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Uncle Joe's R/C World Of Indiana hosted their 16th Annual Labor Day Race and BBQ. Joe followed his
usual format, with Stock Buggy & Truck on Saturday and Mod Buggy, Truck, and 4WD on Sunday, with
Monday reserved in case of rain. Add in great trophies, free T-shirt for every driver, and the
big free BBQ Saturday night for everyone in attendance -- BBQ, baked beans, potato salad, chocolate
cake, the works, all home-made by Joe's wife and friends -- and you've got the right ingredients
for a great time which in past years has drawn well over 200 entries. But two years ago the event was plagued by computer problems with the then-new AutoScore system, and last year Mod was rained out. This year the race was on the same weekend as the ROAR outdoor gas touring nats in Toledo Ohio and the Pro Gas Series off-road event in Cincinnati Ohio. The result was an anemic turn-out compared to previous years, with no big-name drivers. Paul Sinclair, driving the X - 5 Conversion, TQed every round of qualifying and won the A main, leading at the conclusion of every lap or qualifying and the main. The big news is the wide variety of 4WD cars contesting this event. The race included Paul's X - 5, a BJ 4X4, three XXX-4s, a Yokomo, and a XX-4. There was also an Academy SB at the race, but the driver decided not to run due to mechanical problems encountered in practice. That's six different four wheelers all at the same race! |
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The track lay-out was relatively flat, featuring a deceptive 180 banked sweeper at the end of the
straight and a fast left-hander into Joe's patented "keyhole" section to avoid the large tree in
the middle of the back part of the track. The section of the track, on the other side of the tree
included a series of turns of various angles with short straights in between and an elevation
change that tested throttle control and accurate driving before a fast 90 degree turn put the cars
back on the straight. Uncle Joe's track is typical Midwestern yellow clay which gets dusty and needs water every 15 minutes or so. As 4WD was last on the program, the wheelers had to contend with the dustiest track conditions, ensuring a lot of tai;-out racing. Bad for the lap times but fun for the spectators. Sinclair went a bit wide in the sweeper on the start and second-qualifier Thompson tucked the BJ 4X4 on the inside and they went around the corner side-by-side. This put Sinclair on the inside for the left-hander and he gained about a half-car-length lead. The keyhole is a long, banked 180, and Sinclair, with the slight lead, stayed right on the line as Thompson hit the pipe. The ensuing crash included most of the field, Sinclair finished lap one with a 6 second lead, and he never looked back. Click here for the FULL RESULTS. |
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