REPORT ON THE 19th IMCA NATS - NOVEMBER 2-4 MECHELEN (B)

The 19th Model Car Worlds in Mechelen were in the style of those in the late 1980s. That means a perfect track, a strong entry field, enough room at the working benches, enough parking, an objective race direction, a scrupulously followed time schedule, brilliant trophies, an excellent race location and a splendid hotel at walking distance and at a low price for all racers. Such worlds were a real necessity to forget the horrible edition of 2006. But let's begin with the negative points. Four racers who let me reserve and pay their rooms (€ 275 per room!) were absent. Henrik Hasager  (DK) and Peter Christiansen (DK) didn't show. It was Pal Hanson who informed us the evening before the start of the event. When we asked Hasager per mail what was going on he refused to answer. Both were replaced at the last minute by two Belgian substitute racers: Philippe Laudet and Bart Gijzen. Absent too was America's Benny Justice. Here there was a confusion since he believed that Herman James should replace him. Most notorious absentee was the defending world champion Dani "Giesse" Gonzalez (E). He too found it not worth to inform us and the Spanish captain that he preferred to  enter a local race in Spain instead of defending his title. After his poor 21st place at the DPM he realised that he had not the smallest chance to win.
There were no substitutes for Benny Justice and Gonzalez, so that number of entrants was 62 instead of 64. Under the strict control of race directors Bob Demeyer and Jean-Marie Tillen, there were no incidents, except for one. At the Quarter finals ex-world champion Geert Mertens was in second position when towards the end his car deslotted. Marshal Gert Klinge put the car on the wrong lane. Since Mertens strongly believed that Klinge did it intentionally he quit immediately the race location, but not without insulting race director Bob Demeyer ; Later it appeared that the ground clearance of one of the racers, having finished ahead of Mertens was too low, so that Mertens could have made the move. However, his refusal to marshal cost him three laps, so that Christoph Kremer made the move instead of Mertens..It was the lonely incident during the meeting, but Mertens's loud insulting of the race director resulted in the fact that he'll not be invited for the 2008 Worlds. As far as it concerns Gonzalez, Justice, Hasager and Christiansen the standing rules will be applied: they are definitively excluded from all further IMCA racing in the future.

FREE PRACTICE - There were three free practice sessions: one of 8 x 3 minutes with the Nissans, one of 8 x 3 minutes with the cars for the team race and a last one of 8 x 2 minutes, again with the Nissans. At the first session Nick de Wachter realised the sharpest time (7"935), followed by Michael Niemas, Philip Kremer, Youri van Rossem and Ralph Seif. At the practice session with the cars for the team race Michael Niemas realised a new track record in 7"753, followed by a 7"812 for Ralph Seif, a 7"887 for Philip Kremer, a 7"911 for Fola Osu, a 7"940 for Youri van Rossem and a 7"973 for Francesc Reyes. At the last free practice Philip Kremer realised the definitive track record in 7"612. Here Youri, racing a MoMo SW06 built by Reyes, was victim of a collective crash, destroying definitively his very fast car (7"889), so that he had no other choice than using his second car, being terribly slow.

THE 19TH BENELUX CUP - At the end of the first day it was time for the first warm-up race. Here Philip Kremer pulled away from the rest of the field, taking during the first segment a full lap on Michael Niemas and on Nick de Wachter. All others followed already at two laps or more. During the second segment De Wachter could undo his arrears, so that Philip Kremer/Youri van Rossem and Nick de Wachter had both 71 laps, followed at one la^p by Ralph Seif, at two by Miskolci/Szalai and at three by Niemas/Christophe Kremer. In the two following segments Philip and Youri realised both 37 laps, taking one lap more on Niemas/Christophe Kremer and three laps on De Wachter/Nelwan. During the second half of the race Philip and Youri had not the smallest problem to conserve their advantage. Eventually they won the race with two laps over De Wachter/Nelwan, three over Niemas/Christoph Kremer. During the last segment Montiglio/Seif could pass Miskolci/Szalai to take the fourth place. Biggest surprise came from Tamar Nelwan. Sibnce team mate Nick did the four first stints, Tamar had to do the four last. Instead of loosing field on Philip and Youri, he succeeded to take one lap back, after one of the best performances in his racing career.
Among the amateurs, driving 1999 JGTC cars, Haug/Wennerberg and Kuipers/Van Gool were fastest away, taking after two segments one lap on Huys/Van Campenhout and Osu/Hernandez. During the third segment the Norwegians lost six laps on technical woes, whilst Kuipers lost three laps on Huys. That means that Kristof Huys/Björn van Campenhout were the new leaders. Fola Osu/Oscar Hernández were second at two laps. During the five following seggments Huys and Van Campenhout could maintain their advantage over Osu/Hernández, whilst the others were loosing ground. At the finish Huys/Van Campenhout had always two laps over Osu/Hernández. Haug/Wennerberg were third at nine laps. Cuppens/Bartlett passed Kuipers/Van Gool for the fourth place. 

