ISRA WORLDS - 22ND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SCALE RACING (ES24) - MILTON KEYNES (GB), OCT 17-8, 2008 (IOC-RACE LEVEL 1)

HOW GORGE KIMBER SAW THE 2008 ISRA WORLDS

ONCE MORE OUR BRITISH FRIENDS FORGOT TO WIN AN OFFICIAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

George Kimber is one of the few British racers who showed different times at the IMCA Worlds. In 2003 at Dison he won the non-official World Championship for Modellers, beating Einari Fyhr (SF, left) and Jozef Miskolci (SVK, right). The title was not recognised by the patent on the world "world championship" (and derivates) as patented end 1985 before notary Von Tricht.

ISRA Milton Keynes 2008 - A last report from our intrepid Anglo-Belgian reporter who has finally retired to his Area Three Lexan coffin. May his soul rest in Peace. 
It is always hard to talk on the British and Slotracing. At Milton Keynes they could find the nearly perfect Championships. This is the third time since the start of ISRA that the English have secured the ISRA Worlds and for sure this was their finest hour. The choice of the MK centre was even better than in the Metro Centre of 1993 and the overrated Southampton. Brian Saunders and his organisation could bring slotracing to the great British Public, even National TV ran coverage on Breakfast slots for the championships.
A second  Public track was used to find £2.000 for Cancer Charities and provide thousands of children the chance to try slotracing.
For sure Saunders could take big chances for a track with more curbs than a bowl of Italian Sphagetti. A track made in heaven for a Maresca, now not seen since his disqualification of 1992 in Dordrecht . Surely the Sun of God could have saved the Italians from those Czech Devils and the Darkside of Europe. Now free from the Pale of Settlement and their communist masters Western Europe is again on the brink of defeat. Once again Europe has to turn to the misty shores of Britain for salvation.
It could have been else if only a Gooding and Kimber had not led them from their Goop laden hell .
Now it seems only Britain has the right structures to fight for victory lane . One by One they fall, the French not seen since Latvia, even the Dutch and what of the Belgians who through IMCA and Moneytron spend fortunes to find World Champions of their plastic cars but it seems impossible that the can make the move. All that is except one lonely Belgium, for sure one nice guy but badly beaten even by Andy Brown Searle.
But God forbid I could say this of the once proud Italians they could always count on the Holy Trinity of Maresca, Capra and Trigilio, even a Noviello, a Niccolai, a Rudilosso, a Montiglio ,a Giacobbi from the backbenches now no more. They make one last pray to their Roman Gods but the barrel of talent has run dry, the wine has turned sour. Only ' Il Bandito' ,Trigilio ,Guido Santarelli (not seen again) and the unheard of Francesco Barbarillo stand proud defending their Mother country. But what of Horky, surely after his performance in the Warm Up races he could win with his eyes closing. Cleave now on the brink of All time records of British Slotracing history had no answering leaving the BSCRA 124 Nats. How to beat the Czech Master, so he practiced Night and Day and called for the skills of the 'King of Goop' Dave Harvey. But he needed not have bothered for the 'Iceman Cometh'. Matti Fyhr not seen since his Night of Sins in Malta came to 2008 ISRA Championships without expectations. Horky Saunders, and Cleave surely with all their training could leave poor Matti a Slovakian Stew. For certain it was showing at the Team Race where Cleave 'The Bedford Bullet' and the new Czech sensation Antonin Vojtik  pipped Matti and Brian leaving the  Horky & Korec trailing by a county mile. Already in Belgium at the offices of IMCA  the headline 'Czechs Dominate ' is lying
in scraps after not one Czech could been seen in the Formula Final and Cleave proving to be a real deal. This time the British can find four drivers for the first time since Ceska Lipa with Graeme Stephenson and even Paul Shepherd and good old Charlie Gooding.
It was a bad time for the Ultra professional Horky, first to be outdriven by Matti Fyhr but surely not a Cleave. After three classes Horky could only show for a second place in E/S 32 and even his partner in crime Josef Korec disappointed.
So everything will go with the Eurosports 24 the Blue Ribbon of Slotracing it was predicted for Fyhr ,Cleave, Saunders Gawronski, even a Krcil and fast improving Vojtik could make the Main .But in a championships full of surprises we find at the start Finland's  Boy wonder Atte Lyyski  a total unheard of but first he could make E/S 32 and then produce a similar stunt for E/S 24. Maybe he just returned from fighting in Afghanistan and let on his combats but no matter surely he could not gun down favourite Horky. We, Matti,  have waited for a long time to see Horky looking so invincible completely outdriven.
Matti Fyhr set off like a man possessed  ,ok Horky did his usual stunt of starting on the outside lanes but already he was seven laps down  but we knew Horky would fly on the middle lanes but not this time, Matti simply played with him and Horky fell back into the clutches of Saunders, Vojtik - for the second time the highest Czech - and a very rapid Cleave who could lose ten laps after he lost a wheel and nearly claw them back . Matti was just too good and took two titles home for his mantle place, for next year in Finland he will start as favourite and prepare his after dinner speech, for itis certain that he is not a man of a million words.
 
Georges Van Rostrum, aka George Kimber
2008.

In 2004 George Kimber won for the second time the non-official Modeller's World Championship, now at Holland's Uden, ahead over Australia's Paul "Split" Heath and Sweden's Claes Thörnfeldt. Last-named was already very ill - he should die from cancer some months later - and his brother Stefan came to receive the trophy in his place.

A POST SCRIPT BY JPVR
What hurts me is that the Britons, having always had some of the best racers in the world, never succeeded to win an official World Championship. That's not their fault, it's mine. When in 1985 I patented with Gerard Caupène (F) and Hans van Es (NL) the word "slot-racing" and its derivates before notary Ernst von Tricht we were too much focused on the promotion abilities of model car racing as step in class for youngsters. We thus patented the title in (open G7) wing car racing, in (initially ES32, later ES24) scale racing, in 1/24th model car racing sprint, and in the three presumed promotion classes: model car racing production (initially 1/32nd), Mello Yello worlds for youngsters and model car endurance racing. Now, a quarter century later, we understand that we had to patent at least 132F1 scale racing also as an official world championship together with Group 27 for wing car racing. That historical blunder can no more be corrected.
Since 2003-2005 model car racing is absolutely no longer a step-in class for new slot-racers. The set-up of a competitive model car is at least as difficult as the correct set-up of a G7 car in wing car racing, or a ES24 and ES32 in scale racing.
One of the most painful experiences for me, as an international promoter of all kinds of slot-racing is that the country where slot-racing originated, has a complete wrong idea of actual model car racing. If we wish that the Britons can play in the coming decade a decisive role we must it do now. Indeed, the evolution in model car racing goes so tremendously fast that we risk to sit over ten years with the same situation as in G7, nl. that there are nearly no new comers more as the step-in level is much too high.
For that reason I'll organise half September 2008 an international meeting, where racers from nine nations, having no experience of model car racing, are invited in a competition where they receive RTR top model cars, all assembled by the 2008 Model Car Production world champion Michael Niemas (D) - himself being also a 1/1 racer. Each of the invited nine nations can show with its best four racers racing two cars (2 racers per car) over 5 rounds of 8 x 5 minutes. The nation having collected most points will receive a brand new Steve Ogilvie 45 metre wooden 8-laner which I'll let being built in Canada, before it's shipped over to the winner's country. It is my holy conviction that, when the Britons show with Brian Saunders, James Cleave, Charlie Gooding and an experienced all-rounder (perhaps Dave Harvey) they'll win the track. Now it's up to George Kimber, having some experience with hard bodied model cars, to convince them to make the trip. More info can be found here and there. [JPVR] 

MATTI "ICEMAN" FYHR IS WORLD CHAMPION!

