(‘Til next year!)

How do you say fast?

Barbara - photographer - “These cars are going so fast that in many cases I have pictures of nothing but asphalt”

Mike B. - Track Manager/MC - "Laps times are so fast that when I call them out, I am behind before I start!”

Mike Lubanovich - Track Manager/MC - “Track records have been broken so many times tonight, I have lost count”

With 3 qualifying heats, the “track records” posted on the web-site were broken 11 times! 1 in the Stock Class, 6 in the 19T Class, and 4 in the Mod Class. Congrats to the New Record Holders:

Other drivers exceeding the track record were:

Other records broken: 51 Entrants and the number of Sponsors become one shy of tripled from last year!

With the outside temperature pushing 110 degrees, many drivers had already set up their trailers, pits and generators long before the track opened; with in a few minutes of the gates officially opening the inside pits were filled to capacity. To say that they were here to race was an understatement.

As the Race and Track Officials went about the business of taking care of last minute details, drivers began to practicing and setting up their cars. Other people were milling about, shaking hands and getting reacquainted with each other and commenting on the weather, the “how ya beens” and the track. Then it happened! While watching the practice someone made the comment: “With 4 cell batteries, these cars sure are slow.”

Event Registration and Technical Inspections began at 5:30 PM. Tech Inspection were done in a semblance of ROAR rules as modified by the AZ Pan Car Club, and all cars made it through with little or no problems. Nothing that a pair of scissors, spacers or taller tires wouldn’t fix! The Event’s MC’s would be Mike Lubanovich and Mike Bjordahl alternating between the first and second half of the heats. The Driver’s Meeting was held, and racing would begin at sunset! Which it did with the first of 9 heats, with the 4 cell stock drivers took to the track. I would have had to agree with the fellow who made the “slow comment” earlier, until I recalled that the track record for six cells was 51 laps and these “stockers” were tooling around at 43-lap average. Which this average would get you the win on regular race nights at RCSM. But Bryan Blaser, Brian Liebig, Armand Deforest and Walter Lavinder were knocking on the door of the track record, something was up.

I went on about my business behind the “Tech Stand” checking the cars as they came off the track, not really watching the entire racing but sure had an ear open. There wasn’t all that much banging and whacking going on, I thought this was strange, so I started paying a little more attention to what was going on out on the track! I was a little shocked, cars weren’t weaving or bobbing all over the track, per usual. They were holding lines, through the corners and holding straight down the middle of the straights! Man these guys have really gotten good since I have seen them race last!

Granted there were a few mishaps, but none like I had previously observed. After a few heats, both stockers and 19t drivers began coming up and telling the announcer (Mike L.) that they had broken the track record! Huh, okay! Then, the Modified Drivers took to the track, these cars were fast! Right from the “git go” I new something was amiss, not one car popped the wall, nor was there any fender banging! A few hold your breath passes to be sure, but the racing was close and fast, with over 2/3 of the field finishing on the same lap! Mike L was trying to call out lap times, there was a 3.7 laps, a few 3.8 and a bunch of 3.9 second laps and he seemed to be having a little difficulty, which is not normal for him as he is quite a talker anyway. After the race had finished I said to the Track Announcer that TQ seems to be a new track record. He thought so too! Before this new track record could be checked out! The second heat of the Mods began, and the winner of that heat set a new TQ and track record too!

After a 10-minute break, racing began anew with the 2nd round of qualifying! More of the same, good close racing. Previously, set TQ’s and Track Records had all been bested! At this time Mikey B. was doing the announcing, and I was looking over his shoulder watching the lap times. Stockers were pushing the mid to high 4’s, 19T were around the low to mid 4’s and the mods were in the high 3’s. When I saw that the first 4 drivers in the mod class were in speeds in excess of 41 mph, I was stunned! Mikey B too! I have to give a lot of credit to both MC’s.! About the time they would get something announced, they were wrong, as the lead and other positions change from lap to lap in all classes.

The 3rd round of racing was bit of let down, 51 drivers had been out on the track strutting their stuff for two races. I guess this is the round where some seemed to loose focus and the “edge”. Ah, that ain’t right. By this time, they knew it was their last chance to make the “A” and set new TQ’s so they let it all hang out. All through this round of qualifying, there was more noises coming from the track, of wham, whack and whumps! A couple or cars left the track and almost cleared the retaining fences; more cars finished the race sitting in the infield. Those drivers who had survived this round were just as fast as before!

