Wing Car Races 2002

37th G7 PRO AT USRA DIV 1 NATS, GAITHERSBURG, MD (USA) August 10, 2007

JOE SSS 'CHUBBIE' SALZMAN STOPS 'BEUF'

Youngest USRA G7 Open Nats winner in history!

Joe Chubby Salzman after his win of the USRA G7 Pro Nats: he's the youngest winner in history!

August 13, 2007 - When in 2005 young Joe "Chubbie" Salzman won the Barnburner, I sent an e-mail to Fred Hood, our contact man in the States, that he should contact that young guy - still totally unknown in Europe - to convince him to come to the IMCA Model Car Worlds. Now, two years later, he did what American wing car racing needed so much: a new young guy, coming from nowhere, and being able to prevent that nor "Beuf" neither P-A Watson could win a sixth USRA Open G7 Pro. Too long young racers believed that those canonised wing car racers had so much experience that nobody could them beat any longer. Chubbie is the living example that top wing car racing can be learnt in two years of time. Where Greg Mills abdicated too fast, Chubbie continued. He had good help of Doug Bauer of Port Jeff and learned faster than anyone else. His victory at this year's Nats should be a surprise for nobody, except perhaps Ron Hershman, who - after Chubbie's win of the One Mator Race - found it necessary to blame that victory, since Chubbie could start in the first heat. I would have seen Hershman's face after he saw that Chubby won the 2007 USRA Nats, ahead over the two first of last year: Paul "Beuf" Pedersen and P-A Watson. One should be totally blind not to see that Chubbie is the same super talent as Paul Pfeiffer, Jan Limpach or Jon Laster two decades ago. He's just the same all-rounder. Give him any car, from a HO over a Ninco to an ES24 and he'll fight for victory. Chubbie is the youngest USRA G7 Pro winner in the history of wing car racing. Such win can stop all wining that wing car racing is death, that only old guys can still win. And wait next year when Brad Friesner or Jonathan Sohl will make the move to Open G7. There is again hope. Splendid was the fact that Chubbie and Beuf fell in each others arms at the end of the race. It proves Beuf's great character. Nice too was that the three first all used a Zap chassis as an ultimate commemoration of Craig Landry who passed away two weeks before the 37th USRA Nats.         

THE ENTRY - Let's be honnest, apart from the two wins of Chubbie and the victory of Bill W.H. Skinner in G27 Pro, the 37th USRA Division 1 Nats were no great edition. With only 25 starters we were 7 starters lower than last year when we noted another meagre USRA Nats. This year several American top racers were missing. Among them Benny Justice, John "Tore" Andersen, Bob Everett, Mike Graversen, Frank Sarkela, Jim Swofford, Jim "Spove" Sproviero, etc. But what is more dramatic is that the best European racers don't show any longer: no more Josef Korec, Petr Krcil, Vladimir Horky, Zdenek Benes, Lasse Aberg, Mikaèl Silén, Juha Yli-Sipola, etc. The oldest wing car meeting in the world deserves so much more. One could have expected that now, that the dollar is so weak, several European racers should have made the move to Gaithersburg, but except for Vlado Okali nobody showed. That's a sad thing for the prestige of the USRA Nats. Europeans can defend their strange behaviour no longer by putting: "Why should we go to the American Nats if the Americans are not showing at the European Nats?" This year American racers showed with several racers at the ESROC G7 Nats, so it should have been fair if Europeans should have done the same, especially the Germans. They have no excuse for their absence: c'est tout simplement une manque de politesse. If Brühl wishes to become the new wing car temple of Europe, their members should show more respect for Americab wing car racing. 

QUALIFICATIONS - We received no info on the qualifications. All we know is that "Beuf" Pedersen TQ-ed in 1"448, what's above the 1"404 World Record he realised last year at the Western States USRA, and even above the 1"426 realised this year at the G7 Worlds at Buena Park.

