NMPRA Championships

I THE NMPRA CHAMPIONSHIPS held year Valkaria Florida over October 22-23 weekend qualify annual event must finish top 20% district finish top ten Nationals have won NMPRA Championships before officer member NMPRA So evenly matched 43 qualifiers 1977s premier Formula race Valkaria Florida might have won U Bill Hager hip Therefore NMPRA Championship race competitive race season Most competitors arrive day two before races trim flights minor adjustments can made also must find local flying field located flight two before race day Friday night final processing pilots meeting fliers under stood rules laps would counted cuts would announced questions would answered processing planes individually safety checked plane may flown safety checked scale judged take-off positions Saturday Sunday pilots meeting shown different method counting laps de termining winners races large board four rows lights row different color lights used instead lap cards cuts shown automatically system worked very well author sev eral cuts throughout racing cut #1 pylon shown before ever got #2 pylon Laps cuts finish shown board panel back board time regis tered along what lap what pylon cut very close races still de termined flagman necessary system worked flawlessly did everything else race racing Saturday fast furious race Bob Violett won 116 followed Jim Maki 117 Bob Smith 118 Bob Violett clearly fastest point turned 117 II laps unoffically clocked side lines 1101 10 laps lot shuffling around #1 spot early goings Everyone well prepared going very fast very few easy races didnt lose too planes due crashes Bruce Richmond doing very well Polecat radio quit As watched did loop after loop until finally running out altitude Ed Rankins new Midget Mustang flew well going fast race Ed got too close another flier dropped transmitter bumped him thing Formula wont fly itself As Saturday wore rounds over day familiar name noted head list Bob Rue ther point man beat Sundays rounds Bob seemed putting together consistent flying good calling Saturday evening fantastic banquet After dinner new President NMPRA 1978 Bob Smith introduced An award given out-going President 1977 Ron Schorr February 1978 47 Jim Cobb Nancy Hager working administration First class way meet hosted South Central East District NMPRA Indian River Kontrol Society lap counter board Note four lights shining Number 1 plane did start number 2 has first place Number 3 9th lap Number 4 has second place No cuts appear what pilots saw Number 1 pylon personnel protected anything direct hit H-bomb Other pylon-flying clubs should take note Safety very important Model Airplane News outstanding contributions sport pylon racing After good nights rest Sunday upon us last chance put gether Racing again very fast furious As Saturdays racing wasnt fast enough fliers turned times teens As Saturday rain almost always rains NMPRA Champion ships today wind go rain blowing wrong directionthe nightmare CD guys prepared seems have four different courses laid out runways marks painted pylons start-finish line So took about 45-minute break change course few guys trying out new ways landing Gary Hover decided runway too wet landed top tree took ladder get plane down Gary back action next round no damage plane Dave Pearce decided try same type landing picked tree smaller guess Dave just didnt want bother ladder Any way no damage couldnt fixed Dave ready next race As types racing race wasnt over until checkered flag dropped last plane last race seventh round Bob Ruether got bad air behind another plane just bottom fell out Bob crashed As end drew near broken en gines blown plugs sorts grem lins took toll contenders vied #1 spot eyes fellow name Irwin Funderburk seemed just hanging along waiting us ourselves So after 10 rounds new champ 1977 Irwin Funderburk several ties several fly-offs fly-off between Gary Hover Bob Smith second third place Bob Smith won 12762 fly-off between Tom Castellano George Zaut ner Dave Shadel Bill Hager real race Yours truly cut did Tom Castellano won 12414 followed closely three other planes also good race between Bob Violett Dave Pearce Gail Jacobson ninth tenth eleventh place Bob Violett won 11314 Gail Jacobson second Dave Pearce third Fast time award went Bob Violett blistering 11314 Bob Silwanicz got award Best Finish Airplane com petitive races yet Since no dominated 43 entrants could have won truly Championship race remember think can speak racers pit crews expressing sincere thanks South Central 48 Model Aviation Planes taking off onesecond intervals fast flagman can arop nag Pilots crew awaiting start 1-1/2-minuta clock Three wearing hearing protectors Ready line showing four ready boxes both days pilots turned times teens East District NMPRA Indian River Kontrol Society putting perfectly run Championship race NMPRA Beautiful prism trophies given top 20 finishers Digital watches went top five finishers fast time meet am looking forward next race Florida 1980 FINISH POSITIONS AND FAST TIMES 1 Irwin Funderburk1 15 73Bandit 2 Bob Smith126i 1Minnow 3 Gary Hoveri2222Toni 4 Tom Castellano12378Polecat 6 George Zautner 1 2244Polecat 7 Dave Shadel1 1 99BMinnow B Bill Hageri1632Toni 9 Bob Violett 11314Polecat 10 Gail Jacobsoni 2486Toni ii Dave Pearcei 1678Toni 12 Jim Maki1 170Minnow 13 Dennis OBrien11548Polecat 14 Bob Ruether12080Toni 15 Bob Brogdoni1755Bandit 16 Paul Zink1 2444Toni 17 Brian Richmondi2121Bandit 18 Carl Simmsi26i 1Toni 19 Clyde Yarbrough1 2240Bandit 20 Jack Little134 91Minnow 21 Bill Preisi1769-Toni 22 Tom Pownall1 2129Toni 23 Pete Reedi 2229Polecat 24 Steve Barretti3304Toni 25 Bill Williamsoni 1967Toni 26 John McDermotti 21 75Minnow 27 Len Ledson12902Toni 28 Bob Silwanicz12436Toni 29 Bob Wallacei 3448Minnow 30 Laird Owensi1637Toni 31 Glenn Sicotte 12582Polecat 32 Clay-Moncrief Teami 2080Toni 33 Greg Doei247 1Toni 34 Ron Schorr13321Minnow 35 Dave Donat13023Toni 36 Mark Harter13062Toni 37 Bruce Richmond12 104Polecat 38 Gale Helmsi 3023Toni 39 PatJones13741Toni 40 Dallas Buck13501Toni 41 Bill Helms2 1675Miss Cosmic Wind 42 Ed RankinMidget Mustang II 43 Jim StegallMinnow Bob Violett fastest-time Polecat unofficially clocked sidelines 1101 ten lapsThe man won marblesIrwin Funderburk neat Bandit February 1978 49 winners Top Ito R Irwin Funderburk first Bob Smith second Gary Hover third Kneeling Bob Violett left fastest time 11314 Bob Silwanicz Best Finish 20 guys received trophies handle wind shifts hosts four different courses laid out marks painted pylons start-finish line etc Course could changed 45 minutes