Iverson to Return...Sort Of

Jim Iverson Will Return... Sort Of
by
Steve Ratchett
1/30/2009

Taking time to take in the ISF Technical Working Group's annual meeting, Jim Iverson revealed that a return to ISF racing in some capacity is in the cards for the future.

"There are a lot of things on my plate at this moment, however in another year or so after I have settled into my new home, I can see coming to a race every few weeks."

Iverson hopes to complete his move to Manitowoc in 2009.

Is a new track in the works?

"I don't think there would be a new track. I can't see ISF drivers coming north 90 minutes for a race."

"You might be surprised about that," fellow driver and meeting spectator Everet Kamikawa.

Iverson also revealed that his son, and former ISF driver, Jesse has joined the navy.

"I think I can speak for all the drivers when I say 'good luck Jesse and thanks for defending our country!"

Update 2014:
Jim is comfortably enjoying retirement in Manitowoc.
There isn't a new track, however he has made a couple of appearances at ISF events since retiring.
He has sailed the world.
He is in contact with fellow drivers and is still revered in the ISF community.
Steve

Larry Rotter (1953-2014)

It is with a super heavy heart that the ISF announces the passing of one of the founding members, champion, and above all friend...Larry Rotter (1953-2014).
Larry was an ISF champion in GTP, F1, and GT. He also won three Indyslotcar Championships.
It will not be the same without you Larry.

All of us at ISF




Found peace June 19, 2014 at the age of 61. Loving husband of Barbara (nee Radtke). Dear father of Alex Rotter, John, and Kelly Clough. Dear brother of Ron (Sharron), Dale (Jodi), and Patricia Rotter. Beloved son of Cora Rotter-Boerst. Also survived by nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers Memorial to the American Cancer Society appreciated.

Montreal Musings...

Montreal Musings...

 
ISF writer Steve "The Wrench" Ratchett standing in the gravel trap at the Casino Hairpin on circuit Gil Villenueve in Montreal for the 2005 Canadian Grand Prix

In 2005 I paid my first visit to Montreal. Since the Canadian Grand Prix was just held, I thought it appropriate to publish this article from my first visit to what many people call North America's true European city.
Like all cities there are some good and bad things. If you are planning to go to Montreal soon, especially for the F1 grand prix, here are a few things to keep in mind.

First the bad:
-Montreal is a very old, tired city that seems to want to have people come to it
because "it is Montreal."
-A city's life comes from its people. Montreal’s people don't seem to have any life in them. There is no zip, no pep, and no vibe coming from them. They seem to be involved in their own world and that is about it.
-Be prepared to walk a lot. If you ask where something is, everything is "2-3 minutes walk." Canadians must walk very fast because quite often that 2-3 minutes means 2-3 MILES away.
If they say "2-3" blocks away that can also mean 2-3 MILES away so give yourself extra time to get somewhere.
 
 
-It is a very dirty city. Other cities in Canada like Vancouver and Toronto are known for their cleanliness.
Montreal can't be one of them. Granted the part of town I stayed in this time could be best compared to a college area in town like Madison, or perhaps the
"fashionable east side" of Milwaukee, however there was trash and graffiti everywhere!
-Even if the trash wasn’t of the tin can variety, it was leaf litter, dirty streets, unpicked up dog poo, and crumbling buildings.
-The city stinks...literally. There is an odor of trash and sweaty bodies everywhere. Speaking of which...
-A lot of people do not use deodorant. One of my definitions of hell is to be trapped on a closed subway car on a hot humid day with a bunch of sweaty smelly Montreal natives.


-If you have hemorrhoids, be warned that the streets are VERY bumpy and full of holes.
The roads in Illinois are smooth compared to these.
-Montreal is an island surrounded by the rivers that make up the St. Lawrence Seaway. One might think that would mean
that the water would keep things cooler...it doesn't!
-It is hot! Mid to high 90's every day with high humidity.