THE QUARTERS - With only 25 entries there were four quarters with six or seven racers. At those quarters we lost two former world record holders (Gary Puetz and Ron Herrera), a former vice-world champion (Jose Mario Serra - on the beneath picture together with f.l.t.r. Beuf, Chubbie and P-A Watson) - and a former USRA G7 Semi-Pro winner (Jeff Mack). Eliminated too were Paulo Gonçalvez (BR), Lyndsey Byron, Gary Gerding and Chris Brown. Reggie Coram (Sint-Maarten) was eliminated too.

THE SEMIS - The first Semi caused a surprise since we lost Vlado Okali, before outstanding, both at the One Motor Race and the G27 Pro Race. Winner of that B Semi was Chubbie (693 laps), beating Emerson Fischler by 2 laps, Vince Brown by 24 laps and Les Wright by 50 laps. Long time Carlos Aloise (third at the 2007 Worlds) and Larry Blanton were fighting with Wright for that fourth place, but both came 4 little laps short to make the move. Another victim was New Yorker Ron van Wagnen, despite precious help before the race by Chubbie.
The second Semi was dominated by Beuf (729 laps), "Gugu" Bernardino (709 laps) and P-A Watson (708 laps). Everybody expected that Forrest Watchers should easily make the move too, but technical bothers made that he lost his fourth place to Boyt Johnson. After his brilliant victory in G27 Pro it was expected that Bill W.H. Skinner should be dangerous, but already before mid-race he lost all his chances after technical problems. Eliminated too, despite 648 laps, was Al Chuck. Earl Simpson was already out after 183 laps.

THE MAIN - During the first segment Beuf and Gugu took 5 laps on Vince Brown and P-A Watson and one more on Chubbie. After the second segment Beuf was alone leader. Chubbie was already 10 laps down. Watson followed on 3 laps. Gugu blew up a motor, whilst Les Wright - still runner -up at the Worlds - suffered a broken gear. During the third segment Beuf had his motor knocked off, loosing more than 30 laps on repairs. So P-A Watson was the new leader, followed on 9 laps by Chubbie. Beuf followed at 31 laps. Normally that's not so dramatic, since Beuf is a master in undoing arrears after woes. Before mid-race P-A ran in problems, so that Chubbie could catch the lead, followed at 17 laps by Beuf, being already second. Up from now the race was a gruelling combat among Chubbie and Beuf. With three segments to go, difference was down to 15 laps, one segment later to 14 laps. Now it became obvious that Chubbie realised to defend his advance, since in two segments Beuf could only take 3 laps back. With two segments to go Beuf needed a miracle to catch Chubbie. With only one segment to go the difference was ago up to 17 laps. In the last segment Chubbie slowed the pace, if not, he could have beaten the 1198 WR of Beuf. Now he realised 1193 laps (just as Beuf did at this year's Worlds). He won ahead over Beuf (at 28 laps), P-A Watson (at 94 laps) and Gugu (at 110 laps). [JPVR]  

Hereunder Chubbie's winning car and the accolade with Beuf after his win

G27 PRO (2007 REVENGE RACE) AT USRA DIV 1 NATS, GAITHERSBURG, MD (USA) August 10, 2007

SKINNER CONFIRMS HIS TERRIBLE PROGRESS

After his Main at the Worlds he now even beats "Beuf"

Podium of the G27 Pro Race with f.l.t.r. Vlado Okali, winner Bill Skinner, "Beuf" and sponsor Stuart Koford.

