16th WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 124 MODEL CAR RACING

UDEN, AUGUST 26, 2004 (NL)

Nick de Wachter beats Welter jr & 'Piki'

4 Philip de Vries cars in Main - 5 Yougsters in Main

September 2 - At the 16th 124 Model Car Worlds, contested at the MRTU Blue King in Uden (NL), 28 racers were allowed to start: 15 experts, 7 youngsters (the 7 best at the Mello Yello) and 6 amateurs (the 6 best at the Amateurs Worlds). Of the Brazilians, Australians, Americans and Kiwis only one - Chris Radisich - was qualified to start. Paul 'Split' Heath, Kieran Dale and John Emmons all failed. Of the 10 American wing car racers, not one tried to qualify. The Brazilians preferred to go to the Belgian F1 Grand Prix at Spa instead of entering. The Aussies all went home without try. Eventually the following nations were represented at the start: Belgium with 6 racers, Holland with 6 racers, Spain with 3 racers, Sweden with 3 racers, Finland with 2 racers, Czechia with 2 racers, Italy with 2 racers, Denmark with 1 racer, Switzerland with 1 racer, New Zealand with 1 racer and England with 1 racer.
Already after the qualifications it became obvious that none of the 5 cars prepaired by the Dutch wizzard Philip de Vries should be able to compete with the hyperfast Ford Motorcraft of young Nick de Wachter - a former disciple od De Vries. Indeed with a fastest lap in 7"819 and having plenty of reserves, only Yves Welter jr and his Ford Rubbermaid Sharpies (7"825) seemed able to follow. 'Piki' van Rossem - the defending world champion - was already 1/10th of a second slower. However on such an easy track as the Blue King, where deslotting is rather exceptional - a lack of speed cannot be undone. The conclusion was that the De Vries cars were not so exceptional as last year. With a car prepaired by Francesc Reyes, Salvatore Noviello (I) realised nearly the same time as 'Piki' with a De Vries car.

Eventually 4 cars were free from contesting the Consis: those of Nick de Wachter, Yves Welter jr, 'Piki' van Rossem and Tamar Nelwan - thus 2 De Vries cars and 2 Hot Slot cars.
At the Consis we lost the 3 Swedes (Gustafson, Törnfeldt and Landrud), but also the lonely Briton (Kimber), one of the Italians (Malangone), one of the Spaniards (Reyes: with bent rear axle!), the lonely Kiwi (Radisich), the no longer motivated JPVR, the amateur's world champion (Inäbnit), a Dutch amateur (Reijerkerk) and as biggest surprise the IOC #1 Vladimir Horky. Of the 16 semi-finalists 6 were driving a Dodge, 7 a Chevrolet and 3 a Ford. Of them 5 were mounted on a Momo chassis (Noviello, Korec, M. Garcia, E. Fyhr, Gonzalez), 11 on the antique PlaFit chassis.
At the Semis a very tired Tamar Nelwan made a driving error and decided to retire his Chevrolet Valvoline. That means that only 1 of the 4 Hot Slot cars (De Wachter, Nelwan, Inäbnit and Gilles Dohogne) remained in competition: De Wachter's.
Biggest surprise of the Semis was the non-qualification of Josef Korec, the #2 IOC-racer. In a thrilling Semi B he had to fight during no less than the 3 last segments with young Youri van Rossem (having already made the main of last year's IMCA 124 Worlds). Although the difference between both cars was never more than a complete lap, Youri resisted the continuous attacks of the Czech ace. Eliminated too were Einari Fyhr (SF) and Yannick Demeyer (B, last year still 3rd).
Eventually the 8 qualified racers were Nick de Wachter (NL), Dennis Vogel (NL), Geert Mertens (B), 'Piki' (B), Youri (B), Welter jr (B), Salvatore Noviello (I) and the surprising young Marc Garcia (E).

