A Backmarker’s View of the 2016 ISRA Worlds – Chicago

[Greg N]

Another busy day for the backmarkers, but not much to report. We practiced 6 lanes times 104 drivers of 1/24 Eurosport yesterday afternoon and evening, then got back here early today for the last 2 lanes, tech, and qualifying.

Qualifying produced the best joke so far this year. The 1/24 ES bodies we’re using now are very short, and it’s hard to mount them so that you can’t see any of the guide in front or the tires from the back (when viewed from above). So a bunch of people were getting bounced in tech. Nobody got shut out in the end, but there were nervous moments for many. In the midst of this, Edy Zaks taped a fake advertisement to the table directly behind the tech table: “For Sale. Legal 1/24 ES Bodies. Painted, Pinned, and Bullet-proofed. 55 Euro.”

And so now we are racing all of the 1/24 Eurosport Quarters. It’s been a lot of fun: racing, marshalling, and watching. The atmosphere remains very friendly and laid back. Tons of laughter. Today we even had free food: delicious sloppy joes from Roger and great pizza from Mike Illes / Speedzone NJ.

The other thing that has remained is the weird scrunching of the top half of the racers in both qualifying and the quarters. Seems like the very difficult track compresses the results for the best drivers. The result is that you see drivers who’ve won multiple world championships racing in the E and F.

Tomorrow we will race the 1/24 Euros Semis and Main, then the big delegate meeting, then a big end of race party. I’ll be back early with part of the B and the A Semi, and of course the 1/24 ES Main.

See you then.

[Greg N]

Final day of the 2016 ISRA Worlds! 1/24 Eurosport Championship day.

The C Semi was rough and it looks like not so fast. The big news is that Paul Gawronski (USA) and Janis Nabokins (LAT) both essentially crashed out, meaning in this case that a few others drivers were crashing a lot, and they got involved enough that their cars slowed. Janis Sneiders (LAT) won the heat, but likely won’t move up. (see below)

The B Semi on the other hand is going fast and clean.

Mid-6 we’ve got Alex Leite (BR) 1 up on Casey Scott (USA), 4 up on Raivis Jansons (LAT). Joe (Chubby) Salzman (USA) is 6 down, Piero Castricone (IT) 9 back, Jason Hooper (USA) and Chris Radisich (NZ) 12 back, and Justin Colvin (USA) 23 back. I don’t know what happened to Justin. The pace is good, so I’m thinking that the first 2 or 3 may be able to move up. If you’re watching online, don’t make much of the lap times. The track, as is usual at this stage of the 1/24 ES race, is just black with rubber and not fast at all. Chris just ran a 4.9, but the other times are all 5.1s – 5.6s.

End- 7: Some tire changes. Alex (on red) just got passed by Casey and is now 1.5 back. Raivis is now 1 back. Chris has been flying. Now in 4th, 9 back. Chubby is 15 back in 5th.

End-8: Lots of track calls, no loud thumps. Antonin Sr. tells me that Justin had a very tough red in the beginning of the race. Casey won, Alex 2nd 3 laps down, Raivis in 3rd 4.5 back, Chris Radisich in 4th but 11 back. The B guys did it better those in the C. It’s so important to have a clean stint to compete with the A Semi which is usually very clean.

On to the A-Semi: We’ve got Budrys (Lat) (a kid), Matti Fyhr and Olli Kantamaa (FIN), Ricardo Texeira (BR), Vladimir Horky, Jaroslav Recek, and Antonin (Tonda) Vojtik, Jr. (FIN), and Jonathan Forsyth (USA). I like all of these guys, but as usual, I’m rooting for Jonathan, Olli, and Budrys, the three kids (never seems to work though!).

End of 1: Exceptionally clean. Tonda in the lead, tied with Recek, Horky, and Fyhr. Ricardo one back, Olli 4, and Budrys on red 5 back.

An anonymous friend is letting me use his iPhone as a hotspot, so I’ll have lap by lap updates for the 1/24 ES Main. Scheduled to start at 3:30 pm Central.

End of 2: Tonda leads, Jaroslav tied, Horky one back and tied with Matti. Ricardo is in 5th 6 back, Olli also 6 back. Jonathan 7 down, Budrys 8. So much for the kids.

Mid-3: A loud crash to start it out, some loud voices, but everybody up to speed, laps 5.0 to 5.4 seconds, very clean. Only the top 4 are on pace for the move up currently. Antonin still leads, tied with Recek. Matti is 3 back, Horky 4. Ricardo is 6 back, in 10th in the race overall. Casey from the B is in the overall lead.

Mid-4: Jonathan is 7 back in 5th (10th overall). A loud crash with many involved. All up to speed again, but the crashes are bad for the overall totals. Recek now leads, Antonin on red is 1 back. Matti is 4 back. Horky just broke. Don’t know what. He’s working on his car.

Start of 5: Horky is not running!! Gugu says his motor stopped after a crash. I didn’t see it, too busy typing. Recek 1 up in first, Tonda 2nd, Matti 3 back, Jonathan 5 back (8th overall)! Casey still leads the race from the B. Olli is in 5th 6 back, but in 9th overall. Budrys has come back: 8 down in 11th overall.