August 12, 2007 - The wing car racer having made the biggest progress since the 2004 Ultimate G7 is undoubtedly Bill Skinner II. At the Ultimate G7 he was still a modest back bencher, style Larry Blanton, unable to reach the Semis at a major event. But he absolutely wanted to climb up in the hierarchy of wing car racers. Contrarily to most of his country mates he started travelling, racing in Europe as well as in the States. Those efforts paid off since this year, at the G7 Open Worlds, he reached the Main. Now at the G27 Pro at the USRA Nats he did even better, much better: he won the race. Everybody expected another win for Paul "Beuf" Pedersen, but in the fifth segment of the Main "Beuf" lost more than twenty laps. Until then Richard Curnutte was leading during the first half at the race, but just as "Beuf" he was victim of technical woes in the fifth segment, so that Vlado Okali was catching the lead with three segments to go, three laps ahead over Bill Skinner. During the sixth segment Skinner could pass Vlado, realising a two lap advance. One segment later his advance was already six laps. During the last segment Vlado lost three new laps, so that Skinner was the overall winner. There was a gruelling combat for third place among "Beuf", Vince Brown and Curnette. During the real last laps "Beuf" could pass Vince Brown to reach a podium place. With only 21 starters it was certainly not a top event, but nevertheless Skinner's win was one of the nicest in the history of G27 Pro racing. [JPVR]

ONE MOTOR G7 AT USRA DIV 1 NATS, GAITHERSBURG, MD (USA) August 8, 2007

'CHUBBIE' SALZMAN DEMONSTRATES TALENT

But what happened with Europe's respect for the USRA Nats?

26th  WING CAR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, BUENA PARK, CA (USA) May 20, 2007

'BEUF' WINS G7 WORLDS - LES WRIGHT 2ND

"Bambi" Serra, leading after 6 segments, looses it all

May 20, 2007, 20h05 GMT - At this very moment the 26th Wing Car World Championship - the lonely one officially recognised - is under way at the world's fastest Blue King, the Buena Park One. Lenore put on Paul Kassens's web site that there are 40 entrants. But up to now nobody can tell us who they are. Is "Beuf" there? Josef Korec? P-A Watson? Gary Puetz? We don't know. Everybody expects that the 1"404 World Record of Paul "Beuf" Pedersen will be beaten. Who'll be the first man in slot-racing history to go in the 1"3s? "Gugu"? Benny Justice? Vladimir Horky? Forrest Watchers? Ron Herrera? A little bit patience. As soon as we are informed we'll tell it!

20h11 GMT - Kamil Klapka informed me that Korec is not there. I am curious if Paul Pfeiffer is among the 40. He's an absolute legend in wing car racing, having won the G7 Worlds three times in a row and having done the same at the USRA G7 Pro Nats. Can he still make the main? I don't think so. Of the old guys P-A Watson seems to me the lonely one able to do so, even able to win. When in 1987 in Toulouse he won not only the race but $ 10,000 US cash he had the tears in his eyes. He's one of the most consistent wing car racers.

20h26 GMT - It seems that European entry at the Buena Park Worlds is as low as five racers. Czechia is present with Horky and Benes (but no Krcil, no Korec). Sweden has Silén and Törnfeldt (but no more Aberg or Gustafson). Slovakia has Okali as always. Other non-Americans at the start are Reggie Coram, "Gugu", the Serra Bros and Triginelli. But what with Geraldo? Is he there to defend his title? Waiting on the names is lasting tremendously long, no?

SUBCONSIS: TRIGINELLI, GERDING & HERRERA ALREADY OUT
Racers having qualified from 25th thru 40th have to contest the sub-consis. Of each sub-consi the four first move up to the Quarters. The first sub-consi was won by Carlos Aloise, making the move with Zdenek Benes, Mike Graversen and Terry Kunz. Among the racers being already out we find Brazil's Marcelo Triginelli and three Americans (Kirchhoffer, Gundersen and Wakamatsu).
The second sub-consi looks more difficult, with Tim Tyler, Reggie Coram, Gary Gerding (on his own track!), John "Tore" Andersen and Ron Herrera are five experienced racers. Chances are thus real that we'll loose one of them and that Al Chuck, Zac Grinstead and Lindsay Byron will have the difficult task to realise the move. But looks what happens. Of course that Carlos Aloise won his sub-consi. But who believed that Al Chuck should finish second, ahead over Tim Tyler and Reggie Coram. So we lost four other American racers, even Gary Gerding at his own track. For Ron Herrera this Worlds look like a nightmare: last at the qualifications, last in his consi, and last in the overall standings. Lindsay Byron and Zac Grinstead are also out. So we go to the Quarters with 22 Americans, 3 Brazilians, 2 Checs, 2 Swedes, 1 Slovak, 1 of Sint-Maarten and 1 Kiwi.

