38th USRA WING CAR NATS - KATY, TX (USA): G7PRO, August 24, 2008 - IOC RACE level 1

CHUBBY WINS THE RACE P-A NEVER SHOULD HAVE LOST

Reggie Coram wins G27 Pro and James Grinstead wins G7 Semi-Pro

September 9, 2008 - There was a time that the USRA G7 Pro Wing Car Nats was the most important race of the year, even more important than the Wing Car World Championship. From 1971 thru 1991 the USRA Nats was a typical American racing event, where only American and Canadian racers showed. Up from 1992 some of the best European wing car racers - among them Martin Gramann (A) - showed at the Nats. In 1993 the same Gramann - having already reached the main one year earlier - finished as runner-up to P-A Watson, winning that year his fourth Nats. Inspired by Gramann's example European top-racers went in steadily larger number to the USRA Nats. In 1994 Mario "MSP" Schöne (D) finished as runner-up to Ralph Morella. 1995 was the first year that American wing car racers - having dominated wing car races since a quarter of a century were beaten for the first time by a non-American racer at their own Nats. Indeed Martin Gramann (A) won ahead over Paul Cicarello (USA), with Mario Schöne (D) finishing as third and Dieter Jens (D) - the later model car racer - as fourth. Up from now European racers were year after year massively present at the Nats. Among them Mario Schöne reached five times the main until 2000, Vlado Okali (SVK) three times, Juha Ylisipola (SF) twice. In 2001 Schöne realised his sixth main final at the Nats and now he won ahead over seven of the best American wing car racers. In 2003 European top-racers as Mikail Silén (S), Vladimir Horky (CZ) or Josef Korec (CZ) came to the Nats and Silén won. It was the last year that other Europeans than Schöne and Okali came to the Nats. Up from 2006 Okali was the last European showing at the Nats.
We can say that up from 2004 the Nats became less important than the Worlds, that the Nats were no longer the crown jewel of international slot-racing. Meanwhile wing car racing lost on popularity in the rest of the world and ISRA scale racing became more and more popular, just as if wing car racing was at once no longer the F1 of slot-racing. With the USRA Nats things went downwards. Number of entrants dropped from 32 in 2006 to 25 in 2007 and 23 this year. Trendsetters as Paul Ciccarello (USA), Greg Mills (CDN), Mario Schöne (D), Vladimir Horky (CZ), Mikail Silén (S) did no longer show, and it looked as if the Nats became up from then the absolute monopoly of the unbeatable Paul "Beuf" Perdersen (USA), who won in 2006 his fifth USRA Nats - once more than P-A Watson (USA). Fortunately a young boy, having just won the Barnburner G7, came to replace Greg Mills. His name? Joe "Chubby" Salzman (USA) and to the stupefaction of the whole world he succeeded to stop "Beuf", by beating him at the 2007 USRA Nats. At least wing car racing had a new star. It was generally expected that he should show up from then at all important wing car races. But it didn't happen. After his fantastic win at the 2007 USRA Nats he was no more seen in competition. What happened? His mom was very unhappy that he was wasting his time as an unemployed young guy in just a stupid thing as driving slot cars. His mom insisted that he should go out working. And Chubby, he found a job, and he was no more seen along the tracks.
At the start of this year's Nats it was generally expected that Chubby, inactive since a full year, should no longer show. Was he still racing? Or did he retire just as Chicky and Greg Mills did before? No Chubby at the Craig Landry Memorial, no Chubby at the OMO G7 race, no Chubby at the G27 Pro race. But then at once Chubby showed for the main event. Only a few racers believed that he could do over his tour de force of last year.Already at the first segment he lost 11 laps (on purple) on P-A Watson (on orange), being third. After two segments he was still third, now at 10 laps from Shelby Thomas (USA) and 8 laps of P-A. After three segments, still the same situation: Chubby as third, 8 laps down to Shelby, 7 to P-A. Things went not better at mid-race as P-A was leading Shelby by 8 laps, Chubby by eleven and "Beuf" by twenty-two. At the dramatic fifth segment - where P-A was stolen after no track-call when his car tangled with the t-shirt of a turn marshal - Chubby moved into second position, five laps down to Shelby, but 18 laps more than "Beuf". At the sixth segment it looked as things were over for Chubby: having realised only 135 laps he was on once - with two segments to go - 14 laps down to Shelby Thomas, with only 6 laps more than "Beuf", who is always a terrible finisher. Then Shelby lost it all at the one but last segment, having realised only 91 laps. At once Chubby was the new leader, followed at 17 laps by "Beuf". And "Beuf" he made a terrible last segment, could undo 15 laps of its 17 laps arrears, but finished two small laps behind a superior Joe "Chubby" Salzman, winning his second USRA Nats in a year, and this after a sabbath year! Despite that splendid performance, P-A Watson remains for me the moral winner of this year's USRA Nats. A track call after the t-shirt incident could have resulted in a different race at the last stages.

