The Preparation
We probably didn't get started with the real effort till October. Up until then it was maybe two races a month, and not always Fray style cars. In fact, it was more often than not magnets and X-Tractions. But then the bug hit us, and we realized it was time to start planning for the Marathon.
Races were now weekly, and that means a lot of time away from our families. This thing called The Fray requires a lot of attention, and is a demanding mistress. It also requires a lot of understanding from spouses. Many have suggested that we "get a life", but that's not the issue here. There is no way to justify a passion like this to mere mortals.
It takes a team effort to run at a Fray, and that's a good thing. It means that more than one person is testing and tweaking, to find just the right combination of parts and techniques. It's also what makes it all so interesting. I mean, if we want out of the box experience, with no effort, just play video games. Slot cars are another animal.
Getting to Ferndale
This is always an interesting mix of logistics and circumstance. We are a large group in the Bay Area, and there were more than 20 of us attending, including the wives who came. We had two major events happen on the way up. First, Jeff Hurley, on a stopover in Petaluma, to pick up some tools he left at my track, discovers he has a nail in his tire. It's pouring down rain, 9pm, and only a "donut" spare. He's not going anywhere. To top it off, about ten minutes from my house, he gets a nose bleed from the cold he has develop that day. Then, in another strange string of events, he manages to misplace his wallet in the rental car for 12 hours. It's eventually discovered in a cubby inside the console, where there is just enough room for it to slide out of view.
Second was the event that nearly killed Kevin "The Muffler" Drake, and his wife, Bonnie. More on that here.
Note: Related story from Dave Rock.
Yet, after all was said and done, we all made it safely, if not a bit shaken. The ride up is always beautiful. Some of the best scenery anywhere, through pine forests, and redwoods.
Stepping Into the Hall
Always gets my adrenal pumping. A large hall, filled with eight large tracks, that will have my total attention for the next four days. The first order of business is to see who's there, and renew acquaintances. Smiles, laughs, and jokes, and always a little jabbing about how badly you will beat them.
It takes about three minutes to get the box open, and a controller in your hands, and then you have to decide where to start. I generally just choose the first track, and go round the horn, taking 10-15 minutes on each track, testing the four or five cars I think will do best.
It's an exercise in futility. Always is. I never end up driving what was working on my home tracks. Never. It all changes as soon as you enter the hall. It's a mystery to all of us. That's part of the reason we all arrive on Wednesday, for a Saturday race. There are forty-eight different lanes you have to consider, and there are tires to try, and pickups to adjust, and comm brushes to set. It takes a lot of time. Fortunately everyone is free with help and support, and so the knowledge is passed around freely, and we eventually all settle on the proper combination in the shortest time frame possible. The tweaking never stops, but they are less significant, and now it is time to learn the tracks.
The Friendships Build
Something happens as you step up to each table, and begin to dice with the other races. Friendships build and grow. If you haven't gotten the idea yet, this race is so great because of the attendees. These guys are becoming brothers, and if you're new to the Fray, they will quickly adopt you, if you are of a mind to allow that. This is a diverse and marvelous group, and there is a lot of close contact within four days. Eating, sleeping, tuning, talking about your lives. The slot side becomes almost secondary.
In my opinion, the best racers in the world attend the Fray, and they are not at all above taking people under their wings and helping all they can, including giving away parts. I have never heard of this at any other race, not to the degree I have seen here. There is a great desire to win this prestigious race, but not at the expense of excluding those with an interest in improving. This boat floats higher with everyone on board.
Race Day
People arrive at 7:30 am, and try to shake off sleepiness, and nerves. Race will start promptly at 8:00 am. It's a clock driven event, and it's a marathon that will be done in fourteen hours.
The pace was less frenetic this year because the cars were so much faster, and the decline in deslotting. It knocked off one to two minutes, or more, from each heat. Considering there are 150 heats for each team, that is an incredible time savings. It had the unexpected consequence of taking a lot of the edge off the racing. This was the Quiet Fray. Much more concentration, much less tension.
Kansas City, trying for a "three-peat" was the target for all of us. They had the bulls eye painted on there backs. The competition was much closer this year, and there was speculation that KC might fall, and that the winning team would not be undefeated for the first time in Fray history. Neither happened, and KC again prevailed, though they did have a very close contest with SoCal.
Final team Standings 1st - KC 15-0
2nd - SoCal 14-1
3rd Overland Park 12-3, Ferndale 12-3, SF/South Bay 12-3
6th - Davenport (Dan Luna et al) 10-5
7th - Independence 9-6
8th - Sacremento 7-8
San Diego 7-8
10th - Petaluma 6-9
11th - WI/FSMRA (Mike Block et al) 5-10, Rock Island/LA - 5-10
13th - East Coast 3-12
14th - Fremont 2-13
15th - Pacific Northwest 1-14
16th - Free Agents 0-15
Mains - Kid From Iowa Causes Stir
Seems that every year there is one standout performance. Last Fray it was Jamie Jorgensen's run of 21 wins, until he fell in the B main. This year it was 12 year old Andrew Keeling. This kid not only knocked off all comers all day, he also showed his metal with a run of six Main wins in a gutter lane, only to fall in the B Main. He was cheered on after each victory, and definitely captured the hearts of all who watched. It earned him "Rookie of the Year" honors. This kid is steady as a rock at 12, so imagine what he will be like in a few years. He is determined to return next year.
There were probably no surprises in the final six. Steve Ward, Rick Jochem, Mike Englage, Jeff Hurley, Trek Lawlor, and Steve Godinez. Seasoned veterans all. It was the most incredibly intense A Main I had ever seen. Not certain these guys ever came off the track. The cars were so quiet, and locked in. The speeds were surreal.
The early leader was Jochem, but after a car change in the third heat, Ward simply walked away from the field, eventually getting 31 of the 36 possible points, a Fray record. Final A Main Standings.
1st Place: Steve Ward, KC
2nd Place: Rick Jocham, So Cal
3rd place: Steve Godinez, Davenport
4th Place: Trek Lawlor, Independence
5th Place: Jeff Hurley, SF/South Bay
6th Place: Mike Engelage, So Cal
And so another Fray is in the record books, and the trophies go back to KC. It took most of us five minutes to start the discussions on how to wrest them from the Midwest. It was the best Fray ever, and I can't wait to return next year, with renewed hope and confidence. Final Statistics | |