QUARTER D: DRAMA FOR P-A WATSON WITH 3 SMOKED MOTORS
It's 01h05 GMT, deep in the night, when we receive the results of the first Quarter Final. For P-A Watson - one of the major favourites - it ends as a disaster. He blew up at least three motors and could not avoid elimination. For Terry Kunz (already out after 82 laps) and Mike "Who" the elimination was less or more expected. That makes that now already 10 out of 29 Americans are out. Eliminated too is Czechia's Zdenek Benes, missing the move by 15 laps. Winner of Quarter D is Benny Justice, showing an excellent shape. Les Wright, Vlado Okali and Bill W.H. Skinner make also the move to the Semis. Especially Skinner improved a lot. At the ESROC EuroNats for Open G7 he finished earlier this year 10th out of 33. Now that P-A is out I see - next to Benny Justice - only Vladimir Horky as ultimate possibility to beat "Beuf". At any rate, Beuf's chances on a third world champion title in four outings becomes more and more a reality.
01h25 GMT - It's waiting on Quarter B. Arthur Luis informs me that the 2006 world champion, J-C Geraldo is still racing but that personal problems made that he could not show to defend his title.

03h25 GMT - Someone asks me why I am not present at the Buena Park Worlds. The answer is quite simple. My youngest son, Youri, is not only a good slot-racer, he's also an excellent soccer player. Yesterday he had to play the Semi Final for the Soccer Youth Trophy. Since I follow all his matches, impossible for me to travel. Below the report in today's newspaper.

COMPOSITION OF THE SEMIS
04h37 GMT - If the snake principle is applied it looks like that Semi B will be much easier than Semi A. Indeed in B we find eight American racers with Benny Justice, Forrest Watchers, Les Wright and John "Tore" Andersen as best ranked. For Randy Thompson, Ron van Wagnen, Bill Skinner II and Bob Dunn it will be a hard task to move to the main. In Semi A things seem much more complicated with the Americans "Beuf", Carlos Aloise and Phil Larcom against the Swedes Silén and Törnfeldt, against the Brazilians "Gugu" and "Bambi" and against Slovakia's Vlado Okali. An all-American final is excluded since there are less than four Americans in Semi A. There will be at least four Americans in the Main, probably five or six. A potential final could be "Beuf", Justice, Watchers, Silén, Wright, "Gugu", Okali and J-T Andersen. But even then I should score only 5/8 with my original prognosis. I guess that Mike Swiss and Ron Hershman will publish their forecasts five minutes after the race. Meanwhile Hershman finds that Indy cars are so much better than F1 cars. Already heard such nonsense? Perhaps Ron will tell us tomorrow that Nascar cars are so much better than FIA GT cars or DTM cars.

IF YOU'RE WAITING JUST LIKE ME ...
... you can perhaps read the most thrilling story in the history of slot-racing, nl. how Italy's Sergio Maresca lost the 1/1 Ferrari 308 GTB for only 3 little points. It's the Pinky Point Story on a series of slot-car races, largely attended by ALL the best American racers, where the first prize was indeed a Ferrari. I wrote it waiting the results. I think I go publish it as a book on all the world championships I organised.

