127 replies to this topic

[Noose]

Will there be podium car pictures motor type, gear ratios, car weights???

I will be compiling a complete spreadsheet of the details from all the cars and will post it.

[gascarnut]

For Sano Dave... man... I wonder how good you would be if your cars had any brakes!

 

That's why he LOVES all the track calls... 20 feet advantage every time...

[Rick]

My two cents: this was one of the best races I have ever attended!

Meeting many new people that were just a name on a blog last week and are now new friends I hope can meet again.

Like someone said, most everything has been said already but I can't express just how good an event this was. If you missed it, shame on ya. Very well organized, went off in a timely manner, great track, top-notch facility. I don't think there was a single negative about this reunion, period.

I hope that these races will be held every few months so we can all do it again...

[Noose]

One thing for sure... there were a lot of Warmack kit chassis out there!

Jay Kisling became a huge Tony P fan. The Aero chassis was used for the GT and Can-Am and for the F1 he used the Tony P Spyder Shaker like mine with the front end corrected.

Matt ran his winning Gorski for F1 with the front end corrected, a Tony P Warmack for the GT, and a Kisling/Bruce/Warmack for the Can-Am.

All of Ron's chassis were built by Rande Marshal.

Sano Dave ran his Sano F1 car that is a copy of Tony P's F1 that Jay ran without the shaker pin tubes. His other chassis were his designs. Watch out though... he took lots of pics of Tony's Aero.

[MSwiss]

Greg, the Chicago guys started cutting up during the Flexi GT race, and gawd it was so funny. I was laughing so hard I couldn't see straight. Never seen a guy who could joke and laugh while out front and flying like Sano Dave Fiedler.

 

No wonder so many Chicago guys went to the race; I don't let them screw around here at the raceway.

Hey, speaking of raceways, I saw a pic from the race, that Ray Price took of Rick Bennardo. He looks way younger than when he used to own a raceway. I'll have to make a note of that.

[The Number of]

Thanks first to the McMasters family for all the tireless work they put in over the weekend, can't say I have ever been to a finer facility and better hospitality any where else.

Second, being able to pit between Brian and Billibob was great, there are a lot of characters in slot racing and Billibob is right up there at the top.

Was great to meet everybody new and to see some old friends too, even Jay Kisiling was on his best behavior, must be new meds!

Lou Cicconi ran the races with the right amount of leeway for the old guys trying to pin bodies without their geezer goggles on during the races. Excellent job, can't thank you enough.

Thanks to Pablo for taking a Jan Limpach frame to tumble for me. We need to get Jan back into this.

Thanks to all the sponsors and all who contributed product to hand out, everybody left with at least three prizes. Top-notch products, too.

Greg for reporting, Ron H for the organizing, and Noose and Dennis for running a fast and fair tech line. I didn't even have to pay any extra "Tech Insurance" this time.

Thanks to all the racers, it was an honor to race with you.

[Cheater]

Ahh... and to my roomie Cheater... dude, lay off the White Castles, too.

 

FWIW, I've heard from a number of others (about a half a dozen) that they got the Revenge, too. And it doesn't seem to be food-related, as there isn't a common link shared by all.

Now all we gotta do is figure out who the Typhoid Mary racer was that got us all sick... and make his life very difficult at the tech table at the next race.

[Pablo]

I ate Sloppy Joes and chicken sandwiches cooked by Cindy McMasters all weekend and I feel like a million dollars. Next time eat the home-cooked track food, not the crap on the side of the streets.

Cheater, I have to hand it to you, for a guy who practiced with a new car all of about five minutes and was reporting the race results, you drove and finished awesome in your races.

[Noose]

You had to start your day with a full breakfast at the Waffle House followed by the McMaster's home cooking and then eat at one of Columbus' fine eateries such as the Home Cooking Buffet or the Chinese Buffet. All survived those - even Sano Dave, who skipped eating salad so he had room for dessert.

[Cheater]

Well, having worked in food service for about a decade, I know how these things can happen. And I was very pleased to learn that at least one of the people who got sick didn't eat either at the raceway or the Waffle House next to the EconoLodge.

And thanks for the comment, Pablo. I was happy to run so well with a car I finished about an hour before the Coupe race, especially considering just how rusty my finger is.

[tonyp]

I thought you guys went to Retro race, not retro eat?

[Cheater]

Tony,

I dunno about you, but eating and drinking are always a part of my racing trips...

[tonyp]

LOL, used to be mine a long time ago, too...

The best part of racing was what and how much we were going to eat and drink after the race...

