65 replies to this topic

[NY Nick]

Names from cover
Mike swiss and Jan limpach ?
Stu koford, Andy Wasserman, Joel montague,Paul Pfeiffer, Reggie ?,

[Matt Bruce]

Rob Renninger and I attended and ran GRP 15 in Tuckerton, NJ. We didn`t stay for the entire pro race because of lack of sleep but I think Swiss won that deal. Not sure, all I remember was that the place was packed and it was a who`s who of slot car racing. Back then Hasse was building the fast ones, and it seemed everyone came out to support him.

[MSwiss]

Back then Hasse was building the fast ones, and it seemed everyone came out to support him.

Good observation.I knew it was one I had to make.
Guys really appreciated that Hasse was building,not only fast tracks,but more
importantly,smooth ones with lane spacing wide enough for modern air-control.
On the 4" wide American tracks,passing had become real tricky.
IMHO,it had become too much protracted verbal negotiations.
Unless one guy blipped on the straightaway,air control would "tangle" and guys would come off.

What I remember from that race was that it was the first "pinched" King I ever ran on
(with the deadman hanging over the straightaway)
Also it was very smooth and it was a pretty clean race. I think the winner had something like
771 laps which was pretty good for 1988.

I also recall if you didn't stay in Atlantic City,you wound up in a room at the local golf
camp that didn't have a phone and either no TV or maybe a 13" B&W.
It was the first race I remember hearing the phrase,
"I'm staying at the Bates Motel"

When first walking in with "Diamond" Jim Evans on Friday,
I can still picture Dick P standing at the panel with 7 other racers,
aged about 9-12 yrs. old,giving them the beating of their life in some class like
"Ultra Womp".

One guy I think I recognize in the pic is Ted Matkowski.
Along with being a good driver,he was captain of Team Fugowee,
named of course,for him and racing buddies penchant to always get lost
going to the races.

[NJ Racer]

Yup

Mike Swiss dominated that race with 778 laps. Jon Laster and Andy Wasserman finished 2nd & 3rd. Thats Dave Liebenthal bottom left who won Semi Pro. All the racers you mentioned are on the cover as well. Jerry (JK) Kulich won GP27 , but is not pictured.

[marco]

Oh, right.. that listing that doesnt count in the 3 biggest G7 races of the West Coast.. The Western States, BP 500 and the Boola Bash.. Right.. I see that list is very worthy!! LOL. JPVR's list is a total joke..... The points he has are probably just typo's! LOL

The present quickly becomes the past in racing . . .

Just back from the 2008 IMCA WORLDS in Belgium and a good number of the names on the IMCA IOC list including Chris Radisch who made the main and continues to challenge the top Europeans. But talk is . . . which I why the 2009 IMCA WORLDS will come to TORONTO next year from July 27th to the 31st . . . the only North America IMCA Worlds since the 1989 CHICAGO WORLDS when Jan Limpach finished as the top American and 1st on the IOC listing of that year.

The registration for the 2009 IMCA WORLDS has already closed but I will be more than happy to open up a few places on the line and extend a personal invitation to America's top guns . . . past or present . . . to take on the fast hands of Philip Kremer (DE), Michael Niemas (DE), Nick de Wachter (NL), Carlos Checa (E), Gugu (BR), Vladimir Horky (CZ) and Josef Korec (CZ) to name a few. It would be great to see a top roster from America . . . to set the record straight! Just drop me a line.

[MSwiss]

Jerry (JK) Kulich won GP27 , but is not pictured.

Holy cow,that's right,he did.
I don't remember if I pitted him that race,but when I did,
I had to wear "body pin bandoleer's".

[Matt Bruce]

Mike that is so funny you said that about Dick P. I vividly remember watching him run womp womps, killing those kids and saying to myself "What the hell is he doing?" Rob and I could not stop laughing, talk about a serious case of cabin fever for old Dick P. That is just to funny.

[MSwiss]

Mike that is so funny you said that about Dick P. I vividly remember watching him run womp womps, killing those kids and saying to myself "What the hell is he doing?" Rob and I could not stop laughing, talk about a serious case of cabin fever for old Dick P. That is just to funny.

Maybe Ray can post the Womp podium pic if there is one in the mag.

[Matt Bruce]

Maybe Ray can post the Womp podium pic if there is one in the mag.

That would be priceless Mike. I don`t know what is funnier, Dick in that race or you remembering that same moment 20 years later like me. I still can`t stop laughing

[NJ Racer]

Mike & Matt

Dick P won Womps, GP 12 & Box 15 !






Mike do you have this issue up on your Wall of Fame, if not you can have mine

[MSwiss]

That would be priceless Mike. I don`t know what is funnier, Dick in that race or you remembering that same moment 20 years later like me. I still can`t stop laughing

It must of been a semi I walked in on where he was wailing on 7 kids.
By the look of Ray's pic's,it looks like he beat a few adults in the main.

[Matt Bruce]

It must of been a semi I walked in on where he was wailing on 7 kids.
By the look of Ray's pic's,it looks like he beat a few adults in the main.

I would have bought them all ice cream if they ganged up on him and beat him. Dick P is a very good racer with no business being in that race back then, but it was funny to have witnessed it.

[tonyp]

That takes cherry picking to a whole new level.

When I got out o racing Dick was running as a semi pro...

[MSwiss]

Dick showed up at the Atlanta Nat's, 2 years later in 1990,to run on the Purple Mile.
I asked him what classes he was going to race.
He said he was going to run in the G27 warm-up(open to all) and see how it goes
but he was planning to run G27 and Semi-Pro later in the week.
He finished 2nd in the G27 warm-up,3 laps out of 1st.
All the other guys who made the main were pro's.
I asked if he was going to run Pro now.
His reply was:
"Nah,I think I'm gonna stick to my plan".
My eyes were rolled up in the top of my head as I walked away.
He won G27 by 6 laps which on a 220 ft. track with low power
and 3 minute heats,is a fair amount.
He then TQ'ed and won Semi-pro with a track record 496 laps.
Only 1 pro ran more than his record total the next day(500 laps)

[MSwiss]

That takes cherry picking to a whole new level.

When I got out o racing Dick was running as a semi pro...

When I walked in that day in Tuckerton,I actually thought it was a birthday party
going on in the other room (with the paper clip) and that Dick was the instructor.
In Chicago,we use to kid that if you looked up "cherry picker" in the Websters,
there would be a picture of Dick.

[Marty Stanley]

I race against a fellow that probably should be on this list. His name is Terry Tawney.

Terry is a USRA National Champion - what year, I do not know. He does not carry that part of his history with him.

However one of the things about Terry is his openess and willingness to help everyone become a better slot car racer.

When I started hanging out at The Raceway, then started competing with the team, Terry spent a lot of his time with me, showing me things that you can't find anywhere. The most interesting time was spent on the track trying to keep up with him. Once I started to get the hang of it, Terry would simply up the pace just a bit where I had to work even harder to keep pace. Kind of what Mr. Miagi did with "The Karate Kid".

I've seen Terry race against the best in Florida at some of our state races here and come out victorious.

Perhaps it's just that he is a very quiet, unassuming kind of guy that no one else has mentioned him before.



Hey, since we're talking about doing things to make slot car racing more credible, what about coming up with a Slot Car Racing Hall of Fame?

I'm sure TSR has enough old clipping we can put together some lists to show our history. Perhaps a list by year of all the National Champions. I don't know about you, but to me being a National Champion is something kind of special, regardless of whatever endeavor it is in. You have risen above all the people in this country, other than yourself.

Just a thought.