12 replies to this topic

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

The track is ready. The cars and drivers are ready. The eighth running of the 6-Hour Retro Enduro at Tom Thumb Hobbies will kick off Saturday August 13, 2016, at 11 AM. Formally known as the Columbus Classic the race has been renamed in the memory of our close friend and Retro racer Jim Nolen who passed away last February.

The track opens at 9 AM and sometime shortly after the web feed will start. It can be found HERE.

There will be a drivers meeting at 10:15, tech starts at 10:30 and racing begins at 11:00. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE.

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

[Cheater]

This year's Nolen Memorial Enduro is shaping up to be a terrific race. There aren't any 'backmarker' teams here so the competition promises to be pretty fierce. Really great to have Alpha Paul Pfeiffer here with two teams from his area. Since I'll be racing in this year's enduro, I hope his skills have eroded a wee bit from his days of near-domination in early USRA racing.

If you're in the area, it would sure be worth a trip to watch the proceedings.

Since I am racing (!), I won't be trying to do any significant event coverage until tonight back at the hotel after dinner (and a few adult beverages, of course). Bill Fulmer, slot racing's most prolific photog, says he'll share his shots with me after the race is over so the coverage will consist of more than just my usual disjointed ramblings, dumb jokes, and insults.

 

McMasters is teching the cars now and we should be starting the 16 heats of the enduro soon.

[Pablo]

  Go for the win, Cheater. 

[Cheater]

Who ever goes for the loss, Palbo? LOL...
 

First heat down, Team R-Geo leads, followed by Team Southern Discomfort and Team Alpha #2.

[Cheater]

Sixth heat of 16 in progress. Order as given above remains, as it has since the start except at the end of heat two, when Team Southern Disco had dropped to third behind Team Alpha #2, but Team Southern Disco reclaimed second in heat three and have maintained that place since.

[Cheater]

Heat 10 of 16 in progress. Running order still Team R-Geo, Team Southern Discomfort, and Team Alpha #2.

[Pablo]

It's time to make your move, Cheater

[Tom Thumb Hobbies]

Congrats to repeat winners R-Geo. Complete report later...

[The Number of]

Good time at the Enduro although our results don't reflect it. Lack of preparation on our part and the usual enduro-related problems kept us out of contention from the start. My apologies to my teammates.
 
The racing on track was good and for the most part clean. Rick B brought up the point that this was probably the first time all eight cars finished the race. Says a lot for the chassis build quality of all the teams, I know are chassis took a hit that needed major plier work but ran fine the rest of the way.
 
Good to see the racers from Wisconsin do so well, hopefully they will be back as they had a good experience racing in Ohio, hotbed of Retro.
 
As usual the folks at TTH put on a great event with good food and a well run race. Big thanks to Jessica and Rick for trading marshalling duties and taking the 90 as my legs won't bend into that area anymore.
 
Pics of the race are HERE.
 
Bill

[Cheater]

Lots of great sportsmanship shown during the racing, too. Like one of my teammates said at breakfast this morning, "It doesn't really matter where I finish when I come to Tom Thumb for the R4 or the enduro, I always have a great time."

Posting from a McD's a couple of miles from Tri-State Raceway, just north of Cincy, waiting for them to open so I can see the joint...

Still about nine hours drive to make it home from there.

[B.C.]

Nice to see Paul P. and others from Alpha involved. Perhaps another manufacturer for parts to go along with the always great tires that he has.

[TG Racing]

Thanks as always to the McMasters clan. It just doesn't get any better (except for a Tri-State event LOL!)  

Thank you to Bill Fulmer for your pics!  

A great BIG THANKS to my Tri-State team mates. We had the best coupe I have ever driven at Tom Thumb!