216 replies to this topic

[Keith Tanaka]

UPDATED 12-10-2010 (Retro32 and Jail Door switched)

The 3rd Annual Checkpoint Cup will be held at Buena Park Raceway on January 7, 8, 9, 2011.

The race schedule will be as follows:

Friday, January 7th: NASCAR on the Kingleman track.
Coupes on the Kingleman track.
Retro Pro on the Flat track.
Jail Door on the Flat track.

Saturday, January 8th: Can Am on the King track.
Prize raffle. Dinner get together at a local restaurant after the raffle.

Sunday, January 9th: F1 on the King track.
Retro32 inline on the Flat track
Retro32 anglewinder on the Flat track


See the complete race schedule (starting times, etc.) here: D3 2010/2011 race schedule


A webcast will be broadcast on Ustream.

Keith

[Charlie Nelson]

Thank you Keith! Still plan on visiting. Wish I could be a little more photogenic for you. Perhaps with one of those cool 'retro' t-shirts on, nobody will notice. I am excited! Charlie

[Keith Tanaka]

Thank you Keith! Still plan on visiting. Wish I could be a little more photogenic for you. Perhaps with one of those cool 'retro' t-shirts on, nobody will notice. I am excited! Charlie

Charlie, it will be great to see you again after all these years!

Do you happen to have any of your old cars, especially the one you won the Western States in '68?

If you get a chance, perhaps PdL can arrange thru Scott Bader to see the LA Slot Car Museum when you're here for the Checkpoint. The museum will remind you of the old days with its fantastic collection of vintage slotcars as well as historic pro cars from the 60's.

Keith

[gascarnut]

Is there space in the schedule for a Retro 32 race?

[Keith Tanaka]

Is there space in the schedule for a Retro 32 race?

Good question.
Although it's not in the current race schedule, perhaps we can run a 1/32 race if there's a time frame available.

As with last year, we added the Jail Door race. If we have time and enough interest perhaps we can add a 1/32 race.
I'll talk with Paul to see if it's possible.

The perpetual trophy now has 6 race categories. A seventh race category may require us to use a magnifying glass to
read the winners


Keith

[Gus Kelley]

Hey Charlie! Bring your oxygen tanks, you'll fit right in. Don't think you're the only old beater around. All the guys from back in the day will definitely greet you with open arms. Gus in Sacto

[redbackspyder]

To all at D3, Keith and Paul
Just a suggestion,
Why not run the Jail Door and 1/32 class together, with split podiums , as the interest in Jail Door Racing has completely waned as I am sure you are aware of. This way, there would be more interest or if you would run both classes on the same day, you would certainly guarantee a better turn out. Jail Door currently is having trouble attracting more than a core 6 or 7 racers, and the F1 Jail Door never got off the ground. With the interest in 1/32 races, and the draw for them being larger than Jail Door, maybe it is time to look at this. Thanks, Mill

[Keith Tanaka]

To all at D3, Keith and Paul
Just a suggestion,
Why not run the Jail Door and 1/32 class together, with split podiums , as the interest in Jail Door Racing has completely waned as I am sure you are aware of. This way, there would be more interest or if you would run both classes on the same day, you would certainly guarantee a better turn out. Jail Door currently is having trouble attracting more than a core 6 or 7 racers, and the F1 Jail Door never got off the ground. With the interest in 1/32 races, and the draw for them being larger than Jail Door, maybe it is time to look at this. Thanks, Mill

Mill, I'll talk with Paul about this on Sunday at BP. I don't know what the final decision will be (if any), but I think continuing the Jail Door race in the Checkpoint would most likely be done. If we have a small field in the Jail Door race, so be it. It would be an opportunity for those who participate to have a better chance of getting their name on the Perpetual trophy!
Adding a 1/32 race to the Checkpoint Cup would be OK with me, but it might make the race schedule a bit tight as far as time is concerned.

I'll post here on Slotblog whether or not we add a 1/32 race to the Checkpoint.

Keith

[Tex]

If you let the JD race slide this year, bring it back for 2012 when I'll be there!

[68Caddy]

Keith, are we going to have lunch afterward like last time?
Have to say me and Flygirl had a good time last time and I'm more then happy to pitch in some cash. Love to hang with the racers like last time, it was the best.


Nesta

[Keith Tanaka]

Keith, are we going to have lunch afterward like last time?
Have to say me and Flygirl had a good time last time and I'm more then happy to pitch in some cash. Love to hang with the racers like last time, it was the best.


Nesta

I would hope to have a dinner after the Can Am race on Saturday like we did last year. Unfortunately, that dinner at Knott's was not cheap ($25 per person) and unless we get sponsors to fund it we may or may not do it again. Of course, if the racers want to pay for their dinner at Knott's then we can do it again.

Keith

[68Caddy]

I would pay for my share and even pitch in if it's needed. Have to say that was my high light of the event, to hear all of you guys
talking trash and all the other good things.
I have no problem to help out a fellow racer in need, if its needed.
I'm pretty sure that other BPR racers would not have a issue with it.
Sure missed Philippe last year but I hope he will attended this time and that would be all good.