Now some nice things to say:
-The food is good. Montreal has the most restaurants per capita of anywhere in the world.
-Prices are a little higher but not much and the portions make up for it.
-There is a wide variety of people in Montreal. Everyone knows about the French and English, however there are also distinct ethnic neighborhoods of Jewish, Greek, Italian, Chinese, and Indian neighborhoods.
-There are some nice people. Usually if they’re speaking English as a primary language they are nice to other English speakers. As a general rule if they are nice to you, that is because they are usually not from Montreal originally, most likely they are a Toronto native.
-If you speak French they will love you and you will get treated on a level of politeness above those of us who just speak English. If you speak "real French" and not "American French" you're treated even better. If all you speak is English and you're talking to a native Montreal French speaker, you are taking a chance of getting accurate directions, service, or information.
-The public transportation system is good. Buses and subways are used by a lot of people.

As for the race:-Don't bother with general admission tickets. Unlike Indy, you won't see much as evidenced by the following photos:

This is NOT a line for the bathroom. It is a view from general admission seating!


-There is lots of team merchandise, far more so than other F1 events, however not as much other memorabilia like die-cast, books, and posters.
-If possible, sit in the Casino Hairpin. There is usually a lot of action there. Avoid grandstand 22. You are close to the cars and can see the start of passes, but you don't see the hairpin.

 View from stand #22

Be prepared to pay for a higher price them.
-The event sells out every year. If you need tickets, try ordering them in February or March.
-If you can't order early, the scalpers are pretty fair and give you a good deal for the most part if you buy them on Saturday.
-F1 engines are still one of the great sounds of the world
-It is a beautiful park where the race is held
-If you get a chance, hit the casino. It is in the middle of the park.
but don't stay on the main floor; go to the upper or lower floors to see all the games then pick where you want to go.


-There are only two bridges that cross to the track (the track is on its own island) so be prepared to face crowds
-Sit in a grand stand to see any of the action. No matter where you sit you are usually pretty close to the track compared to most race tracks.
-Always stay to the left when dealing with crowds on the way out of the track.
You'll see what I mean

 
-The fans at Montreal don't carry as many flags or get as dressed up in costume as in Indy. Maybe it is the fact that everyone has to arrive by subway and doesn't want to carry everything.

Random Musings:-In the Detroit airport there was the actor Sinbad.
-In Detroit on the way home I met Patrick Carpantier who was going to Montreal to go home.
-While waiting in Montreal, my wife and I decided to go to Starbucks. While waiting a bunch of the Ferrari mechanics and engineers came and ordered as well! They looked pretty cool in their travelling uniforms and sportcoats, and all complained about needing a "real" cup of coffee and corrected the barista each time that it is called "espresso" and not "expresso."
I was able to talk to them and recognized a few from TV.

Someday Ferrari will be cheered again after a victory... 

Into Turn four...

Steve "The Wrench" Ratchett

Ken Dibb Memorial

The ISF is saddened by the loss of rookie Ken Dibb. 
We all didn't know Ken well, he made his first ISF start this year, however we share our sadness with John and Mike who knew him well.
Our sympathies to his family and his son, 2 time ISF starter Mike Dibb.

All of us at ISF

 

Kamikawa Wins 2014 Championships and Rapids Invite

Kamikawa Wins 2014 Championships and Rapids Invite
Wins F1 & LMP Races

Mike Lack GTP Victor

The 20th edition of the Rapids Invitational was a fitting end to an interesting season as Everet Kamikawa won the F1 and LMP races to clinch the championships in both divisions.
It is Kamikawa's second F1 title and first LMP title in his career and the first championships he has won of any kind since 2004.
"I had a great second half of the season," Kamikawa said in the post race press conference. I have to acknowledge that even as well as I was driving luck and injuries played into this success.
No one would have known before the season that Mike Fitzlaff would be out with foot surgery and John Wiedemann's cars would blow up at successive races.
Mike Lack had to concentrate on winning the Indyslotcar title. So I kind of feel like Paul Tracy when he finally won the CART title in 2003 after all the big teams like Target and Penske left the series.
Still counts in the record books though so I'll take it!"

