🏁 2026 SEASON OPENER: THE JDM IMPORT INVASION ICE BREAKER! 🏁

What an incredible way to kick off the 2026 season! We want to give a special shout-out and a huge "C4 Thank You" to our event sponsor, The Bonnie Foundation. This foundation was established in honor of a lifelong racing fan who truly loved the speed and spirit of the track. It was an honor to have her legacy as the fuel for our season opener.

Navigating the Bracket: 22 Race Teams Charge Toward the Cup

The competition was fierce from the very first green light. We saw a massive field of 204 entries fight through the Preliminaries, Qualifiers, Eliminators, and Heats. By the time we hit the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals, every millisecond mattered.

We saw incredible consistency from teams like DodgeAssassins, CMBRacing, and JPLRacing, all of whom managed to place multiple cars into the Top 16. However, the story of the day was the sheer variety of JDM icons on the track—from the classic Datsun 240Zs to the modern Toyota GR86s.

Technical Inspections & The Director's Decision

At the C4 DRL, our mission is to promote fair competition and sportsmanship. During the event, it was discovered that six Kia EV6s inadvertently made it past the initial inspection point. Because these did not meet the specific JDM criteria for this themed event, they were removed before the Eliminators began.

The removal did not result in any "Byes," as our 4-car bracket structure allowed those races to continue with three racers, with the top two still moving forward to the next round.

To ensure fairness and maintain our vibrant community, Director James A. Goolsbee Sr. has made the official "Director’s Decision" to award the affected teams one free entry fee to be used at any race later this season. We appreciate these racers' commitment to the spirit of the league.

The Drama in the Finals

The Finals featured our top 4 racers alternating lanes in a battle for the podium. In an incredible finish, we ended the scheduled races with a dead-heat tie for 2nd place! To settle the score, we went to a high-stakes run-off race to determine the final order. It was a true testament to the skill and sportsmanship of our racers.

The Podium Finishers:

·        1st Place: Moo Cow HorseFarm Motorsports – 2018 Honda Civic Type R

·        2nd Place: DodgeAssassins – 2018 Honda Civic Type R (Won the Run-Off)

·        3rd Place: ZillaVilla – 2018 Honda Civic Type R

·        4th Place: CMBRacing – '73 Honda Civic Custom

Rounding out the Top 8:

·        5th Place: Moo Cow HorseFarm Motorsports (Toyota GR86 CUP)

·        6th Place: JPLRacing (2018 Honda Civic Type R)

·        7th Place: GhostRacing Inc. (Hako Type D #Red #99)

·        8th Place: PiratesCove Racing (Datsun 240Z Orange)

The Standings & The Cup

These totals are officially logged for the 2026 Charm City Cup! Every race matters as we look toward the season finale.

What’s Next? Get those American classics ready for the “Domestic Motors Meltdown” on Saturday, February 7th! Registration is already filling up—don’t miss out on the next round of points.

As always, thanks for hanging out and racing with us.

The C4 Crew

Mr. Goolsbee VP, Charm City Collector’s Club Director, C4 DRL