Nesta

[Keith Tanaka]

I talked with Paul yesterday about perhaps adding a 1/32 race to the Checkpoint Cup. He's open to adding a 1/32 race, but the race schedule would be tight.
It looks like either Friday or Sunday would be the day for a 1/32 race. Saturday is reserved for our feature race, the Can Am race on the King track with a dinner/get together after the "A" Main race at a local restaurant.
Friday already has 3 races scheduled, but these are smaller races (as far as entries are concerned) and a 4th race is possible.
Sunday is the last day and not best as far as "out of towners" are concerned as its getaway day.
I'll post here in the next week or two what day the 1/32 race will be held during the Checkpoint.

As far as adding another race category to the Perpetual trophy, I'm not sure we have enough room left for the name plaque! Not sure at this point whether to add the 1/32 class to the existing Checkpoint Cup or have a separate trophy. As time goes by, we may have other new classes to add when appropriate, so a separate trophy may be the answer.
Keep in mind that 1/32 scratchbuilt racing was not a part of the 60's racing scene in SoCal, so adding this class to our race schedule is purely to satisfy some recent interest in this new D3 racing class. For the purist out there, the Inaugural Checkpoint Cup plus the Jail Door class represents the racing classes of the 60's and early 70's which this event celebrates.


Keith

[TSR]

I think that Saturday should be strictly for the Can-Am races. The way I see a possible schedule is like this:

Friday, 9AM: tech for Retro Pro. 10AM: Retro Pro qualifying immediately followed by races begin. Flat track.
12PM: teach for NASCAR. 1PM: NASCAR qualifying immediately followed by races begin. Kingleman track.
4PM: Coupe tech begins. 5PM: Coupes qualifying immediately followed by races begin.Kingleman track. If time is tight, push the Coupes to Sunday.

Saturday: Can-Am on the King, tech begins at 9.30AM, qualifs at 10.30AM followed by races.
After that, 1/32 scale race on the flat track.

Sunday: 9AM: F1 tech on the King. 10AM: qualifs begins followed by races.
After that: Jail-door qualifying and races on the Kingleman.

Running the Can-Am and F1 in two different days sounds more logical to me.

Comments?

[idare2bdul]

"Keep in mind that 1/32 scratchbuilt racing was not a part of the 60's racing scene in SoCal,"

Neither was running sealed handout motors. Wimps.

I'm not sure that a Friday schedule that starts early couldn't have a 1/32 race as the last race of the day.

Who's going to bring the uppers to keep the Waterson's awake on Sunday?

[redbackspyder]

According to Dennis, Scratchbuilding of 1/32 was prevalent in the sixties, and I believe since it was from 1/32 that 1/24 evolved, there had to have been more scratchbuilding by nature of reason. Correct me Dokk if I am wrong. There were more people racing 1/32 cars originally than 1/24, and I know today that there are WAY more people racing 1/32 than all of the 1/24 scale combined. Just look at the volumes of the manufacturers. What Scratchbuilt Nascar racing was going on in the 60's ? Certainly not what we are running at the Checkpoint Cup. I guess my question is, was not the Checkpoint Cup to honor racing as we do it now, with an honor to Bill Steube ? Or, could someone explain to me the relevance of the cup ? If it is just a central focus race, such as the R4 or the Sano, why does it matter what classes are run ? I thought the object was to put as many racers on the track as possible, so that the raceway makes a good concesssion and it keeps the doors open. If you only have 5 racers show up for a class , just because 3 of them will make the podium is great for them and lousy for the raceway. That is why I brought up the subject of racing on the Kingleman.

More people show up to race on the Flat Track than the Kingleman. Does anyone deny this ??? Just check entries for the past two years if you question my logic. So, if locals are not showing up to race on the Kingleman, the numbers will be down for the Checkpoint Cup. Out of towners as a whole will race wherever, they are not in the equation. It is the locals who refuse by their monthly non-participation , who do not show up on a regular basis to run the Kingleman. Now, if that is no importance, why not run all the races on the back Kingleman ? It would be incredibly interesting to see who picks up the driving challenge. But , alas, we all know that this would never happen. The Flat track is being under used at this Checkpoint Cup, and to not include 1/32 which is right now the hottest class in my opinion would be a major mistake. These are all just one man's opinion, but past history leads me to believe that you certainly will generate much more money for the track if you utilize more on the Flat Track. I welcome comments,,,,,,

[Howie Ursaner]

I think the flat track is better for the Checkpoint.I think more people,both locals and potential out of towners will show more support for the flat track.To me, the Checkpoint is more of a flat track showdown.It should be the standard for which the visitors gear up to challenge the locals.
As i learned at the ISRA Worlds, the whole planet seems to embrace the 1/32 scale eurosports.To me this is a modern development.Adding it to the Checkpoint might not really fit into the retro type of mindset that Checkpoint Cup embraces.
Just my 2 cents.

