Russell Racing Crew

💚🏁 Ethan's Summit Motorsports Park Recap – June 7, 2026 🏁💚

If you've been following along lately, you've probably noticed a trend: Ethan keeps finding himself racing late into the day.

Yesterday at Summit Motorsports Park was no exception.

For his time trial, Ethan cut a great .014 reaction time and the car ran an 8.93. With Summit's round-robin format, there isn't much time to relax after a pass. As soon as he got back to the pit, Ethan immediately started his tire prep while Rorric and I focused on getting Elena through her time trial and back to the trailer. Then it was a quick clutch wipe-down on both cars, making sure Ethan's junior was fueled up, getting the tire covers back on, and heading right back to the staging lanes for Round 1.

Based on the 8.93 time trial pass, we put an 8.93 dial on the window.

When the tree dropped, Ethan was right back to business with another great light, posting a .015 reaction time. Just as both cars were staging, a strong headwind started rolling through the track, bringing some pretty good gusts with it. His opponent was dialed a 9.23 but immediately turned on the red bulb with a -.019 reaction time. Ethan stayed focused and made his pass, running a 9.00 while his opponent ran a 9.63. The win light went on, but more importantly, we learned that the wind was definitely affecting the cars.

Knowing the wind was still hanging around for Round 2, we adjusted accordingly and dialed Ethan an 8.99. His opponent was dialed a 9.02.

When the tree dropped, his competitor once again made Ethan's job easier by going -.042 red while Ethan posted a .069 green light. Ethan's car picked up a little and ran an 8.96 while his opponent ran a 9.00, giving him another round win.

Round 3 was shaping up to be a driver's race.

Both cars were dialed 8.97, making it essentially a heads-up battle. Ethan cut a .021 light while his opponent answered with a .025. Neither driver had much advantage leaving the line, so it was going to come down to who managed the finish line better.

Ethan gave the throttle a few quick rips at the top end and crossed with a 9.01 while his opponent ran a 9.02. Between his slight advantage on the tree and being a little closer to his dial, Ethan secured the Round 3 win.

His .021 reaction time also earned him something every racer hopes for—the Bye run into the finals.

If you're going to get a Bye, this is the one you want.

With no opponent in the other lane, red lights and breakouts don't matter. It gives you a full pass to see exactly what the car wants to do and helps take some of the guesswork out of your final-round dial-in. Ethan ended up kicking it -.012 red and running an 8.92.

Then it was time for the finals.

Ethan dialed an 8.93 while his opponent put a 9.04 on the window.

The tree dropped, and Ethan knew immediately he had missed it.

After spending weeks cutting lights in the teens, twenties, and thirties, he posted a .104 reaction time—his worst light in quite some time. His opponent left with a .069, putting Ethan behind from the start.

At the top end, Ethan knew he wasn't going to catch him outright, so he made the smart move and released the throttle, hoping his opponent would break out. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Ethan crossed with a 9.04 while his opponent ran a 9.09, ending Ethan's day with a runner-up finish.

As soon as he got back, he was disappointed in himself.

He knew he was late on the tree.

But sometimes that's racing.

Rorric and I had to remind him that nobody is perfect all the time. Even the best racers miss one now and then. The reality is that when you look at the bigger picture, Ethan is putting together an incredible stretch of racing.

📊 Last 5 Weekends:
🏁 5 Final Round Appearances
🏆 3 Wins
🥈 2 Runner-Ups

That's five consecutive weekends racing in the finals.

Most racers would gladly take that record.

So while yesterday ended one win light short of the winner's circle, there's still plenty to be proud of. Ethan continues to prove that he's one of the toughest competitors in the class, and if he keeps racing the way he has been, there will be plenty more opportunities to park that lime green junior dragster in the winner's circle this season. 💚🏁

🩷🏁 Elena's Summit Motorsports Park Recap – June 7, 2026 🏁🩷

Saturday night we made our way to Summit Motorsports Park for yesterdays points race, hoping to find a little more consistency with Elena's car.

Unfortunately, the struggle bus was still making regular stops.

For her time trial, Elena cut a .201 light and the car ran a 15.38. At Summit, the time trial and Round 1 are run round-robin style, so after making their time trial passes, we made a quick stop back at the pit to get both cars turned around before heading right back to the staging lanes.

