FCC 2026 Preview: Can Anyone Stop Broc Champlin?

It's that time of year once again!

All eyes turn to Beachline Raceway in Cocoa, Florida, for the 2026 Florida Carpet Championships (FCC), a race that many have come to consider the unofficial 1/10th Off-Road Carpet World Championships.

The brainchild of Daniel Chavez, TJ Bradley, and Beachline Raceway owner Robbie Michael, the FCC first started back in 2019 and has grown massively over the years. What began as a relatively small event has turned into one of the most prestigious 1/10th off-road carpet races on the calendar, attracting some of the best drivers from around the world across multiple classes.

And if there's one thing we've learned over the years, it's that the FCC never disappoints when it comes to great racing!

The Broc Champlin Show?

Let's start with the Modified classes, because this is where things get really interesting.

Over the years, we've witnessed some spectacular battles in both 2WD and 4WD Modified, with the Super Pole race adding another level of excitement for fans and drivers alike.

But one driver has pretty much made this race his own.

Broc Champlin!

The Schumacher driver has been the man to beat at the FCC, collecting four overall titles between 2WD and 4WD Modified. His teammate Michal Orlowski has also enjoyed success with two titles, while Dakotah Phend has one to his name.

However, this year things are going to look a little different.

Several of the biggest international names, including Michal Orlowski, Bruno Coelho, and David Ronnefalk, will be missing the FCC as they head to Thailand for the IFMAR 1/10th Electric Touring Car World Championships.

On top of that, two of XRAY's top American drivers, Dakotah Phend and Chase Lemieux, won't be in attendance either.

Now, before anyone starts thinking this year's race will be an easy one for Broc, think again!

The field is still absolutely stacked.

With drivers like Joona Haatanen, Daniel Kobbevik, Davey Batta, Tom Rinderknecht, young Polish rising star Bartek Zalewski, and several others joining Champlin, there is no shortage of talent capable of taking home the hardware.

The question is, can Broc continue his dominance, or will one of these drivers step up and take advantage of the opportunity?

Personally, I think this could make the racing even more interesting. With some of the usual heavy hitters missing, there is a real opportunity for someone to make a statement.

But let's not forget, Broc knows how to get the job done on carpet, especially at Beachline.

If you want to win this race, you're probably going to have to go through him!

Expert Spec: Home Turf, Big Names, and Plenty to Prove!

If there's one class that deserves some serious attention heading into this year's FCC, it's Expert Spec 2WD and 4WD Buggy.

Expert Spec has become the biggest class in 1/10th scale off-road racing in the United States, and the level of competition continues to get stronger every year. With everyone running similar power packages, finding those extra tenths comes down to setup, consistency, and, most importantly, the driver behind the wheel.

And looking at this year's field, we're in for one heck of a battle!

Last year's overall winner, Nate Sutherland, has made the move into Modified for 2026, leaving the door wide open for someone new to step up and take home an FCC title.

But who will it be?

Let's start with the hometown favorites, Maccoy Martin and Daniel Chavez. Both know their way around Beachline Raceway and will be looking to get the job done on home turf. They'll certainly have the local crowd behind them, and you can bet neither wants to let an FCC title leave Florida without a fight.

Then you've got experienced Spec racers like Jeff Statkiewicz, who has been around the class for years and knows exactly what it takes to be competitive.

Another driver I'll be keeping a close eye on is Dominic Paccione.

The R1-backed driver is coming off another great year of racing, having just wrapped up the overall points chase at the JConcepts INS16 Finals at Hoosier a few weeks ago. Paccione has proven he can run with the best in Expert Spec, and he'll be looking to add an FCC victory to his résumé.

And speaking of Hoosier, Talon Henley will also be making the trip to Florida!

The XRAY driver earned a podium finish at last year's FCC and will undoubtedly be looking to go a couple of steps better this time around. He's shown he has the speed, and with last year's experience under his belt, he could be a serious contender for the win.

We also have some international flavor in the mix with Max Götzl from Czechia. The always-fast XRAY driver is no stranger to competitive carpet racing and will be looking to turn that speed into a big FCC victory.

And let's not forget about one of the young guns, Brady Carrico!

The young Factory Track Racing driver certainly knows his way around a carpet track and has the speed to mix it up with the established names. He's another driver who could make some noise this weekend.

Then there's Aaron Mitchell, who was very fast here last year. A move to another state and his full-time job in the full-scale racing world have kept him busy since then, so it will be interesting to see how quickly he gets back up to speed at Beachline.

That's what makes this year's Expert Spec field so interesting. You've got the hometown favorites, experienced veterans, international talent, and some seriously fast young racers, all looking for the same thing.

An FCC championship!

One of the things I love about Expert Spec is just how close the racing can be. The margins are small, mistakes are costly, and you can't afford to give anything away when the competition is this tight.

With Sutherland moving into Modified and a field full of drivers hungry for a big win, I wouldn't be surprised if Expert Spec delivers some of the best racing of the entire weekend.

Don't sleep on Expert Spec, race fans. This class is going to be an absolute battle!

What's the Beachline Crew Cooking Up?

One thing I always look forward to at the FCC is seeing what kind of track the Beachline crew has come up with.

Robbie Michael and his team always do a fantastic job preparing the facility and giving the drivers a challenging layout that produces great racing.

And they like to keep us guessing!

The track layout isn't unveiled to the public until Wednesday, so there's always that element of surprise heading into the event.

Will it be fast and flowing? Tight and technical? A little bit of both?

Whatever they have planned, I'm sure it will be another great layout, and I can't wait to get my first look at it.

The FCC Continues to Grow

It's pretty impressive to see just how far this event has come since 2019.

The FCC has built a reputation as one of the premier 1/10th off-road carpet events in the world, and that doesn't happen by accident.

It takes a tremendous amount of work from the organizers, the Beachline crew, the sponsors, and everyone involved to put on an event of this caliber.

The racing, the atmosphere, the competition, and the people are what make it special.

For me, this is genuinely one of my favorite races of the year to attend.

I always enjoy heading to Beachline, catching up with everyone, and watching some of the best drivers in the business battle it out.

And while we may be missing a few of the sport's biggest international names this year, I don't think that takes anything away from what should be another fantastic FCC.

If anything, it opens the door for some new storylines.

Who Will Be Crowned FCC Champion in 2026?

So here we are, getting ready for another edition of the Florida Carpet Championships.

Can Broc Champlin add to his already impressive record?

Will Daniel Kobbevik or another top Modified driver finally knock him off the top step?

And who will emerge from the Expert Spec classes now that Nate Sutherland has moved up?

There are plenty of questions heading into this year's race, and that's exactly what makes it exciting.

One thing is for sure: the Florida Carpet Championships may be unofficially called the Carpet Worlds, but winning here is no easy task!

I'll be at Beachline Raceway once again, working alongside the Elite RC Productions crew, bringing you coverage throughout the event.

You can catch all the racing coverage over on the Elite RC Productions YouTube channel, while NNRC Media will also be bringing you additional content right here on the website and through our Facebook page.

We hope you enjoy following along with us.

Now let's see who has what it takes to conquer the carpet in Florida!

Lefty the Great

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