THE 15TH EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP MODEL CAR RACING - The race started at 7am with "Gugu" missing the start. Four racers went out at the lead in the Autobacs Super GT class: Nick de Wachter, Philip Kremer and Josef Miskolci. After two segments they noted each 70 laps. During the third segment team mates Brian Saunders (with Nurkkanen) and Christoph Kremer (with Niemas) came one lap short so that Philip Kremer/Youri van Rossem and De Wachter/Nelwan were setting the pace. On Seif's car the motor seemed dead. At mid race both teams took a second lap, whilst Miskolci/Szalai could pass Nurkkanen/Saunders. During the fifth segment Youri deslotted a couple of times, loosing one lap on Tamar Nelwan (in great shape). They could maintain their second position until the one but last segment, when Youri (no sleep at all) was nowhere, loosing four laps and now being passed by Niemas/Christophe Kremer. Miskolci/Szalai were a strong fourth, whilst Saunders/Nurkkanen were also passed by Francesc Reyes. During the last segment Philip Kremer lost another two laps on red, whilst Niemas could not undo his four lap arrears on Nick de Wachter/Tamar Nelwan and his team finishes as second ahead over the team of Youri and Philip. 
At the 1999 JGTC class both Fola Osu and Kristof Huys had a horrible start, loosing res. five and four laps on Borge Haug. During the third segment Huys looses seven laps on Fola Osu and is definitively out for a second win. At mid-race Haug/Wennerberg are still strong leaders with Raymond Kuhn/Patrick Blondiau following at only one lap and Osu/Hernández at four laps. After having lost a rear spoiler Huys/Van Campenhout are twelve laps down. During the second half of the race Osu/Hernández seriously increase speed. With one last segment to go they come in the lead lap. The last segment they not only pass Haug/Wennerberg for the first place, but even succeed to double them two more times. So Osu/Hernández are the souvereign winners, followed at three laps by Wennerberg/Haug and at six laps by Blondiau/Kuhn. Huys/Van Campenhout finish as fourth, two small segments ahead over Cuppens/Bartlett finishing as fifth. Tom Ooms and Gert Klinge take the sixth position.

THE 4TH FRANCO GIANOTTI TROPHY - In previous years the Franco Gianotti Trophy went always over three or four rounds. This year that was impossible since the whole event was to be finished in only three days. No panic: next year there will be 12 rounds. Since the Germans are such a class apart IMCA will invite no less than 16 German racers, running among them the Kimbo Caffé Ferraris, whilst 24 experts will race the Black & Decker Ferraris of the Trofeo Pirelli and 24 amateurs & kids the Ferraris of the Coppa Shell. So the non-Germans will have a competition among normal mortals. Only at the Mello Yello and the 20th Model Car Worlds the normal mortals and the extraterrestrial mortals from Germany will compete together. 
This year the mixed German/Belgian team of Philip Kremer/Youri van Rossem should always have won the 2007 Franco Gianotti Trophy. They lost it all during the two last segments of the EuroNats where Youri lost four laps on green and Philip three laps on red, enough to drop from the first to the ... third place. So they collected with a first (20 points) and a third place (12 points) only a total of 32 points. Since Nick De Wachter/Tamar Nelwan finished once second (15 poinbts) and once first (20 points), they were good for 35 points. But Fola Osu and Oscar Hernández did quite the same among the amateurs: they finished second at the Benelux Cup and won the EuroNats for 1999 JGTC cars, so that they too collected 35 points. At the Franco Gianotti Trophy ties are broken by comparing the number of laps over all rounds. So Osu/Hernández were ranked as second behind De Wachter/Nelwan.
We note also an excellent performance by Kristof Huys/Björn van Campenhout. At the Benelux Cup they won the 1999 JGTC class and at the EuroNats they finished as fourth, good for 20 + 10 points. Michael Niemas/Christoph Kremer performed not as well as was generally expected; A third place at the Benelux Cup (12 points) and a second place at the Euronats (15 points) were good for a total of 27 points and the fifth place overall.
With Borge Haug and Glen Wennerberg Norway has two excellent drivers. Among the 1999 JGTC racers they finished third at the Benelux Cup and second at the EuroNats, good for 30 points, just as for Niemas/Christoph Kremer. Their total of achieved laps was lower than that of the Germans, so that they were ranked as sixth. In total 23 of the 31 teams scored points at the 2007 Franco Gianotti Trophy.

