Race #2 Dixie Retro - Raceworld Speedway in LaGrange, GA
F1 - Results - Saturday Sept. 11th
1. Raymond Gonzalez - 405+25 - BLT 3.3472 WHITE
2. Terry Kelly - 387+6 - BLT 3.3522 PURPLE
3. Chad Harrington - 375+38 - BLT 3.5114 GREEN
4. Kenny Hendrix - 349+48 - BLT 3.4565 WHITE
5. Stan Hutson - 317 DNF (FRONT AXLE KNOCKED OUT) - BLT 3.3979 BLUE
6. Gary Shepard - 154 DNF (REAR AXLE BROKE WHILE LEADING) - BLT 3.4569 GREEN
Best Appearing - Terry Kelly
Most Realistic - Gary Shepard
RETRO CAN-AM RESULTS
1. Kenny Hendrix - 414+35 - BLT 3.2376 Yellow
2. Raymond Gonzalez - 409+24 - BLT 3.2383 BLue
3. Steve "SPUD" Saunders - 395+45 - BLT 3.3984 Black
4. Gary Shepard - 386+28 - BLT 3.3480 Purple
5. Terry Kelly - 345 (Blown Motor) - BLT 3.2380 Yellow
6. Ryan Jones - 322+44 - BLT 3.6292 White
7. Chad Harrington - 189 (Blown Motor) - BLT 3.5694 Orange
8. Stan Hutson - 80 (High Bank Accident) - BLT 3.3985 Blue
9. Steve Harrington - 51 (Blown Motor) - BLT 3.3980 Yellow
Best Appearing - Spud Saunders
Most Realistic - Gary Shepard
RETRO FLEXI RESULTS
1. Stan Hutson - 444+46 - BLT 3.06643 BLACK
2. Terry Kelly - 441+36 - BLT 3.0193 BLACK
3. Raymond Gonzalez - 414+50 - BLT 3.1792 BLACK
4. Steve "SPUD" Saunders - 406+18 - BLT 3.3002 PURPLE
5. Steve Harrington - 396+47 - BLT 3.3010 ORANGE
6. Kenny Hendrix - 39 (Handling Woes) - BLT 3.3983 WHITE
Best Appearing - Terry Kelly
Most Realistic - Steve "SPUD" Saunders
ADDED NOTES from this event.
All motors were handout motors.
I received a box of Kelly Bullet Motors at the beginning of the morning. The dogs were culled from that box. All motors used for the day were engraved and painted. A list was made for these motors. All racers came to the tech table to sign up for each class they were going to race. Each racer had the option to purchase 1 extra motor for the days events. All the motors were then put into a cloth bag an jumbled around. Each racer pulled out motors, either 1 at a time or 2-3 at one time. Each racer was recorded to the motor number as they were drawn lottery style. True Handout fashion. Motors were totally luck of the draw.
Again the pill draw format provided racers with lane choice. And for some reason during these races, lane choice would prove to be a big advantage in choosing a lower or higher lane. In the F1, the low lane choice was the key for Raymond. He was able to run 2 heats alone as all the other racers battled and banged tires while he pulled away early. Raymond never looked back. Can-Am saw a different strategy with eventual winner Kenny Hendrix choosing white as his starting lane. With 9 racers and 1 sit-out, he ran one lane and rested one heat. He then proceeded to fly under the radar while race favorites Gary Shepard and Raymond Gonzalez raced hard every heat betwen themselves. His cover was blown quickly as he started climbing the lap ladder quickly. However with the Flexi-GT race, lane selection saw all the bottom lanes taken first. They all had hopes of possibly building a lead that could be withheld once they got to the top lanes. As the day grew longer and the track temperature changed, the cars all got a little looser. Softer tires came into play and would prove to be the fast way around with Stan Hutson putting some quick laps down in every lane with his SpeedFX/Kelly chassis. Terry Kelly pressured Stan in every heat only to loose a foot or two at the end of most heats. A few late race driving errors allowed Stan to pull away for a 3 lap lead and win.
