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MARCH 6, 2005 - OPENING DAY

 
PRESENTS:
Old n’ Nasty

Jocham/German First To Victory
in Rock Island Season Openers

The 2005 ROCK ISLAND RACING season got under way on Sunday March 6^th, at Rock Island Raceway, in Sun Valley, California. The weather was very cooperative, for the first time in what seems to be a month or so. Shortly after 9AM, racers began to assemble in the pit areas, and get to the track, for some pre-race testing.

Another new series was being inaugurated into the ROCK ISLAND RACING circuit. This was the Old n’ Nasty Series. This series is a vintage NASCAR series, run with original, hard plastic Aurora, Model Motoring, and Johnny Lightning bodies. It is an integrated chassis series, meaning that Frayjet chassis or JL Tuff Ones chassis are legal. They both, however, must be outfitted with Tuff Ones sized rims, axles, and tires.

As with any new series, having a good turnout is always a concern and, to that end, this racer/writer threw out some pretty bold trash talk, the likes of which would be difficult, at best, to live up to, even throwing down the gauntlet with a personal challenge, to last year’s NAS-T-JET Series Champion, SCOTT DUNLAP.

Jocham Dominates Old n’ Nasty Field

The Old n’ Nasty Series race was first. This was the MODEL MOTORING 150. The new series and new year also brought forth several changes in the complexion of a race day. The day began with qualifying. The field was 17 racers to start the day. As the drivers ascended upon the tricky road course, most of the times were somewhere in the mid to upper 9 second neighborhood.  VIC LICAUSI, driving a ’55 Chevy Bel-Air,  was first to get the crowd to stand up and take notice, as he nearly broke the sub-9 second barrier, posting a 9.032. This lap stood on the pole until very close to the end, when RICK JOCHAM, driving a ’69 Daytona Charger, literally blew the rest of the field completely out of the water, posting a blazing lap time of 8.528! This came after a re-start, as the lap timer delay was set for 9 seconds and JOCHAM’S lap was too fast for the setting (at this point, we all knew we were in trouble). We lowered the interval to 8 seconds and shortly thereafter, the news came on the screen…….an 8.528. Needless to say, this was quite good enough for the Pole, and the bonus point that goes with it.

The race, one big round robin, consisting of (6) 20-lap heats, was ugly and beautiful, at the same time.  The cars looked great, racing around the track, at times, resembling the cover of an old Model Motoring race set.  These cars though,  are definitely loose in the rear, and will slide and/or fishtail through a turn. It’s a lot of fun, driving them but, if you’re the guy next to the guy who’s sliding through the turn…you get kicked to the curb! There must be a lot of sore feet in the group now, as there was a lot of kickin’ goin’ on.  JOCHAM, however, was usually so far ahead of the field, that he was virtually unaffected by most of it. On a 6-lane track, a perfect score would be a 36, meaning that you won every heat in which you raced. JOCHAM scored a near-perfect 35 points, coming in second place in one of his heats and winning 5. The race here, was clearly for second place, an honor which MIKE ENGELAGE, no stranger to the podium or Victory Lane, took, via a tough fight with ’outside pole sitter’, LICAUSI.  ENGELAGE finished the race with 31 points, a total that would often be good enough to win this kind of race, while LICAUSI was a few points back with 28. Rounding out the Top 5 was MATT PAUL (’55 Chevy Bel-Air), last year’s Rolling Thunder Champion, finishing 4^th, with 26 points. PAUL was also the highest finishing JL car in the field, for which he received a Model Motoring race prize.  Fifth place went to GREG WILLEY (’67 Dodge Charger), who finished with 25 points.  In the new scoring system, the winner of the race is awarded 6 points, runner-up gets 5 points and so on. Sixth through last place all get one point. Bonus points for top qualifier and racer winning the most heats go on top of that. This type of scoring allows for a racer to miss a race or two and still be able to compete for the Championship.

