MonTech New York Grand Prix – Preview
This weekend the 360V2 track plays host to the sixth edition of the annual MonTech New York Grand Prix where 2023 IFMAR 1:12 World Championship Top Qualifier Kemp Anderson heads the entry. The nearest thing RC will get to having a race in Time Square, the track just a 20-minute train ride from the centre of the City That Never Sleeps, the Montech NYGP is the vision of long time 1:12 racer Donny Lia. RedRC first got to know Lia when he was a leading contender at the 2014 1:12 World Championship in Florida where he would qualify third behind Top Qualifier & defending Champion Naoto Matsukura and Marc Rheinard who would go on to take the win. Rheinard would later also become a Montech NYGP Champion in Mod Touring Car at the 18,000 square feet 360v2 venue with other previous international visitors including Ronald Volker, Alexander Hagberg and David Spashett. Having attracted almost 300 entries at its peak until Covid broke that momentum, Lia is keen to build the race back up to its former levels. Although the proximity of this year’s IFMAR ISTC World Championship in California has ruled out a number of factory entries this year, with Anderson, Xray’s Keven Hebert and 1:12 Spec World Champion Max Machler among the entry an exciting weekend of racing is expected on a track which is proving a big hit with racers.
One of the expected contenders for a Mod double this year, racing both 1:12 & Touring Car, Kemp Anderson is a big fan of the race stating, ‘I’ve been to every NYGP Donny has had, I think 2018 was the first one. Donny always puts on a good race, it’s one of my favourite races of the year. You also get great food, you’ve New York city down the road, it’s a great atmosphere for sure and a top notch facility.’ Asked about the track, the factory Awesomatix said, ‘This is the biggest indoor track in America, and the grip is always good here. This year’s layout is very close to last year, the two 180s in the centre of the track make it that you have to work on the car set-up a lot to make it turn in there and still be stable everywhere else, I like it. It made for good racing last year.’
Another regular of the NYGP, Snowbirds Champion Hebert stated, ‘I believe I have been to all of them’ before continuing, ‘I think the Worlds really hurt the race entry this year, still it’s always good racing here, it’s a nice facility, you got lots of room, the track is nice and it’s the race that kicks off the carpet season over here. It’s good to be here for sure’. Chasing his first NYGP title, having run a number of practice runs in Thursday’s day of open practice, asked his thoughts on the 2024 layout he replied, ‘It’s almost identical to last year although it seems like it is a little bit faster, we are going faster lap times. Overall it’s the same layout, I think they just shortened the sweeper a little bit. It’s a good layout for sure.’ A layout Lia came up last year and which racer liked, they are trying to keep it now as the NYGP layout. One driver to take in the famous sights of New York City after setting up his pit area yesterday, taking the train into Time Square last night with other members of the Canadian contingent attending the race, Hebert added, ‘This is one of the biggest indoor tracks we have, the footprint is definitely the biggest but the sweeper rounded like that we kind of lose a little bit the length off it but it’s considered a big track.’
Racing here two years ago, taking a win in Spec Touring Car, asked his thoughts on the new layout Machler said, ‘it has a great flow, no stupid chicanes so it should make for great racing.’ With the track running CRC Fast track black carpet which is down about a year and a half, the German added, ‘You can build up a really good flow when driving especially in 1:12. Clearly some guys like a chicane for 1:12 but I am more a fan of an open layout. It’s quite fun here so I really enjoy this race.’ Entered for the Spec class at the Touring Car World Championships next month, Machler has opted to not run his A800R this year and instead will focus on a 1:12 double racing bot in Mod and 13.5T SuperStock.
Summing up his event with, ‘it’s the closest you’ll get to racing and seeing New York City in one trip – it’s a 20-25 minute train ride and you are there, Lia’s own RC story started with racing 1:12 as a kid with his father. While he would go on to race in various NASCAR series over a 20-year period, he said RC ‘was a hobby I never got out of’. Determined to build the race back up after Covid, he explain, ‘this year the Touring Car Worlds kind of hurt us in being able to attract a lot of the international guys because they have already been taking so many trips over here so to add another trip and the time frame didn’t make sense but we are hopeful next year we can bring in more guys from around the World and grow the event in to something special.’ With the track layout covering an area of 105 X 48 feet, 360V2 (the original 360 having been located in Long Island) is also home to Fordham Hobbies whose store serves local racers who get to use the facility twice a week, once mid week and once at the weekend, however there are plans to make it a full time track and store.
Image Gallery
View our event image gallery here.