Now when I go to Hooters after a race, it is for the hooters.

[Rick]

I ate at the Waffle House, buffet, track each day and am fine. LOL. Even painted via Waffle House, LOL. Missed the after-race drinking and partying, but not next time! Guess you guys just eat too healthy on a regular basis for a slot weekend.

I got caught back up with the scotch Sunday night...

[MantaRay]

I got caught back up with the scotch Sunday night...

 

I went to the club... the Canadian Club...

[Matt Bruce]

Sharon and I would like to say thank you to all the R4 racers and sponsors for a great weekend. Hats off to Ron Hershman, Noose, Dennis, Greg, and of course the McMasters family, for what we thought was a truly first class run event.

The people are what made the experience what it was, the racing was secondary.

Thanks to all for making us feel at home and comfortable. It was great to finally match the names with the faces, and to see some really beautifully built cars.

Special thanks to my wing man, Lou Cicconi of Red Fox, for his never-ending help, support, and sacrifice for this sport. Racing aside, we are friends for life.

Thanks to my good friends Tony P and John Gorski for some great cars to drive. They are coming to the next one, kicking and screaming if that's what it takes.

And thanks to Jay Kisling for the push to make me a better and faster racer everywhere we go.

And of course my wife Sharon for her love, support, understanding, and her willingness to be part of a sport we all love. I hope that everyone at the races who took time to meet an talk to her feel they are glad to have done so. Sharon and our son Ryan are what I am most proud of.

It was great to meet and race with all the Chicago guys. Lou and I want to come race at Chicagoland sometime. Sano Dave and the bunch are off the hook, really genuine people. Ron Hershman and Rande Marshall are true professionals in this sport and a pleasure to race with. Honestly I cannot remember the last time we were at a slot car race with no one in attendance blowing their stack. I got a little testy when they made me cut up my Gorski F1 to be legal. But Sharon told me to "shut up and fix your car thingie".

I want to apologize to Jack Beers at Friday night practice for not realizing his car was a rider on my lane. I am normally very aware of my surroundings. He was a true gentleman about it and showed me courtesy running side by side in Sunday's race.

Congrats to all the race winners, Ron, Jay, and Dave, but really everyone in attendance, racing or not, should feel they won. Whether you race wing cars, Flexi cars, or flat track Eurosport cars, this is where it all started and these are the people who made what you run today possible. To have such a large majority of them under the same roof was truly humbling. It was an event which solidified Retro style racing on both a historical level and a personal one for all in attendance. It truly will be a difficult one to top.

I have to agree with BilliBob "The greatest slot race ever", not just because of the racing, but for the human element so often lost in this world we live in today.

[Ron Hershman]

And this is what it should be about and is about... I couldn't have said it better if I tried 1,000 times to put into words what Matt just has.

Matt is a class act and a great racer as well.

[slotcarone]

LOL, used to be mine a long time ago, too...

The best part of racing was what and how much we were going to eat and drink after the race...

Now when I go to Hooters after a race, it is for the hooters.

 

Back in the day, after the races out on Long Island, we always wound up at White Castle in Lynbrook for some midnite Belly Bombs!!!

Mmmmm... Mmmmm good!!!

[Bryan Warmack]

Sounds like an absolutely awesome weekend of racing. Super turn-out with racers from all over the country. Great coverage also.

Congrats to Tom Thumb Raceways, all the winners, and all the participants, as it seems you were all part of a very special event!!

[Pappy]

Not to mention all the Warmack chassis in attendance.

I ran mine to a 10th place finish in the GT Coupe race. Should have mounted a Can-Am body on it and run it in the Can-Am race.

[Cheater]

I have to agree with BilliBob "The greatest slot race ever", not just because of the racing, but for the human element so often lost in this world we live in today.

Matt,

This is absolutely correct.

If I can be forgiven for getting on my soapbox again, in any endeavor it is the human element, the people involved, that is the most interesting part.

Many of you have heard me say that slot racing has for a long time had what I term an "unhealthy focus" on the little toy machines we play with. Sure, they can be interesting, but nowhere near as interesting as the people involved in our hobby. I think the racers at the R4 strongly illustrate what I mean by this statement.

BTW Matt, while all of us would very much like for you to drag TonyP and Gorski to the next big retro race, as far as I am concerned, if the lovely Sharon doesn't come with you, you can't come. LOL! She's a very classy, nice lady and is a heck of a lot easier on the eyes than all the geezers and gray-haired racers (myself included... sniff...). You're a lucky guy.