DESPITE HE HAD TO CHANGE A TYRE HE WAS LEADING FROM THE FIRST TO LAST MINUTE

October 17, 2008 - No less than 100 racers start at the official World Championship Scale Racing, already the 22nd in history as can be seen here. Those official Worlds are contested with ES24 cars. At the start five former world champions: Vladimir Horky (CZ) who won in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2005 and 2007; Paul Gawronski (USA) who won in 1999 and 2006; Josef Korec (CZ) who won in 2000; Michael Landrud (S) who won in 2003 and Petr Krcil (CZ) who won in 2004. The Britons never won an officially recognised World Championship (term having been patented in slot-racing affairs in 1985 before notary Ernst von Tricht) and there is only a theoretical chance that they can win this year. They have only two candidate winners: Brian Saunders and James Cleave. Saunders is the organiser and I have enough experience to know very well that organising and winning is an impossible combination. Cleave won earlier this week both the production race and the F1 World Cup, but his ES24 is much too slow to have any winning chances. I don't believe either that Vladimir Horky will win. At the Main of ES32 Matti Fyhr gave him such an uppercut that he's still groggy. He knows that his ES24 car is this year slower than Matti's, thus in his mind - a very typical Slavic mind, the combat is already over. Now he counts on his country mates Josef Korec, Petr Krcil and Antónin Vojtik to hold Matti Fyhr off winning his first official world championship, but he has such a brilliant race instinct to know that they too make no great chances, as their cars too are to slow. Among the Italians Paolo Trigilio won never one of the 18 Scale Racing Worlds he entered, so why should he win tomorrow? After the Italians lost Salvatore Noviello - out with heart problems - the great generation of Sergio Maresca, Alberto Capra, Giovanni Montiglio, Franco Gianotti, Silvio Giacobbi, etc. belongs definitively to the past. Only Piero Castricone is left, but more than a place in the Main he has not to expect. If there is any danger it has to come from Matti's own country mates Justus Pohjasniemi and Atte Lyyski (not from Harri Nykanen performing once more under his intrinsic capacities) and from the Swedes Michael Landrud and Anders Gustafson. And then there is always Paul Gawronski, a born winner: with him one never knows. Of the Latvians only Andris Podosinoviks and Raivis Jansons are doing well. Rage-Ragis feels the weight of the age and Janis Sneiders seems to be rather the man of one lucky shot last year. I miss Ladislav Szalai (SVK) to counter Matti. But if as a bloody egoist you deny that students cannot have ten days free, then you have not to complain that Matti will win this race with the fingers in his nose! Thus go for it, Iceman!

I forgot to mention you that azt this borning day, only the qualifications were a moment of thrill. As could be expected Matti Fyhr was the fastest man in an unbelievable sharp 4"111. Josef Korec (CZ) realised the second best time, but more than one tenth of a second down to the Iceman: 4"245. Third time is for another Iceman, a younger one, Atte Lyyski in 4"339 and Sweden's Michael Landrud in 4"371. Those four racers are free from the Consis. Let's look at the composition of the two higherst Consis.
Consi A: Vladimir Horky (4"435, what a difference with Matti's 4"111), Petr Krcil (CZ), Janis Sneiders (LV), Antónin Vojtik (CZ), Paul Gawronski (USA), James Cleave (GB), Anders Gustafson (S) and Milos Hojer (CZ). That means four Czechs and only one Briton.
Consi B: Andris Podosinoviks (LV), Sandis Spricis (LV), Graham Woodward (GB), Justus Pohjasniemi (SF), Paolo Trigilio (I), Jiri Karlik (CZ), Ross Grogan (CZ) and Miroslav Vadlejch (CZ).
But where is Brian Saunders (GB)? Only in the C Consi with Roger Schmitt (USA), Janis-Rage-Ragis (LV), Steen Michaelsen (DK) and "Gugu" Bernardino. Worse for Piero Castricone (I), condemned to the D Consi. But most bad luck was for Charlie Gooding (GB), having had a miserable time in ES24 with a car not functioning as it should.
After the Consis we were underway for an unbelievable boring number of twelve Consis, with all those back benchers and field fillers being not at their place at a true world championship. Six of those miserable Consis were contested today, six others tomorrow. Rob Lees must be made out of a mixture of pure steel and concrete to watch that sad spectacle without sleeping in. I think we should control that guy: did he find the newest epo? Is he a friend from such bikers as Ricco, Schumacher, that Austrian guy, etc. I mean of all bike racers except two or three? And is it true that Lance Armstrong is his uncle? O, now I understand, then Rob can watch still hundred more Consis if necessary. 
Consis L to G are now over and at least Ian Barker (GB) came in the picture. At the provisional leader board he's now second with 270.15 laps, only headed by Paul Shepherd (GB) with 272.90 laps. For Dolzanskiy (RU, 3rd), Graeme Stephenson (oh, deception, only 5th and virtually out), Erik Noltensmeijer (DK, 6th), Paul Harwood (GB, 8th), the Italians Bertocchi, Merlini, and Baldacchi chances to make the move to the Semis are only theoretical, just as for Peter Verdo (USA) and George Kimber (B), being with 48 racers to go res. 14th and 18th.

You ask me what happened with yesterday's hero, Mike Stahl (USA)? Well, he's not such a fast qualifier as Roger Schmitt (USA), but he seems to be the better racer of the two. He qualified for the D Consi together with Castricone. I expect a fine performance on his behalf tomorrow morning. The other American, William Bugenis didn't start, just as Lee Vince, Greg Harwood, Dave Mayo, David Austin, Chris Thomas, Ovens, etc. So, only 30 Britons at the start, but still 25 too much. And Charlie Gooding (GB)? He had the most impossible race of his life with a non functioning car. After 85 laps he had to retire. Dave Harvey? Also for him, in 1972 still the European Champion Scale Racing, it was that race too much. He lets only 16 racers behind.
Who more are already mathematically out? Kennet Signal (S), Leonida Monti (I), Theo Vanginderhuysen (he won his Consi, and is now 24th on 48), Mia Ekman (S), Rino Frisoli (I),  Cardillo Benedetto (I), Helène Bergman (S), Marcello Costa (I), Marco Viola (I), Bob Hallums (GB), Ben Woodwards (GB, but what an unbelievable poor Worlds for a reigning champion; why he didn't the same as that other failing reigning champion, Greg Harwood, i.e. retiring before being ridiculed), Marion Zenker (D), Berra Ljungdahl (S), Keith Gibson (GB), Günther Zenker (D), and Francesco Barillaro (I). I think, next year, my grandmom should subscribe for the ISRA Worlds. I know, she was 102 and is already 10 years no more under us, but the subscription will be accepted without the smallest problems.
You ask me why all those pics of Matti Fyhr? There are two reasons for that. The first is that he already won the race before the start: without technical woes nobody can beat him. The second reason is that those Britons never change: if they publish a pic on their site it's microscopic, as on Chris Frost's site. Up to now they only published pics from the Black Monster (the track) and from the winners. But where are pics of close combats? Where a pic of the deception on the face of Charlie Gooding after he had to quit the ES race so soon? Where a historical pic of George Kimber, Ian Barker and Dave Harvey, having just finished their last world championship. Where technical pics of the cars, of their chassis, of their motor can? For the rest the communication with the press is excellent. We can follow what happens at MK and updates and results are posted nearly always immediately after. Tomorrow I'll try to follow the rest of the Consis, but at noon I will be away, because Youri is playing soccer. I think I'll be back when the Semis are already over. But now that you already know that Matti Iceman will beat Horky, Korec and Landrud, there is no more thrill no. For me the ISRA Worlds seem already over.

