Radio Control: Pylon Racing
Bill Hager
Boy! Have we got a full season of racing ahead of us! By the looks of the newsletters I have been receiving from all corners of the United States and Canada, this year will have plenty of racing for everyone, everywhere.
There's activity from SEMPRA-land, as this year's NMPRA (National Miniature Pylon Racing Association) Championship Race will be held October 24–25 in Orlando, FL. It's been about six years since I have been to the race. I have always had a first-class contest, and SEMPRA already has 15 contests on the calendar for 1987, with seven races scheduled for Formula I.
Here is a look at the Tangerine Race as reported by Bob Schuster and B. DesMeritte:
Mother Nature dealt a cruel hand when the Remote Control Association of Central Florida scheduled a QM and Sport Pylon Race for December 31, 1986 and January 1, 1987. The previous several years had been blessed with great weather, so I guess we were due. QM was completed by 1:00 p.m., with a few periods of rain interrupting. Then the sky took a dump on us and didn't let up. The start of Sport Pylon, which was scheduled for 10 rounds, was postponed until the next day. We had 32 entrants, which made a nice 8 × 4 matrix, so we looked hopefully to get an early start.
The good news was that the rain had stopped; the bad news was 25–40 mph winds. After running a couple of heats, racing was suspended for safety purposes. Finally, at approximately 1:30 p.m., we got rolling again with somewhat diminished wind. It got better as the day wore on. Only through the dedication of the RCACF workers and the support of the fliers were we able to run 40 heats and have flyoffs before dark. The results follow, but some highlights should be mentioned.
Quarter Midget: There were only 15 fliers, but the quality of competition was as good as any race in the country. For example, among those present were Dave Latsha (NMPRA QM National Point Champion), Gail Jacobson (second-place NMPRA QM Point Champion), Mike Klutz (who owns a previous 1:13), Rick Moreland (NMPRA Sport Pylon Champ), Bill Williamson (former F-1 world record holder), Jimmy Bartels, Greg Doe, and Rex Knepper, all of whom are always competitive and can win any given QM race.
One of the best races I have seen in a long time was in Round 3 when Jimmy Bartels, with a new Ron Young .15 engine and a Heinkel plane, ambushed Dave Latsha with a time of 1:15 to 1:16.04. On lap eight, I heard Jimmy's plane hit the flag on pylon three. Now, that's tight flying! In Round 5 Jimmy, one point down and up against Jake (who limped on crutches), had a perfect score. A win for Jimmy meant a tie for first place. Jake, who is recovering from knee surgery, hobbled to the line with his crutch, as he did in previous heats. It was interesting to see Jake maneuver the crutch as well as the plane around pylons two and three. In the end, Jake overcame the handicap and won 1:19.77 to 1:20.85. Third through fifth places were decided by flyoffs.
Sport Pylon: Of the 32 entrants, nine were in the Standard class and 23 were in the Expert class. Plaques for the first three places and Fast Time were awarded in each class. The wind conditions required a superior level of skill to stay on the course, so it wasn't surprising to see Bill Williamson, Dave Latsha, and Gail Jacobson in a three-way flyoff for first place.
What is even more incredible is that Latsha was setting a new SEMPRA record in the third round with a flight of 1:17.60, the wind gusting to 30 mph for sure! The flyoff was primarily between Bill and Dave, since Jake had cut. Bill was ahead by a quarter of a lap when he cut the Number 1 pylon on lap 10 (the caller had a sheepish look on his face after the race), so Dave was the winner.
The awards also included a built Scat Cat Standard-class flier, donated by Gary Walker. Other awards were Pacer Technology glue, T-shirts, and a JR radio from Circus Hobbies.
If you want tough competition, put the Tangerine Races on your schedule for next year. The new field is going to be outstanding: a paved runway 50 × 500 ft. That's right, 500 ft.
1986 Tangerine Race Results
Quarter Midget
- 1 Gail Jacobson, 15 pt (1:19.05)
- 2 Jim Bartels, 13 pt (1:15.47) — fast time
- 3 Mark Brown, 9 pt* (1:30.34)
- 4 Bob Schuster, 9 pt (1:19.50)
- 5 Bill Williamson, 9 pt* (1:18.81)
- 6 Rex Knepper, 9 pt* (1:20.35)
- 7 Dave Latsha, 8 pt (1:16.04)
- 8 Greg Doe, 8 pt (1:21.62)
- 9 Dennis Ennis, 8 pt (1:38.26)
- 10 Mike Klutz, 7 pt (1:21.46)
Sport Pylon — Standard
- 1 Lou Ostrander, 11 pt (1:48.61) — fast time
- 2 Mike Nowogrocky, 11 pt (2:09.94)
- 3 Don MacGeorge, 9 pt (1:52.84)
- 4 Mike Bauer, 6 pt (2:09.28)
- 5 Mike Smith, 5 pt (1:56.32)
Sport Pylon — Expert
- 1 Dave Latsha, 20 pt* (1:17.69)
- 2 Bill Williamson, 20 pt* (1:21.33)
- 3 Gail Jacobson, 20 pt* (1:22.77)
- 4 Tom Bogut, 18 pt (1:25.03)
- 5 Jimmy Bartels, 16 pt (1:33.70)
- 6 Jeff Kerlo, 15 pt (1:31.52)
- 7 Tom Pownell, 14 pt (1:30.19)
- 8 Dennis Ennis, 14 pt (1:44.22)
- 9 Mike Klutz, 13 pt (1:23.28)
- 10 Craig Wilson, 13 pt (1:33.19)
* Indicates places settled by flyoffs
This was his first-ever trophy in Formula One. He should be watched closely, because he was fast. He beat Harry Bartels in an early heat but fell out in a later heat with a second-place finish. Too bad. A flight would have been exciting, and this was Richard Oliver's second third-place in Mesa. So much for trivia — now read closely.
Next year, if all goes as planned, the Phoenix F-1 Classic will be held at an old drag-race track. The track has been revamped by a modeler who happens to be a paving contractor. The race course will be custom-designed for all racing events. It will include provisions for underground wiring for lights and speakers, and it will have spectator bleachers and unlimited space. This should be a premier facility which is ideal for all events.
Everybody should plan to attend next year. This is the first race of the season. The weather is always excellent and competition top-level.
Kit and accessory list
- Lil’ TQ1 — Prather Products (Terry Prather), 1660 Ravenna, Wilmington, CA 90744; telephone (213) 835-4764
- Delight Special and Cosmic Wind — Paul’s Flying Stuff (Paul Stenberg), P.O. Box 121, Escondido, CA 92025; telephone (619) 743-5458
- Pole Cat — Rich’s Hobbies (Dick Ritch), 4010 Lark, Houston, TX 77025; telephone (713) 661-5458
- Shoestring — Don Rice, 12055 206th, Issaquah, WA 98027; telephone (206) 228-4170
- Shoestring and Li’l TQ — Tom Strom, 1420 W. 160th, Seattle, WA 98166; telephone (206) 246-4258
- Estrellita — Jerry Small, 502 Cherry, Southlake, TX 76092; telephone (817) 481-6456
I’ll have more information on other supplies at a later date. See you at the races!
Bill Hager 706 Glen Haven Dr., Conroe, TX 77385
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
