Radio Control: Pylon Racing
Bill Hager
Looking back: As our racing season is ending, let's look at some Quarter Midget racing around the country. I have to thank John Kilsdonk for all the race reports which follow.
Silver Cup QM Championship
One of Michigan's popular races is the annual Silver Cup QM Championship, held for the thirteenth straight year. The race is run in combination with both the Toledo (OH) Flying Tigers and Weak Signals clubs and is sponsored by Les Haddad's Hobby Shop in Toledo. The race once again lived up to its reputation as one of the top two QM races of the year.
This was the first race for the new Ron Young .15 engines. The engines had just been legalized by the AMA on August 15, 1986. There were about a half-dozen of the new engines in this race; see the results below to see how well they performed.
After the pilots' meeting (but before any flying), a minute of silence was held in memory of Lew Hipkins and Doug Brueshaber, both avid QM fliers, who had passed away in the previous few months.
Saturday was very damp and extremely windy. Wind gusts over 35 mph were not uncommon, making flying very difficult. This showed in the race times, as there were only a few times in the 1:21–1:23 range. Many pylon cuts and a few crashes were directly attributed to the wind. Only five rounds could be flown due to rain delays. Ken Hulik was leading the way with a perfect score and was consistently turning times around 1:21.
That evening, Ron Warner & Co. put on a steak and corn roast. Many tales were told and excuses given for sub-par performances. As the party went on, the predicted times for the following day's races got faster and faster.
Sunday was a much better day as the sky cleared and the wind eased. Race times gradually dropped, and Ken Hulik turned a 1:17.0 for fast time. A total of four rounds were flown during the day.
Dave Latsha ended up the winner, finishing two points ahead. He was followed by Ken Heatlie, Ken Hulik, Joe Cohen, and Rex Knepper. The first five finishers and the fast-time winner each received a beautiful silver bowl and cash.
The annual Ron Haddad Memorial Trophy Dash pitted the 12 fastest qualifiers in a series of elimination races. Dennis Sumner withdrew, allowing Joe Cohen to move up. Ken Hulik was the overall winner.
Congratulations to all the winners, and many thanks to Lester and all the workers for another great event.
Silver Cup QM Champs Results
- Dave Latsha — Estrellita — Nelson — 34 — 1:22.46
- Ken Heatlie — Folkerts — RY — 33 — 1:23.60
- Ken Hulik — Folkerts — RY — 32 — 1:17.06
- Joe Cohen — Shark — RY — 32 — 1:29.20
- Rex Knepper — Estrellita — RY — 31 — 1:23.00
- Wayne Yeager — Estrellita — Nelson — 30 — 1:21.50
- Dave Keats — Estrellita — Nelson — 30 — 1:23.00
- Gail Jacobson — Polekitty — RY — 29 — 1:21.90
- John Kilsdonk — P-63 — RY — 29 — 1:22.60
- Dick Bork — Deja Vu — Cox — 29 — 1:24.90
- Dennis Sumner — Heinkel — Nelson — 28 — 1:21.90
- Richard Steinebeck — Heinkel — Cox — 28 — 1:23.60
- Jim Widham — Estrellita — Nelson — 25 — 1:31.10
- Art Arroyo — P-39 — RY — 23 — 1:29.40
- Barney Poizin — Estrellita — Nelson — 22 — 1:25.60
Quarter Midget Championships
This meet is held each year at Rough River Dam State Park, KY. This report is for the race held September 6–7, 1986. The annual trek to this beautiful park is always worthwhile. The event epitomizes the perfect pylon race site with high-caliber QM racing. It is sponsored by the NMPRA and the Kentucky State Parks Commission and is organized and run by the Louisville RC Club.
The results this year show two of the older fliers beating the young, snotty-nosed kids and everyone in between. Gail Jacobson and Wayne Yeager finished first and second, a nice way to finish the season after having been absent from the winners' circles for a while.
Saturday's weather was beautiful — about 75°F, low humidity, and a light wind. Several good races ensued, along with some fast times. Some fliers, though, had problems getting fuel to work with their engines in the cooler temperatures. Mike Klutz turned a 1:16.1 for the eventual fast time of the contest. Dave Latsha and Jim Moorhead had a good race going until a midair eliminated them; Jim DeYoung and Joe Cohen also had a midair. Gail Jacobson kept winning races, as did Mike Klutz, and they finished the six rounds on Saturday in the lead. Meanwhile, Yeager, who zeroed in the first round, and Latsha (with a midair-zero) were only a couple of points back.