And I really will be adding more pics to the coverage soon. Didn't get very far last night in resizing and editing the many pics I took before my tired old eyes simply refused to focus. I'll be at it again tonight and should be able to get some, if not all, of the pics uploaded.

[tonyp]

Greg,

It is a lot of work, I feel for you. I take about 100 pictures at our races and it takes me about six hours to do the pictures and write our articles and I work on Macs which we all know are in their element with these tasks... Now that Photobucket has added that bulk up-loader feature it is a bit easier.

[One_Track_Mind]

Didn't get very far last night in resizing and editing the many pics I took before my tired old eyes simply refused to focus.

 

Hey, Cheater, at least you got a good excuse... you're old!

I had no clue why my eyes weren't focusing over the weekend...

[Larry Mattingly]

My reflections on the R4 weekend...

Kudos to the McMaster family for hosting the event... it was truly special; the IRRA crew for their organization throughout the weekend; 'Liquid Lou' Cicconi for directing the majority of the races... can't wait to tell Howie Lane and the rest of the ISMA Supermodified folks what a great ' official' he has become.

Renewing my friendship with Jay Kisling and swapping old stories again...

Sharing pit space with Rob Hanson and Dave Reed. Kept me laughing the entire weekend...

Experiencing the 'Chicago Gang' in action... They are like a big family in that they fight among themselves, but are quick to help each other in a time of need...

Thrashing award of the weekend had to go to Ken Swanson, as he worked on his, and other peoples, cars from the moment he arrived at the track on Thursday morning...

You couldn't get 'Sano Dave' to NOT smile! He was like a kid in a toy store for four days...

Meeting the 'southern' contingent - Cheater, Pablo, Jay Guard...

Matt Bruce and his wife, Sharon, are a class act. There has to be a spot reserved in heaven for her. What a patient soul. She had the line of the weekend when Matt suggested they could do the McDonald's drive-thru for dinner after spending 15 hours at the track. "I was thinking more like a steak dinner," she said.

Ron Hershman and Rande Marshall haven't changed... a bit!

Seeing former wing pro racer Les Wright mumbling to himself that "This looks like FUN... I have to build a couple of these things."

Good to see Bob Kurkowski again. Still fast as ever. Hopefully more of the Tri-State ISRA guys will add retro cars to their slot boxes.

My hat is off to BillyBob. Oldest competitior there (and that is saying something in this crowd)... Oxygen tank in one hand; controller in the other... and still going fast!

It was amazing to see and hear about how many 'slot geezers' who ride fast motorcycles... Deslot one of those puppies and it could hurt.

What could have been more retro than racing on an 'original' American King? Perhaps an American Red... nah.

My first time back in 12 years... I was surprised to see how well these cars handled, and how 'clean' the racing was, even with the original four inch lane spacing. Even more surprising was how clean the F1 race was. I truly expected the open-wheelers to log more flight time than the Blue Angels.

From my viewpoint the current retro cars appear to be 'fast enough' in their present configuration... no need for 'improved' motors.

I can see doing four-six of these IRRA 'National' events per season. The Sano, R4, one on the East Coast, one in the Southeast, etc.

Perhaps, down the road even more of a 'convention' style enviroment to appeal to those who no longer race...

Finally, thanks to my partner in crime, R-Geo Rick Bennardo. We brought a bunch of untested cars that never saw a track before R4. Neither of us had pulled a trigger in years. Cars were great out of the box, and by the end of the weekend we were getting comfortable behind the panel again. Best of all, we both had FUN!

See you at The Sano...

LM

[Noose]

OK boys... here are the details of what everyone ran.

 R4_Recap.pdf   57.4KB   175 downloads
In summary, here is a quick recap on the "leading things used" for the three main classes.

Controllers: 3rd Eye and Ruddocks

F1

Body: OS Cooper
Motor: PS 4002B (Puppy Dog)
Rear Tires: JKs
Front Tires: JKs
Guides: Red Fox
Crowns: Parma
Pinions: GT-1
Average weight of all cars: 108 grams

Can-Am

Body: O/S Ti22 both Long and Short
Motor: PS4002B (Puppy Dog)
Rear Tires: JK
Front Tires: JK
Guides: Red Fox
Crowns: Parma
Pinions: GT-1
Average weight of all cars: 115 grams

GT

Body: O/S Chevron GT
Motor: PS4002B (Puppy Dog)
Rear Tires: JK
Front Tires: JK
Guides: Red Fox
Crowns: Parma
Pinions: GT-1
Average weight of all cars: 116 grams