SDC2024 Worlds Competition at Super-G Wrap
SDC2024 Worlds Competition at Super-G
October 4-5-6, 2024
This past weekend was the Super Drift Competition (SDC) Worlds Competition at Super-G R/C Drift Arena in Baldwin Park, CA. This has replaced the SDC U.S.A. Finals since this is the first year it has been officially opened to competitors worldwide. The U.S. drivers all qualified for the competition by competing during the 2024 season if they were near a SDC hosting region. If there were no regional competitions within 150 miles of their residence, they were still allowed to compete.
This year we had competitors from regions in SoCal (Los Angeles), NorCal (San Jose), Arizona (Peoria), Colorado (Elbert), Hawaii (Honolulu), Florida (Jacksonville), Florida (Orlando), Illinois (Waukegan), Nevada (Las Vegas), Massachusetts (West Wareham), Missouri (Jackson), Ohio (Mentor), Oregon (Portland), Texas North (Dallas), Texas South (Kemah), Texas East (Bryan), Texas West (Leander), Utah (Sunset), Washington (Seattle), Delaware, Nebraska, New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Illinois. International from Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Dubai, Indonesia, and Canada.
In total there were 138 competitors all coming to Super-G to throw down with some of the best in the U.S. and even the world (6 countries).
**Before we even get started, I must apologize for our horrible coverage (pics). Even though Joe and I say every year we will make sure to get a lot of pics, it's just not possible when we are running the event. Even when it's going smoothly, there are so many things that require our attention. We just need to come to terms with it, we will not have time to get pics. We will be asking for help next time around.
Thursday - The Meet and Greet
Although there were quite a few competitors here from Tuesday to get some early practice in, the official kick off was on Thursday for the Meet and Greet. It was clear from the start this was going to be an epic weekend. The laps everyone was putting down looked really good. The session was full of really good drivers. This was a nice, relaxed day. The calm before the storm if you weren’t stressing about your tune. Just about everyone seemed to just enjoying the day.
The Food
This year we decided to make chicken and beef bulgogi tacos and hot dogs for those looking for a simpler form of sustenance. It took a little longer than expected and Joe and myself ended up spending most of the time cooking. Cooking for 100+ people is a little different than 40-50. We were happy to do it, but we were beat after that. The clean up was the worst when you are already tired. Ha!
The Layout
We had laid out the course 1 day early since there were so many people already. We ran practice groups and got that all sorted. It took a few round of practice sessions to figure it all out, but in the end, it was a really good move. Had we not done this, practice on Qualifying day would have been short and I’m sure the scores would have reflected this. This year we had also added a driver’s stand and everyone was required to drive from there. This was an improvement on a few levels. It greatly reduced the time between each run since everyone now would be staged before their run, and when it was their turn to drive, they were visibly present and ready to go. It also allowed us to position all the barriers in the ideal locations to maximize the view of the course for the competitors. In the future, I think we may need to have an official Tuning and Practice day added to the schedule. We’ll see how that goes.
The Judges
Judging for the SDC2024 Worlds Competition are none other than Shaine Collins, Manny Campalans, and Alex Kingsbury. These guys deserve a huge round of thanks. Not only are these guys volunteering hours upon hours of exhausting concentration, but also sacrificing the chance to compete in the very series they have been building. Everyone should be aware, these guys are the backbone of this event. Without them and their dedication, SDC would not exist. Special thank you to Stephen Platt for coming out to sit in with the judges. We really appreciate you making it out this year!
SDC2024 Worlds Competition Debut - Team AD Conversion for the RD2.0 / RDX
Friday - Qualifying
What a day, what a day! As soon as we opened, we started running the Practice Groups. This was so we could maximize the amount of time each competitor had to clean and clear practice laps. With everyone trying to break in tires and not being limited, there is no way anyone can get any real practice in. We had 6 groups of 24, 10 minutes for each group. Watching the practice from above, it was clear the skill level from the previous years had leveled up considerably.