DIXIE RETRO KICK-OFF RACE
July 30 and 31 marked the inaugural races for the Dixie Retro Racing Association. Labeled the Kick-off Race, drivers from Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida convened at Raceworld Speedway in Lagrange, GA, to compete in five classes of retro slot cars. There were a total of fifty-six entries in the five classes! Not bad for starters! Our excellent hosts were Shirley and Steve Harrington, owners of Raceworld, which is home to one of the finest Orange tracks available.
Races were held for Stockcar, Coupe, Formula 1, Can-Am, and Retro Flexi. Rules are straightforward, employing widely-understood retro racing rules for items such as weight, clearance, and bodies, while relying upon Slick 7 mini-Brut or Kelly Bullet motors to provide push.
The Stockcar and Coupe races were held the first evening with the following results...
The 4.5" Stockcar event provided some very close racing, especially for second place, with Raymond Gonzalez narrowly edging John Clow for the position. Steve and Chad Harrington dueled it out for fourth.
1. Pablo Wolcott, 366 laps
2. Raymond Gonzalez, 359
3. John Clow, 359
4. Steve Harrington, 356
5. Chad Harrington, 353
6. Terry Kelly, 292
7. Bill Bowers, 274
Coupe racing immediately followed with ten entries. Stan Hutson took the win over Raymond Gonzalez, while it came down to mere feet determining third & fourth, and fifth & sixth positions.
1. Stan Hutson, 410 laps
2. Raymond Gonzalez, 406
3. Terry Kelly, 398
4. Chad Harrington, 398
5. John Clow, 392
6. Steve McBride, 392
7. Bill Bowers, 386
8. Pablo Wolcott, 383
9. Keith Bernstein, 366
10. Steve Harrington, 263
Saturday, July 31, witnessed the drivers show up early to get their setups just right for the event's remaining three classes.
First up was Formula 1, which saw 12 entries. Raymond Gonzalez, who raced to two second place finishes the prior evening, won this event. The next four places were fairly close with Pablo Wolcott coming in second, followed by Chad Harrington, Keith Bernstein, and Bobby Robinson.
F1 Concours, Keith Bernstein (best appearing entry) and Gary Shepard (most realistic entry).
1. Raymond Gonzalez, 406 laps
2. Pablo Wolcott, 399
3. Chad Harrington, 395
4. Keith Bernstein, 394
5. Bobby Robinson, 392
6. Steve Harrington, 382
7. John Clow, 380
8. Stan Hutson, 378
9. Bill Bowers, 375
10. Gary Shepard, 363
11. Lanier Gazaway, 254
12. Terry Kelly, 215
Can-Am followed Formula 1. This race turned out to be the showcase event for the weekend in the context there were sixteen entries. Two main events were held with final positions being decided by conflating the results of the mains.
It was a nail-biter to the end as drivers from both mains pondered their final positions. After a few moments delay for final tally, Shirley Harrington announced the outcome. Terry Kelly stood atop the podium, followed by Pablo Wolcott, and Stan Hutson. Chad Harrington placed a close fourth.
1. Terry Kelly, 410 laps, Main 2
2. Pablo Wolcott, 407, 2
3. Stan Hutson, 405, 1
4. Chad Harrington, 404, 2
5. Lamar McClellan, 395, 1
6. Bobby Robinson, 394, 1
7. Bill Bowers, 393, 2
8. Steve McBride, 386, 1
9. John Clow, 385, 1
10. Raymond Gonzalez, 382, 2
11. Steve Harrington, 378, 2
12. Keith Bernstein, 378, 2
13. Russell Dobbs, 372, 2
14. John Stephenson, 348, 1
15. Billy Watson, 331, 1
16. Gary Shepard, 273, 1
Retro Flexi concluded the weekend's racing with eleven entries. Stan Hutson fairly well walked away with this event, showing lots of speed and great driving..
1. Stan Hutson, 449 laps
2. Bobby Robinson, 431
3. John Clow, 428
4. Raymond Gonzales, 426
5. Lamar McClellan, 420
6. Pablo Wolcott, 419
7. Terry Kelly, 417
8. Steve Harrington, 400
9. Keith Bernstein, 390
10. Billy Watson, 377
11. Alan Jones, 374
At the end of the day, fifty-six entries across five classes in a new southern retro slot car racing series, begun mid-summer, must be considered a smash success! M-A-N-Y thanks to Shirley and Steve Harrington, our gracious event hosts!
