For the Americans the USRA G7 (Pro) Nats was during more than a quarter century the most important race of the year, until the late 1990s even more important than the Wing Car Worlds, especially if those Worlds were organised abroad the States. American wing car racers are no travellers, and except for the late 1980s, when they received free plane tickets to race in Europe, they were most of all present at American races. The USRA Nats created such typical slot-race legends as P.A. Watson (who won 4 times and was 3 times runner-up), Paul Pfeiffer (who won three in a row and was 3 times runner-up), Jan Limpach (who was the first to win 3 USRA Nats, and then retired from wing car racing in 1979), Jon Laster (who won only once but was three times runner-up), Mike Swiss (who won 2 USRA Nats and was 3 times runner-up), Paul Ciccarello (who wan 3 Nats and was once runner-up). The new star is Paul "Beuf" Pedersen who won his 5th Nats and 3rd consecutive Nats in 2006, ahead of P-A Watson who missed his 5th win at the USRA Nats. Of all those racers P-A  finished 10 times among the top-3,  Swiss 9 times. Paul Pfeiffer, and John Laster finished each 8 times among the top-3. Of them Paul Pfeiffer realised no less than 16 times the top-8, twice 7 consecutive years (1979-1985 and 1990-1996). Watson made 19 times the main, Laster 14 times, Swiss 12 times and one of the earlier winners, Joel Montague, 9 times. We have to wait 1992 to see the first invasion of European wing car racers at the Nats. In 1995 they are 4 in the main with the handicapped Martin Gramann as first European winner of the USRA Nats. Later, in 2001, Germany's Mario Schöne and, in 2003, Sweden's Mikael Silén will be the other European racers to win the Nats. Schöne and Gramann are the only racers in the world who won and the Wing Car Worlds, and the USRA Nats and the EuroNats. In 2003 the podium was a complete European one with Silén-Korec-Schöne. After 2004 the USRA Nats lost their attraction on European racers. In 2006 and 2007 there was only one European at the start (Okali). In 2007 Joe "Chubbie" Salzman was the youngest all-time Nats winner. He could stop the hegemonia by "Beuf" after his three consecutive wins.
Up from 1998 (?) the USRA organises an annual USRA Division II Nats for scale cars. Those races are, especially in ES24, dominated by Paul Gawronski and Paul Ciccarello (who retired in 2006 from active racing). Venue at the Division II Nats is considerably lower than at the Division I Nats for wing cars. In the States there is no organised model car racing, even not at scale 132 (Fly, Ninco, ProSlot, etc.) The mean reason is that there is nearly no club racing in the States and that most commercial tracks were designed for 1/24th scale cars, so that the braids on those tracks are to wide apart to let race 132 model cars, despite the fact that America's ProTrack and TSRF manufacture 132 model cars.  Pics left: P.A. Watson and Paul Pfeiffer, right: 'Beuf' Pedersen and Paul Ciccarello. [JPVR]