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The 2017 R4/10 is now history


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#1 Cheater

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Posted 16 March 2017 - 07:45 PM

When the AL-GA contingents arrived mid to late Tuesday afternoon, there was a non-trivial number of racers in the house thrashing on their cars and making some laps on Tom Thumb's venerable American King. This was a day earlier than I can recall us arriving for a previous R4, so I didn't really have a firm standard for comparison. The goal for Tuesday was just to get to the raceway to grab some primo pit locations, as the raceway was closing at 6 PM.

 

Wednesday was another short day (10 AM to 8 PM) but the number of racers in the building appeared essentially to double. So Jay Guard, Bobby Robinson, Taylor Davis, and I, joined by FL's Doc Dougherty adjoined to the nearby Mexican place for a little food washed down by lots of fermented grain adult beverages.

 

Thursday, the final practice day before racing actually begins, was a longer day still (10 AM to 10 PM) but since I didn't have any thrasing to do or any 'semi-official' duties to perform, I had decided to play tourist for the day. I headed for Dayton, OH, about 60 miles away, to visit what is probably the most fabulous aviation museum in the Western Hemisphere, the National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. I was able to visit 'America's Packard Museum' in the restored original 1917 Packard dealership building downtown and to have lunch with an old friend who lives in Dayton. Ran into a well-known Sunbeam Tiger restorer whom I had met back home at the national Sunbeam Alpine/Tiger meet last fall; I didn't even know his shop was in Dayton, so that was just serendipity. It was terrific day of playing tourist.

 

Got back to Tom Thumb at 6:15 PM and holy cow! The parking lot completely full with several cars double-parked, like I had to do. Inside, it was like a sardine tin: every pit space was taken and the place was hopping as everyone waited with bated breath to get their hand-out motors for Friday GTC classes. I didn't stay long, as there really wasn't anywhere for me to sit down. So after greeting some familiar faces who had arrived during the day while I was sightseeing (as well as greeting some racers who hadn't been regular R4 attendees in recent years), I headed out to a local joint for the traditional Greek gyro that Jay and I have become addicted to when we're at the R4 (he'd has his for lunch, but it was going to be my supper.)

 

I checked in with grand pooh-bah McMasters to see how many racers had entered and snagged their hand-outs for tomorrow's GTC conflagrations. The number so far was 58 racers and he expected several others to show up either tonight or in the morning. Seems pretty obvious the turn-out at R4/10 is going to be pretty spectacular, perhaps approaching the all-time record for total entries.

 

So after my gyro and rings, I gassed up the car (still haven't paid more than $1.99 a gal since we left GA!), grabbed a bag of ice for the cooler, and another bottle of my 'cough medicine' and headed back to the Motel 6, where a huge percentage of the out-town R4 racers are staying. There are five rooms on the first floor to the left of the office and I believe every one of them houses a pair of Retro racers. A rough count based on asking racers where they were staying suggests there are are at least three times as many other rooms rented to racers in other parts and floors of the place and that may be a conservative guesstimate.

 

The track will be cleaned tonight after the racers are ejected, which of course strikes fear into the hearts of all of them, especially those who have been testing and tuning for one or more days and gotten happy with their results.

 

Tomorrow is going to be a lot of fun combined with a bit of stress for those entered. But for my money (what little I have...), I am absolutely convinced there's going to be some of the tightest, most competitive Retro racing to be found anywhere... at least, until next year's R4/11, of course.

 

The raceway opens tomorrow at 7:30 AM and as always, there will be a pack of snarling people waiting at the door for the lock to be released.

As they say on TV, more information will be shared when it become available... Stay tuned!


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Gregory Wells

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





#2 Tom Thumb Hobbies

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Posted 16 March 2017 - 08:31 PM

A little too much cough medicine, Greg. The track was cleaned and sprayed Wednesday night. It isn't touched now until we're done.


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Mike McMasters
TTlogo300.jpg

 

Former home of the ORIGINAL American blue King


#3 Cheater

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Posted 16 March 2017 - 08:35 PM

Oops... Thanks for the correction.

 

So the racers who didn't come to "grips" today are the ones who are unhappy...


Gregory Wells

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


#4 MSwiss

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Posted 16 March 2017 - 08:47 PM

A little too much cough medicine, Greg. The track was cleaned and sprayed Wednesday night. It isn't touched now until we're done.


Mike,

Make sure you keep track on how many times you want to wring Greg's neck this weekend.
 
Current record is six.
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Mike Swiss
 
Inventor of the Low CG guide flag 4/20/18
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Two-time G7 World Champion (1988, 1990), eight G7 main appearances
Eight-time G7 King track single lap world record holder

17B West Ogden Ave., Westmont, IL 60559, (708) 203-8003, mikeswiss86@hotmail.com (also my PayPal address)

Note: Send all USPS packages and mail to: 692 Citadel Drive, Westmont, Illinois 60559


#5 Cheater

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Posted 16 March 2017 - 08:49 PM

Record set the Sano or the R4?

