Over a perfect April weekend in Southern California, OC/RC Raceway in Huntington Beach hosted the JConcepts Stock Nationals. This unique event is an unofficial national race, but that doesn’t stop it from attracting some of the best racers in the country. With names like Cavalieri, Hartson, Castellano, Numedhal and other regular A-Main finalists, the competition was sure to be tough. With all the competitors using 17.5 turn motors and “blinky” speed control settings, a premium would be placed on momentum, corner speed, and squeezing every ounce of performance from the electronics package.
From the start of the first round of qualifying, Team Associated’s Steven Hartson and his combination of a LRP Flow Works Team speed control, LRP X-20 17.5 motor, and Reedy battery were the clear-cut favorite. Taking the TQ quite easily in both 2WD Buggy and Stadium Truck, the OC/RC local was on a mission to dominate the field.
Unfortunately, a rough start to the main events on Sunday afternoon saw Hartson finish 3rd in A1 of Expert Truck Stock to teammates Jake Thayer and Kevin Motter. A solid recovery from Hartson with wins in A2 and A3 allowed him to secure the overall Truck Stock title.
The most highly contested class of the event was Expert Stock Buggy. With Hartson starting on pole in a field that included Team Associated’s 4x World Champion Ryan Cavalieri, reigning R.O.A.R. Stock Buggy National Champion Kevin Motter, R.O.A.R. National Finalists Matt Castellano, Cody Turner, and Kody Numedhal, the competition was stacked. Making the most out of his #1 grid spot, Hartson quickly gapped the field in A1 and A2 as teammate Ryan Cavalieri worked his way in to second. Cavalieri was able to match Hartson’s fast lap, but the consistency and error-free mains from Hartson were just too much to overcome. When all the mains were calculated, it was Hartson finishing in the first position with Cavalieri in second and Motter in third: a podium sweep for the B4.2 Factory Team buggy!
Special thanks go out to OC/RC Raceway for hosting the JConcepts Stock Nationals and to all the participants who made the event memorable.
[source: www.rc10.com]
