Oople Invernational 2012..........videos still to be added.
Robinhood Raceway Dirt.
........... Sitting down to write up this blog, I've tried to put the initial WOW factor of this meeting aside, reflect, and put things in perspective ....... but words cant describe the best weekend in 15 years of racing.... I'll have a go....
Friday....
My B4 FT
Not ideal for high level racing, I now use this car for bashing round caravan sites when away on holiday. It has a 5.5 motor in, which was admitedly too fast for the clay track, especially with the switch like Novak GTB Gen1 speedo. I put the Kit setup on the car (thanks to Rich Lowe for the advice), and it handled really well.
First race meeting for this car was in July 2004 at Huntingdon school YORCC regional......
DIRT
I arrived at Robin Hood Raceway Dirt at 5pm, got the caravan setup in record time due to my anticipation of clay racing, and headed over to the track. It was all a bit exotic from track side... clay track, blue groove, sun blazing, people brushing the track and loads of rear motor 2WDs with proline tyres balooning up over the double double . Looking at the amount of air the cars were getting... and looking at that narrow line at the end of the straight [maybe two car widths max]
I couldnt help feel I would struggle to get my old B4 on that line lap after lap, and control it in the air.
Andy Pearson was on track with his RB5 rear motor, and it looked really good. I was expecting tippy toeing round on a slippy surface, but Andy was really pushing on.
With Pearson instilling a bit of confidence, I got my B4 out, complete with M3 Holeshot tyres (the ones us UK drivers throw away from Associated kits). First impressions..... oh s#@t Ive put my car down right infront of the double doubles, and now I have to drive over them.... So I doubled the first double (slowly, as advised by Jeff "I've been here since Thursday and have two weeks holiday" Steele and Andy), and then the advice was to gun it for the second double .... but to beware to stay towards the rostrum side of this double as the far side had a big kick that flips the back of the car up.....
.... after retrieving my B4 from beyond the perimiter fencing I put it down on the track after the double double.... and tried the rest of the track.
The surface was weird to drive on, slippy but grippy...it took a few laps to get into it, but after that, the car suddenly came to me. It seemed very predicatable, responsive to steering into corners, and corrections to keep the back end in line. Wheelies were possible on the straight, it was stable on power but sharp enough in the turn, and I was binning it less and less on the double double.
Seven minutes later, and that was Friday's clay track practice over.
Most people had the same experience as me. I was speaking to Craig Mawson, who smashed his car the first two times out, and then got the hang of the big air. Jeff was loving it, say it was "the most fun he'd ever had with an RC car"..... big grins all round.
The stuff we were supposed to drive on resembled a kind of polished, almost marble like surface, the stuff we were'nt supposed to drive on was really rough and pitted dry dirt .... and we were all really perplexed by it ......
Friday 7PM .....
Vintage race on the Astro Turf Track.....
My Tamiya Terra Scorcher (24 years young) is as it was when I last pulled it off the track in 1992 at Brinkburn School, with a Futaba ESC and 27T motor, and Acoms AS servo. This is the car that I put down in my first race in September 1991, alongside David Packs Kyosho Raider. The only changes were a 2.4 Ghz receiver, a PT, and some Schumacher tyres.
A quick try of my Terra Scorcher, to see if it went in a straight line, and threee corners later, the spur gear stripped. Great, this thing is more fragile than I thought. So I meshed the gears tight, and hoped it would last, and not burn out the period speedo and motor.
Two races scheduled: Pre '86 and Post '86.
I had my 1988 entry level Tamiya Terra Scorcher...... on Oople, the entry list had me in the pre '86 race, which I thought was due tot he 'entry level nature' of my car. I went over for the race, and in the Pre '86 race there were some 6 gear RC10s, Kyosho Ultima, MRC MRX, Grasshoppers, and I thought I'd have a chance of holding my own against these, just.
I looked at the Post '86 race entries, including Brushless Cougars, Brushless RC10 Stealths, Cat XL, Lazers, Yokomo Dogfighters, and was glad I wouldn't be pitted against those, even though it was the true period of my car.
The drivers were called onto the rostrum by MC DAMO for the Pre '86 race, and my name was not amongst them ... damn it . Northy won the Pre '86 race with his RC10 6 gear, it looked really good. Jim Dixon was second with his Kyosho. We did have period retirements aswell, as Andy Bulmer pulled his Chain Drive Optima off when it dumped (I'm only disappointed it didn't lock the servos open and go round in circles like my Terra Scorcher used to do).
Ok, Post '86 time, time for me to stay out of the way of the quick cars, and not break anything on this 24 year old car.
VINTAGE VIDEO ... thanks to Greg for the camera work.