October 18, 2008 - Consis F to C are also over  now and already four racers are sure to make the move: Brian Saunders (GB) who achieved 285 laps, ten more than the second, Jiri Micek sr (CZ), eleven more than the third Mark Harwood (GB), and twelve more than the fourth, Martin Hojer (CZ). For the hero of ES32, America's Mike Stahl, the game was over after 175 laps. Roger Schmitt (USA) finished just ahead over Peter Verdo (USA) in the mid of the pack. But the most important up to now is that Piero Castricone (I) failed to qualify for the Semis.
Consis B has been won by Justus Pohjasniemi (SF) with 296 laps, eleven more than the board leader after ten Consis. Three other entrants of Coinsi B did also better than Saunders: Paolo Trigilio (I), Ross Grogan (GB) and Andris Podosinoviks (LV). Miroslav Vadlejch is out after problems in the fourth and in the last heat. For "Gugu", Rage-Ragis, Daniel Ax and the two Sinisaaris the Worlds are over: a move to the Semis is excluded. Ian Barker (GB) can still hope, just as Christer Helgesson (S), but then not all Consi A racers may do better than them.
Consis A has been won by Vladimir Horky (CZ) with 298 laps, All eight entrants realise the move to the Semis, so that Helgesson and Baker are definitively out. In the Semi A we'll find, later today, Matti Fyhr, Atte Lyyski, Josef Korec, Michael Landrud, Vladimir Horky, Petr Krcil, Paul Gawronski and Pohjasniemi. Cleave will be found in Semi B, just as Saunders. Later more, now I go to see Youri in his weekly soccer match.
I am back from soccer. Youri's team won 3 by 0. Semi C has been won by Jiri Karlik (CZ) after a long combat with Janis Sneiders (LV). They achieved res. 385.17 and 377.73 laps. To me that seems not enough to make the move to the Main. Out are the Britons Mark Harwood (GB), Paul Shepherd (GB) and Graham Woodward (GB).  The Czechs Martin Hojer and Jiri Micek sr and Ihor Kuropiy (UKR) are also out.
In Semi B three racers did better than Karlik: James Cleave (GB) with 395.92 laps, Antónin Vojtik (CZ) with 389.70 laps and Brian Saunders (GB) with 389.59 laps. The others make no chance on the move: Podosinoviks, Trigilio, Gustafson, Milos Hojer and Ross Grogan. That means that we go to a Main without Italians.
In Semi A two of the four racers, having been free from the Consis miss the Main. Josef Korec, the IOC #2, misses the move for ... less than one segment. Michael Landrud - having had but troubles after his fine performance in the team race - came more than 26 laps short to make the move. Of the two brilliant Finnish youngsters Justus Pohjasniemi failed to qualify, but his country mate Atte Lyyski finished third, behind Vladimir Horky and main favourite Matti Fyhr. All three they make the move, together with Paul Gawronski and Petr Krcil.

ISRA WORLDS - 32ND ES32 WORLD CUP - MILTON KEYNES (GB), OCT 15-6, 2008 (IOC-RACE LEVEL 2)

FINLAND RULES: MATTI FYHR BEATS HORKY & VOJTIK

WHAT A SHAME, NO BRITONS, NO SWEDES, NO ITALIANS IN THE MAIN

October 16, 2008 - In total 97 racers entered the ES32. It's already the 32nd in the history of scale racing as can be seen here. The race started already yesterday with the qualifications. Fastest was Matti Fyhr (SF) in 4"920. Three others could place themselves directly for the Semis: Raivis Jansons, the promising young Latvian, in 4"952; Vladimir Horky (CZ) (who won already five times the ISRA ES32 World Cup) in 5"015, and his country mate Antónon Vojtik in 5"039. No less than 13 boring 8 x 3' Consis are now underway. Let's have a look on the composition of the three last Consis, as the semi-finalists come for the great majority from those racers and the four being free of the Consis.
Consi A: Two Czechs (Krcil, Korec), two Britons (Saunders, Graham Woodward), one American (Gawronski), one Italian (Castricone), one Finnish (Pohjassniemi) and one Latrvian (Podosinoviks).
Consi B: Two Swedes (Gustafson, Landrud), one Italian (Trigilio), one Britton (Cleave), one Latvian (Sneiders), one American (Roger Schmitt, who caused a stir by qualifying so good), one Brazilian (Bernardino), and one Czech (Martin Hojer).   
Consi C: De Rosa (I), Spricis (LV), Jogilaine (LV), Harrysson (S), Ellis (GB), Nemira (EE), Milos Hojer (CZ) and Kuropiy (UKR).
Among the better racers having missed the three top Consis we find Vadlejch (31st), Dolzanskiy (33rd), Karlik (only 36th!), Gooding (only 37th), Paul Harwood (38th), Shepherd (39th), Rage-Ragis (only 44th), Harvey (45th), Micek sr (48th), Baker (49th), Helgesson (50th), Greg Harwood (56th), Ben Woodward (62nd), Kimber (72nd - this is his second year too long!), Mark Harwood (86th), Vanginderhuysen (96th: needless to show at a world championship when there is no national competition to practice).  
Consis J to C are now over and we have a very surprising leader, America's Mike Stahl. No one had expected to see them that good at his first Worlds outside the States. He realised a total of 256.39 laps, five more than Atte Lyyski (SF). It's thus not impossible that Mike will realise the move to the Semis. Two Czech top racers - Jiri Karlik and Miroslav Vadlejch - seem on their way to miss the Semis as, with still 16 racers to go they are res. ranked as 6th and 8th on 77. Janis Rage-Ragis (LV) went out after only 20 laps. Several racers are definitively out for the move as they lower than 20th.

Among them we find Ian Baker (GB) as 23rd, Paul Shepherd (GB) as 25th, George Kimber (GB) as 27th, Steen Michaelsen (DK) as 30th, Nikolay Dolzanskiy (RU) as 31st, Christer Helgesson (S) as 32nd, Arunas Leonavicius (EE) as 36th, Graeme Stephenson (GB) as 43rd, Janne Ekman (S) as 47th, Kaiar Tammeleht (LIT) as 49th, Harri Nykanen (SF) as 51st, Ben Woodward!!! (GB) as 63rd, Theo Vanginderhuysen (B) as 64th and Ian Fisher (GB) as one but last after he had to retire after 54 laps. Only a theoretical chance to make still the move have Lars Harrysson (S), Ross Grogan (GB), Greg Harwood (GB), Steve Sargent (GB), Alan Lucas (GB), Mark Harwood (GB), Charlie Gooding (GB), Dave Harvey (GB) and Jiri Micek sr (CZ).
Consis B has been won by James Cleave (GB) with 255.04 laps, what means that with one Consi to go Mike Stahl (USA) is still leader and will make the move to the Semis. Mikael Landrud (S) and Roger Schmitt (USA) finished as last of their Consi and are both out. Consis A went to Josef Korec (CZ) with 261.71 laps. Of this Consi all others make the move to the Main, thus Petr Krcil (CZ), Brian Saunders (GB), Andris Podosinoviks (LV), Paul Gawronski (USA), Justus Pohjasniemi (SF), Piero Castricone (I) and Graham Woodward (GB).
We thus know the composition of the Semis:
Semi A: Matti Fyhr (SF), Rainis Jansons (LV), Vladimr Horky (CZ), Antónin Vojtik (CZ), Josef Korec (CZ), Petr Krcil (CZ), Brian Saunders (GB), and Andris Podosinoviks (LV);
Semi B: Mike Stahl (USA, but what a surprise!), Paul Gawronski (USA), Justus Pohjasniemi (SF), James Cleave (GB), Piero Castricone (I), Martin Hojer (CZ), Atte Lyyski (SF) and 'Gugu' Bernardino (BR);
Semi C: Paolo Trigilio (I, under his standard!), Richard Mack (GB), Anders Gustafson (S), Graham Woodward (GB), Paul Harwood (GB), Sandis Spricis (LV), Jiri Karlik (CZ, but in extremis!), and Janis Sneiders (LV).
That means that we have six racers of Czechia in the Semis, only five on forty from the UK (Saunders, Cleave, Mack, Paul Harwood and Graham Woodward), Four from Latvia (having started with six times less racers than the Britons), three from Finland, two from the States (after the brilliant performance by Mike Stahl), two Italians, only one from Sweden (what goes wrong, guys???), and one from Brazil.
Semi C has been won by Jiri Karlik (CZ) who, having rather miraculously survived the Consis, gave Paolo Trigilio (I) a clear beat by four laps. Karlik realised 334.96 laps against 330.93 for the Italian.  I thus believe that we go to a Main Final without one of the top guns: Trigilio. As Anders Gustafson (S) came no further than 325 laps, the total debacle of the Swedes is now complete. Janis Sneiders (LV) could not confirm his fine third place of last year as he finished only as sixth of the Semi C, even preceded by the two Britons Richard Mack and Graham Woodward. For Paul Harwood and Sandis Spricis the Semi was already over after res. 175 and 100 laps. Curious to see what the great revelation of this race, America's Mike Stahl will realise in Semi B.
In Semi B the best lap totals of the previous Semi were just blown away. No less than five racers did better than Karlik. Winner was Atte Lyyski (SF) with 342.35 laps, followed by Paul Gawronski (USA) with 340.54 laps, Justus Pohjasniemi (SF) with 338.40 laps, James Cleave (GB) with 338.19 laps and ... Mike Stahl (USA) with 355.22 laps. Definitively out are Piero Castricone (I), "Gugu" Bernardino (BR) and Martin Hojer (CZ). Without a miracle James Cleave (GB) will not reach the main, and thus be unable to realise the hat trick. The Britons have now only Brian Saunders left to save their national pride. And to think that they came with 40 racers at the start. They thus could not repeat their excellent performances in 132 F1.
Semi A with no less than four terrible Czechs in now underway. What can Saunders and Matti Fyhr do against the traditional force of the Czechs, masters in ES32? After two hours of waiting it appears that Petr Krcil (CZ) won ahead over Matti Fyhr, Rainis Jansons, Andris Podosinoviks, and Antónin Vojtik. Those six move up to the Main. Lyyski and Gawronski are the only ones making the move from a lower Semi. Josef Korec and Brian Saunders are out. Korec missed the move for a quarter of a lap, Saunders was eliminated with tech problems after 175 laps. What a shame: not one single Briton in the Main!