SEMI B: BILL SKINNER DOES IT AT LEAST (!!!) BUT NO MORE BENNY...
Composition of the Semis differs from what I believed. I don't know what happened but Benny Justice missed the move to the Main by 30 laps. He must had met technical problems. This is really one of the most strange wing car worlds in history. One by one all favourites fail. It was a very close race won by Carlos Aloise (coming from the consis!) one lap faster than "certitude" Vlado Okali. I am extremely happy that Bill Skinner II at least reaches the Main of a world championship. He deserves it for his relentless efforts. Moving up with him is Les Wright. We lost also three other Americans next to Benny Justice: Bob Dunn (good race, man!), Phil Larcom and Ron van Wagnen. Now it's waiting the other Semi where four Americans are involved in a battle with two Swedes and two Brazilians.

19th CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO, PAROLU SLOTCAR SAO PAOLO (BR) November 10-11, 2007

 LES "SEDRIC" WRIGHT DOES IT AGAIN

New 40' WR for Reggie Coram in G27:  906 laps!

The 19th Campeonato Brasileiro have been won by Les "Sedric" Wright, just as he did in 2005. For Les 2007 was his most successful racing season. Earlier this year he finished also second at the G7 World Championship. At the same meeting in Sao Paolo Reggie Coram from Sint-Maarten improved the 40 minutes lap record in G27. He brought the record up to 906 laps.

The meeting in Sao Paolo at the Parolu Slotcar race centre started with a  One Motor Race, good for 24 entries, among them that of Celso Duarte since long not more seen in active racing. TQ went to Vizetti in 1"706. The race was won by Brazil's Bruno di Dotto with 913 laps, two more than Reggie Coram. Third place was for Marcio Paschoalin.

In G27 America's Bill W.H. Skinner - earlier this year winner of the G27 "Revenge Race" at the USRA Nats - qualified as best with 1"738. There were 14 entries. At the Semis we lost among others Roney Fiscler and Alexandre Riberio. The main final resumed in a sharp combat for the first place among Reggie Coram and Marcelo "Bambi" Serra. Winner was Reggie Coram with 906 laps, a new world record. Marcelo Serra came six laps short.Struggle for the third and last podium place went among Bill W.H. Skinner and Marcio Paschoalin. Both finished in the same lap with Skinner heading Paschoalin.

For the 19th Campeonato Brasileiro in Open G7 we noted a total of 20 entries, among them four Americans: Les Wright, Bill W.H. Skinner, Forrest Watchers and - after years of absence - Al Chuck. Another notorious starter was the 2006 world champion João Carlos Geraldo, no more seen in competition after his victory in the 2006 world championship. He qualified poorly, but could come back by winning the Quarter race where we lost Marcelo Triginelli. The Semis finished dramatically for Eduardo "Dracula" Gazoni, the former (illegal) world record holder. He had to quit with technical woes after 252 laps. Similar problems for Fernando Caliman and Bill W.H. Skinner. Other racers missing the main were Zé Mario Serra and Reggie Coram. The main final was fully dominated by Les Wright who let Fabio Signoretti and Forrest Watchers not the smallest chance on victory. Al Chuck finished as 8th, good for one IOC-point. It dates from ...1976 that good old Al won another IOC point. [JPVR]

G27 WORLD CUP AT WING CAR WORLDS, BUENA PARK, CA (USA) May 19, 2007

MIKAEL SILEN BEATS HORKY AND "GUGU"

But where is Paul "Beuf" Perdersen? Is he at least in?

