OWH's "Almost Live" USRA Div 1 Nats Coverage

[Chubby]

Does anybody have any word of whats going on in AM COBALT...Thanx

JOE SsSSsS

[oldweirdherald]

Tuesday, July 30

Amateur Cobalt 12

B Semi

1 - Jason Holmes - 356+
2 - Jeff Bechtel - 356
3 - Reginald Coram - 352
4 - Jaeger Kovich - 347
5 - Jeff Mack - 339
6 - Philip Larcom - 336
7 - Ron Vanwagnen - 326
8 - Joe Redmond - 323
9 - Brian Johnson - 257

A Semi

1 - Chuck Fredrick - 365
2 - Tim Thompson - 361
3 - Erik Chillingworth - 351
4 - Mike Delmonico - 339
5 - Darryl Atkin - 326
6 - Larry Langdon - 324
7 - Sam Rackham - 316
8 - Tommy Flyth - 249
9 - Mike Peakes - 236

Amateur Cobalt 12 Main
(be sure to hit "refresh" every 5 minutes for "Almost Live" updates!)

After Heat 1:

1 - Mike Delmonico - 71
2 - Jaeger Kovich - 71
3 - Jason Holmes - 70
4 - Jeff Bechtel - 66
5 - Tim Thompson - 66
6 - Chuck Fredrick - 65
7 - Erik Chillingworth - 31 (blown motor)
8 - Reggie Coram - 24 (motor didn't go)

After Heat 2:

1 - Mike Delmonico - 142
2 - Jaeger Kovich - 138
3 - Tim Thompson - 135
4 - Chuck Fredrick - 135
5 - Jeff Bechtel - 134
6 - Jason Holmes - 132
7 - Erik Chillingworth - 96
8 - Reggie Coram - 50

After Heat 3:

1 - Mike Delmonico - 210
2 - Jaeger Kovich - 207
3 - Tim Thompson - 207
4 - Chuck Fredrick - 207
5 - Jeff Bechtel - 207
6 - Jason Holmes - 204
7 - Erik Chillingworth - 158
8 - Reggie Coram - 118

Very Close racing!!!

After Heat 4:

1 - Tim Thompson - 279
2 - Mike Delmonico - 278
3 - Jeff Bechtel - 278
4 - Chuck Fredrick - 277
5 - Jason Holmes - 275
6 - Jaeger Kovich - 271
7 - Erik Chillingworth - 228
8 - Reggie Coram - 188

After Heat 5:

1 - Tim Thompson - 346
2 - Jeff Bechtel - 346
3 - Mike Delmonico - 345
4 - Chuck Fredrick - 345
5 - Jason Holmes - 340
6 - Jaeger Kovich - 337
7 - Erik Chillingworth - 298
8 - Reggie Coram - 256

Top 4 within a LAP!!!!

After Heat 6:

1 - Jeff Bechtel - 417
2 - Chuck Fredrick - 416
3 - Mike Delmonico - 416
4 - Tim Thompson - 402 (blown motor near end of heat)
5 - Jason Holmes - 391
6 - Jaeger Kovich - 393
7 - Erik Chillingworth - 357 (blew another motor)
8 - Reggie Coram - 324

After Heat 7:

1 - Jeff Bechtel - 489
2 - Chuck Fredrick - 488
3 - Mike Delmonico - 486
4 - Jaeger Kovich - 460
5 - Tim Thompson - 455
6 - Jason Holmes - 451
7 - Erik Chillingworth - 409
8 - Reggie Coram - 386

After Heat 8:

Amateur Cobalt 12 Official Final Results

1 - Chuck Fredrick - 559
2 - Jeff Bechtel - 557
3 - Mike Delmonico - 552
4 - Tim Thompson - 525
5 - Jaeger Kovich - 522
6 - Jason Holmes - 517
7 - Erik Chillingworth - 473
8 - Reggie Coram - 454

Jeff & Chuck were swapping the lead throughout the 8th heat, and in the closing 30 seconds Chuck snuck by when Jeff popped out on the straight. Chuck then was in a big pile-up in the finger but got marshaled very quickly and hung on to take the win by barely 2 laps! A very exciting race!

Post-race tech confirmed results are official.

[THOBART]

Hey Ian,

Yeah I saw that the motor changes apply to expert class at the Nats but this will give the option for track owners to have the local races using these rules. It should be interesting to see what the local track owners embrace for their shops. It also I am sure will cause a great deal of controversy for the racers as no doubt some people will want to run under the new rules and some people will not. This may mean that I have to now build 2 sets of motors to compete at different venues. I personally like the rule changes as it will work very much to my benefit due to the equpment I race but it will make it more expensive to build a motor.

