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Inaugural Smoky Mtn Shootout is in the books!


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#1 Roho21

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Posted 29 April 2012 - 07:47 PM

The Inaugural Southern Shootout is in the books. It was also the first IRRA™ Premier Event in the South.

First, I have to thank all the racers that made the trip. For many, it was a long journey. Ken Bryan won the long distance award for traveling the longest distance to get here, coming from Spokane, WA! Over 2,300 miles! Truly amazing!

Chris Radisich drove over ten hours. Noose and Johnny VW I think was about eight. Bobby Robinson, Brian Cox, Ralph Thorne, Ron Hershman drove over five hours. Also, Chris Barnes and James Merriman drove over five hours for Saturday only due to prior commitments. These are just the drivers that I spoke to about distance, I'm sure there are others that drive far as well, I'm just not sure how far everyone did drive. That's a long ways to race, and I really appreciate all of them.

Chris Radisich arrived on Wednesday night for practice. I got to know him pretty well over the last several days. He is a super nice guy! He helped several of my locals, who are new to Retro, on their cars. He even loaned me a chassis to run in F1. A big thanks to Chris for everything.

Got to meet a few racers that I hadn't met before. Like Hip Culy, Brian Cox, and a few others. It's cool to put faces with the names we see on Slotblog.

I big thanks has to go out to Noose for helping put all this together. I borrowed from his experience on several things. I wanted to know how others major IRRA™ races were operated so I could learn from their experiences and their mistakes. Also, I have to thank him for the use of a Can-Am and GTC car. I had been so busy getting everything else ready, I didn't have time to get my own cars prepared!

It did however allow me to loan my best motor and some set-up help to my brother Mick, who made the Main in Can-Am and finished second in GTC-FK. He drove the wheels off that car and did a great job! I also have to thank him for helping out at the track. He was there all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and stepped in as race director when I was on track. He was and always is a great help. Couldn't do a lot these races without him. He also sponsored several awards, again a big help!

A big thanks to Greg Wells and Slotblog for promotion and fast updates! Greg is a huge help to everyone when they are promoting slot racing!

Thank to Mike McMasters for being one of the pioneers for this type of event. I believe there was one before the first R4, I'm just not sure who that was. Regardless of who, it was those early guys who gave us the vision to do these races

Congrats to Jay Guard for winning the Top Gun award. He did a great job on and off track. Always willing to help fellow racers with anything.

Congrats to Ron Hershman for proving he can win without his refurbed motors, and on something other than a King track! Also, I would like to say once again. I know Ron has fans out there and also has many who just don't like him for whatever reason, but I gotta say both events I have been at with him, he has been nothig but a classy guy. He was very helpful to everyone that asked, and I also saw him do several things for racers that were very subliminal and he didn't make it obvious, but nonetheless, it was very nice. Until he gives me a reason not to like him, I have to say he is 100% alright in my book.

I also need to thank my track assistants Randal Lane, my righthand man, who works tirelessly and is a great friend. Also, Mark Griffith, Tim Ketron, Cody Eads, all great friends and great help. My wife, Susan, and last but not least my daughter, Angelina. I gave her the snack counter at the track about six months ago and she runs it herself. She has recently purchased a new refrigerator herself and decides on her own what products to sell. She did a great job this weekend!

Thanks to all of our sponsors:

Angelina's Pit Stop
Bachman-Bernard Chrysler
Catch-22 Motorsports
Central TN Raceway
Eagle Distributing
Fast Ones
FSF Slot Cars
Manta Ray Chassis
Noose Custom Bodies
Outisight Designs
Parma/PSE
Precision Slot Cars
Ralph Thorne Racing
R-Geo
Slotblog.net
Slots-of-Fun
Team HRE
Third Eye Technologies
Tom Thumb Hobbies

I hope I remembered everyone!

I had a great time, and I can't wait until next year!!

Roger Holtsclaw





#2 Cheater

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Posted 29 April 2012 - 10:06 PM

Thank to Mike McMasters for being one of the pioneers for this type of event. I believe there was one before the first R4, I'm just not sure who that was. Regardless of who, it was those early guys who gave us the vision to do these races.


The seminal event for big Retro races was the first Sano, at Mike Swiss's Chicagoland Raceway in La Grange, IL in October, 2007. Coincidentally, it's where and when IRRA™ was formed.

Gregory Wells

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#3 Cheater

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Posted 29 April 2012 - 10:13 PM

BTW, if you passed on the inaugural Smoke Mtn Retro Shootout for any reason that didn't include a mandatory hospital stay, shame on you. You blew it big time.

There's no reason to say more. You'll see the pictures and the inevitable posts over the next few days or so.

Man, this one was fun...

Gregory Wells

Never forget that first place goes to the racer with the MOST laps, not the racer with the FASTEST lap


#4 911GT3

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Posted 30 April 2012 - 04:19 AM

I was fortunate enough to have a day off so I could watch racing on Saturday. From an outsider looking in on the webcam, it looked like a great event and one for me to put on the calender for next year.

Keep up the good work, Roger.

Eric Balicki

 


#5 torquemutant

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Posted 30 April 2012 - 09:14 AM

Thanks to Roger, I was able to get in on the action via his East Tennessee Model Raceway webcam transmitting on Ustream.

What a wonderful world we live in where we can experience the excitement of the race and even catch conversations spoken close to microphones. I'm all in favor of more cameras and mics placed all over the raceway... that's real life TV.

Congrats to all in attendance.
Charles Ray Neal, aka TorqueMutant

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