46 replies to this topic

[911GT3]

First and foremost, thank you for all of the kind words about my race directing.

Second, a big thank you to all that attended the "happening" that is the R4. Mike, Cindy and the rest of the McMasters family have worked hard to make this event successful. Everybody racing stepped up their game bringing some great competition to the R4.

Thank you to all the sponsors that donated prizes for this race and showing support for our hobby.

Noose and Bill did one heck of a job with tech.

I saw some new faces, butchered a few names (sorry, and I will not get offended by a correction), caught up with friends, and had the opportunity to see every car entered in the R4 first hand.

[Rick]

All in all this years R4 is one of the best I have ever attended and that means going back to Group racing days. Loads of racers, great racing, and close racing all across the board. My mind keeps thinking I am still 48 years old but my body reminds me that I am 62, Whew. Where did the years go?

Kudos have been said for all involved and rightfully so. The race this year seemed to be more mellow than previous ones from my eyes. I love to watch it all go down and be there with all the Retro racers. No matter how many times you see it in print, nothing beats being there. Being able to view it now real time from home is great. I want to watch some of the recorded vids now, too.

As I always say you learn something new every year and this was no exception. I have to congratulate Rande for a superb job out of RPM again this year, he certainly sets the bar high for everyone else and for Ron driving the missiles. Just when you think you have Ron on the ropes, he reaches down in deeper and comes right backatcha.

Pretty much as clean a race as anyone could wish for, in all of the Mains. With just some jockeying around with the classes, next year will be even better.

Thanks everyone for being so nice to race with...

[Noose]

Some observations about Ron.

As most know the competition here in Retro East™ is pretty tough. You make the A Main here and podium then you have done really well. I often tell folks to watch the good guys and how they drive to learn.

Now I have watched Ron at many big races. Yeah, he's won his share for sure and heck, even came in second a time or two. LOL Is it his cars? His motors? Nope, not IMO and this year's Can-Am race kinda proved that in my mind.

First, Ron won the GTC-PD event with a bag motor that he bought on Thursday along with three others that I checked and engraved right out of the package. I also saw that he used those motors in the Can-Am and that Rande also had one in use. Even though Ron changed motors for the final main in Can-Am, it was not the fastest out there at all. In fact, IMO, Rande had the fastest car with his bag motor.

Going back to the Semis though, when Ron got some damage done to his car in the first heat and dropped down something like three laps, there was a real buzz in there that he might not actually make the final Main. Imagine that. Well, all you had to do was to see how well he drove the rest of the race to see that he not only came back but won it. You just don't do that on that track.

So what's the secret? Is it that he only blinks three times during a lap and it is in the exact same spot? Maybe one of the things that he uses to do what really counted. If you watched the lap times during all of the events what you saw was a great deal of variation in each guys lap times. I am talking tenths here. Then, you look at Ron's lap times. They only varied by a few thousandths. Un-freakin' real. The only one that came close to that was Cap Henry in the F1 main and it sure helped him win that race over Ron.

Staying on is obviously a factor. But doing it without missing a beat lap after lap is what makes him the best I have ever seen hands down. Some may be able to claim some "hair" laps but IMO Ron has the whole "wig". LOL

Good show, Ron.

[Lucky Me]

Well said, Noose.

Ron is certainly the Man, I have told him on a few occasions that if he was not in "MY" race, I would feel ripped off. I love racing with him and getting beat by him, all it's done is elevate my own game with slot cars . And who knows maybe one day I will get some of those "hairs". LOL!

[Howie Ursaner]

With Ron you have to say King track only and mostly Columbus. He is not willing to race on any other track anymore. I know he could if he wanted to.

[Noose]

Howie,

I was talking about Columbus. He has won at the Sano on the King too, as you have. At Columbus, which is a very unique track, he rocks. Only Matt Bruce has won more than once there.

[Howie Ursaner]

Ron is the grand master of Columbus without equal. I especially like the way he comes back from trouble.

