Here’s a news flash just in…The USRA has secured sponsorship for the standard Formula 1 class for 2002. This sponsorship is from Tom Easterday, one of the founders of Giant Scale Racing and a long-time competitor, via his company CRT, which stands for California Research Tabulations. Here are the exciting details of the sponsorship. CRT will provide a minimum of $7500 cash to be awarded at the three events this year in the standard Formula 1 class. So the purse for Formula 1 at each race will be in excess of $2200 ! But wait it gets better! Tom has asked for us to reduce the entry fees for this class, and since the promoter will not need to cover the cost of a purse for Formula 1, the entry fees for Formula 1 will be no more than $125.
So let’s see…..If you race an F-1 this year at any of our events, your entry fee will be no more than $125, and you will be competing for at least $2200. Folks, it might get better than this, but not much! If you have ever thought about racing in the Formula 1 class, now is the time to take that step. We now have a very nicely sponsored class with a reasonable entry fee. If this is not enough incentive to put together an airplane, then I don’t know what is. On top of that, we have the new F-1 GT class for the same airframes with stock Zenoah GT-80 engines. While they won’t be racing for the big bucks or a Championship, their stock engines and spec props and fuel make them even more affordable.
We really need to thank Tom Easterday for this generous contribution. His intent is to help lower the costs to race in our series, and still maintain the quality of our purses in the hope that we will increase the number of people participating in our sport. I also would like to thank our race organizers for committing to lower the entry fees in F-1 and making their events function with a little less revenue.
So here’s the part where you can contribute to our sport, and it’s easy. Here is what we need you, a USRA member, to do….Race! Get an airplane or two ready, and come race. Don’t just go to the race closest to you, make arrangements to go to as many as you can. If you went to one race last year, you need to find a way to make it to two this year. If you went to two last year, you’ve got to make three this year. If you went to all three last year, then it’s time to add another airplane and compete in another class! We need to get more people out there racing at all three events. Our races are very dependent on support from all regions of our country. If our members only race at the closest event, then the other races will not be able to survive and we will lose participants from those regions. When that happens, there will be nobody left to support your “home” race, and it too will not survive. All of the races depend on all of us to survive. The good news is that all we need to do is….do what we love to do….Race! So, start building and preparing for 2003, and make your plans to go to all of the races. We are counting on you.
It’s also important that we recognize some of the people who help other racers compete in multiple races. These people help their fellow competitors with transportation, pit space, crew members, airplane kits, and inspiration so that they can compete. I’m talking about people like Ed Rankin, Tom Easterday, Archie Snider, the McBride family, Denny Baker, Scott Baker, John Creagh, Scott Hanbury, Mike Johnson, and many others. These folks have taken it upon themselves to insure that racers who might need some help to make a race get what they need. They are also right at the top of the list when it comes to getting new people into the sport. We really need everyone to make a bigger effort in getting more new blood into Giant Scale Racing. If our entire membership could make it their priority to get just one fellow modeler into our sport this year, we would be in a much better position to have more, and bigger events. With the introduction of the new F-1GT class and our well-sponsored F-1 class, there has never been a better time to get someone started, or bring someone back to racing. Please take the time to share our sport with a potential new racer and let’s grow our association. It’s the winter building season, and there is still plenty of time to put together a new airplane for yourself or a new racer.
I’m still putting together info on all of the kit manufacturers for our website, but here are some options for getting a new racer for yourself or a newcomer.
RnR kits still offers many all-composite kits for all of our classes. They have the Polecat and Kelly in F-1, the Sundancer-Sorceress for Bipe, and the Tsunami and Mike Johnsons’s Bearcat in Unlimited.
Tom Easterday has recently made his Kelly F-1D kit available in either an all composite or glass fuse/ foam wing version.
John Creagh has the molds for Rick Schrameck’s GR-7 and Miss Ashley racers. He expects production to begin in early 2003.
Ed Rankin has some great kits at very affordable prices. His kits are all glass fuse and foam core wing construction, and he has the Polecat, Proud bird, Vendetta, Polen Special, and probably some others I can’t remember.
Dave Bridi is still making some very nice kits, and he has a large variety as well including a GR-7, Nemesis, AT-6, Corsair, Vendetta, and Knight Twister.
Scott Manning and Bill Malo have a great F-1 kit of the Polecat that is glass fuse/foam core construction for a very affordable price.
As most of you know, Archie had a pretty challenging year in 2002 and still was able to compete at both Kansas and Ohio and have enough energy left over to put together a fine event in California where he also raced. With that in mind, we have been able to put together a group of people to help him out with the California race this year, including Denny Baker, Chuck Winter, and Kevan Avery. These guys have helped Archie in the past, and have agreed to step up this year to help again. Our Ohio event has been successfully organized by a similar group of organizers, and they were the inspiration to put this group together. Hats off to Archie for his hard work, and thanks to these hard working folks who help give us a place to play.
Please don’t forget to renew your membership. If you have not received a renewal form, or have lost yours, log on to our website at www.usrainfo.org and print out a membership application and mail it in with your dues. The deadline to avoid the $20 late fee is January 31st so don’t wait any longer!!!