2022 Raven Raceway Showcase Round 2

 This Thursday is Round 2 of the Showcase Championship at Raven Raceway.

The overall winner of this three race series (currently three but could

become four) wins the Showcase.  See the current point standings below.

Just like the last event at Brad's track, ISF will be running the GTP

division and SHMUC will be running the Tyco Open division.  Vantastic

will wrap up the evenings racing activities.

Showcase Championship Point Standings

JW    40

Bill    33

Steve    32

Joe    32

Pete    30

Ev    25

Kristof    11

Brad    6

Upcoming Racing Schedule:

Feb 17        ISF GTP & SHMUC Tyco Open    Shrine Desert Road Course    SHMUC

Point Standings:

SHMUC Overall

Pete    74

Bill    70

Lack    54

JW    52

Steve    52

Ev    47

Kristof    44

Brad    30

Joe    27

Mente    20

Chris    18

Dean    15

Bob Jr    1

SHMUC SuperG

Bill    38

Ev    32

Steve    27

Pete    27

JW    22

Joe    19

Lack    19

Brad    16

Mente    8

Kristof    7

SHMUC Tyco Open

Pete    18

Chris    15

Lack    12

Bill    10

Brad    7

Dean    5

Ev    3

Kristof    1

Joe    1

SHMUC Vantastic

Kristof    36

JW    30

Pete    29

Steve    25

Lack    23

Bill    22

Ev    12

Mente    12

Dean    10

Brad    7

Joe    7

Chris    3

Bob Jr    1

Good luck SHMUCs!!!

2022 Corvette Connection Raceway in Pictures

 

ISF Changes for 2022

For the last several years the ISF has run in conjunction with 
Indyslotcar in the fall and early winter an with SHMUC running in
late winter and spring.
 This year we will not be running the traditional ISF schedule in the fall. We would run the regular SHMUC divisions as we have before but mix in the old school ISF divisions of GTP, F1 and GT with a few modifications.  Each race night we run a SHMUC division and an ISF division and maybe a quickie Vans race like we did last season. Run the same rules of stock chassis for the ISF divisions like we have in the past but open the tire rule to any slip-on tire.  Basically, the ones that you can purchase from Lucky Bob’s. Also, for the ISF division, we could run the Alphabet mains like we do in SHMUC.



F1 – 440 narrow chassis with stock components – run any of the slip on tires available at Lucky Bobs.

GT – 440 chassis, stock components – run Bob’s tires. GT type bodies
(Corvette, Lambo, Ferrari, Porsche, Camaro, Firebird, Mustang, Nissan,
etc… really everyone knows what a GT body is - no NASCAR or IndyCar/F1)

GTP – AFX Super G+ chassis, stock components. Same rules as always plus run Bob’s tires.

Qualifying is a heat race to seed the Mains.  

Road Course: two 90 second halves. 

Oval: four 60 second quarters - (run all lanes).
Mains will be the Alphabet style ladder.  

Road Course:
All mains B and lower are two 2 minute halves, A main is 4 minute halves.  

Ovals:
All mains B and lower are four 1 minute quarters, A main is four 2 minute
quarters - (run all lanes).

Ev Out of 2022 Indy 500

 

It has been a bit since this old reporter had a scoop on a news story.

So when HO Team Penski president Sim Tindric said he had an inside story for me I grabbed my pad and pen and turned on my trusty microcassette tape recorder and listened and asked questions.

“Ev Kamikawa will not be racing for HO Team Penski in this years Indy 500,” he started after downing a double shot of whiskey.

My jaw dropped.

“With the success of Newgarden, Power, and McLaughlin at the big level we realize we can win the championship and we need to focus on that. Plus with the high inflation rate making things cost more, we need to make sure we have the funds to continue that championship chase.” Another shot of whiskey.

So you are saying that the first four time winner of the event and the leader in pole positions isn’t going to start the biggest race of the year for the biggest team name in Indyslotcar?

“That is correct.” Another shot. “Besides, he hasn’t won a race for us for what…three seasons? In our organization if you can’t bring success the major isn’t going to stand behind you.”

You mean captain.

“No, I mean major. Captain refers to Roger Penske of Penske motors fame. Major refers to the HO Penski Team boss Renske Penski. He is my boss (another shot).”

So is Ev being fired? Is he out of a ride for next season?

“No. We hold the option on his services in the #12 car for next season. He hasn’t had a steady teammate for at least a decade,” Tindric said. “We teamed Joe Heitz with him and Heitz waxed the floor with him. That is why we didn’t punish Heitz when he ran into Ev those times. Do you need a shot? I haven’t seen you drink anything yet.”

No thanks. Ev won a race in the ISF this year plus three in SHMUC. Doesn’t that give the organization some faith and hope for him that he has wins left in him?

“The F1 win was with Ferrari money. The SHMUC wins were with Ev’s money. He financed those rides, the team didn't. Why do you he is endorsing anything he can these days? He needs the check to fund the rides."