Let's be objective. The 2008 USRA Nats was no great edition. Number of potential winners was restricted to three: "Beuf", Chubby and P-A, with Les Wright, Vlado Okali and Shelby Thomas as outsiders. Wright finished as fifth and Shelby Thomas could have won without that for him so dramatic seventh segment. Okali - having had already bad luck at the G27 Pro main final, where he had to retire after ... one lap with a bent chassis, was victim of new technical woes at the Semis.
"Gugu" Bernardino (BR) and Forrest Watchers (USA) were victims of the terrible Semi A, where opposition was much stronger than in Semi B. Gugu, e.g. achieved six laps more than good old Vince Brown (USA) in the other Semi, but missed the move.
Compared to other years OWH reports on the 2008 USRA Div 1 Nats were rather poor. We missed Paul Kassens's traditional picture gallery (there was even not one pic of the prize giving ceremonial in the different classes). Kassens himself found no budget to show - just as one of the sponsors! - and could not make the report himself. At a given moment there was a disgusting thread on the Chubby incident. During the one but last segment a marshal threw his car when Chubby had still the controller in his hand. So the controller fell on the track. At the OWH some one - not a direct friend of Chubby - found it necessary to suggest that Chubby did it intentionally and that Shelby Thomas hit the controller, wasting all his winning chances. Summit was that the so-called reporter was even not present at the race!
Bill W.H. Skinner (USA) failed to confirm the tremendous progress he realised last year. In the G27 Pro race he failed to make the main and in the Semi B of the G7 Pro race he missed the move, finishing fifth behind Vince Brown.

Attendance at the Group 27 Pro Race was restricted to 16 racers. The main favourites were Les Wright (USA), Vlado Okali (SVK) and Bill W.H. Skinner (USA). However, when Reggie Coram (SM) realised a very sharp 1"562 at the Qualifications, everyone understood that he was the man to beat. At the race Coram confirmed that he had the perfect motor. He won in 892 laps, a new track record. His runner-up was Richard Curnutte (USA). The Brazilians Jose Mario Pires Serra - earlier winner of the Craig Landry Memorial - and Emerson Fischler finished res. third and seventh. "Gugu" Bernardino missed as first the main final. On the OWH we could find only the top-8, no complete results of the two Semis. That is a race with IOC-status unworthy.

At Group 7 Semi-pro Felipe Silva [or is it Philippe Silva?] could not repeat his excellent performance at the OMO Group 7 race. He finished third overall. Winner was James Grinstead (USA). Just as last year Marcelo Triginelli (BR) reached the main. Runner-up was Scott Smith (USA) coming 18 laps short to reach victory lane. There were only 15 entries, the lowest attendance since years.

In wing car racing only two IOC-races are still on the 2008 calendar: the Campeonato Brasileiro in November and the German Wing Car Masters at Brühl in December. It's a pity that there was this year no confrontation of the best European wing car racers as Horky, Korec, Hongisto, Yli-Sipola, Silén, etc., and the best American wing car racers as "Beuf" Pedersen, "Chubby" Salzman, P-A Watson, Les Wright, Forrest Watchers, etc. When someone will organise a new Ultimate Wing Car Race. Since 2004 the best wing car racers of the old and the new continent were no longer seen in a direct confrontation. [JPVR]

