The 2012 edition of Leisure Hours Raceway’s ChiTown Shootout was the 4thtime Cush has attended the race, and his expectations were high for the weekend. Going into the weekend he figured there was good shot at A-main runs in both 4wd SC and 4wd buggy, and considering the competition coming in for the race, a B-main run for 2wd buggy would be strong for him.
As qualifying shook out, Cush showed speed in both the 2wd and 4wd buggy classes, but had trouble getting in consistent runs. His DEX210 was fast, and in round one he was on a pace to put him in the middle of the top ten only to be taken out by a lap car. Unfortunately that would be his best run of the weekend, and he landed 10th in the C-main out of almost 100 2wd mod buggies.
The DEX410 was also fast, but as the track got rougher the balance between damping and pack was compromised and the decision was made to switch to a set of MOS Big Bores from Tresrey. A risky gamble, but in the end it paid off as he was able to lay down a #9 overall time in the final qualifying round and earned the #5 spot in the B-main. Not quite what he had hoped, but there were bumps in all classes, so making the A was still within reach.
4wd SC however was a different story as he grabbed a 3 in the first round and backed it up with 2 more top ten runs going into the last round of qualifying. The last round was his best yet as he and TLR driver Matt Castellano ran nose to tail for almost the entire race, with Cush finishing just behind Matt and getting a 2 for the round. His 2 and 3 earned him the #4 spot in the extremely tight 4wd SC field.
The first of the mains was the 2wd Buggy C-main, and after changing tires for the ever changing track conditions, Cush was ready to make a push for a bump spot. A rough start saw Cush have to get marshaled off the tube in turn one, but he buckled down and put on a charge for the front. Lap by lap he worked through the field, passing cleanly and being very careful as to when and where to make a move to get by. At the tone Cush finished 3rd, just one position out of the bump spot.
Next up was the 4wd buggy B-main where Cush was sitting 5th on the starting grid. From the tone Cush seemed to be on a mission as he went from 5thto 2nd on the first lap. For the next few laps Cush and the race leader, Mikey Paige, distanced themselves from the field and drove a pace that was right on par with the A-main qualifiers. Heartbreak hit for Cush though when he clipped a tube coming off the back straight and lost a tie rod. A disappointing end to what was shaping up to be his best run of the weekend in 4wd buggy.
The last main was 4wd SC, and Cush was determined to bring home a trophy and represent his sponsors on the podium. In the first turn a truck turned sideways and forced Cush to drive through so as to not lose any ground in the tough field, but at the end of lap one he was riding in 3rd. Clean lines and consistency let him build a gap over 4th place, but 1st and 2nd appeared to be stretching out over Cush at the same time. With a few laps left, Zac Rose, who had been running in 2nd to Matt Castellano, began to make mistakes and let a mistake-free Cush catch up. When Cush got by with only two laps left, Zac tried to go big and triple-single the front straight (rather than double-double like most others did) and paid the price, allowing Cush to build a lead he wouldn’t close. At the final tone Cush wrapped up the #2 spot with applause ringing for him throughout the building.
In what was an up and down weekend, Cush was able to run with some very fast racers, and even gained praise from TLR driver Frank Root, who congratulated him for his nice driving and told him to “Keep up the good work!” And of course, Cush is always excited to represent the great companies who support him on the podium!
A sincere thank you goes out to all of Cush’s supporters: Team Durango, Tresrey USA, TrakPower, Savox, Racer’s-Edge, B-Fast R/C Performance, and Leisure Hours Hobbies and Raceway.
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