Keith Bernstein.
1. Raymond Gonzalez - 405+25 - BLT 3.3472 WHITE
2. Terry Kelly - 387+6 - BLT 3.3522 PURPLE
3. Chad Harrington - 375+38 - BLT 3.5114 GREEN
4. Kenny Hendrix - 349+48 - BLT 3.4565 WHITE
5. Stan Hutson - 317 DNF (FRONT AXLE KNOCKED OUT) - BLT 3.3979 BLUE
6. Gary Shepard - 154 DNF (REAR AXLE BROKE WHILE LEADING) - BLT 3.4569 GREEN
Best Appearing - Terry Kelly
Most Realistic - Gary Shepard
RETRO CAN-AM RESULTS
1. Kenny Hendrix - 414+35 - BLT 3.2376 Yellow
2. Raymond Gonzalez - 409+24 - BLT 3.2383 BLue
3. Steve "SPUD" Saunders - 395+45 - BLT 3.3984 Black
4. Gary Shepard - 386+28 - BLT 3.3480 Purple
5. Terry Kelly - 345 (Blown Motor) - BLT 3.2380 Yellow
6. Ryan Jones - 322+44 - BLT 3.6292 White
7. Chad Harrington - 189 (Blown Motor) - BLT 3.5694 Orange
8. Stan Hutson - 80 (High Bank Accident) - BLT 3.3985 Blue
9. Steve Harrington - 51 (Blown Motor) - BLT 3.3980 Yellow
Best Appearing - Spud Saunders
Most Realistic - Gary Shepard
RETRO FLEXI RESULTS
1. Stan Hutson - 444+46 - BLT 3.06643 BLACK
2. Terry Kelly - 441+36 - BLT 3.0193 BLACK
3. Raymond Gonzalez - 414+50 - BLT 3.1792 BLACK
4. Steve "SPUD" Saunders - 406+18 - BLT 3.3002 PURPLE
5. Steve Harrington - 396+47 - BLT 3.3010 ORANGE
6. Kenny Hendrix - 39 (Handling Woes) - BLT 3.3983 WHITE
Best Appearing - Terry Kelly
Most Realistic - Steve "SPUD" Saunders
ADDED NOTES from this event.
All motors were handout motors.
I received a box of Kelly Bullet Motors at the beginning of the morning. The dogs were culled from that box. All motors used for the day were engraved and painted. A list was made for these motors. All racers came to the tech table to sign up for each class they were going to race. Each racer had the option to purchase 1 extra motor for the days events. All the motors were then put into a cloth bag an jumbled around. Each racer pulled out motors, either 1 at a time or 2-3 at one time. Each racer was recorded to the motor number as they were drawn lottery style. True Handout fashion. Motors were totally luck of the draw.
Again the pill draw format provided racers with lane choice. And for some reason during these races, lane choice would prove to be a big advantage in choosing a lower or higher lane. In the F1, the low lane choice was the key for Raymond. He was able to run 2 heats alone as all the other racers battled and banged tires while he pulled away early. Raymond never looked back. Can-Am saw a different strategy with eventual winner Kenny Hendrix choosing white as his starting lane. With 9 racers and 1 sit-out, he ran one lane and rested one heat. He then proceeded to fly under the radar while race favorites Gary Shepard and Raymond Gonzalez raced hard every heat betwen themselves. His cover was blown quickly as he started climbing the lap ladder quickly. However with the Flexi-GT race, lane selection saw all the bottom lanes taken first. They all had hopes of possibly building a lead that could be withheld once they got to the top lanes. As the day grew longer and the track temperature changed, the cars all got a little looser. Softer tires came into play and would prove to be the fast way around with Stan Hutson putting some quick laps down in every lane with his SpeedFX/Kelly chassis. Terry Kelly pressured Stan in every heat only to loose a foot or two at the end of most heats. A few late race driving errors allowed Stan to pull away for a 3 lap lead and win.
DIXIE RETRO KICK-OFF RACE
July 30 and 31 marked the inaugural races for the Dixie Retro Racing Association. Labeled the Kick-off Race, drivers from Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida convened at Raceworld Speedway in Lagrange, GA, to compete in five classes of retro slot cars. There were a total of fifty-six entries in the five classes! Not bad for starters! Our excellent hosts were Shirley and Steve Harrington, owners of Raceworld, which is home to one of the finest Orange tracks available.