[Keith Tanaka]

I think the flat track is better for the Checkpoint.I think more people,both locals and potential out of towners will show more support for the flat track.To me, the Checkpoint is more of a flat track showdown.It should be the standard for which the visitors gear up to challenge the locals.
As i learned at the ISRA Worlds, the whole planet seems to embrace the 1/32 scale eurosports.To me this is a modern development.Adding it to the Checkpoint might not really fit into the retro type of mindset that Checkpoint Cup embraces.
Just my 2 cents.

Howie, thanks for the feedback. Sterrett would prefer the Coupe race on the flat track. The NASCAR returns to the Kingleman just like the Inaugural Checkpoint. NASCARs on the Kingleman are a hoot.
The addition of the 1/32 race is only due to recent interest in these scratchbuilt cars. They are not like the 1/32 eurosport cars. We use slower sealed motors (i.e., Falcon 2, Slick 7 mini brute or TSRF home set motor) than the eurosports so the cars can actually be seen clearly and driven similar to a Can Am car.

We'll finalize the race schedule in the next week or two, stay tuned.


Keith

[TSR]

According to Dennis, Scratchbuilding of 1/32 was prevalent in the sixties

Of course it was, since the first slot cars ever seen in the USA were in the 1/32 scale.
The first raceways in SoCal were catering to modified 1/32 scale Strombecker and Scalextric models.

[Keith Tanaka]

Mill, as far as "commercial" racing in the 60's, 1/24 racing was king by far. Although I had heard of some 1/32 tracks, they didn't become popular like 1/24 "commercial" racing.

The Checkpoint Cup as created by Paul Sterrett is a recognition of the contribution to slotcar racing by Bill Steube Sr. and Team Checkpoint. The Checkpoint is D3 racing reflecting the spirit of the type of racing done in the heydays. It's not vintage or replica cars, but just cars which are similar to those we built and raced during the golden years.

NASCARs were part of the '68 Car Model National Championship Rules as well as the '68 Arco rules. NASCARs were raced at the big regional/national races. Howie won a big race in those days with a NASCAR!

Although it's nice to have a big turnout for the Checkpoint, it's also good to have a variety of tracks to race on. The King is obviously easy for most to race on. The flat track is more of a challenge. The Kingleman is the "drivers" track as speed/horsepower is not as important as handling and driving. The Checkpoint should have racing on a challenging track (Kingleman) to reward the better drivers and not the ones with the fast motor or smooth handling flat track car. Yes, the Kingleman has fewer participants, but it is what it is. For those who like a driving challenge, the Kingleman is the track!

Keith

[gascarnut]

I think Keith was trying to say that 1/32 scale racing was not part of the Pro scene in SoCal in the 1960's.

If I had anything to say about 1/32 scratchbuilding back then, it would have related to where I lived at the time, which wasn't here, or what I had read in the magazines. As I recall, the hotbed of 1/32 racing was much more the mid-West than the west coast. But MESAC did have some 1/32 scale classes too, I think.

[Keith Tanaka]

I think Keith was trying to say that 1/32 scale racing was not part of the Pro scene in SoCal in the 1960's.

If I had anything to say about 1/32 scratchbuilding back then, it would have related to where I lived at the time, which wasn't here, or what I had read in the magazines. As I recall, the hotbed of 1/32 racing was much more the mid-West than the west coast. But MESAC did have some 1/32 scale classes too, I think.

Your right Dennis. I meant to imply "Pro" racing in commercial raceways in the 60's, early 70's.

MESAC was probably the only track I know of that had regular races for 1/32 cars in SoCal. Unfortunately, only club members were allowed to race except for a few invited guests (Cukras, Morrissey).

Keith

[Keith Tanaka]

"Keep in mind that 1/32 scratchbuilt racing was not a part of the 60's racing scene in SoCal,"

Neither was running sealed handout motors. Wimps.

I'm not sure that a Friday schedule that starts early couldn't have a 1/32 race as the last race of the day.

Who's going to bring the uppers to keep the Waterson's awake on Sunday?

Mike, we're not wimps, just lazy Rewinding/building motors is one of those "been there, done that" activities.
Besides, 16D motors are heavy, too tall and most likely slower lap times for a comparable sealed FK wind.
Maybe someday we can have a challenge race between 16Ds and FKs to determine which is the King

Keith

[68Caddy]

I really like Philippe's schedule, and I sure liked his suggestion for Saturday. I absolutely would race that day.
Keith sorry to bring up the dinner thing again, is it a possibility or not?
If I recall Howie and the the rest of the guys from East had a great time at the dinner event.
I sure will pay my share.


Nesta

[Keith Tanaka]

Keith sorry to bring up the dinner thing again, is it a possibility or not?

Nesta

Nesta, read my previous post this morning. We will have a dinner after the Can Am race on Saturday.
We will be requesting race sponsors again as well as race prizes. After paying expenses (race plaques, additional trophy for 1/32?, webcast cost, etc.), the remaining donated funds
will go towards the Saturday dinner. Hopefully we'll get enough funds to help pay for some or all of the dinner, but if not, the racers will have to pay for their dinner.

Keith