12 replies to this topic

[Noose]

First, thanks to...

Mike Swiss and his lovely wife Jackie for being such great hosts and the tireless hours they put in.

All of the Sponsors.

Cheater for his unending devotion to reporting the news real time.

Ray Price and Ricky "D" for all of their help while trying to assist Mike with the business of the raceway.

Everyone that came. Meeting guys from last year and the many, many new faces this year. If it wasn't for Ralph Thorne and Matt Bruce the average age for those in attendance might have well been in the high 50s! Retro Rocks!

Shontel Howard for her work in capturing those special moments for all to enjoy here.

My "Tech" partner Dennis Samson. Buddy, I think we broke the 18 second mark from the R4! There were really very few "No Tech For You" issues and it was great that guys had their cars all very legal and ready to roll.

My Retro East guys for a great showing and for their help during the weekend. Special thanks to Jay (great wins!) and to Tony P. What we do without Tony P?

My new good friend, Eddy Mac. What superb individual. It was great to sit and chat with him and Jack Beers about our love of painting.

Tex Hofer, Jack Beers, and Ed Dziewior on their outstanding concours-winning work!

And to Mr. Sano II himself Dave Fiedler for showing everyone how to kick some butt on that flat track.

And finally I want to thank Howie Ursaner for the great F1 battle on the King. It felt like the '60s all over again! I do not want to see what this guy is going to be like in a year. To achieve the what he did at this race in not having raced in 40 years is mind-blowing.

[gascarnut]

I'm with Joe on all of his thanks to all those who made the Sano II as good as it was, and it was a great event. Enormous attendance, LOTS of racing, great times spent bench racing with new friends and old, meeting people from all over, and sharing our common love of this form of slot racing.

But Joe left out one person whose tireless efforts have helped lay the foundations for what we enjoyed all weekend:

Joe "Noose" Neumeister himself deserves an enormous "Thank You" for all his time, effort, planning, and support not only for the IRRA in general but for every racer and every event. He is always there to answer a question and always the enthusiastic evangelist of Retro racing, even after three hours' sleep and too many of Ray Carlisi's "Toasts"

Oh, and he can paint a bit too...

Thanks for all you do, Joe!

[JerseyJohn]

Congrats to all of the winners AND attendees, especially my Retro East buddies. You guys are the best!!!

[TSR]

Howie just called me to tell me how happy and proud he was. I told him how pleased I was to see him race and win, and to give a call to Sandy and to tell him that he has no more excuses. If some old has-been like Howie ( ) can do it, so can Sandy!

[tonyp]

First I have to thank Jay Kisling for winning both the Can-Am and F1 with my stuff and absolutely making my weekend! To all my East Coast buds Matt, Ray, Noose, and Jay for their help all weekend. Matt, I hope your son is feeling better.

Mike Swiss, thanks for the hospitality and great raceway!

Howie, great drive! It was great to catch up. I am dragging Bob Emott kicking and screaming to the R4.

Sano Dave, you are the flat track master.

To everyone else, thanks for the great time. It was great to meet all of you.

[Ralph Thorne]

Wow is right. I had a blast, guys.

Thank you to everyone who made Da Sano II possible.

It was nice to put faces with names this weekend. Great racing and great fun!

Can't wait for Da Sano III.

[Howie Ursaner]

I really don't know where to begin to thank everyone that helped me get to the Sano II.

I will start with PdL, who has been my friend since the Marconi Proxy Race in 2001. He got me to go the Masters in Chicago last summer where he, Tore Anderson, and Paul Sterrett totally took care of my racing needs and got me out on the track. Thank you so much guys. I had an incredible time with them and wanted more.

The retro cars are what I was interested in and was blown away by their performance and reliability. It was here that I met Sano Dave Fiedler and we talked about possibly hooking up in the future. Well, it actually happened, and I have to thank Dave for his tireless effort in preparing my equipment as if he were racing my cars himself, and for being my friend. We are talking about seven races in three days so he was working on keeping two cars running for all of them. Every time I hit a wall I could see Dave cringing.

Mike Swiss ran a great event. With an iron hand he guided the thing through the days with tireless effort and it was basically glitch-free. The food set an all-time high standard for a slot race as far as I know and was first class. Thanks, Mike and Jackie, for putting me up and holding this event for all the great racers who came from so far and near. I had a great time going to lunch with you and getting tossed around in the Cayman. The 3 AM bench racing sessions at the house were priceless. Tony, Noose, Ray, and Dennis, what can I say? Fantastic!

Thank you everyone for being gracious to me and for making my weekend so special. I made many new friends here and what can be better than that? The effort that went into this event was extreme and Greg Wells (cheater) was on a mission that was never-ending. Thank you, Greg, for sharing this with the world on the net.

I had a geat time. I love retro racing and want to race more. I hope that the time comes when everyone can come together and we can have the greatest slot car races ever held with all of the great racers coast to coast going at it. For me, the flat tracks are it. They are a test of a human being that is beyond compare. The level of precision and restraint required are mind-boggling and I love it. The satisfaction of doing a great job is enormous.

I would like to just say that Jay Kisling did an unbelievable job on the King and I, along with everyone in the place I'll dare to say, was blown away.

Noose, you were a rocket in our King race. You scared the hell out of me.

To all my new friends and old, I can't wait to see all of you again.

Dave, thanks again. My dream of coming in second to you in the Sano Shootout II came true.

[tonyp]

The man, then and now.

[Cheater]

That guy standing behind Howie looks vaguely familiar, too...

[Tex]

Dave, thanks again. My dream of coming in second to you in the Sano Shootout II came true.

Truly, a fairytale ending. It was wonderful, beginning to end.

I resisted the urge to gush hero-worship all over Howie the whole weekend. I did pretty good and managed to stammer just one "Well done, Howie" after it was all said and done and shook Howie's hand. Mission accomplished.

Dave Fiedler is a class act and a friend to all. He is genuinely interested in whatever it is that you are saying or doing. Thanks, Dave. Oh yeah, and Dave LOVES any and all OLD slot cars; the history and significance of what was and came before is not lost on this man. I wanna be just like Dave when I grow up.

Thanks to Dave Crevie and Ray Price for being nice to the old Texan; you make a guy feel welcome and comfortable. I want to clink bottles with you two.

Kevin Van Pelt pitted up in the loft with me; heckuva nice guy. I look forward to seeing you again next year!

Eric Balicki pitted in the loft also. If it wasn't for us, the fast guys wouln't have anyone to beat, right? I mean that in a nice way, Eric... we both have the spirit to put it on the track with the big boys purely for the fun of it. We'll get 'em next time!

Jack Beers, thanks for the NOS Cox driver for my new "vintage" Cooper F1!!! Not EVERYone gets handed one of those by "da man" hisself! I hope to build another new "vintage" car before next year's Sano and get your critique!

Allan Reeder, it's always good to see you and discuss these consarned things with you! Just to reiterate what some have said already, Allan told me that the JK chassis he drove was the BEST handling chassis he'd driven..... so he GAVE me one!!! Thanks, dood. Nothing else. I'm humbled. Thanks.

Larry Kelley also pitted with us up in the loft. He was kind enough to whup out some old cars and show 'em to me. Man, these things were OLD! Can anyone say "innovative"? Believe me, I saw proof of floating body mounts and hinged chassis movement WAY before the lava cooled to form the Earth! He gave me sage advice and tips about spray guns and paint, too. I look forward to continuing our conversation NEXT year.

Ray Carlisi. You walk in and it's like he never met a stranger. OK, I WASN'T a total stranger(we met at last year's Sano) but that's not the point.... he is genuinely pleased to see you again. I hope I can find the time to hang with you guys and drink a couple o' brewskis wit' youse guys next year! I bet that'd be worth the price of admission!

