Radio Control: Pylon Racing
By Bill Hager
FOR MANY YEARS the best attended race of the year was held at Bakersfield, CA. This race drew people from all over the world, and at its peak had over 110 entries. All this came about through a lot of hard work and a lot of promotion, and it didn't happen overnight. As always, all good things must come to an end. Or do they really?
Racing at Bakersfield came to an end in 1978, and it seemed as though there was nothing going to take its place. Well, thanks to a lot of effort from a few people, it looks as though we have the makings of what will be one of the best attended races of the year, drawing contestants from all over the world. Here is a report sent in by Gary Hover on the 1981 California State Championship Formula I Race held at San Luis Obispo, CA on May 16 and 17, 1981.
Event Summary
The San Luis Obispo Fliers, Inc. hosted its fifth and probably most successful Formula I race. There were 66 total entries, with 44 in Expert and 22 in Standard Class. Attendance this year had an international flair, with seven entries from Canada and three from Japan.
Scale judging was held on Friday night at the San Luis Obispo City Recreation Hall. Some 100 aircraft were processed and judged. The Best Finish Award went to Gary McPike and his beautifully finished Denight Special.
Saturday Racing
Saturday's racing started at 9:00 A.M. The first heat in Standard resulted in four crashes. Two stuffed it at the #1 pylon on the very first lap, and two others mid-aired on lap 6. One of those involved in the midair was John Bowers from Klamath Falls, OR, who was flying in his very first Formula I race. Welcome to racing, John!
The weather was quite cool and extremely windy with gusts well over 30 mph. Saturday saw four full rounds flown, with Bob Smith leading the Expert class with a perfect score, and Gary Hover and Don Dombrowski leading Standard. Dave Shadel posted the fast time of the event in the second round with a 1:12.1 for the 2.5-mile race.
By 5:30 P.M. Saturday (when the final race was flown) everyone was pretty cold, but with a little beverage and the annual steak barbecue at hand the day's wind and cool temperatures were soon forgotten. Jim Green, who caters our feast, served 162 this year, and once again the barbecue was an unqualified success.
Sunday Finale
Sunday activities started off promptly at 8:00 A.M. as scheduled. The winds had subsided, and everyone anticipated the finale yet to come.
After Round 5, Smith still led with a perfect score. Gary Hover was second with 19 points; Don Kaylor and Bill Grove were tied for third with 18 points each. Round 6 saw Bill Grove crash while rounding the 2–3 pylons, which pretty much dropped him out of the competition.
The 7th and final round really scrambled the standings. Dave Kaylor received a third place which dropped him to fourth overall; Gary Hover placed second to Tom Christopher which put him into a tie for second with Keith Davidson; Bob Smith again won his heat and the contest with a perfect score of 28 points.
Standard Class
In Standard class, leader Don Dombrowski double-cut in Round 5, allowing George Soderberg of Calgary, Alberta to move into the lead. The remaining Standard heats left Soderberg unchallenged; he easily won his races and emerged as this year's victor.
The Calcutta Race
This year's Calcutta Race was by far the fastest, with Dave Shadel leading the way with a 1:12.1 and 12th qualifier Eric Ristrim posting a 1:18.3. Once the pilots were viewed, the four elimination heats were called up and flown. The winners of those elimination heats were then prepared for their final all-out race.
The four finalists were Rusty Van Baren, Tom Christopher, Bob Smith, and North Carolina's John McDermot. The race was everything it was supposed to be. Rusty Van Baren, Tom Christopher, and Bob Smith dueled it out for 10 laps. Smith finished third in the group, and Christopher cut the last pylon which rendered Rusty the ultimate winner with a time of 1:12.3. He and his sponsor (and caller), Jerry Boyce, walked away with $580.50 each — not bad for a weekend at the races.
Of the 44 Expert contestants, 22 broke 1:20, which says something for the clean air of California's central coast.
There are a lot of people who made the race a total success. From starter Len Ledson to Club President Tom Wiggen, everyone pitched in and helped. We look forward to next year; Race #6 will be better than ever.
Final Results — Expert
- Bob Smith — 1:14.6
- Keith Davidson — 1:17.5
- Gary Hover — 1:17.8
- Dave Kaylor — 1:18.6
- Dave Shadel — 1:12.1
- Tom Christopher — 1:16.2
- Rusty Van Baren — 1:15.7
- Ron Schorr — 1:21.4
- Mack Moffat — 1:19.6
- Kent Nagy — 1:14.2
Final Results — Standard
- George Soderberg — 1:32.5
- Don Dombrowski — 1:32.2
- Tom Strom — 1:27.7
- Kim Tucker — 1:31.5
- Jim Kelly — 1:50.6
Your Formula I fliers should put this contest on your calendar. This year's Nationals will be at Seguin, TX, August 2 through 9. It's going to be a good one. We have plenty of room, and the weather should be great. I'll be looking forward to seeing you.
Bill Hager 706 Glen Haven Dr. Conroe, TX 77302
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