So we had a final with 4 Belgian racers (all with a De Vries car), with 2 Dutch racers, with one Italian and with one Spaniard. For the first time since years no Czech reached the main. Of the 8 finalists only 2 were on MoMo (Noviello and Garcia), all others on PlaFit.
During the first segment the #9 Dodge Power Days of Salva-tore Noviello was setting the pace, closely followed by the Ford Motorcraft of Nick de Wachter. Then followed 3 cars in group, those of Dennis Vogel, Yves Welter sr and 'Piki', having all problems to follow the pace. Towards the end of the first segment De Wachter could pass Noviello to take over the lead.
At the 3 following segments De Wachter and Vogel were pulling away from the rest of the field. Here Noviello was passed by Yves Welter jr and 'Piki'. At mid-race De Wachter had 1 lap over Vogel, more than 2 over Welter and 'Piki', even 3 over Noviello. At 4 laps Youri, Mertens and Garcia were struggling in that order for the 6th place.
Since Nick de Wachter was driving his #21 Ford Motorcraft faultless, the others saw no chance to reduce their arrears. Meanwhile Welter and 'Piki' were involved in a very close combat for third place, racing during 2 complete segments nose to tail. On doing so they could unlap themselves from Dennis Vogel. At the end of the 7th segment we found the 3 cars within less than one metre, already 4 complete laps behind a souvereign Nick de Wachter.
Those positions were maintained during the complete 7th segment with turn by turn 'Piki' or Welter sr in second position. At the start of the last segment the too nervous Dennis Vogel deslotted a couple of times so that he was no longer contender for the second place. On red 'Piki' had problems to keep up with Welter who finished as runner-up, 5 laps behind the new world champion Nick de Wachter. The De Vries cars finished as 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th. At the real final stages of the race Mertens could pass Youri for the 6th place.

7TH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 132 MODEL CAR RACING

AALST, AUGUST 27, 2004 (B)

Nick de Wachter beats Noviello & Korec

Moral winner Piki misses main due to avoidable braids bothers

September 2 - Contested only for the seventh time in history - despite the fact that the patent on a 1/32nd Model Car World Championship exists since 1985 - the 132 Worlds went, just as last year, with handout NSR-TSRF chassis and 1/32nd scale DTM bodies. Two hours before the race the 34 entrants received all a NSR-TSRF kit. All they had to do was to assemble it, to fix the body, and to race.
Among the 34 entrants we noted 6 from Belgium, 4 from Czechia and Denmark, 3 from Spain, New Zealand,England and Holland, 2 from Italy, Germany and Finland, 1 from Sweden and the USA.
Fastest car at the qualifications was the Opel Vectra V8 of Salvatore Noviello (I) in 5"655, immediately followed by the Warsreiner Mercedes CLK-DTM of 'Piki' van Rossem (B) in 5"669, by the Original Teile Mercedes CLK-DM of Salvatore Malangone (I) in 5"710 and by the Audi TT-R of Einari Fyhr (SF) in 5"734. Those 4 made immediately the move to the Semi Finals. The 30 others had to go to the 6 x 3' Consis, where only the 8 best were qualified for those Semis.  Marc Garcia (E) and country mate Francesc Reyes (E) missed the move for a couple of inches. Yves Welter jr (B), Chris Radisich (NZ) and Martin Borch (DK) came one lap short. Surprisingly Vladimir Horky (CZ) came 2 laps short. Of all other eliminated racers only three caused a surprise. Matthias Parke (D) was expected to finish better than 22nd; Gilles Dohogne had once more bad luck when he had no braids contact so that he lost 50 laps in the pits; and of Youri van Rossem everybody knows that he hates this lilliputter cars, so that he did not the smallest effort to score at least a decent result. Among the other eliminated racers we found also Kieran Dale (NZ), last year still 8th at the similar race.