With the car running a 15.38 in the time trial, we dialed a 15.36 for Round 1.

Elena posted a .281 reaction time and the car slowed down to a 15.49. Fortunately, her opponent provided one of those moments that reminds you just how unforgiving bracket racing can be. Dialed a 12.10, they cut a PERFECT .000 reaction time... only to run a 12.00 and break out, handing Elena the Round 1 win.

Round 2 brought Elena's best reaction time of the day.

With the previous 15.49 pass, we dialed a 15.43. When the tree dropped, Elena responded with a .086 light and ran a 15.55. Her opponent was dialed 12.11, cut a .235 light, and ran a 12.15. Elena's advantage on the starting line was enough to secure another win and send her to the semifinals.

And that's where our old friend, the dreaded slowdown, decided to make another appearance.

For the semifinals, we put a 15.49 dial on the car while her opponent dialed a 12.05. Elena cut a .129 light to her opponent's .115. Both drivers were relatively close on the tree, but once again the car slowed down, this time running a 15.66. Her opponent crossed the stripe with a 12.21, and the combination of their slight advantage on the tree and being a little closer to their dial was enough to end Elena's day.

Another race.
Another semifinal.

At this point, Elena is becoming the "Princess of the Semis"👸 or maybe the "Semi-Final Sweetheart" 💟 She keeps finding her way deep into race day, but that last step into the finals has been a tough hurdle lately.

To say she was upset would be an understatement.

Honestly, it's hard to blame her. Rorric and I are just as frustrated trying to find consistency with this motor. One run it's here, the next run it's there, and trying to predict what it's going to do can feel like throwing darts blindfolded.

We keep reminding Elena that next season, when she turns 8 and becomes eligible to run 11.90, she'll be able to move into a combination that typically offers a lot more consistency than what we're working with now. Unfortunately, for the time being, the rules are the rules and our hands are tied.

As parents, it breaks our hearts to see her so disappointed because we know how badly she wants it and see how much effort she is putting in.

The silver lining is that she's still going rounds. She's still learning. She's still putting herself in position to win. And if she keeps knocking on the door with semifinal appearances, eventually that door is going to swing wide open.

Until then, we'll keep working, keep learning, and keep doing everything we can to set her up for success.

One of these days soon, that pink junior dragster is going to be parked in the winner's circle. 🩷🏁

💚🏁 Ethan's Darana Dragway - Milan Recap – May 31, 2026 🏁💚

After coming off another strong weekend at US 131, Ethan rolled into Darana Dragway - Milan looking to continue his recent streak of deep-round appearances.

In his time trial, Ethan cut a respectable .030 reaction time, but the car was a little too quick, running an 8.82. Knowing we'd need to slow it down a touch, we added some weight before heading into eliminations.

For Round 1, we dialed the car at 8.90 while his opponent put an 8.91 on the window. Ethan left with a .040 light, but his opponent was just a little better with a .035. It turned into a great race downtrack, but Ethan gave just a little too much at the finish line. Running an 8.91 to his opponent's 8.92, he came up short by just .0082 seconds.

That sent us to the buyback window for another shot.

Round 2 was a heads-up race with both drivers dialed 8.90. Ethan had the advantage from the start, cutting a .067 light to his opponent's .157. As the finish line approached, Ethan gave the throttle a couple quick rips and crossed the stripe with an 8.98 to his opponent's 8.97, securing the Round 2 win and keeping his day alive.

In Round 3, Ethan kept the 8.90 dial while his opponent dialed 8.95. When the tree dropped, his competitor immediately turned on the red bulb with a -.049 reaction time while Ethan posted a .041 green light. Knowing he already had the win, Ethan ran the car out the back door, posting an 8.91 pass.

Round 4 brought something every racer loves—a rematch.

In the lane next to him was the same driver who had sent him to the buyback window back in Round 1.

Once again, the dials were identical: Ethan at 8.90 and his opponent at 8.91.

This time, however, Ethan owned the starting line.

When the tree dropped, he fired off a stellar .019 reaction time while his opponent managed a .047. With the advantage in hand, Ethan had plenty of room to work at the top end, scrubbing roughly 5.5 mph off the car to run a 9.01 while his opponent crossed with a 9.04. The finish margin was .0508 seconds, and Ethan earned his revenge along with a spot in the next round.

