Reno 1984 Nats: CL Racing
John Ballard
Overview
Observers and competitors alike will attest that the Racing events were as exciting as ever. The Control‑Line flying site circles were undoubtedly the finest for access, smoothness and positioning that NATS competitors have flown in recent years. Special accolades go to the Control‑Line organizers, especially Bev Wisniewski, for site selection.
Racing Event Director Don Jehlik, a past World Champion in Team Racing, did a yeoman's job organizing and operating the events. The racing site was supplied with an excellent large tent, tables and other items for official use. AMA CL Coordinator Jim Ricketts was especially cognizant of competitors' and officials' need for drinking water during daily temperatures in the high nineties with little or no humidity; an ice‑water cooler delivered each morning was a welcome, thoughtful touch. A NATS Welcome Banner graced the entrance to the facility, and the local TV station videotaped events, including a Control‑Line Racing segment on the Friday night local news.
Schedule and Headquarters
This year's racing schedule was the same as in previous years:
- Open Scale Racing — Monday
- FAI Team Racing and Mouse Race — Tuesday
- Open Rat Race — Thursday
- Open Slow Rat — Saturday
Junior and Senior events were held during the week (Scale Racing and Fast/Slow Rat events during midweek and Friday). NATS headquarters was located in the new downtown Reno Convention Center. The convention center's space and seating capacity enabled competitors to hold a Thursday night Open Forum meeting to discuss impending rule changes and other subjects of mutual interest; approximately 40 enthusiasts attended a spirited two‑hour session.
Organization, Safety and Technical Checks
Safety rules were strictly enforced. Lines were measured for proper thickness and aircraft were checked and pull‑tested before heats. Engine size and aircraft dimensions were measured with micrometers and calipers; Vic Garner checked displacement. Competitors used solid control lines. The final race official inspected aircraft and equipment carefully to ensure conformity.
Frank Williams (Houston) was Rookie of the Year, finishing ninth, and he also won the Jack Sheeks Technological Achievement Award for his innovative inboard‑mounted sidewinder engine fuel tank.
Open Scale Racing (Monday)
Monday dawned with only a fraction of the wind present from the previous afternoon and an extremely cool morning air temperature (about 65°–72° F at 8:30 a.m.). Qualifying times averaged in the 2:42 to 2:50 range. It was noted that Nelson .15 engines were able to hold constant needle settings during morning practice, while Rossis proved much more temperamental. Several competitors switched from Rossi to Nelson as plug detonation became imminent with rising air temperatures, increasing head clearances in the process.
Qualifying produced few surprises. Event Director Jehlik took the top 12 to the finals. Because air speed and pitability of the first eight qualifiers was very close (Tim Gillott's air speed put him in a class by himself), competitors made all‑out efforts to achieve maximum speed.
In one heat last year's winner, Jim Ogg, lost a venturi on a pit stop and thus his chance to repeat. Tim Gillott also experienced pitting problems. Bill Lee switched away from his traditional Willoughby‑designed prop and found much‑needed extra speed. Good pitting by Bill enabled him to post the first‑place win; he was closely followed by Dick Lambert. Both Bill Lee and Dick Lambert used the Nelson .15, 70% nitro and a "Trick" head‑inserter Glo‑Bee plug.
FAI Team Racing (Tuesday)
FAI Team Racing saw only two entries. Low participation was likely a result of final preparations for the World Championships, commencing September 13 in Chicopee, MA. The team of Tim Gillott and John Ballard posted creditable preliminary and feature race times. It was unfortunate that Tim could not make the World team in 1984.
Open Rat / Fast Rat
Race day dawned with virtually perfect conditions, and the premier Racing events produced tension and excitement. Heat times were strong—around the 2:15 to 2:25 range—and plug and head‑clearance problems continued to plague several competitors. When the dust settled, the final was an all‑Midwest affair: Bill Hughes, sporting a prototype K&B .65, captured first; Larry Dziak took second; and Bob Oge finished third. Rat racing performance and skill were so elevated that several observers compared it to drag racing—there is virtually no room for even the slightest error.
Open Slow Rat (Saturday)
Saturday brought out the "hi‑tech" profile racers. The afternoon and evening before the event were spent experimenting with prop designs to extract the last mile per hour. This was the first year under the 10% fuel rule; K&B supplied the synthetic oil–10% nitro blend. As in past years, Vic Garner's Med‑Fly design was the quickest in practice (around 14.3–14.6 mph). The fuel rule reduced air speeds by at least one second, depending on each competitor's powerplant. Engines in Slow Rat were roughly split between K&B .08s and Garner‑modified Tune‑Hill .35s.
Excellent heads‑up racing produced a newcomer in the winner's circle. Jerry Meyer combined super pit stops with a strong‑running Garner‑modified OS .35 to claim the victory. Garner‑reworked engines occupied the top three places, with the second‑ and third‑place entries flying the Med‑Fly design.
Racing Open Forum — Recommendations
The Thursday night Open Forum produced several specific recommendations from racing competitors:
- Adjust the Racing event schedule during NATS week, with emphasis on eliminating the Saturday event to allow extra time for competitors to negotiate long trips home.
- Adopt a low‑nitro rule in all Racing events except Mouse.
- Consider changing engine sizes: replace .35 with .21 in Slow Rat, or possibly replace .40 with .21 in Fast Rat.
If you have comments on any of the above subjects, please contact the author.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