Kamikawa's win in the F1 championship wasn't quite as easy as he made it sound.
He, Wiedemann, Lack, and Cory Galbraith had a spirited battle in the first half of the F1 final.
Kamikawa led the first few laps only to be overtaken by Lack. Wiedemann hung close to Kamikawa with Galbraith not far behind in fourth.
Kamikawa and Lack switched places before the halfway pit stops, both switching from the option to prime tires.
Wiedemann and Galbraith had the opposite strategy.

Starting the second half Wiedemann immediately started having engine problems and his car died, the same problem he faced at Turtle Creek.
He was allowed by a special ruling from the commissioner to start a backup car.
Finding that car completely undrivable because it had never been raced before, he was ready to drop out but was allowed to race Kamikawa's back-up car (from right to left in picture above).
He would eventually finish third.
Galbraith was making his fourth start of the season and proved quick, but the handling on his new USF1 Mega G chassis left a lot to be desired and he could never overcome it to mount a challenge to the leaders.
Lack stayed on Kamikawa's six until have a few handling problems towards the end leaving Kamikawa with a one lap victory and the F1 championship.  

The LMP race wasn't as close of an affair. Mike Lack overtook Kamikawa on lap three and led until well into the second half.
John Wiedemann was third with Corey Galbraith in fourth in his new orange and blue Peugot.
Several cautions dominated the last quarter of the race as all drivers except Kamikawa started having handling problems.
Kamikawa gained a several lap advantage  and took the win. The fight for second was close with Lack taking the position at the flag with Wiedemann third and Galbraith fourth.

The field also ran a GTP event with Mike Lack's Tamiya Jaguar beating Wiedemann's Art Sports Mazda, Kamikawa's Shell Toyota, and Galbraith's Scotland Rules Toyota.
With Lack's win the 2014 ISF season came to an end.
It was the ISF's 200th event. Next season will be the ISF's 16th. A schedule and rules will be announced at a future date.

Until next time...It's not bad being in the pits! Steve The Wrench Ratchett

INTERNATIONAL SPORTSCAR FEDERATION Official Finish, Event # 2014-08

Rapids Invitational presented by Too Clean Laundry
April 17, 2014
Rapids International Raceway

F1 Grand Prix Category -- 16 Minute Final
Pos. Driver Car

1. Everet Kamikawa-Ferrari
2. Mike Lack-Jaguar 
3. John Wiedemann-Jaguar
4. Cory Galbraith-USF1

Fastest Qualifier --N/A B Main Winner --N/A

Heat Winners --N/A

 

LMP Category -- 12 Minute Final

Pos. Driver Car

1. Everet Kamikawa-Audi Black
2. Mike Lack-Audi R15
3. John Wiedemann-RacingNation.com Peugot
4. Cory Galbraith-Scotland Rules Peugot

Fastest Qualifier --N/A B Main Winner --N/A

Heat Winners --N/A

GTP Category -- 12 Minute Final

Pos. Driver Car

1. Mike Lack-Tamiya Jaguar
2. John Wiedemann-RacingNation.comJaguar
3.  Everet Kamikawa-Shell Toyota
4. Cory Galbraith-Scotland Rules Toyota

Fastest Qualifier --N/A B Main Winner --N/A

Heat Winners --N/A
 

The 2014 Austin Award Winner Is...

Anyone can be a pundit and chime in two cents on who will be or should be a champion in the HO IndySlotcar league. It takes a real handicapper to be able to pick the winner of the Austin Award for best comedian during the season.
An award that driver Everet Kamikawa has stated "If I can't win the league championship I want the Austin award because it least it shows I was funny outside of the car if I can't be competitive inside the car."