Main Final with ... 9 racers. Why? At Semi B Gawronski's car was twice launched over the counterdue to a track fault, so he received two laps extra. Heavy protest by Korec who claimed - correctly - that only the lap counter is considered. After a long dispute Rob Lees, the race director, decided that we go for a Main Final with a robin round. Eventually we have four Czechs in the Main (Horky, Korec, Vojtik, Krcil), two Finnish (Fyhr and Pohjasniemi), two Latvians (Podosinoviks and Jansons), one American (Gawronski), zero Britons, zero Swedes and zero Italians and that whilst those three nations showed with the highest number of entrants! Horky is ready for his sixth win in history, but Matti Fyhr is there to stop him!
With racers sitting out it's very difficult to follow, but it seems as Matti Fyhr is flying to victory with four laps more than Krcil. Horky lost somewhere six lap on the Finnish champion! However, after seven of the nine segments Fyhr and Horky have the same total of laps. Krcil leads, but didn't already his sit-out. As he lost ten laps in the previous segment he's only a virtual leader. Vojtik must be third, five laps down to Horky and Fyhr. Gawronski and Lyyski had both problems and are found at the two last places. I hope it'll be Matti, he's such a serious racer. He deserves this victory. Still two segments. He leads Horky - the terrible Horky - by less than one lap. Go for it, Matti! Oh, no problem: with one last segment to go Matti has six laps over Horky. Victory is already in the pocket. It's over: Matti Fyhr (SF) holds the four Czechs behind. Vladimir Horky is second at six laps, Antónin Vojtik is third at eleven laps, Petr Krcil is fourth at 25 laps and Josef Korec fifth at 27 laps. It's Matti's most beautiful victory.  The IOC-list has been updated. [JPVR]

ISRA WORLDS - 16TH 132 F1 WORLD CUP - MILTON KEYNES (GB), OCT 14-5, 2008 (IOC-RACE LEVEL 1)

JAMES CLEAVE WINS 1/32ND FORMULA ONE

SENSATIONAL SEMIS: ALL CZECHS & SAUNDERS OUT!

October 14, 2008 - Today is the most boring day of this year's ISRA Worlds. The entire day is reserved for the qualifications and the Consis of the 132 F1 Race. With more than 60 field fillers on an entry of 92 a lot of time is wasted. Only late this night we'll know who are the 24 Semi finalists. Actually the qualifications should be over, but there is not the smallest info to grasp on the ISRA web site. That too is boring!
We just received the results of the Qualifications. Fastest qualifier in 6"188 was Latvia's Andris Podosinoviks, closely followed by Petr Krcil (CZ) in 6"189, by James Cleave (GB) in 6"190 - what means that the top-3 were split by only 2/1000nds of a second - and Piero 'Il Bandito' Castricone (I) in 6"215. Those four racers are free of the consis with 88 racers fighting for the remaining 20 free places at the Semis.
Interesting is to see who qualified for the Consi A and for the Consi B, as most of the racers who'll make the move to the Semis are to find there. In Consi A we'll find three Czechs (Korec, Horky, Vojtik), one Briton (Saunders), one Brazilian (Bernardino), one Italian (Trigilio), one Finnish (Nykanen) and one Swede (Gustafson). In Consi B we'll find three Britons - F1 is their very speciality - nl. Gooding, Stephenson, Gibson, Chris Tomas, next to two Finnish (Matti Fyhr, Pohjasniemi), one Swedes (Landrud), one American (Gawronski) and one Czech (Vadlejch). Surprisingly Graeme Stephenson (21st), Jiri Karlik (22nd) and Christer Helgesson (24th) could only reach Consi C. Unexpectedly good performances came from Antonio Merlini (23rd) and Roger Schmitt (26th).
After the Qualifications the boring procession of no less than eleven Consis could start. In Consi K to Consi D - 64 racers - we found the majority of back benchers and field fillers. Best of them, with three Consis to go - is Paul Shepherd (GB) with 212.03 laps, followed by Ross Grogan (GB) in 210.82, Reinis Jansons (LV) in 209.92 and Mark Harwood (GB) in 209.04. There is a very small chance that one of them can finish among the top-20 of the Consis. Surprisingly already eliminated seem Nikolay Dolzhanskyi (RU) as provisional 5th on 64, Janis Rage-Ragis (LV) as provisional 6th, Heikki sinisaari (SF) as provisional 11th, Paul Harwood (GB) as provisional 16th, etc.

Of course there was the traditional lot of deceptions among the back benchers. What to think about Dave Harvey (GB), once the best of all British racers, and now eliminated after only 66 laps. Or about such other Britons as Greg Harwood (15th on 64), Ben Woodward (23rd), Ian Baker (30th), Graham Woodward (31st), poor George Kimber (51st), Ian Fisher (52nd). Belgium's lonely hope in scale racing, Theo Vanginderhuysen qualified as one but last and is now provisionally 57th on 64 field fillers. Janis Sneiders completely missed his race and is 18th on 64. The Swedes Daniel Ax and Janne Ekman came no further than 25th and 27th with three Consis to go. And Jiri Micek sr (CZ)? He's a poor 19th on 64. What a deception. There was also a hopeful performance by America's newcomer Mike Stahl: he is actually 22nd, far beyond his own expectations.
Up from Consi C things become more interesting. Indeed the four first at the provisional ranking are, with still 16 racers to go - sure about a place in the Semis. Among those four we find now three Britons: Paul Sheperd who surprisingly holds the lead of the provisional standings, Graeme Stephenson who won the C Consi, and Mark Harwood.
However Consi B blows all things up. That race has been superbly won by Charlie Gooding, taking the lead of the provisional ranking with only one last Consi to go. That means that the top-12 are now mathematically sure to make the move. In that top-12 we find no less than six Britons: Gooding (1), Shepherd (2), Stephenson (4), Ross Grogan (5), Mark Harwood (9), and Keith Gibson (12). O yes, 132F1 will be their race, of those Britons. They were the founders of that class. Others being sure about their place in the Semis are: Paul Gawronski (USA, 3), Miroslav Vadlejch (CZ, 6), Raivis Jansons (LV, 7),  Michael Landrud (S, 8), Nikolay Dolzhanskyi (RU, 10) and Janis Rage-Ragis (LV, 12). Those two last certainly no longer hoped to make the move after their race, but they made it. Lars Harryson (S), Jiri Karlik (CZ)!!! and Justus Pohjasniemi (SF) seem to be the first three to be eliminated after the last Consi. Biggest surprise of the day was the elimination of Matti Fyhr (SF) in the B Consi after technical woes. Roger Schmitt (USA) failed to confirm his good performance at the qualifications and finished as one but last in his Consi. He's now provisionally 55th on 84. Mike Stahl is provisionally 35th.
As could be expected the eight entrants of Consi A all qualified for the Semis. No less than six among them did even better than Charlie Gooding, our provisional leader with one last Consi to go. Vladimir Horky (CZ) was an authoritarian winner with 224.18 laps, followed by his country mate Josef Korec (CZ) with 220.76 laps. Then followed Brian Saunders (GB) with 218.77 laps, Paolo Trigilio (I) with 216.79 laps,  Antónin Vojtik (CZ) with 215.69 laps and "Gugu" Bernardino (BR) with 214.76. Anders Gustafson (S) realised a couple of segments less than Charlie Goofing on the seventh place. Harry Nykanen (SF) finished as last of the A Consi, but with 209.16 laps, he finished as 16 on 88 starters in the Consis. Composition of the Semis for tomorrow is as follows:
SEMI A: from Czechia Petr Krcil, Vladimir Horky and Josef Korec; from the UK James Cleave and Brian Saunders; from Italy Piero Castricone and Paolo Trigilio; and from Latvia Andris Podosinoviks.
SEMI B: from the UK Charlie Gooding, Paul Shepherd, Graeme Stephenson and Ross Grogan; from Brazil "Gugu" Bernardino, from Czechia Antónin Vojtik, from the USA Paul Gawronski and from Sweden Anders Gustafson.
SEMI C: from the UK Mark Harwood and Keith Gibson, from Latvia Raivis Jansons and Janis Rage-Ragis, from Czechia Miroslav Vadlejch, from Russia Nikolay Dolzanskiy, from Finland Harri Nykanen, and from Sweden Mikail Landrud.
That gives no less than 8 Britons (on 35), 5 Czechs (on 12), 3 Latvians (on 6), 2 Swedes (on 9), 2 Italians (on 12), 1 Russian (1 on 1), 1 Brazilian (1 on 1), 1 American (on 5), and 1 Finnish (on 8).
Of the Semi finalists some were not expected to make it. I name Paul Shepherd, Ross Grogan, Keith Gibson, and Raivis Jansons. Seven other racers expected to move up, but failing to do so, were Jiri Karlik (CZ)!, Matti Fyhr (SF), Paul Harwood (GB), Greg Harwood (GB), Ben Woodward (GB), Ian Fisher (GB)and Christer Helgesson (S). Tomorrow we may expect a serious combat among Cleave and Saunders for the OA win, but I still believe that Horky will be the fastest. Wait and see. [JPVR]

