The 2nd Annual Klein RC Motors Sports 2006 Winter Nationals is now a part of RC History and the fond memories of the participants and spectators. 135 entrants overall, up by 33 percent over last year!

I really don’t know where to start, maybe in Payson, AZ where I live…. The Winter Nationals started off Wednesday Night with R/C Sports Mania "club" racing. Several early arrivals participated in those warm up races and asphalt non-wing race. Me, I was sitting at home wishing I could be there, but I had my own tweaking to accomplish before the weekend. Thursday, was dedicated to practice and on Friday the gloves where put on and everyone got down to serious racing.

Heats were broken down in a manner to give everyone room to race and go for TQ without tearing up their cars! A move cheered by all the drivers, something like over 30 individual races.

Was it to be a repeat of last year’s event? That question was answered very quickly.

NO! I thought with the return of the out of towners, there would be hell to pay! There was, sort of! Not in the way expected, you know, wheel rubbing, go for broke racing. Well, the qualifying races were quiet, haha! Drivers where putting in fast lap times and the low 7’s and high 6’s which is on record pace for the track. But yet there were far too many incidents on the track for drivers of National caliber???

Today, as of this writing, in hindsight, even more so, I understand. It was the track! RCSM’s dirt oval track has got to be one of the most contemptuous tracks in existance to maintain. When it’s good, it’s good, when it’s bad…. To us regulars, I guess we are used to it! With the excellent bi-weekly massaging that the track recieves from RCSM Track Staff, it still constantly changes during a night of racing. Usually getting tighter as the night goes on. But Phoenix has not had any rain for over 135 days, and the track has not received its annual deep soaking. So the track broke all the "rules" for the Winter Nationals.

The track immediately began sluffing its surface, causing fine damp dust all over the racing groove. Despite the efforts of the track staff of sweeping, this "dust" would come back immediatelly after every race. Then it decided to develop holes, with Turn 1 being the worse. Cars would enter Turn 1, hit the "canyon" the rear wheels would bounce high in the air and the car would turn hard left, drivers where countersteering to keep off of the inside wall. The one (inside down low) in Turn 2 would send a car to the outside wall! With the track receiving a lot of attention and grooming, the drivers adapted quickly and changed car set-up to the track. Efforts to "patch" the track proved to be marginal at best Friday Night. Saturday, the track wasn’t much better to begin with. Holes had been patched again and the third heat of qualifiers was run. During the intermission, the mains where set up and the Trophy Dashes were ran. The patch in Turn 1 only degraded slightly, it was quickly patched and the D, C, and B Mains were run. I went back to my pit table, to insure my cars were ready for the electric A Main.

When I returned to the track, about an hour later, for my first A Main. There was this %@# track in all its glory with the prettiest "3-4 foot blue groove" you would ever want to see!

I think the track is haunted or has a mind of its own anyway, as it threw the drivers more curves than its normal 4. Would you belileve in the middle of one of the qualifying races, the track lights and computer went out.

Racing returned to what was expected, plus. Go fast, blow up or wreck out! Everyone has their favorite driver and expected him to win hands down! This was not to be so, though the favorites did well, it was a night of "dark horses" taking home the trophies! I cannot find the words to describe the intensity of the racing, but the actions of the corner marshals do. The marshals at times where on their hands and knees picking up parts and broken cars, heaving them in the infield to clear the racing line, other times they looked like 4-year olds trying to catch chickens. Laps times were so fast, that the marshals all behaved like they had a bad case of the "green apple high-step" trying to get to a disabled car and miss oncoming traffic. With all this action, Chris Wheeler, the Race Announcer sounded like an auctioneer. With the lead position changing almost in every lap, plus the action in the pack, calling out lap times and cautions at the same time, he did a great job!

I don’t think there was one repeat winner over last year, even the Manufacturers Cup changed hands. Congratulations to Klein RC Motor Sports!

So in conclusion, this year’s Winter Nationals where just as good, if not better than last year.

I was interviewing Dennis and Carol Klein and they expressed a desired to promote the hobby bringing in newcomers, and get an event out here in the West as big as Coopers. If a person was to go by the statistics with the number of entries, it will be a couple more years. BUT, if you look at the "heart" they have for the hobby then they achieved that goal already. They have come up with a format that will ensure an annual weeklong event in the future! I saw it as a labor of love for the hobby, you can’t top that!

The sponsors were great, donating enough stuff from everthing to gear boxes, oils, motors, tool sets, batteries, fuel, hats and other great things that every entrant received a door prize. Each Driver also received a plaque for their War Wagons showing off their participation. In addition, every driver making the "A" Main received a wall plaque noting their achievement. James Rodrigues out did himself contacting all the sponsors and sending out flyers! Thank you to all the Sponsors….

The Trophy Dashes in honor of Warren "Pops" Elliott and Don Freeman was a class act! Pops and Don would have been proud and awestruck by the racing. The 5 top qualifying cars, 10 laps, All cars finished within hundredths of a second between each other. From 1st place to 5th, the cars were all either on the same straight or in the same corner at all times. The special guest announcer "Hollywood" Billy Baureman called a race that was entertaining and intense; matching that of the racing. He was short of breath after every dash and had to be given oxygen in between. Awesome job! Drivers were hot after it and put on quite a show!

One of the best ideas that Dennis and Carol came up with was a Track Director. This relieved the Announcer of unnecessary duties that would normally have distracted him from calling the races. Alan Hanna was an excellent choice, maintaining control of the pits, impound, track and overseeing racing action, insuring everything went as smoothly as possible between races. Alan exhibited unusual common sense, compassion and fairness that was respected and well received by all participants.

I was delighted to see the M & M Boys, Mike Lubanovich and Mike Bjordahl (aka: "Mom and Aunt Bea") get an opportunity to race without having to worry about the track, interpreting the rules, directing competition and listening to "me" complain! As I watched the efforts with the track, I appreciate their efforts more now then I have ever done so before!

Gary and Cinda had everything under control back in the shop; Gary cooked up some fine hamburgers and hotdogs to feed the masses. While Cinda kept the racers in parts and other needed items. Well, I knew racers where full of it! They overflowed the septic tank! It’s a good thing Gary is a plumber, or we all would have been in deep ..!

Racers from all over were in attendance, from Tenessee, Illinois, California, Oregon, Oklahoma and Texas. It was good to see you guys again. Combined with the racers from the Phoenix and surrounding areas, it felt like a family reunion. I still cannot get over the helpfulness they exhibit toward each other while preparing for the next race, then to be so vicious and competative on the track, leaves me dumbfounded. They all came to race, they did, putting on a great show and once again making RCSM the place to race!

I watched the NasCar Race in California when I got home on Sunday, and was disasspointed by the event, dull and mundane. It could not compare to the racing that I had witnessed and particiapted in at the Winter Nationals.