RADIO CONTROL PYLON RACING
Cory Campbell, 6208 Hulen Bend Circle #409, Ft. Worth TX 76132
This month I will bring you up to date on some of the races from 1997, and talk about some of the new "legal" Quarter Midget kits that are going to be available for the 1998 racing season.
I am sure that most of you have already heard that Jim Shinohara passed away. Jim was a great asset to this hobby, and to the people who knew him. He was in Czechoslovakia at the F3D World Championships. During a round he had a heart attack and was taken to a hospital in Sumperk. Unfortunately he never regained consciousness and died October 6. During this ordeal his family took trips from the States to be with him.
He will be remembered most fondly by those who knew him as someone who always had fun and who loved to win. Those who knew him were truly blessed. Condolences can be sent to The Shinohara Family, 1141 Augusta Place, Chula Vista CA 91915.
District VIII — Second Annual PowerMaster Nationals (Taylor, Texas)
In District VIII the Second Annual PowerMaster Nationals, held in Taylor, Texas, was a great success. It was held May 31 and June 1 at the active Taylor Municipal Airport. The word "active" was enforced heavily by some of the local crop-dusting pilots, who took off and landed on the runway that was used as the race course. Several times during the weekend, contest director Drew Jerina was notified to stop racing so that crop dusters could take off and land.
On one particularly memorable round of racing, pilots and spectators were amused to see a Quarter Midget pilot try to land in formation behind a Pawnee that had just returned from dusting. Unfortunately a four-pound racer doesn't stand a chance against one of these powerful aircraft, and for the first time ever I saw a pylon racer fly backwards! Thankfully, the skilled pilot landed his airplane safely.
This district race turned out to be a national event, as many pilots from all over the country came to battle it out for bragging rights. As usual, the Texas "furnace" was on full blast, and many who attended last year will attest that it was definitely a hot race. Clear skies and little wind didn't help, either.
The event started Saturday morning bright and early, with the usual pre-race pilots' meeting. There were 28 pilots in Expert Quickie; 17 in Quarter Midget; 15 in Sportsman; and five in Formula I. Don Nix informed pilots that five rounds would be flown each day per class. Pilots were told they would have to be ready when their heats came up, or the heat would be run without them.
Safety was also a prime concern at this race. The flightline was located almost 600 feet from the race course, and a trailer was used to ferry the pilots and callers to and from the flightline. The newly enacted helmet rule was strictly enforced.
The classes were staggered, with Quarter Midget and Quickie Sport flying together, and Formula I and Quickie flown together. This allowed the two largest classes (Quickie and Quarter Midget) to be flown at different parts of the day. This kept many pilots who entered both of these very popular classes from having to run to make the next heat.
Racing got heated early as Mike Helsel set a Formula I fast time of 1:04.76! Throughout the day racers kept the crowd going with heat after heat of great racing.
On Saturday evening, Don Nix and his wife held a party at their house. Sixty people attended and we feasted on some great Texas barbecue. After dinner many of the pilots went back to the motel at the airport to perform late-night repairs. I went downstairs and found no less than six pilots crammed into the same room, working on their airplanes. It is not often that you see grown men having a slumber party. I could have made a fortune off epoxy for sale! It was a great time and I am looking forward to next year.
Quickie Standings
- Richard Beers — 1:14.45
- Mark Parker — 1:15.01
- Rusty Higginbotham — 1:12.54
Quarter 40 Standings
- Mark Parker — 1:07.83
- Dubb Jett — 1:10.20
- Jerry Small — 1:09.75
Formula Standings
- Mike Helsel — 1:04.76
- Bill Hager — 1:09.73
1997 NMPRA Formula I / Quarter Midget Championships (Irving, Texas)
The 1997 NMPRA Formula I/Quarter Midget Championships were held in Irving, Texas, October 10–12. Irving Radio Control Association was the host club. Putting the Championships in Texas brought fliers across the country and a few pilots from Mexico and Canada. The event was scheduled for three days to consist of 15 rounds. However, that did not happen, thanks to the well-known pylon law that states a pylon race can take place when it is a) very windy, b) very hot or very cold, or c) raining.
During the open practice on Thursday pilots showed up to take advantage of the opportunity — the weather had been beautiful for weeks with no signs of change. Friday morning arrived and the pylon law took effect — raining off and windy and cold; who would have guessed? Promptly after the 9 o'clock pilots' meeting the first round began. Unfortunately the unlucky pilots to fly the first heat of the day found it very difficult to see white aircraft against the gray sky. After nearly losing an airplane twice, one could see a bright color scheme would really help in the overcast drizzle.
The overcast and drizzle proved to be hard on other pilots as well. Fifteen airplanes had crashed by the end of Friday's racing. Despite the bad weather, five rounds were flown.
Saturday morning began with more light rain and a direct crosswind, which caused many pilots to cut turn two. The cool temperatures did allow for some very fast races.
In Round Six, Stu McAfee and Ray Brown squared off for one of the weekend's most heated battles. Stu had been running very fast, and Ray was trying hard to come back after crashing his primary Miss Ashley. The lead changed at least three times, and when the clock stopped, Ray pulled off a 1:04.60 to Stu's winning time of 1:04.50!
As we finished Round Seven to break for lunch, the heavy rain set in and the race was called for the day.
That evening we had the pilots' banquet at the Holiday Inn, where it was explained that the 1998 racing season will be dedicated to Jim Shinohara.
On Sunday morning, racing was called off at 10 a.m. because of more bad weather.
All in all, it was a lot of fun to get together with friends from out of town, and despite the bad weather, we did manage to get in a day-and-a-half of good racing. I can't wait for next year's race in California.
Formula I Standings
- Travis Flynn — 1:09.72
- Mike Helsel — 1:06.24
- Bob Brogden — 1:09.88
- Gary Freeman Jr. — 1:13.55**
- Bill Hager — 1:07.47
Quarter 40 Standings
- Stu McAfee — 1:04.50*
- Loyd Burham — 1:10.10
- Luis Blake Garcia — 1:10.13
- Jaime de la Vega — 1:10.73
- Rusty van Baren — 1:07.34
* Fast Time ** AMA Senior record
Quarter 40 Kit Updates for 1998
Since the building season is just getting into full swing, I think it would be a good time to discuss some of the kits that have been approved for 1998.
It has been a very busy year for some of the Quarter 40 manufacturers. Many have found that it is necessary to update their kits so that they will comply with the 1998 12.5-square-inch rule. This has been a good thing for some and a real headache for others.
For example, Rich Tocci has just gotten into full swing on his new "Jenny Craig" Nemesis and Stiletto. Rich took advantage of the new rules and shaved several square inches off the side areas of his kits to make them even more competitive.
On the other side of the street, you have Rusty van Baren, who just released his Miss Ashley II. This kit is the updated version of his disapproved Vendetta.
I do believe that even though these new rules have been the topic of some heated discussions, good things will come from them. For the average Quarter 40 pilot, these rules will have little or no effect on the airplanes they are currently flying. Of the 20-plus kits now available, only two have been disapproved!
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