May 20, 2007 - When Paul "OWH" Kassens is not present at a major race contested in the States, it's always the same song. Information for the rest of the world is beneath all, results of the main (segment per segment) are missing, nobody knows what happened during the race, no pictures are published and technical work sheets are nowhere. At Buena Park it is not else this year. O.K., Leonore does what she can, but Leonore is no Paul Kassens. What I cannot understand is that organisers of big meetings can even not pay Paul's plane ticket. All we receive are results which are even not in a properly made results table. The Buena Park Worlds are now already on since more than one week, and even now, nobody of the rest of the world is aware who more is there except for the ones we could find in the results. Is Josef Korec there? We don't know. Normally Korec and Horky are always travelling together. But since he's married and since his wife gave birth to his first child, it's possible that he didn't made the trip to California. Moreover, Korec is an excellent G27 racer. So, if he should have been there, he should have started in the G27 race. Now that his name is not in the results, I assume that he's not there. And what to think about the absolute favourite, about Paul "Beuf" Pedersen? Normally he enters always the Pro G27 race. This year this is not the case. May I deduce that we'll have tomorrow a world championship without "Beuf"? Can this be possible? And what happens with Joaõ Carlos Geraldo (BR), the man who won last year both the G27 World Cup ànd the G7 Wing Car World Championship? Can it be possible that he even doesn't show to defend his world title? What kind of an organisation we have if absolutely nobody cares to inform the rest of the world about the candidate winners being in place. So I insist once more: organisers pay Paul Kassens at least a plane ticket to your event so that the rest of the world can be informed about what is going on.

There were 26 entrants at the G27 World Cup. On the OWH Forum one speaks once more of a "G27 World Championship". There exists no G27 World Championship. In 1985 I paid a huge amount of money to protect the term "world championship". IMCA patented the term, but some organisers behave as if they are beyond the law. If that continues it should perhaps be a good lesson to give this in hands of lawyers. Abuse of the term can cost such organisers several times more than their income. This abuse should be stopped. Mikael Silén who won the G27 race at the Wing Car Worlds is no world champion G27, he won the G27 World Cup. Is it so difficult to use the correct terms? TQ went to Benny Justice who had bad luck at the Quarters where he was eliminated. Fastest man at the Quarters was Rich Curnutte, but he didn't survive the Semis. My personal favourite Stefan Törnfeldt, always excellent in G27 racing, had to stop his Semi after only 4 laps. Runner-up to Silén is Vladimir Horky who came 3 laps short to win. First American is Frank Sarkela having finished 4th. Never earlier Americans could realise no podium on a major race organised at their proper soil. [JPVR]

OPEN ONE MOTOR RACE AT WINC CAR WORLDS, BUENA PARK, CA (USA) May 17, 2007

FORREST WATCHERS BEATS THEM ALL

50 entries prove how popular the formula is

May 19, 2007 - At the Wing Car Worlds at Buena Park (CA) no less than 50 racers started at the Open One Motor Race. We have to go back to Göteborg 1978 to have seen so many wing cars together at one race. Of the 50 entrants 38 were Americans. Europe was present with Vladimir Horky (CZ), Mikael Silén (S), Stefan Törnfeldt (S), Zdenek Benes (CZ) and Vlado Okali (SVK). From New Zealand Chris Radisich (living in the States) and Tim Tyler were present. From Brazil we found "Gugu", the Serra Bros and Marcelo Triginelli at the start. From Sint-Maarten there was Reggie Coram. Some of the best American racers as "Beuf", P-A Watson and Benny Justice didn't start. Well at the start was wing car legend Paul Pfeiffer. In the late 1990s he defended One-Motor-Racing as a valid alternative for Open G7. He called the new class Formula 2000 but was not followed by the majority of wing car racers, preferring a complete open formula with a minimum of restrictions. I remember the day that I was defending Formula 2000 on this web side, when I received a furious letter by Vlado Okali that IMCA should stop promoting F2000 racing. The fact that Pfeiffer himself was present at the Open One-Motor Race is a good thing for wing car racing. The formula, indeed, deserves to be promoted. We hope that at the USRA Nats and at the ESROC Nats the class will be put on the race schedule. At any rate IMCA decided to consider the Open One-Motor Race at Buena Park as a rank 2 IOC event with res. 20-15-12-9-6-3-2-1 IOC points for the top-8 finishers.

