2026 is here!
I am going to play with toy cars!
You are going to read about me playing with toy cars!
I might forget to post things; let me be honest, I will 100% forget to post things, but I will try. I have a new car this year, EB48 2.2, which is stock for now (well, technically 2, but we don’t talk about the 1/10 car).
Thanks for reading!
The R/C Tire Selector has come a long way since the original beta launch. What started as a simple “match tires to track conditions” tool has grown into something much bigger — and as of today, it’s open to everyone. No more beta keys.
Here’s what’s new.
The biggest change first: the beta key system is gone. Anyone can access the app now. Just accept the disclaimer, and you’re in. If you had a beta key before, everything still works — your favorites, your settings, everything carries over.
This is the feature I’m most excited about. The new Track Log lets you record your race sessions — what track you were at, what tires you ran, the compound, track temp, surface conditions, and how they worked. Rate your setup 1-5 stars and add notes.
But here’s the cool part: it’s shared. When you tap on a track in the Tracks tab, you can see what other people ran there too. Over time, this builds into a community knowledge base — before you even get to a track, you can see what tires worked for others in similar conditions.
The tire entry is smart — pick a brand and the tread list filters to only that brand’s tires. Pick a tread, and the compound dropdown shows only that tire’s available compounds. No typing, tap.
Tracks are shared across all users. You can add new tracks that everyone can see, and the app comes preloaded with several tracks in the Michigan/Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky area to get things started.
Select a single tire brand from the dropdown, and the header transforms — the app title swaps out for that brand’s logo. It’s a small touch, but it makes the experience feel more polished, especially when you’re focused on one brand.
New in Settings: a brand visibility filter. If you only run AKA and TZO, you can hide every other brand. They won’t show up in results, the dropdown, or suggestions. Tap “Hide All” then tap the brands you want — clean and simple.
The compound comparison chart was redesigned for mobile. Instead of showing categories (Ultra Soft, Soft, etc.) with each brand listed inside, it now shows brands as the headers. Tap a brand to see all their compounds, including codes, colors, temperature ranges, and which surfaces they’re best for.
This is way more intuitive — racers think “what does AKA offer?” not “what does every brand call their Soft compound?”
Raw Speed now has full compound data in the app with official temperature ranges straight from the manufacturer. SS, SSLW, Soft, SLW, Clay, and Gumball — all mapped with temps and surface recommendations.
The app keeps growing. On the short list:
The app is live and free at tires.dodgecityrc.com
No account needed. No beta key. Just open it and go.
Your favorites sync automatically across sessions, and you can link multiple devices in Settings so your phone and computer share the same data.
If you find a tire that’s missing or have feedback, there’s a “Add Tire” option right in the app.
Let’s keep building something the R/C community actually needs. 🏁
I was finally able to do some eight scale racing this past weekend at Sandpit on their indoor track for the last nitro day points race.
My new Tekno EB 2.2 finally started coming into its own towards the end of the day, which left me feeling good. I cannot wait for outdoor season to start.
After a little suspense, the time has come to pull back the curtain on something I’ve been quietly building: the R/C Tire Selector WebApp — a tool designed specifically for 1/8 scale buggy racers to take the guesswork out of tire selection.
What started as a thought experiment quickly turned into something I felt was worth actually building and sharing with the community. If you’ve ever stood at the track unsure which compound to throw on based on the conditions, this app is for you.
At its core, the app lets you match tires to track conditions — fast and simply. Enter a track temperature, select your track condition, or do both. When you combine temp and condition, the app recommends a specific compound and tire. If you just pick a condition, it shows you the best tire options along with all available compounds.
Clicking on any tire pulls up a full breakdown: recommended track conditions, available compounds, temperature ranges for each compound, and a photo of the tread pattern so you know exactly what you’re looking at.
The app is actively growing. On the roadmap:
The app is currently in beta and not yet open to everyone — but I’m actively looking for testers to kick the tires (pun intended) and give feedback. If you want to get your hands on it early, reach out and I’ll send you a beta code.
Let’s build something the R/C community actually needs. 🏁
Video of the app working coming soon!
Tired of guessing which tires to run? Tired of digging through your pit box, wondering what compounds you actually have?
I’ve been working on something.
A tool that knows surfaces. Knows temperatures. Knows what’s in your arsenal and what’s not.
No more endless scrolling. No more second-guessing at the track.
Just answers.
Stay tuned.
I was “suckered” into racing 1/10, AGAIN! why do I let myself get talked into these things. I guess it is for the children! lol
So yeah, I went to RC One and raced 1/10 Stock 17.5 and 40+ mod (with my 17.5). Needless to say, it was a fun 3 days with Nathaniel, Ilan, and Wes. I also met Dylan and Dalton (one of whom I met previously outdoors).