October 15, 2008 - Today we may expect a fantastic race in 132 F1. The Semis start already at 7.50am GMT. Unfortunately I am out for the Moneytron II business, and I expect to be only back in the late afternoon. As soon as I am back I'll update this page. Of the 92 entrants already 68 are out, among them 27 Britons (of them 19 could even not finish among the first half), 10 Italians, 7 Swedes, 6 from Finland (what a surprise!), 5 Czechs (the two Hojers, Karlik, Polic and Micek sr),  4 Americans, 3 Latvians, 2 from Denmark, 1 Lithuanian (Nemira didn't start), 1 German, 1 Belgian,  and 1 from Malta. There are too many Britons, Italians and Swedes among the back benchers, making all Consis (later also in ES32 and in ES24) terribly boring: a pure waste of time on racers having absolutely not their place in a representative world championship. Please let them out, next time. They give absolutely no surplus value to this Worlds.
In Semi C Mikael Landrud had a race full of problems, finishing last with 266.94 laps. Victory went to Rainis Jansons (LV) with 283.95 laps, a half lap over Mark Harwood (GB) and more than three laps over  Nikolay Dolzanskiy (RU). Keith Gibson (GB) was fourth. Disappointing race by Janis Rage-Ragis (LV). I discovered only today - 20 years later - that he entered the 1989 Chicago Nats. Jaroslav Vadlejch (CZ) and Harri Nykanen (SF) will have problems to finish among the top-20. Waiting on the B Final.
Semi B was won by iCharlie Gooding, but he was penalised by two laps for an illegal track call. That made him dropping in third position. Victory thus went to Paul Shepherd (GB) with 286.44 laps, ahead over Paul Gawronski (USA) in 285.59 and Gooding in 285.03. It may be feared that Charlie's two lap sanction will cost him a place in the Main. Graeme Stephenson was fourth, heading a disappointing Antónin Vojtik (CZ). The four first of the B Semi are also the four first with still 8 racers to go. Anders Gustafson (S) did hardly better than Landrud, and is definitively out. Gugu Bernardino is out too. Ross Grogan had to retire after 226 laps.
Semi A is underway. What a strange final! Only three make the move: Vladimir Horky (Cz), Josef Korec (CZ), Andris Podosinoviks (LV), Brian Saunders (GB) and Petr Krcil seem all out. Only James Cleave (GB - 294.76 laps), Paolo Trigilio (I) and Piero Castricone (I) seem to make the move. If that is true we'll have a final without any Czech!!! It's too abnormal to believe.  And it is true!!! What happened? I try to find it out. The finalists are Cleave, Shepherd, Gooding & Stephenson for the Britons, Trigilio & Castricone for Italy, Gawronski for the USA and Jansons for Latvia. The most abnormal final in the ISRA history.  Something must have gone wrong. I wait on info. At once nothing on the MK web. Only the result without any comment. What now, Andy Wasserman? Horky, e.g. lost 7 laps from Cleave on lane 2 and again 7 on lane 4. That cannot be normal. Korec lost 7 laps from Cleave on lane 2. And they have the best cars. Can they, at once no longer drive??? Things are what they are and the result has been confirmed. The main final is underway now. It's noon. It seems that nobody will be able to stop Cleave. He's by way the best British racer on the track. I don't see how Castricone, Gawronski or Trigilio can stop him. He'll win with a street length advance. I put his victory already at the front page.
Main Final is halfway when James Cleave leads Piero Castricone by one lap and the fantastic Charlie Gooding by three laps.  That are the three contenders for victory lane, as the fourth, Paul Gawronski, follows already at eleven laps. Paul Shepherd and Jainis Jansons are only competing for the one but last place after a series of technical bothers.  Paolo Trigilio is no longer in the running for a podium place. With two segments to go Cleave has already three laps over Castricone, but the unbelievable Charlie Gooding - a born winner - could keep up with Cleave during the two last segments. He too hangs on three laps. Gawronski is already 13 laps back. Trigilio has passed England's best youngster, Graeme Stephenson, for the fifth place. Gooding must be God if he could win that all-British race. With one segment to go Cleave increased his advance from three to six laps. Gooding and Castricone are battling nose to tail for the second place. Trigilio, on rank 5, has already five laps over Stephenson. During the last segment nothing chances any more. Castricone can hold off Gooding from the second place. He and Charlie finish res. five and eight laps down to James Cleave. Of course he's in the winning mood, and chance is great that for the first time in history he'll win an official world championship. I mean the ES24 Worlds. But let him prior to that win also ES32, making a pure hattrick! [JPVR]

ISRA WORLDS - 18TH PRODUCTION 124 WORLD CUP - MILTON KEYNES (GB), OCT 13, 2008 (IOC-RACE)