So with three rounds of racing complete, “half-time” activities began. Drivers brought their cars out for photo-ops and Concourse judging. A BIG Congratulation goes out to Art Uternandez from Fontana, California for winning the McAllister racing ‘Best of Show’ body.

Whilst this was going on, a “Raffle” was conducted. Race Sponsors had donated enough goodies that every entrant did not go away empty handed. A huge thanks goes out to our sponsors for this year’s PCSO event:

Unknown to most, Boone, James Lanier and Jerry Findley had set up the prizes that each one was of equal value but contained different items. So the “Raffle” became a first called number got his pick of the litter, so to speak. You have never seen such goings on. Most generally, the winning ticket is called away and the winner just takes his time claiming his prize! Well not so this time! When their number was called they ran to give their ticket to the announcer then ran to go claim their package of good stuff. People were jumping the fences; dodging spectators and elbowing each other out of the way to get first pick! Nobody set the record for the 100-yard dash though! For the event there were enough sponsored products supplied that everyone that entered the race received a sponsored prize.

With the festivities finished, and the Mains had been posted.

Every ones attention was returned to the real star of the show. RCSM’s 1/10th Scale ½ Mile Oval, 9 degrees of banking, 12 feet wide and 213 ft of drive line. The newly sealed track surface offering traction that is “wow”. Track is self-cleaning. Since the infield is asphault, “rumble strips” line the inside corners just below the white line to prevent passing on the apron.

To avoid short laps, the banking in the corners does not blend with the infield, it is an abrupt transition from the 9 degrees of banking to the flat infield. Then there are the dreaded “dots”, 16 inch diameter steel disk about 2 inches high that are stratigically placed to prevent out-of-control cars from plowing through the infield and back onto the track. Having the unfortunate experience hitting one of those “dots” definitely will cause one to “talk to himself”. Like I mentioned earlier, with the combination of these “dots”, rumble strips and banking; the track is self-cleaning, but the Marshalls aren’t.

To Corner Marshall at RCSM, the Marshall’s attention must be entirely devoted to the track at all times. When something goes wrong, it does so in one quick hurry. The Marshalls all have their own version of the “green apple high-step,” by the time a marshal can get to a car in need of help 1- 2 laps will fly past before he can get to the distressed car. Then the poor guy had to make it back to their respective corners… er…postions of relative safety. And that is a dash to “stay alive”!

So with references to NASCAR, the track is Bristol, having unrestricted Daytona/Talladega like speeds at while driving a Martinsville line!

8 cars per Main with no bump up.

More good hard racing. All the drivers had had time to relax and were on the mark for the Mains. Final Race results is posted at RCSportsMania.Com. Racing was straightforward, fast, furious and in control. By this time in the evening, those of us who could, found that more sense became of the racing by watching the computer timing. Watching the cars on the track, you could see nothing but a blur, and about the time the lead car was identified you would loose track of what was going on. So the computer told all, without getting dizzy.

The Mod “A” was the event to watch… yes, because it was fastest and the top talent was there, plus Erik Steenhoven put on a show for us all. During the first couple of laps as the drivers were dicing for position, there was a little shoving and banging. “Humpty” Helms came out on top and was leading the pack. Erik had been shoved to the high side in Turn Two and regulated to 7th place. Trying to watch the action on the track, and looking at the computer. I noticed that Erik was turning laps at 3.8 and 3.9 at 41.5 mph, while the remainder of the field was doing 4 second laps. Turning my full attention the computer screen, I watched, he gradually moved up in position, trying to find him on the track was pointless and made my stomach churn. All cars finished the race, but Erik had gone from last to 2nd, finishing 0.46 seconds behind “Humpty”.

The top 3 cars in each “A” Main were impounded to allow for protest (None came, no protests were expected) until trophy presentations. All trophies were awarded, pictures taken and congratulatory hand-shakes, and then after a “pause” the

Special Thanks to:

• RCSM’s owners Gary and Cinda… with a great big “Atta Boy” to Gary, Mike L., and Mike B.; The track preparation was “awesome” that new surface was the best yet according to the drivers
• Scott McCunn and each and every member of the Arizona Pan Car Club.
• Danny “Boone” Wilson. Danny you’ve outdone yourself again this year!
• Jerry Findley as Chief Tech Inpsector and the Sponsors.
• The out-of-towner’s from Tucson, AZ, Bakersfield, Cypress, Long Beach, and Fontana, CA thanks for making the trip!
• Lastly, to each driver, thank you for a wonderful show!

Best understatements heard throughout the evening: