Hershman dominates buckeye bash at mmw...

[larrymatt]

BUCKEYE RETRO SERIES (BRS) … Buckeye Bash … MMW
Race #2 of the RETRO National Championship Series

By Larry Mattingly

HERSHMAN DOMINATES BUCKEYE BASH AT MMW

CANTON, OH … Ron Hershman dominated the inaugural ‘Buckeye Bash’ RETRO National Championship Series event at Mark’s Model World in Canton, OH on Sat. May 3, by setting fast time and winning both the Formula One/Indy and Can-Am races on the unique 161 foot house king track built by track owner Mark Kitto. Willy Custer was the only one to stop Hershman’s victory march as he was victorious in the new Group 7-68 class.

FORMULA ONE/INDY RESULTS

QUALIFYING

Ron Hershman was the only one of the 26 drivers in the building to break the magical five second barrier, as he registered a run of 4.998 to nip Scott Lemon’s time of 5.000. Mike Panko was third quickest, putting up a time of 5.050. The only two other drivers with times in the five second bracket were Willy Custer (5.087) and Greg Fox (5.092). Cap Henry’s track record of 4.947 set on 1/11/14 was not broken.

1. Ron Hershman – 4.998
2. Scott Lemon – 5.000
3. Mike Panko – 5.050
4. Willy Custer – 5.087
5. Greg Fox – 5.092
6. Dave Simerka – 5.129
7. Terry Watson – 5.137
8. Ron Smith – 5.143
9. Ross Scharf – 5.150
10. Larry Kinsey – 5.152
11. Al Rutti – 5.165
12. Dave Gardiner -5.171
13. Mark Picione – 5.177
14. Bud Bartos – 5.218
15. John Miller – 5.236
16. Matt Easterday – 5.245
17. Rich Attee – 5.255
18. Race Gardiner – 5.255
19. Larry Mattingly – 5.276
20. Dan Myers II – 5.349
21. Bob Summers – 5.363
22. Dave Laughlin – 5.371
23. Earl Graybill – 5.379
24. Mike Duke – 5.385
25. Dan ‘Pops’ Myers – 5.616
26. Rick Easterday – 5.832

FORMULA ONE/INDY MAINS

C-Main

Bob Summers placed a poor qualifying run behind him, and came back with a strong performance to win the C-Main over fellow MMW racer Mike Duke. Summers drove a steady and consistent race, never falling below the 31 lap mark on any lane, to defeat Duke by three laps at the checker. Young Race Gardiner nailed down the third spot over Larry Mattingly. Dan Myers II was a close fifth, in front of Earl Graybill, Dave Laughlin, Dan ‘Pops’ Myers and Rick Easterday.

B-Main

Dave Gardiner strung together two 34 lap runs on the orange and green lanes, and it proved to be the margin of difference to defeat runner-up Larry Kinsey to capture the B-Main by three laps. Marc Picione, Ross Scharf and Al Rutti all crossed the finish line tied for third place with 256 laps. Picione got the nod based on track position, followed by Scharf and Rutti. Michigan competitor Rich Attee was four laps further back in sixth. Bud Bartos, John Miller, and Matt Easterday rounded out the field.

A-Main

Ron Hershman backed up his quick time to garner victory in the A-Main, edging Willy Custer by track position after both drivers finished with 269 laps. Greg Fox was two laps off the front running pace to finish third in a close battle over Dave Simerka. Scott Lemon was next in line, trailed by Ron Smith, Mike Panko and Terry Watson. Only eight laps separated the field.

