Jackson RC Raceway

25.5 Formula 1 — Memorial Race Preview

The 25.5 Formula 1 class at the Gregory Brown Memorial Race is shaping up to be one of the most star-studded fields of the day — twenty-one cars representing one of the largest F1 turnouts the Jackson asphalt has seen in some time. The class has been quietly building momentum over the winter and appears to have consolidated into a genuine weekly fixture, and the Memorial is the perfect stage to showcase just how far it has come.

Scooby Horton has won both F1 A-Mains in the Sundays of Summer series and arrives as the man to beat, rolling his Xray onto the line with that familiar swagger. Tim Potter has been on the podium both times out in the series and will be pushing hard to finally get a step higher, wheeling his Excelerate onto the Jackson asphalt. Tyson Knight on his Schumacher has the pace to be in the A-Main mix and will be looking to make his presence felt.

Jamie Gonzalez makes the trip all the way from Connecticut with his Tamiya and is always in the mix for a win in this class — don't let the travel fool you, he arrives ready to race. Kregg Kerr also makes the journey down from Connecticut, another F1 faithful running his Tamiya and bringing that out-of-state energy to a Memorial field that is better for having them both. Tony Screws rolls in on his Exotek as something of a wildcard — a racer who used to be a fixture at the front but has been away for a while. When Tony is on, he is very much on, and nobody will be taking him lightly.

Then there's the contingent coming down from 360v2 in support of the Memorial, and this group deserves a proper introduction. Lazaro Lopez — known to everyone as Laz — is a highly respected carpet racer whose home track is 360v2, and he's brought his Exotek down to Jackson to pay his respects and put in some laps. Viva Zapata, also out of 360, arrives on an Exotek as well. And Bearthur Johnson Jr., making his first appearance at Jackson this season, is no stranger to the F1 class — well known in the regional community and running an Exotek with the confidence of someone who has been doing this all winter. Laz, Viva, and Bearthur have been racing F1 together at 360 throughout the winter, and that cohesion shows. They are not here just to participate.

Bobby K — Robert Kaczmarek — rolls out his Tamiya TRF 104, a familiar sight in the F1 class and a welcome addition to the grid. Rich Lemence and Ira Pachter both bring Schumachers to the fight, giving the field a nice mix of hardware up and down the order. The Moreira brothers — Pedro and Jose — had their first real run at F1 just last week and impressed everyone watching. It's a demanding class with a steep learning curve, and they took to it quickly. Expect them to be more comfortable this time around. Juwan Hunter, making his first appearance of the season on a Serpent, is competitive and knows what he's doing. John Brown brings out the lone Carisma in the field — a true F1 class staple — and a familiar and beloved presence on the grid. Carl Casimir, Joseph Nolasco, Rock Umbrino, Aaron Pryor, and Tito Gonzalez round out a field that has genuine depth from top to bottom.

One note that sets this class apart from the rest of the day — F1 is an open tire class, and tire management is one of the great hidden battles of Formula 1 racing. In the cool of the morning, super softs are the weapon of choice, offering maximum grip as the track comes in. But as the sun climbs and the asphalt heats up, reading the track becomes as important as reading the competition. The smart money knows when to step up to softs, when to reach for mediums, and when the hard tire becomes the secret weapon — and as the sun starts to set and temperatures shift again, the whole equation can flip right back around. On a long race day like the Memorial, tire selection isn't just a setup choice, it's a strategic decision that can make or break a run at the front. Exotek rubber has been the most popular choice across the field, but Excelerate, Sweep, Saxo, and others are also represented, adding another layer of intrigue to an already compelling race.

Twenty-one cars. Open tires. A class that has found its footing and is only getting stronger. Some of the best F1 talent the region has to offer. The Gregory Brown Memorial Race F1 main is going to be something special.