[Gary NJ]

Jaeger Kovich, you're going to the A Main!!

Team Roadkill is pulling for ya!

[Bobhardt]

Good run Jeff Bechtel! Very close racing indeed.

[brian444]

did anyone think that we are killing slotcars by including some of these rules in next years year book?

-amatuer only move up one racer to pro? how do the classes grow? why not just combine pro and amatuer in the lesser classes to since all that will be run is pro in group 12 at least, and int 15 will shrink now too, maybe the cobalts are thriving well enough as is, but the ceramic classes will be hurt by the lack of moveups and the differences in the ranks of the class.

-now all these "pro group 12" rules. the class was struggling when it was the same as amatuer. how many amauters were brought up to race pro on the local level to get the race going on a friday night. this should either be a totally seperate class or not exist at all. this class is nearing international 12 with weights status. ball bearings, honing switching endbells and hardware, make it all group 12 or make spec closer to a box stock class so the people who have full blown 12 programs dont have to invest 100's of dollars in bearing hardware endbells magnets and other stuff to race in a class that if we have onbly one move up this year will surely crumble and bring the int-15 class down with it because of the increasing closeness in similarities.

this is getting out of control. i dont race many classes because i am not going to invest in cobalts, and the new pro class rules may lead to this racer bailing on wing racing all together if international 15's disappear to. i really hope this isnt a turn for the worse i think some class combining is called for and rethinking some rules for next years nats.

-Brian Greco

-ps- i cannot go without congrates to all the winners of the nationals. wish i could have been there, these are some very high totals being turned out there. good luck the rest of the week.

[oldweirdherald]

7:10 PM Pacific Time - Expert Cobalt 12 qualifying just got done.

TQ - Benny Justice - 2.042

At 7:30 PM the B Semi will begin.

I will post the results following each Semi - and I will post OWH's "Almost Live" heat-by-heat coverage of the main event later tonight - I'm guessing around 9 - 9:30 PMish.

Check out the 2002 USRA Div 1 Nats Photo Gallery!
NATS PHOTO GALLERY - CLICK HERE

[DDDDDDerek]

I think he is right. I am an amature Group 12 racer and I am already struggling to kepp up with todays standards. I have other bills to pay with me only making about 6 an hour when the raceway is busy. Now if I want to run pro i have to invest in hones, epoxy, ball bearings, shunt, etc. I cant keep up with it all and spend at least 100 bucks for motors.

Brian was right when he said that only one move up is turning pro is going to make classes stuggle. I have seen about 20-30 amature box drivers and about half the amount of pro drivers. That should tell you that people who keep entering under amature and top 3 all the time should be a pro contender someday (I face that fact as lately I have been having a great run adn a pro turn may happen to me by next year). I dont say to combine both classes but to go back to the way it used to be with who ever makes the main or top 3's must turn pro. Hey I wouldn't mind that and it would make new and up comners have a chance in amature.

I cant say much for 15s as I am not a 15 racer yet but over the past 2 years i have been around here I think that the class is starting to struggle.

Please take our words into consideration as also I ahve thought of getting out of wing and going into a scale direction as I have seen that one motor can last me longer than a whole motor program in a regional or national event in div.1.

DDDDDDerek

[THOBART]

The rule changes are not the end of the world. When I last raced wing cars about 15 years ago most of these rules where standard for group 15 which was the lowest class at the time. I hate the damn bushings that always are a pain in my butt and having the magnets move around in the can (I run Kelly stuff and if you do too you know what I am talking about). Anyone who see's me race locally in Illinois always knows that I am always rebuilding something and the cost is not the big a deal to me. However there is a problem with this hobby (remember it is a hobby). I see young racers who have no idea how to build anything get out of it because they can not be competative. I have run in races where half of the motors that I was racing against where mine. What I think we need is the new spec class and perhaps some of the old pro's helping out some of the younger guys to go fast so that they stay in. Lets face it guys, it takes quite a bit of mechanical skill to be in this hobby. Most people today just want to go around the track fast and race competatively. The biggest thing that I see is people being scared off by the pro's. Without naming names I have seen pro's yell at new guys that I have brought to the track who where interested in racing because they had rouble marshalling their cars. Please try to remember it is suposed to be fun!!!!! The next time you are at a local race and the same four guys show up (talking wing cars here not flexi's) see what you can do to help a guy get a little faster, maybe they will be there at the next race.