Dennis Samson. HEY! I won your Can-Am chassis in the raffle at the end of it all!!! I'll finally have a competitive chassis for next year! Dennis is so willing to talk about these cars, both old and new; I never tire of him pulling out cars and showing them off. It's a shame we didn't have more time just for sitting and talking about it all.

Joe. NOOSE!! Call him the "Tech Nazi" if you want, but I made it through tech all four times on the first try! ($20 per race is the going rate if you're a "friend"... it's $40 if you're a jerk! LOL!) I'm joking of course. I truly appreciate you running a tight ship tech-wise and keeping everyone honest. I know Joe put in as much time and effort as ANYone(well, maybe Mr. Swiss a little more) to see this race come off as well as it did... THANKS, Joe... for giving us the opportunity just to be together among friends. You'll have to introduce me to a "Blue Moon" someday.

Tony P. What a teddy bear! HA! It was great meeting you; I was so disappointed when you couldn't make it last year. It's a little unnerving when you get to meet a legend like Tony but he handled it well and made me feel welcome to talk to him. I keep saying it over and over it seems, but I wish I'd found the time to bench-race with you and others... all this "racing" stuff gets in the way! LOL!

Who else?

Mike Swiss. It's unbelievable how much goes into putting on such a race and yet you do it somehow. Mike runs a tight ship and he HAS to in order for it all to get done. I appreciate that; the man has a plan and executes it so that we can all get to race. You haven't lived until you've had Mike give you a little grief about some infraction you committed; it's done for the "greater good of all" and somehow you don't mind it. Thanks again, Mike.

Jackie Swiss? You're crazy. You married the guy knowing full and well what you were getting into. You married the track and hobby as much as you did Mike. You deserve a medal! Jackie made the food arrangements and they were superb! I regret that I didn't taste one of your brownies; maybe next year(?).

Jay Kisling. For an @$$hole, you're a heckuva nice guy! LOL! Don't worry, I won't tell anyone and ruin your reputation! OK, maybe that word is a bit strong, but you ARE a strong-willed and OPINIONATED kind of guy and I can respect that, even if you DON'T know GOOD PIZZA when you taste it! I'll take you to Pizza Hut sometime...... and THEN maybe you'll be able to appreciate Lou Malnati's! Actually, I look forward to YOU showing ME what good pizza is!! I should mention that I don't think I saw a FASTER car on the King track all weekend!! Absolute ROCKETS!! A joy to watch. I'd like to get a couple beers in you also, just to hear what you REALLY think! LOL!

Who else?

I'd like to thank the other Texas racers for being willing to subject themselves to the ordeal of the trip, racing on a track that may as well have been from another planet and come away ENJOYING the whole experience; THAT'S what it's all about. I know some of you(if not all and MORE) will make to DA Sano III next year and know what to expect. Next year, I think we'll have a chance at making a dent in the standings. A podium may not be realistic yet, but we'll show 'em we're comin' on! Thanks again for having the heart and steely nerves to make the trip and show 'em what we're made of down here in Texas.

Oh yeah, Jay Guard. I was honored to have played a small part in helping you get 3rd place in the Sano shootout finale'! I reslotted his car quickly on the red lane; that's what I was there for and no thanks was necessary. But I STILL appreciated your comment, Jay.

So many nice people; I'm sure I've left many out. I apologize. The general vibe at this race is a GOOD one. I truly think "FUN" ruled the weekend and thoughts of "winning" didn't get in the way. The cream of the crop rose to the top as expected and I didn't hear any complaining about not making the final shootout or even not finishing any individual race where they thought they should have. If I have any one complaint, regret or suggestion for improvement it would be that we could all somehow spend more bench-racing time together.... there's just not enough time for all the real racing AND bench racing. If somehow the real racing could end at 6pm, THEN have the fantastic dinner and THEN just hang out and talk slots.... priceless!

