Division 3 Racing

TSRF32, Retro F1 and Retro Pro Races, February 24, 2007

Buena Park, CA

New Zealand mates Sweden!

Radisich borrows Sterrett's back-up car, proceeds to win by a lap over Anderson. Steube soldiers to third, saves America's honor.

Report by "Gene Husting", photos by "Al Hall"... yeah right.

The sixth Nostalgia "Retro" Can-Am Championship Race was once again hosted by Chris and Lenore Gallegos at their fine raceway in Buena Park. The race was run on the "little" Kingleman track, that requires all of one's attention as reacting time HAS to be quite quick or the familiar "thunk!" sound is heard, sometimes loudly, sometimes followed by uh, vocal reaction from the unhappy driver.

Twenty seven entrants signed up for this one. Over ten regular Retro Can-Am racers were missing because of various obligations, notably Adam Friedman and Dennis Samson. There was frantic last-minute activity as the track had grown teeth following its usual cleaning and spray-glue treatment. Only this time, the glue really stuck, making some finely tuned cars to tilt rather easily from excess grip.

Mid-week testing had shown the potential of Tore Anderson's car, lapping consistently in the 3.60" range, a full 14-hundred faster than his previous pole qualifying on the same track.

		Meanwhile, the serious opposition had not given up on the Swede, as Dennis Hill had built himself a missile. Pre-race testing had also shown very quick lap times in the 3.6" range. After his near-win on the new King track, Dennis had to be considered a top runner in this race. Time will prove that his car was indeed, well suited for normal track conditions, not so good in serious goop. Others had been testing, including the eminent members of Team Checkpoint. Again, they were to get caught in the difficult conditions. Locals had been fast all week and Saturday morning practice showed serious speed on the lap timer. Indeed, things were going to be serious. Sign-up began at noon, and by 1PM, the sheet was full, including a few new names.
A confident Tore Anderson was ready for battle, as mid-week tests had shown his car to be fastest. The heavy machine at 130.5 grams was very predictable and easy to drive while keeping plenty of speed for the motor to unwind.

Qualifying:

The track was still very sticky when qualifying began and it cleaned up some as things proceeded. Mike Hudson and his standard Steube chassis looked like top time of the day, but Anderson barely cut him by one hundredth of a second with his heavy Lola, and that was it. Chris Radisich already showed that he would be a contender, while the Checkpoint Team twins looked like in a bit of ag, Mike hacking a 4th with a tight car, Philippe a 6th with an even tighter one, bogged in the glue. Dennis Hill was also in trouble with his lightweight car. These were the only qualifiers in the 3.5/3.6s.

Nearly a full tenth behind and first in class was Bob Maxwell in his best effort yet, over a surprising Bryan Warmack with a rigid plate chassis that handled like a dream but was a bit shy of horsepower. Bryan is almost back to his old driving talent and displayed it there clearly.

Doug Matthes was next, showing that the Father & Son Team was all go. The big surprise came from the poor qualifying effort by Paul Sterrett, his car overwhelmed by the tight conditions, a full 2/10ths off the pole. Not a good day for Paul, used to be a bit higher in the standings. Another disappointment of sorts was Greg Gilbert, his lightweight having serious problems on the sticky track. Josh Bauer did well for his entry in the class, with Mike Boemker next. Mike Kravitz, driving a car similar to that of Gilbert and the previous "A" race winner on the King, could only muster a mid-field position.

The true amateurs were lined behind him. Best was Roger Uusitalo of Team Rolling Hills, mike Brannian in tow. Jim Cunningham brought a well turned out Porsche 917PA, a body not allowed in the series but he was not about to be sent home and was allowed to run the car and did well to survive in 17th spot. Chassis builder extraordinaire John Kallas was next, slowly getting to speed after many years off racing. Controller builder Heather drove her Ti22 beautifully, but the car was also bogged in the glue. Kyle Matthes drove his Kallas/Lola in 20th, ahead of Yoshio Akiyama from Japan and Italian Ricardo Salvino. Keith Tanaka, Ken Dylke with his twin-engine car, Jay Henry and Ron Low rounded the field.

Qualifying Order:

*  Fastest lap

Anderson's Lola was also one of the prettiest and best finished cars in the race. Tore painted the body, Warmack lettered the car, as he did since 1966 for many others.

The chassis is made of brass rods and plate and the car weighed at 130.5 grams, one of the heaviest in the race. This allowed it to go through the glue without much trouble.

"C" RACE

The "C" race is ready to start. From left to right, Low, Ken Dylke, Keith Tanaka, Rick "Wing'Em" Salvino, Jeff "Catch'Em" Easterly and Kyle. Heather is missing from the picture.

The field, left to right: heather's Ti22, Kyle and Jeff's Lolas, Salvino's McLaren, Keith and Ken's Ferraris, Jay's Lola and Ron's McLaren.

The racing began and quickly became a demolition derby of sorts on the tight and hard to marshal track. Ken Dylke took an immediate lead in the crashfest with Jeff Easterly in the same lap. Rick Salvino was one down with Kyle Matthes in the same lap. Jay Henry had all kinds of trouble with either car or controller and pulled out, only to return later and do two more troublesome laps.