Fastest qualifier was Zdenek Benes (CZ) in 1"664, ahead over "Gugu" (BR), Marcelo Triginelli (BR), Stefan Törnfeldt (S) and Vladimir Horky (CZ). First American was Paul Peterson on rank six. Twelve racers didn't qualify. Open One-Motor goes without consis, quarters, semis and main. So there were seven heats (six with seven racers, one with eight racers). The first heats go with the slowest racers at the qualifications, the last heat with the eight fastest qualifiers. When Forrest Watchers, having not qualified, won the second heat, nobody believed that he should be the winner with 976 laps. Everybody expected that this total should be improved by one or more racers of the last heat. However, that was not the case, since Sweden's Stefan Törnfeldt came no further than 943 laps, good for a second place overall. In that same heat Vladimir Horky was already out after 194 laps. One heat earlier, another favourite, Sweden's Mikael Silén ran also in technical woes after only 182 laps. Paul Pfeiffer had not the best car. Having qualified as low as 31st, he finished with 851 laps, good for a 20th place overall. Unlucky person of the race was New Yorker Ron van Wagnen who smoked his motor after only ... twelve laps.
Third place overall was for Phil Larcom, ahead over Phil Larcom, Reggie Coram, Rich Curnutte, Jim Lange, and Rick Salvino. Tim Tyler, giving full evidence that Australian wing car racing is improving, missed the top-8 by two laps. IMCA president Chris Radisich was present and finished as 28th overall, just ahead over former WR holder Ron Herrera. The Serra Bros disappointed. [JPVR]

23rd AUSTRALIAN NATS AT THUNDERDOME (AU, QUEENSLANS), April 7-8, 2007

I. WEARNE BEATS HEYES, TYLER & BRAMBLE

April 9, 2007 - Despite the fact that this year's Australian Nats were contested in Queensland, in the very North of Australia, and despite the fact that some racers had to travel over a couple of 1000 miles, entry was excellent. No, multiple Australian champion Paul Dimmers was not there. But it was a surprise to see Wayne Bramble again in action after an absence of more than ten years. Other big guns in place were Garry Johnson, Charles Rickards, Geoff Little, "Stumpy" and the defending champion Tim Tyler. Yes it was a good show despitethe fact that we missed Tony Pye, Brad Bennett, Keith Wade, Gary Fry and Chad Raven.

Thunderdome is a nice place. I have good souvenirs on it when I raced on the banked oval a Ferrari F40, some 16 years ago. I wished I was there again. First surprise came at the Qualifications where Caril Nielsen realised a new Australian King record in 1"667. Here in Europe we don't know who he is, since it's a total new name in international racing. And we love new names, because we need rookies to keep wing car racing alive and well. Contrarly to former years there was no Vlado Okali, no "Gugu" Bernardino, no Paul Pfeiffer. One of the reasons for it was that the ESROC Nats were this year scheduled to close to the Australian Nats. No new name was the one of Ivan Wearne (pic at the right). In 2005 he made his entrance on the IOC list with a 7th place in the Main. Last year he finished already as runner-up to Tim Tyler, and he was expected to do at least as well this year. And Ivan, he did. He qualified as second. But at Semi B he was at mid-race second to Tim Tyler, when on blue he ran in terrible problems, achieving only 24 laps. But since Dan Creasy (10 laps on purple) and Cody Bramble (last year still third, but now only 14 laps on yellow) ran in problems to, he dropped only from second to fourth place after five segments. He could maintain that position to move up to the main. Winner of Semi A was Wayne Bramble (511 laps) ahead over Mick Belot (498 laps) and Tim Tyler (490 laps). Here we lost not only Cody Bramble and Dan Creasy, but even Nathan Muddy and Jack Belot.

Semi B was a disaster for Charles Rickards. After two segments he was still a strong third, two laps behind Geoff Little who set the pace and one lap behind Harry Heyes (no real new name, since last year he finished ninth). On orange, however, Charles came in technical problems, loosing 45 laps on his concurrents, too much to finish in the top-four. Indeed at the finish - despite a sustained rush with 72 laps - he came 23 laps short to hold John Favorito off rank four. Winner was here Harry Heyes with 540 laps, followed by Geoff Little (538 laps) and Garry Johnson (528 laps). We lost "Stumpy" and Billy "K". Pole sitter Caril Nielsen didn't start. We don't know for what good reason.

