The big absentee at the 2002 IMCA Nations Cup was Germany's Matthias Parke, not only a splendid modeler, but perhaps the unique German amateur able to compete with the international pros. Initially he was the coach of team Germany and selected 3 other model car racers from North-Germany as team mates. His dream was that a German amateur's team could beat them all. Of course, that could be never more than a dream, since we all know how strong the pros from Czechia, Finland, Brazil, Italy, Belgium, etc. are in model car team racing.

Matthias Parke works in a nuclear plant and could not get free from his boss, so that the had to retire. However, the three amateurs he selected, having no excuses, decided to stay home when their leader was not there. The result was a German team with only two racers (Ralph Klose and Mario MSP Schöne), after Rolf Bechter had to retire due to a virus. 

The result is that in 2003, for the first time in 18 years, Germany will be absent at the Nations Cup. This is hard to understand, especially since Germany counts most model car racers of Europe, some 15,000, most of them being home racers and amateurs. The problem with German model car racing is that, except at 1994, 1995 and 2000 (the years of Schäfer, Petri and Hahnel) they never showed with model car racers, always with wing car racers and with scale racers. Why? Because there is no German Federation deciding under which universal rules model car races are to be contested. All clubs have their own rules, and they hate any international sanctioning body deciding upon rules. It's very probable that 2002 was the last year we saw German racers at the Nations Cup. For Matthias Parke it is not enough that the IMCA pays the travelling costs and the hotel costs for German racers, no the IMCA should do even more and going with its racers to Germany to demonstrate what's IMCA racing. Sorry, but that we already did in 1994 and 1995 at Mörfelden, however without any impact on German model car racing. As long as there is no German Federation, as long as there is no German Model Car Championship, there is nothing more we can do. IMCA was never popular in Germany, especially after our remarks on the feudal and tribal way of racing in the German clubs. Efforts were without the smallest impact. No wonder if German model car racers tell me that they prefer local races on international racing. So let's pay no more attention on their tribal races. Except for the Dieter Jens Le Mans Rennen and the Northland 500 we'll stop all reports on German racing. We hate to spill time and Germans hate that someone decides upon rules. So let's quit each other without quarrel.

The relationship between the IMCA and the mass of German model car racers has always been difficult and painfull. This year we hoped that Matthias Parke - a legend in his country - could change things. Unfortunately he could not show, due to work obligations. There can be no doubt that if he should have been in Ostend Germany should never have been excluded from participation in 2003. Indeed, Parke is an excellent modeler and should certainly have won  severaql concourse points for his country. As he seems to be an excellent racer he had even chances to win some race points for Germany. All we can hope is that in 2004 Germany will be back. All what is needed is that one strong character can found a German Model Car Federation. Without, all seems be lost. Pics: Matthias Parke.