The Qualifying format was the same as last year, single qualifying run for 1 round, then a second single qualifying run for the last round for a total of 2 qualifying runs for each competitor. As always for SDC, the Top 31 are seeded for the Top 32, and the remainder battle it out for the last spot in Top 32. This means even if you qualify low, you still have a chance to take it all.
Rule Change
Due to the possibility of some competitors not making it to the battles based on the qualifying scores, we had made a change to the rules in regard to Contact. Previously, Contact in SDC would result in an automatic zero for the run. Since there was going to be a lot at stake, (making it to the battles or going home without battling) we judged contact and scored according to severity. To minimize any confusion, a slight tap would be -20 points, a little harder bump would be -40 points, and anything beyond that would be considered the same as a crash or zero. We also applied this to the battles, eliminating the automatic loss for a slight tap or bump. Although we were able to allow all 138 competitors into the battles, we still continued with this rule change. It will become part of the SDC2025 Rules since it worked well.
Round 1 Qualifying
Round 1 of Qualifying was exciting as expected! All the competitors obviously came to throw down and show what they have. At the end of Round 1, the Top 3 Qaulifiers were 91 / Ryo Ishii (Team Weld), 82 / Jeremy Yoon (Team RCO), and 81 / Adam Hokoki (The Establishment).
Round 1 Shake Up!
After the completion of Round 1, the judges called a driver’s meeting for an important announcement. Two of the 138 competitors (knowingly or unknowingly) were in violation of one of the rules. The rule in question:
SDC2024 Competition Rules (Rev. 9.1)
Rule 8-g - Lighting is not allowed during competition (This is the driver’s responsibility not tech)
This rule falls under the heading - ABSOLUTELY NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.
The competitors this affected were Ryo Ishii (Team Weld) and Vittorio Santiago (Team Super-G). Subsequently, their Round 1 Qualifying Scores would be null and void.
The backstory to this. After Ryo’s run, Ito-San (Weld Overdose Owner) approached Joe and explained he was hearing people complaining about Ryo violating the lights rule. The judges were already aware. Ito-San knowing the how competition works, stated, if the score is a zero, the score is a zero. He is a person true to the rules of competition. Much respect.
You may ask, why didn’t the judges just say something? As judges, it would be unfair for them to help or give advice during a competition. If they allowed the run to play, and then announced it would no longer be allowed, then the competitor who was in violation of the rule would have been given an unfair pass. Yes, it was “only” lights, but this applies to all rules. Are the judges allowed to help one competitor only? Absolutely not.
Had they announced it immediately after Ryo’s run, it would have unfairly helped anyone else who may be in violation of the same rule that had not driven yet. This would not fair to Ryo.
The result, a World Champion and a Super-G Team Driver were both penalized with a zero score. Not a call anyone wanted to make, but a necessary and stressful one.
Some might argue it’s a “stupid”rule. That’s until people purposely aim their lights upward to make them extremely bright, or have obnoxious flashing lights that are distracting to the drivers and judges, or have lights bright enough to make it difficult to see the other car competing beyond their car. Is it a “stupid” rule, or does it address stupid actions? I would argue it’s the actions of a select few that have ruined it for the masses. We are not going to spend the time and resources to make sure everyone who is running lights have them mounted and aimed correctly and are not too bright or connected to some crazy flashing controller. It’s just better for everyone to not allow them in competition. This is the reason for the rule which has been in place for the entire 2024 season.
Round 2 Qualifying
Round 2 was impressive with everyone turning it up a bit. I’m not sure if everyone shook the jitters, or what, but Round 2 was intense! Jordan Meyers (Team Hearbreak) put down a blistering 88 point run, landing him in the Top Qualifier (TQ) spot. Charles Ong (Tech 1 Drift) threw down a 87 point run, and Kalai Amanonce (Tech 1 Drift) with a 86 point run to round out the Top 3 Qualifiers. Ryo whose top score run was zeroed out from Round 1, put down a 54 point run, landing him in the Lower Bracket 3 (109th Place).
