First off I'd like to thank Mike McDowell and Steve Koepp of Parma once again for all the support they`ve given our series over the last 18 years. And I've had the pleasure of being associated with an Ohio Series from being the Ohio Challenge Cup in the early '90s to the Northern Ohio Super Series to the Tri-State Road Racing Series and now full circle back to the Ohio Challenge Cup in that 18 years.
At the end of the series the last race is always a four-hour Enduro. For $25 Parma gives us a car in parts in a bag with two sets of Tuna tires. They name a specific body that we all paint and run. This year was a bit different and Steve custom-painted eight bodies, all with flames. They looked great! And the Series supplies two motors from the GT1 handout motor class to complete the package.
Now here's where it gets interesting. It's a mystery as to what chassis you'll be racing until you crack open the box and hand them out at race time.
You have onr hour to build the car, get it on the track, and then race it for four hours. Pretty cool concept. And it's a NOTHING but Fun day!!
Meet the Teams:
Team FO: Eric Shirey & Guy Elmo Vallance
Team J&B: Brandon Neuberger & Bill Bear Overmyer
Team Canrac: Bob Milne, Nikki Milne, & Tanner Milne (Happy Birthday!!)
Team Rt. 93: Willy Custer, Jim JT Tores, & Frankie Elvansky
Tean WHATT: Ron Vincek & Ben Naelitz
Team Dirty White Boys: Randy & Dave
Team EMR: Jacob Earnhart, Andy Earnhart, & Karl Hoffeins
Team Smith: Nicole Smith, Conner Stansbuary, & Rich Smith
Fifteen minutes a lane thru all eight lanes, one minute to move the car and controller plus switch drivers for the two-hour first half. An hour lunch and then back to run the second half the same as the first.
No working on the car except when the power is on!! No Ttack calls!! And 20 racers hootin', hollerin', and having a great time.
Here are the results:
At the end we had two ties among four teams and both decided by five sections. Amazing it all came down to 20 feet after almost 3,000 laps and four hours of racing. Can't get much better than that in my humble opinion.
Team FO - 3,033 laps
Team J&B - 2,934.16
Team Canrac - 2,934.11
Team Rt. 93 - 2,790. 9
Team Whatt - 2,790.4
Team Dirty White Boys - 2,644
Team EMR - 2,628
Team Smith 0 (catastrophic failure starting with the drive in to missing essential items for the build). Sorry for the problems but Rich said they'll be back next year and get right after it again!!
Hats off to Elmo & Eric; you had a great race, guys.
So there you have it. A killer race right into handing out the trophies and dash plaques for the 2009-10 Season.
And as the clapping faded from the last trophy and dash plaque being handed out, all you could hear was everyone already wishing the first race for the 2010-11 season was next month.
Now that's a GREAT Series to be a part of!!!
Once again I'd like to thank all the racers, sponsors, and Frankie for helping me to make OCC one of the best, if not the best, traveling series in the whole country.
Race on!
Bear
