SPOLDS

Wow! this brings back some memories. I was searching for a drag race photo and stumbled on this thread. I raced at the Cajon RC Offroad track from 1988 to 1990 including all the ROAR points races. I ran a couple races at the RC Race Center in Lakeside but i didnt care for the small indoor format and never returned. I also ran one practice race at NTC and the NTC invitational race that i qualified in the A-Main and lead every lap and clipped the barrier on the last turn on the last lap giving the lead to the racer representing RC Race Center and i finished 2nd. Other than those races all my time was spent at Cajon. My primary racer was a Jrx2 that i bought in 1988 that I converted to a offroad truck and i only ran 7-cell Open off road division at Cajon. I built a backup truck in 1989 using another Jrx2 chassis instead of the then new JrxT chassis only because my chassis were very competitive and winning a lot of races. My truck was known by most competitors andmy friends at Cajon as the "Purple T". I was also tuning my Jrx2 based trucks for friends Mike McCaskill, Richard Calahan, Greg Schaefer and Mike Morris who all won races at Cajon. I quit RC racing because i lost my job in 1991 and simply couldnt afford it anymore. I later purchased a couple Losi GTX trucks to play with but i started a paintball business in 1994 and sometime in late 1995 or 1996 i was playing around with the idea of opening a off road RC track in East Chula Vista and I purchased the AMB timing system from RC Race Center which was closing its doors for good but a falling out with the land owner where the track was being constructed killed the RC Track project and the timing system was packed away and sits in a box in the back room of my paintball shop that is still groing strong 17 years later. I still to this day have my very first Jrx2 conversion that had 3 years of hard racing and is 24 years old and still runs great as well as my last Jrx2 conversion and my 2 GTX gas trucks and 2 toolboxes full of BNIB spare parts. I had a lot of fun racing RC off road trucks and i could never let myself sell my stuff. I spend most of my time these days racing my drag car at Barona Dragstrip, but i may bring my old RC cars out just to play around. I think I may even still have a couple pics of Cajon RC Speedway and my "Purple T" which ill post if i can find them.

Art Rizzi
Velocity Paintball
Adkins & Rizzi Racing

Cpt.America

iTrader: (52)

Art... your name sounds familiar... however I was only 12-13 when I was racing there, so names are a bit cloudy. The only guy that I REALLY remember, was a buggy driver that i always pitted with named Daniel Utt. I myself always came with my dad, Charlie, and we came in his big tan colored work van, and had a little banner with "Team Central" printed on it.

Definitly post pictures!

Mopar

The Cajon track was much older then people realize. In the 60's the oval was a Quarter midget track (full scale). It sat collecting weeds for 20 some years. Then Norm Sullivan opened Cajon R/C Speedway with Jack Roland as a partner. When Jack got out Norm ran it with his son and wife. Then it closed for almost 2 years. It re-opened as M & L Raceway, operated by Mike and Larry. They lasted less than a year. The Jim Hughes and I (Mopar) with help from my mom, who past this last sept 19. We lasted almost 2 1/2 years. RC Racing Center was owned by Russ and Cindy Escalera in 3 locations in Lakeside. The first was on Woodside accross the street from the KFC. Next the moved down to the corner at the freeway exit and had their first track outdoors and that dirt was like racing on dusty concrete. Then they moved down on Channel Rd and had the indoor track. Steve should remember that location, he and his whole family use to race every friday and sunday and the occasional tuesday night. The Del Mar track was owned originally by the Losi's as the Ranch Pit Shop. They sold it to Eddie and Linda Perez operating as E & L Raceway.

SPOLDS

here are a few pics i came across the other day

1 pic of track, i dont know who that is in the pic.
2, 3 & 4 are of my 2nd Purple T raced at Cajon
5 was my last truck that ran at Cajon

Cpt.America

iTrader: (52)

I gotta bump this thread again. Somewhere along the line Norm's son responded, and I missed it. Anybody else around that raced at El Cajon RC speedway back in the day? Lets see more people and more pictures! Dan Utt, you out there?

thesmogman

Hi Capt. and all,

WOW what memories you have uncovered. I raced at all the track's mentioned here both on road and off road. Won my first heat at El Cajon with my Frog, yes my Frog. I was racing from 88 thru 91 and was a part of Team Kamakazi with Mike Lee and Mike Skube. I helped out on the track at "The Murph" both on road and off and don't forget the dirt oval. Then I worked on the track in Kearny Mesa behind the Hobby Warehouse on Convoy St.

Thank's for the flashback's!!

Martin

snaketaco

iTrader: (9)

I raced here after it became M&L raceway before I left of the Army. I ran offroad and oval with a man named Ed Snell. He would have the car all ready I would just show up and drive. A great man. I even worked the tech station on some of there points series.

I started out at the lakeside track and raced hobby city Tuesday nights with my LXT.

Cpt.America

iTrader: (52)

If you ran Tuesday night Offroad back in 88-89/90, then you certainly ran with me. I always ran stock 2wd buggy.

JTooker

iTrader: (1)

This was first track I raced at also with my Losi JRX2 , alot of fun times with Jade Kurtchi .

thesmogman

I remember that name!! WOW. I believe he also raced at the Hobby Warehouse too. I can't believe we are talking about things that happened 20ish years ago.

Too cool.

Saw this thread come back and remembered Jade's dad's name Wayne. It would be great to do a flashback race.

Cpt.America

iTrader: (52)

Gotta use my semi-annual bump here! Any more late 80s El Cajon RC Speedway track rats out there?

MPrincip

iTrader: (2)

That was some great times! I raced On-Road and Offroad there! We also raced at the indoor track In Lakeside, had the Track at the Murph and track in Del-Mar!

I was fast back in those days... LOL I think that is me in the picture all the way on the left ofthe DriverStand.

The Clan was Kris Moore, Erik Sauderquist, Myself, Bob O, Bill Steel (Hot Trick Stuff), Barry Baker.

I am really dating myself here!

thesmogman

Bob Omeara Precision motors?? The best dressed guy at the track. Barry with his huge cardboard box of goodies.

RDenney

I raced with all of you I remember the NORRCA Nationals at NTCSD in 1993.

RCLarry

I raced here when I was I was in the Navy. It was some time between 1986 and 1989 IIRC.

I raced in the first ever ROAR 1/4 scale Nationals in the Stock Cars. I think I came in 2nd. Third was NOT happy with me

Never have been able to find a race result though...

I don't remember the exact names of the cars, but there were two dominant at the time. The one with the real-life tube design, which I started off with. Then we found out how expensive it was to repair and like most I moved to the RACO cars.

I kinda miss those days

I was also flying RC Helicopters at the time. I'm not sure which cost me more money LOL

Yes I do. Helicopters. By FAR.

I remember when I was racing there the lease holder (and owner of the big track) would not let us have official races on Saturdays because we stole people from the real race track LOL We could have limited practice, but no races and I think we had to be out of there by 4pm or so.