to make a move on Dreighton Stoub who was in 2nd. Stoub rolled it over on the back left turn, and Rivkin got by into 2nd. Rinderknecht and Rivkin were able to take 1 and 2 in A1. Rinderknecht’s car was dialed in with a 3.7-second lead and a 98.9% consistency rate.
In A2, Stoub was aggressive right off the start looking to get by Rinderknecht. Rinderknecht held strong. That top group cruised until about lap 10 when Stoub got by Rinderknecht after getting caught on the pipe. On the last lap, Rinderknecht was all over Stoub’s bumper looking for a way to lock up an early win. 10 seconds to go Rinderknecht squeezed through the gap between Stoub and the pipe on that back left turn and took the overall win!!
A3 would determine who would take the final podium position. Stoub, Rivkin, and Horne followed closely throughout the race. Each of the top 3 took the lead at one point but ultimately by lap 10 Stoub would take over the lead for a final win. Rivkin would finish 2nd and Lee Setser from 10th on the grid would finish 3rd.
4wd Modified Buggy: Dakotah Phend (1), Spencer Rivkin (3)
A1 of 4wd Modified Buggy was relatively uneventful. Phend, Horne, and Rivkin all held their starting positions for the entire 5-minute main. A2 however, was a different story. Phend would beautifully lead the entire race for the early overall win. The remaining top 3 positions would be a battle to the end. Less than a minute into the race Horne would get caught on the pipe in that dreaded back left-hand corner, a 5 car pile-up would quickly change the game. Tyler Jones would capitalize on it and move into 2nd place which he held to the finish. 3rd place was a battle between Tollard, Setser, Horne, and Rivkin. Ultimately, in the final 3 laps, Rivkin was able to take 3rd for the round.
A3 would round out the podium. Horne and Rivkin who started 1st and 2nd would finish just the same. It was once again the battle for 3rd that everyone was clawing for. Dustin Evans hung on to it for the first 7 laps, but after a mistake, Tyler Jones took over. Jones trying to hang on, but little did he know Setser from 8th on the grid was creeping up behind him. Setser was able to grab that 3 spot. Overall, the final two podium positions were solidified for Horne and Rivkin.
Modified Stadium Truck: Spencer Rivkin (1)
13.5 4wd Buggy: Doug Lariviere (3)
It was a great weekend kicking off the new year with the JConcepts Team. The team came together, worked hard, and ultimately left with victories! Next up, we’re switching gears to 1:8 scale racing as we head to SIC in Alabama! See you trackside soon!
