Team Checkpoint and Futaba Bring Home the Hardware

Team Checkpoint Chi-Town Shootout
Joliet, Illinois
March 5-7, 2010

When racers talk about the best facilities in the world, Leisure Hours Raceway always ranks at the top of the list. It saw a record-setting turnout at this past weekend's Chi-Town Shootout with over 300 entries! The best drivers in the Midwest were in attendance and put on an awesome display of driving talent.

Modified Truck
Team Checkpoint / Futaba driver Johnny LoGiudice came out of the gate flying and took the TQ spot with his Checkpoint batteries. But he had some trouble in the main event, and in the end it was Hobbico-sponsored Corey Crosley taking home the win.

Modified Buggy
Once again, Johnny LoGiudice set the pace to earn TQ honors. But this time he parlayed his front row starting spot and Checkpoint batteries to an early lead in the A main. From there LoGiudice never looked back, taking the win.

Modified 4WD
Hobbico-sponsored Corey Crosley made it look easy on his way to the TQ position but had troubles in the main event. Futaba's Matt Gosch made a strong charge from mid-pack to finish in second place.

13.5 Truck
What can I say about Hobbico-sponsored Corey Crosley except that he was amazing! He put on a true driving clinic in one of the largest classes of the race. Crosley not only TQed each and every round, but he also went unchallenged in the A main, taking an impressive win.

13.5 Buggy
Team Checkpoint's Mike Zakowski came out of the box on fire and went straight to the TQ position. In the A main, he checked out from the field and nailed an easy win. "Zippy" also used his Futaba radio to guide him to the front with pure confidence.

Stock Short Course
Short course classes seem to be growing at an alarming rate and so does the competition. In the stock class it comes down to perfect laps and great batteries…and that's what Team Checkpoint / Futaba driver Chris Arnold had. Chris took the early lead and protected it the entire race.

Modified Short Course
Once again, Chris Arnold used his Team Checkpoint batteries and Futaba 4PK to take the TQ spot. In the main, it was a great battle between the top three drivers. In the end, Arnold made it a clean sweep in the 2WD short course classes.

4WD Short Course
Nitro ace and Futaba team driver Matt Gosch put on an awesome driving display, taking the TQ and putting a lap on the field in the A main. Coming in a strong second place was Team Checkpoint / Futaba driver Brad Brucker.

Electric 1/8
This was the first year for this class at the Chi-Town and the competition was excellent. Dayton Miller used his TQ spot to get a clean start and stay out of trouble for the win. Team Checkpoint / Futaba driver Scott Cramer put on a charge from mid-pack to finish in second place.

Rookie
As always at the Chi-Town race, we had a strong group of rookie racers. This year's event saw CT Malvitz take the win, with Nick Richards in second and Craig Schlegel placing third.

Dash for Cash
Setting another record, the raffle raised an amazing $915.00 to be divided between the three classes. Taking the win in 13.5 truck was Hobbico-sponsored Corey Crosley. In modified buggy it was Futaba driver Chad Due, and in the modified short course race it was Al Horne.

Short Course Enduro
Another tradition at the Chi-Town race is the short course team enduro race...can you say 30 minutes of pure chaos! Continuing his dominance in the short course classes, Team Checkpoint / Futaba driver Chris Arnold teamed up with Johnny LoGiudice to take the overall win and claim the $150.00 prize.

O'Donnell / Motorama...The Winning Tradition Continues!

Harrisburg, PA
February 20-21, 2010

Just as they did last year, the O'Donnell Team came into Motorama with something to prove. This time it was with three new cars, the Z01-B SG, Z01-T SG and the Z01-E. On-road legend and team driver Barry Baker was also out to prove that he could run with some of the best off-road drivers in the country.

Electric 1/8 Buggy
Baker went out in the first round and set a blistering pace, taking the TQ for the round. When all the rounds were finished and the qual points were tallied, Baker ended up second overall. In the main, however, Baker had other plans - he took the early lead and never looked back. The brand new Z01-E never missed a beat either, proving that it will be a car to reckon with. Baker also used the Team Checkpoint 5000 / 40c LiPo racing packs to provide the juice needed to take the win.