That wrapped up Qualifying and set the stage for the next day, Lower Brackets 4 through 2, working their way up to the Top 32 which would be on Sunday. What an exciting day!!!
The Top Qualifier of SDC2024 Worlds Competition was Jordan Meyers of Team Heartbreak with a score of 88 points!!! Closely followed by Charles Ong of Tech 1 Drift, and Kalai Amanonce, also of Tech 1 Drift!!! Congratulations to the Top 3, and the TQ - Jordan Meyers!!!
The Lower Brackets
The original plan was to cap the battles at 125, but since we ended up with just a few more, 138, we decided this year everyone would make it to the battles. SDC has always been about, if you show up, you battle.
Last year, the story of the Lower Brackets was Brennah Peepers-Dartt (Tech 1 Drift). She had worked her way from the bottom to almost the Top 32. If my memory serves correctly, she wasn’t eliminated til the final round of the Lower Brackets.
This year, Ryo started in Lower Bracket 3. All I can really say is this guy is extremely consistent. Not normal consistent, but unbelievably consistent. Each of his runs on his battles in the Lower Brackets seemed to be identical on his lead runs. No corrections, just solid, stable, and consistent lines and angles. On his chase runs, he would always go hard and with extremely tight proximity, regardless of what the lead car was doing. In the end, Ryo was able to work his way to the 32nd spot in the Top 32!!! Congratulations Ryo!
I need to say that although Ryo was able to work his way up from Lower Bracket 3, the level of skill this year was amazing! Every single competitor was very capable. I have to say, in my opinion, R/C Drift in the U.S. has come a very long way in a year. Everyone should be proud of themselves. Great job to everyone in the Lower Brackets! It was exciting to watch!
The Battle of the Big Dogs - Top 32!!!
The Top 32 line up this year didn’t come as a surprise. The Top 32 was comprised of all familiar names that are no strangers to the Top 32 battles. What was more surprising were some of the names not present this time around. As the skill levels rise, the more and more we will see this happening. When we had 20 competitors that were usually present, usually all 20 would make it. When you have in excess of 50 who would potentially be in the Top 32, there’s going to be a good amount not making it for whatever reason. Again, this just shows how the skill level has risen.
The first battle out of the gate was Jordan Meyers of Team Heartbreak (the TQ of the event) to battle Ryo Ishii of Team Weld Overdose (the Winner of the Lower Brackets). Jordan put on a seriously great lead run while Ryo put on an amazing chase. Then they switched positions and Ryo put down an equally amazing lead run. I wasn’t judging this time around, but I believe this battle was decided on the chase runs. While I would say the Leads were very similar, on Jordan’s Chase, he had a hard time maintaining proximity without sacrificing angle. Still, a run to be very proud of. Ryo however took the win and advanced.
The Top 32 all shook out to Jason Fordyce of Team Super-G vs. Jake Dotter of Midnight Suns for 3rd and 4th. And Inocencio Barba Jr. of Team RCO vs. Ryo Ishii of Team Weld for 1st and 2nd, and the title of SDC2024 Drift King!!!
First out, Jason vs. Jake! Jason put down a great Lead Run and Jake was right on Jason’s door for most of his Chase. They switched it up and Jake matched Jason’s Lead Run almost exactly. Jason was able to stay on Jake’s door and was able to produce a better Chase Run. Jake had taken a shallow line in the sweeper and that seemed to be the deciding factor. Both competitors drove amazing! Jake took home a well deserved 4th place, and Jason locked down the 3rd spot on the podium!!! Congratulations Jason!!!