Here are my picks for the coveted 2014 Austin Award named after former champion both on the track and on camera. Criteria for my votes are simple:

1. Who contributed the most original ideas for the TV broadcasts

2. Who got the most laughs on race night

3. Who provides the best mix of humor and weirdness in the final edit for broadcast

#3. Dan Margetta: Always ready with a good throw away line like "bringing a knife to a gunfight" his driver lineup intros are still funny and fresh after all these years, although there were a couple of intros in the last couple of races that weren't up to his usual standards, however we attribute that more to his fellow announcer at those times. What Dan does very well is set announcers and drivers up so well that they can riff and then he will either support them by going along with the riff or giving them some other direction to go in.

#2. Dean Strom: This is a close call on #1 and #2 this year. Dean's alter ego "Sergio" the ever lusting lover from the country of "Latin" has become a fan favorite on screen and in print. Deano Bravo's imitation of Lee Skippy is classic. Not many other characters for broadcasting, however it's close between he and Dan about who is the perfect foil when announcing with Kitty Bo Peep. For driver interviews Dean always seems to create something fresh as opposed to other drivers doing standard " we hope to drive well and win" interviews. He also received the longest kiss in Indyslotcart history when he won a race earlier in the year.

#1. Everet Kamikawa: The introduction of "Lee Skippy" as a race host and reporter was a brilliant idea by Mike Kristof. Kamikawa made the character grow throughout the season and seems utterly comfortable in his on camera alter ego in a way that he hasn't been since his days as "Everet Bell." Getting clubbed by gangs, innuendo with Kitty Bo Peep, and doing impressions of Deano Bravo were some of the most memorable bits. We look forward to seeing more of Lee Skippy in the future. Everet also brought along his usual cast of characters such as Professor Rex Karz. He also brought a new twist of introducing drivers as former Milwaukee Brewers or ex-Indyslotcar drivers. If you didn't find the joke about Harry Carey comparing saying "balls" on a racing telecast as opposed to a baseball broadcast you missed something special.

Congratulations Everet!

Until next time

It's not bad being in the pits!

Steve "The Wrench" Ratchett

2014 Turtle Trot: Kamikawa and Lack Win

The penultimate race of the 2014 ISF season saw the points race draw ever tighter as Everet Kamikawa's Ferrari won the F1 division and Mike Lack's Hyundi was victorious in LMP.

The Turtle Trot is a favorite stop for ISF drivers, but the figure 8 park setting road course has never been trickier than this year with the new higher powered F1 and LMP cars. Several spins and off punctuated the action in both divisions. Larry Rotter took pole position but it was Kamikawa's Ferrari that beat him off the start and lead the F1 race lights to flag. Mike Lack's Red Bull was fast but experienced handling problems after the mandatory tire change and he finished second. Corey Galbriath continued his impressive return to ISF competition. An earlier heat race win got the rookie into the final, but a crash marred run left the rookie in third place. Rotter couldn't turn home track knowledge to his advantage as, in a rare result, he crashed out early in the competition.
John Wiedemann second half season struggles crept up again as he only managed fifth place.
Mike Kristof returned for his third career ISF start to finish 6th.
Dan Margetta never got to terms on the racy track and finished 7th while Todd Wolf had to shake off the rust of a six week layoff to finish 8th.

LMP was also a crash fest as the drivers had to switch from their sleek F1 racers to the wider and boxier LMP cars.
John Wiedeman put his car on pole and challenged his teammate Lack for the victory but could not beat "The Machine," as Lack is sometimes called because of his cool unflappable racing demeanor.
Kamikawa's black Audi suffered engine problems that required two long pit stops, however he recovered to finish 3rd with Galbraith 4th. Margetta was fifth on the night as his Peugot engine died during the semi-final. Mike Kristof made his debut in LMP with a sixth place finish. Rotter made only his second start in the modern LMP cars and Wolf debuted his new LMP with both finishing 7th and 8th respectively.

