7 replies to this topic

[Ken Bryan]

The third NW Retro race of the year took place the end of June in Palouse.  Once again, there were several very close races.  How close, you ask?  Well, how about a race in which all 3 podium finishers ended on the same lap?  Or how about out of 11 racers, there were 7 different podium finishers?  Or how about a race where 6 laps separated positions 1 through 7?

 

Then, of course there is the exception to the rule.  For the first 3 classes, first and second places were separated by 1, 4 and 0 laps.  In the last class, Robert Clements blew away the competition, winning by 9 laps.  This is an unheard of margin within the club.

 

Let's get right to the details.  As usual, we alternated classes between the two tracks, racing Stock and Can Am on the blue track and F1 and Coupe on the quicker red track.

 

First up was stock cars, and the local Palouse boys would finish a close 1-2 in this class, with a cluster of 6 other racers a distance back.  Tom Brown from Spokane would pull out the third place finish, his first podium in a long time.  Welcome back, Tom!

 

This race also represented the return to action of Tim Robertson.  Tim raced some last year, but has returned this year much more competitive.

 

1.  Leroy Sanders        114, 5.41 fast lap

2.  Robert Clements     113, 5.49

3.  Tom Brown              106, 5.59

4.  John Wimett            105, 5.98

5.  Tim Robertson         104, 5.74

6.  Ken Bryan                103, 5.94

7.  Tom Sunday             101, 6.01

8.  Paul Dwyer              101, 5.93

9.  Dennis Tando            87, 6.80

10.  Frank Sperle           75, 5.84

11.  Larry Flyn                74, 7.08

 

Note on the pictures.  We forgot to create a name tag for Tim, so I added his name after the fact.  This will be true for all of the other classes as well, although Tim has a complete Noose-painted livery using the same color scheme, so his cars are easily identified.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ken Bryan]

Moving to the red track for the second class (formula cars), we wound up with two new podium finishers, as both Leroy Sanders and Tom Brown receded back into the pack and Tom Sunday and John Wimett moved up to take positions 2 and 3 behind Robert Clements, who would dominate the red track today.

 

I grouped the racers so that you can see how the race turned out to be 4 different clusters of racers.

 

1.  Robert Clements        139, 4.54 fast lap

2.  Tom Sunday               135, 4.73

 

3.  John Wimett               127, 4.73

4.  Ken Bryan                   126, 4.95

5.  Paul Dwyer                  125, 4.71

 

6.  Leroy Sanders             121, 4.73

7.  Tom Brown                   120, 4.73

8.  Tim Roberstson            117, 4.70

 

9.  Frank Sperle                 105, 4.99

10.  Dennis Tando               94, 5.66

11.  Larry Flyn                      87, 5.98

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ken Bryan]

After an excellent lunch as always (make your own tacos and strawberry shortcake with homemade sweetened whipped cream!), we were back for the final two laps of the day.

 

The astute observers will notice the usual assortment of Ti22 bodies.  But how many times since the mid-60s have you seen a race with THREE Lotus entries.  Several of us are enamored with the looks of this car, and have set out to prove that it can be competitive.  Robert Clements normally wins using this body, and I was trying it for the first time along.  Frank Sperle rounded out the Lotus contingent.

 

For some unknown reason, Robert faltered just a bit in this rate, and it would be his only non-podium finish of the day.  It was not a bad race, as he finished 3 laps off the lead.  But the trouble was there were 5 people all within 3 laps.  I did manage to salvage second place for the Lotus contingent.  But look at the tightness of these results!

 

1.  Leroy Sanders    111, 5.29 fast lap

2.  Ken Bryan           111, 5.73

3.  Tom Sunday        111, 5.47

 

4.  John Wimett        109, 5.61

5.  Robert Clements  108, 5.54

6.  Tom Brown           105, 5.55

7.  Paul Dwyer           105, 5.75

 

8.  Tim Robertson         97, 5.90

9.  Frank Sperle            95, 5.97

10  Dennis Tando          83, 6.98

11.  Larry Flyn                79, 7.69

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ken Bryan]

The final race of the day was the aforementioned runaway.  Racing was closed for positions 2 through 9, but Robert Clements was dialed in and won by 9 laps.  I have not verified, but believe the 150 laps to be the most laps in any class for several years.

 

Paul Dwyer became the third Spokane podium finisher, jumping up to a strong second place showing ahead of a large cluster of other racers.

 

1.  Robert Clements       150 laps, 4.34 (2 tenths faster and fastest in every lane)

 

2.  Paul Dwyer                141, 4.52

3.  Leroy Sanders           139, 4.51

4.  John Wimett               137, 4.66

5.  Tom Sunday               137, 4.62

6.  Tim Robertson            134, 4.61 (both in total laps and fast time he showed how far he has come since last year)

7.  Ken Bryan                   133, 4.70

8.  Tom Brown                  129, 4.72

 

9.  Dennis Tando              117, 5.05

10.  Frank Sperle              115, 4.82

11.  Larry Flyn                   105, 5.23 Congratulations to Larry for topping 100 laps

 

 

 

More racing at the end of July.  See you all then!

 

Ken

[Ken Bryan]

Unfortunately I was unable to capture the funniest part of the whole day.  At one point, Frank Sperle lost both body pins on one side of his car.  I think it was during the Can Am race.  As he would speed up the body would catch the wind and come up to a 90-degree angle, looking for all the world like a sailboat under full sail, flapping mightily.  Somehow the car seemed unaffected by this runaway body.  As he slowed for each corner, it would settle back into its normal position, then flap crazily again at the next straight.

 

Up until that time, I thought I has seen just about everything that could happen with a slot car.  I have witnessed airborne cars, lost wheels, sucked up bodies, motors in flames, f1 cars that lose complete axle assemblies, and many more race disasters.  But we all laughed harder at this sight than anything we have ever seen before, especially as the sight repeated itself for lap after lap.

 

Thanks for the comedy, Frank!  Disclaimer:  Done by a race professional on a closed course.  Do not try this at home.   

[Don Weaver]

Really nice looking cars!  Would be a hard time picking concours...

 

Don

[Clyde Romero]

Looks like a lot of fun was had by all.

[JerseyJohn]

Great reporting. Thank you !!!