Handling ... not too bad, too much steering, and the feeling it would tip if I pushed it too hard, I was suprised to finish 4th, :
1st Nathan Ralls - Cougar
2nd - Dan Greenwood - RC10 Stealth
3rd Graham north RC10 Stealth
4th Me - Tamya Terra Scorcher...
5th James Wilkinson - CAT XL
I wonder if my car was the only one with a driver figure in it???
General consensus from everyone on Friday night:
Clay: Thumbsup
Double Double : everyone is getting there with it. Thumbsup
Can't wait for qualifying to start.
Saturday Qualifying:
After 1 round of practice in heat order, to clean the track, everyone still felt good about the track.
The grip was up, maybe due to moisture in the air? And we were all having a good go at the track, with pace and relatively clean runs.
In 2wd, I felt confident with the car, and was very pleased with my 29th in round. I went on to better this with a 26th, 25th and 21st in round, and was over the moon with my B4, and the track. I was particularly pleased with the control I learned over the double, and the double double.
There was some really good driving in our qualifying heat, particularly considering how close all of us were. Nick Gurnell, Lee Fraser driving really close to my car very cleanly, thanks guys. Special shout out to Mr. Ambrose for waiting after T-boning me in a corner, very good driving from him, and the kind of gesture that made my day.
Kash had missed out on Friday practice, and was playing catchup for the whole meeting, and so was a little less familiar with the track, but had a feeling for the surface by the end.
His Losi 22 was still in mid motor configuration with a grass setup on it, and so the car may not have been as dialled as it could have been. Unfortunately, he got caught up in traffic and rostrum 'banter' when on a good run, and his other good run he incorrectly thought his car had been called finished and pulled over.
Stephen Adams managed to get a 2WD entry on Saturday morning, but his (Mike West's) Tamiya 201 didn't look as composed as it had done in Friday practice.
One of his best runs was spoiled when a turnbuckle pulled out the rod end during a roll.
Following some diff adjustments, Greg Williams looked like he was fighting his Cougar round the track, with the back end looking very loose on power, but he still managed a 9th in round, which he was suprised with.
Further adjustments to diff and setup, never seemed to get the car hooked up on the Saturday. A cheeky setup change, trialled during the record attempt made the car a lot more raceable on the Sunday.
As with Stephen, Keith Shields had a great practice session on the Friday, but Saturday and Sunday qualifying, the car went away from him, and it handled like a completely different car.,
A reprogramming of his speedo by an SMD guru before finals helped his throttle control, and he felt the car came back to him a bit more.
Andy Twigger's RB5 looked very composed and settled on the track It looked really smooth and quick, without the small corrections I was having to make on the track to keep my B4 in line.
Just a few little mistakes prevented better scores.
In 4WD, Rob Calvert never got the run his pace deserved. A spur gear here, a wheel off there, and return to Durango from his Tamiya 502 was a bit of a let down. When on the track, Robs car looked quick and aggressive.... when on the track.
Gary Waller's car looked really well balanced, round the corners and in the air, he had the flight over the Double Double nailed. So much so , that when he attempted a backflip from the transmitter, the car still flew level ... hinting at illegal onboard telemetry controlling his car in the air ... just unfortunately not helping him hit all apexes, as the car just went in too deep to a few of the corners .... it had plenty motor on the straight though.
As seen above, Gary's character in the fancy dress race, visited his Durango during the night, to add some finishing touches to Gary's car, as it sat on his Stella Stand.
Jeff ..... yes the car was quick, it pivoted really well round the corners, it was on rails ... but forget all of that, because Jeff "backflip" Steele was giving it large over the Double Double with some really special backflip action, with Muzzy's subtle encouragement of course ("Can Jeff beat Mr. Stokes's 6 backlips in a row on this lap?" ; and -- "Jeff Steele, that was your fastest lap, thats the way you need to do the double every lap" :o)
It looked like Jeff was having a great time, and his times showed he was on the pace.
Greg Williams .... top stuff from Mr Williams, his CAT SX3 looking really Agile, and making some really massive Proline Holeshots over the double double on his way to a 5th in A final qualification.
Top Stuff.
The other half of team Williams, Natalie was keeping things tidy with her CAT SX3, its just a pity the others in her race weren't doing the sme thing, spoiling what looked like her best run. Her car, like Jeff's, seemed to pivot really well round the corners, and she controlled it really well to get out of the corners on line.
Mr. Pearson was a demon round most of the track, it's just a pity someone put a couple of jumps in front of the rostrum and other cars on the track. I'm convinced Andy would've ended up much higher, if the traffic had been more favourable.
The Lazer was turning in really well, and getting the power down out of the corners as well as anyone. But we all know Andy is quick, and consistent, it seemed to be the consistency that was being interuppted by the traffic from what I saw, but he was quicker than the lead cars of his heat when on it.
