The big FCC carpet race is coming in a few weeks. Racing at MINNREG with inside carpet action doesn't get much better. Here are pics from the last one: http://www.snowbirdnationals.com/2007FCCSpring.htm

We have been getting awesome crowds. Maybe 100 oval drivers for this one? Also racing road course onSaturday! Saturday night is Bristol and we are working on a TV to watch at the track. Saturday night oval practice. Tons of classes and something for everyone. No generators, no tables or chairs needed. Just you and your RC stuff!

Sunday doors open at 6AM
Racing at 10:30AM
3 heats with a resort after round 2
Mains

Julie and Emmy cooking in the kitchen. Kenny on the MIC. Bill Lafoe Tech. Dave Croy results. Awards. Live webcam!

118 cars total the last 2 races at Minnreg. We have a novice stock class don't forget and trying to run the new 13.5 class.

Also going to have some Sunday Thunder with the new Losi Sprints stay tuned!!! Inside AC in the middle of summer - awesome!!!

I can't wait!!!!!!!

http://www.snowbirdnationals.com/FCC.htm

Thanks Skip!

Bring your BOX STOCK Lost Sliders - we will run them on the rug!! Gpt some video of the new Losi last week at our track: http://www.rcthunder.net

And don't forget we have a novice oval stock class so come on new racers!!!

TTT boys, A week away from some "carpet munching". Rain or Shine, you're on the Line(coined by the world famous "Scarecrow") A/C, food, great friends and some awesome racing!!

Tin lips you up for some 10.5?

FREE T-SHIRT AT MINNREG!

Anyone running in 2 or more classes at the FCC will get a FREE SNOWBIRD t-shirt / any size / any year / whatever we have in stock.

With the Snowbirds coming in Feb get your carpet practice now!

i'm in 10.5 and 19T

RC Racing in FLORIDA hits carpet next weekend!!! OH YEA!

Watch the FCC Live this weekend - live webcam, audio, results!!!


http://www.snowbirdnationals.com/thunderslive.htm

Hello Race Fans!

This is the weekend of racing. Our 3rd carpet race for 2007 and it is going to be hot - but not at the track as we are racing inside in the A/C. It doesn't get much better for Florida with Minnreg. Check out the awesome points battles going on here: http://www.snowbirdnationals.com/FCC.htm (http://www.snowbirdnationals.com/FCC.htm)

Hope you can make it! Julie is cooking in the kitchen with the family and we have mom's brownies. Lots of fun planned this weekend. Get those racecars ready. We have a ton of classes - something for everyone! Spread the word - let's get a record crowd on the carpet.

Road Course racing on Saturday and Oval racing on Sunday.

Friday doors open at 6pm for pits and practice from about 7pm-1am.
Friday lights off at 1:30am.
Saturday doors open at 6am
Saturday racing at 10am (3 heats and a main)
Saturday night oval practice from about 7pm-1am
Saturday night BRISTOL Nascar party at the track
Sunday doors open at 6am
Sunday racing at 10am (3 heats and a main)
Sunday we will have a free expo race with Losi Sprinters - BOX STOCK!!!

CYA HERE!!!

The whole FCC race will be broadcasted in our website starting Friday night. Spread the word have your friends and family watching. We have awards for the top 3 this weekend and also will have awards for racers in the FCC points. Thanks for your support!

Hey guys. Tommorrow night you can tune into our live webcam and keep up with practice and more. Saturday you can watch all the racing and Sunday too!

www.snowbirdnationals.com/thunderslive.htm (http://www.snowbirdnationals.com/thunderslive.htm)

You can see what I am racing this weekend:
http://www.snowbirdnationals.com/emmysue/100_1901.JPG

You can see what I am racing this weekend

Looks like Emmy wants to drive!!!

What a weekend!!!

148 entries for the FCC: 59 road entries and 89 oval entries was a record 2-day race at Minnreg. The racing was very competitive and moral and attitudes were great. Thank you everyone coming and supporting racing. To the guys that helped tear down the track - we were completely tore down in an hour. That is a record! Awesome.

Next race at Minnreg is the old Turkly Shoot weekend - the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Point and pics for the 3rd race of the FCC will be up soon.

Road results:
http://thunder.rcresults.com/FCCSummerRoad/
Oval results:
http://thunder.rcresults.com/FCCSSummerOval/

Check out those Oval Results. No it not a misprint. Yep! It was Donnie Logan winning the Open Mod class.