Gregory Wells

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


#6 MSwiss

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Posted 16 March 2017 - 08:50 PM

At the Sano. LOL.


Mike Swiss
 
Inventor of the Low CG guide flag 4/20/18
IRRA® Components Committee Chairman
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Two-time G7 World Champion (1988, 1990), eight G7 main appearances
Eight-time G7 King track single lap world record holder

17B West Ogden Ave., Westmont, IL 60559, (708) 203-8003, mikeswiss86@hotmail.com (also my PayPal address)

Note: Send all USPS packages and mail to: 692 Citadel Drive, Westmont, Illinois 60559


#7 Cheater

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Posted 16 March 2017 - 08:56 PM

Oh, I won't have any problem besting that record in October, I am certain!
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Gregory Wells

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


#8 MSwiss

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Posted 16 March 2017 - 08:56 PM

I was going to strangle you in your sleep, but I couldn't decide whether to pin it on Howie or Ralph. :laugh2:
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Mike Swiss
 
Inventor of the Low CG guide flag 4/20/18
IRRA® Components Committee Chairman
Five-time USRA National Champion (two G7, one G27, two G7 Senior)
Two-time G7 World Champion (1988, 1990), eight G7 main appearances
Eight-time G7 King track single lap world record holder

17B West Ogden Ave., Westmont, IL 60559, (708) 203-8003, mikeswiss86@hotmail.com (also my PayPal address)

Note: Send all USPS packages and mail to: 692 Citadel Drive, Westmont, Illinois 60559


#9 Cheater

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Posted 16 March 2017 - 09:00 PM

Sounds like I best splurge on a hotel room for the next Sano... or sleep in my car.
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Gregory Wells

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


#10 MSwiss

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Posted 16 March 2017 - 09:10 PM

All kidding aside, it looks like a great turn-out.
 
I wish I could have got away and made it.
 
Good luck to all this weekend.

Mike Swiss
 
Inventor of the Low CG guide flag 4/20/18
IRRA® Components Committee Chairman
Five-time USRA National Champion (two G7, one G27, two G7 Senior)
Two-time G7 World Champion (1988, 1990), eight G7 main appearances
Eight-time G7 King track single lap world record holder

17B West Ogden Ave., Westmont, IL 60559, (708) 203-8003, mikeswiss86@hotmail.com (also my PayPal address)

Note: Send all USPS packages and mail to: 692 Citadel Drive, Westmont, Illinois 60559


#11 Cheater

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Posted 17 March 2017 - 05:32 AM

Yeah, Mike, we wish you were here, too. Two grumpy track owners is always better than one...
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Gregory Wells

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


#12 slotcarone

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Posted 17 March 2017 - 06:01 AM

Jim Williams of Hudson Valley Raceway is there - but he is usually not that grumpy!!

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#13 Cheater

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Posted 17 March 2017 - 06:08 AM

We have another track owner here: Lester Lucas of NESCR in North East, PA.

Gregory Wells

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


#14 Cheater

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Posted 17 March 2017 - 08:00 AM

And so it begins...

The raceway opened at 7:30 AM, with a beautiful pinkish-orange sunrise brightening the horizon in the distance behind the building. Before 8 AM, all the 'normal' parking spaces in the lot were filled.

17.1.jpg

Equally bright and blinding were Steve Koepp's tennis shoes, which he had painted to match his bodies' paint scheme during his always-popular body painting seminar yesterday. (As usual, this was fully-subscribed, i.e. sold out.) His wild shoes were a big hit, as I had nearly half a dozen racers tell me to be sure to pics of them to post after I had snapped them.

17.2.jpg

The impounded cars were handed back to the racers and Group 1 GTC practice is in progress, with both GTC-Pro and GTC-FK racers together in this first practice session. GTC-Pro has 18 entries and GTC-FK has 32. Here Jessica McMasters checks the motors numbers as Tom Adams looks on.

17.3.jpg

Here's some random pit 'palaces.' I won't try to ID all of them, but some are the racers are obvious.

17.5.jpg

Anyone who knows Dave 'Shadow' Smierka will know this is his pit. Shadow almost always wears sandals when he's at the R4, even when it's snowing and temps are in the low 20s.

17.6.jpg

Dr. Nate Graham (he's a surgeon) at his pit. It's comforting to know that we have medical staff on hand and Nate's not the only one. Alabama's Bobby Robinson is a practicing RN (who works the infield care center at the Talladega NASCAR races most years). Rick Starkey has been an EMT for 30 years. I don't know if any of them brought their black medical bags to the track, but there will be no need to ask "if there's doctor in the house" at the R4.

