TSRF 1/24 Scale races, July 30, 2005

Buena Park, CA

"Don't come off ONCE, or you lose..."

At the TSRF Driving School, the fastest car does not win, but the best driver does.

Paul Sterrett again, Mike Steube closer, Scott Jarrett's missile unable to keep on track, all others in a handkerchief!

As in the previous race, Paul Sterrett drove a perfect race in an ever increasingly competitive racing field. As the drivers get more familiar with these relatively new cars, they also are dropping the bad driving habits learned over the years, and at this time, there is little need if any for track marshals because... very few ever come off!

The race was a chase by Mike Steube after Paul once Scott Jarrett in the fastest car lost it and lost a couple of laps.

Dennis Hill could have been a contender but lost patience and got off too many times, while setting the fastest lap with one of the best-prepped cars. Jim Watterson used that blue Lancia bought over the counter to keep Philippe de Lespinay at bay, while Sam Brown was unlucky to get T-boned by Philippe and to add insult to injury, witness Philippe's Lancia miraculously get back in its slot...

Rick Salvino is still progressing and is getting the hang of it while Ray Gonzales had his first taste of TSRF (and generally speaking, slot racing!) by prudently driving his beautifully finished Lancia without damage.

Everyone had a great time except for Tore Anderson and a few others who arrived too late, as there was a massive accident on the 405 freeway with some young woman launching her giant Lincoln Terminator SUV while on the telephone with the boyfriend and busy with her eyelashes, landing on its roof and taking out a couple of innocent bystanders. It locked the freeway for nearly 3 hours.

The finish of the cars is getting better, but the rules will be enforced at 100% before the beginning of the next season, meaning full cockpit and driver regulations enforced.

Mike Steube is dead-serious about his racing, and came closer than ever to challenge Paul Sterrett dominant streak of wins. But as Mike observed, Paul is a serious driver with consistent and smooth performance, resulting in a near perfect race record. And he is not driving the fastest car out there... Mike has been also racing other classes and is finding a bit of his younger form, winning a couple of races so far. His car preparation is nothing short of impeccable and his vintage shirts are really cool!

Jim Watterson and Scott Jarrett again were the best "amateurs", but consistency is still not quite there...  Holding his winning Porsche 956 (right), Paul Sterrett is smiling all the way to the bank. Perfect preparation and consistent driving beats faster cars and one-lap hair-lappers every time...Did I not write the same thing last week?

* denotes fastest lap

** denotes rookie

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