A Backmarker’s View of the ISRA 2014 Worlds

[Greg N]

Thanks, Bernie!

A minor piece of very good news for all of us: Artu, a 12-13 year old (to look at him) Finnish kid just won Group D going away. Really nice, I think!

[Greg N]

I was here early today, and I’m doing some very minor officiating, so I can’t write heat by heats, but I did take some notes during the Semis. Here they are:

C Semi:

A fashion note: Janis Nabokins is looking cool today: He has on a black Living Dead shirt and black old-fashioned riding pants, the kind with the hugely exaggerated bags at the side of the knees (think WWI general). And he’s wearing 4” platform black boots. Quite the show.

Near the end of 1, Chris B lost 30 laps due, unclear why, maybe an axle. The first 2 were clean otherwise, with 4 cars tied for first, all lapping in the 3.7s regularly offs, but no big crashes. Then Andrey, one of the Russians started to fly. By Mid-4 he was 7 laps up.

By mid-5 we had Andrey 9 up, but Nabokins, who’d been way back, just flying. Anna in 3rd 14 back, everybody else out of it.

Mid-6 we had Anna yelling at ther Dad something about her controller while lapping in the 3.8s. They cut a wire with a snipper during the next break, but she stayed at the same lap times.

By mid-7 Andrey was 4 up on Nabokinns, lapping in the 3.7s to 3.9s. and by mid-8 Nabokins made it all the way to 1 ½ laps back.

In the end, Andrey at 471 was ahead, 2 up on Nabokins, both fast, tho both will only move up if A & B are rough and slow, I think.

[Greg N]

B-Semi:

Mid-1: Lots of action, many offs, lots of yelling, 1 big hit. Matti and Edi Zaks off and just flying.

By mid-3 Matti was 3 up on Sneiders, Zaks, and Krcil, all tied. Race now clean.

Mid-5: Matti 11 up on the sme three. No big crashes, some offs.

Mid-7: Matti has checked out, 13 up, in clean racing, so he’s in great shape for a move-up. Edi, in clear 2nd now is ahead (barely) of Andrey and Nabokins from the C.

So at the end, Matti with 487, Edi with 476, with Andrey at 471 from the C.

[Greg N]

A Semi:

Paul is resplendent in a custom Balance by Beuf shirt with his name on it. Recek is looking good in a Jack Daniels shirt. The rest are non-descript, tho neither Raivis nor Paolo will be happy to read this.

Mid-2: Raivis in the lead, Piero and Recek 2-3 back. Horky will be receiving a 5 lap penalty at the end of the Semi for being late to tech.

I forgot to write, during the A&B semis, not so much the C, in all 3 classes, the racers never really race each other, they just all try to fly so that the lap totals are high since track calls lower everybody’s lap totals.

Mid-4: Piero is in the pits with a badly sucked body, replaces gear, axles, wheels and body. Loses 28 laps total, so he’s out. Everybody else is on pace for the main except Paolo is a few laps down. I didn’t see why.

Mid-6: Paolo is back in, barely, but Horky has fallen back. Not clear to me why, but I’m guessing that he’s fallen off a couple of times pressing hard to get ahead of the 5 lap penalty.

In the end: Paolo, Matti and Edi Zaks made it in. Piero and Horky did not. In the end, he wouldn’t have made it even without the penalty, tho it was likely the penalty that made him fall back. Paul made it in easily in 3rd. So it’ll be the first ISRA main in any class in my memory that did not include Vladimir. He’s a very good sport, and currently he’s smiling and looks like he’ll be pitting for Recek.

[MikeWho?]

Greg, thanks for the great report.......

[Wallbasher]

Not just race reporting now we get the slot racing fashion updates also! LOL

[Greg N]

Main:

We’ve got Matti Fyhr and Olli Kantamaa from Finland, Antonin Vojtic and Jaroslav Recek from the Czech Republic, Raivis Jansons and Edi Zaks from the Latvia, Paul Gawronski from the USA, and Paolo Trigillio from Italy.

Edi’s looking good in a green Nike “Just Do It” tee shirt. I wonder if it’s counterfeit. ☺ And of course Antonin with his new Abe Lincoln beard and a white pork pie hat, and across from them 2 marshalls are styling, too: Nabokins (see above), and Anna, in a bright pink tee shirt that says “Don’t Even Ask” in large letters in the front.

End of 1: Antonin, Paul, Raivis tied for 1st, Eddi and Paolo 7 bacl.

Mid 2: Those 3 lead, both Finns 1-2 laps back.

End 2: Paul up 1 over Antonin. Paolo and Eddi 10-13 back, rest 4-6 back.

Mid 3: Antonin on green tied with Paul on Purple. Paolo and Edi out of it, rest 5-7 back. Antonin just turned a 3.5.

End 3: 3.5 laps up on Paul, Recek now 5 down.

Mid 4: Couple of hard hits. Antonin on blue 4 up on Paul on black. Recek 4 down, Raivis 6 down. Recall that Paul and Antonin are production teammates and close friends.

Mid 5: 2 hard hits. Paul and Antonin side by side on yellow and purple. Paul is going fast. Recek and Raivis are now 7 down. The rest are out of it.

Mid 6: Antonin is on black is 6 up on Paul. Some tire changes, not the leaders. Sneiders just did a really fast tire change, about 10 secs. Chris R tells me that it included a spacer.

Mid 7: Antonin with a race winning heat on black in heat 6 is now 10 up on Paul! Paul changes tires, now tied with Recek at 17 down.

End 7: Recek and Paul crash together, now 20 back.

Mid 8: If nothing happens, Antonin will win. He has a 21 lap lead!?! Paul and Recek essentially tied, Paul on red, Recek green. Paul and Recek side by side with 2 mins to go.

Antonin wins by 22 laps. I didn’t know that this was even possible. Sort of like Paolo winning all 4 races in Brazil. Paul finishes in 2nd, 2.5 feet ahead of Jaroslav. Raivis 4th, Matti 5th.

So that’s it. Clearly the best venue/setting I ever raced in, in a delightful country that almost anyone would enjoy! There’ll be pictures from the party tonight, but I’ll sign off for now.

I had a great time. I recommend this race to any flat-track racer.

Greg

[Wallbasher]

Fantastic reporting from our globe hoping reporter Greg Norris!

[multiracer]

Thank you Mr. Norris,
It was a pleasure to read what you write. You have a knack for the words.
Ron

[Tmoore]

Enjoyable reporting Greg!

Tony

[fxgeorge]

Greg, best reporting of The Worlds. A few details I hope you can share. First, new body for eurosport? Second, the 2016 site. Rumors floating around it will be in Chicago. Any truth to this? Hope you catch up on your sleep soon.

[Greg N]

Sure, new 1/32 ES body is a Russian LMP. Not all that different from the current one, but more shovel-shaped, for more downforce. I think it's OK, not great. I would have stayed with the old one or taken Gugu's new coupe, which looks real nice.

Next Worlds in Czech Republic, then in 2 yrs in Chicago

Greg

[fxgeorge]

A Russian LMP??? I wonder how that will work with the U.S. distribution. And how about 1/24 ES and 1/32 ES?

Good news about Chicago!

[Zippity]

Am I correct is assuming that anyone hosting the ISRA World Championship will need to hold such an event in a hall or hotel lounge as most commercial raceways are just too small to cater for such an event?

[KVAN]

Zippity, you never saw Roger's old place.

The 2010 Worlds at Roger's Mid-America Raceway handled the 119 participants with ease. It could have easily handled another 30 racers.

What will his new raceway hold? He says it will be bigger yet! We shall see.

Nothing better than a hotel race though. That would be cool!