7th MELLO YELLO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR YOUNGSTERS

UDEN, AUGUST 26, 2004 (B)

Nick de Wachter beats Welter jr & Vogel

Gilles Dohogne victim of a € 300 no working Hot Slot car

September 2 - Prior to the IMCA 124 Model Car World Championship, the Mello Yello Juniors Worlds were contested for entrants under 22 years. Main favourites were Dennis Vogel (NL, already Mello Yello world champ in 2001), Yves Welter jr (B), Kieran Dale (NZ), Gilles Dohogne (B, in 2003 runner-up at the Mello Yello Worlds), Daniel Gonzalez (E) and Nick de Wachter (NL). Normally Yannick Demeyer - last year 3rd at the IMCA 124 Model Car Worlds - should have been a top favourite, but the fact that he didn't race once since last year made it as well as impossible to succeed.
Among the 18 entrants 2 started with a Hot Slot car built by Nick de Wachter: the builder and Gilles Dohogne. Three other racers started with cars of the Dutch wizard Philip de Vries: Yves Welter jr, Youri van Rossem and Yannick Demeyer.
Du to time restrictions it was decided to restrict the race to a direct final, without Semis. The 7 first ranked racers were also allowed to enter the 124 Model Car Worlds, later the same day. Five racers succeeded to qualify under 8": Nick de Wachter (7"737), Dennis Vogel (7"893), Yves Welter jr (7"904), Marc Garcia (7"933) and Yannick Demeyer (7"974). Then came Daniel Gonzalez (E), Gilles Dohogne (B) and Youri van Rossem (B). Those 8 were selected for the A Final. Of the remaining 10 Graeme Stephenson (GB) and Robby Cuppens (B) were not qualified for the Mello Yello. They had to race together with the amateurs in the following race - a non-official Worlds for Amateurs.

Winner of the B Final was Czechia's Antónin Vojtik (CZ) with 168 laps, ahead of Miroslav Vadlejch (CZ) with 166 laps and Michael Phillipaerts (B) with 164 laps. Disappointing was the result realised by Portugal's Antonio Pihno, last year still winner of one of the Nascar rounds at the Gasking Nascar Festival. He should come no further than a 13th place. Even more disappointing were the results of Kieran Dale (NZ), already for the third consecutive time present at the Mello Yello. He finished 8 full laps behind Antónin Vojtik, coming no further than a 15th place on 16, his talents totally unworthy!
At the A Final much was expected of a duel between Nick de Wachter (NL) and Gilles Dohogne (B), both at the start on Hot Slot cars. Being rookie of the year 2003, Dohogne is an excellent racer, and under normal conditions able to fight with the best racers. The fact that his #42 Dodge Havoline was prepaired by Nick de Wachter himself, made the hope rise that he was in for a trip to victory lane. With a car having cost € 300 that was at least, what could be expected. Unfortunately things went in a complete inverse direction.

Immediately after the start of the A Final 4 cars were setting the pace: the #21 Ford Motorcraft of Nick de Wachter (NL), the #97 Ford Sharpie Rubbermaid of Yves Welter jr (B), the #42 Dodge Havoline of Gilles Dohogne (B) and the #40 Dodge Coor's Light of Dennis Vogel. They were pulling away of the rest of the field. But already after a couple of laps the €300 Hot Slot car of Gilles Dohogne was no longer fast. He continued his race but was passed by all other cars to finish as poor 11th, 13 laps behind the winner. After the race I compared Gilles' car with Nick's. What a difference. Gilles' body was much heavier than Nick's, without having been "dremeled" in the roof and without light but with carbon tape enforced nose. Moreover the left rear tire was rubbing the body, making that the car hardly could win speed. Selling such car for €300 - a huge amount for a youngster - was a pure shame.
In front the cars of De Wachter, Welter jr and Dennis Vogel were setting a terrible pace. Until mid-race they were together in the same lap, whilst Yannick Demeyer and Youri van Rossem followed nose to tail more than 3 laps behind.
During the second half of the A Final Dennis Vogel could no longer keep up with the two leaders, having been lapped at once three times. Yves Welter insisted as long as he could, but with 2 segments to go, he too was lapped by Nick de Wachter, winning the Mello Yello on a brilliant way. Welter jr finished as runner-up, Vogel as third.