Ev Kamikawa a pay driver?

"We don’t care about that money. We are just not going to spend our money on him when we have an Indycar championship to win this year. He couldn't beat his son at the last race-that is the third time in a row his son has beaten him in Indyslotcar by the way. What can you expect with results like that? HO Team Penski fights for wins not 10th in the championship.”

What did Ev say when you told him?

“We left him a voicemail. He did call back and left a message. Something about answering questions at a local watering hole on Thursday night. I probably shouldn’t tell you that we are looking for someone else to lead the team next year with or without Ev on the team. We figured we would tell you and he can read about it like everyone else. This will probably help his career. Remember when the big team let Helio go? He had some one off rides for the big team in the 500 and then went to another team and got his fourth win. Maybe it will be the same for Ev."

Who would you get to replace him?

"Who wouldn't we get? Take your pick.
Anyone else in the field is eligible. Ev might be on the team with any of those drivers but he would be second fiddle."

I think I will take that drink now.

“Too late. I'm leaving,” Tindric closed. “Well Mr. Scribbler. See ya around in the pits!”

Sorry Ev that you are reading this. You’re still my favorite Indyslotcar driver. I guess the drive for win #5 will have to wait another year. I hope not longer than that.

Until next time...It's great being In the Pits!

Steve "The Wrench" Ratchett

2.4 Hour Race Video 2022

 

Click the link to watch the video!

2022 2.4 Hour Great American All Star Endurance Challenge Race

2.4 Hour 2022 Broadcast Video

 

2022 2.4 Hour Race Broadcast Video

Click the link above

The Drivers

Pete Dorn's car on the straight

Winners: Dean Strom and Mike Lack

Strom-Lack 2.4 Hour Victory 2022

The 2022 ISF season started with the most grueling event, the Great American 2.4 Hour All Star Endurance Classic Race on the streets of Rapids International Raceway. Dean Strom and Mike Lack were randomly paired for the second time in the history of the race, were the winners by 10 laps over the team of Matt Hayek, Joe Heitz, and Steve Rist.

The race features four teams of drivers racing for 36 minutes in each of the four lanes. The drivers are placed in a team by a die roll. The two-time defending winners of the race; John Wiedemann, Bill Black, and Mike Kristof, had the previous years champion option of remaining together as a team to try for their third win in a row in one of the International Sportscar Federation’s flagship events.

The start saw Strom-Lack locked in a tight battle with the team of Pete Dorn, Everet Kamikawa, and rookie Brad Core. Dorn kept the gap at a couple of laps as he raced Lack, however at the end of the first 18 minute segment the gap was 13 laps. Kamikawa started against Lack for segment two hoping to narrow the gap, however he had more to worry about as Hayek took over and blitzed the field turning 11 more laps than any team in the segment as he passed Kamikawa for second place overall and cut the lead to Strom and Lack by six laps and led the third place team by three at the end of the second segment.

 

The third segment Hayek started and eventually his team took the lead as Strom took over for Lack and had problems in the second team car. Core struggled mightily in what he thought was his best lane, however it was the first time he raced for that long in GTP cars and the pace of the event can wreak havoc on a rookies race craft. The team of Dorn-Kamikawa-Core fell to fourth place and were out of the running for overall victory by the end of the fourth segment. Meanwhile the defending champions were having problems of their own as they had an engine let go and the back up car threw a shoe causing Kristof to change cars twice in the segment. By the end of the fourth segment they were firmly in third place.

The fifth segment started with Strom-Lack having a two lap lead over Hayek-Rist-Heitz. It was not a strong segment for the second place team as they fell further behind. It was the strongest segment for Wiedemann-Kristof-Black as they kept pace with the leaders and made a serious dent into the gap to the second place team. 

That set up the  sixth segment which saw all the teams struggle as several cars lost at least one shoe. That brought Hayek-Rist-Heitz back into contention and at the end of the sixth segment and throughout the seventh they fought to within five laps of the lead until the end of the penultimate segment when they were 10 laps off the lead. 

The final segment saw Heitz start against Strom and initially Heitz gained two laps until his tires went off and Strom found his speed comfort zone and picked up the pace. Heitz changed with Hayek and Strom changed with Lack but Hayek couldn’t catch him and Strom-Lack took a well earned win (1,321 laps). Hayek-Rist-Heitz finished second (1,310 laps) eleven laps down. Wiedemann-Kristof-Black finished third (1,226 laps) and Dorn-Kamikawa-Core fourth (1,196 laps).

Photos by Pete Dorn and Ev Kamikawa

2022 ISF GTP Point Standings after 1 round

15	Mike Lack
15	Dean Strom
12	Steve Rist
12	Matt Hayek
12	Joe Heitz
10	Mike Kristoff
10	John Weidemann
10	Bill Black
8	Pete Dorn
8	Ev Kamikawa
8	Brad Core

2022 2.4 Hour Race Video