Ten years in, and the Adrenaline RC Invitational keeps getting bigger. This year is shaping up to be our biggest yet, with our highest entry count and the most unique drivers we've ever had, plus all the off-track fun that makes this weekend special, from the fire pit to the relay race. Before the racing starts, Jacob Hardison gave everyone the official first look at the 1/10 scale indoor layout he built for the 10th Annual Invitational. After the Invitational, this is also the layout for our fall points series heading into winter.
Big, Cool and Raceable
The design goal for this layout was simple: features that look huge and drive great, without being so hard that drivers end up racing the track instead of each other. A lot of dirt was moved and a lot of digging went in to build real elevation into the room. The front half of the lap is a technical roller coaster, and the back half opens up into faster, sweeping sections where drivers can catch their breath and set up passes. Several jumps also have a sharp triangular peak instead of a rounded top. It's a small detail, but it gives the track a look all its own.
Lap Walkthrough
Front Straightaway and Opening Turns
The lap starts simple: a straightforward front straight under the new elevator banner featuring some of the big events we've hosted, plus the all-new podium banner. A right-hand 90 off the front stretch leads into a short chute and a turn that's just shy of a 180.
Off-Camber Chicane
This is where things get busy. The next turn is off camber. Picture a tabletop with angled faces that tapers down from its peak. There's plenty of runoff, but the ideal line is to bleed a little wide out of the chute, take a late apex and shoot straight through. Some drivers may even hop it slightly. If you're tight on the inside, stay as high as possible or the camber will pull you down the slope.
Dragon's Back Skip Double
Next is a dragon's back, or skip double. A small lip up front lets you skip onto a smooth, gently sloped takeoff, then carry your speed over a triangular-peaked main takeoff onto a good-size lander. It isn't massive by design. It's meant to be a cool feature that everyone can clear and that flows into the rest of the lap. Take it tight and you'll land close to the next turn. Take it wide and you'll have plenty of time to set up.
The Step-On, Step-Off
The signature feature of the whole track. The takeoff lip is likely at least 2 feet tall, the gap from the lip to the white line is roughly 14–15 feet, and the tabletop itself stands about 2 feet tall. Even from the tight inside line there's around 12–14 feet of run-up, so it's very makeable. Two-wheel-drive cars hugging the inside pipe may come up short on speed, though, and going wide and squaring up gives you the extra security.
The step-off gap was kept a little shorter, around 12–14 feet, for two reasons. If you mess up the step-on, you can still jump out of it. And it limits the small blind spot on the back side of the big table. You don't need to "superman" off the top. It's more of a short shot down into the back section.
Backside Tabletop and the Bowl
After all the action up front, there's a short, simple run to the backside tabletop, which is about 16–20 feet long with plenty of room to re-accelerate if something goes wrong. It's the same height as on the past few layouts, but the back side has been recut to come off straight instead of at an angle. Extra material was added to create a bowl effect off the takeoff, which helps cars build speed for the back double.
The Back Double
The back double is a 16-foot gap with a lander that sits lower than the takeoff. With the long run-up and a takeoff that shoots you out rather than up, it should be very doable. Four-wheel drives will clear it easily, and two-wheel drives get the help they need. The lanes back here are also a touch wider than our standard 13 feet, since this is the farthest part of the track from the driver's stand and you want as few problems as possible out there.
Teardrop and Skip Roller
The far corner keeps things simple. There's about 13 feet of room from pipe to pipe after the lander, so there's space to settle in and plenty of chances for passes. A teardrop sweeps into a small skip roller that gives you a little air on the way into a pinched 180. Four-wheel-drive buggies will likely jump it close to the turn this weekend.
Chicane Tabletop and Back to the Front
The final tabletop isn't straight at all. It's essentially a big turn. At about a foot tall, it's lower than the main tables, and if you run the straightest line through it, it drives like a long, stretched-out chicane. From the driver's stand it looks great. From there the lap sweeps around past one last AR logo and back to the front straight, where the loop at the end of the straightaway is expected to be part of the layout.
Two Tracks, One Team
Jacob builds the indoor tracks and factory driver Lee Setser builds the outdoor ones, and the team went all out on both for the 10th anniversary. To see the other half of the weekend, check out the outdoor 1/8 scale track walk.
Invitational Weekend Starts Friday
The 10th Annual Adrenaline RC Invitational runs October 9–11, 2026 at Adrenaline RC Racing in Winchester, Virginia. Can't make the Invitational? This layout carries into our fall points series, so there's plenty of time to get laps on it.
Subscribe to the Adrenaline RC YouTube channel for more from the weekend, and shop race-day essentials at adrenalinercracing.com.