Sunday's weather was much cooler — about 65°F. The day started with Mike Klutz and Jim Woll midairing, which eliminated Mike since he had no backup plane. Dennis Sumner was winning races after a double cut, but a couple of second-place finishes set him back. Racing ended about 11:00 a.m. with a total of nine rounds flown over the two days. Jacobson finished a well-deserved first, Yeager placed second, Sumner third, Latsha fourth, and Heatlie fifth.
The annual Doolittle fly-off saw the 12 fastest fliers (who still had airplanes) fly head-to-head in three four-plane heats. This year it took a time of 1:22.3 to qualify. The final heat had Jacobson, Yeager, Sumner, and Hulik flying off. Wayne Yeager walked away with the honors. Beautiful silver cups and plates were awarded to the top five race finishers. The Top Ten and the Fast Time received cash awards from the NMPRA (National Miniature Pylon Racing Association). A perpetual trophy was awarded to Gail Jacobson for winning the contest. Wayne Yeager received a trophy for winning the Doolittle Race.
Many thanks to the NMPRA, the Louisville RC Club, and the Kentucky State Park Commission for another great race.
Quarter Midget Championship Race Results
- Gail Jacobson — GA — Polekitty — RY — 33 — 1:18.10
Weak Signals' Fall Formula I Race
This was the third annual running of this meet, held on a nice, cool day in Michigan. Two events, Animal 500 and Formula I, were held. Animal 500 is a CAPS-circuit race with very simple rules: a 12%-thick wing with at least 500 sq. in. of area, .40 engines with either mufflers or tuned mufflers, any fuel, any prop, and no weight restrictions.
Dave Keats was the class act in this event with his ST X .40-powered, tuned-muffler-equipped, 70%-nitro-burning Scat Cat. However, he blew an engine in the fourth round, which knocked him out of the running. Most of the other entries had somewhat more conservative setups with either Quickies or Sport Pylon airplanes. Doug Whiteaker from Nashville ended up in first place after a flyoff with John Wolff (second place) and Wayne Yeager (third place). John Kilsdonk beat John Worden in a flyoff for fourth and fifth.
Cash prizes of $100, $75, $50, $35, and $25 plus $20 for fast time were awarded in lieu of trophies.
Formula I was reasonably uneventful with only a few casualties. Dave Keats won the flyoff with Ken Hulik (second place) and Wayne Yeager (third place). Dave also won the fast-time prize. Cash prizes of $100, $75, and $50, plus $20 for fast time, were awarded.
Results: Animal 500 Race
- 1. Doug Whiteaker — Viper — 1:23
- 2. John Wolff — Original — OS — 1:24
- 3. Wayne Yeager — Unknown — OS — 1:29
- 4. John Kilsdonk — Unknown — 1:41
- 5. John Worden — Unknown — 1:43
- 6. Dave Keats — Scat Cat — Unknown — 1:50
- 7. Ken Heatlie — Outlaw — Unknown — 1:53
- 8. Rex Knepper — Scat Cat — ST — 1:58
- 9. Bob Nichols — Original — ST — 2:08
At this writing, it looks as though we are to be blessed with Q500 racing at the 1987 AMA Nats. While we have no single set of uniform rules, and almost every club or organization runs this event by their own rules, someone still thinks we should make this event a national one. Please note that the foregoing is just my opinion based on about 20 years of racing and virtually hundreds of letters from readers as input.
I think making Q500 an event at the Nats is a mistake. This will knock Q500 out of its present status as a fun event and do the same thing to it that we have done to other events like Quarter Midget. We will kill Q500. The only people likely to disagree are the professional-type Q500 racers who put as much money and effort (or maybe more) into their engines as the Formula I fliers put into their efforts.
These guys are in the minority. It's the pros who are in the minority and who are the ones that want Q500 flying as a national event.
Q500 is supposed to be a low-key, fun event. We are about to change all of that, and I don't think this decision was made by a majority vote of the membership. I'll have more to say on this in a later column.
Now is the time to start getting ready for the 1987 race season. Don't wait until the first warm weather of spring! Get a jump on the competition by being ready next spring. See you at the races.
Bill Hager 706 Glen Haven Dr., Conroe, TX 77385
P.S. Boy! If only I would practice what I preach about getting an early start!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