FORMULA ONE/INDY OVERALL FINISH

1. Ron Hershman – 269+21
2. Willy Custer – 269+7
3. Greg Fox – 267
4. Dave Simerka – 266
5. Scott Lemon – 265
6. Ron Smith – 263+16
7. Mike Panko – 263+14
8. Dave Gardiner – 261+6
9. Terry Watson – 261+2
10. Larry Kinsey – 258
11. Marc Picione – 256+18
12. Ross Scharf – 256+10
13. Al Rutti – 256+4
14. Rich Attee – 252
15. Bob Summers – 251+4
16. Bud Bartos – 251+3
17. Mike Duke – 248
18. John Miller – 247
19. Race Gardiner – 244
20. Larry Mattingly – 241
21. Matt Easterday – 240+ 17
22. Dan Myers II – 240+ 8
23. Dave Laughlin – 237+20
24. Earl Graybill – 237+2
25. Dan ‘Pops’ Myers – 221
26. Rick Easterday – 209

CAN-AM RESULTS

QUALIFYING

Ron Hershman duplicated his Formula One/Indy qualifying effort, by leading the 30 car field with a time of 4.911. Willy Custer was again close on his heels with a lap of 4.923. Dave Gardiner was third, timing 4.969, followed by Greg Fox (4.986) and Race Gardiner, Dave’s grandson, who raised every ones eyebrows by clocking a time of 5.023. Hershman failed to break his track record of 4.882 set back on 11/9/13.

1. Ron Hershman – 4.911
2. Willy Custer – 4.923
3. Dave Gardiner – 4.969
4. Greg Fox – 4.986
5. Race Gardiner – 5.023
6. Marc Picione – 5.026
7. Larry Kinsey – 5.074
8. Al Rutti – 5.078
9. Bud Bartos – 5.087
10. Scott Lemon – 5.101
11. Dave Simerka – 5.107
12. Mike Panko – 5.115
13. Ron Smith – 5.122
14. Dan Myers II – 5.128
15. Terry Watson – 5.148
16. Mark Kitto – 5.154
17. Mike Duke – 5.169
18. Rich Attee – 5.174
19. Dave Laughlin – 5.177
20. John Miller – 5.200
21. Ross Scharf – 5.234
22. Bob Summers – 5.234
23. Gary Vinyard – 5.334
24. Jim Doolan – 5.368
25. Larry Mattingly – 5.418
26. Matt Easterday – 5.467
27. Earl Graybill – 5.542
28. Rob Easterday – 5.757
29. Dan ‘Pops’ Myers – 5.781
30. Rick Easterday – 5.798

CAN-AM MAINS
.
D-Main

Local MMW racer Jim Doolan turned in a strong performance to defeat Larry Mattingly for first place honors in the D-Main. Mattingly started poorly on the purple and black lanes, and spent the remainder of the contest unsuccessfully trying to reel in Doolan who won by four laps. Matt Easterday recorded another solid performance to finish on the podium. Earl Graybill finished fourth, trailed by Dan ‘Pops’ Myers, Ron Easterday and Rick Easterday, who was an early droop out with mechanical issues.

C-Main

Ross Scharf annexed the C-Main in a battle that saw the first five finishers only separated by a five lap spread. Scharf and Michigan’s John Miller ran neck and neck over the 24 minute race, with Scharf getting the edge by one lap late in the contest. Dave Laughlin and Mike Duke finished deadlocked for third, with Laughlin getting the nod on track position. Rich Attee was one lap further back in fifth, while Bob Summers and Gary Vinyard finished sixth and seventh.

B-Main

The B-Main was another nail biter as Dave ‘Shadow’ Simerka hung on to defeat Ron Smith by only four track sections for the checkered flag. Mike Panko was four laps off the leaders pace, but it was good enough to finish three laps in front of both Scott Lemon and Buud Bartos for the third position. Mark Kitto Dan Myers II, and Terry Watson, who was an early retiree after shattering a rear bearing in a rider incident, rounded out the eight car field.

A-Main

Ron Hershman claimed his second win of the day by outdistancing Willy Custer by two laps for the overall honors in the Can-Am class. Hershman averaged 34.62 laps in route to the win. Dave Gardiner settled for third place, five laps in back of Hershman. Next in line was Marc Picione, who was one lap up on Greg Fox. Al Rutti, Larry Kinsey and young Race Gardiner trailed the front runners.

