175 replies to this topic

[Cheater]

Thanks, guys. Fixed.

[Upfront slot cars]

Greg, will you post the live stream link here when it gets going please.

Also, thanks for everything you do for the sport!!!

[Cheater]

Andrew,

Will do and thanks!

[Slow1ron@yahooo.com]

Thanks, Greg.

Great stuff, keep it coming but also enjoy your stay.

[Cheater]

Things are heating up for the first day of actual racing at R4/9.

The GTC Pros registered first and then the GTC-FK racers, who also received their hand-out motors. Don't know how many total entrants yet, but it is not a small number!

GTC-Pro will tech first, at 9:15 AM, and then GTC-FK, at 10:30 AM. When tech is over, qualifying will begin, with GT-Pro first followed by GTC-FK.

Racing will commence after qualifying, with the GTC-FK preceding GTC-Pro.

A couple of random shots of the morning thrash, with most breaking-in their hand-out JK Hawk Retros before installing them.







One of the nicest registration/tech sheets you'll ever see, complete with checklists of the parameters for each class.

[mppicione]

Great coverage, Greg!!!

Saw some familiar pit boxes in those pictures.

And wow! What can I say about Steve's paint work, I'm a little green right now.

 

Have fun everyone, wish I could be there.

[The Number of]

One of the nicest registration/tech sheets you'll ever see, complete with checklists of the parameters for each class.

The racer has nicely filled out his entry form... except he's forgotten to write his name on it! LOL...

[Cheater]

 

Noose the tech nazi is cracking the whip on the GTC-Pro racers. Steve Koepp on the left and Matt Bruce on the right, with Bud Bartos behind Matt and Willy Custer in the Raiders hat.

 

Racers are asked to autograph the event poster that Steve has his hand on as a momento of the event for the raceway

 

 

 

One might surmise that the racers clustered around the track are simply spectating, but that's not the case: they are GTC-FK racers awaiting their practice segments.

 

For those who have not attended an R4, it might be worth explaining how practice is run. Racers can elect to run the black lane set or the red lane set during practice. For the red set, racers line up starting at the bridge turn then proceed around the donut toward the lead-on and are required to marshal for the racers at the panel while they are waiting. For the black set, racers line up starting at the finger then to the deadman and around the bank to the panel when their turn comes up.

 

Today, each practice segment is 3 minutes long (the segments are longer during practice days earlier in the week) after which the track power is automatically cut and the Lapmaster system announces that the racers have 30 secs to rotate to their next practice lane. The racer on red would then move to green for a 3-minute segment on that lane, then to blue and purple. A racer running the black set would start on that lane then rotate to yellow, orange, and lastly white.

 

With only eight lanes available, this is just about the only fair way to allocate practice availability over a field of dozens of racers. This is the only event in the US where this system is utilized (as far as I know), although similar arrangements have been utilized in some forms of European slot racing for a number of years. In this writer's opinion, it works very well, although some racers grumble about it because it is different than what they're used to doing.

[Cheater]

GTC-Pro tech is complete and fifteen racers will be competing in this class, which is a perfect number generating two Mains with one move-up.

 

The winner of GTC-FK (who as a result of his victory gets added to the list of racers eligible for the GTC-Pro class at future IRRA^® Premier Event and is prohibited from entering GTC-FK ever again) is given the option to compete in GTC-Pro if he so desires. In that case, GTC-Pro would have 16 racers.

[Cheater]

GTC-FK tech has opened and while that is happening, GTC-Pro qualifying is being held.



The tech line for GTC-FK.



One of the best race directors in the business, the ever-efficient Eric Balicki.



The cars to be qualified are staged on this custom-built rack.

[Tom Eatherly]

Thanks, Greg. Great pics and coverage. Busy place.

[Cheater]

Greg Fox is TQ for GTC-Pro.

[Rob Voska]

It works very well, although some racers grumble about it because it is different than what they're used to doing. 

 

Racers grumble... surely you jest!

[Cheater]

Thirty-nine entries for GTC-FK, which combined with the 15 entries equals 54 total entries for the GTC classes.

 

 

Qualifying for GTC-FK is underway now...

 

 

Jerry "Boogie" Wyant makes his Q-run.

[Cheater]

As many will know, we lost beloved local racer Jim Nolen this year. In his honor, Tom Thumb has had some small "Nolen" stickers for the racers who wish to honor Jim's memory to apply to their cars.

 

[MSwiss]

Congrats to Tom Adams on his TQ.

 

Kudos to Rowdy on making the B. He must have had his controller network plugged in. LOL.

[Cheater]

GTC-FK qualifying results.

 

[Cheater]

GTC-FK E Main results:

 

Fast time - Thom Greene - 5.055 secs

 

[Cheater]

GTC-FK D Main results:

 

Fast time - Scott Brandenburg - 4.977 secs

 

[Cheater]

GTC-FK C Main results:

 

Fast time - Scott Hall - 4.904 secs

 

[Cheater]

GTC-FK B Main results:

 

Fast time - Ryan Bruce - 4.832 secs

 

[MSwiss]

Big congrats to Tom Adams.

Well, I was half right on my pre-race prediction.

 

[Cheater]

GTC-FK A Main results:

 

Fast lap - Tom Adams - 4.688 secs

 

[Cheater]

Overall GTC-FK results:

 

 

[Cheater]

 

TC-FK winner Tom Adams. Tom was also the top qualifier for the GTC-FK class. As permitted, Tom has elected to move up into the GTC-Pro class at R4/9.

 

 

The full GTC-FK podium: Jessica McMasters - 5th, Rick Starkey - 4th, Steve Ploskunak - 3rd, Will Brinkley - 2nd, To Adams - 1st.