Kamikawa's F1 win gave him a slight edge over Wiedemann in the points, however the ISF counts only the top six finishes toward the championship so the last race will be critical to both drivers.
It is much the same in the LMP division between the same two drivers only that division drops the lowest score.

Until next time...It's not bad being in the pits! Steve The Wrench Ratchett

INTERNATIONAL SPORTSCAR FEDERATION Official Finish, Event # 2014-06
Turtle Trot
March 20, 2014
Turtle Creek Raceway Park

F1 Grand Prix Category -- 16 Minute Final
Pos. Driver Car

1. Everet Kamikawa-Ferrari
2. Mike Lack-Red Bull Jaguar
3. Cory Galbraith-USF1
4. Larry Rotter-Mclaren
5. John Wiedemann-Jaguar
6.  Mike Kristof-Jordan Honda
7. Dan Margetta-Lotus
8. Todd Wolf- Catheram F1

Fastest Qualifier --Rotter B Main Winner --Kamikawa

Heat Winners -- Kamikawa, Galbraith

LMP Category -- 12 Minute Final

Pos. Driver Car

1. Mike Lack - Hyundi Audi R15
2. John Wiedemann-KIA Peugeot
3.  Everet Kamikawa-Audi R15 Black
4. Corey Galbraith-Rookie Peugot Mike Fitzlaff-Nissen LMP
5. Larry Rotter-Audi R15
6. Mike Kristof-Audi R15
7. Dan Margetta-Peugot
8. Todd Wolf-Design Engine Peugeot

Fastest Qualifier --Wiedeman

B Main Winner --Kamikawa

Heat Winners -- Lack, Galbraith 

Kamikawa Sweeps 2014 RacingNation.com West Bend Grand Prix

It was a cold night for most race fans, but Everet Kamikawa's season went to red hot with two wins in the RacingNation.com Grand Prix at Lack Track in both F1 and LMP divisions.
"It's been a while since I did this so it's nice," said an understated Kamikawa.
Kamikawa didn't show any speed in qualifying, but when the flag dropped at the finish of both LMP and F1 Kamikawa was three laps ahead of John Wiedemann in each division.

Wiedemann continued his march to the championships with his second place finishes, although Kamikawa has closed the gaps. Mike Lack finished third  in both divisions. Not to be lost in the shuffle were the career best finishes of Keith Lindbeck of fourth place in F1 and Todd Wolf a fourth in LMP. Wolf has had previous fourth place finshes in F1, while Lindbeck has made some progress in his F1 program.

INTERNATIONAL SPORTSCAR FEDERATION Official Finish, Event # 2014-05
RacingNation.com Grand Prix presented by RacingNation.com
January 20, 2014

Lack Track

F1 Grand Prix Category -- 16 Minute Final
Pos. Driver Car

1. Everet Kamikawa-Ferrari
2. John Wiedemann-Jaguar
3.  Mike Lack-Red Bull Jaguar
4. Keith Lindbeck-Lotus
5. Todd Wolf- Catheram F1

Fastest Qualifier --Wiedemann B Main Winner - Kamikawa

Heat Winners -- N/A

LMP Category -- 12 Minute Final

Pos. Driver Car

1. Everet Kamikawa-Audi R15 Black
2. John Wiedemann-KIA Peugeot
3. Mike Lack-Hyundi Audi R15
4. Todd Wolf-Design Engine Peugeot
5.  Keith Lindbeck-Audi R15

Fastest Qualifier --Wiedemann

B Main Winner --Lack

Heat Winners -- N/A 

The 2014 Indyslotcar Hall of Fame Nominee Is?

The Indyslotcar series formed a hall of fame three years ago. The initial inductee was three time champion Larry Rotter. The second was founder and 5-time champion Phil Cianciola.
The third inductee was twice champion Jim Iverson.
In a few weeks the fourth inductee for the 20 year old league will be introduced.