17.5 was a blast once I got tires and gearing situated. I had the chance to bump from the C to the B, but nerves got the best of me.
40+ was complete chaos. I was running a stock car in a mod class with way more people than should have been in a class, but it was still a great time!
Would “probably” do again…..Probably……
As per usual, I planned to do this blog thing and stick with it. I did not. lol
Let’s try again.
Did some 1/10 racing the other day with Nate, Nathaniel, and Ilan. Shhh, don’t tell anyone.
It was fun. I had a great time. Little cars are hard lol.
Sorry for being absent. I have had some person life things going on, all good, that have kept me from racing. I am hoping to start racing again in September. For now I am focused on family because that is where I need to be 🙂 This life change is going to be great for me and my family and we have already seen the benefits. Thanks for coming to read and I will have more RC stuff posted as soon as I can 🙂
Thanks again!
-ME
2025 Summer Series Race 1 @ Novi Water Tower has concluded.
Lesson 1 for the day: One of these days I will learn that the inevitablility of me changing my diff fluid to match the surface is 100%. Until then, I shall me going into heat one with the wrong fluid and then changing it between rounds 1 and 2 :).
I really thought that the season opener would of been the biggest race day with 94 Drivers and 180 Entries but the the 1st round of the points series did not disappoint with 100 Drivers and 196 Entires. That meant only 2 rounds and a main just so we could finish the day.
All in all the day went well once we got the wind situation dealt with. Round 1 in both classes went okay. The track was just tool cold for what I chose tirewise but not horrible. Once it warmed up my tire chose was spot on.
Lesson 2 for the day: Always make sure your directional tires are on the proper way BEFORE glueing them.
So yeah, I glued a fresh set of tires for round 2 and the mains and I glued 2 of them the wrong way which meant I needed to unglue them when an exacto knife. FUN STUFF!! lol. Either way I sorted it out and the tires worked great!
All in all I guess I cannot complain since I didn’t change my fluids for round 1. I did struggle a bit in my eBuggy Main but I had a blast in my eTruggy main.
For my eBuggy main I stand by my statement that we should of restarted the eBuggy main due to people driving over others. Went for 2nd to last then had to climb back to 5.
For eTruggy, I ended up in 5th because I wasn’t paying enough attention to the announcer. I thought I was chasing 4th, then I let someone go by me who I thought was lapping me. Turns out I was in 4th and the person I let by was in 5th and was now in 4th. It was great racing and I enjoyed it alot.
I am pleased with my results @ the Novi 2025 Summer Series. I have one more race until I break for Xray Challange Prep.
Here is my obligitory photo
Welcome to the “Road to XRAY CHALLENGE”! Since XRAY CHALLENGE is 4 weeks away it’s time to start getting ready.
It’s time to start prepping my cars for the three-day fun-filled event. To start, we have these beauties, so now I get to rebuild my differentials on my ebuggy.
I have a few things that need to get done before then, including getting some practice in; Novi this weekend and TARCAR next weekend.
That’s all until my next Road to XRAY CHALLENGE post.
I hope to see lots of racers!
See my FAQ for more info about me and my stuff.
The Glass City Series Race #1 was this past Saturday. With a decent turnout, it looked to be a fun day! I didn’t have a plan other than redoing my diffs from the last race at Novi. I decided to stick with two classes, 40+ eBuggy and Open eTruggy. I struggled with tires and some setup, but I managed to work through them all, and both my eTruggy and eBuggy were looking good (not sure about that driver, though). Round one had me toward the bottom, with some tweaks, and rounds 2 and 3 moved me up toward B sort, which was an excellent place for me to be. My eBuggy was good for the mains, but I had a couple of driver errors, and I didn’t bump up to the next race. For eTruggy, I made a horrible audible for tire choice, which did NOT pan out for me. Oh well, I will get’em next time at the Glass City Series Race #2 or maybe #3!
For now, I am starting to prep for the 2025 XRAY Challenge @Brown’s Hobby. I need to replace some parts, as well as clean and rebuild. Then, I will have one or two races before heading to Brown’s. Last year at XRAY Challenge, it was stupid hot but also way fun. I am looking forward to hanging out with my usual pit neighbors and hopefully repeating or beating my results from last year.
I have the following options for races before Brown’s on the weekend of the 27th, so you will find me at one of these locations, I am sure.
Look for me at any of those and come say hi! I like making new friends and meeting new people.
