Pit Lane RC track opening race

After 8 years of not having an r/c track in the area, the radio control racers went back to their roots with the reopening of the r/c track at Toa Baja, Puerto Rico under the administration of Pit Lane Hobby and their staff. With all the drivers registered in the different classes, they were able to race for the first time in years, Electric and Nitro sedan classes in the same event. With two qualifiers of 7 minutes each and Mains up to 30 minutes they started the event under a clear sky and full of enthusiastic racers.

In the nitro sedan class was Juan Rodríguez who set the TQ. During the race Juan had problems at the start that put him back to seventh place in the group. It was Fernando Méndez who took the lead but mechanical problems took him out giving Pedro Alvarado the chance to lead the race until his pitman Félix Ortiz let him run out of fuel, costing him the position and pushing him down to fourth. By that time Juan was recovering from the bad start and was able to take the lead and hold on to it until the end of the race followed by young Capricorn racer Franco Machado in 2nd and HK-1 driver Fernando Méndez 3rd.

1. Juan Rodriguez – 125L/30:04/Xray NT1
2. Franco Machado – 124L/30:02/Capricorn Lab01
3. Fernando Mendez – 123L/30:01/KM HK1
4. Pedro Alvarado – 118L/30:03/Xray NT1
5. Jose Cruz – 116L/30:00/Xray NT1
6. Antonio Mellado – 108L/30:05/Xray NT1
7. Carlos Fuentes – 105L/30:10/Sheperd
8. Jose Subaru – 104L/30:06/Mugen MTX5
9. Bryam Zayas – 20L/10:12/Mugen MTX3

In the 1/8th GT class it was Samuel Zayas that set the TQ.  During the race Zayas was leading the race until a flameout took him of the first position. Eliezer Crespo was second and took the lead until mechanical problems took him out of the race. Eric Ortiz was close to Crespo and took the lead until the end of the race. In second it was TQ driver Samuel Zayas with Juan Chalas in third.

1. Eric Ortiz – 98L/30:03
2. Samuel Zayas – 96L/30:05
3. Juan Chalas – 95L/30:17
4. Miguel Piscina – 84L/27:01
5. René Díaz – 80L/30:01
6. José Burgos – 70L/27:02
7. Eliezer Crespo – 55L/16:18
8. Nelson Tekno – 23L/17:52

In the EP class Juan Rodríguez set the TQ. During the triple A Mains Andy Báez took the first leg with Juan in second. In the second leg Juan was able to stay in first and Báez in second, tying the points.  In the 3rd Main Juan was leading the race until a mistake put him in second, giving Andy the lead for the 7 minutes main until the end, taking the victory for his new Serpent 411TE, followed by Rodríguez Xray T3 and Hector Lopez in third also driving an Xray T3.

1. Andy Báez – 200 Serpent 411TE
2. Juan Rodríguez – 199 Xray T3
3. Héctor López – 195 Xray T3
4. Fernando Méndez – 195 Xray T3
5. Lito Peña – 194
6. Jesus Rivera – 193 Xray T3
7. Edgardo Rodríguez – 190 Xray T3
8. Emilio García – 186 Xray T3
9. Franco Machado – 0 AE TC6

Thanks to Zobeida Ocasio for the report.