Then it was time for what we all came to see. Who would be the SDC2024 Drift King! It was Inocencio Barba Jr. of Team RCO vs. Ryo Ishii of Team Weld! Ryo was first on the Lead and he put down a textbook run. If there were someone demonstrating the Qualifying line with max style points, this would have been the run. Inocencio put down a really good chase, maintaining good proximity. They switched positions and Inocencio was now on the Lead and Ryo on the Chase. Inocencio put down one of his best Leads, and Ryo managed to pull off a near flawless chase. Matching Line and Angle and maintaining tight proximity, while Inocencio’s chase had a few small flaws. This was enough to earn Inocencio a solid 2nd Place, while Ryo took the Top Podium Spot, 1st Place!!! And the title of SDC2024 Drift King!!! Congratulations Ryo Ishii of Team Weld!!!
20 BATTLES IN A ROW!!! TWENTYYYYYY!!!
Ryo Ishii of Team Weld Overdose! The SDC2024 Drift King!!!
(I can't even grasp the immense pressure of this)
Congratulations to the winners of the SDC2024 Worlds Competition!!! First Place and SDC2024 Drift King - Ryo Ishii of Team Weld. Second Place - Inocencio Barba Jr. of Team RCO. And Third Place- Jason Fordyce of Team Super-G.
Thank you to all our sponsors for making the sickest raffle we have done so far! These are the guys giving back to the community!!! Make sure to support these brands and let them know you appreciate their support!!!
Special thank you to all the media people that came out to cover the event. Scale Magic, Ninjonah, Sean Lewis Media, RC Drift Talk, and I know I’m missing many more. We are excited to see the coverage and appreciate the time and effort it takes to do this.
The Regions
Slidelines RC / Prototype RC - Las Vegas Nevada, RC Fight Club - Seattle, Washington, Team Saiko - Honolulu, Hawaii, Team BubbleMilk - Peoria, Arizona, Lateral Grip - Jackson, Missouri, Lunar Drift - Mentor, Ohio, PDX RC Underground - Portland, Oregon, D.A.R.C. - Dallas, Texas, Ultimate Indoor RC - Kemah, Texas, Garage RC Hobbies - Bryan, Texas, The Hobby Shop - Leander, Texas, TC Motorsports - Sunset, Utah, RC Driftway - West Wareham, Massachusetts, Shadow Circuit - Waukegan, Illinois, Seven Tails Circuit - Orlando, Florida, Tandem Tactics - Jacksonville, Florida, Opposition RC - Elbert, Colorado.
The SDC2024 season wouldn’t have been possible without you! Everyone remember, support these tracks and shops. They are the ones working hard to put on competitions for you to compete at. Trust me, it’s not an easy task.
The Final Word
This year seemed to be the smoothest of all the SDC events so far. We would like to credit this to all of you who attended. To be transparent, last year really felt like Joe and I were fighting an uphill battle the entire time. There were a series of events out of our control that left us in a pinch in a really bad way, and it felt like the cooperation just wasn’t there. We know it was because things were not as organized as it should have been, but at the same time, it felt as if everyone was pressuring us to figure it out right then and there. It was even called the “worst event ever”. We were ready to call it quits.
This year was completely different! We made sure we were more prepared, but more than that, the outpouring of help and support was overwhelming!!! When we started the event this year, I was keeping track of everyone who was going above and beyond to help. By the second day, there were so many stepping up to make it happen, there was no way to keep track. From helping make the Competitor packs, raffles, making trash runs, helping with the cooking, getting the cars lined up, cleaning up for the next day, breaking down the tables and chairs, and so many other things, not to mention keeping everything flowing smoothly and being attentive with the practice groups and being ready when it was your turn to drive. It just made SDC2024 Worlds the biggest and best we have hosted at Super-G thus far. If I started naming names, I would definitely miss so many of you, so I will just give a huge thank you to all of you! We cannot stress enough how much we appreciate you guys!
We are looking forward to doing this all again October 3-4-5, 2025!!!
See You Then!!!
Joe Durkee, Jaycen Wong, Jason Fordyce, and Vittorio Santiago - Team Super-G (We are so proud of these guys)
