As 2024 begins, we wrap up the 2023 season with the final Racer Recap featuring the 2.2 Class Champion and the Series Event Director/President Jeremy Bunting.
How many years have you been racing R/C Monster Trucks? 6 years
What other forms of R/C do you enjoy? I really enjoy crawling since it is on the other end of the spectrum from racing and is a fun, relaxing time. I want to get out and do some more this offseason.
What was your biggest accomplishment this season? I’d say winning the 2.2 class for the third straight season and having my other truck make the podium too was the highlight as a racer. I was fortunate enough to travel to some of the biggest events in the country this year which was a great experience and will hopefully translate to better results on the track and continuing to put on top-notch events. As a promoter, I thought the Summer Showdown was the best to date and am very proud of how that went.
What did you think of the 2023 Points Series? I had a blast! We’ve got a good group of racers and great tracks to hold our events and I feel like every year is getting more dialed in.
Who was your toughest competition this year? Sam, Zac, and David are always tough, now we’ve got Marc who got fast quick and Romo and me had some good battles all year long too. I really like the level of competition that we have in our series.
What are your plans for this offseason? Getting as much practice as possible and going into next year with the same trucks dialed in instead of figuring out the best ways to set them up and drive them. I’m also looking forward to getting my new Challenger Class tube chassis from Sam Elliott together which has been in the works for a while and I can’t wait to finally debut it.
What are your goals for next season? What classes do you plan on racing in? I want to be on the podium in every class. I won the 2.6 class in 2021 and Retro in 2022, and missed both podiums this season and want to get back to that level. I had some unfortunate breakage early on that ended up being the difference in making the podium and want to make sure that does not happen next year. I’m also looking forward to the 2.6 Challenger Spec Class next season!
Anyone you need to thank/other thoughts? I have a lot, starting with a huge thank you to all the racers for coming out and to everyone who was able to help the events run smoothly from timing, scoring, announcing, watering, and setting up to tearing down. Rescue Community Center RC, AMain Silver Dollar RC Raceway, and Auburn RC for being such great accommodating hosts, and to our sponsors who made this year possible: JConcepts, BlackMarket RC, Bee Line Trucking, AMain Hobbies, Protek RC, Insano Industries, EcoPower, Brass Ring Fab, Losi, Treal, Dahled Up Cookies, FMS, and Wine Country Monster Trucks. A big thank you to Sam Elliott, Jacob Smallwood, Mike Bufka, and Isaac Ankrom for all the help building the Showdown track. Also want to give a shoutout to Bob Tarvin for getting photos at our events and to Arthur and Nicki for doing videos and editing this year. And finally, a big thank you to David Heimbigner for helping get the new Agitator trucks built and dialed in throughout the year.