Radio Control: Pylon Racing
HEY! For those of you who have not been paying attention: The NMPRA (National Miniature Pylon Racing Association), along with Cliff Telford as committee chairman, have been hard at work trying to put together a unified set of Q500 rules that we can all live with. A lot of hard work has gone into this. As most of you know, there is quite a difference in Q500 rules from one part of the country to another, so a lot of information has been gathered and studied to come up with a workable set of rules for us all. This probably will be your last chance to get your two cents in. If you have any suggestions or ideas, send them to Cliff Telford, 7417 Arrowood Rd., Bethesda, MD 20817.
Radio Control: Pylon Racing
SPRING also brings out a lot of new Pylon Racers. Some of you have been helping a friend race, or you may have watched a race or two last year and decided this is for you. For whatever reason, I would like to welcome you to the most competitive and exciting form of model aviation that there is. It looks as though '84 will be the big year for Q500. With the formation of a unified set of rules for everybody, I think we will see a lot more interest this year. Also, this could be the year we get going in FAI Pylon Racing, again. It looks like there will be a World Championship race in 1985 or early '86. There are already some people who have been racing for a long time that are building and testing for this event.
Radio Control: Pylon Racing
TREKKERS. In District Eight, which is where I live, it can be quite a distance to that weekend race. In order to make the trip worthwhile, in some cases we have split up the weekend-having a complete contest on Saturday then starting all over again on Sunday. For someone who has a bad day on Saturday, this is like a second chance-not a bad idea. Such was the case with our first race of the year held at Paris, AR on April 14 and 15. For those driving from the Houston, TX area, this is at least an eight-hour trip.
Radio Control: Pylon Racing
EVERY year, at the end of the summer, the NMPRA (National Miniature Pylon Racing Association) holds a Championship race for Formula One. This race is the premier racing event of the year. It is, for model aviation, about what the Indy 500 is to auto racing. The race is by invitation only, as only the top fliers in the country qualify for this event. The nation is divided into racing districts, and each district is allowed to qualify its top 20% (or the top 10, whichever is greater) of fliers. Also, the top 10 finishers in Formula One at the AMA Nats and the top three finishers at the Canadian Nats are qualified. NMPRA officers and past, active NMPRA Champions are also qualified.
Radio Control: Pylon Racing
LAST October, the NMPRA (National Miniature Pylon Racing Association) held its annual Championship Race at San Luis Obispo, CA. It was hosted by the SLO fliers. Well, that group also sponsors a race each spring called the California State Championships. Here is what happened there, as reported by George Stewart: This year's race was held May 19 and 20. The Formula I race drew mostly Californians, although Dub Jett and Dave Layman came from Texas, and Don Rice made it from the state of Washington.