38th USRA WING CAR NATS - KATY, TX (USA): ONE MOTOR RACE, August 21, 2008 - IOC RACE

FELIPE SILVA CAUSES A STIR BY WINNING OMO G7

August 22, 2008 - This year's USRA Wing Car Nats - already the 38th in history - are organised at P-A Watson's hyper fast Blue King. P-A Watson himself is a legend in wing car racing, and belongs with Jon Laster, Jan Limpach, Mike Swiss and Paul Pfeiffer to the most successful wing car racers of the past. Contrarily to the others he's still an active racer upon today. [Remark that the triple world champion and triple USRA Nats winner Paul, Pfeiffer came out of retirement this year.]
The last 25 years I made time after time a nearly on line report on the USRA Nats. This will be the first year that I am unable to do so as, this evening, I go on holiday and'll miss the G27 Pro race, the Semi-Pro Open G7 and the Pro Open G7. Of course you can find results of those races on line at Paul Kassens's OWH web site. As soon I'll be back from my trip (by September 8) I'll complete the results of the three main races. Curious to see if "Beuf" Pedersen will be able to beat the nearly holy P-A Watson on his home track?
The great popularity of P-A Watson, who won in 1988 at Toulouse the G7 Worlds organised by IMCA - can explain why so many old glories showed already at the first races of the 2008 USRA Nats. Among them we find Paul Pfeiffer, Stuart Koford, Per Persons (S), Nick Csercics, Vince Brown, Ron Fleck, Gary Gerding, etc.
The emotional moment of the Nats was certainly the Craig Landry Memorial. Here Craig's mom and Craig's wife were present, showing with donuts for all entrants. One remember that Craig Landry passed away on July 15 of last year. He was the inventor of the famous ZAP chassis, having won hundreds of races. The Memorial race was won by Jose Maria Serra of Brazil, letting Gary Gerding 50 laps down on the second place. Fastest time - as he did so many times in his career - went with 1"520 to Gary Puetz, the former world record holder.
Most important race up to now was the One Motor G7 Race with 38 entrants, among them 10 Brazilians, 1 Swede, 1 Slovak and 1 from Sint-Maarten Island. Here victory went to Felipe (Phillippe?) Silva, a new name in wing car racing. He qualified among the top-8 and could start in the last of the five heats. Biggest surprise was that he - who also TQ-ed - was four laps faster than the nearly unbeatable Paul "Beuf" Pedersen. Third place went to the winner of the Craig Landry Memorial, Jose Mario Serra of Brazil. Another Brazilian - all-rounder "Gugu" Bernardino realised the fourth place ahead over Vlado Okali and Reggie Coram. Second American in the OMO G7 was Zac Grinstead. Among the old glories ex-world champion Stu Koford was three laps faster than Paul Pfeiffer.
John Waller won International G15 for pros, beating Doug Bauer from New York and Rich Curnutte.
Cobalt G12 Pro went to "Beuf" Pedersen, beating Vince Brown by eleven laps. The Open G7 Warm-up Race went to Forrest Watchers ahead over the Brazilians Rodrigo Mastrochirio and Marcelo Triginelli. Canada's Brad Friesner won Group 12 Pro with a new track record of 544 laps, three laps ahead over Richard Curnutte and seventeen over Larry Langdon. [JPVR]

39th EUROPEAN G7 WING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP - LAHIA (SF), March 15-16 - IOC RACE

LEO HONGISTO WINS HIS 3RD WING CAR EURONATS

March 17, 2008 - Up to yesterday the following racers won three times the European G7 Wing Car Championship: Bernd Möbus (D) in 1973-1981-1985; Lasse Åberg (S) in 1986-1987-1988; Vladimir Horky (CZ) in 2000-2002-2004 and Juha Yli-Sipola (SF) in 1995-1996-2007. Only Mario "MSP" Schöne (D) won four times: in 1990-1991-1997 -1998. Now we have a fifth racer having won three times the European G7 World Championship. It concerns Finland's Leo Hongisto who won earlier in 1995 and 1996. Shortly after his second win Hongisto quit wing car racing and switched to R/C racing. In 2004 he made his come-back reaching a first summi end 2007 when he won the German Wing Car Masters ahead over Vladimir Horky. Yesterday, on the "slow" Blue King of Lahia in Finland he could beat Horky again, winning his third European Championship.
We found 31 racers at the start, half of them (15) being from Finland. Sweden was present with 6 racers (Lasse Aberg being absent). From the 10 others 2 came from Czechia (Josef Korec being absent), 2 from Germany, 2 from the USA (Skinner and Mack), 1 from Slovakia and 1 from Brazil. Biggest deception was that Mario "MSP" Schöne (D) didn' show at Lahia (whilst at the end of 2007 he was present at the German Wing Car Masters in Brühl). Another important absentee was Petteri Pirhonen (SF).  The poverty of European wing car racing was once more evident at Lahia, since wing car racing remains restricted to Finland, Sweden, Czechia, Germany and Slovakoia. Compared to 25 years ago we lost wing car racers from Holland, from Portugal, from Spain, from Austria, from Switzerland, from France, from Italy and from Norway. We cannot be blind for the anaemia of wing car racing. Earlier this year only six racers showed at the famous Barnburner in the States. Especially in Europe number of Blue King tracks dropped from year to year. Symptomatic for the crisis in wing car racing is that IMCA finds nobody who wishes to receive for free a brand new ultra fast Blue King, even not at Zlin, having closed its doors. The major problem is that a Blue King track needs a large race location, that the rents for such locations are high, and that the number of typical wing car racers in Europe drops from year to year. The success of wing car racing in Finland and Sweden cannot hide that wing car racing is dying in the rest of Europe, where scale racing and model car racing are several times more popular.