Who will it be?
The only known rule is that you have to be officially retired from the league, although if you are also a track owner and you let the league race on your track you are still allowed to race.
There is only one person that makes the decision on who gets into the hall of fame, league commissioner Mike Kristof. Here are my odds, based solely or this year, on who will get the honor for 2014:

Chad Sorce
In 86 starts Sorce won nine times, had six pole positions and made the final four race 37 times with 15 heat race wins. Not a dominate racer early in this career, he came on like a storm in his last three when he teamed up with Dan Margetta to form the Miller Lite Team. Together they gave Ferrari a run for the money with Sorce finishing a close second to Kamikawa in the 2001 championship. Sorce does have the distinction of being the first person not associated with Phil Cianciola to join the league. He was also the first to act as a spotter for another driver (Dave Austin, both wore headphones to talk to each other around the track). Sorce's Clevelandstone raceway was the sight of a major event in Indyslotcar history with a nuclear meltdown! A consummate autograph collector, the space that once hosted Clevelandstone is now a museum to these autographs.
Odds of induction: 20-1

Jim Kaehny:
A two time champion. 23 wins. 26 pole positions, 53 heat race wins, and appeared in 95 final races in 156 starts. Everyone loved racing him and a good guy to all, hence the nickname Gentleman Jim. He also built the first oval track and first dual purpose track in Edgewood Speedway (a.k.a. The Edge) and used components from the engineering company he worked at to build the first electronic lap counter. He was also Phil’s brother-in-law.
“Jim was the first of the “big guns” in the early days that I tried to beat as did most young drivers.
Phil was way too fast. Jim’s racing technique was somehow more attainable. Once I beat him in a final I knew I could take on Phil or anyone else,” Kamikawa said.
This year Jim misses the recent retirees of Iverson and Rotter and the no-brainer of Cianciola. Kind of like the one retired major league baseball player that goes into Cooperstown as a class of one.
It isn't that he's the best of the rest, it is he benefits from being the obvious choice. Future years will see a much closer decesion.
Odds of induction: Even

Dave Austin:
The original clown prince of the league also took a championship, 13 wins, 27 heat wins, appeared in 54 finals in 118 starts. While well known for making the league as fun as it was both on camera and off, he was a competitive driver. His nomination also comes with controversy because he was a terrible driver his first two years in the league, then blitzes everyone in season three to win the championship. Turns out he introduced the league to another driver, Jonathan May, who was a driver in a different league who knew all the tips and tricks for making a car go faster. This included attaching a very small and narrow magnet to the underside of the front wing making it almost impossible for his car to crash. He famously revealed his secret after the last race of the season when he stuck his car to a metal pole. His championship wasn’t taken away, however the cheating genie was out of the box. He is remembered for that as well.
Dave is also the person responsible for giving members up close access to cars and drivers at the Milwaukee Mile when he worked there. That and his lighthearted fare is what he is most appreciated for now.
“Dave was so fast during his championship. It seems obvious now nut not at the time,” Kamikawa remembers. “After that season on a good night he was still deadly quick, especially when he was paired with Kaehny on Team Kool Guys.” Odds of induction: 10-1


John Shea:
John was never league champion, however his influence runs throughout the racing world. In this league he took 15 wins, 11 pole positions, 36 heat wins, and appeared in 47 finals in 98 starts. Shea was the first to break down the cars technically to understand how they worked and what made them go faster. He dispensed that knowledge to others freely and was known as a fierce competitor. His battles with Cianciola are things of legend. He built a replica of Monza and staged that first race, the US Grand prix, in the garage of the Milwaukee Mile. “He and Phil had battles on and off the track. Both legendary. He argued against stupid rules and tried to make good rules better, Kamikawa said. He is still the toughest person I’ve raced against and I’m not saying that because he was my teammate for years!”
Those battles with Phil would also lead John to form the stock car based American Racing Alliance and later the ISF of which he is multiple times champion in both.
Odds of Induction: 8-1

