After the digital racing interlude at Hayes' track, IHSR Championship Racing resumed at Jim's on February 16th. A strong crowd of 19 racers showed
up--well above average, but below Jim's all-time record of 26. Still, it was a basement-full, and there were many eyes gleaming extra competitively. The
big news was that the kart, MARRS, and assorted other racing seasons were finally over, and Equipe Polimeni finally returned--in force, with Ron, Nick, and
Zandur, and many cars. Here, Nick demonstrates his determination (and trademark stocking cap) while Zandur demonstrates his role as the only pirate-hat and
poncho-wearing, slot car racin,' GeniusDude in the universe. Pere Ron silently wonders what he might have done differently...
The long-lost Mike Zortman was also rumored to be making a comeback, but unfortunately was not able to attend. But, almost all of the usual gang was on hand. During practice, it appeared that Charlie and Larry were trying to out-psyche each other through Determined Looks. Digital Al looks down to avoid being blinded by the glare(s), while in the background, Mike does his best Mad Scientist impression.
There were a lot of nifty new cars on hand. My favorite was Analog Alan's MG TC, complete with Nigel Shiftwright at the wheel, flying scarf and all! This TC was set up in authentic period racing trim, with shortened fenders, no bonnet side panels, 16" rear wire wheels, and a Judson supercharger. How cool is that?
Another favorite was Larry's Ferrari 575:
But my true favorite, of course, was my own brand-new, candy apple green McLaren, posed here with Rodney's orange version and Jim's blue and white one:
As usual, practice was chaotic and filled with shocking behavior, crashes, and other things too sordid to discuss. In this picture, it appears that Ron has just begun a horrific crash that completely astonishes A'Alan and Mike...
...and then it apparently continues to unfold all the way down the main straight! Note that Ron is completely unfazed by the catastrophe.
Oddly, Rodney and Hayes have no such drama during their practice...
During LMP tech, Charlie declares, "Ha! You'll never get away with it this time, Nick." Nick, however, is quietly thinking, "Oh yes I will ... that's not my car!"
Nonetheless, Tech Chief Charlie was all business and concentration and did not even appear to be tired after inspecting at least 312 LMP cars...
A close-up of Keith's Audi R8 revealed suspiciously burned wiring in the cockpit. It's a wonder his car didn't go up in flames halfway through the race.
Meanwhile, back at the track, the spectators were getting odder all the time:
However, the Most Suspicious thing of all was the downforce on my new McLaren. It hovered in-between 249 and 250 grams. Fortunately, it passed the test (barely), but it was still a puzzle, since I'd checked it at 237 g on the official Magnet Marshall, and I'd previously measured it at 201 g on my own new MM. Regardless, the car was a rocket!
In the LMP race, Hayes and Jim had superfast stock Slot-It's and drove exceptionally well. Hayes, as always, was mighty tough to beat in a magnet class, and he pulled out the win--by all of 1/3 lap over Jim's blue and white McLaren. I managed third in a car that was faster than I was. If only Keith had been driving it, I would have done a lot better. Charlie (another rocket, but off-track a little too often), D'Al, Rodney, Damien, and Bruce finished the stock Slot-It subclass in that order.
In the unlimited subclass, Keith narrowly edged out the always-tough Sherman for the win. Nils, Bob, and Larry were not far behind, with Mike, A'Alan, Ron, Zandur, and Nick finishing out the order. There was close racing throughout. All the fast times were set on either the green or yellow lanes, as might be expected, although Bob set his best on blue and Keith did his on red--definitely doing it the hard way.
After we wolfed down some pizza, Jim laid out the plans for the "Amish Track Raising" at Bruce's house, scheduled for April 19th. There were lots of volunteers to help replace Bruce's aging Ninco track with a new, routed one, and it will be quite an event. But do we have to hold everything together with wooden pegs??
Practice for the vintage sports car race unfolded next, with lots of very quick cars in both the stock and modified classes. Away from the track, various White-Bearded Folk debated the merits of each others' slot cars...
...whilst Mike tried not to interrupt Jim's and Sherman's conversation with his marshalling.
At the near end of the track, Hayes, Nils, Nick, Bob, and Ron all share a laugh...
...while at the far end, Bruce and Ron appear to be in deep prayer, and Damien and Bob compare notes. (Wait a minute, how did Ron and Bob get down to the far end of the track so quickly...?)
The Polimenis can always be counted on to have an array of interesting slot cars, including this great BMW 1600 coupe...
