Radio Control: Pylon Racing
JERRY CHRISTENSEN has done a tremendous job in writing this column, and I hope that I can measure up to his standards. My format will be to report to the AMA membership on the latest NMPRA activities, District Races, NMPRA Championship Race, AMA Nationals, new products, how to get started in racing, racing techniques, and construction tips. Hopefully, this information will be interesting to the active race pilots and to those who are contemplating entering pylon racing. I will appreciate any help to implement this goal, so please send me information that will be pertinent to this column including F-I and QM events. (My address is: 6072 Wonder Dr., Fort Worth, Tex. 76133.) Contest Procedure for Pylon Racing: The biggest and foremost question facing most people is how to operate a pylon race because it is the most complicated of any RC event, requiring a lot of manpower and organization. The general rules are covered in the AMA rule book. However, there isn't enough space to cover all of the aspects of contest procedure. Therefore, the NMPRA has prepared a lengthy Contest Procedure Guide. This was first published in the July 1972 RCM magazine. It contains the following subjects: safety, race preparation, registration, handicap scale judging, heat make-up and matrix system, and the function of each official.
Radio Control: Pylon Racing
ON JUNE 2, three days after last month's article was mailed, I accepted the Event Director's job for QM and F-I at the NATS this year. This will be a momentous job for me with only two months to plan and prepare. Being an active F-I pilot, attending contests, and writing this column makes it even more difficult. Because of my heavy work load at the NATS in addition to substituting for Glenn Spickler as President at the annual NMPRA meeting, I will not be reporting the NATS Pylon events. The biggest planning task was securing workers. This task was undertaken by the Ft. Worth Thunderbirds and the Dallas RC Clubs who will also be running the F-I NMPRA Championship Race October 25-26. It is amazing how many friends you have when you are in need of them. In three days, 27 of these dedicated people had signed up to work. All of the pylon pilots who fly at the NATS owe them a debt of gratitude, so take time to thank them. Remember, we would not have a contest without them. Also, they have sacrificed the privilege of competing in the contest so that you can fly.
Radio Control: Pylon Racing
IF YOU DIDN'T come to the Nats this year you missed a good one with relatively good weather and lots of racing. Being an experienced F-I pilot helped very much, because I knew what the fliers wanted. While arranging the frequency groupings, I shuffled fliers in a frequency group who were calling for each other as much as possible, so that they wouldn't have back-to-back heats. In addition, I arranged the heat matrix where no two fliers would have to fly each other more than once. The course layout was arranged within the safety code at a runway and taxi-way intersection to give the minimum walking distance from the ready line to the flight line. Also, the pit area was conveniently located behind the desk alongside the taxi strip with the vehicles parked 550 feet from the course. Pilots' meetings were held before each event where ground rules were stated which fully stressed the AMA rules and the NMPRA Race Procedure.
Radio Control: Pylon Racing
THE RACING SEASON is over for 1975 and it was a great one with increased activity in F-I, QM, and Quickie 500 contests. No other RC event, and possibly any AMA event, has had so many contests scheduled for 1975. In addition, the NMPRA has experienced increased growth for 1975 and has exceeded all membership records. In the South Central West district there were nine F-I and 13 QM races, which is the most we have ever had. All districts, except the Western and North Central West, had the same increase in contests. I think the main cause for this is the availability of good competitive engines and airplanes. The 1975 NMPRA Championship Race will be in the past by the time you read this column, and a new F-I champion will have been crowned. The enthusiasm is running high all over the country for this race, and we are expecting a good turn out. Trophies through 20 places, fastest time, best in scale judging, and best sportsman, have been purchased by RCM and they are beautiful. First place is 4-feet tall with each succeeding place graduated down in increments of 3 or 4 inches. In addition, the NMPRA will give very expensive digital readout watches for the first five places. Great news for next year, the Championship Race will be held in Las Vegas.
1975 NMPRA Championships
The Winners: Jim Maki, the smartest Japanese alive, the Green Flash, the Exalted Florida King, is the 1975 NMPRA F-I Champion. Jim is one of the most dedicated racing enthusiasts in the NMPRA, and he put all of his skills together to win the big Tournament of Champions with five first places, three second places and a fastest time of 1:19. His flying was really out of this world. However, at the end of one race he made it a part of this world by doing a "landscape-scoop" coming out of number three pylon which demolished his number one airplane. The final results are shown in the table. Public Relations: The thrill and excitement of Pylon Racing is fantastic, with four airplanes screaming around a quartermile course for ten laps at speeds up to 200 mph. We wanted to share this highly competitive event with the public; therefore, a concentrated advertising effort was launched using radio, newspaper and TV.
