The Magazine For Slot Car Enthusiasts
The Race at Heartland - Kansas City and California duel
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Racing in the Heartland. Practice time
To all the people in the Kansas City race family, thanks for your wonderful hospitality, and enthusiasm shown by all of you.

A new age has dawned for Fray style racing. For so many years the team from California would circle the globe, accepting challenges from teams. But it was never much of a challenge. The only thing in doubt was the margin of victory.

Then they got the invite from a group from Kansas City, Missouri. The team from KC was ready to hold court. Their cars were fast, their cars handled, and these guys knew how to use their controllers.

The ten hour series, hosted by Mike and Sue Heald of Heartland Raceway, began Saturday, November 4, at 8 am, with an IROC race for the approximately 25 people who showed up. Many to see the indomitable team who flew in all the way from California. The first tears in that thread of invincibility emerged early.
All drivers raced each color-keyed car in each lane for ten laps.The cars were donated by Phil Pignon, of Road Race Replicas, and tuned by Don Bourne. The little New Beetles performed, as many described them, “sweatly”. But what would turn out to be a show of total supremacy by KC was evident in the final standings of the first series. Five of six were from KC
Name (Runoff Finish) location:
Heartland Raceway Team from Kansas City
l to r: Howard Kilgore, Jack Lamb, Don Bourne,
John Habernal, and John Walter
1. Steve Ward (28), KC.
2. Don Bourne (27), KC.
3. Rick Phillis (24), Ca.
4. Steve Godinez (19), KC.
5. Howard Kilgore (17), KC.
6. McIntyre (11), KC.
California Team
l to r: Rick Phillis, Dennis Ryan, "SlotcarBob" Marketos,
Rick Machado, and Walter McClurg
The second series in the event was the Individuals. Each driver raced his own Fray Style prepared car for 3 minutes on each lane, Total laps determined the winner. As before, the local guys captured 5 of the six top spots
Top six finishers were:
Name (laps) location
1. Don Bourne (110), KC
2. Steve Ward (106), KC
3. Richard Phillis (105 -15 sections), Ca
4. Art Walts (105 -5), KC
5. John Habernal (105 -5), KC
6. Howard Kilgore (104), KC
Lastly, 5 members each from the Kansas City area and California, got together for the Team Event, a Fray style race. By this point the team from California was mumbling to themselves, but they were not yet lost their resolve. They were delusional. By the end of the first four heats the Band From the Heartland forgot to finish 1,2,3 only once. So, how bad was it. Here are some stats:

1. First off, let me just say that none of these KC guys were younsters and some are going to be collecting SS shortly. It seemed to be to their advantage that three of the five members were 50 or older. A testiment, maybe, that Viagra keeps the "pin" in the groove, so to speak.
2. The final score was 269-151. That’s like getting a no-hitter pitched against you.
3. All but one first place finish was by a KC driver, and Bourne strung 10 together himself, after Kilgore put a string of 5 together first.
4. Except for Phillis, no Cal driver did better than a third place finish in any heat.
5. With twenty heats total, the final outcome was already decided after only12, the equivalent to "no chance" 3 minutes into the 3rd quarter.
6. Their fourth place man scored more than three of the five Cal drivers, and missed tying their fourth by only a point.

You can bet the bar has been raised on this sport. For the immediate future, and until further notice, all T-jet tuning questions should be directed to these guys.