I turned around saturday night and about ran Donnie over. He went from running Caps last weekend to Foams this weekend. Looks like he never missed a beat.

Hope Donnie spreads the word The Minnreg Building and TRC is a great place to race.

Florida Carpet Cup – Round #3

“Southern Motorsports Report” by: Kevin Fox

Largo, FL (08-26-07) Indoor carpet racing, air conditioned building, great food, great racing, and great racers! What more could you ask for on a hot Sunday afternoon with a chance of a summer shower or two? All of the above was on the agenda as it was time again to go racing on the rug at the Minnreg building for round number three of the 2007 Florida Carpet Cup. The oval masters top the previous days 59 on road racing entries with a whopping 89 entries, all ready to race in eight different classes. Three qualifying rounds were held earlier in the afternoon to set the grid for all of the Mains.
The following drivers earned Top Qualifier awards for their respective class: Sportsman Stock – Milan Smilko 47 laps; Pro Stock – Hopeton Williams 51 laps; Pro 19 Turn – Tom Pedano 60 laps; 1/12th Scale 19 Turn – Mike Bean 58 laps; Brushless 13.5 – Katf1sh 56 laps; Brushless 10.5 – Tom Pedano 62 laps; Sportsman 19 Turn – Greg Simmons 57 laps; Pro Modified – Eric Anderson 66 laps.

The Sportsman Stock A-Main was the first up to the grid following the Losi Slider Sprint car exhibition race. Milan Smilko and Corbin Gibbs made up the front row. Smilko led the first corner, but from that point on Richard Hockman picked up the top spot. Hockman would have Brandon Haney on his back bumper the entire time dodging the traffic. Haney wouldn’t be as lucky with the lap traffic as he would slip to third and Smilko snuck past him into second. Hockman would stay in front to pick up the win with Smilko and Haney rounding out the Top Three.

The next Main to hit the rug was the Pro Stock class. The Summer Shootout only saw four racers take part in this class, down several racers from the last two events. Hopeton Williams, Mark Abbott, Greg Vick and Danny Charles would the four to make the grid. Williams would jump out front early and lead the first 16 circuits before giving up the lead to Vick. As Williams slipped as far back as third he would eventually get past Vick for the lead and go on to pick up the victory. The Top Three spots would be held for Williams, Vick, and Abbott.

Pro 19 turn B-Main would be the next to hit the track. Troy Pirez Jr. and Johnny Dye would make up row number one. Dye would lead the first four circuits before Mark Abbott would move up from starting spot number three to pick up the lead. He would hold the lead until lap 17 when Dye would get back by. Pirez Jr. and Abbott would battle for the second and third spots as Dye kept his ride out front in the clean air. Dye held on to take the win over Pirez Jr. and Abbott.

Tom Pedano and David Preston would make up the front row of the ten car Pro 19 Turn A-Main. At the sound of the tone Pedano was out front in a hurry. The battles ensued fro second place on back to tenth all race long. Preston held strong in second for most of the race, but would find himself fighting with Rick Curtis for that spot. Curtis would eventually win and pick up the spot and Preston would find himself sliding back to third and then fourth as Doug Miller moved by to pick up third. Pedano would not look back the entire race as he made his way past the lapped cars to pick up the win. Rick Curtis and Doug Miller rounded out the Top Three.

The call would then go out for the 1/12th scale 19 turn racers to head to tech inspection and make the grid. All seven cars would make the start with Mike Bean and Curt Sanderson would make up row number one. Mike Bean would lead from the start for the first six laps. Beans car would have trouble in turn four before being hit by another car. Post-crash damage would send Bean to the pits as Sanderson would pick up the top spot. Sanderson would lead until lap 15 when he would find problems of his own in turn four which handed the lead to Mark Burt. Burt would continue to lead with Cheston VanAlstyne chasing him for the top spot. Burt would go on to pick up the win, followed by VanAlstyne and Izzy Santiago rounded out the Top Three.