17.7.jpg

17.8.jpg

Earl Graybill always brings his own table and pits in the far back corner of the raceway, behind the exit of the high bank.

17.9.jpg

Earl's a perennial concours winner and here's a shot of his latest fabulous paint scheme for this year's race.

17.10.jpg


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Gregory Wells

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


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Posted 17 March 2017 - 09:22 AM

Group 1 practice has ended and Group 2 racers have picked up their impounded cars to start their practice session.

The Group 1 racers have turned in their extra motors and/or cars and are having their race car teched. What could have been a complicated double set of procedures ran amazingly well primarily because of the six or seven person crew checking motor numbers, boxing the impounded motors and cars, and teching and photographing them. Bill Fulmer, Eric Balicki, Rick Starkey, Jim Leezer, Jessica McMasters, and yours truly comprised the crew and were able to move the line right along. I've already heard a number of racers commenting on how well thought-out and organized the process went.
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Gregory Wells

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


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Posted 17 March 2017 - 10:21 AM

At roughly 11 AM, qualifying for GTC will commence.

17.11.jpg

As of a few minutes ago it has begun to snow rather heavily, with big fluffy flakes instead of the powdery dustings we got earlier in the week. Snow or freezing rain was predicted but no accumulation estimate was given. If it continues at the area we're seeing right now, there will probably be some. That white spots in the image are not dust on the lens...

17.12.jpg

 

I just peeked outside and the snow is starting to accumulate a little... which shouldn't be a big problem as most here wouldn't mind being snowed into a slot car raceway.
 


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Gregory Wells

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


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Posted 17 March 2017 - 10:33 AM

Qualifying for GTC-Pro has just finished and here are the results:

 

gtcpro.qual.jpg

 

Bud Bartos during his TQ run.

 

bud.tq.run.jpg

 

Next, the 32 entries in GTC-FK will qualify.


Gregory Wells

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


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Posted 17 March 2017 - 10:48 AM

GTC-Pro Concours winner, as voted on by the racers themselves, is – surprise, surprise! – Steve Koepp. (It was probably his ensemble with the matching sneakers that made the difference...)

 

gtcpro.conc.jpg


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Gregory Wells

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


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Posted 17 March 2017 - 10:55 AM

Just as a reminder, the R4/10 is being streamed at:

 

http://tomthumbhobbies.com/LiveTiming/

 

The track image, though smallish, is very clear and during qualifying you can see the time for each race's lap basically as they occur.


Gregory Wells

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


#20 old & gray

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Posted 17 March 2017 - 11:02 AM

For a larger image without timing:
 
http://www.ustream.t...nnel/tth-racing
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Posted 17 March 2017 - 11:44 AM

GTC-FK qualifying has finished and here the results:

gtc.fk.qual.jpg

The racers have picked their lanes and the ladies have set out the lunch spread for the racers to be able to chow down while the four FK races are being set-up.

Racers never go hungry at the R4, as Cindy McMasters and her able assistants always throw down some filling grub. Today lunch is chili hot dogs, sloppy joes, macaroni salad, chips, and all the fixings.

food.jpg
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Gregory Wells

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


#22 Cheater

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Posted 17 March 2017 - 12:00 PM

The GTC-FK concours winner was Ryan Bruce.

gtc.fk.conc.jpg
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Gregory Wells

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


#23 Cheater

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Posted 17 March 2017 - 12:08 PM

After, in some cases, three days of testing, tuning, and thrashing, the actual racing at R4/10 is beginning.

GTC-FK is run before GTC-Pro, as the winner of FK class has the option of moving up to run with the Pros without having to fork over an additional entry fee. And, of course, the GTC-FK winner's name is also added to the 'GTC-Pro Only' list and going forward he (or she) is only allowed to enter the GTC-Pro class at IRRA® Premier races.

With 32 GTC-FK entries, there will be a nice, even four eight-racer Mains. First to run is the D Main and here are the drivers at the panel ready to take the green.
 
gtc.dmain.panel.jpg
 
L to R: Lester Lucas, Steve Davidson, Nate Graham, James Fetheroff, Gary Echelbarger, Kevin Myhaver, and, seated, Gary Adams. (George Katzakis to Gary's right is the straightaway marshal.)

Gregory Wells

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


#24 Cheater

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Posted 17 March 2017 - 12:55 PM

GTC-FK D Main results:

gtc.fk.d.results.jpg

Gregory Wells

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


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Posted 17 March 2017 - 01:01 PM

Here's the C Main drivers ready to rumble:

gtcfk.c.panel.jpg

L to R: Diana Dyckman, Ryan Bruce, Thom Greene, Jim Verga, Rick Bennardo Sr, Steve Dieters, (straightaway marshall Kevin Myhaver), Jerry 'Boogie' Wyant, and Bill Fulmer.

Gregory Wells

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






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