The second heat saw Easterly take the lead over Dylke, Salvino losing another lap. Heather was now in 4th place over Keith Tanaka, struggling with too much grip. Yoshio began his race was in the actual lead in average laps, TWO over everyone. But he lost 3 laps on green, and Dylke took the lead back over Jeff and Yoshio. In the subsequent heats, Jeff ran in a bit of trouble and lost laps to the consistent Ken, packing the laps. Heather was doing really good in second place, with Kyle in the hunt too. But Dylke was able at the end to put 4 laps on Jeff, and Kyle edged a charging Yoshio for third, Yoshio setting fast lap of the race as a consolation.

Jeff Easterly, Ken Dylke and Kyle Matthes exhausted after their battle. Ken pulled a fine win from being consistent. His car was not the  fastest, but handled well and Ken drove it brilliantly. Kyle had some trouble but survived in third place. Jeff had one of the fastest car in the race, but he is... Jeff, trying too hard at times... costing him a possible win.

Kyle's Lola, Ken's Ferrari and Jeff's Lola.

The same cars seen from their south pole. Kyle's Kallas chassis, the bizarre but successful Dylke twin-engine wonder and the more conventional Easterly machine.

This should make Jairus Watson very happy... the car worked well in the thick glue.

"C" RACE RESULTS

*  Fastest lap

** DNF

"B" RACE

Before battle: L to R: Kallas, Cunningham, Boemker, Brannian, Gilbert, Kravitz, Bauer and Uusitalo shyly smile to the camera. Sterrett is on stand by.

The field, ready to bite.

Mike Brannian led the first segment over Mike Boemker and Greg Gilbert. Jim Cunningham was in big trouble on purple, learning the hard way about the chute. Boemker then took the lead over Gilbert and Brannian, Mike Kravitz already 5 laps down and only one over Uusitalo. Meanwhile, Sterrett entered the race and turned 41 laps on red. Boemker kept leading until off on white for the round-robin rotation, leaving Brannian in command. But lap average showed that Gilbert was fast coming back, already 4 laps over Sterrett. At the end, Gilbert had 8 laps over Sterrett and 16 over Mike Brannian, with Josh Bauer edging Mike Boemker by inches. Kallas was next two more laps down, with Kravitz in total agony over Cunningham in the same level of hurt.

The winnahs! Gilbert flanked by Brannian and Sterrett apparently happy about something.

Jim Cunningham's Porsche 917PA is a pretty car, but this body is illegal for the class. Jim did not know so was allowed to race. He did well for his first Can-Am race, but ran into the Kingleman Learning Curve.

Gilbert's car was a MAC Lola painted by Barry Obler. Looked great. Gilbert won the "B" race as he previously did on the King, moved to the "A", ran into trouble, DNF'ed.

Jairus Watson, one of the best artists out there, painted Mike Brannian's MAC Ferrari 312P body in the style of a 1960's pro-racing car, even adding the engine detail. Looked beautiful and Mike did a heck of a job, bringing the car in third place.

The John Kallas MAC Ferrari was also gorgeous as most of what John dabbles with nowadays.

The machines of Brannian, Gilbert and Sterrett after the war, showing that indeed, Retro Can-Am cars DO survive in good condition in the worst of circumstances.

Chassis design shows a great variety and creativity not seen for years in slot car racing.

"B" RACE RESULTS

*  Fastest lap

"A" RACE

The gladiators ready to descend in the arena. L to R: Hill, Warmack, Steube, Anderson, Gilbert, Maxwell, Radisich. Hudson, Matthes. The Dokktorrr is behind the camera's eye.

The field. The two sit-outs are up-front.

The race began in anger with Radisich winning the first segment over Gilbert and Steube. Mike then took the lead with one over Bob Maxwell and Bryan Warmack, Chris having gone on stand by. The third segment had Mike 2 laps over Bryan, Bob and Doug Matthes in a very good showing. Meanwhile Mike Hudson and Tore Anderson were in and packing the laps. The next segment showed Philippe moving to 4th place after some difficult heats, but already quite a few laps in the hole. Greg Gilbert had a mechanical failure of sorts (not sure of what at publishing time) and pulled out. Mike still led in the next segment, but already the lap times showed that he was losing about 1/10th of a second per lap to the trio of Anderson, Radisich and Hudson. In the fifth heat, a marshal accidentally bumped Philippe's car in another lane and the car hit the wall hard, breaking a wheel and slightly bending the rear end. That was it for that car for the day. In the subsequent heats, the battle centered around Anderson and Radisich, Chris edging the Swede by a lap. Mike was nearly ten laps behind, holding Mike Hudson. Bryan Warmack did a great job of driving his car to a well-deserved 5th place, holding Doug Matthes and Dennis Hill in the same lap.

Triumphant Chris with his borrowed car, with Mike Steube and Tore Anderson after the torrid battle.

Chris's Ferrari used a re-pop of the old Champion-Bloom-Waters body. Worked good for him and the car had very good top speed to boot.

Again, the chassis variety is quite fun. However in this race, motor power appeared to have counted even more.

The busted wheel of Philippe's car that ended his race. It did matter little as he was really never in the hunt.

"A" RACE RESULTS

*  Fastest lap

*  DNF

More races, more different winners, more variety of chassis, and hardly a motor explosion. But the performance level is WAY up. In the first race held on the Kingleman, fast lap was 3.746". You had to go to the 8th fastest now to find this kind of speed, TQ being 3.55". Lap total for the race has jumped from 352 laps by Mike Steube to 372 by Chris Radisich. Track conditions have something to do with this, but 20 laps? At this time, this writer is again, suggesting a hand-out motor program, as it was obvious that more than anything, this made a huge difference in car performance.

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