CLEAVE/VOJTIK: OVERALL VICTORY AT THE TEAM RACE

Saunders/Vojtik 2nd, Landrud/Hegelsson 3rd, only 1 all-British team in top-10

October 13, 2008 - The ISRA Worlds at Milton Keynes started with the qualifications for the team race. Qualification goes not upon the fastest lap; but upon the number of laps achieved during one minute of racing. Of that one minute 30 seconds are done by the first team mate. Then power goes off during 15 seconds and the second team mate does his 30 seconds. The British way to do, let's say. At those typical British qualifications racers from Finland showed once more that they are among the best of the world. Indeed Matti Fyhr teamed with organiser Brian Saunders took the pole iwith 9.58 laps ahead over Justus Pohjasniemi/Atte Lyyiski, two Finnish youngsters with 9.47 laps. Main favourites (the IOC #1 and IOC #2) Vladimir Horky/Josef Korec from Czechia scored the third place with 9.43 laps. In total 57 teams (114 racers) took the start. Despite their massive show the Britons were not massively in the top-8 going later today to the Final A. James Cleave (GB)/Antónin Vojtik (CZ) finished fifth at the qualifications, what implies that we find only two of the 40 Britons having started in Final A. Raivis Jansons/Ejdijs Zaks from Latvia caused a stir by realising the fourth best time, ahead over Paolo Trigilio (I) and Paul Gawronski (USA) who realised the sixth place at the qualifications. The two last places in the A Final go to Petr Krcil/Jiri Karlik from Czechia and Anders Gustafson/Lars Harryson from Sweden.
The Czech team of Miroslav Vadlejch/Jiri Micek sr disappointed at the qualifications, being only qualified for Final G, the lowest. There, however, they realised 513.55 laps, being the fastest. Here Roger Schmitt/Peter Kerr could realise only 437 laps. The Zenkers, not directly the best representatives for Germany finished as last of the Final G with 300 laps. All finals go over one hour (8 x 7'30"). Good old Antonio Merlini, already present at the real first IMCA Pinky Point races of 1985 at Uden (NL) qualified only for the Final G where he finished among the back benchers. Final F went to Arunas Leonavicius/Simas Nemira with 494 laps. After two heats they are second to Vadlejch/ Micek.  Belgium's Theo Vanginderhuysen failed to convince since he achieved only 401 laps - 37 less than Andy Brown-Searle. No great performance by Mia  Ekman and Berra Ljungdahl, realising only 445 laps. No more info since more than two hours.
Final E has been won by Kari Sinisaari/Heiki Sinisaari from Finland with 494 laps, provisionally good for a third place on 25 teams. I believed that the Sinisaaris were not on the entry list, but they were. My excuses for that mistake. Their show is a plus point for the event. Dave Harvey finished second in the E Final and is provisionally fourth.

The Final D is an important one, as we find such top racers as Charlie Gooding, Gugu Bernardino, Andris Podosinoviks, Janis Rage-Ragis, etc. at the start. As could be expected the provisional first place of Vadlejch/Micek has been overruled at the D Final.  Winners were Podosinoviks/Rage-Ragis with 526.06 laps, provisionally the highest lap total of the day. But also Gooding (what a racer!!!)/Martin Ellis did with their 517.09 laps better than the previous leaders. Gugu Bernardino/Piero Castricone totalised 509 laps and are now provisionally fourth with still 24 teams to go. Initially Castricone/Bernardino were leading, but halfway they were passed by Gooding/Ellis. They seemed to go after a win, when, with one minute to go they were victim of gear problems, letting Podosinoviks/ Rage-Ragis take victory. Two seconds before the end Gooding's car had no more traction and stopped underway. Another British team of Pat Skene/Neil Grogan terribly disappointed with only 449 laps. Kaiar Tammeleht/Margus Jogilaine and David Austin/Paul Austin did much better and are now res. fifth and sixth in the provisional ranking. Harri Nykanen/Atte Hietalahti from Finland could not confirm. Last year Nyka-nen won still the ISRA warm-up race, but since he realised no other top performances.
In Final C we find my good old friend George Kimber. Last year he decided to stop active racing, but that was a drunk man's oak. In the team race he starts with Graeme Stephenson, at my opinion by far the best British youngster.  But ... they failed. Birger Elfstrøm (S)/Steen Michaelsen (DK) won the C-final with 522.36 laps, closely followed by Paul Shepherd/Paul Harwood with 522.10 laps, enough for a provisional second and third place with 16 other teams to go. At least a first fine British performance in the finals. Third place went to Milos Hojer (CZ)/Martin Hojer (CZ), now provisionally fourth. And Kimber, you ask me? Georgie and Graeme came no further than 495.84 laps and are provisionally twelfth.
In Final B much is expected from Mikael Landrud (S), who missed the A Final from a hair. Greg Harwood/Mark Harwood seem here to be Landrud's most feared opponents. Can they make it? You ask me what happened with the ten Americans on the entry list. Well, five of them didn't show, among them - but that's a tradition - Herman James, once more absent after his umpteenth subscription. Herman always subscribes, but never shows. Ray Bishop and Lou Pirro are not found among the starters of the team race. Mike Stahl/Peter Verdo are here. They broke their car and are one but last in the provisional ranking. William Bugenis was team mate of Andy Brown-Searle. He is provisionally 28th on 41. Roger Schmitt raced with Peter Kerr but failed to make it. He finished one place lower than William Bugenis. Only Paul Gawronski is OK. He qualified for the A-Final. But that is what we could expect from a double ISRA world champion, no?

Another thing that seems very British in my eyes - but perhaps is an ISRA custom - is that the laps achieved at the qualifications are added to the laps achieved at the heats. So with 16 racers to go Podosinoviks/Rage-Ragis lead with 534.54 laps, i.e. the 526.08 of Final D plus the 8.46 of the qualifications. I am still waiting the results of the B Final.
It's now midnight and we receive the results of the B-Final. As was expected Mikail Landrud/Christer Helgesson dominated. They achieved 545.48 laps, blowing away Podosinoviks/Rage-Ragis from their first place in the provisional ranking. It's the first fine result for the Swedish racers (massively present) in the finals. Although Greg Harwood/Mark Harwood achieved 15 laps less than the flying Swedes, they too pass the Latvians in the provisional standings. That also implies that we'll have at least one all British team in the top-10, as only 8 teams have to go. Another British team, Alan Lucas/Ross Grogan performed beneath its capacities. They finished third but 40 laps down to the Swedes. Two other British teams did even worse: Graham Woodward/Chris Tomas, finishing at 60 laps, and Ben Woodward/Richard Mack finishing at ... 80 laps. Only the  Italians Sergio Bertocchi/Giancarlo Baldaccini did worse in the B-final, but due to a broken car after 298 laps. The great revelation of last year's ISRA Worlds was Janis Sneiders, now teamed with Sandis Spricis. They too disappointed by finishing at 44 laps from the Swedes. So, no Latvians in the top-10 this year.
Final A is underway. After 3 runs Horky/Korec were leading Saunders/Fyhr by 11 laps and Vojtik/Cleave by 16 laps. At mid-race the Czech IOC1 & IOC2 have achieved already 280 laps, good for a total of 560, 15 laps more than Landrud/Helgesson. Saunders/Fyhr are second at ... two laps, Voktik/Cleave third at six laps. After six segments, with only two to go, Vojtik-Cleave are the new leaders, followed at one single lap by Saunders/Fyhr and at nine laps by the former leaders Horky/Korec. With one segment to go Vojtik/Cleave have two laps over Saunders/Fyhr. As Horky/Korec follow already at 18 laps at least one British racer will be a winner: Saunders or Cleave. I bet on Cleave since he has the best team mate. Although there is still one segment to go I put Vojtik/Cleave already as winners at the IMCA home page. And now I go to sleep, having not the smallest doubt that my prediction was correct. Results & Comments tomorrow. [JPVR]

October 14, 2008 - Vladimir Horky (CZ)/Josef Korec (CZ) were dominating the first half of the race, dropped in third position OA with two segments to go, and in seventh position at the end of the race. Once they lost the lead it was a struggle among the two best Britons - Brian Saunders & James Cleave - having both chosen an excellent team mate: Antónin Vojtik (CZ) for Cleave, Matti Fyhr (SF) for Saunders. Saunders seemed to have made the best choice as Matti Fyhr won earlier already four times the ISRA team race: in 1998, 2000 and 2004 with his brother Einari, in 2005 with ... Brian Saunders (GB). Cleave (in 1997) and Saunders (in 2005) won each once. It's funny to read on the MK web site that the Britons have a new world champion. Up to now the Britons NEVER won an official world championship. The terms "world championship" and "worlds", as used in slot-racing, have been patented in December 1985 before notary Ernst van Tricht and have never been protected for production races with lexan bodies (contested since 1986!), only for production races with hard plastic bodies. At ISRA however, they are above the law, above all patents, certainly if they can claim that a Briton is world champion. If the Britons wish to celebrate an official champion Cleave or Saunders will have to beat Horky, Gawronski, Korec or Trigilio at the ES24 race, being an official world championship since 1986  (thus six years before the foundation of ISRA).
How did Paolo Trigilio (I) and Paul Gawronski (USA) - team mates! - yesterday? They reached the A Final and finished fourth overall, preceded by Landrud/Helgesson. Petr Krcil/Jiri Karlik Petr Krcil/Jiri Karlik from Czechia, seventh at the qualifications, did better at the race, finishing fifth. Three teams having reached that A Final could not confirm their qualification result: Justus Pohjasniemi(SF)/Atte Lyyiski (SF), runner-up at the qualifications, finished sixth OA; Anders Gustafson/Lars Harryson from Sweden, still eighth at the qualifications, finished as 13th; and Reinis Jansons/Zaks Edijs from Latvia, fourth qualifiers, came no further than the fifteenth place.
Of the 39 Britons at the start, 21 - racing on the own holy home ground with similar cars as all others - failed to reach the first half of the ranking. Even worse did the Swedes: of their 15 entrants only five finished in the first half of the ranking. The Italians did hardly better as only 4 of the 10 entrants reached the first half of the ranking. That proves that there are much too much field fillers at the ISRA Nats. Among the absentees we note Glyn Tyler (AU), Alex Leite (BR), Pavel Flaisig (CZ), Karl Keldrima (EE), Ralph Parker (GB), Leonida Monti (I), Marco Viola (I), Ray Bishop (USA), Lou Pirro (USA) and the inevitable Herman James (USA). Click here for all former Production 124 Scale Races. The IOC-list has been updated. [JPVR]

