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Scale R7 Uncle Kal's Raceway, Monrovia, CA July 19th

SoCal USRA Scale Race #7 Uncle Kal’s Underground Raceway, Monrovia Calif. Aug 9th 2003

Saturday August ninth was hot and humid as SoCal USRA racers descended into the basement at Uncle Kal’s Underground Slot Cars for what was most likely the last time. The raceway has recently announced plans to relocate in early fall and next years races will be held on totally different tracks in a different facility. The purple 160’ Dadds Grandstand Hillclimb will be replaced by an Ogilvie Engelman making this the last SoCal USRA scale race on that great track.

The first class contended was 4” Nascar with Earl Wilson winning Amateur Concourse and Paul Sterrett taking the Expert honors. Racing began with a 15 car double round robin with Blaine Halberstadt and Phil Phillips sharing the lead after one. Blaine sat out as Phil Phillips continued to lead Paul Abbey as Jerry Johnson came in with a strong heat on red. Big Brian Johnson was in third after five as Colin Herzig came in on black and almost immediately was involved in an incident that knocked out his motor. Tim Hould came in and matched Jerry’s high heat on green with a 39 as Colin Herzig got the motor back in and set high heat of the race in the seventh on orange with 41.

Phil Phillips, Tim Hould and Jerry Johnson all looked to be on a pace good enough for the win with Daniel Hudson and Blaine Halberstadt the two long shots. Colin Herzig was going fast but after dropping ten laps reinstalling the motor nobody gave him a chance.As the race continued, anyone watching the lap averages could se that Colin’s was rising every heat and he was starting to look like a threat for the lead again. After eighteen heats Tim Hould sat out with 304, an admirable total for Amateur Nascar on that track. In the end, Colin pulled off an awesome comeback to end up on the same lap in the same turn with Tim. Jerry Johnson and Phil Phillips finished two back in third and fourth with 302 each. Daniel Hudson and Alex Freund were fifth and sixth with Sam Brown in seventh leading eighth place Blaine Halberstadt. Since both lane markers were in the exact same spot in the same turn on the same lap, it was decided to call the race a “dead heat” for first and award equal points to Tim and Colin since there was no way to know for sure who actually won. Paul Abbey was ninth and followed by Jimmy Ross and Ryan Fookes, with Big Brian twelfth. Earl Wilson was thirteenth, with Johnny “BlackFlag” Hotoyan and Andrew Ross rounding out the main.

Expert 4” was a close battle between Greg G., Chris Radisich and Duran. Greg took advantage of the fast outer lanes to go up by as many as six before body suck problems cost him a few and moving to the slower lanes put Greg square in the middle of the Radisich/Trujillo battle for second which was now the battle for first. Paul Sterrett, Steve Forsyth and Gil Rivera had a nice little battle going for fourth with Mike Hudson struggling and finally dropping out after five heats. In the final heat lap traffic got Radisich and he had to settle for third, as Gilbert held off Duran by segments for the win. Sterrett was fourth, Steve Forsyth fifth, Rivera sixth and Hudson seventh.

The coveted Slixx Decal Challenge Concourse award went to Robert Stubbs in Amateur and Paul Sterrett in Expert. In the race Tim Peck, Phil Phillips and Daniel Hudson looked like the guys to beat early. SoCal mystery racer Sal Rose hit the track in the third and looked to be a threat Jimmy Ross began to rack up the laps as well. After a poor first heat on red Arizona’s Jerry Johnson came to life and took the win by one over a stunned Daniel Hudson with Sal Rose a solid third. Tim Peck took a strong fourth ahead of Phil Phillips with Jimmy Ross sixth, Alex Freund seventh and Earl Wilson eight. Paul Abbey was ninth, Stubbs tenth with Andrew Ross and Bob Abbey rounded out the feature.

The expert race started out with a giant wreck on the first lap taking Radisich out of any serious contention and bruising a few other rides as well. Greg Gilbert slipped through unscathed and used consistent handling and a good motor to score a two lap victory over Duran to sweep both expert 4.5” races at UK’s this year. Gil Rivera took the last podium spot followed by Paul Sterrett, Mike Hudson and the twisted Radisich.

After the lunch break fifteen Amateur GT-1s took to the track and Daniel Hudson and Jerry Johnson were tied for the lead after one heat. Daniel sat out in the second but Mike Lewis came in with a strong 43 on red as Paul Abbey and John Emmons turned in strong heats. Jimmy Ross started going fast as he moved to the better lanes and Paul Abbey kept putting in good totals. The race looked like it was pretty much up for grabs until the seventh when Tim Hould came in with 43 on red backed up with a 44 on green. Phil Phillips came in at the start of heat nine and ran 43s on red and green as Tim had a bad heat on blue and lost at least six laps. Tim ran three 43 and two 44 lap heats but the 33 on blue put Phil Phillips up by seven at the end for the win. Jerry Johnson’s consistency put him on the same lap with Tim Hould for third.

Mike Lewis, who can make any old thing go fast was about a lap and a half further back for fourth with Jimmy Ross one more back in fifth. Daniel Hudson held off Brian Johnson for sixth with Paul Abbey, who does such a great job on our newsletter and Sam Brown eighth and ninth. Bob Abbey finished tenth, two ahead of Colin Herzig who tied the high heat at 44 before dropping back. John Emmons, Adam and Wayne Shaw and James Grinstead filled out the field.

In Expert GT-1 Casey Scott overcame a five lap penalty for not marshalling win by three with one of the most hooked up GT-1s ever seen. Greg G. stayed as close as anyone did for second with BP’s Mike Hudson third, Duran fourth, Radisich fifth and Roy Hood sixth. Steve Forsyth was seventh with Paul Sterrett eighth and Mike “Stu” Stuart ninth. Gil Rivera was tenth and Alan Ohren who challenged early had mechanical troubles and had to settle for eleventh. Jonathan Forsyth was twelfth.

Amateur GT-12 started with Phil Phillips and Sam Brown first and second after one. Jerry Johnson and Tim Hould looked strong at the start as well. Tim Hould stepped it up in the second to take the lead as Big Brian came in strong on the red lane and Jerry Johnson continued to go fast. Colin Herzig came in with an awesome 48 in the fourth as Phil and Tim sat out. Colin continued to have great heats, including a 49 for high heat of the race and fast time of 3.390 to take an eight lap victory over Tim Hould, who was in turn eight ahead of Phil Phillips in third. Jerry Johnson was fourth and Brian Johnson fifth just two back. John Emmons was sixth, Sam Brown seventh and Johnny “BlackFlag” Hotoyan eighth. Paul Abbey, Daniel Hudson and Bob Abbey filled out the main.

Expert GT-12 saw the fastest GT-12 race ever on the Grandstand with Alan Ohren, Greg G and Casey Scott turning heat totals reminiscent of wing cars. Casey and Alan had the speed but Greg G. had the reliability and kept his head to win by nine over Alan Ohren who experienced technical difficulties on blue and orange that cost him dearly. Roy Hood was steady to come in third with Monty Ohren fourth. Casey Scott looked like he would run away with it but suffered lead wire troubles to end up fifth. Radisich was sixth, and was followed by Steve and Jonathan Forsyth. Greg G. won expert concourse.

Thanks to all who contributed to making this race a success!!!