Stephen Adams looked really quick with his TRF511. The track really suited Stephens commited driving style, as on Astro he is forced to contain the comitment that entertains so many spectators at Worksop.
He was on for a really quick time in round 2 that I watched, leading the heat which had Jeff Steele, and Trish Neale in, but his spur gear went. The other runs were fast, but had a few small errors. Stephen left it late until Sunday morning qualifying, after a night of drinking, to throw his 511 round the track very quickly and into a C final position. Thumbs up time.
RAFFLE
Worth a mention, as Jeff Steele wins, and is the proud owner of a brand new Cougar SV2 . Well done Jeff.
The Beer Race
I'm sure we'll get a good review of the beer race on Oople...... needless to say, great costumes, especially our very own Beer Fairy Gary, and Zombie Stu! I volunteered to marshall, and nearly lost my ankles 4 times, and someone took out my can of Becks :o(
The backflip competition
Again , Im sure this will be covered on Oople.com....
highlights for me were : Blitz, Blitz ft. Joe, Blitz V Joe, and the lad who totally wrecked his Durango, bits hanging off everywhere who ran over off the rostrum a bit concerned asking what had broke...... it'd be easier if he asked what wasn't broke. Ahh... alcohol and expensive model cars.
Jeff Backflip Steele decided to spectate the backflip competition, despite being the only real challenger to the two Durango's efforts.
Jeff's own backflips were ket just for racing, where it clearly improved his laptimes:
The World Record attempt
An official world record attempt, because Shiek Damo himself proclaimed.....
.... thou shall drive many cars round the track.... and 101 driver did that .... and records were set.
And so, I must relay my own experience. As my B4 sat off, behind Hupo's 210, itself lead by Shiek Damo's 210, I managed one whole lap before I lost the 2.4 bind, and car failsafed into something rather dangerous. The steering was centred, but the throttle was open, maybe 1/8th speed. It trundled off over the track as a runaway. I walked round to get it, but some helpful sole had pointed it back on the track, and on it went, from point to point. I was at this point helpless to stop it (BRCA insurance take note). It trundled around for maybe a minute, until it trundled all the way across the track, crossing the busy straight (somehow) and came to rest halfway up Dan Greenwood's shin. I heard him shouting my name from the other side of the trakc, followed by a few choice words that are unheard of on Tyneside.
Sorry again Dan, but your lawyers can talk to my lawyers.
The Finals
Mike Parker lights it up off the line:
I've got no idea how anyone else's final went, but I experienced, as I had done all day, really close clean racing. Whether this was the nature of the surface, or the relaxed atmosphere I don't know, but it was really enjoyable, and a complete contrast to the 'faux pressure' we endure in regionals and nationals.
this is where we started our finals:
2WD
G8 Keith Shields
F4 Kash Kahn
E3 Stephen Adams
D6 Twigger - who managed a leg 2 win I believe
C6 Chris Pattinson - Me - the best I managed was leg 2 -> 4th
B11 Wayne Collinson
B5 Greg Williams
A9 Craig Collinson
4WD
F1 - Gary Waller
E6 - Rob Calvert
E1 - Natalie Williams
D6 - Andy Pearson
D2 - Mike Parker
C10 - Stu Evans - sorry Stu, managed to completely miss your racing all day
C5 Stephen Adams
C4 Jeff Steele
C2 Craig Mawson
A9 Craig Collinson
A5 Greg Williams
Rain interrupted the finals briefly, but covers were pulled onto the track by an army of volunteers, to help preserve the surface:
Finals comments:
Big well done to Greg, especially for leg 2 of 4WD A final.
1. Neil Cragg
2. Hupo Honigl
3. Greg Williams
Bad luck to Gaz, as he was leading his final..... when the wheel came off.
Gaz before the final, full of optimism:
...... it all turned to dispair as the wheel came off his 4WD assault:
Keith leads his final:
Neil Cragg's performance and philosophical observations.....
Not last, and not least, TQ, 2wd and 4wd winner Neil Cragg..... not a current NE regionalist ... but worth a mention, just because the performance put on this weekend was unbelievable.
Saturday night drinking invited such philosophical observations such as: while looking at the moon under the influence, it was mentioned how mad it is, that we are all on a piece of rock, flying through space, with the moon which is another piece of rock, flying through space at the same speed, and we are clinging to it racing toy cars....
Sunday's A finals invited a fitting closing observation from someone else...... "It's strange how some people are just wired to do something, like Usain Bolt over 100m, or Neil Cragg controlling a car round a track like that...it's amazing stuff.... why aren't we all the same?"
Well two reasons:
It would be bloody boring if we were!
And Blitz would be able to do a backflip.
Lastly and mostly:
Thanks to all involved from Team Oople, it goes without saying that it wouldn't have been possible without all of you redshirts. Thanks again.