For the Franco Gianotti Trophy Oscar Hernandez and Fola Osu  collected an equal number of points as Nick De Wachter and Tamar Nelwan. Since the last named achieved more laps, the 2007 Franco Gianotti Trophy went to Nick and Tamar. Osu and Hernandez finished second and won the Franco Gianotti Trophy for amateurs. Among the kids the trophy went to Youri van Rossem and Philip Kremer. PICS: Bart Gijzen.

THE 10TH MELLO YELLO AMATEURS & KIDS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - There were 40 entrants at this year's Mello Yello. The 3 best IOC-ranked kids and the 3 best IOC-ranked amateurs were free from the Quarters. At Quarter D Pekka Nurkkanen (SF) and Emily Kuipers (NL) made the move, whilst Mimmo Martinez (I) came 3 laps short to do the same. Quarter C was the fastest. Here Fola Osu (NIG) with 169 laps (7 more than Nurkkanen in Quarter D!) and Desmond Dekker (NL) with 168 laps made the move. Jostein Vandås (N) with 167 laps, Kristof Huys (B) with 166 laps and Ladislav Szalai (SVK) with 165 laps were all three eliminated. Quarter B was the slowest of the four with Glen Wennerberg (N) and Gert Klinge (B), res. with 159 and 158 lapss, making the move. In Quarter D Mike Wagner (LUX)  was fastest with 164 laps, followed by Björn van Campenhout (B) with 163 laps. Ground clearance of Björn's car was unfortunately too low so that Stig-Attle Eriksen (N) moved up in his place. The fact that Robby Cuppens - normally directly placed for the Semis - had to give forfait with a broken car, made that the fastest of all thirds could eventually move up. That was Jostein Vandås (N)
In Semi B the top favourite Youri van Rosserm (B) lost 9 laps at the very first segment with a rear spoiler coming lost. He tried the impossible to come back with a car missing elementary speed. Too much in a hurry he deslotted three more times, loosing each time the rear spoller. He finished only seventh, 4 laps ahead over Gert Klinge. Here Pekka Nurkkanen (SF) confirmed his fine performance at the Quarters, since he won his Semi with 219 laps, followed at two laps by Jostein Vandas (N), Emily Kuipers (NL) and Henri van Gool (NL), both with 214 laps, were the two others moving up to the Main. Kristian Hottran (N) and defending 2006 Amateur's world champion Tony Ortega (E) came res. three and five laps short to make the final move. In Semi A Philip Kremer (D) was outstanding, winning with 233 laps (14 more than the winner in Semi B), nine laps ahead over Fola Osu (NIG) and eleven over Desmond Dekker (NL). Their was a gruelling combat among Mike Wagner (LUX) and Michael Phillipaerts (B) for the decisive fourth place. During six segments it seemed that Mike should make the move, but during the two last segments Michael could take three laps on him to move up to the Main.

Nigeria's Fola Osu is the 2007 Amateur's World Champion. Henri van Gool (NL) and Pekka Nurkkanen (SF) caused a stir by finishing as second and third amateur.. PIC: Bart Gijzen.