As an added bonus, that .019 reaction time earned him the Bye run into the finals.

On his Bye, Ethan posted a .056 light and laid down a nearly perfect 8.906 on his 8.90 dial, giving us even more confidence heading into the final round.

Then it was time for the finals.

Ethan dialed 8.90 while his opponent put a 9.07 on the window. As soon as the tree dropped, the outcome was decided when his opponent went -.284 red while Ethan turned on the green bulb with an .081 reaction time.

With the automatic win already secured, Ethan still made a clean pass, running an 8.92 on his 8.90 dial while his opponent crossed with a 9.33 on their 9.07 dial.

🏆 Winner's Circle! 🏆

For the fourth consecutive weekend, Ethan found himself racing in the finals. Even more impressive, he's now won three of those four final-round appearances.

Consistency wins races, and right now Ethan is putting together one of the most consistent stretches of racing we've seen from him. Four straight finals, three wins, and plenty of win lights later, "Big E" added another trophy to the collection and continued an incredible start to the season. 💚🏁

🩷🏁 Elena's Darana Dragway - Milan Recap – May 31, 2026 🏁🩷

After finding some success with the front tire stagger changes during Memorial Day weekend at US 131, we were hopeful that Elena's improved reaction times would carry over to Darana Dragway - Milan. Unfortunately, one of the challenges of racing at different tracks is that rollout can vary from place to place, and what works great at one track doesn't always translate to another. We'll keep experimenting with front tire size and stagger combinations to see what works best for her at each facility.

For her time trial, Elena cut a .205 reaction time and the car ran a 15.14. Knowing her car typically picks up a few numbers between rounds, we dialed a 15.05 for Round 1.

When the tree dropped, Elena posted a .201 light and ran a 15.08. Her opponent left with a .330 reaction time and ran a 14.43 on a 14.55 dial, breaking out and handing Elena the Round 1 win.

Heading into Round 2, we lowered her dial to a 14.99, expecting the car to continue picking up like it usually does. Well... it usually does until it doesn't.

Elena improved slightly on the tree with a .175 reaction time, but instead of getting quicker, the car slowed down significantly and ran a 15.31. Fortunately, her opponent struggled even more, posting a .417 light and running a 14.78 on a 14.20 dial. Being further off their dial than Elena was off hers gave her the Round 2 win and a trip to the semifinals.

Now comes the part of bracket racing that can make both drivers and crew chiefs question everything.

The car picked up from the time trial to Round 1, then slowed way down in Round 2. So now we're standing in the staging lanes asking ourselves, "What's it going to do this time?"

Since we knew the car was capable of running slower after the 15.31 pass, we put a 15.25 dial on the window for Round 3 and hoped for the best.

Elena cut a .191 light while her opponent left with a much better .057, putting her behind from the start. Then, just to keep us guessing, the car decided it was done running 15.30s and went right back to a Round 1-style pass, running a 15.09 and breaking out. Her opponent ran a 12.21 on a 12.04 dial, ending Elena's day in the semifinals.

While the reaction times weren't what we were hoping for after the progress she showed at US 131, there were still positives to take away from the weekend. Elena battled her way through two rounds, earned a semifinal finish, and gave us more information to help continue dialing in both her setup and her confidence behind the wheel.

Some days you're chasing win lights. Other days you're chasing consistency. This weekend, we were chasing consistency—but we'll be back at it next race trying to find both. 🩷🏁

🏁 Memorial Day Weekend Visitor Spotlight 🏁

While Memorial Day weekend at US 131 Motorsports Park was all about racing, we were fortunate to have some very special visitors at the track with us as well.

On Monday, Mike and Heidi Raymond, owners of Affordable Towing & Auto Repair, along with their son Kayden, made the trip to watch Ethan and Elena race. As one of the kids' sponsors, their support means so much to our family, but what made this visit even more special is that they truly understand the commitment and chaos that comes with racing. Kayden races dirt track karts, so weekends at the racetrack are usually spoken for in their household too. Due to weather, their event was canceled, creating a rare opportunity for them to come spend the day at the dragstrip with us.

We are incredibly thankful for the time they took out of their holiday weekend to come cheer on the kids and for the continued support they provide both on and off the track. Sponsors like Affordable Towing & Auto Repair help make this racing journey possible, and we can't thank them enough.