...and the real-life Aston Martin and Corvette competitors...
...and this not-so-real-life pair of Trabants, decked out in racing trim!
Speaking of new cars, I don't remember whose 1955 Mille Miglia Mercedes 300 SLR this was--but I really liked it:
Counting primary and backup cars, there was a very full VSC field. Be sure to note the number 42 Camaro...
...since this is a car that Mike's wife Evelyn painted for him!
Although not a new car, Hayes had extensively reworked his Lola T600:
Okay, whose Momo Ferrari SP was this? Dang--I gotta start taking notes!
The VSC race gave the modified folks a chance for revenge, following their drubbing by the stock Slot-It's in the LMP race. Four of the first five places were solidly in the hands of VSCmod cars, driven by Keith (who had once again borrowed Hayes' UOP Shadow and drove it on the thin edge of disaster consistently throughout the race), Larry (whose black '58 'Vette was again astonishingly fast), and Sherman (whose CanAm McLaren was also plenty quick). Nils, Bob, and A'Alan were next in modified, although a couple of VSCstock cars were interspersed in 4th and 6th overall, breaking up the otherwise-dominant showing of the mods.
Speaking of which, my old reliable '56 Ninco Corvette managed to sneak its way into first VSCstock, beating Mike's Camaro by a narrow margin (and 0.06 second on the fastest stock lap). Jim was close behind in third in his new hardtop '56 Corvette (in turquoise--maybe that was the problem!) Rodney, D'Al, and Charlie were next up. There were close battles throughout, and I especially enjoyed running against Mike, since we were in several of the same heats. Jim's track is very conducive to side-by-side racing, and some of the duels went on for many laps.
At post-race tear-down, A'Alan seems to be saying, "Ha--I got through tech!" Everyone else is studiously checking for the latest Hot Tricks, although way in the back D'Al is trying to convince Rodney that he was innocent of any wrongdoing. Rodney doesn't seem to be buying his story.
I had to run off for a belated Valentine's Day dinner with my wife and another couple--but I was able to see the fun-run IROC vintage Formula 1 race that was about to get started. Using a small portion of A'Alan's collection, we had a post-war Lancia Ferrari, pre-war Auto Union, pre-war Alfa Romeo (Bimotre?), and post-war Maserati. It looked like it would be a lot of fun: Someone please add a note to this thread letting me know how it went.
We always seem to have a great time racing on Jim's track, and this day was no exception. A good crowd and 4-minute heats, lots of fast cars and exceptional driving, and the usual camaraderie all added up to a completely enjoyable day.
Rick
The long-lost Mike Zortman was also rumored to be making a comeback, but unfortunately was not able to attend. But, almost all of the usual gang was on hand. During practice, it appeared that Charlie and Larry were trying to out-psyche each other through Determined Looks. Digital Al looks down to avoid being blinded by the glare(s), while in the background, Mike does his best Mad Scientist impression.
There were a lot of nifty new cars on hand. My favorite was Analog Alan's MG TC, complete with Nigel Shiftwright at the wheel, flying scarf and all! This TC was set up in authentic period racing trim, with shortened fenders, no bonnet side panels, 16" rear wire wheels, and a Judson supercharger. How cool is that?
Another favorite was Larry's Ferrari 575:
But my true favorite, of course, was my own brand-new, candy apple green McLaren, posed here with Rodney's orange version and Jim's blue and white one:
As usual, practice was chaotic and filled with shocking behavior, crashes, and other things too sordid to discuss. In this picture, it appears that Ron has just begun a horrific crash that completely astonishes A'Alan and Mike...
...and then it apparently continues to unfold all the way down the main straight! Note that Ron is completely unfazed by the catastrophe.
Oddly, Rodney and Hayes have no such drama during their practice...
During LMP tech, Charlie declares, "Ha! You'll never get away with it this time, Nick." Nick, however, is quietly thinking, "Oh yes I will ... that's not my car!"
Nonetheless, Tech Chief Charlie was all business and concentration and did not even appear to be tired after inspecting at least 312 LMP cars...
A close-up of Keith's Audi R8 revealed suspiciously burned wiring in the cockpit. It's a wonder his car didn't go up in flames halfway through the race.
Meanwhile, back at the track, the spectators were getting odder all the time:
However, the Most Suspicious thing of all was the downforce on my new McLaren. It hovered in-between 249 and 250 grams. Fortunately, it passed the test (barely), but it was still a puzzle, since I'd checked it at 237 g on the official Magnet Marshall, and I'd previously measured it at 201 g on my own new MM. Regardless, the car was a rocket!
