That time of the year has come, the big boys of the RCMTC pro-mod division are ready to rock and roll and ready for the 2016 season to start. 17 trucks invaded the RC Madness hobby and racing facility in Enfield CT for Round #1 of one of the biggest season long championships there is ,the 2016 RC Monster Truck Challenge Crawford Performance Points Series!! This year brings a new tweak to the all new points system debuted last year, giving this year already a promise of one of the most competitive points series we've ever had. 2014 saw a new one off championship bracket after the early rounds in the day going towards a quaifying spot in the championship bracket. For the first time, the season long points series gets that very format. The drivers competed in three qualifying brackets, earning them points along the way, the points being tallied at the end would seed the trucks for the championship bracket. From there on, it was winner take all for the early points lead.
Today's challenge was one not normally seen throughout the rest of the 2016 outdoor points season, but commonly seen among r/c events across the country, indoor carpet track racing. Before the trucks head outside on the dirt, a fast and challenging chicago style carpet track would test the drivers skill. Trucks faced a high grip factor in the turns, causing some trucks to lift the inside tires off the ground ,the drivers were getting better by each pass. Derrick Algieri's Excaliber, by the surprise of no one, emerged as a top threat after a tire swap to brand new Pro-line Destroyer tires found the right combination to get speed out of the track. Phil Henderson would also really turn heads this event, after a strong season last year, his truck Super Clod was strong enough to qualify in the number two position. It was Kyle's Samson however that picked up where he left off in the 2015 World Finals. Samson won the top qualifying spot and the number one seed and just like the world finals back in October, took it all the way to the finals and would meet Derrick's Excaliber to battle it out for the event win and early points lead, a race that Samson was able to win. Samson again proved that his Crawford Performance Terminator 2K15 chassis was a dominant chassis and is now 2 for 2 in events raced. Samson will be tought to contend with this season but rest assured, the battle is on and the awesome monster trucks of the RCMTC will be turning up the heat when we get to Points Series Round #2. Enjoy some pictures and videos from today's event and we'll see you in the dirt! Thanks to Mike Byrnes for contributing some awesome photos.
