40 replies to this topic

[Cheater]

The first class run was F1. There were four entries, including Jay Guard who brought out the same car he'd run at the Sano. We didn't expect a large number of entries, as F1 slot cars haven't been run in the South for many years and everyone except for Jay had to build new chassis for the class.



Jay busy with his calipers, doing the tech inspection for the F1 cars.

Here are the cars:













We don't bother with qualifying at SERRA races, so the lane choices are made by the SRT lap counting system. Jay Guard grabbed the lead at the start of the first heat and was never headed, though noted wing-car racer Tommy Flythe stalked him throughout the race.

F1 Race Results:

1) Jay Guard - 234 laps, best time of 5.539 secs in blue lane
2) Tommy Flythe - 216, 6.097 in blue
3) Larry Black - 201, 5.930 in blue
4) Guy Clarkson - 144, 6.211 in blue

[Cheater]

After the F1 race and a 30-min break, tech opened for the Can-Am class. Again, besides Jay's Sano car, every chassis in this class was hitting the track for the first time. So we were pleased with six entries and know we'll have more at the next race.

The Can-Am cars:













(I must admit that I missed taking pics of two cars. I didn't snap a pic of Jay Guard's Can-Am, but it can be seen in the Sano race report. And I missed getting one other car photographed, but I don't whose car it is. My apologies to the slighted driver.)



The Can-Am drivers get ready for the power to come on. L to R: Jay Guard, Tommy Flythe, Guy Clarkson, Mark Lespinasse, Larry Black, and Bobby Robinson. (I think; lemme know if I'm wrong please...)



Here's the line-up at the start of the Can-Am race.



Bob Cozine and a mean-looking Jay Guard inspect the diverse Can-Am chassis after the race finished.

At power-on, Jay again jumped out to lead but Mark Lespinasse of Madison, GA, made him work for it, nearly equaling Jay's heat totals on most lanes. Bobby Robinson of Hokes Bluff, AL, was solidly in third most of the race, just heading very experienced racer Tommy Flythe at the checker. Larry Black (the trackowner's main squeeze) and Guy Clarkson both had problems with gears (IIRC) and were not factors in the race.

Can-Am Race Results

1) Jay Guard - 251 laps, best time of 5.269 secs in orange lane
2) Mark Lespinasse - 237, 5.539 in green
3) Bobby Robinson - 230, 5.930 in blue
4) Tommy Flythe - 227, 5.871 in blue
5) Guy Clarkson - 180, 5.488 in green
6) Larry Black - 81, 6.210 in white

[Cheater]

After another 30-min break, tech was opened for the GT Flexi class, which had the largest turnout of the event: twelve entries. Again, this was pretty much in line with what we thought would happen, this being the first SERRA race.

Here are the GT Flexi cars:










Look carefully at the paint jobs on the two cars directly above. Joe McIntosh painted these bodies. Joe is a fantastic painter; his bodies have won multiple concours awards at the USRA Nats.










(pictures continue in next post)

[Cheater]

GT Flexi cars, continued...



















With twelve entries, we ran two mains of six racers each and populated the podium based on laps.

The first Main was the most interesting race of the day, at least to me. Flashbacks has a very active kids racing programs, with races on both Thursday and Friday nights. One of their A class racers is a young lady named Sarah Partee, who is all of thirteen years old. Along with another younger racer, Brandon Goodine, youth showed the geezers in their Main (Tommy Flythe, Larry Black, Steve Saunders, and Guy Clarkson) the fast way around the Kingelman.

Brandon led the first heat over Sarah by a single lap, but at the end of heat two the two youngsters were tied at 67 laps each. After three heats, Sarah and Brandon were still tied, with 100 laps. The fourth heat saw Brandon jetting to a two-lap lead on green, while Sarah simply survived on black. Brandon moved to blue for heat five, and Sarah to yellow. At the end Brandon had added one more lap to his lead, with Tommy Flythe still in the hunt with 165 laps, four back of Sarah. Larry Black and Guy Clarkson were duking it out behind the leaders, and were separated by only two laps when the break arrived. Heat six saw Brandon stretching it out, leading by five laps at heat's end. Tommy closed to four laps behind Sarah, and Guy was but a single lap in arrears of Larry, with Steve Saunders motoring along almost twenty laps to the bad. Sarah turned on the afterburner on white during heat seven, besting Brandon's black lap total by three and closing to within two laps of the lead. Tommy couldn't seem to make up any ground on the leaders, but Larry and Guy found themselves on the same lap when the heat ended. I don't recall exactly what happened (caught up in a crash?), but Brandon's luck mostly ran out in the last segment and Sarah claimed the win by seven laps. Brandon's luck didn't completely desert him, as he had one lap in hand to take second place over a hard-charging Tommy Flythe. Larry Black also edged Guy Clarkson (who had not a single piece of luck all day) by a single lap as well.



Sarah "Fastest Lady" Partee, winner of the first SERRA GT Flexi Main.

GT Flexi Race Results, First Main

1) Sarah Partee - 266 laps, best time of 5.051 secs in orange
2) Brandon Goodine, 259, 5.109 in white
3) Tommy Flythe, 258, 5.269 in orange
4) Larry Black, 247, 5.277 in blue
5) Guy Clarkson, 246, (rider best time)
6) Steve Saunders, 221, 5.660 in red!

[Cheater]

The second Main featured very seasoned racers and very close racing. No youngsters here. All of these guys have been racing for decades.



L to R: James Merriman, Mark Lespinasse, Steve McBride, Joe McIntosh, Ralph Thorne, and Jay Guard (a last minute sub for Barry Hunt, whose chronic back trouble flared up). A veritable rogue's gallery of racers...

