Scotty Ernst Offroad Showdown Rd3 – Report

The 3rd round of the Scotty Ernst Offroad Showdown made its way to Sparks Park R/C Raceway in Columbus, Ohio, this past weekend and it was a weekend to remember. As usual the Offroad Showdown is unlike any other race in the United States as it features a high level of competitive racing, but also embodies something unique that other races are presently lacking and have slowly lost over the years. The Offroad Showdowns seems to always have a certain positive vibe wherever it goes and this is mainly due to the fact when you attend a Scotty Ernst event you immediately feel like family. Yes, family.

For instance, this past Showdown celebrated a young teenage racer’s birthday with a proper birthday song sung by every racer in attendance followed by delicious cake served up by his parents. It was Caleb Jennings birthday and perhaps for him, a birthday he’ll never forget because he was where he wanted to be and attending the race he wished to be at. When his parents asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he simply said that he wanted to go to round 3 of the Scotty Ernst Offroad Showdown and they made it happen and we all got to share Caleb’s birthday with him.

It’s easy to agree that the future of this hobby is without question the rookie/novice class. No new racers means the industry could dwindle over time and perhaps even fall into extinction. In attendance was a 10-year old novice driver by the name of Jayden Brooks, who was competing at the Showdown and giving it his all. Unfortunately for Jayden, out of five runs he only finished two due to mechanical and/or electrical failures and even a bit of bad luck. The real tragedy was that he wasn’t even able to finish his A-main run. Obviously bummed and feeling bad for the youngster, Scotty did something from the heart. Instead of raffling off the Team Associated donated SC10 RTR truck, which could end up in the hands of someone un-needing, uninterested, or quickly sold on eBay (this has happened before), he decided to give it to Jayden during the awards ceremony as a total surprise to the young racer. This act of kindness was a magical moment and who knows … Jayden could someday turn into our future World Champion.

Another wonderful thing that happened over the weekend was seeing the amount of effort that Glen, Bruce, Galen and the rest of the track crew at Sparks Park R/C put in over the weekend. The pits were dialed, the driver stand was perfect with wheelchair access, the track was painted a lively florescent green and the maintenance was outstanding. The amount of work they put in to give the racers the best track condition possible was endless and thank you for all the hard work. The best part was that this race was held during the hottest part of summer inside a facility that had A/C.

For many, the focus has been solely on winning. Performing well has become so crucial to having a good time at races rather than just racing, competing, and having fun with friends and family. Yes, for a select few winning is a part of their livelihood, but for most of us it is not and will never be. Yet we allow “not winning” races dictate the amount of fun we have and if we’re not doing so well … We allow it to negatively affect our attitudes towards events and most importantly towards each other.

We all want to win, but not everyone can be winners all the time. However with the right attitude and effort, we all can have fun all the time and share these awesome race experiences with one another making our bond even greater … much like family.

If you would like to see the race results, podium pictures, and/or interested in seeing any or all of the A-main videos; head over to the Scotty Ernst Offroad Showdown Facebook page and have a look.

Thanks to Thomas Tran for the report.