Contrarily to previous years we received not the smallest information concerning the European Championships. Indeed organisers preferred to inform ... an American web site but not the most consulted web site in ... Europe: IMCA's. Strange organisers who try to tell the rest of the world that this were only the 30th Wing Car EuroNats in history. As can be seen at our page on earlier results, the Wing Car EuroNats are the oldest in the world, with a first edition in 1970 (whilst the oldest G7 USRA Nats dates from 1971).

26th EUROPEAN G27 WING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP - LAHIA (SF), March 15 - IOC RACE

GOOD OLD VLADO OKALI WINS G27 EURONATS

March 17, 2008 - One can hardly say that the organisers of the ESROC Nats respected the traditional press relations ESROC always had. Results were even not published on their proper web site but exclusively at the OWH. But at the OWH we could only read the names of the 8 first in G27 (even the number of achieved laps or the number of entrants at the ESROC G27 were not published). All we know is that Vlado Okali (SVK) won ahead over Bill W.H. Skinner (USA) and Mikaél Silen (S). Earlier a One Motor Group 7 race with 33 entrants was contested. Here Vladimir Horky (CZ) was the winner ahead over Vlado Okali (SVK) and Mikaél Silén (S). The complete result of the ESROC OMO Race can be found on Paul Kassens's OWH. [JPVR]

32nd AUSTRALIAN G7 WING CAR NATS - DANDENONG, VICTORIA (AU), March 22-23 - IOC RACE

"MISTER TIM" TYLER DOES IT AGAIN!

He wins the best attended Australian Nats of the last 20 years!

April 3, 2008 - After having won the Australian Nats in 2003 and 2006, Tim Tyler finished last year as third to Ivan Wearne. Earlier, in 2005 he was runner-up to Vlado Okali in 2005. In 2004 he finished as runner-up to Geoff Little. In 2002 he was runner-up to Peter Dight. That means that at all entries he finished among the top-3. This year, in the best attended Australian Nats since at least 210 years, he had no ^problem to beat Brazil's Jose Mario Serra and good old Wayne Bramble. The last one is together with Dennis Traeger and Peter Dight one of the icons of Australian wing car racing. Tim Tyler seems on his way to join the famous trio. After the 32nd Australian Nats Tyler is the best ranked Australian racer in the IOC-list. He collected already 131 IOC points (against 168.5 for Wayne Bramble). Tyler is also a good model car racer. At the upcoming IMCA Worlds he can win enough IOC-points to pass Bramble as best IOC-ranked Australian racer.
This year all the best Australian wing car racers, being still active, were at the start. Among them also the 2007 Australian champion Ivan Wearne. Unfortunattely he missed the main final for 33 laps in Semi A. Two other well-known Australian racers - "Stumpy" and Geoff Little - missed the main too. In the main - full of crashes - Tim Tyler had no problems to let Jose Mario Serra nearly 100 laps behind.
At the 32nd Australian Wing Car Nats, the old 1"633 record has been improved by Carl Nielsen, realising a fastest lap in 1"592. No other racers went under the old record. [JPVR]