EDIT: Just remembered another.... Dave Liebenthal(Mr. Proformance). I had already decided to buy a Pro-Slot motor for use in the F1 race on the King track when Dave was called over and he gave me his spiel on what he does to the P-S motors he sells. I bought a "pre-furbished" P-S motor..... already broken in, realigned, comm cut, basically all dimensions tightened up. My F1 chassis on the King was NARROWER than even SoCal D3 specs but that motor was a ROCKET and allowed me to cut times only half a second off the fast guys who had much wider(and better handling) chassis'! Thanks, Dave; $ well spent.

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

Geez, reading all these posts and looking at the pics makes it even more painful that I couldn't make it to the Sano II. You guys had a blast!! It sounds like everyone experienced exactly what retro is all about - FUN!

I would like to thank everyone who had anything at all to do with the Sano for helping keep this hobby we all love alive.

RETRO ROCKS !!

[tonyp]

I met Jay last night at T&L to get all of Mr. Noose's and my stuff and he was still smiling ear to ear.

[Dave Fiedler]

And it just keeps getting bigger and better. Wow Da Sano II. What a spectacular weekend. Thanks to all who attended and all who organized this truly great event.
I am using the Swiss-ablo computer at Chicagoland since mine is busted.( no internet hookup for many months at home.)
All those who have posted, I agree. I only hope these things keep growing.
Mike & Jackie great job. I never imagined eating this good at a slot race. Stupendous and never to be outdone.
They worked nonstop all weekend as did Greg Wells. Thanks to Ray and Rick, great counter work guys. Thanks Shontel and Eddy Mac for the extra pics and help with the dinner arrangements.
Big thanks to all food & race sponsors. They made this a HAPPENING, more than just a race, a social gathering of retro racers from all over the country. I really enjoy looking at all the chassis designs and paint jobs. Blows my mind DUDE! Loved checking out Tony P's cars.(they're jewelry). Droolin' over Noose paint jobs, checkin out Matt Bruce frame designs. Trying to steal Kisling speed secrets, and talkin to Ray after Jose Quervo got him. .(Regretably Lou C. had to jet back to the east coast early) And how many folks from Texas? maybe ten. Great to see Eddy, Jay,Shontel,and Hannah Howard. Met them here at the 06 nats. Tex Hofer had retro cars to die for. Sorry I didn't wipe up the drool Tex. All the other guys from Texas were real friendly as well.(must be somethin they put in the water) Good to see Doug Demski again. And then there's the dudes from down south. Jay Guard keeps gettin faster cause he's runnin pablo's F1 frames. Cheater in one race is better than none, and how about the kid, Ralphy is fast. Allan Reeder is way faster than I remember, though no longer a permanent resident of Colorado. From California, one of the all time great guys of this hobby, and a great friend of mine, not to mention a fabulous frame builder, Dennis Samsom(Thanks again Dennis). Great to see we had some guys from Indiana. Team Alpha (Paul and Jim), always a threat to win anywhere, at anytime, with any kind of car, were here. Also from Wisc., but not least, my good friend Howie. Howie and I joked with Swiss about being Team SANO the "PlatinumDust Twins" all weekend. Just a great time racin together. Don't want to take for granted all my Chicago buddies. All great guys to race with all the time. Get well Bob Oaks! Sorry Jimmy B. had to leave early. Steve G., Ken S.& Chuck G. are always tough to beat. Ray,Ricky,Lee,Geary,Larry,Basil,Kirk & Mike, Bill W.are the best. Racin these guys weekly keeps me on my toes. Way to go Mr. Crevie, you made the shot out dude. Congrats to ED DZ and Jack Beers on your concours wins. KvP, good run, as usual. Cool to see Mark Johnson again cause he's a hoot. Eric, you got way quicker on the flat track by your final race.
The only thing I would've changed, if I could: That Matt Bruce could have stayed to race in the shoot out which he so very much deserved.
Can't wait till the next one. Thumbs down, keep jettin dudes!
P.S. Maybe some of the left coast "Jet Set" could see fit to wander out this way next year.