2004 Gas Nats

: Marc L; Races/Events

2004 Gas Nats

Races/Events Article ...

Coverage of the 2004 IMPBA Gas Nationals in Celina Ohio...by Marc Levac.

The best of the best in Ohio!

On September 24, 25 and 26th, Eastview Park in Celina Ohio was the home of the 2004 IMPBA Gas Nationals. Eighty-nine racers from all over the United States as well as from other countries including Canada and Australia participated in the races and brought with them 252 of the best Gasoline powered R/C racing boats. Racing classes included LS27 and XLS27 Outrigger Hydro, LS27 and XLS27 Catamaran, LS27 and XLS27 Mono, LS27 Sport Hydro, Crackerbox, SLS Mono, and LSG Offshore. For readers who are not familiar with IMPBA classifications, an online rulebook in .PDF format is accessible on the IMPBA website at www.impba.net. In short, the LS27 class is primarily dominated by Zenoah 23cc and 25.4cc engines such as the G231PUM and G260PUM engines. The XLS27 classes allow engines with removable head buttons, such as Quickdraw and J&G engines, among others, but many of the same Zenoah engines used in the LS classes are used in the XLS classes as long as they meet the requirements of the class.

The event was hosted by the Cincinnati Model Boat Club (IMPBA District 2), and presented by the Komatsu Zenoah Co. Brian Blazer and Mike Hoffmeister were co -contest directors. Score keeping was handled by Chelsea Blazer, and Matthew Waldron controlled the pits as Pit Boss. Many other members of the Cincinnati Model Boat Club and the North Coast Pond Hoppers contributed to the success of the event.

By wednesday evening (September 22nd), many pit tents could be seen on the site. The drivers' stands were setup, as were the large pit areas. Some RVs of people camping onsite (including myself) were already parked, and you could practically smell burning gasoline and synthetic oil! Thursday the 23rd was open water for those who wanted to try out the course and test their boats. This was done in an orderly fashion allowing 5 minutes of run time per group of boats. By then it was really beginning to feel like a race! I spent a good part of that day walking around and taking advantage of this time to put faces to all the names I have come to know in this sport. A large scale race such as the Gas Nats is a rare opportunity for many of us to finally get to meet the good folk we talk to on the telephone or via the Internet. I had the privilege of getting some setup tips from Jeff Michaud of Insane Boats, who took the time to look at my boats perform in open water, and offered me some loaner props and helped me tweak the boats. Also got to talk props with Jim Schaefer of ABC props, although not for as long as I would have hoped, but I had to race! I actually met so many great people, there are just too many to list! One thing that never ceases to impress me in this sport is the camaraderie, in spite of the intense competition. For example, after I performed a reverse launch on my friend's catamaran, I managed to pull it back in and get it back on the pit table. There was still time on the clock but the engine was swamped. I was immediately assisted by two racers (Mike Gilman and Butch Fields) who sprung into action and helped us get the boat back up and running in time to get into the race! Now that is the kind of thing you don't forget!

The racing began Friday morning at 8:00 am after the drivers' meeting and went on at a good pace until 8:00 pm that evening. The same applied for Saturday although at a slightly quicker pace. The racing was fast, the competition intense, yet through it all, racers were professional and the judges were fair. On Sunday, the races ended around noon and in the afternoon, the awards were presented by representatives of Komatsu Zenoah.

Heat Racing Results (Class: 1st Place - 2nd Place - 3rd Place):

Crackerbox: Ber, John - Sheckler, Greg - King, Nelson
LS27 Catamaran: Dolsen, Gus - Camus, Michael - Finn, Robert
LS27 Mono: Michaud, Jeff - Dolsen, Gus - Herzog, Chris
LS27 Outrigger: Sydor, Bill - Hallett, Richard - Camus, Michael
LS27 Sport Hydro: Michaud, Jeff - Willey III, Omro - Ghattas, Trent
LSG Offshore: Camus, Michael - Dolsen, Gus - Kereluk, David
SLS Mono: Rollins IV, Albert T. - Sheckler, Greg - Ber, John
XLS27 Catamaran: Fields, Butch - Brown, Antron - Tyson, Michael
XLS27 Mono: Camus, Michael - Finn, Robert - Ber, John
XLS27 Outrigger: Camus, Michael - Sydor, Bill - Finn, Robert

Trophy Dash Results (Class: Winner):

Sport Hydro: Brown, Antron
LS27 Catamaran: Camus, Micheal
LS27 Mono: Michaud, Jeff

Awards:

Sportsmanship award: Antron Brown
Offshore Concourse: Anthony Milkey
Best of Show: Peter Muller
Ugliest boat: Jeffrey "Duct Tape" Davis
Hard luck award: Dean Notter

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