5th EUROCUP 2008- GOTHA, DECIN, BRÜHL, PARDUBICE MARCH 28-NOV 23, 2008 (LEVEL 2  IOC-RACE)

JIRI MICEK SR BEST OVERALL, M. KRAUSE BEST G12

15th BSCRA 124 NATS - AUG 23-24, 2008 (ES24 LEVEL 2 IOC-RACE, OG12 & SALOON LEVEL 3 IOC-RACE)

HORKY, KOREC, KRCIL DOMINATE BSCRA 124 NATS

LANDRUD WINS G12, CLEAVE WINS SALOON AND IS BEST BRITON

September 9, 2008 - Before the mid 1980s there was no scale racing at 1/24th in the UK. Except for wing cars there was exclusively 1/32nd racing where such chassis as the OPP (Ian Jensen) and the 1-0-1 (Dave Harvey) were the most popular. The Britons discovered 1/24th scale racing at the famous Pinky Point Series in 1986 when Dan Debella (Proslot) and Jon Laster (Camen) made the first tripod chassis for 124 cars and used in it open can motors, derived from wing car motors. At the IMCA Worlds in Chicago in 1988 and 1989 such racers as Paul Lyon, George Kimber, Mark Harrison, Steve Walker, Tim Ryan, Chris James and others discovered international scale racing. Up from 1993 the first world championship for ES24 cars are organised by the newly created ISRA In 1994 the BSCRA organises the first 124 Nats for three classes: ES24, 124 G12 and 124 Production/Saloon. Initially there is some interest from other than national racers, but after a couple of years the BSCRA 124 Nats become a typical national event, where nearly exclusively British racers show.
This year things radically changed at the 15th edition of the BSCRA 124 Nats: they are at the same time a warm-up race for the 2008 ISRA Worlds, contested later this year at Milton Keynes. As the races are contested on the same brand new wooden 8-laner which will be used at the 2008 ISRA Worlds, several top-racers of foreign countries wished to test their cars on the new track. The two best ranked racers on the IOC list (IOC = International Overall Classification), Vladimir Horky (CZ) and Josef Korec (CZ) decided to show. Horky won already six times the ISRA Worlds (in ES24), is the defending world champion, won this year also the Wing Car Worlds and wishes to win in October an eighth world champion title. Korec won the ISRA Worlds in 2000 and finished four times on the ES24 Worlds podium. Horky and Korec came together with the 2004 ISRA World Champion Petr Krcil (CZ), with Antónin Vojtik (CZ), Martin Hojer (CZ) and Milos Hojer (CZ). Other Czech top racers as Jiri Karlik (last years vice world champion), Tomas Rosenberg (the 2005 vice world champion), Mikail Radkovic (the 1995 world champion), Jaroslav Recek (the 1996 vice world champion) didn't show.
Italy came with Paolo Trigilio, the IOC #7 and twice vice world champion, and best Italian scale racer after the withdrawal of Salvatore Noviello (triple world champion) and Sergio Maresca (multiple world champion, but four times disqualified after a win). Sergio Bertocchi, Marco Viola, Franz Barrillaro and Marcelo Costa were the Italians showing together with Trigilio. Their second best scale racer, Pietro Castricone didn't show.

Vladimir Horky (left) and Josef Korec - res. the IOC #1 and IOC #2 - dominated the BSCRA 124 Nats. By finishing three times second Korec was the victor ludorum with 6 points. Horky, having realised the ES24 win, a second and a fourth place scored 1 + 2+ 4 = 7 points. Best Briton was James Cleave [5 + 4 + 1 = 10 points] was best British racer. Fourth place went to Trigilio [4 + 4 + 3 = 11 points]. Brian Saunders [7 + 8 + 5 = 20 points] failed to confirm his excellent 2007 results where, of all scale racers, he collected the most points over all 2007 IOC scale races. PICTURE courtesy to BSCRA.

Apart from the 6 Czechs and the 5 Italians there were two Americans (Roger Schmitt and Mike Stahl), two Swedes (Mikael Landrud - the 2003 world champion) and Christer Helgesson), two Germans (Günther and Marion Zenker), and Pedro Mizerela (at least back in international racing!) from Portugal. That makes 18 foreign racers in total, a record in BSCRA 124 Nats racing. If I counted correctly there were 65 different starters, thus 47 Britons. Among them the nearly complete older generation with Dave Harvey, Charlie Gooding, George Kimber, Bob Hallums, Keith Gibson, Ian Fisher, Ian Barker, Alan Lucas, Andy Brown-Searle, Steve Sargent, etc. Among the younger generation we found the classical values: Brian Saunders, James Cleave, Graham Woodward and the three Harwoods, but no Paul Shepherd (last year good for two podiums at the BSCRA 124 Nats). The youngest generation was present with Ben Woodward, Graeme Stephenson (in the official results they spell it as "Stevenson") and Sandy Parker. Only Will Stemman - last year's revelation - was not there. Everybody was curious to see what the 2008 BSCRA 132 champions - James Cleave, Ben Woodward and Greg Harwood - are worth in actual 1/24th racing.

JAMES CLEAVE WINS PRODUCTION/SALOON
At the BSCRA 124 Nats the qualifications decide who has to start in which heat, with the slowest qualifiers in the first heat and the fastest qualifiers in the last heat. In production one has to race stamped chassis with handout motors. Fastest qualifier was James Cleave (GB) in 5"952, ahead over Josef Korec (CZ), Paolo Trigilio (I), Brian Saunders (GB) and ... Dave Harvey (GB). We have to go back to the late 1980s to find Dave so well placed in an international contest. With his fifth place he gave full evidence that he remains one of the best British racers. Harvey even preceded Vladimir Horky (CZ) having clocked the sixth best time.    Mikael Landrud (S) failed to qualify for the A heat. By winning the B heat he realised the sixth best total of laps. The four fastest qualifiers plus Horky realised the highest number of laps. That implied that top qualifier James Cleave (GB) achieved most laps and won the race, with Josef Korec (CZ) as runner-up, Paolo Trigilio (I) as third, Vladimir Horky (CZ) as fourth and Brian Saunders (GB) as fifth. By finishing seventh overall Dave Harvey (GB) confirmed his fine performance of the qualifications. None of the BSCRA 132 champions other than Cleave performed well: Greg Harwood came no further than 14th, Ben Woodward no further than 39th. 