LMH 25.5 Gregory Brown Memorial Preview

The 25.5 LMH class has been one of the most competitive on the Jackson asphalt all season, and the Gregory Brown Memorial Race is shaping up to deliver more of the same. Sixteen entries across a field loaded with multi-class talent make this one of the premier races of the day.
Scooby Horton has been the class of the LMH field through both Sundays of Summer rounds — wire to wire in Race 1, dominant again in Race 2 — and arrives at the Memorial as the clear favorite. Unlike VTA where he's sitting out, Scooby is fully in for LMH, rolling his Xray X4 '25 onto the line looking to make it three for three.
Jones Kim has been right behind him both times out, finishing second in Race 2 and pushing Scooby hard throughout — on a Schumacher, making him the man in the middle of an Xray sandwich up front. Andrew Bezman has a podium and the pace to move further up, his Xray giving him the tools to challenge at the front.
Ira Pachter on an Xray X4 2025 has been a consistent A-Main presence and comes in with the hardware to match. Eric Polanco is a man on a mission — running in multiple classes throughout the season, the wheel time is starting to show. His pace has been building steadily and LMH is one of the classes where that improvement is becoming hard to ignore. Tony Crea brings his Mugen to the LMH class as he continues to grow, building experience and pace with every race. RG Madridejos won't give up positions easily.
Then there's Jammin' Jeff — a well-respected name in the regional RC community, fast in every class he touches, and a name to watch from the moment the tone sounds. Chris D'anna has been showing real speed as of late and comes in with momentum. Fred Perkins — the ironman of the indoor champs — can always be counted on to be competitive.
Simon Wong is a name the Jackson faithful know well — last year's Most Improved Driver award winner at Jackson RC Raceway, and a racer who has done nothing but build on that momentum. Casey Young makes the trip up from Maryland, where he owns the world-renowned 180 Raceway, bringing his Tamiya to the line and a reputation that speaks for itself. And you won't have any trouble spotting him on track — Casey's cars are famously finished in PS-3 blue, every single one of them. At this point it's less a color choice and more a personal brand. Just look for the blue car. You can't miss it.
Juan Villafane, Ben Harbur, and Joe Ortiz round out a deep field where no position is given away easily.
And then there's Charles Bruno, making his triumphant return to racing after the birth of his first child. Charles comes back on his NYGP-winning Xpress XQ11R — and if he's shaken off any rust, the rest of the field will know about it quickly.
The Memorial carries no series points, but in a class where Scooby has owned the top step all season, anyone who can find a way past him will have something to talk about for a long time.

Second in the series for Gregory Memorial Race previews is the GT2 class..

GT2 — Memorial Race Preview

The Tamiya GT2 class arrives at the Gregory Brown Memorial Race with perhaps the deepest and most compelling entry list of any class on the day. Twenty cars will take to the Jackson asphalt, and the field reads like a who's who of Jackson RC racing.

The Sundays of Summer series has established a clear pecking order in GT2 — Al Sodano, Jones Kim, and Timothy Potter have traded paint across both race days, with Al taking Race 1, Jones winning Race 2 after a memorable multi-lap battle, and the three of them rarely separated by more than a car length. The Memorial brings no series points, but these three know each other's lines by heart and that rivalry isn't taking a day off.

Dan Arnold is a genuine threat to anyone on this entry list — fast, consistent, and capable of running at the front. Chris Palermo is the kind of racer who can win on any given day, and the Memorial is exactly the stage he thrives on. Jeff Yatsko has proven himself across multiple classes this season and will be pushing hard. Tony Screws has the pace to mix it up with the leaders when everything clicks, and Andrew Bezman is a young gun who has all the tools — it may just be a matter of time before he finds himself standing on the top step. Marius Akim has shown real speed in Pro Spec this season and brings that form into GT2 — don't sleep on him.
John Incantalupo, Rich Lemence, Eric Polanco, John Wolff, Ira Pachter, Joe Ortiz, Joe Blanch, Chris Holovka, Ben Harbur, and Blake Jines-Storey round out a field where experience and pace run deep at every position. John Brown will be racing on his home turf as always, running his hobby shop out of the pits while putting in laps on track.

And then there's the visual element. A gentlemen's agreement among the GT2 field has pushed most racers away from the ubiquitous Raikiri body and toward something with a little more character — R34s, R8s, BRZs, and a variety of other scale-looking shells will be on track Saturday. The racing will be serious, but the cars are going to look the part too.

With 20 cars and the series leaders all present, GT2 at the Memorial is must-watch racing.

Some Prospec pics from 6/7.... yeah