The new series seemed to be a hit, as did the new format. For the first time, racers showed up at the race, knowing that they were going to get to race as much as everybody else, regardless of  how poorly they may do.  This is a good feeling if you’re driving in from far away, like our buddies from San Diego, FRANCIS MECNTEE and SCOTT ELLIS, did for the opener. Everybody loved seeing these old school cars back on the track again. The new format and different driving styles were small stumbling blocks that were hurdled quickly by most racers.  One of the absolute highlights of the day, was HARRISON, from Model Motoring coming out to support the group, and after the Old n’ Nasty Series race, announcing to me that Model Motoring would be signing on as series sponsor! In the early years of ROCK ISLAND RACING,  Model Motoring sponsored some of our races but, then we started running mostly custom, resin Frayjet bodies and aftermarket custom parts. We are very pleased at this reunion and especially, at a time when we are running an entire series, using many Model Motoring bodies and parts. All of our racers and team members are very grateful to have Model Motoring aboard. And just a personal note…if it’s been a while since you’ve raced old school plastic bodies, give it a shot, with a Tuff Ones axle/wheel/tire setup, and see if you don’t agree that it’s a blast.  Most of the racers were running JW’s Brass Tuff Ones front sets, with Wizzard Tuff Ones double flanged hubs and Wizzard slip on rear tires.

At the end of the race, it was time for a food break. The pizza got here just as the last heat of the race was beginning. While most of the racers enjoyed pizza for lunch, ROCKY GERMAN was forced to eat ‘crow’, after finishing out of the top 10, in 11^th place. This is NOT where you want to finish if you talk trash! Some racers were heard sniggering about “taking their beating like a man” and about the “ass kickin’ they were supposed to get!” GERMAN asked for it, got it, and deserved every bit of it. However...there was still a chance for redemption!

 
PRESENTS:
NAS-T-JET

German Rises To Occasion: Triumphs Over Dunlap

The trash talk for the season’s first NAS-T-JET race was a little more pointed, and less general. It came from last year’s series runner-up, GERMAN and was offered up directly to last year’s Champion, DUNLAP, via an email to the entire group, throwing down the gauntlet.  GERMAN vowed not to let DUNLAP be a repeat Champion this year, and said he would do something about it on opening day, if DUNLAP “had the guts to show up and race…”. Well, DUNLAP did show up and he brought with him the #88 UPS car that was so consistently good, last season. Not much was said between the two, before the race but….it was (and is) on!

This race was the JW’s Speed Parts 100. There were a lot of awesome cars in the field, many of them with custom paint jobs. 

• A return of the #3 Intimidator car, as well as 

• the #8 Bud car, and 

• the #37 Wolf car enhanced the sight of the field as well as new additions like 

• the #2 Miller Lite Flame car, made as a tribute to Rusty’s Last Stand and 

• the #24 DuPont Superman.

Due to a late start (computer woes..) and running fairly well behind schedule, we skipped the qualifying round for the NAS-T-JET race….(actually we all forgot!). As the racing began, a few racers took to the front of the pack, posting a win or two, right off the bat. JOCHAM (#38 M&M’s Taurus)continued his winning ways, picking up a bunch of 6’s, as did ENGELAGE (#44 Hot Wheels Gran Prix), DOUG BROWN (#37 Wolf Monte Carlo), and GERMAN (#2 Miller Lite Taurus). Stacking up the 5’s like they were on sale, was CHRIS JACKSON (#45 Sprint Intrepid), who ended up scoring four 5’s and a 6, before the race was over. Just past the half way point, a couple things became clear:

Number one: GERMAN was finished eating crow for the day, as he had DUNLAP handily beaten.  DUNLAP was heard saying to GERMAN “enjoy it now…”.  GERMAN'S response was an "Oh...I AM!" kinda smile....nothing more (yet).

Number two: somebody might stop JOCHAM from a sweep of the day’s racing which, after the early race, seemed almost a given.