We also want to recognize two of the kids' biggest supporters—their grandparents. My parents make the effort to attend as many races as they can throughout the season, always cheering on Ethan and Elena at the starting line for every round. Their support extends far beyond race day, as they also help sponsor the kids through my dad's business, Bob Slusher Floor & Tile. Whether it's celebrating the wins, helping us through the losses, or simply being there week after week, their love, encouragement, and dedication to the kids' racing journey never go unnoticed. We are incredibly grateful for everything they do and for the role they play in helping make this dream possible.

We were also excited to welcome some family we haven't seen in far too long. Rorric's brother, Michael, flew in from Alaska for a visit and, on his way to US 131, picked up our niece and the kids' cousin, Mackenzie. It had been several years since we'd seen either of them, making the day even more special. Watching them reconnect with Ethan and Elena, catch up on life, and spending time together at the racetrack created memories we'll cherish for years to come.

While none of our racers found their way to the winners circle that weekend, we still left feeling incredibly fortunate. Racing is about much more than win lights and trophies. Sometimes the biggest victories come from the people who invest their time, support, and love into your journey. From sponsors and family members to grandparents who rarely miss a race, we are surrounded by people who make this adventure possible, and for that we are incredibly grateful. 💚🩷🏁

🩷💚 Quick Update from Russell Racing Crew! 🩷💚
⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

🍩 Happy National Donut Day! 🍩

The kids kicked off their morning the right way—with donuts for breakfast and plenty of smiles with their friends!

With this weekend's race being pushed from Saturday to Sunday, we're hoping those donuts stick around when it's time to hit the tree. 😎

Forget chasing those "double-oh" lights... we're aiming for double donuts on Sunday!

Reaction time goals:🍩🍩❔

Because around here, the only thing sweeter than donuts is seeing that win light come on! 🏁🍩

Hoping for some good luck for Ethan and Elena on Sunday. May their lights be quick, cars be consistent, and donuts be plentiful! 😄🏎️💨

🇺🇸 🏁 Ethan Memorial Day Race Recap 🏁 🇺🇸

Just like Elena, there were no time trials to start the day at US 131. Once the call went out for Juniors to the lanes, it was straight into Round 1 eliminations.

Since Ethan’s car has been consistently right around the 8.90 range — give or take a few numbers — we decided to dial the car an 8.90 to start the day.

Round 1:
Both cars staged, the lights dropped, and the race was on.

Ethan came out swinging with a killer .015 reaction time to his opponent’s .051. Both cars were dialed 8.90, making it a heads-up race, and by the top end it turned into a DOUBLE breakout race.

Ethan said he gave the car a few quick “rips” at the finish line trying to avoid breaking out too much and ended up running an 8.86 to his opponent’s 8.84, giving Ethan the win light by breaking out less. 🏁

His .015 reaction time was also good enough to earn the “wait and see bye.” Unfortunately, there ended up being an even number of cars left, so he still had to race Round 2 — but at least he earned lane choice.

Round 2:
We kept Ethan dialed 8.90 while his opponent dialed 9.21.

This time Ethan didn’t have the advantage on the starting line with a .046 reaction time to his opponent’s .023. Luckily, Ethan was able to track them down toward the finish line and gave the throttle a couple quick rips to avoid breaking out.

Ethan ran an 8.94 to their 9.28, putting him closer to his dial and securing another win light.

Round 3:
Another heads-up race with both cars dialed 8.90.

Again, Ethan found himself behind on the tree with a .041 light to his opponent’s .014. And once again… it became a double breakout race.

Ethan drove the finish line hard, gave it a few quick rips, and ran an 8.89 to his opponent’s 8.88 — breaking out by less and picking up yet another win. 💚

Round 4 — Semi-Finals:
Ethan dialed 8.90 against his opponent’s 8.93.

This time the reaction times were much closer with Ethan cutting a .033 light to his opponent’s .023. Ethan again had to work the finish line, giving the car a few rips trying to avoid breaking out, and ran an 8.93 while his opponent ran a 9.01.

That win sent him to the FINALS. 🏁🔥

Round 5 — Finals:
It was Ethan’s 8.90 dial against his opponent’s 8.91.

The tree dropped… and then came the dreaded red light.