In the Main we found thus three racers from Holland [Desmond Dekker, Emily Kuipers, Henri van Gool], one from Germany [Philip Kremer], one from Belgium [Michael Phillipaerts], one from Norway [Josteiin Vandås], one from Finland [Pekka Nurkkanen] and one from Nigeria [Fola Osu]. 
During the first segment Desmond Dekker and Pekka Nurkkanen were the only two able to follow Philip Kremer, but in the second segment Kremer took two laps from Nurkkanen and three from Dekker. Nurkkanen seemed on his way to become the 2007 Amateur's world champion, but then made a horrible run on red, being passed by Fola Osu and Henri van Gool. Eventually the Nigerian won the 2007 Amateur's World Championship by finishing second overall, seven laps down to the unbeatable winner Philip Kremer. Second kid was Desmond Dekker, having finished as third, 14 laps behind Kremer.
During nearly the complete main final there was a strong combat among Michael Phillipaerts and Emily Kuipers for the third place on the kids' podium. During the one but last segment, however, Emily Kuipers lost at once twelve laps on Phillipaerts after technical problems. So Phillipaerts won the third place among the kids.
Since nearly all finalists started with a minimum ground clearance of 1mm it could be feared that several among them should be too low after a 40 minutes race. Race director Bob Demeyer warned them several times to check their ground clearance during the last segment. So all racers made a pit stop to check their ground clearance during that last heat. Eventually nobody was too low.
For 2008 the ground clearance rule will be changed. On the start a minimum clearance of 1.2mm will be obliged. At the finish 1.0mm will be the required minimum for ground clearance. It's the best way to avoid dramas at the end of the race. Another rule,, that cars have to make a pit stop to fix their rear spoiler, will be changed by allowing that rear spoilers may be fixed on rubber spoiler holders [that's not important for the 2008 sprint races, since their is no rear spoiler on the Ferrari F430 Challenge which will be raced in 2008 at the sprint races].

THE 19TH MODEL CAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - There were 62 entrants of 20 different nations. Most notorious absentee was the 2006 world champion Dani "Giesse"Gonzalez, It's not important if yes or no he preferred to race at Igualada, his attitude is beyond excuses so that there is in the future no longer place for him at IMCA races.
Of the 62 entrants the 20 best IOC-ranked racers were free from the Consis, so that there were 6 Consis with the two first of each Consi making the move to the Quarters. Survivals at the Consis were Michael Phillipaerts and Kristof Huys  with 168 laps, Fred Hood with 166 laps, Ladislav Szalai with 165 laps, Mike Wagner, Fola Osu and Jostein Vandås with 164 laps, Emily Kuipers with 163 laps, Borge Haug and Raymond Kuhn with 162 laps, Gert Klinge with 161 laps and Stig-Attle Eriksen with 160 laps.  The last named should normally not had made the move, but since Henri van Gool (166 laps!) was too low Eriksen was the lucky guy. Huys too was too low and out after a 10 % sanction. Surprisingly not qualified were Marcel Oosterling (166 laps!), Desmondv Dekker, Tom Ooms, Tony Ortega,  and Al Paterson (in Barcelona still the revelation). Pekka Nurkkanen, Marcelo Triginelli and John Emmons (racing with a broken foot!) were all three eliminated due to technical problems.
At the Quarter Finals the twelve survivals of the Consis met the racers with numbers 9 until 20 for three Quarters where the two first and the two best thirds make the move to the Semis. Here we made a mistake since Günther Riehl - having entered the 20 highest ranked racer after the withdrawal of Benny Justice - was forgotten. Survivals at the Quarters were Philip Kremer with 177 laps, Ralph Seif with 172 laps, Chris Radisich and Fola Osu with 171 laps, Jozef Miskolci with 169 laps, "Gugu" Bernardino with 168 laps, and Gabriel Inäbnit and Mike Wagner with 167 laps. At the post-race technical control it appeared that Kristof Huysr's car was too low for 0.2 mm. Race director Bob Demeyer hesitated during a long time what to do, but eventually he gave Kristof Huysr a 10 % lap penalty. So Geert Mertens became the last man making the move, but he was absent to marshal at the following Quarter, which cost him three laps. At once that was not enough to be second third, so that he was replaced by Christophe Kremer (164 laps) at the Semi-Finals. Tim Tyler (166 laps) was eliminated and victim of the rule that only the four first per Quarter make the move.
When the names of the eight racers making the move to the Semis were known, it appeared at once that we had forgotten the poor Günther Riehl at the Quarters. So we found a compromise: Günther could start at the first Semi, raced as a robin round with one sit-out, however without possibility to move to the Main. All racers of Semi B were asked if they could live with that and absolutely nobody had any objections. 
So we started Semi B with 9 racers. Starters were Josef Korec, Giovanni Montiglio, Nick de Wachter, Michael Niemas (all four free from the Quarters, since among the eight best IOC-ranked racers), Josef Miskolci, Fola Osu and Ralph Seif plus the forgotten Günther Riehl. Semi B was completely dominated by Philip Kremer, winning with Michael Niemas at one lap, Nick de Wachter at three laps and Günther Riehl at eight laps. Josef Korec and Montiglio were at no moment among the top-4 of the Semi, being preceded by Günther Riehl.. Poor Josef Miskolci - having had an excellent 19th IMCA Nats - finished as sixth, and eliminated just as Fola Osu, only half a lap down to Seif. Three days after the race he sent us an e-mail with the following text: "For next year I strongly recommend to replace moving up from conis, quarters and semis according to total number of laps.This is the one of many items how to organize a fair race in the future." There is enough to reflect on that. Because if this rule should have exist Miskolci and Fola Osu should have been qualified for the main and not "Gugu" Bernardino and Youri van Rossem having been slower. At the Consis his country-mate Ladislav Szalai should have made the move. Systems with the four first moving up were copied from ESROC and USRA racing, whilst ISRA applies the system proposed by Miskolci. Why not thinking on a compromise with the three first moving up and the best fourth?

