The National Miniature Pylon Racing Association (NMPRA) Championship was held at the Old Julian Airport (OJA) in Liberty, North Carolina, on October 5-6. This was my first race at OJA and let me tell you, the reputation these races have earned is well deserved.
Mike Langlois is the property owner and primary sparkplug behind these events. Mike is one of the nicest men you could ever meet and his wife, Mabel, is the sweetest.
Jim Katz was the CD and had starting-line duties, along with experienced racer and Nats starter, Trey Witte. Jim injected plenty of humor to help those of us with type-A personalities keep perspective as to why we were there. Jim’s wife, Liz, kept us moving through the heats at a good pace throughout the weekend on the PA system.
This race will be featured in MA, so I will report on a couple of memorable moments.
Spending the weekend with my best friend and teammate, Scott Causey, was awesome. Pitting next to the Canadians is always memorable. Many of them, including Harold Sattler, I have known since I was 10 years old. Canadians Roy Andrassy and Randy Smith are one of the premier teams, but they never take themselves too seriously before or after a heat. The laughs were fantastic. Congratulations to Randy for breaking 1 minute. He turned a 59 in his first heat on Saturday.
My Kansas City buddies, Moe Vereecke and Lonnie Frazer, beat us in the flyoff. Perhaps I should say beat me. I was cut out before Scott had a chance to call my Pylon One turn on lap two. Whoops! I watched (and hopefully helped) Moe and Lonnie come up through the ranks, so getting beat by them is not such a bad thing. Well done, gentlemen.
The other vivid memories I brought back included the great people associated with Pylon Racing. From having a few cold ones Friday night, to the Saturday evening banquet, to conversations next to the pool on Saturday night, to our departure on Sunday, this is a fantastic group of people and I love spending time with them.
NMPRA Championship Q-40
Name Time Points
1. Gary Schmidt 59.53 31
2. Mike Helsel 1:01.85 30
3. Randy Bridge 1:00.03 29
4. Dub Jett 1:00.88 28-FO
5. Joe Hodgin 1:02.58 28-FO
6. Billy Johanson 1:00.09 27-FO
7. Marcus Blanchard 1:00.23 27-FO
8. Moe Vereecke 1:00.78 26-FO
9. AJ Seaholm 59.89 26-FO
10. Salvador Barrios 1:03.88 25
Fast Time: Lee Von Der Hey 58.44
Congratulations to the top finishers at the 2013 NMPRA Championship race.
Heart of a Racer
The mastermind behind the Old Julian Airport light and scoring system is a man named Charles Long. Charles has an 11-year-old step-son named Wayland, who spent the weekend with us at the NMPRA Championship race. Watching Wayland collect broken airplane parts, assemble them, and exude a child’s wonderment of models took me back to my childhood, as it did for many other racers that weekend.
Two more exceptional people whom I love spending time with are Randy Bridge and Travis Flynn. Randy had a new E-flite Apprentice trainer on hand to test for Horizon Hobby. Despite Randy and Travis vying for the contest win, they still helped Wayland get some stick time on the Apprentice.
They donated the model to Wayland during the awards ceremony. The look on his face was priceless. I hope he has become a modeler and racer for life. Thank you Randy, Travis, and all of Team Horizon Hobby for making this happen.
The NMPRA and an anonymous donor also presented AMA President Bob Brown with a $1,360 donation to the Cliff Telford Scholarship Fund during Saturday night’s banquet. As a recipient of an AMA scholarship, I can say from experience that these scholarships are life changing. In my case, it meant an engineering degree and a career in the aerospace and defense industry.
Thank you Mike Langlois, Tom Scott, and NMPRA leadership for the continued support of the AMA scholarship fund, in particular the Cliff Telford Scholarship. Special thanks go to Bob Brown for attending and for his continued support of RC Pylon.
The caller for the Fast-Time winner received the Sandi Frazer Fast-Time Caller trophy. Terrance Palaschuk, caller for Lee Von Der Hey, received the award. In a thoughtful gesture, Terrance presented it to Terry Frazer. Sandi, Terry’s wife, passed away in a tragic car accident and we are all still mourning her loss. This heartfelt act chokes me up just typing about it. Godspeed, Sandi.
Mind of a Racer
As Pylon Racers, we tend to focus on the physical attributes of going fast. With today’s equipment, the difference in speed between motor and airframe combinations is nearly zero. I counted nine airframe and engine combinations in the top 10 at the 2013 NMPRA Championship race.
One aspect of RC Pylon I enjoy is the instinctual nature of the event because of the potent combination of high speeds and adrenaline. In a heat, there is not much time to think. I have a few tips to improve your racing experience.
• On second push, take the high line through Pylons Two and Three on the first few laps to avoid midairs and bad air.
• Try to move slowly and stay calm on the outside, even if your guts are churning and your heart is pounding. Your competitors might burn brain cells and lose focus wondering how you can stay calm versus how they will beat you on the course.
• One of the best pieces of advice I have received came from my Pylon friend and mentor, Dave Shadel. He said that when you get back to your spot during the 60-second clock, you must believe that no one in that heat can beat you. You are the best pilot holding the transmitter, whether it is true or not. That mental reinforcement prevents the doubt from sneaking in and keeps you focused.
I hope that these three mind benders will help elevate your game whether you are flying for a championship or for local bragging rights.
NMPRA—Not Just Another Acronym
The NMPRA is a SIG that works to protect and advance our sport. Without the dedicated volunteer leaders in the NMPRA, backed by the membership, RC Pylon Racing would not be as fun, exciting, or as safe.
Visit the NMPRA website to join and become a member of my racing family, and to support the future of RC Pylon Racing.
NMPRA Hall of Fame Inductees
Tip of the hat to NMPRA President Dan Kane and the NMPRA officers for reviving the Hall of Fame after a 14-year hiatus.
Congratulations to the 2013 NMPRA Hall of Fame inductees: Fred Burgdorf, Lloyd Burnham, Darrol Cady, Don Dombrowski, David Doyle, Mike Helsel, Dub Jett, Henry Nelson, Pete Reed, Dave Shadel, Jim Shinohara, Jerry Small, Glen Spickler, and Wayne Yeager.