Mid-6: Order the same, Jonathan now in 7th overall. Tonda now in 1st, Recek on red 4 down! Rest of the order unchanged except that Olli has caught Budrys and is now in 5th, 9th overall. Casey and Alex lead the race form the B.

Mid-7: Must have been a tire change that I missed! Recek back in first, tied with Tonda. Jonathan passed Matti who is on red and Olli is now flashing between 8th and 9th overall. Jonathan will be finishing on red. He’s 2 up on Olli, so it’s going to be close for him!

Mid-8: Matti in 7th overall in the race is chasing down Jonathan. Olli remains in 8th overall. A loud crash and a scream, 2-3 cars. One car is way under the track. A very long track call. Jonathan is holding off Matti. In the end it’s Recek, Vojtik, Fhyr, Forsyth, Kantamaa, Budrys, Teixeira, and Horky.. The first 5 will move up. Casey Scott, Alex Leite, and Raivis Jansons will move up from the B. Casey won the Semis from the B.

I’ll be back in a while with a lap by lap.

[Greg N]

So I'm back.

1/24 Eurosport Main, the big show! Tough in actuality, the Baby Euro and F1 racing is often closer.

Maybe 100 people watching. Very happy, friendly crowd! Parade laps, and a very clean start. Lap times 5.1-5.4 seconds. Olli is on red. 5 minute heats.

End of 1: Casey, Tonda, Jonathan, and Recek essentially tied. Ravins 1/2 lap back, Leite 1, Matti 3 down (Didn't see why. He's on white which is not slow.) and Olli 8 (tall tires!). Very few offs. No crashes.

[Greg N]

Mid-2: More offs than usual, even a driver yelling "hello" at a marshall. Tonda, Recek, and Casey tied, Jonathan now 3 back. Jonathan is out, Chubby is working on his car. Didn't see or hear what happened. Ravins now in 4th 6 back, Leite 8, Matti 10, Olli 16.

[Greg N]

Mid-3: Casey's on red, has lost 2 so far. Vojtik and Jaroslav leading. Raivis in 4th, 5 back on Casey. Jonathan is back on the track after a motor change. Gugu says that he had a motor problem, no obvious crash. (Pinion?) He's 23 laps down. Tonda leads by 1 over Recek, Casey is 5 back. Everybody else well back. Very close racing. Lap times down: 5.0s to 5.3s.

[Greg N]

All the drivers looking calm, cool , and collected, at least externally. And no one is styling at all. Nothing at all to report on that front. Alex Leite is the oldest driver up there, and he's not old at all. The collective weight of the drivers is perhaps 500 pounds less than at a usual US slot car race.

End of 4: Antonin leads, Recek is a lap down, Casey in 3rd 5 down, and Alex in 4th 15 back.

[Greg N]

Both Antonin and Jaroslav will need to run red. Both will be doing it on low tires, which is good, but Antonin may well have already changed tires, as he's ending on red.

End of 5: Casey's catching up. He's only 4 down on Jaroslav, 5 down on Vojtik. And he's been on red. Could end up very close! Will depend on tire changes and lap totals on red, I think. In the end, Recek is 3 up on Antonin who has apparently changed tires. (I'm sitting pretty far back. I can see the computer screen well, but the track not so great.) Casey is only 1 lap out of 2nd.

[Greg N]

End of 6: Recek is still leading by 2 on red. Antonin has not closed much. Casey is now 3 off the lead, 2 down on Antonin. Clean, fast racing with occasional track calls, most brief. No thumps.

[Greg N]

Mid-7: I'm thinking that Tonda will need to catch up some to still be in it at the end and to stay ahead of Casey. Antonin and Jaroslav are side by side on white and green, Antonin 1.5 laps down. Clean racing, still with occasional track calls. Casey now 5 back, 3 out of 2nd. Recek will end the heat 2 laps up on Antonin. So it will depend on whether he needs a tire change. The top 3 are running 5.0 - 5.1 second laps.

[Greg N]

Mid-8: Seems like it's Recek's to lose. Casey will need to pick up 4 laps on Antonin to get 2nd. All three top drivers are looking calm. All three fast. Recek now 3 ahead, Antonin 2 up on Casey. Casey is pushing hard, 4.9 - 5.0 second laps. 1.5 down. Unless something big happens, Recek will win. Casey and Tonda now on the same lap. Casey falls off right at the end.

So it's Jaroslav Recek in first, winning 3 of 4 races here this year. Antonin Vojtik is 2nd, Casey Scott a very close third.

Fabulous racing! A really great, very pleasant, soft spoken, and polite champion!

[Greg N]

So that's it. Now we pack up and party tonite. I hope you enjoyed the coverage!

[Zippity]

Thanks a million

[Dushkwoneshe]

.
Even though these are not scales I run, thoroughly enjoyed your
*play-by-play*...

Greatly appreciate your efforts...

John

.

[Bill Fulmer]

Great job Dr. Norris, where are you off to next year?

[Greg N]

Thanks so much, guys!

Next year's race is in Italy, about 150 kilometers east of Rome, I think.

I won't be at the race though. I've been to seven in a row now, but September/October is a very busy time for me, and the 2 weeks has always been hard for me, though I love it. You'll see me at local and regional races and the USRA Nats, but I'm hanging up my ISRA shoes, sadly as I do love it. And I have so very many friends from all of the ISRA countries. I'll miss them all!

Greg