TSRCAR*
of Hamilton, Ohio!
*Tri-State R/C Auto Racers
Qualifying
HPI
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The qualifying heats started at the Tri-State R/C Auto Racers right after the Concours Challenge was over. Chasing the Concours finalists off the track while Frank was trying to interview them required a couple of yells!
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All of the heats were timed in the IFMAR style, which uses an individual computer clock for each contestant. In practice, this meant that the racers started off with a one or two second space between each other, and tried to get in the best run they could. No one was under pressure to hold another racer back because everyone ran on their own time.
The
first racers to hit the track were the participants in our exhibition
Proceed class. Our Proceed 1/8 scale car is our only entry in what is
sometimes called "the Formula One of R/C", because of the expertise
and cost required to get into this highest form of R/C car racing. With
nearly a full heat of racers, we had a good showing of racers from throughout
the Midwest! A total of seven racers were able to make it. Ted Hammer
set the early TQ, although he wasn't able to stay for the second day of
racing because of the ROAR Fuel On-Road Nationals in Dallas, TX. In the
third round of qualifying, Courtney Smith nabbed the pole position and
set the time to beat.
The
next class to race was the Electric RS4 class. While most racers had the
RS4 Pro 2, we did see some "vintage" RS4 Pro cars and we even
met one racer who said he had his original RS4 (with the single belt and
rear gearbox) that was converted with our old dual belt set! The electric
class was the "silent class", because all the other heats were
Nitro cars, and all you could hear were the motors winding up and the
tires squealing. After three rounds of qualifying, Bill Henn was in the
top spot with the time to beat. We had over 30 racers in the Electric
RS4 class, and the mains were split into four races.
We
were prepared for the Super Nitro RS4 class this time, and with 12 racers,
this was a good thing! Although he didn't make the first day of qualifying,
Kevin Roberson grabbed the TQ position with just one qualifier on Sunday.
The most popular body was probably the Toyota GT-One body, a good choice
with the long wheelbase and sleek lines. Next most popular was the BMW
V12 LMR body. The big size of the Super Nitro cars matched the wide lanes
and painted green infield of the TSRCAR track perfectly!
Almost
30 racers participated in the Box Stock class, a class that provided plenty
of competition because of the "spec" nature of the cars and
rules. Erik and Frank checked the cars for tires, universal dogbones,
clutchbells, air filters, carb openings and other items to make sure everyone
complied with the rules. After three rounds of tight qualifying, local
racer "Big" Mike Huddleson was able to hang onto the TQ spot,
with Kevin Roberson and TJ Wilcheck right behind him on the starting grid.
Always
our largest class, the Nitro RS4 Open category provided plenty of excitement
and speed! Over 50 racers appeared in this class alone, making for a good
range of driving skills and various levels of hopped-up cars. Although
all the option parts like powerful engines, tuned pipes and two speeds
made the cars faster on the straight sections, the average lap time of
the fastest Nitro Open racer was just one second lower than the fastest
Box Stock racer, showing that when it comes down to skill versus horsepower,
it's an even match! At the end of the qualifying session, it was Ben Puterbaugh
with the top spot, followed closely by several racers. With a 10-minute
A Main, it was going to be close!
Towards
the end of the second round of qualifying on Saturday afternoon, threatening
rain clouds appeared on the horizon. Luckily we didn't have to shorten
the qualifying time for all the racers, although some rain drops did find
their way on the track, which didn't help traction on the cooling track.
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