JR Dominates the Surface in 2005

When attending any large event you always want to do well, and adding a win here and there is nice too, but dominating is especially sweet. That’s exactly what Team JR members have been doing. In 2005, Team JR Members have not only won events, but have done so in an outright dominating fashion. When the pros look for the precise control they need, they look no further than JR.

2005 US Touring Car Championships Sponsored by Novak Electronics When: January 5–9, 2005 Where: S&N’s Trackside Hobbies, Brookfield, WI
	Eli Ezrow

Nothing gets the year started on the right foot like a big win. In early January, Team JR members fought through the wind and snow as they competed in the US Touring Car Championships. With over 250 entrants in seven different classes, the competition was faster and tougher than ever before. Ray Darroch was the man to beat in stock Foam, capturing the pole and the overall win. Eli Ezrow also made the stock Foam A-Main where he finished inthe 10th position. Ezrow wasn’t done though, as he took the second TQ for Team JR that weekend by TQ-ing the Brushless class. When the dust settled, Eli came home second in the Brushless A-main. Kelly Bean also had a strong run in Brushless, capturing 7th overall. Other top JR finishes forthe weekend include Chad Due (3rd, stock Rubber), Brian Miller (8th, Tamiya Mini Cooper), Michael Turner (Winner, Sportsman) and Mike Dumas (2nd, 19-Turn and Modified Foam). All these JR users relied on Team JR radios to help them en route to their finishes, be it the R-1 Pro or the XS3.

2005 Snowbird Nationals Sponsored by Trinity When: February 11–13, 2005 Where: Orlando Grand Plaza, Orlando, FL
	From left to right: Sean Cochran and Frank Calandra

Fresh off the great performances at the US Touring Car Championships, Team JR members headed south to the warmer weather of Orlando, Florida for the Snowbird Nationals. As isthe tradition withthe ‘Birds, both on-road and oval classes are run giving the oval racers a chance to join inthe fun. The JR R-1 Pro found its way into victory lane more than once over the course of the event. Sean Cochran was the man in 1/10th-Scale 4-Cell Modified, capturing the overall win. Backing up his win, Cochran also finished 5th in 1/10th scale 6-Cell Modified. Not to be outdone, Sonny Brown captured the pole in 19-Turn 1/12th scale and the win, leading a JR 1-2 with Steve Pemberton in tow in second. On the on-road side, many drivers backed up excellent runs from the USTC, including Ray Darroch (2nd Place, TouringStock, 9th Place Stock 1/12th scale), and Mike Dumas (2nd Place, Touring Car 19-Turn, 9th Place Modified 1/12th scale). The Calandra Brothers, Frank and Mark, both represented themselves and JR well in their stock 1/12th scale A-Main finishes with Mark (2nd Place) beating brother Frank (7th Place).

Not to be out done by their electric cousins, the fire breathing, nitro-burning cars hit the track at the Silverbowl, just outside of Las Vegas. Hour-long A-Mains can torture not only a car but a driver as well. If a radio isn’t comfortable, fatigue can become a real issue. Brandon McNally drove very well in qualifying to get himself into the A-Main of the Nitro Touring Car Class and was rewarded with an 11th Place finish. The 1/8th scale on road class has often been referred to as the “Formula One” of RC. Scott Kimbrow was the fastest of the fast in 1/8th scale, as his performance and hard work was rewarded with the overall win. Sal Difazio drove brilliantly to take 3rd. The R-1 Pro once again was the choice of the winners and other top finishing performances.

The new JR Z-1 made its official competitive debut at the Great Lakes Challenge, and with over 170 participants, JR was well represented. Scott Kimbrow backed up his strong performance at the RD Logics GP by finishing 2nd overall in 1/8th scale. Sal DiFazio also finished strong, taking 4th, followed by Aaron Buran in 5th, Eli Ezrow in 8th, and Steve Rossi in 9th. Rossi also showed that he can wheel a touring car as well, as he finished 8th in the 1/10th Scale Sedan. In the 1/8th Scale Masters Class, Don Jones was able to capture the 3rd position.

If there was ever any doubt, results like this prove that JR Radios are still the dominant force in the industry. When you combine the best people with the best equipment, it’s an unfair advantage. Congratulations to all of the Team JR members who competed in all of the events over the past year, and thank you for your hard work and dedication and for allowing JR Radios to be a part of your success.

With over 430-entrants, the First Annual International Indoor Championships was a tremendous success. The competition was fast and furious with National, International, and World Champions all on hand competing in a number of different on-road classes. A number of drivers chose the JR Z-1 once again and wound up in victory lane. CRC’s Frank Calandra, Jr. used his Z-1 to control his CRC Bloody Knife 3.2R en-route to winning the 1/12-scale stock class. Mike Dumas also used a Z-1 to finish 2 nd in the Modified Foam Sedan class, while Ray Darroch finished 5 th in 19-Turn Foam Sedan.

The awesome performances haven’t come to an end just because the outdoor season is coming to a close. At the recent ROAR Paved On-Road Nationals in Largo, FL, Team JR members were once again at the top of the heat sheets after qualifying and the mains. For the second consecutive year, Tom “Espo” Esposito was the man in the Masters Touring Car class. Tom’s radio of choice was of course the new JR Z-1. Other Team JR members also had excellent finishes. Ray Darroch finished 8 th in the 19-Turn Touring Car Class, while Fernando Gordinho finished 7 th in 1/12-Scale Modified. Mike Dumas pulled off a trifecta, making the A-Main in three different classes. Mike finished 10 th in 1/12-Scale Modified, 8 th in Modified Touring Car, and 2 nd in 19-Turn Touring Car.

Whether racers have been using the JR R-756, R-1, or the new Z-1, there’s a heritage of winning that goes into each and every radio system. With the level of competition and the quality of drivers that attend these events every year, it’s truly an accomplishment to simply make the A-Main. Add on several prestigious victories and you have the makings of a very successful racing season. Don’t think that JR is satisfied though, as these performances simply raise the bar for the future.