Ethan went -.002 red in the finals, ending his day with a Runner-Up finish.

And honestly? That’s still not a bad way at all to kick off the points season at US 131.

Making the finals on a day with no time trials, multiple double breakout races, and having to drive the finish line nearly every round shows just how tough this kid can be behind the wheel. We’re incredibly proud of him and excited to see what the rest of the season holds. 💚🏁

🇺🇸 🏁 Elena Memorial Day Race Recap 🏁 🇺🇸

Yesterday’s race at US 131 started off a little differently than normal — there were NO time trials. Once your class was called to the lanes, it was straight into Round 1 eliminations.

Unfortunately, Round 1 didn’t go Elena’s way.

She went red with a -.034 reaction time, and honestly… had she not been red, she very likely would have taken the win. Her opponent had a .254 reaction time and was further off their dial than Elena was. At that point it became pretty obvious what was happening — Elena was consistently leaving at nearly the same spot on the tree every run, but that spot was just a little TOO soon.

So a decision was made to make an adjustment to the car.

And WOW… what a difference it made.

Elena bought back in for Round 2 and came out FIRED UP.

She was dialed a 14.07 against her opponent’s 11.93 and absolutely nailed the tree with a killer .010 reaction time to their .063. She then ran a nearly dead-on 14.08 while her opponent ran 11.98, giving Elena the win light! 🏁

Even sweeter? That .010 reaction time earned her the Bye Run for Round 3.

And she somehow got EVEN BETTER on the tree.

In her bye run she cut an incredible .004 reaction time! 🤯

At that point, Elena was absolutely on fire on the starting line… but now we had a different issue developing. The car just wasn’t staying consistent.

Normally, her car tends to pick up and run slightly quicker by a few numbers. Since she had just run a 14.08 in Round 2, we dialed the car a 14.04 for the bye run thinking it might speed back up a bit.

Instead, the car slowed down significantly and ran a 14.14.

So heading into Round 4 — the Semi-Finals — the big question became:
“What do we dial?”

Since we knew the car WAS capable of the 14.08 from earlier in the day, we decided to stay with that number. We didn’t want the car to suddenly pick back up and have Elena lose by breaking out.

Turns out… we had nothing to worry about there.

In the Semi-Finals, Elena was dialed 14.08 against her opponent’s 11.94. Once again, she crushed the tree with another amazing .012 reaction time to their .041.

But the car slowed down even more.

Elena ran a 14.17 while her opponent went 11.97, ending her day with a Semi-Final finish.

But honestly? This still feels like a HUGE win for us.

We hopefully found the right adjustment to help her reaction times because red lights don’t win races. Elena also spent extra time in the pits practicing with the car running and working on taking smaller bumps during staging to help improve consistency there too.

Now the focus shifts to figuring out how to make the car itself more consistent. Rorric is already brainstorming what other changes can be made moving forward.

And truthfully… we can’t wait until next year when she turns 8 and we can put an 11.90 motor on the car and finally say goodbye to the LO206 setup that’s notorious for inconsistency 😂

No final round appearance this time, but seeing this little girl go from red lighting Round 1 to throwing down .010, .004, and .012 reaction times the rest of the day? THAT is progress and something to be proud of. 🩷🏁

Mother Nature may have prevented us from finishing Saturday and Sunday’s races, but today we finally got the beautiful weather we had been waiting for at US 131 Motorsports Park! Even better, today marked the first points race of the season that we were actually able to complete.

And what a day it was for Russell Racing.

All three drivers put together strong performances and by the end of the night Russell Racing walked away with:
🏁 2 Runner-Up finishes
🏁 1 Semi-Final finish

With TWO drivers making it all the way to the finals, today turned into a very late night at the track — and honestly, trying to keep up with live posting while also handling car prep, data logging, and getting all 3 cars turned around between rounds became nearly impossible once the rounds started moving faster and faster.

But trust me… there’s a LOT to catch everyone up on.

I’ll be posting full recaps for Ethan, Elena, and Rorric throughout tomorrow, along with updates about some very special visitors we had stop by the track this weekend too!

Thank you to everyone who followed along with us this weekend despite all the rain delays and schedule changes. Now it’s time to get caught up on all the win lights, close races, and memories made.

Keep an eye on the page tomorrow — you won’t want to miss these recaps 👀