A big surprise was that the much feared Francesc Reyes missed the move from the Quarters to the Semis. At once his lost his aureole of the best model car builder in the world. Here people forget that he raced a MoMo chassis, and that this chassis, just as the Schoeler Striker and the Slotvision is not competitive once they have to be raced on highly technical compe-tition tracks built for Eurosports cars. Look at the results: the 17 first are exclusively using Plafit chassis. Racing another chassis on that type of tracks looks as an attempt to suicide. 
In Semi A we found Vladimir Horky, "Gugu" Bernardino, Brian Saunders and Youri van Rossem (all four free from the Quarters) plus Chris Radisich, Gabriel Inäbnit, Christoph Kremer and Mike Wagner. Last named won ahead over Radisich, Christoph Kremer, Youri van Rossem and "Gugu". Difference between them all was low. The Semi B was seriously slower than the A Semi. Upon arrival Wagner was 0.1 mm to low, so that he missed the move to the main, and that "Gugu" Bernardino came in as last man. Wagner ("I am a simple amateur from Luxembourg") in the Main should have been the surprise of the year. IMCA gave him the trophy of best rookie at the 19th IMCA Worlds. No one else as Wagner deserved that trophy so much.
The main final was completely dominated by Filip Kremer. Since his most dangerous opponent, Nick de Wachter, had to start on red Filip came never under pression. Michael Niemas and Ralph Seif did what they con to follow, but he was definitively the fastest man on the track. His accelerations at the lead-on were much faster than those of all other racers, and coming from the hunderd eighty into the Esses he was faster than all his opponents. So Germany took the three first places with Nick de Wachter finishing at a disappointing fourth spot. Christoph Kremer shared in the German success by finishing fifth, in front of Youri van Rossem struggling the whole main final with a car lacking speed. Filip Kremer's victory is for a large amount the result of the scrupulous tuning by his dad. Filip won two worlds at one meeting. Only Josef Korec, ¨Piki van Rossem and Nick de Wachter succeeded earlier to do so.

REST OF THE REPORT LATER

§1. RESULTS OF THE 19TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 1/24TH MODEL CAR RACING

Those were the finalists at the 19th IMCA Worlds with f.l.t.r. Ralph Seif (D), Chris Radisich (NZ), Gugu Bernardino (BR), Michael Niemas (D), Philip Kremer (D), Christoph Kremer (D), Nick de Wachter (NL) and Youri van Rossem (B). PIC: Bart Gijzen.

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* = after a penalty of 10 % of the achieved laps for a too low ground clearence. ** = after a 3 lap penalty for refusal to marshal

§2. RESULTS OF THE 10th MELLO YELLO WORLDS FOR KIDS & AMATEURS

Those were the finalists at the 10th Mello Yello Worlds for Kids & Amateurs with f.l.t.r. Desmond Dekker (NL), Afolabi Osu (NIG), Philip Kremer (D), Michael Phillipaerts (B), Pekka Nurkkanen (SF), Henri van Gool (NL), Emily Kuipers (NL) and Jostein Vandås.  Amateurs in white shirts, kids in blue shirts. PIC: Bart Gijzen.

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§3. RESULTS OF THE 19th BENELUX CUP