7th MODELERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (CONCOURSE WORLDS)

UDEN, AUGUST 26, 2004 (B)

GEORGE KIMBER DOES IT AGAIN!

Paul 'Split' Heath 2nd, Stefan Törnfeldt 3rd, Geert Mertens 4th

September 2 - The quality of the cars presented at the Concourse Worlds improves from year to year.
This year several racers showed with cars reaching the high model car standards as applied in Germany. Unfortunately - once more - no Germans entered the Nascar races, otherwise Stephan Wiesel, Matthias Parke, Pit Schwaar, Dieter Jens, Thomas Spicker or Harold Uhl could have been a serious handicap for England's George Kimber to win the Concourse Worlds for a second consecutive time. 
This year there was no time for a thorough inspection of all cars as done last year at Dison, where Concourse took more than 3 hours. Indeed, after the Nascar races on the MRTU Blue King, a shuttle had to bring most racers to Aalst in Belgium. Since the shuttle had to start at 10pm it was decided that half of the concourse points should be given by one racer per nation, and that the other half should be given by an expert - the last being IMCA's race director Bob Demeyer, himself an excellent modeler. For Bob it was his real last show at an IMCA event. As anounced last year he quits slot-racing (just as his son Yannick Demeyer, who finished at his last race - the Mello Yello Juniors World Championship - at a honourable fourth place, despite of a complete year of no-racing).
Struggle for the first place went between three cars: the #45 Brawny Dodge Intrepid of George Kimber (GB), the #11 Hooters Ford by Paul 'Split' Heath (NZ) and the #5 Kellog's Chevrolet of Claes Törnfeldt for his brother Stefan. The last car was already seen last year at the X-Mas Races, where it won Concourse. Unfortunately now it was presented in race configuration, without its weel inserts. Eventually George Kimber won 3 votes more than Paul 'Split' Heath. Perfect was the motor under the bonnet of Kimber's car - a motor specially bought in the States. Geert Mertens's #31 Chevrolet Cingular won the fourth place, thanks to a good diorama. A car which should have collected more points was the Net Zero one entered by New Zealand's Chris Radisich.
In total no less than 22 cars lined up for the Concourse Worlds. Only 11 of them collected at least one vote. It was a pitty that in Holland no car was seen entered by double concourse winner Hugo Dekker (NL).  

1st WORLD TROPHY FOR AMATEUR RACERS

UDEN, AUGUST 26, 2004 (B)

GABRIEL INÄBNIT BEATS MARTIN BORCH!

Paul 'Split' Heath disappoints - Kai Kivekäs third

September 2 - The World Trophy for Amateurs was organised this year for the first time. Indeed, the patents of the use of the term "world championship" in slot-racing, is regulated since 1985 in a notarial act presented before mr. Ernest van Tricht. There, no "world championship" for amateurs was stipulated.
No less than 16 international amateurs came at the start, among them John Emmons (USA), Paul 'Split' Heath (NZ) and Kai Kivekäs (SF). Before the race they were considered as the most serious contenders for a trip to victory lane.  Dennis Vogel, however, claimed that Rob de Ridder (NL) should be the man to beat.  The Belgians expected much from Patrice Dohogne. Denmark had 4 racers at the start with Martin Borch and Thomas Mörtensen as fastest.
At the Qualifications Switzerland's Gabriel Inäbnit, living in Holland and Hot Slot member, was the lonely one to go under 8" (7"972). He was closely followed by Rob de Ridder (NL) with 8"013 and Thomas Mörtensen (DK) with 8"041. Top favourite Paul "Split" Heath, in New Zealand one of the scarce racers being able to beat Dave Gick (no longer invited at IMCA races), disappointed strongly. He even didn't reach the A Final. Eventually the 8 top qualifiers of the A Final should finish at the 8 first places. Inäbnit, de Ridder, Houwer and Borch were setting the pace. At mid-race we found Inäbnit alone in front, followed by Kivekäs and Martin Borch. During the last segments Borch could pass Kivekäs to finish as runner-up behind Gabriel Inäbnit (CH).