2015 Vintage Offroad Nationals – Wolcott Hobby, Waterbury, CT
For 2015, the Team Associated Vintage Offroad Nationals returned to Wolcott Hobby and Raceway in Waterbury, CT with its unique race format, which features cars from the 1980s and early 1990s. Now in its 8th year, the Vonats attracted racers from around the world for a weekend full of vintage racing, collecting and good time. Classes included 2WD, 4WD, Stadium Truck, Classic and Heavy Metal. The race is unique because of its general lack of rules; there’s really only two: Have fun, and the car has to be old. So what is it about this race that draws racers from around the world? Read on to find out what has elevated the Vonats to be the premier vintage race around the world.
While there are a few different styles to the classes, they all use the standard format IFMAR qualifying style with three rounds on Saturday and one more on Sunday for latecomers. All cars are limited to a production date of 1994 with just a few popular exceptions like the Losi XX4. Building a car for next year? Here’s a closer look at each class:
• Tekin 2WD – In this class you’ll find original and rerelease RC10s, JRX2s, Kyosho Ultimas and others racing. These cars can be modified to fit modern tires and other mods but must run vintage style bodies. They’re fitted with 17.5 brushless motors and Lipo batteries or vintage brushed stock motors and NIMH if racers want to keep it old school.
• Extreme Hobby Shop 4WD – 4WD is the fastest class and not for the faint of heart. Here you’ll see Losi XX4s, Yokomo YZ10, and Kyosho Optimas racing hard under the power of 10.5 and 13.5 brushless motors. Because of the added power and traction and due to the wild style of their bodies, 4WD is a show stopper to watch and race in.
• Hitec Stadium Truck – This class features classic stadium trucks from Team Associated like the RC10T and T2 as well as Losi JRXTs and XXs. Like their buggy counterparts, Stadium truck runs on 17.5 and Lipo or vintage stock setups and is one of the largest classes at the Vintage Nats.
• Kyosho Classic – When considering “vintage” cars, nearly all of us started with a plastic tub buggy and that’s where Classic shine. This class see the widest variety of plastic tub cars from Tamya, Kyosho, and others and all run on Tamiya Sport Tuned 540 handout motors and Lipo batteries.
• Pro-Line Heavy Metal – Without a doubt this is the most exciting class. If one word could describe it, it would be pandemonium. Heavy Metal is broken up into two subclasses which run at the same time; Heavy Metal 1 which features oversized tire, high lifted trucks of various size like the Marui Big Bear, Tamiya Clod Buster and Kyosho USA-1 while Heavy Metal 2 is for the more race inspired monsters like the Tamiya King Cab and Blackfoot, MRC MT-10 and others. The combination of faster, smaller trucks running amongst slow moving behemoths makes from some insane car crushing racing action.
• Tamiya Novice – Want to bring the kids for the weekend but worried they’ll get bored while Dad plays with his toys? Not to worry, the Vonats even has a Novice class for kids 14 and under which uses the same cars as Classic but with their stock silver can 540 motors for power.
Along with a heavy hitting line up of classes at this year’s Vintage Offroad Nationals, JConcepts also stepped up to bring a concours event which featured collector’s and racer’s best of their collection. Jason Ruona came out to race and support the event by judging concours and gave away from pretty awesome prizes from JConcepts and Team Associated to the winners. This year, Joe Berlenbach took home Best In Show with his wild LED illuminated, all aluminum’d RC10, Kyle Batman won Best Paint with his amazing hand painted pinstriped RC10 Protech and John Marcotte took home Most Authentic with a killer instruction manual replica RC10. This year a fourth class was added for Best Build in which Reinaldo Vega took home top honors for not one but a pair amazing MIP RC10 4-10 Legend 4WD buggies!
- JConcepts owner Jason Ruona was on hand to race and talk vintage all weekend.
- Holy box art Batman! (…wait for it)
- Even Mom Reichert loves the Vonats!
- Team Old School RC
- The Steve Semararo FPV car is always a blast
- Ever wonder what it’s like inside a buggy?
- HE MADE IT!!! After years of broken promises, Gotti Jr. from the Radio Impound Podcast made the trek from parts unknown to check out the Vonats.
- There he is! The real life Batman, Kyle Batman!
- Team Extreme from Extreme Hobby Shop in Spring Hill, TN bought some sweet rides and took home some serious hardware!
This year’s Vintage Offroad Nationals was a great event that brought racers from as far away as Texas and Sweden to Wolcott Hobby and Airsoft in Waterbury, CT. The race’s sponsors, Team Associated, Tekin, Extreme Hobby Shop, Tamiya, Pro-line Racing, Hitec, Kyosho and JConcepts donated a truckload of prizes and helped put on another amazing event. Whether you’re a vintage collector, racer or just have an old buggy or truck in storage, the Vonats has a class for you. Without argument, this race is the most unique on the race calendar each year and a must see for all.