MIKAEL LANDRUD WINS 124 OG12 RACE
For all other "oldies" than Dave Harvey the Saloon race was unsuccessful. Charlie Gooding was only 33rd, George Kimber only 35th, Bob Hallums  only 36th and Ian Barker only 40th: performances far under their racing capacities. So they all hoped to do better at the 124 OG12 Race. However none of them reached after the Qualifications the A or B Heat. Best of the oldies was again Dave Harvey, but only as first of the C heat (17th time). Only Steve Sargent (11th time) and Keith Gibson (15th time) reached the B Heat, but not of great avail since they finished as low as res. 24th and 33rd. For Charlie Gooding (20th time) the race was a nightmare: after lots of tech woes he finished 55th. The other good old values of British racing all failed to convince with Kimber as 19th, Lucas as 21st, Harvey as 23rd, and Barker as 35th.
Everybody expected that the winner was to be sought among the finalists of the A heat. Here top qualifier Vladimir Horky (CZ) was beaten by ... only one segment by Josef Korec (CZ), with James Cleave (GB) and Paolo Trigilio (I) tied on the third place of the A Final. Howebver, then it appeared at once that Sweden's Mikail Landrud, who won the B Final, had achieved one lap more than Korec, so that he and not Korec was the winner. For Landrud it was his second victory in an important international race for he won already the 124 OG12 at this year's Swedish Masters.
Young Martin Hojer (CZ) and Antónin Vojtik (CZ) realised the sixth and seventh place, letting Brian Saunders (GB) behind on place 8. Nice performance by Christer Helgesson (S), already eleventh in the saloon race and now ninth. Sergio Bertocchi (I) and Petr Krcil (CZ), who both started in the A Final, failed to confirm and finished res. as 17th and 12th.
Seen the quality and quantity of the entries the two first races of the 2008 BSCRA 124 Nats were graded up as IOC-events of level 3, i.e. good for res. 10, 7½, 6, 4½, 3, 1½, 1 and ½ IOC points. That's half of the IOC points for a level 2 race such as the ES24 Race at the BSCRA 124 Nats. If, in the future, organisers can maintain a good international entry the Saloon/Production and the OG12 Race at the BSCRA 124 Nats will maintain that level 3 status in the years to come. The IOC list is a PERMANENT ranking of all slot-racers since 1970. Actually more than 1000 different racers are ranked as can be seen here.

ES24 TO VLADIMIR HORKY
At the qualifications of the ES24 Race Vladimir Horky (CZ) was 16/100 of a second faster than James Cleave (GB). Although Charlie Gooding (GB) could only qualify for Final he proved to be still competitive as he finished eighth overall, only preceded by James Cleave (GB - 5th), Alan Lucas (GB - 6th) and Brian Saunders (GB - 7th) of his country mates. Of the 'oldies' Graham Woodward (GB -10th), George Kimber (GB -12th), Dave Harvey (GB - 13th), Bob Hallums (GB - 14th) and Ian Barker (GB - 15th) all performed well this time, showing the youngsters that they are still there. Of those youngsters Ben Woodward (GB) was eleventh, but Graeme Stephenson (GB) had once more back luck - just as last year at the ES24 Worlds in Slovakia - as he had already to retire after only 17 laps. Bad luck too for Mikail Landrud (S), retiring after 76 laps.
The race was completely dominated by the Czechs realising the three first places with Vladimir Horky (1st), Josef Korec (2nd) and Petr Krcil (3rd). They even could have made it a top-4 if Antónin Vojtik (CZ) had not to retire after 237 laps. Among the non-Czechs Paolo Trigilio (I) was four segments faster than James Cleave (GB). We noted a couple of fine results of foreign racers at the ES24 with Roger Schmitt (USA) finishing as 18th and Portugal's Pedro Mizerela as 25th.
Up to now the Britons won NEVER an official world championship [In scale racing only ISRA's ES24 is an official world championship conform with the stipulations in the patent on that word in 1985.] After the BSCRA 124 Nats we see only one Briton able to fight for victory at the 2008 ISRA Words, contested on the same track: that is James Cleave. Of all others Brian Saunders could have been a second candidate if he was not at the same time organiser of the 2008 ISRA Worlds. We all know that organising AND racing at the same time is a nearly impossible combination. So we don't believe in Saunders's chances. Compared to the terrible Czechs Cleave stands where Trigilio always stood: just one step lower and probably not high enough to beat them. The problem with Cleave is that he has no great international experience and that his cars are not so perfectly tuned as the cars of the Czechs. So I am afraid that despite of contesting the worlds at the holy home ground, the Britons will fail once more to win the ISRA World Champion-ship. It should be a great surprise if someone could hold off Horky to win at Milton Keynes his seventh Scare Racing World Championship [JPVR]  

3RD NORTHERN EUROPE ISRA NATS AT ATVIDABERG (S) - JUNE 13-14, 2008 (ES24 IS AN IOC-RACE)

ANDERS GUSTAFSON WINS ES24 RACE

Gustafson wins also 132F1 - ES32 to Janis Rage-Ragis

August 13, 2008 (two months late!) - The Northern European ISRA Championship - third edition - is the one but last race before the ISRA Scale Racing Worlds from October 11 to 19 at Middleton Hall of Milton Keynes in England. Indeed, this year there will be no specific ISRA Warm-Up race, as organised the last years: that warm-up race will now be the BSCRA 124 Nats at Cranfield near Milton Keynes. It was always said that this race should be contested on the new Worlds track (with no less than three bridges - en avant les track calls!) but it is not sure if the new track will be painted and braided in time. Let's hope it will be so. Contrarily to other years it's difficult to say if the tandem Vladimir Horky and Jozef Korec can be beaten at the Milton Keynes Worlds as, up to now, they were not seen in international competition for scale cars (only in wing car racing, where Horky won his seventh world championship, an absolute record in the history of slot-racing). The good news is that both will enter this year's BSCRA Nats within a week. Unfortunately that race, as well as the USRA Div 1 Wing Car Nats the ... same week, are organised when I am on holidays in the Southern of France. Having done this web site completely alone during more than eight years, I wish to respire after I withdrew from international slot-racing as organiser. So one'll have to wait mid-September before I can make a report on those two very important meetings.
At the Atvidaberg NEC we found racers from Latvia (6, among them Janis Sneiders, the revelation of the 2007 Revuca ISRA Worlds), from Estland (1), from Finland (7, among them Matti Fyhr, making his come-back after his victory at the Swedish Masters, and Harri Nykänen, last year's NEC winner), from England (only 2, but with the new BSCRA champion, young Ben Woodward), and of course a majority of racers from Sweden. There were no racers from Denmark (after Lars Norkjaer retired from active racing), from Norway (being more and more oriented to model cars) and of Lithuania.
Anders Gustafson, the former wing car racer, and ex-ESROC Nats winner, proved at the 3rd NEC that he's ready for the upcoming worlds: he won both the ES24 and the ES32 race. In ES24 Lasse Åberg (S) and Matti Fyhr (SF) had both technical problems, finishing among the back benchers. Daniel Ax (S) and Kaiar Tammeleht (EE) caused a rtir by finishing as second and third. Last year's winner Harri Nykänen (SF) - last year very disappointing at the Revuca ISRA Worlds - seems having recovered since he finished among the top-8. Not fully convincing - and this already the whole season - is ex-world champion Michael Landrud, finishing only 13th. After his 124 G12 victory at the Swedish Masters, early this year, he failed to convince. At the NEC he was fastest qualifier in 4"373 but had to retire after 318 laps (again with technical problems). Not convincing too was Janis Sneiders, last year still a surprising third at the ES24 Worlds in Slovakia, but now only 17th. Another youngster having been brilliant at the 2007 ISRA Worlds, Mikael Pamqvist (S) realised the fourth best time at the qualifications, but was eliminated by technical problems after 263 laps.
At the ES32 race Anders Gustafson, having as lonely one TQ-ed under the 6 seconds, was involved in a close combat with ex-double world champion wing car racing Lasse Åberg (S), finishing two laps ahead over him. Here the third podium place went to Andris Podosinoviks (LV). Landrud, Sneiders, Ben Woodward, Nykänen and Kari Sinisaari (SF) all performed far beneath their own racing capacities.
The 132 F1 race was a typical Latvian affair. Good old Janis Rage-Ragis (LV) won, more than a full lap over his country mate Andris Podosinoviks. By realising the third place Ben Woodward (GB) gave full evidence that his win at the BSCRA Nats was not a lucky shot. He can be one of the best British racers at the upcoming ISRA Worlds at Milton Keynes. Janis Sneiders (LV) at least showed a glimpse of his racing talents by finishing fifth. More convincing to me was Mikael Pamqvist (S), who after a fourth place in ES32 was now sixth. At any rate he was the best youngster of the meeting. Fine perfo