Psycho Nitro Blast 2065: Our Race Day Recap from the Biggest RC Event of the Season
Main day at the Psycho Nitro Blast (PNB) — one of the most prestigious national-level RC racing events in the country — and we were ready to leave it all on the track. After a tough qualifying day, it was time for a reset. Rain, chill, and a full day of bumping, racing, and learning ahead of us. Here's how it went.
Starting Fresh on Main Day
The morning kicked off at the pit table with a mindset shift. Qualifying didn't go exactly as planned, but main day is its own thing entirely. We had fresh sets of green JConcepts Relapse tires staged and ready for the cooler, earlier conditions — with blues on deck in case the track gripped up hard later in the night like it did the evening before.
Joining us for the weekend was first-time racer Uriel Tolentino, who was about to tackle his first-ever PNB main events. Starting from pole position in the D main of Sportsman Electric Buggy, Uriel had one job: bump up and keep moving.
Uriel's First National Race: From D Main to C Main
Nerves? Absolutely. But Uriel got the job done in the D main and earned his bump into the C main — a huge moment for someone who had never raced anywhere other than our home track at Adrenaline RC.
The C main brought its own challenges. The infamous step-on/step-off section at the back of the track gave him trouble early, and there were a few incidents — including getting taken out by another driver while battling for position. But by the end of the race, Uriel had worked his way from 18th all the way up to 7th. For a first-ever national event, that's a serious result.
His takeaway? PNB was bigger and faster than expected. As he put it, his car looked like an ant out on that track. But he never quit, and that counts for everything at a race like this.
Nitro Buggy B Main: Fast Car, Unlucky Race
The Nitro Buggy B main was a study in frustration — not because of the driving, but because of the equipment.
Off the tone, three spots were gained on the outside immediately before a side hit sent the car onto its lid. The Marshall put it back on the lid (facing the wrong way), creating an early deficit that required taking the Joker lane ahead of schedule to get clean track and reset.
From there, the car was genuinely fast — the most predictable and consistent it had been all weekend, finally dropping below the 42-second mark. A comeback was in progress, climbing all the way back to what appeared to be a third-place battle... but the transponder had other plans. It dropped laps throughout the race and stopped registering entirely toward the end, making it impossible to track official position.
The suspect? A receiver issue. A glitch on the last few laps — where the car held more throttle than intended — pointed toward a receiver problem rather than just a bad transponder. A new transponder was installed for good measure, and full testing at home will sort the rest out. Unfortunate, but the speed was absolutely there.
Pro Electric Buggy B Main: Locked In and Moving Forward
This one felt completely different. The Pro Electric Buggy B main was clean, fast, and satisfying from start to finish.
Getting into the 38-second lap range — a full two seconds faster than qualifying pace — the race came together exactly as planned. A few drivers ahead took the Joker early, opening up clean track. After navigating the Joker at the right moment to escape traffic, it was possible to settle into a rhythm and apply pressure to the leader.
When the leader made a mistake, the pass was clean. The lead was held all the way to the finish line — nearly throwing it away on the very last lap with a tumble across the straightaway, but the gap to second was enough. Both first and second transferred to the A main, making it effectively a victory lap. The win was secured.
Battery performance from the Cayote Electronics 6500 packs was flawless — cells came back at 3.7V after the full 10-minute race, meaning plenty of headroom remaining. No soft power, no surprises. Just consistent, reliable output the whole way through.
Pro Electric Buggy A Main: Racing Hard and Learning
Starting near the back of the Pro Electric Buggy A main, the focus shifted from winning to driving with intention. There was a last-minute field switch to bar tires that wasn't caught in time — meaning a green Relapse setup versus the more aggressive bar compound most others were running. Not a disaster, but it didn't help.
The bigger theme was mental. One of the most important things worked on over the weekend was breaking the habit of driving conservatively to avoid mistakes. For years, that instinct to hold back — to protect a position rather than attack — actually created worse results. The new approach: drive as hard as possible, trust the car, and learn from what happens.
By the end of the A main, that approach was clicking. Marks were being hit with aggression and consistency, with far fewer bobbles than earlier in the weekend. A step in the right direction heading into the next big race.
Key Takeaways from PNB 2026
It was a weekend full of lessons, growth, and a few things to fix. Here's what stood out most:
- The mental game is everything. Confidence and commitment behind the wheel produced measurably faster lap times — not setup changes, not new parts. Just mindset.
- Tire choice matters at the highest level. Missing the last-minute call to switch to bar tires in the A main was a small disadvantage that adds up at this level of competition.
- First nationals are a big deal. Uriel's D-to-C bump and 18th-to-7th run in the C main at his very first national event was an incredible achievement. That's the foundation of a real racing career.
- Reliability is non-negotiable. A transponder/receiver issue in Nitro Buggy likely cost a transfer spot that was otherwise earned on pace. Pre-event equipment checks will be more thorough going forward.
- Battery management was a non-issue. The Cayote 6500 packs handled a full 10-minute Pro E-Buggy main with plenty of reserve. Zero concerns there.
What's Next
PNB has the whole team fired up. Next target on the calendar is the Party Rock race at LCRC in June, giving a solid block of time to put in serious practice laps, work through the receiver issue on the nitro car, and keep pushing the development on both platforms.
If you're working toward your own national-level RC goals — whether that's bumping your first main, building race-day setups, or just finding the right tires for your track conditions — we've got you covered at adrenalinercracing.com Stop by either of our Virginia locations in Chantilly or Winchester, or browse the full lineup online.
We'll catch you at the next one. 🏁