As the last heat came upon the field, the scenario was this: JOCHAM was finished, with 33 points. GERMAN, with 28 points,  had to race in the last heat, on the Yellow gutter lane, and win it, to win the race. In order to do so, he had to finish ahead of MCENTEE and DUNLAP. DUNLAP could still get a good deal of consolation by being the ‘spoiler’ and thwarting GERMAN’S efforts to win the race. MCENTEE, was also looking for the win in the heat to put him in the Top 5.  As the heat began, these three racers pulled out, almost as though they were in formation (kinda like the KC Boys did against us at the Fray!), and the intensity grew and grew throughout the heat. First it was MCENTEE in the lead, then DUNLAP, then GERMAN, then MCENTEE, then GERMAN, then DUNLAP and then…..and then….with 4 laps to go, GERMAN de-slotted, watching MCENTEE and DUNLAP pass him as though he were standing still (which he was at the time). After a quick marshall job by ENGELAGE, GERMAN was back at it, trying to reel in the Team San Diego duo but, with very little time remaining. Everyone was watching and the excitement and noise level began to rise, as GERMAN slowly reeled in the Top 2. As the racers came down the front straight for the White flag, they were 3 wide, headed into the first turn. They were 3 wide going through turn 2 and 3, and under the bridge. Coming up to the ‘squiggles’,  DUNLAP hick-upped  and fell just off the pace, as GERMAN and MCENTEE continued to battle, side by side, into the downhill hairpin, through the back and forth hairpins and up the hill, where GERMAN finally made the pass, and held off MCENTEE for the remaining 11 feet of track, to pull off the victory and the upset over JOCHAM, who was poised for a race day sweep and would have earned it, had he gotten it. But, it was not to be, as the #2 Miller Lite Taurus took that glorious trip down Victory lane, as GERMAN finished up with 34 points for the day.  GERMAN was later heard to say "the car ran as good as it looked...and it looked good!" Rounding out the Top 5 were BROWN in third place, with 29 points, ENGELAGE in 4^th with 29 points (decided by tie breaker), and JACKSON in 5^th, with 28 points (awesome run Chris!).

This was definitely an action packed race day. The new format provided a lot of close racing. Some of the heats went 4 or 5 wide for several laps! There was not one minute wasted on wondering where somebody, who forgot to mark their car, finished.  There were no dejected drivers, forced to sit and watch for the rest of the day, after a piece of 'bad luck' in a qualifying round. There were no clean slate/second chances, via a consi and a final.  Any problems that you may have had during the race, you had to live with, for the rest of the day. To this racer/writer, that much more resembles the real thing!  

ROCK ISLAND RACING Finishing Order  NAS-T-JET Series JW’s Speed Parts 100 1.   Rocky German                               6+1=    7  points     2.   Rick Jocham                                                5               3.   Doug Brown                                                4              4.   Mike Engelage                                            3              5.   Chris Jackson                                              2                6.   Francis McEntee                                          1 7.   Mickey Hurtado                                           1 8.   Matt Paul                                                     1 9.   Scott Dunlap                                                1 10. Vic Licausi                                                   1 11. Greg Willey                                                  1 12. Michael Hurtado                                          1 13. Tony Grossman                                            1 14. Scott Ellis                                                     1 15. Joe Dodge                                                    1 15. Scott Linden                                                 1

ROCK ISLAND RACING would like to thank, firstly, all of the racers who came out to race and support the new series. Without you this would not be happening and our club would not have developed into what it has become.

Secondly, we would like to thank our sponsors for their continued support. We urge you to visit their websites and patronize their businesses. Our current sponsors are Model Motoring, Wizzard, and JW’s Speed Parts. We are hoping to have Scale Auto on board again this year, and will find out about that soon.  We are looking for individual race sponsors for the season. To be a race sponsor, we need at least 5 prizes to be given away at the race. If a sponsor supplies such prizes, the race will be named after their company and referred to as such in all correspondence.  

The next race will be in four weeks, at MICKEY HURTADO’S Inland Empire HO Raceway.  The next Frayjet Race will be in 2 weeks at GREG WILLEY’S Acme Raceway.

C ya there.