'Wonderful' Weekend 2026

This past weekend I went down south to the Atlanta, Georgia area to attend the Wonderful Weekend event. As seems to be customary this year the conditions (leading up to main day) were different from last year. Last year we had drier conditions for qualifying but this year with Flash flood warnings in the area and thus lots of moisture in the air the track stayed more damp through qualifying and I just didn't have the pace I was looking for.

In contrast to the above, when we first arrived and participated in practice session 1, the center of the track especially seemed a little drier than usual and on a fresh layout this caused this section to develop some difficult 'character' throughout. At the end of practice a few other sections joined the fun and in the end it was a very tough condition with reasonably higher grip during the mains but very sharp and abrupt bumps in many sections of the track. My most challenging condition.

Regretfully for me there isn't much to share results wise. So this blog is going to showcase a bit more of an insight into my struggles and some reprieve and personal growth come Sunday night. I'll have my MP11 set-up from after the main when Worlds qualifiers were allowed an hour of tracktime which was transformative for my mindset on the weekend.

I have a lot going on right now with preparing for another cross country move for my family to hopefully help my wife, but I truly came into this race with a perceived great mindset that it was going to be a good weekend and I was excited about some set-up things to try and I really thought I was going to be able to be very competitive. What transpired was nothing but struggles and those set-up ideas not translating to this type of condition which kept me on my back foot and always behind on the track. I made more mistakes and had some of my worst runs of my career especially on main day when i'm usually able to salvage a decent result even if qualifying didn't go my way. This time around it was totally a bust and not only was I not even remotely competitive, but I felt I was in the way and didn't even belong on the same track as those guys.

After seeing some others facebook posts (especially from multiple guys who have been around this hobby a long time like I have), the discouragement the track left us with I can tell was beyond just my own feelings. Many people struggled (some I heard from at the track) and others I see that many of us 'seasoned' racers nearly hit breaking points this weekend wondering if we simply have gotten too old to be competitive as we once were. Let me just say that after my hour of practice after the event I still know I can drive and compete. I don't feel I have lost anything ability wise and i'm excited again to get back out there. I know many others didn't get that opportunity to close out thier weekend the way I did but let me just encourage you in saying those conditions were tough for so many. Shake it off, hit up your home track, and find your comfort again. We didn't all magically loose our abilities this past weekend - The condition was HARD, we may not have found the answer during the event, but the solutions were out there.

Then we move beyond R/C for a moment for those who are interested as I know some can find encouragement in anothers faith journey. Beyond moving to Arizona to help my wife with her health (warmer, drier climate), we are also in dire need of finding a good solid Bible teaching church for our family which we can not find in our area. We found one we are really enjoying in Arizona and that is where our move is focused. We are listening to sermons from the pastor already as he is doing a chronological verse by verse study through the 4 gospels over about a 2 year period. His sermons have already been such a blessing and also i'm within a week of finishing my first "Read the Bible in 1 year" program. Getting back deeper into the Word of God daily and seeing what's truly important in life is helping my mindset again. Also as we prepare to move and decluttering the home and really drilling down to what's truly valuable is really starting to ease stresses brought on by clutter and 'stuff'.

So i've also been working on my prayer life and asking God to use me for His glory and to help me walk in His ways more and for Him to transform me to be more like Christ. I had a breakthrough on Monday when I got home. I've always struggled with communication even with my wife. I just don't talk much or deeply about what is going on in my life or how my weekened went or check in with her with how she is doing nearly as much as I know I should. It's been a lifelong struggle, but I got home yesterday and sat down with her and said "I want to tell you how my weekend went". I probably haven't done that since we were dating 17 years ago. I know in my reading that communication is so, so important and I know i've struggled with it but I finally through much prayer by me and my wife broke through yesterday and it was such a relief. I know much is from my upbringing and I just bottle things up and internalize and put all the stresses on myself. But I truly am seeking to be more like Christ and God is transforming me piece by piece, little by little as I seek Him more in prayer and daily in His Word. I'm trying to die to self and destroy that pride that I can cling so tightly to. It doesn't happen overnight even once you are saved, but that sanctification process keeps chipping away at that sinful nature we inherited.

So in short, God is good. Eternity with our creator is much longer and beyond comparison more important than any r/c race ever will be. We are created to Love God and Love others and when we walk in His Will and His precepts, no matter how difficult our present circumstances might be, we have a loving God to lean into and trust in and put our Hope in, in the things that truly matter.

Here is that MP11 set-up that I ended my practice session at the end of the event with:

-What helped the most from what I was running was the 6 hole pistons and Purple 81 springs front and rear (compared to the 5 hole set-up I was running and Red 70/81 springs) More compliant in the bumps and less transition from bumps to grip.

Heavier front sway-bar (2.4 instead of 2.3), Heavier rear swaybar (2.9 instead of 2.7) - Helped keep the car flatter and more supported in the higher grip, more control.

Raised the rear link in the rear hub to upper hole middle from lower hole middle - seems to support the rear more and be less catchy in the rough on this track.