4TH OMO G7 WORLD CUP AT THE 2008 WING CAR WORLDS BRÜHL (D) May 24, 2008 - IOC RACE

VLADIMIR HORKY TOO STRONG FOR ALL OTHERS

Far behind, Mikael Silén and Vlado Okali realise 2nd and 3rd place

July 2, 2008 - Something goes wrong with international wing car racing. If one looks at the number of entrants at the Wing Car Worlds in Brühl, Germany, one wishes to say that everything is great, since number of entries is the highest since Chicago 1989. But in Chicago we found racers from no less than 16 countries. Now things have radically changed. There is no more G27 and G7 wing car racing in France, in Holland, in Austria, in Italy, in Japan, in Norway, in Spain, in Canada, etc. Let's look at the entry list for the OMO G7 race at Brühl. Of the 46 entrants 16 are from Finland, 11 from Germany, 7 from Sweden, 5 from the USA, 4 from Czechia, 2 from Brazil and 1 from Slovakia. That makes only 7 nations. Yes, there is still some wing car racing in Portugal, but on such old Blue King, that nobody there is competitive. And yes there is some revival of wing car racing in Germany, now they have a fast King track at Brühl. But apart from the USA, Brazil, Finland and Sweden it's no longer possible to organise a national competition. Take the former Czechoslovakia: here we find always the same five racers: Vlado Okali, Vladimir Horky, Josef Korec, Zdenek Benes and Petr Krcil. That it is. The noble wing car sport - highest level of slot-racing, is dying. It's dying for two major reasons. (1) Prices of real estate overall in the world were going up so fast that rents for decent locals hosting a Blue King track are no longer affordable. Number of Blue King tracks in the world is decreasing since years. (2) Prices of race materials are so high that several racers retired from active racing.
At IMCA we tried to open a wing car school where young racers are teached how to do the set-up of competitive wing cars. We even proposed to give for free our own brand new King track, but absolutely nobody is interested in other countries than the USA, Brazil, Sweden or Finland. Of course the school should be installed in such country where there is no longer descent wing car racing. But in Belgium, Holland, Austria, Italy, France, etc. interest is nil.
The very truth is that there is no longer such a thing as a "world championship" for wing car racers. A world restricted to only seven countries is a caricature of the real world.
At the OMO G7 Race Vladimir Horky was the fastest qualifier in 1"759, closely followed by his country mates Petr Krcil and Josef Korec. Surprisingly Klaus Wickert - no more seen in wing car racing from 1986 thru 2007 - realised a fine eighth place. Expected starter was Ralph Klose, however he didn't enter the OMO G7 Race.

Jeff Mack (USA) didn't start. Reigning world champion Paul "Beuf" Pedersen (USA) didn't show to defend his title. After all heats, except the last and highest one, we found Mikael Silén (S) leading with 870 laps, followed by Jose Mario Serra (BR) with 854 laps, the reigning (and triple) European champion Leo Hongisto (SF) with 851 laps, Atte Hietalahti (SF) with 850 laps and  the local Heiko Thinschmidt with 849. Of the 8 starters at the highest heat the Czechs Petr Krcil and Josef Korec were eliminated on technical woes. Earlier we lost already Klaus Wickert (D), later former world and European champion Juha Yli-Sipola (SF). So the highest heat resumed in the latter stages in a competition among Horky (CZ), Okali (SVK), Porttinen (SF) and Mario "MSP" Schöne. Vladimir Horky (CZ) let them not the smallest chance finishing 30 laps or more over the 3 others. [JPVR]

23RD WORLD CUP G27 AT THE 2008 WING CAR WORLDS BRÜHL (D) May 23, 2008 - IOC RACE

VLADIMIR HORKY GIVES THEM ALL A SHARP LESSON

Heiko Thinschmidt causes a stir by finishing as runner-up

July 4, 2008 - 32 racers entered the G27 World Cup Race. Among them 10 racers from Germany,5 from the USA, 6 from Sweden, 4 from Czechia, only 4 from Finland, 2 from Brazil and 1 from Slovakia. G27 specialist Stefan Thörnfeldt was absent. Among the non-starters we noted Mario "MSP" Schöne. Sensation at the Qualifications where good old Per Persson noted the second best time (1"843). Pole position went again to Vladimir Horky in 1"830.
We received no details on the Quarters, the Semis and the Main. PR-man at Alsdorf was Klaus Jungblut, worse than the poorest amateur in that kind of things. He felt it not necessary to send us the smallest mail. For him it was enough that the Americans were informed, and restricted his contribution to some confusion mails to Paul Kassens's OWH.
Underway to the Main we lost some serious candidates: Mikael Silén (S), Anders Gustafson (S), Josef Korec (CZ) and the two Brazilians, not surviving the Semis. Jari Porttinen (SF) also failed to survive those Semis. A good performance was realised by the good old Werner Burkhardt finishing as tenth. In the Main Final we found two Americans (Bill Skinner II and Les Wright - their country mate Terry Kunz missed the Main from a hair), two Czechs (Vladimir Horky and Petr Krcil), one Finn (Juha Yli-Sipola), one Slovak (Vlado Okali), one German (scale racer Heiko Thinschmidt, now also involved in wing car racing) and one Swede (André Eriksson).
Vladimir Horky (CZ) dominated as usual. Behind him Heiko Thinschmidt (D) caused a stir by finishing as runner-up, ahead over the former wing car world champions Vlado Okali (SVK) and Juha Yli-Sipola (SF). Pace was less quick than expected since the winner - Vladimir Horky of course - achieved only 824 laps, nine more than the surprising Heiko Thinschmidt. For Horky it was already his eighth victory in an international wing car race with IOC-status. Last year Bill Skinner won the G27 World Cup Race at the Gaithersburg Wing Car USRA Nats, achieving 895 laps. This year he finished sixth, with more than 100 laps less than last year.
At Gaithersburg Okali was second with 886 laps. This year he was third with 814 laps. The Bruhl Blue King may be one of the fastest in Europe, but allows not the same high speeds as on the American King tracks. [JPVR]

27TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WING CAR RACING (OPEN G7) - BRÜHL (D) May 25, 2008 - IOC RACE

VLADIMIR HORKY WINS HIS SEVENTH WORLDS!!!

After having won at Brühl OMO G7 & G27 he proves why he's the IOC #1

July 4, 2008 - Entry for the 27th Wing Car Worlds was up to 38, 2 less than last year at Buena Park. Of the 38 entrants 9 were already present last year at the Buena Park Worlds. Among them 5 main finalists (Les Wright, 2nd; Mikael Silén, 4th; Vlado Okali, 5th; "Gugu", 7th; and B.W. Skinner, 8th). "Beuf" Pedersen didn't show to defend his title. Other notorious absentees were Lasse Åberg, P-A Watson, Tim Tyler and Stefan Thörnfeldt. At the start 11 Finns, 8 Swedes, 6 Germans (among them 4 field fillers), 6 Americans (a new record on European soil since Toulouse 1987!), 4 Czechs, 2 Brazilians and 1 Slovak.
QUALIFICATIONS - Fastest qualifier was Mario "MSP" Schöne in 1"505. Sure, a new track record, but far behind the 1"426 realised by "Beuf" last year. 1"505 was at Buena Park only the seventh time. Except for European champion Leo Hongisto the fastest racers qualified all in the top-8 with Horky, Silén, Okali, Jeff Mack (!), Forrest Watchers, Josef Korec and Les Wright from 2 to 8.
CONSIS, QUARTERS & SEMIS - Again the bloody amateurish PR-man at Brühl didn't publish complete results of Consis, Quarters & Semis. The traditional excuse was that his computer crashed (just as there was only ONE computer in place, haha). Among the racers who failed to survive the Consis we found "Gugu" and Terry Kunz, both eliminated by technical woes. Mikael Silén, Les Wright and Jeff Mack fell at the Quarters. The Swedes lost at the Quarters all their races but one (Anders Gustafson). The Semis were a churchyard for the Finnish since they lost five of their racers: Petteri Pirhonen, Jari Porttinen, Juha Yli-Sipola, Veli-Matti Kantamaa and Atte Hietalahti. Of their contingent of 11 starters, only one reached the Main: the reigning European champion Leo Hongisto. The Americans lost at the Semis Bill Skinner. Of their 6 entrants only Forrest Watchers reached the Main.  Slovakia lost Vlado Okali, Germany Heiko Thinschmidt (ranked as 10th!)  Eventually the Germans had only one of their 6 racers in the Main: Mario Schöne.
MAIN FINAL - Eventually the Czechs performed best, since 3 of their 4 racers reached the Main: Vladimir Horky, Josef Korec and Petr Krcil. The Brazilians brought half of their small effective to the Main: Jose-Mario Serra. The rest of the main field went to the lonely survivors of their country: Schöne for Germany, Hongisto for Finland, Gustafson for Sweden and Watchers for the USA. Its known since years that Horky has always bad luck at wing car worlds. This year, however, bad luck didn't show, and after a merciless combat with Forrest Watchers and Mario Schöne he won his first G7 Worlds (his 7th in total, since he won already 6 times the ES24 Scale Worlds). Eventually Horky won the three wing car races at Brühl, proving why he's the absolute #1 on the IOC-list. [A minor wing car race for G12 was won by Czechia's Miroslav Vadlejch]. [JPVR]