Races were held for Stockcar, Coupe, Formula 1, Can-Am, and Retro Flexi. Rules are straightforward, employing widely-understood retro racing rules for items such as weight, clearance, and bodies, while relying upon Slick 7 mini-Brut or Kelly Bullet motors to provide push.
The Stockcar and Coupe races were held the first evening with the following results...
The 4.5" Stockcar event provided some very close racing, especially for second place, with Raymond Gonzalez narrowly edging John Clow for the position. Steve and Chad Harrington dueled it out for fourth.
1. Pablo Wolcott, 366 laps
2. Raymond Gonzalez, 359
3. John Clow, 359
4. Steve Harrington, 356
5. Chad Harrington, 353
6. Terry Kelly, 292
7. Bill Bowers, 274
Coupe racing immediately followed with ten entries. Stan Hutson took the win over Raymond Gonzalez, while it came down to mere feet determining third & fourth, and fifth & sixth positions.
1. Stan Hutson, 410 laps
2. Raymond Gonzalez, 406
3. Terry Kelly, 398
4. Chad Harrington, 398
5. John Clow, 392
6. Steve McBride, 392
7. Bill Bowers, 386
8. Pablo Wolcott, 383
9. Keith Bernstein, 366
10. Steve Harrington, 263
Saturday, July 31, witnessed the drivers show up early to get their setups just right for the event's remaining three classes.
First up was Formula 1, which saw 12 entries. Raymond Gonzalez, who raced to two second place finishes the prior evening, won this event. The next four places were fairly close with Pablo Wolcott coming in second, followed by Chad Harrington, Keith Bernstein, and Bobby Robinson.
F1 Concours, Keith Bernstein (best appearing entry) and Gary Shepard (most realistic entry).
1. Raymond Gonzalez, 406 laps
2. Pablo Wolcott, 399
3. Chad Harrington, 395
4. Keith Bernstein, 394
5. Bobby Robinson, 392
6. Steve Harrington, 382
7. John Clow, 380
8. Stan Hutson, 378
9. Bill Bowers, 375
10. Gary Shepard, 363
11. Lanier Gazaway, 254
12. Terry Kelly, 215
Can-Am followed Formula 1. This race turned out to be the showcase event for the weekend in the context there were sixteen entries. Two main events were held with final positions being decided by conflating the results of the mains.
It was a nail-biter to the end as drivers from both mains pondered their final positions. After a few moments delay for final tally, Shirley Harrington announced the outcome. Terry Kelly stood atop the podium, followed by Pablo Wolcott, and Stan Hutson. Chad Harrington placed a close fourth.
1. Terry Kelly, 410 laps, Main 2
2. Pablo Wolcott, 407, 2
3. Stan Hutson, 405, 1
4. Chad Harrington, 404, 2
5. Lamar McClellan, 395, 1
6. Bobby Robinson, 394, 1
7. Bill Bowers, 393, 2
8. Steve McBride, 386, 1
9. John Clow, 385, 1
10. Raymond Gonzalez, 382, 2
11. Steve Harrington, 378, 2
12. Keith Bernstein, 378, 2
13. Russell Dobbs, 372, 2
14. John Stephenson, 348, 1
15. Billy Watson, 331, 1
16. Gary Shepard, 273, 1
Retro Flexi concluded the weekend's racing with eleven entries. Stan Hutson fairly well walked away with this event, showing lots of speed and great driving..
1. Stan Hutson, 449 laps
2. Bobby Robinson, 431
3. John Clow, 428
4. Raymond Gonzales, 426
5. Lamar McClellan, 420
6. Pablo Wolcott, 419
7. Terry Kelly, 417
8. Steve Harrington, 400
9. Keith Bernstein, 390
10. Billy Watson, 377
11. Alan Jones, 374
At the end of the day, fifty-six entries across five classes in a new southern retro slot car racing series, begun mid-summer, must be considered a smash success! M-A-N-Y thanks to Shirley and Steve Harrington, our gracious event hosts!
Keith Bernstein.
