This year’s Futaba Electric Challenge, held at Leisure Hours RC Raceway in Joliet, IL, took advantage of the facility’s massive outdoor and immaculately prepared indoor tracks to treat racers to a rare format: two days of competition across both tracks were added together to determine overall winners in eight different classes. With factory drivers in attendance and cash payouts on the line the racing action was as hot as any event across the U.S.!
The race schedule spanned three days, of which the first was open practice available to all entrants on either track. Saturday’s program pitted the drivers against each other on Leisure Hours’ outdoor facility, which has hosted both nitro and electric off-road ROAR National Championships in the last few years, while the crowd headed to the sticky indoor clay on Sunday for a completely different environment and the added challenge of adapting to the different track conditions. Adding to the excitement of battling for a trophy, podium photo, and regional bragging rights, the top three in Pro 1/8-Scale, Modified 2WD Buggy, Modified 4WD Buggy, and Modified 2WD Short Course received the following payouts:
1st – $200
2nd – $100
3rd – $50
Here’s a look at the winners:
- Corey Liebherr
- Chad Due (TQ)
- Aaron Alexander
- Cush
- JR Reh
- Chad Due (TQ)
- Cush
- Joe Sorwell
- Colton Kiefer
- Mike Kochanski
- Randy Cathcart (TQ)
- Alec Walters
- Mike Nelson
- Jason Ringwood
- Erich Schutt
Intermediate 1/8-Scale Electric Buggy
- Jason Ringwood (TQ)
- Ice
- Don Becknell
- Jared Davito
- Alec Sanderson
- Mike Nelson (TQ)
- Cush
- Alec Walters
- Mellow
- Mason Perillo
- Randy Cathcart
- Colton Kiefer (TQ)
- Joe Sorwell
- Ken Houghton
- Mike Nelson
- Zippy (TQ)
- Cody Meiferdt
- Brian Koch
- Jeff Piskie
- Mark Udell
- Nicholas Mueller
- Jonny 5 (TQ)
- Madsen
- Max Zimmer
- Ryan Pratl
Thanks to Futaba and Leisure Hours Raceway for the photos and results. For more racing news and information be sure to follow me on Twitter: @AaronRCCA