Didn't take long to see that Ralphy pretty much had everyone covered. First heat, Ralphy on yellow and Jay on purple, saw Jay down a lap at the end. And after a gap of two laps, three laps covered the last four cars. Ralph just kept stretching it out, with Jay lurking a more-or-less half dozen laps back, less early, more later in the race. James seemingly motored by himself comfortably in third all race. Steve McBride and Joe McIntosh held their own private race, and were often on the same lap at the breaks, but in the end Joe pulled away to take fourth by six laps, with Mark bringing up the rear.

GT Flexi Race Results, Second Main

1) Ralph Thorne - 279 laps, best time of 4.0938 secs in orange
2) Jay Guard, 272, 5.050 in orange
3) James Merriman, 269, 4.941 in blue
4) Joe McIntosh, 253, 4.988 in orange
5) Steve McBride, 245, 5.159 in purple
6) Mark Lespinasse, 218, 5.332 in green



GT Flexi Race Results, Combined

1) Ralph Thorne - 279 laps
2) Jay Guard - 272
3) James Merriman - 269
4) Sarah Partee - 266
5) Brandon Goodine - 259
6) Tommy Flythe - 258
7) Joe McIntosh - 253
8) Larry Black - 247
9) Guy Clarkson - 246
10) Steve McBride - 245
11) Steve Saunders - 221
12) Mark Lespinasse - 218



The Combined GT Flexi Podium, L to R: James Merriman, Ralph Thorne, Jay Guard.

[tonyp]

Congrats on your first race. The first one is the hardest! Great report, Greg! Thank you.

[Noose]

Congrats, guys, on your first race! Glad to see the IRRA rules in place on a local level and above all those great-looking cars!

[Jay Guard]

Greg:

GREAT RACE REPORT!!! It was worth the wait!!

I can't wait to see what the guys (and gals) come up with for the next race!

[Cheater]

Oops! I forgot to thank some folks.

First, thanks to Tina and Larry Black. They accommodated our SERRA event in the most hospitable manner possible. Great raceway, great owners, great track, the whole ten yards. I should mention that the day after the SERRA race, Larry was going to take down the Kingelman and store it next door to make room for a three-day national slot drag race this coming weekend. Some folks may not know that Flashbacks is one of the premier slot drag facilities in the country. And don't worry, the Kingelman goes back up in a few days.

Second, thanks to Don Berni, who came all the way from Abbeville, SC, where his raceway will be the site of SERRA race #4 in April. Don's one of the rare trackowners who doesn't race, so he came down just to marshal for us as well as to see what this retro racing stuff is all about. Much appreciated, Don.

Third, to the guys who came over from Alabama way: Steve, Steve, Bobby, and Barry. You guys came a long way and we thank you for that.

Fourth, thanks to Jay Guard, without whose help SERRA and this race would never have existed.

Fifth, thanks to the attending drivers that I've competed against over the years (too many to list for fear of leaving someone out). I meant to call each of you to harass you about coming but never found the time to do so. That you guys came without being asked was a special treat.

A final request: please tell your friends about SERRA retro racing and help us to grow this terrifically-fun type of slot racing!

[Mark Wampler]

Really good showing and terrific participation! You guys rock. Congrats.

[Rusty Pinion]

What a motley crew in that group photo!!

It was great to see Bob Cozine run a car again. He hasn't lost his touch!

I loved they way the cars were teched in... thats the way it should be done. Looked liked good close racing and a lot of fun. I may have to come out of retirement and run one sometime. Good job, Jay and Greg!!

[Big Durl]

Great report of a great turnout for a great race!

Fantastic-looking cars, too. It's always nice to see guys taking the time to do it purty.

Cheater, I've been over your report three times now, and yet again I can't seem to find your name among the participants. This whole sacrificing for the sake of the event reporting is getting a little old, dude. I know you like to race slot cars. I also know other guys would be willing to take photos and notes of the racing for you. The only reason I can see is that yer yella! That's right, Cheater, I'm callin' ya OUT, boy! Yella as these durn emoticons, I say!

Okay, not really, but really, your generosity is keeping me from seeing you racing on Slotblog. I hope those guys thanked you profusely. And then gave you some major %*#@.

Finally, really? That guy's name is Lespinasse? You're kidding, right?

Poor bastid. Ol' Dokk really gets around, don't he?

[Pappy]

The only reason I can see is that yer yella!

Bright yella at that. I think he was sceered that little girl would beat him. A couple of years ago there was a little girl about 12 years old in Batesville, IN, who use to beat everyone, me included.

Great race report, Greg. Wish I could have been there.

[gascarnut]

Congrats on yet another retro program successfully underway!

Well done to Jay and Cheater for their hard work, to the raceway owners for their support, and to the racers who showed up and started building - you guys rock!

[jdracer]

Had a great time even though I didn't get to race... poor planning and not doing the work on my Flexi to get it to run right... Will have a Can-Am car for the next race and will race no matter how poorly it runs...

Again had a blast, as always when I go to Flashbacks...

[Cheater]

Guys, when making up the race report, I resized the car pics in an attempt to put the two shots of each car side by side. It didn't work out and I realized that the pictures were smaller than usual and that they didn't show the detail as well as the Sano pics.

So I have resized the Can-Am and F1 pics to a larger size and re-uploaded them to the threads above. I didn't bother to do the GT Flexi pics, as everyone knows what those chassis look like.

I also wanted to upload some larger pics of the two GT Flexis running bodies painted by Joe "Jobiwan" McIntosh, so you guys could better see the wonderful effects Joe can do. Rather than uploading them in the GT Flexi post, I'm putting them here. Enjoy!