The most talked about new r/c system besides Lipo is the Brushless systems. The brushless 13.5 A-Main would follow 1/12th scale racers. Katf1sh and Mike Dispenza would share the front row. Dispenza would lead the first corner but Katf1sh would take it from there. Dispenza would have troubles as he sailed outside of the racing surface and literally tried to exit the building, dropping him to sixth. Lotta rubbin and racin throughout the first few laps but, Nick Schaeperkluas kept it clean and found himself in the runner-up spot behind Katf1sh and in front of Jeff Maturo. The field would then sort itself out as Tim Koivu and Eugene Biala would find trouble and drop out early. Contact between Nick and Jeff would end Nick’s strong run and drop him back in the field as he was also suffering from a weak radio controller battery. Katf1sh remained out front and grabbed the victory over Maturo and Mike Dispenza would regain his composure to finish 3rd.

Another brushless Main would be next, this time it would be the 10 car B-Main for the Brushless 10.5 racers. Katf1sh would find himself on the pole again, this time starting next to Mark Burt. The f1sh would again jump out to an early lead. Mark Burt, Michael Bruce and the rest of the field would find themselves chasing the guy that made them wait for the start of the race. Mike Haney saw Dispenza leave the track in the previous race and tried to repeat the feat and he found himself flying towards the tech inspection table. Katf1sh would continue to lead with Burt and Bruce fighting it out for the runner-up spot, but that’s how they would finish. Katf1sh, Mark Burt, Michael Bruce you Top Three.

The A-Main of the 10.5 Brushless would take to the grid next. The Pedano Family racers would make up row number one with Tom and Stephen leading the group of ten cars. Tom Pedano would jump out to the early lead. Mike Boylan would find himself in second chasing after Pedano, with Dave Puliafico on Boylans rear deck lid. Puliafico would tangle with Chris Lawson on lap 43 allowing Billy Bruce to sneak past and pick up third. Tom Pedano would lead 61 mistake free laps to pick up another trophy. Mike Boylan and Billy Bruce would round out the Top Three.
Rick Smith and Lee Helander would lineup row one of the Sportsman 19 turn B-Main. Tony Borruso would come from the Fourth starting spot to lead the first lap until lap 13 when Helander would pick up the top spot. Helander would only the lead for a couple laps before Matt Stegeman would take the lead for four laps. Stegeman would then spin in turn 2 handing the lead back to Helander. Tyler Noel and Borruso would battle hard for the final trophy spot. In the end, Helander hung on for the victory over Stegeman and Noel.

Ten cars would make the call for the Sportsman 19 turn A-Main. Greg Simmons and Hopeton Williams would find themselves on the front row. Simmons would jump out to the early lead until lap 6 when Darrell Taylor would pick up the lead. Taylor would then find trouble in turn four sliding him to the back of the pack. Simmons would come back to take advantage of Taylor’s problems to pick up the lead. Lap 15 leader Simmons would get together with a slowing lapped car on the backstretch handing the lead over to Floyd Holton. Mike Dispenza and Mike Chesley would battle for second and third while Holton continued to lead. On lap 36 Holton’s car quit running coming out of turn four which allowed Chesley to pick up the top spot. Chesley car was hooked up all weekend and it continued that way to the end to pick up the win. Mike Dispenza would come home second. Darrell Taylor recovered from the earlier problems to round out the Top Three.

The final Main rolled out on the rug. The Pro Modified A-Main took to the grid with former Tennessee racer Eric Anderson and South Carolina resident Donnie Logan starting on the front row. Anderson leads the first lap before being passed by Logan. As Logan was out in clean air, Troy Meridith and Anderson would battle for second. Billy Bruce would maintain fourth as Gene Connell tried everything to get past Bruce and head for the trophy spots. The race began winding down and so did Logan battery, but he had enough juice to maintain the top spot and pick up the victory. Georgia’s Troy Meridith maintained second and Eric Anderson rounded out the Top Three.

Another eventful carpet race was in the books. All of the racers deserve a pat on the back for putting on some great racing. Round # 4 of the Florida Carpet Cup is scheduled to be run November 24 and 25. Results from Round # 3 can be seen at thunder.rcresults.com/FCCSSummerOval/. (http://thunder.rcresults.com/FCCSSummerOval/) A big Thank You to the Thunder Racing Crew and everyone involved in making the FCC happen in 2007 including Mike Bean and Crew. Also, Mike Boylan sends a Thank You to those of you that stayed around to help tear down on Sunday night. As always, stay tuned to www.rcthunder.net for all of your local r/c racing information and the official SMR web page at www.myspace.com/foxco_smr.

Don’t forget to Get Out and Support Your Local Racetrack!!!