As far as bag motors i will say that Ron and Rande had the 2 fastest motors out there. I have never had a good motor out of the bag. Just saying.

[Matt Bruce]

I can't agree with that statement. Ron has been racing a long time, all types of cars on a variety of racetracks. There is no doubt in my mind given whatever situation, he would find his way to the front on sheer talent alone.

The fact that the majority of premier races happen on King tracks is what it is. One thing you need to realize is that to win nowadays you gotta have your chit together. Granted it is not easy to win on tracks you only race on once a year. The level of competition almost requires you to run a warm-up any more to do well and Columbus is no exception. To win you gotta beat the best in their own backyard and that ain't easy.

[Howie Ursaner]

Matt,

Of course what you say is true and I do not argue one bit. Ron would and has won with a normal motor.

[Ron Hershman]

Ron is the grand master of Columbus without equal. I especially like the way he comes back from trouble.

As far as bag motors i will say that Ron and Rande had the 2 fastest motors out there. I have never had a good motor out of the bag. Just saying.

Seems there has been a bit of "editing" going on here in your posts, Howie.

First correction... Rande did not run a bag motor in Can-Am.

Maybe you have had good bag motors but the cars you put them in were not as good as your competitors???

The car I ran in Can-Am was the same car I ran in Coupe... yep, it was that good both days. I ran one of the four bag motors that Noose engraved on Thursday. Put two of them in the car I raced and both motors turned 4.7s... I TQ'd with a 4.70 barely beating Chris R's 4.71. I won the Coupe race.

On Sunday we threw a Ti22R on it and it ran 4.6s in practice... I TQ'd with a 4.66 just beating out Rick Davis's 4.67.

In the qualifying race in the first heat I came off in the straight and got knocked into the pole... bound up the back end of the car and ran 31 laps the first heat on blue and the motor got very hot. We unbound the car for heat 2 and I could not run as fast due to car being badly wounded. I did what I had to do and ran enough laps to make the Semi which I won with a refurbed motor as the "bag" motor I had run earlier I couldn't tell if it got "hurt" in the qualifying race crash. I ran the same motor again in the main and pretty much ran with Chris R on the same lap the entire race.

Keep on mooching rides and you may get one fast enough some day. LOL.

[boogieman1]

We had cars in 4.6s the Sat before, 4.9-5.0 on race day, dropped .2 after first heat changes.

It is like deer hunting - you have to put in your time - good job, Ron.

Boogie

[Howie Ursaner]

Keep on mooching rides and you may get one fast enough some day.

Same to you, Ron. LOL

[Ron Hershman]

No "mooching" here... I am a hired gun... no need for me to have cars shipped in or walk pit bench to pit bench looking for something better than I already have.
LMAO

[Greg VanPeenen]

Well, I finally got to my first R4.

Mike and the McMasters clan sure do know how to put on one heck of a slot car race. I am already looking forward to next year. What a well-run event.

Congratulations to Cap Henry for his F1 win and to Rick Jr. for his FK Coupe win. Both these guys are outstanding young men. Then there is Ron. What can I say about Ron that has not already been said (good & bad)? What a talent. Congratulations on your Can-Am and PD Coupe wins.

Thanks to Boogie and Jeremy for racing with me and getting us to the races. And we all got a heat race win. Jeremy, next year will be your year, you were so fast in practice, what bad luck. Thanks to PSC Dave for the great building fixtures. Thanks to R-Geo Rick Sr. for the great chassis parts. Thanks to Mike Swiss for getting me stuff fast when I really need it.

The highlight of my weekend had to be having three cars in the top eight qualifiers in Can-Am, with one of them being me. Howie, great job with the old beat-up, flat track, slow motor with no brakes loaner in PD Coupe. Next race you will get to mooch one of the new cars so you can repeat what you did in Can-Am at the last Sano race.

Matt Bruce, who took the same pile Howie ran in the Coupe class and finished fifth in the Can-Am A Main. Thanks, you are the man. Then there is Cap who knows what could have happened if that magnet would not have come loose. Must have been one of the motors you got from Big Mike. Just kidding.