Thanks
Tony Hobart

[CrazyRacer]

Whats up with the new rules?I have talked to quiet a few people and they all say that they dislike the new rules.I hear the new rules involving probox motors was to cut down on pros lending am motors!I talked to one racr who brought up a r goo point when he said all the motors the pros have Were do you think there going?There Going to be sold right to the pros!!!!!!!It dosent make any sense

[oldweirdherald]

Expert Cobalt 12

Concours - Gary Puetz
TQ - Benny Justice - 2.042

B Semi

1 - Les Wright - 377
2 - Mike Graversen - 371
3 - Connie Aloise - 369
4 - Mike Swiss - 363
5 - Bill Pinkston - 361
6 - Ron Herrera - 353
7 - Spove - 351
8 - Chris Petrella - 349
9 - Richard Curnutte - 348
10 - Wendell Smith - 317

A Semi

1 - Benny Justice - 384
2 - Randy Thompson - 371
3 - Jim Swofford - 368
4 - Larry Blanton - 366
5 - Greg Mills - 364
6 - Paul "Beuf" Pederson - 363
7 - Ted Backo - 362
8 - Jimbo Kirby - 358
9 - Brian Eardley - 334
10 - Gary Puetz - 332

Expert Cobalt 12 Main

Main to start at 10:30 PM Pacific Time.

Be sure to tune in for OWH's heat-by-heat "Almost Live" coverage!

[THOBART]

Hey paul tell Swiss Tony said good luck.

[Bobhardt]

Did Swiss bring his good luck charm Hare Dave?
BTW thanks for the updates Paul!

[oldweirdherald]

Swiss says thanks Tony, and no, Bob, Hare Dave did not make the trip.

[oldweirdherald]

Expert Cobalt 12 Main Event

red - Benny Justice
white - Jim Swofford
green - Connie Aloise
orange - Larry Blanton
blue - Randy Thompson
yellow - Mike Swiss
purple - Les Wright
black - Mike Graverson

The main is about to begin...
Hit "refresh" every 5 minutes for updated "Almost Live" coverage!

After Heat 1:

1 - Mike Swiss - 76
2 - Randy Thompson - 72
3 - Les Wright - 71
4 - Mike Graverson - 68
5 - Benny Justice - 68
6 - Connie Aloise - 68
7 - Larry Blanton - 65
8 - Jim Swofford - 39 (smoked a motor)

After Heat 2:

1 - Mike Swiss - 151
2 - Les Wright - 143
3 - Randy Thompson - 143
4 - Connie Aloise - 143
5 - Benny Justice - 141
6 - Mike Graverson - 140
7 - Larry Blanton - 134
8 - Jim Swofford - 108

After Heat 3:

1 - Mike Swiss - 225
2 - Les Wright - 219
3 - Connie Aloise - 217
4 - Benny Justice - 217
5 - Mike Graverson - 213
6 - Randy Thompson - 211
7 - Larry Blanton - 198
8 - Jim Swofford - 180

After Heat 4:

1 - Mike Swiss - 297
2 - Les Wright - 294
3 - Connie Aloise - 289
4 - Benny Justice - 289
5 - Mike Graverson - 287
6 - Randy Thompson - 281
7 - Larry Blanton - 269
8 - Jim Swofford - 250

After Heat 5:

1 - Mike Swiss - 371
2 - Les Wright - 369
3 - Benny Justice - 363
4 - Connie Aloise - 363
5 - Mike Graverson - 358
6 - Randy Thompson - 355
7 - Larry Blanton - 335
8 - Jim Swofford - 320

After Heat 6:

1 - Mike Swiss - 446
2 - Les Wright - 442
3 - Benny Justice - 438
4 - Connie Aloise - 437
5 - Mike Graverson - 430
6 - Randy Thompson - 429
7 - Larry Blanton - 399
8 - Jim Swofford - 389

After Heat 7:

1 - Mike Swiss - 517
2 - Benny Justice - 514
3 - Les Wright - 512
4 - Connie Aloise - 509
5 - Mike Graverson - 503
6 - Randy Thompson - 493
7 - Larry Blanton - 457
8 - Jim Swofford - 456

After Heat 8:

Expert C-12 Official Results

1 - Benny Justice - 586 (Happy Birthday Benny!)
2 - Les Wright - 585
3 - Mike Swiss - 582
4 - Connie Aloise - 579
5 - Mike Graverson - 571
6 - Randy Thompson - 565
7 - Jim Swofford - 518
8 - Larry Blanton - 466

Awesome race, as Benny caught up from 3rd in the last heat to take the win, and Les passing Swiss in the last minute for 2nd. And to top it off, today is Benny's birthday!