MoTown Hobbies in Modesto hosted the first race of the three race NSR F1 points series on Saturday September 10th, 2022. The track was open and power was on for practice at 10am. While not the largest event we’ve had, there was a very solid showing of both Group C and F1 cars, producing an A,B, and C main in the Group C and an A & B main in the F1 class. Track conditions were slightly stickier than normal, which could have been due to the high temperatures the last week – it’s been a record setting heat wave here.
The day started off with a quick drivers meeting about the series, and a thanks as always to Gene and his wonderful family for hosting the event. Shortly after the drivers meeting, tech opened up (for the first time!) and cars began filling up Park Ferme. While the majority of cars were legal, some reminders were given regarding the rules for the next round, particularly individuals not running wheel inserts. If you’ve got any questions about the rules, you can find an updated copy in our rules section! Some key takeaways from Gene and Jim were:
- Please run front and rear wheel inserts for F1
- Three numbers and a realistic livery are loosely required
- No narrowing of front tires beyond the width of the wheel rim
- All cars must have all aero parts to start the race (wings)
An additional point that was brought up was the inclusion of the Jaguar XJR10 into the field. Many of the fast guys showed up with Jags, and there was some discussion about the future of the car, and whether it would be allowed to race given it’s dimensional differences. Many of the Jag drivers opted for a standardized 62mm rear track width to make the cars similar to the rest of the field, and some talk has been given about running with the spats. But no final word has been made yet regarding the future of the car. While the Nissan and Porsche’s do seem faster in a straight line, the Jaguar has good cornering stability, making it more predictable to drive.
Group C
After the drivers meeting, racing got underway with Group C Quali. Drivers found the conditions tricky, but managed to click off some good laps. Gene was manning the Race Directors chair as always and doing a superbly smooth job!
Group C has been a challenge with the track conditions as the motors really don’t love pulling through the traction on the ultra high bite surface. Some drivers have some some good tricks to get through this by running narrower tires, higher diameter tires, and lighter cars. The C main was a stout run by Greg Kondrek to run away from Richard in second, and Big John in third. Jerry did a great job and is still learning the ins and outs of the big tracks and high grip conditions.
C Main Results
The B main was being lead by Ted, but a tire failure midway through the race cost him and he DNFd. Humberto grabbed the lead and took a 4 lap victory over Franky, who led Dustin by only 2 in P3.
B Main Results
The A main was a slugfest with multiple lead changes throughout. While Ian led the race early, Jim and Herman were swapping the lead sporadically through the race. Paul slowely made his way forward, and by the end of the race, Paul had powered past Ian for the win. Paul finished only 10 feet ahead, and Herman finished less than half a lap ahead of Jim for third. Paul ironically was running a Lancia, not a Jaguar! Kiwi found himself with some mechanical niggles that finished him up in 5th a few back from Jim.
A Main Results
Paul’s Winning Lancia LC2
NSR F1
The second, and main, event was the first race of three in the NSR F1 series. There were some truly beautiful cars on the grid, such as Greg Kondrek’s BAR Honda, Herman James’s Mercedes AMG, and Mike Andrews’ Benetton.
Greg’s BAR Honda
Mike’s Benetton
Herman’s Mercedes
While Ian led early in the A main, Ted and Jim put on a masterclass of consistency, taking the top spots on the podium.
F1 Podium
Quali Results
Detailed Results
Courtesy of Jim Rose