In the LMP race, Hayes and Jim had superfast stock Slot-It's and drove exceptionally well. Hayes, as always, was mighty tough to beat in a magnet class, and he pulled out the win--by all of 1/3 lap over Jim's blue and white McLaren. I managed third in a car that was faster than I was. If only Keith had been driving it, I would have done a lot better. Charlie (another rocket, but off-track a little too often), D'Al, Rodney, Damien, and Bruce finished the stock Slot-It subclass in that order.
In the unlimited subclass, Keith narrowly edged out the always-tough Sherman for the win. Nils, Bob, and Larry were not far behind, with Mike, A'Alan, Ron, Zandur, and Nick finishing out the order. There was close racing throughout. All the fast times were set on either the green or yellow lanes, as might be expected, although Bob set his best on blue and Keith did his on red--definitely doing it the hard way.
After we wolfed down some pizza, Jim laid out the plans for the "Amish Track Raising" at Bruce's house, scheduled for April 19th. There were lots of volunteers to help replace Bruce's aging Ninco track with a new, routed one, and it will be quite an event. But do we have to hold everything together with wooden pegs??
Practice for the vintage sports car race unfolded next, with lots of very quick cars in both the stock and modified classes. Away from the track, various White-Bearded Folk debated the merits of each others' slot cars...
...whilst Mike tried not to interrupt Jim's and Sherman's conversation with his marshalling.
At the near end of the track, Hayes, Nils, Nick, Bob, and Ron all share a laugh...
...while at the far end, Bruce and Ron appear to be in deep prayer, and Damien and Bob compare notes. (Wait a minute, how did Ron and Bob get down to the far end of the track so quickly...?)
The Polimenis can always be counted on to have an array of interesting slot cars, including this great BMW 1600 coupe...
...and the real-life Aston Martin and Corvette competitors...
...and this not-so-real-life pair of Trabants, decked out in racing trim!
Speaking of new cars, I don't remember whose 1955 Mille Miglia Mercedes 300 SLR this was--but I really liked it:
Counting primary and backup cars, there was a very full VSC field. Be sure to note the number 42 Camaro...
...since this is a car that Mike's wife Evelyn painted for him!
Although not a new car, Hayes had extensively reworked his Lola T600:
Okay, whose Momo Ferrari SP was this? Dang--I gotta start taking notes!
The VSC race gave the modified folks a chance for revenge, following their drubbing by the stock Slot-It's in the LMP race. Four of the first five places were solidly in the hands of VSCmod cars, driven by Keith (who had once again borrowed Hayes' UOP Shadow and drove it on the thin edge of disaster consistently throughout the race), Larry (whose black '58 'Vette was again astonishingly fast), and Sherman (whose CanAm McLaren was also plenty quick). Nils, Bob, and A'Alan were next in modified, although a couple of VSCstock cars were interspersed in 4th and 6th overall, breaking up the otherwise-dominant showing of the mods.
Speaking of which, my old reliable '56 Ninco Corvette managed to sneak its way into first VSCstock, beating Mike's Camaro by a narrow margin (and 0.06 second on the fastest stock lap). Jim was close behind in third in his new hardtop '56 Corvette (in turquoise--maybe that was the problem!) Rodney, D'Al, and Charlie were next up. There were close battles throughout, and I especially enjoyed running against Mike, since we were in several of the same heats. Jim's track is very conducive to side-by-side racing, and some of the duels went on for many laps.
At post-race tear-down, A'Alan seems to be saying, "Ha--I got through tech!" Everyone else is studiously checking for the latest Hot Tricks, although way in the back D'Al is trying to convince Rodney that he was innocent of any wrongdoing. Rodney doesn't seem to be buying his story.
I had to run off for a belated Valentine's Day dinner with my wife and another couple--but I was able to see the fun-run IROC vintage Formula 1 race that was about to get started. Using a small portion of A'Alan's collection, we had a post-war Lancia Ferrari, pre-war Auto Union, pre-war Alfa Romeo (Bimotre?), and post-war Maserati. It looked like it would be a lot of fun: Someone please add a note to this thread letting me know how it went.
We always seem to have a great time racing on Jim's track, and this day was no exception. A good crowd and 4-minute heats, lots of fast cars and exceptional driving, and the usual camaraderie all added up to a completely enjoyable day.
Rick