Nitro 1/8 Pro Buggy
Disappointed with his second qualifying spot in electric buggy, Baker laid the smack down and proved to everyone that on-road drivers CAN drive off-road! Besides the excellent drive by the "Fabulous One", the Z01-B SG was extremely impressive in its national debut, taking the overall TQ in the premiere class. Unfortunately, a few miscues in the main event dropped Baker back to a sixth place finish.

Nitro 1/8 Pro Truggy
If other drivers don't know this by now, the last thing you want to do is motivate Baker...all it does is make him drive harder and faster...and that's what he did in the truggy main event. The first half of the race saw an epic battle between Baker and Jason Ashton...some people even stated it was one of the best races they ever saw. After Ashton had a slight issue, Phillip Atondo was there to pick up the slack and another epic chase began. In the end, the "Fabulous One" took the win in pro truggy.

Once again, O'Donnell proved that you don't want to mess with the underdog, because you might get bitten!

Statement...Made!

KO Grand Prix
West Coast RC Raceway
California
December 12-13, 2009

The KO Grand Prix, held this past weekend, marked Barry Baker's first race after returning to Team Checkpoint. He and the brand had already won three national titles together and really wanted to make a statement. Mission accomplished!

Baker took his Team Checkpoint 5.5 Modified Brushless Motor to the front of all four qualifying rounds, beating out some of the best drivers in the country including a world finalist. When the A mains rolled around, Baker made quick work of the field ⃛ the A1 and A2 wins were no problem.

In the hotly contested 13.5 class, Baker picked up right where he left off in modified. First he took the TQ with his Team Checkpoint 13.5 Spec Brushless Motor. In a spec class where every ounce of power makes a difference, Baker had full confidence in his Team Checkpoint 5000 LiPo batteries.

Like a broken record, Baker laid it down in A1 and A2 to take the overall win. Then he got to sit back in stands with a hot dog and Coke to watch them duke it out for the first loser position.

Congratulations to Barry Baker and Team Checkpoint for truly making a statement!

Photos courtesy of: Hot Bodies / RedRC.net

Another Check in the Win Column!

Team Checkpoint Chitown Shootout
March 9, 2009
Joliet, IL

This past weekend saw another Team Checkpoint Chitown Shootout put in the record books…and it didn't disappoint. As always, the race was held at the world class Leisure Hours Raceway facility in Joliet, IL. When the racers walked in the door, they were treated to a supercross-like track that provided some awesome racing all weekend.

With over 160 entries, the racing was very competitive and included some of the fastest racers in the Midwest. During qualifying, Team Checkpoint drivers Steven Hartson, Sarah Ernst, Chris Arnold, Scott Cramer, Jimbo Kvidera and Max Cramer were super fast and sitting comfortably in the A mains.

Before the mains were run came one of the great Shootout traditions…the Dash for Cash. Not only was it a record-setting weekend for entries, it was a record-setting weekend for the cash…for the dash. Each dash winner would receive $230.00! When the dust settled, Corey Crosely grabbed the money in 19T Truck, while Doug Younker took it in Mod Truck. In the final dash, Team Checkpoint's very own Steven Hartson took it all.

When the A mains got underway, all of the Team Checkpoint drivers had excellent runs. Coming out on top in the Sportsman class was eight-year-old Max Cramer (TQ). But the star of the event was the California kid, Steven Hartson. During qualifying, Hartson looked impressive by taking the TQ in Mod Buggy and qualifying 2nd in Mod 4WD. In the main event, however, Hartson put on a virtual driving clinic! When the dust settled, Hartson put a lap on the field in each of his A mains!

When asked about the event, Hartson had this to say…"This was my first time racing in the Midwest on a track surface like this…I've never seen so much traction…The tracks out in California have nothing on this one. This is one of the coolest layouts I have raced on…I can't wait until next year!"

All Team Checkpoint drivers used the Futaba FASST system and Futaba servos in their vehicles.