THE Cub Report – I HATE Cheaters

Ya know what? Everybody hates cheaters, but me in particular, I absolutely loathe them. They are lower than a quadcopter’s price at a gas station and deserve every bad thing that happens to them.

For example… a bunch of years back I was racing at an indoor track in Albion Illinois (the name was Rectors I think?). This was in Southern Illinois, an off-road track that sported fast names like Dunbar from back in the day. This was well before brushless became common place, so one winter I decided I was going to run stock buggy. At that time, “stock” buggy meant 27 turn brushed motors, with the most popular coming from Trinity and Reedy. Sadly, I was a motor tuning freak, spending at least 2 hours a night turning comms, serrating brushes, etc. Running stock, I was truly obsessed with making sure I had the fastest buggy in the class. Finally, the first race of the winter season came around, and while I didn’t think I was going to win, I was 10000% sure I was going to have the fastest stock buggy at the track. Ya, I was stretching the rules a bit, I was running a bearing on the output shaft side and my batteries were as good, or better, than the highest factory drivers were getting (one of the perks of working in the industry, I had access to the cells FIRST!).

During my first qual I was pitted against a long time racing buddy of mine, I will call him “Bob” for purposes of THE Cub Report. Bob and I had been rivals for years, and not nice ones, we were hardcore, like we wouldn’t even talk to each other in the pits. The tone went off for our first qual of the season and both me and Bob rocket out front (this was before “IFMAR” starts were commonly used in quals). Bob was leading and I was hot on his tail, which I thought was no big deal as I just knew I was going to out power him down the main straight where I would pass him for the lead. Entering the main straight I was right on Bob’s rear bumper. He punched it, I punched it, and away we went. However… instead of me passing him with my illegal set-up, he pulled me by 3 buggy lengths! What the heck? How could that be?

I got beat that weekend, so for the next race I really upped the stupid factor. I went to a full on 19 turn based cheater motor so I was one billion percent SURE I was gonna show Bob what was up. Sure enough, half way through the first qual, Bob and I met up again. This time I was leading and he had snuck up on me when we both hit the straightaway. Oh ya, I was gonna show Bob what Real power was about. We hit the straight and I hammered the throttle on my Losi XX, he pounded the trigger on his Associated, and… he rocketed by me into the lead. What the… seriously???

So the third weekend of indoor season I was NOT messing around any longer. I went straight to a 12 turn based “stock” motor because there was NO WAY I was going to get out powered in the stock class again. I took 6 full hours meticulously building/tuning the fastest hand wound 12 turn armature that money could buy and had perhaps 6 of the best NiMH batteries that had ever hit a Turbo Matcher. Kinwald would have died to have had my cells. Anyways, in the first qual I never got close to Bob because I made a couple of driving mistakes, so I was salivating for the tone to sound for Q2. The tone went off, Bob and I rocketed to the front, and the race was truly on. Nearing the end of the first lap I was once again right on Bob’s bumper, the main straight loomed directly ahead, and my revenge was going to be oh so sweet. 🙂 We hit the straight side by side and of course we both nearly broke our triggers completely off by slamming them WFO so hard. Half way down the straight we were STILL side by side, are you kidding me? “Bob, that 27 turn of yours sure is ripp’n!” I said to him on the stand. It was a HOF showdown of man and machine, with neither of us willing to lose the race to the end of the straight.

Then came the wall. With neither of us wired to shut off first, we drag raced ourselves straight into the wall that laid just past the end of the straight. It looked kinda like someone had put two buggies worth of plastic parts in a 5 gallon bucket and then lit off an M80. Both of our race days were over, but I hit first and I hit hardest, and that was the only thing that mattered at that time. A person has to have proper priorities, just say’n. LOL

Since that day, I have always hated cheaters, or at least hated people that cheated worse/better than I did. LOL Oh yes, my younger days, when I had absolutely zero conscience about anything. Growing older is hard on the body, but it sure helps wise a person up.

Well that’s it for this week’s Cub Report, thanks for reading but now I’ve got to go work on a “special 17.5” for an upcoming race this weekend! Until next week, support your local hobby shops and bash spots when ya can.

YOUR Cub Reporter