Qualifying day! The day when all the pretending stops, and things get serious.
Weather is good, but hot as we’ve come to expect as we get underway this morning.
Sadly with the practice disorganisation I spoke about yesterday, this morning started with a 2 minute by heats, practice session to ensure the computer and transponders were working properly. That means we didn’t get started with proper racing until just before 11.00. With over 2.5 hours per round, we’re already looking at 6.30pm to get three qualifiers in if everything runs perfectly, then a dinner break, then another 2.5 hours for a night round. With weather likely to intervene at some stage, the smart money is that we’ll end up dropping at least one round of qualifying. We’ll see.
First round is underway as I type, I’ll try and come back with some top 10 lists after the first round is complete. That depends of course on whether my own run goes well, and whether I’m up to my neck in maintenance and in a good mood!
Stories from the world of RC car racing
9 responses to “2009 AARCMCC EP Nats – Day 3”
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Round one is done and dusted. Finally. Round two kicked off at just before 1.30, so we’re tracking along at 2 1/2 hours per round.
We’re working on the ability to upload the results here, with the lap scoring team unable to stream the results. Once we get on top of that, check back here for full results.
I can say that Ryan Maker pipped Ari Bakla in the first round of qualifying, with Simon Nicholson pulling in mid way, unhappy with his car’s performance. Campbell was strong and finished third, Zarb, Laughlin, Atack, Marshall all inside the top 10. For our Queensland readers, Corey Broadstock finished 12th, Scott Guyatt 14th and Leonard Lai 17th.
Damien Zarb kicked off superstock with a round win just ahead of young queensland drivers Tim Weier and Corey Broadstock. Qualifying in this class is very tight with only 1 second splitting about the top 5.
Kyle Hazell smashed the 12th scale field, setting TQ by a full lap. Unless some of his opposition find something special, this class is all but done and dusted.
Back later with more results once we work out how to get the info.LikeLike
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Results files uploading now.
Go here: http://www.actionrc.com.au/downloads/nats09results/Final_Index.html
Full round one results, plus first heat of motorbikes from round two.
Enjoy.LikeLike
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Interesting.. seems AA had SN coming thru and caught in traffic.. SG,CB need another few tenths and RM and AB are flying!!
nice work.. tks for results.
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Just uploading new results now – for round 2, and 12th scale round 3. Round 3 underway at the moment, estimated to finish about 6.30 or so.
Should have mentioned earlier that the mighty “Heavy D” has been on fire, with one top ten time, and sitting 10th overall after two rounds. Peter Beckett is fourth in Stock (for the Queenslanders).
Round two of mod saw a tight duel between Bakla, Maker and Anthony Atack – the three finishing in that order. Anthony’s car was a jet, with some good setup changes getting the car right in the pocket.
Anthony also reports for the benefit of PD, that his hat appears to have got lost in the mail. Perhaps PD you might look into that?
Conditions a little cooler than yesterday, but wind springing up now making for a different challenge.LikeLike
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(should have said, follow the same link above to the results file)
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Round three done. We’re into dinner break, with Round four commencing 7.45pm.
Round three mod saw Bakla take the win from Maker and Laughlin, Zarb, and Atack. Nicholson had a second DNF, meaning his title defence is now on a tightrope, with only one result from three rounds done, and needing three more to put his car into the A final lineup. Counting three rounds, the top 10 is Bakla, Maker, Laughlin, Zarb, Atack, Campbell, Vergunst, Broadstock, Lee, Caretti. That’s right, Queensland young gun Corey Broadstock is sitting inside the top 10 and driving out of his skin. Leonard and I are in the back half of the B final, and just struggling to put it all together for various reasons (in my case, age).
Superstock and Damien Zarb sits on top from Ben Cribbin, Christian Silver, Tim Weier, Corey Broadstock, Luc Botton, Mark Wallin, Adam Frankish, Craig McPhee and Dan Garcia. Lots of guys have a single bad run though, so it’s way too early to be thinking that’s the final top 10.
Stock results have varied a bit from round to round with lots of guys sitting close. For the record the top 10 is Darren Laughlin, Rodney Maslovski, Peter Beckett, Mathew Stamboulis, Robbie Lloyd, Milenko Rogic, James Ainslie, Albert Abit, David Guyatt (you read it right – the legend is in the top 10 and winning his self-declared battle with Ray Zarb) and Harrison Hawke. Mitchell Hollis has had a horror run and only finished one round of qual so far.
12th scale continues to be all about Kyle Hazell – winning each round, and still a lap clear of the field. Behind him it’s Caretti, Lee, Vercoe, Cooke, Ellis, Miller, Gronki, Warner, Douce.
We’ll upload the final results tonight after the fourth round of qual. With two more rounds tomorrow and 4/6 to count, qualifying is anything but done and dusted.
My own race has been tragic. Undiagnosed issues in round 1 & 2. The car back to its best in round three before a driveline failure 2 minutes in….. 🙄 😦
Looks like I’ll be taking lots of A final photos tomorrow…! Still, hanging out with good mates, playing with toy cars. Even a bad day at the races is better than being at the office.LikeLike
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Well done Corey, looking good mate. Must be that pitman of yours 😉
Peter and Heavy also looking good.
I hope Ryan can catch Ari, it will be an epic battle between the two come finals time.LikeLike
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HAHAHA,,, actually forgot about the cap Scott… Good work!!! hehehehe 😆
Well done on the reporting too 😎 … bets all the txt’ing back and forth, especially when that grasshopper deletes my number 😕 . How rude!!!! 😥LikeLike
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Round four completed under lights. Quite a spectacle with fast times and very fast cars. Lighting was just barely adequate, and the bugs were something else. I had some giant insect land on me and bite me on the neck during my heat….not fun when your car is doing 90km/h on the back straight at the time!
In Mod Ari got home tonight in a tight one over Simon and Ryan (I think that’s right – don’t have the results sheets here at the hotel). Simon’s tightrope walk to the finals is on track, with two more heats tomorrow and no room for mistakes. Troy Loughlin continued to go fast to keep himself in the picture as well. The finals are shaping as something special between Ari, Ryan, Simon (if he can get there), Anthony, Troy and others.
I confess I’m not sure what if anything changed in Superstock – but it looked like the usual suspects were fast.
In Stock Qlder Peter Beckett put in a stellar run to take the round win and move to the top of the sheets after four rounds (with all counting). Dave Guyatt is on the bubble in tenth and stoked with his performance.
I don’t have the round four results yet, but will try and pick them up in the morning and upload them. Check back then (and look for a new thread – we’ll set up a new story/post in the morning.
My own race tonight was decent (except for the aforementioned insect) and definitely my best of the day. The car was good, but at this point I seem destined for a B final. Sure not what I was secretly hoping for, but about what I reasonably expected.
Weather much nicer today, and we even broke out the tyre warmers tonight as air and track temps dropped below 30 for the first time all week.
AARCMCC AGM took place, most important decision was to approve a new tourer weight limit of 1425gm (including timing equipment) effective 1/1/2010. There are also new wing/body rules in the pipeline to resolve the strange rules we’re running under this week.
See y’all tomorrow.
PS Cheers to our NZ and SA readers!LikeLike
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