Lets see, just a couple of observations...

Bag motors, even when engraved, mean nothing until Pro Slot starts putting screws in them to hold the endbell to the can and they go from the bag into the car into the race not leaving the raceway.

And finally who's idea was it to turn on the AC just before the fast Can-Am heat. Sure did change the track for me at least.

What a great event.

Regards,

Greg V.

[Howie Ursaner]

No "mooching" here... I am a hired gun.. no need for me to have cars shipped in or walk pit bench to pit bench looking for something better than I already have.

You must be the only one not mooching. I saw Matt and Cap doing it and a dozen others so I am in excellent company however at this event I did not even mooch.

The coupe I raced was offered to me and I did not ask for it. The Can-Am car I raced is the one I came with and it had a bag motor I bought. The F1 car I ran I built myself, and can you say that much?

I am a racer, like you, and I do what I can to get a competitive car. I do not have Randy feeding me rocket cars in practice while I am driving. I only have a few motors. I think they are OK until I see your motors go. I will build, borrow, get hired to drive, beg, mooch, and all of the above to get the job done...

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

I'm glad you enjoyed the weekend, Greg. I know I enjoyed looking at your chassis designs.

I don't think the AC was turned on. At least it didn't feel like it to me. I think it was just the fan.

And Ron's motors did stay at the raceway. He bought them two weeks before and I held them until Thursday when Noose engraved them.

[Terry]

I told Ron it wouldn't matter that he had Noose engrave the new bag motors. People would still believe/say what they want.

People would be better off worrying about the things that are in their control.

Other than the Coupe race, I pretty much sucked the entire weekend and I have no excuse. I had the same equipment as Ron, just not the talent, never have and I never will.

Does anyone stop to think how many laps Ron has turned on that track in the last 20 years? I bet if he was to go blind tomorrow (god forbid), he could still run faster lap times than most.

[Ron Hershman]

Bag motors even when engraved mean nothing until Pro Slot starts putting screws in them to hold the end bell to the can and they go from the bag into the car into the race not leaving the raceway.

Greg... is this a "general" statement or are all bag motors that have left the raceway or come into the raceway suspect? Or could it be a "selective" statement??

The F1 car I ran I built myself, and can you say that much?

I am a racer, like you, and I do what I can to get a competitive car. I do not have Randy feeding me rocket cars in practice while I am driving. I only have a few motors. I think they are OK until I see your motors go. I will build, borrow, get hired to drive, beg, mooch, and all of the above to get the job done...

No, I cannot say that much... I have no need to build my own stuff... is that a problem for you? How many others race stuff they don't borrow or build themselves? So is your problem with me or everyone who doesn't build their own stuff?

There you go a team effort... Rande feeding me rocket cars... how many other team efforts did you see the past weekend feeding rocket cars to others? Go ahead... throw them under the bus, too.

What's your problem... no one feeding you rocket cars, no one feeding you or no rocket cars? Which is it, Howie?

You only have a few motors... who's fault is that?? Go buy more and search for better ones like MOST of the others have. Some guys have 30 to 50 motors... is that a problem for you as well??

Thought yours were OK until you saw mine run?? How did you feel when you seen other motors run on the track that were faster than mine and yours?

Are we in third grade here? Some other kid brought in a pencil from home with an eraser on it and your pencil doesn't have one? You crying to the teacher or the principal, Howie?

[Howie Ursaner]

i knew that was coming. LOL.

I don't really have a problem with any of it. In fact I enjoy the challenge and wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes I just like to say ****.

[Zippity]

Why does this have to turn into a bitch fight?

[Ron Hershman]

It's like a family reunion gone bad and now some want to audition for their spot on the next Jerry Springer Show. LOL.

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

OK. This looks like a good place to stop.

I have NEVER done this before but this topic has gotten completely sideways. Before this devolves to a "Yo mamma" type dialogue so let's just lock it up.