OVERALL CAN-AM FINISH

1. Ron Hershman – 277
2. Willy Custer – 275
3. Dave Gardiner – 272
4. Marc Picione – 267
5. Greg Fox – 266
6. Dave Simerka – 265+13
7. Ron Smith – 265+9
8. Al Rutti – 264+11
9. Larry Kinsey – 264+2
10. Mike Panko – 261
11. Ross Scharf – 259
12. John Miller – 258+12
13. Scott Lemon – 258+7
14. Bud Bartos – 258+2
15. Dave Laughlin – 255+20
16. Mark Kitto – 255+16
17. Mike Duke – 255+3
18. Rich Attee – 254
19. Dan Myers II – 246+12*
20. Jim Doolan – 246+12
21. Bob Summers – 246+5
22. Race Gardiner – 243
23. Larry Mattingly – 242
24. Matt Easterday – 238
25. Earl Graybill – 228+21
26. Dan ‘Pops’ Myers – 228+9
27. Rob Easterday – 217
28. Gary Vinyard – 204
29. Terry Watson – 38
30. Rick Easterday – 11

GROUP 7-68

RACE #1

Bud Bartos got his groove on in the first Gr.7-68 race by picking up the win over Dave Gardiner, who was awarded second over Ross Scharf by track position. John Miller was also in the hunt finishing one lap down to the second and third place finishers. Greg Fox was fifth, followed by Larry Kinsey, Mike Duke and Early Graybill, who encountered gear problems early in the contest.

RACE #2

Willy Custer kept his undefeated status intact in the new Group 7-68 class, by romping to a four lap win over Dave Simerka, who was racing a borrowed car from Dave Laughlin after damaging his primary entry in a practice crash. Ron Hershman finished third, one lap ahead of Mark Gardiner and Al Rutti. Scott Lemon, Dan Myers II and Rich Attee were the sixth, seventh and eighth place finishers.

GROUP 7-68 OVERALL FINISH

1. Willy Custer – 184
2. Dave Simerka – 180+12
3. Bud Bartos – 180+2
4. Ron Hershman – 178+4
5. Ross Scharf – 178+1
6. Mark Gardiner – 177+10
7. Dave Gardiner – 177+6
8. Al Rutti – 177+3
9. John Miller – 176+21
10. Scott Lemon – 176+14
11. Greg Fox – 175+10
12. Larry Kinsey – 175+1
13. Mike Duke – 172
14. Dan Myers II – 171
15. Rich Attee – 167
16. Earl Graybill – 157


MMW MEMORANDUM

Many were sad… many were happy, but every racer in the house bid farewell to the 161’ MMW King track that was constructed by track owner Mark Kitto. The difficult to drive, one of a kind, King will be replaced this summer, as Kitto has contracted with noted track builder Gary Gerding to construct a new 155’ King track for his Canton, Ohio facility. What ‘kind’ of Gerding King remains the question, however. “I really don’t want a Euro, or speedway King,” said Kitto, “I want a non-swoopy ‘drivers track’ that hopefully will race somewhere in the 4.6 second range for retro cars.” It will be interesting to see what Gerding creates, as to our knowledge, all of his King tracks to date have been designed for wing car racing… Kitto has also ordered a state of the art LapMaster timing and scoring system to be installed on the new track. Additionally, Kitto has hired a professional firm to create a website for MMW, and he is vowing that MMW will also have an increased presence on Face Book … MMW will continue to house an oval, flat track, drag strip and an HO track, along with the new King. Kitto promotes one of the most successful and diversified weekly race programs in the nation, and is a model of how it should be done. His new Gerding King should just add to the success… A big ‘thank you’ to MMW for its hospitality last weekend. The food was outstanding as usual, with hot and mild Italian sausage, rigatoni and pasta salad on the menu. On Friday the track provided free hot dogs, chips and pasta salad for those arriving early to practice… The BRS presented its championship awards to the winners in the North, South and overall combined series before qualifying began last weekend. In all, 91 DIFFERENT drivers participated in the ten-race BRS point races this year. Not bad for a series that many said ‘wouldn’t succeed’....

