Round One: Dallas, Texas

Concours Challenge pictures | Racing | Main Events | Thanks!

Hosted by Hobbytown USA and the HTRLC club!

Click here for the huge picture!

The first HPI Challenge USA race of 2003 was held over the weekend of May 17 and 18 in Lewisville, Texas. A suburb of Dallas, Lewisville is a short drive from the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and close to the bustling nightlife Dallas affords its residents and visitors. With over 100 entries among 70 racers signed up two weeks before the event, we knew it would be a busy weekend for the Hobbytown USA shop and the HTRLC club organizers!

Friday, May 16

HPI representatives Thad Garner and Frank McKinney flew into DFW airport by way of Denver, passing over the Grand Canyon and through the Rocky Mountains on the way to Denver from Orange County, California. What a view!

The first stop after picking up the rental car was the hobby shop, where we met Mike Parker, organizer of the weekend's racing and race director for the weekend. We had the good fortune to meet Burt, the shop owner and several of the shop workers who were looking forward to the weekend's activities!

Saturday, May 17

On Saturday, racers were at the track setting up their pit tents and tables while HTRLC members set up the track. The day started off overcast but the weather reports promised no rain so everything looked like it was a "go". As soon as the track was assembled and sprayed, racers started practicing to dial in their setups.

Micro racers were able to get their practice in without rearranging the track, because it was contained within a section of the big track that was not used by the 1/10 or Super-size cars. It was tight but racers could run on it!

With sample prize kits, trophies and plaques set up on the display table, racers gathered around to gaze over them and see what they could win during the weekend. Catalogs were set out for racers and spectators to grab, and as the cutoff time for practice approached racers were rushing to get their cars working better and better.

After a brief driver meeting announcement from Frank, Mike went over the starting procedure for qualifying (IFMAR-style staggered start), pit procedures and other details the racers needed to know.

Immediately afterward we took the group pictures and started judging the cars assembled for the always-difficult Concours Challenge!

Concours Challenge pictures | Racing | Main Events | Thanks!

See the HTRLRC web site for more!