John Baas:
Not a champion on track but one in life, he took three wins and three poles, 13 heat wins, appeared in 17 finals in 135 starts. Maybe not as impressive stats as others, however Baas contributed something else in terms of track engineering. He built the massive Vernon Farms quad oval raceway, and later made a portable version of the  track. He was also the first to really detail the landscape in and around the tracks in the exact attention to detail that model railroaders do. “John was fun to race against. Most importantly he was the first to detail his track with outhouses. We used to ponder what would happen if we were all suddenly sent to the Twilight Zone racing world where we were actually to scale with the cars and racing on our tracks. No one had any bathrooms until John followed up on it!” mused Kamikawa.
Odds of Induction: 15-1

 

Tony Perkins:
Probably the most popular winner of any induction would be the famously inventive T-Perk.
Famously no feature wins in his career, one pole position, 4 heat wins, 19 finals appearances in 102 starts. In one of his most famous racing moments he raced against the entire Penske team of Austin, Cianciola, and Kaehny in a heat race and beat them all!
One of the original drivers, Tony was the first to crash another car off the track in the first race causing a rivalry to develop between him and the crashee, Everet Kamikawa. “Tony and I supposedly ahd this big rivalry after that. It was all lip service much like David Hobbs and Sam Posey in sports cars,” Kamikawa said. “Tony is a class act who always had a thing where the celebrities flocked to him.”
Indeed Tony had that kavorka as his paddock area was often visited by the likes of The Spice Girls, Greg Moore, Frank Williams, The Pussycat Dolls, and a host of various beautiful women from the modeling and singing worlds. “We single drivers would hang out with Tony just to catch what he was throwing away!” Kamikawa chuckled. Tony was also the first of the group known as “painters,” drivers who didn’t rely on store bought cars. Over the years Tony painted cars in liveries like: Players, Duracell, Target, and several others.
Odds of Induction: 10-1

These are my predictions on who will be the next one enshrined in the Indyslotcar Hall of Fame in 2014. Some of these names will make another appearance in 2015.

Until then…It’s not bad being in the pits!

Steve “The Wrench” Ratchett

2014 Indyslotcar Rapids Grand Prix

Thanks to our friends at Indyslotcar for providing this story.
STWRWiedemann Spoils Kamikawa Hometown Payday


2014 Indyslotcar Rapids GP
Rapids – John Wiedemann came from behind to spoil Ev Kamikawa's chance to win the 49 thousand IndySlotCar bucks Pole-to-Win prize and take the Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix victory at Rapids International. Wiedemann's win, his second checkered flag of the IndySlotCar Series season, cut down Mike Lack's Walczakian sized championship lead by 15 points down to 66, with Lack finishing third on the night ahead of Dan Margetta.

Home town racer Kamikawa kicked off the night by grabbing the pole position away from defending race winner and last season's top qualifier Wiedemann in the last session of qualifying. Kamikawa's lap of 4.781 seconds bested Wiedemann by just 63 thousandths of a second and just missed the track record by four thousandths. The track was quick tonight, a little slick, and even called dangerous and scary by a number of drivers.

The opening heat race featured the top two in qualifying facing off along with the inaugural race for rookie Corey Galbraith facing off against series commissioner Mike Kristof. Penske HO driver Kamikawa set the pace throughout the race to the checkers to take the win and advance to his 119th final race, moving him into second place all-time in the series. JMM Racing's Wiedemann paced himself behind the race leader and held off the hard charging rookie to transfer to the feature. Galbraith, driving for Penske HO, finished third followed by D&D Racing's Kristof.

While it probably wasn't a very exciting heat race from Cha-Ching Motorsports Dan Margetta's perspective, heat number two produced a good amount of drama. Margetta ran off and left the field in his rear view mirror in winning the race. Behind Margetta was a great battle for the final transfer spot to the feature. D&D Racing's Matt Hayek held down the second spot for most of the race while series point leader Lack and Dean Strom struggled to keep up. A late caution changed all that. Holding a two lap lead over Lack, everything went downhill quickly for Hayek. As Hayek struggled to get his car back to race speed, Lack quickly made up those two laps and moved ahead in the running order. JMM Racing's Lack held on to the transfer spot with Hayek and Strom finishing just a lap behind.

The Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix featured track owner Kamikawa against the top three drivers in the point standings. As the early laps of the race sorted out, Kamikawa took the lead ahead of Wiedemann, Lack and Margetta. The field paced themselves throughout the opening half and Kamikawa built up a six lap cushion over Wiedemann by the halfway break.

Kamikawa's pitstop in the second half was the first bit of misfortune that the driver faced all event long. A penalty after a somewhat slow stop dictated that Kamikawa run the next ten laps with the opposite driving hand. The penalty, along with a routine pitstop by Wiedemann, ended up with Kamikawa giving back a couple laps to second place. Wiedemann picked up the pace with time running out just as the handling started to go away for leader Kamikawa. With only a minute to go, Wiedemann shot past Kamikawa to grab the lead. More handling issues plagued Kamikawa and allowed Wiedemann to coast to the victory and reclaim the Too Clean Laundry Grand Prix trophy.

Lack retains his point lead in the standings by 66 over teammate Wiedemann. Margetta holds down third place in the standings, just 27 points behind Wiedemann and 25 points ahead of Strom. Hayek rounds out the top five and is now only five points out of fourth.

The next round, number eleven in the sixteen race season, takes place in two weeks at another ultra fast track – the Deckertring for the Deckertring GP. Defending Deckertring race winner Wiedemann looks to climb the mountain that is Lack's point lead as the series races towards the three quarter mark of the season.

2014 Indyslotcar Rapids GP In Pictures

The Field races

The cat "Katsu" on the set of the movie "Kittenzilla" being made at Rapids

Imperial Officers attempt to hijack a mail truck. Notice the Rebel Guards trying to stop them from their usual "no cover" positions. Through a hole in the space-time-movie continuum, these forces are battling each other but cannot be seen or felt by those residents in town. They can hear the laser shots. To them they sound like ring tones going off on someone's phone.

The Tony Perkins car exhibit was moved indoors and still proved popular with fans

The media decends on the starting grid

Middle age love in a Mach 5. What could be sweeter?

Gandolf trying to remove the curse from Ev to help him win for the first time in two years in the series. It didn't work...

A promo shot combining ISF GTP cars and the stars of "Kittenzilla"

Lunch for Chopsticks, a star of Kittenzilla!

A piece of the Berlin Wall

Fans gather at the ISF F1 car display to promote the 200th event in ISF history to be held later in the year at the track

A historic display of the Ferrari cars driven by John Shea and Ev Kamikawa during the early years of Indyslotcar. Ferrari set the standard for dominating teams

Imperial guards and Rebel guards join forces to shoot at a monster that arrived at Rapids through a hole in the space-time-toys continuum

Fans waving at their drivers

The Noodles truck was a popular snack attraction...

...but not as popular as the SPAM wagon!

Bathing Beauty Boulder is still a popular spot to watch for and by the ladies

Cobwebs in the lights. Going for an artistic shot here...

Bleachers on the rooftops are always popular

Media announcing...

...what the camera is seeing

The Sears Tower from Grant Park Raceway built and designed by Tony Perkins. Rapids has had a long history of combining parts from defunct tracks into its layout. Kamikawa raced on the track five consecutive times with five victories (four in Indyslotcar and once in ISF) before the track was dismantled.

The iconic Shell sign now stands across Schumacher Straight

The CART FedEx Series starting stand from Grant Raceway Park was also erected in the parking lot of the Porsche dealership. Revisions to the track might not allow it to remain in that area though

Goodbye...until next time...It's Not Bad Being In the Pits...At Rapids!
Steve The Wrench Ratchett