In the Main Wayne Bramble was leading Garry Johnson by 3 laps after the first segment. After two segments the difference was up to 6 laps. One segment further Bramble was still leading, now with 4 laps over Ivan Wearne. Tim Tyler was already 49 laps down! Ivan had a very poor run on purple and at mid-race Garry Johnson was the new leader, followed at one lap by Bramble and at 18 laps by Harry Heyes. Wearne followed at 40 laps, just as Tim Tyler. In a very hectic fifth segment Johnson could increase his advantage over Bramble to five laps. After six segments it seemed as if Johnson could no more loose: he was leader with 702 laps, followed at 11 laps by Bramble, at 43 by Heyes and at 47 by Wearne. Disaster at the seventh segment when Gerry Johnson deadly crashed, loosing some 60 laps. Bramble was now the new leader with 798 laps, followed by Wearne at 25 laps and by Heyes at 36 laps. When everybody was convinced that Bramble should be the winner, he too crashed, so that Ivan Wearne could take the lead, winning with five laps over Heyes and eleven over Tyler. Extremely hectic race.
Let's mention that Tim Tyler won Wing Gp12 (19 entries) ahead over Russell Gale and Nathan Muddy, setting a new Australian record in 2"364. and that Garry Johnson won G27 (17 entries) ahead of Tyler and Liam Hi. [JPVR]

38th ESROC EUROPEAN G7 CHAMPIONSHIP AT BRÜHL (D), March 10, 2007

YLI-SIPOLA WINS HIS 3RD G7 EURONATS

March 30, 2007 - At the new Blue King track at Brühl (D), Finland's Juha Yli-Sipola won for the third time in his life the European Wing Car Cham-pionship. Earlier he won it in 1995 and 1996. It's already the 7th time that he finishes at the ESROC G7 EuroNats on the podium. In 1999 Juha was already vice-world champion wing car racing and in 2002 he won the world championship. After the poor 12 entries in 2005 and the 26 of last year, Brühl proved to be an attractive organiser, since no less than 33 racers showed this year. Among them the Americans Les Wright (former winner of the Campeonato Brasileiro), Bill Skinner II, Jeff Mack (the hero of Iraq, former USRA Semi-Pro Nats winner) and multiple WR-holder Gary Puetz. It's the first time since 1986 that we found so many Americans at the start of te ESROC EuroNats. Brazil was present with two racers: former world record holder "Gugu" Bernardino and Jose Mario Serra. The rest of the field was made by 11 racers from Finland (but not the defending Eu-ropean champion Kimmo Rautama), 5 racers from Sweden (but not Lasse Åberg and not Anders Gustafson), 5 racers from Germany (with Brkhard Werner and Klaus Wickert, since twenty years no more active in G7 racing; two other former glories as Ralph Klose and Thomas Wecker-le were expected but didn't show; the best all-time wing car racer Mario MSP Schöne didn't enter, giving full evidence that his brilliant career is now good and well over). Czechia was present with its classical threeso-me (Horky, Korec and Benes, but Petr Krcil was missing).

Fastest man, as well at the Qualifications with 1"607, as at the Quarters (426.60 laps) and the Semis (643.55 laps) was Vladimir Horky who earlier won the ESROC G27 Race ahead of Korec. He seemed on his way to win his ...12th European Championship, but technical bothers made him loosing the main final. Les Wright and Bill Skinner missed that main for a couple of laps and Vlado Okali was out at the Quarters. Last year's vice-champion Petteri Pirhonen seemed to have good winning chances, but he came two places short to go home with the title. Fighting for the title, until the real last lap were Juha Yli-Sipola and Josef Korec. During the last segment the Czech made a terrible come-back on Juha, but he failed for less than one lap. Should the race have been 20 secs longer, Juha should have lost it (motor woes). Great race. [JPVR]