8 replies to this topic

[MG Brown]

 

RACE RESULTS from Tuesday, 10 June 2025: It was good to see Bart Merriman out and around! After his health scare last week, he was gearing up to put it to 'em in Asheville this coming Saturday!
 
4.5" PRO-TRACK HARDBODIES - Thank you, Shaina White, for race directing! Randy Hampton led the first five segments and looked headed to the win, when his car just stopped running. All electrical connections were good; looks like the motor was the issue. Nick Farris took over at the point and held off Terry Johnson by 1/2 lap for the win. Shane White and Donnie Gilbert actually tied for third! Six of the eight racers ran 300-plus laps (and Randy would have if he hadn't lost a motor). Chris Thomas (sixth) edged Randy by .003 seconds for fast lap (2.950). Randy recorded best segment (41).
 
JK SPEC LMP - A big thank you to Randy Hampton for hanging out after to oval program to race direct! Koty Campbell borrowed the house car, drove to a three-lap win, claimed best segment (23), fast lap (4.818,) and established new single lap standards on black and purple lanes. Chris Thomas was three laps back for second and was the only other racer to run a sub-5 second lap. Shane White and Terry Johnson were only a lap apart in third and fourth. I apologize for not getting a shot of the field; I was doing some repair work and Merrik was busy setting up the race (though he normally reminds me to get that photo).
 
TOMORROW (Thursday, 12 June 2025): The raceway will open at 5 PM with our first race at 6:30. On the slate: 4" PRO-TRACK DIRT LATE MODELS (oval) and JK SPEC RETROS (road course).
 
THIS SATURDAY (14 June 2025) - It's on! The raceway will open at 10 AM. and we will run our "FAST FRIDAY" cars at 11 AM as a final tune-up for the Summer Heat Flexi Challenge event in two weeks.
 

THE RACEWAY EVENTS FOR JUNE 2025:
 
FRIDAY, JUNE 13 - FINAL RACES for NSR GT-3 and BRACKET CARS.

 

SATURDAY JUNE 14 - 10 AM - SUMMER HEAT warmup for JK SPEC LMP and Flexi Challenge GTP.
 
TUESDAY, JUNE 17 - FINAL RACES for 4.5" PRO-TRACK HARD-BODY STOCK CARS and JK SPEC LMP.
 
THURSDAY, JUNE 19 - FINAL RACES for 4" PRO-TRACK DLM's and JK SPEC LMP's
 
FRIDAY, JUNE 20 - The Raceway will open at 10 AM. for SUMMER HEAT FLEXI CHALLENGE. Open Practice all day with the DTM qualifying and race at 6:30.
 
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 - SUMMER HEAT FLEXI CHALLENGE continues. The Raceway will open at 8 AM with LMP qualifying at 9:30.
 
The Raceway Cleveland will accept parts orders by phone and will either ship to you or you may request in-store pickup. Payment by major credit cards or PayPal, please.

 

REMINDER - On sale at dealer cost from now through June 21: all drag-specific items, all 1/32 cars and parts, all model cars, and all oval-specific cars and parts!

1701 South Lee Highway, Suites K & L

Cleveland, TN
United States

(423) 813-7700
 
Please direct any and all questions to the above phone number.

[slotcarone]

Final events? Is the raceway closing?

[Cheater]

Yes, Mike. The building the raceway is in has been sold and the new owner increased the lease rate enormously.

 

I call it being "landlorded." The same thing happened to Atlanta Slot Car in Marietta, GA, at about the same time, with the same result.

[Tom Eatherly]

Man, that looks a nice track.Too bad its gotta go.

[Cheater]

Between his shop in Melbourne, FL, and his second one in Cleveland, TN, Bill Pinch has operated a slot car raceway for something like 40 years.

if there was a Hall of Fame for raceway owners, Bill would be elected unanimously on the first ballot. The fact that he's a super-nice guy is just icing on the cake.

 

[Mr. M]

He bought Space Coast Raceway in Cocoa Beach in 1981 with a banked American black track, so that would be 44 years as a track owner. He is also the inventor of the original wing car tech template, I have the first prototype. This was picked up by Ken McDowel and pirated by Parma.
 
It was a good run. He was asked about opening another and said he didn’t think he had the energy to do it again! The shop went from Cocoa Beach to Rockledge to Cocoa to Melbourne to Cleveland. Always chasing away rising rent. He also was one of the first to have active programs for dragstrip, HO, 1/32, and 1/24 oval and road course. The shop always made money.
 
Godspeed, Bill!

[Cheater]

He was asked about opening another and said he didn’t think he had the energy to do it again!

Especially as he and his wife are currently building a new house!

[MG Brown]

Good progress has been made on the new manor so far.

 

 

So please come out and help to make the 20-21st Flexi Challenge event a huge send off and thank you party for Bill and Judi Pinch and their years of dedication to slot car racing.

 

As you can see, Cleveland is semi-centrally located. Come out and enjoy the weekend with some great racing and old-school camaraderie.

[Clyde Romero]

Bill is a phenomenal person and track owner.

 

Clyde Romero