NEXT RACE…

Sat. July 19

THIRD RACE OF THE RETRO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Fourth Annual ‘RACE OF CHAMPIONS’ (Featuring handout ProSlot 4200 FK motors)
Can-Am and Group 7-68 classes

High Banks Raceway, Barberton, Oh
145’ Tunkle reverse Engleman

[Zippity]

Thanks for such a great report

Any photographs posted anywhere?

[Bill from NH]

G13 in Tokyo is not a speed bowl.

[larrymatt]

Thanks Zip...

Photo report is on the BRS Face Book page...

Bill: Will have to check out photos of the Tokyo Gerding King...

[Professor Fugly]

WTG on the reporting Larry.
Congrats to the winners and anyone who had fun....

Nice car counts. Things must be going good when a new King w/LapMaster is on order.
How about a link to pictures on the FB page?

[larrymatt]

Will work on linking the FB pictures to OWH...

RETRO is going well...

[Zippity]

Try here

[New York Nick]

Nice report thanks for posting it
What is GR7 68 ?

[Professor Fugly]

Thanks Zip!

NY Nick,

7 68 stands for:
7 tooth pinion only.
68 and before bodies only (no Ti22)
4002FK motors only.

[New York Nick]

sounds like a great class any pictures?
The motor rule are the same.

[brassrodman]

I believe it is an eight tooth pinion. The 7 is for the original Group 7 racing.

[larrymatt]

John is correct...

The class is Group 7-68... Group 7 is what the FIA classified the open sports cars that raced in the Can-Am SERIES. Can-Am was NOT a class of car!! The 68 designates that all of the bodies used must be 1968, or earlier, Group 7 or World Sports Cars that were raced in that era. No Ti-22 bodies. Thus far RETRO has conducted three races for the new class and the fields have featured numerous body styles.. Porsche and Lola spyders, Ferrari etc. A breath of fresh air.

The new class features the new inexpensive, double sealed Pro Slot 4002 FK motor that must run a spec 8 tooth pinion, along with .790 minimum tires and .040 rear chassis clearance. All other rules are the same as the RETRO Can-Am class.

The new class has been a hit with racers and is growing by leaps and bounds. Several tracks are adopting it for weekly retro racing.

The new motor is a gem. The folks at Dallas Slot Cars recently ran one in a test for 5,000 laps (stopping to oil it every 500 laps). After 5,000 laps, which is the equivalent of 16 retro races, the motor did not get hot, did not slow down, and only showed minimal brush wear. And, the power was NOT turned down to help it live... LOL

Pictures coming on Tuesday from Shontel...

[shontelh]

Here's a few pics of the various body style being used in G7-68 RETRO class

[shontelh]

APPROVED BODIES FOR GROUP 7-68

CAN AM BODIES

JK PRODUCTS
Ferrari 612 1968 - 7086
Lotus 40 - 7090
McLaren M6 - 7087

PARMA
Lola T-160 - 1141

CHAMPION
McLaren - 311I-CH

OUTISIGHT
Ferrari 330 – OS453 / OS466
Lola T-70 Spyder - OS412 / OS470
Lola T-160 - OS407 / OS468
Lotus 40 - OS450 / OS472
McLaren - OS411 / OS413 / OS454 / OS462
McKee - OS405
Porsche 908 Spyder - OS418 / OS456

TRUE SCALE
Ferrari 330
Ferrari 612 1968 - TSR03
Lola T-70 Spyder
Lotus 40
McLaren M8 - TSR01
Porsche 908 Spyder
Lola T-160
McKee - TSR04

WSC COUPE BODIES

JK PRODUCTS
Ford GT-40 - 7082
Ford MKIV - 71901
Porsche Carrera - 71903

PARMA
Marco Mantis - 1037

OUTISIGHT
Chaparral 2F - OS423 / OS425
Ferrari P330 - OS424
Mirage M1 - OS460
Mirage M2 - OS461
Porsche 908 – OS458

TRUE SCALE
Ferrari P330
Ford MKIV - TSR26
Marco Mantis - TSR41
Mirage M1
Mirage M2 - TSR15
Porsche908

[larrymatt]

Thanks Shontel...