Elbows Deep in Someone Else's Engine at 200 Miles From Home — ROAR Nats Warmup

Practice day at the ROAR Nationals Warmup wasn't supposed to end with me elbows-deep in someone else's engine at midnight — 200 miles from home. But that's the deal with Team Marc's. I thought I was going to call it a night and wake up fresh. Instead, I found myself wrenching late into the night on a fellow driver's engine, then making the long drive through Northern California wine country to Silver Dollar RC Raceway in Chico. This was always going to be a data-gathering weekend — learn the layout, survive the super-green track, and make sure nothing falls off the car before race day. But practice day had other plans. A wheel nut decided to ghost me mid-run. The track was loose and dusty. And yet, somehow, the best moments weren't about lap times at all.This is what a real RC racing weekend looks like: the prep, the setbacks, the secret projects, and the people who make it worth showing up — even on the days you're running on empty. ⏱️ Chapters: 0:00 — Midnight wrenching & the Team Marks deal 1:04 — The drive to Chico 1:37 — Setting up camp 2:22 — The secret project with Marc 2:43 — Baseline setup & engine tune 3:53 — First run: wheel nut failure 6:01 — Nitro practice: taking it easy 9:39 — Seeing Steve & the social side 12:14 — Late night engine rescue, round two 🔧 My Setup: Mugen Seiki MBX8R US Edition (Nitro & Electric) 🔔 Subscribe for more RC racing from tracks around the world: If you believe showing up ready — even when you're not the fastest — is what this sport is about, hit subscribe. Next up: race day. JV Goes Racing is Powered By: Team Marc’s Racing Mugen Seiki Racing JConcepts AMain Hobbies ProTek RC TNR Fuels MIP RC Discharger Flashpoint RC Wilson Fine Design