Wow. What a weekend. Mother Nature gave us a hard time on Friday afternoon, and today was a bust, but Friday morning and Sat off and on throughout the day, gave us a few hours of clean water to work with.
Highlights from the weekend:
- Congrats to Dan Schumbrecht. He set a new IMPBA World Record in N Tunnel using Dan's MiniCat Racing hull. 64.562 mph. Tan Dan and Big Red Ben made sure FE was well represented at the event.
- Congrats to Jerry Crowther on his record pace one way fast pass in his Seaducer F Mono. Unfortunately the wind kept him at bay and prevented him from backing it up.
- Kently Porter was kind enough to let Scott Liddycoat, Jerry Crowther, and I use his NovaRossi 46 DD powered K-ZAM 40 Hydro, and challenged us to break 100 mph. Scott Liddycoat won the challenge and earned his 110 mph Hydro Patch by going just over 111 mph. I came in second and earned my 100mph patch by exceeding 103 mph. Jerry Crowther came in third at just over 97 mph.
What can you say about the NovaRossi engines??? They are ballistic. The windy conditions gave a few of us the opportunity to work on other projects for future races. We also had a surprise visit from Dick Tyndall on Saturday. He wanted to make sure Virginia Craftsman was well represented at the event!!! We welcomed a new IMPBA Member, Stan Harrington, who drove up to test a couple of his new boats built by Dick Loeb. He has switched from very successfully racing 1/4 scale gas cars to RC Boats. Scott Liddycoat tested race setup on his new NovaRosi 46 DD powered 40 Hydro. I mounted a new NovaRossi 46 OB powerhead on an extra Leecraft 40 Tunnel for testing. All I can say is WOW!!!! The power these engines deliver is way beyond any engines I have tested to date. The records by Kentley Porter and Scott Liddycoat using NR power in several different classes at this site, speak volumes about the engines and the support Glenn Quarles of NovaRossi US provides to his customers. This will be the perfect setup for a new VANS Racing 40 Tunnel I will be building for the 2013 race season.
I wanted to thank everyone that came for their help as the weekend would not have been possible without them. Extra thanks go out to:
-The ODMBA Club for supplying the retrieve boat and to Dick Loeb for bringing it to the event, and for his countless hours of running the retrieve boat throughout the event to make sure everyone had a great time. Also thanks to Donnie Padgett for providing the gas outboard motor. It saw a lot of use as a result of the high winds.
-The Fun Junction Park crew, John and John, for their hospitality, keeping the park and facilities clean, and for helping us manage the visitors.
-John Finch for bringing the timing equipment on Friday. I also thank him for his expertise in setting up the timing equipment and teaching me how the system works, so I could assist with setup on Sat and Sunday and know how to troubleshoot in case there was a malfunction.
-Kentley Porter for his assistance and guidance throughout the SAW event weekend, for tweaking my new twin hydro, for his expert knowledge on setup of the the NovaRossi engines and help with the new NR 46 OB, and for allowing me to watch over his shoulder and ask questions. Spend the day with KP and you will quickly realize why his shop walls are wallpapered with records. He also provided a couple of excellent restaurant choices for Sheila and I.
-Scott Liddycoat for his help running the clock and helping start and launch my boats during testing.
-I also want to make sure I send a special thanks to Sheila, for helping make sure we were all fed on Friday and Saturday, and for being such a trooper all weekend. She is a very special lady!!!!!....
Stay tuned for the IMPBA OVALS next month in Franklin, VA from CD, KP. Details should be listed in the March Roostertail!!!!