For weeks, I have anticipated my trip to Sidewinder Raceway for another taste of camaraderie, close racing and just plain fun. When Billy Strange indicated that we were to race the “Classics†class I was even more stoked! I grew up in the “car crazy†60s and 70s. More than any other type, Can Am and endurance racing appealed to me. Every year we would make the trek to Mid-Ohio and Bridgehampton to watch Can Am. I also loved to watch the prototypes, especially the 917s and 512s run at Le Mans and Sebring.
Thanks to the Strange family for another great experience at Sidewinder. The store looks great and the tracks are awesome. My Mark IV “loaner†was quite competitive. Me, not so much. I had a wonderful time talking to like-minded individuals about a hobby I have been involved in for 50+ years.
Since my first visit to Sidewinder a few years ago, I have written extensively about the facility, its unique economic model and the friendly folks that own and race at the facility. Some of my observations are summarized in the “appendix†of this article. Also, for those who just like to look at the pictures, see below (more narrative below images).
I arrived at Sidewinder Raceway early in the afternoon. As usual, I was met with friendly greetings and smiles from both Bill and Billy Strange. Billy was hard at work, setting up a brand new Piper 917 for the evening’s race. I tried not to distract him too much. Bill offered up his great running yellow Ford, Mark IV for some practice. He was also kind enough to share many hints on how to improve my driving in some of the more technical sections of Atlanta Raceway Park. Mostly, I practiced on the more difficult inner and outer lanes. With each visit to Sidewinder, I become a bit more comfortable with the track. If I lived in the Sacramento area, I would be racing at Sidewinder each and every week!
“Classics†were broken down into two categories, “Limited†and “Modifiedâ€. Both categories allowed modifications to the stock rides, however, the limited category included a break-out time of 7.5 seconds. No make or model dominated the field. The diverse group of cars included the Porsche 917, Ferrari 312P, Ford Mark IV, Ford GT40 and two Trans Am cars (69 Camaro and Mercury Cougar). The race format was two times through with seven lap segments. Points were awarded for first through fourth (5,3,2,1) for each segment. The limited category attracted five participants (I was one of this group). The modified category attracted 12 participants who were seeded into three races in three groups of four. Billy, the race director, did an excellent job seeding the modified racers leading to some very close and exciting races.
Billy conducted the Limited Classics category first. With only five participants, each of us rotated through the four lanes twice with a single “sit-outâ€. As I looked at the roster for this race, I knew I was in trouble. The last time I visited Sidewinder Raceway back at the end of May, the very same Paul Hendricks beat me like a drum. I also recognized the name Mike Wright from images of the podium on Sidewinder’s Facebook page. Again, looking at the Facebook page, Rob Marshall’s name and image appear quite frequently. My hope was that Rob Marshall’s choice of a tall and narrow Mercury Cougar might help my chances. The last name on the roster was Ron Tilford. I raced against Ron back in May and was lucky enough to edge him out for second place on our division.
As expected, Paul and Mike dominated the limited race. In the end, Paul was first scoring 34 points. Mike was nipping at his heals with 32 points to finish a close second. The three R’s (Rob, Ron and Rich) battled it out for the bottom step of the podium. I recall dicing it out with Rob’s Cougar in adjacent lanes. Sometimes the result was a spectacular wreck. We were well matched and this provided for some close racing and “door†banging. I also recall a few heats racing head to head with Ron. His 917 was quite competitive and we ran a see saw battle. In the end I managed to sneak onto the third step of the podium but not by much. I scored at total of 16 points while both Rob and Ron scored 14.
As an inexperienced driver at Sidewinder, I would have preferred much longer segments. The 7 lap segment format was frenetic. Just about the time I got comfortable, the segment was over. But as Tom Hanks once said, “There is no crying in slot car racing†(or something to that effect).
After finishing my race, I stayed to the bitter end acting as a marshal and sometimes just watching. Some of the Modified cars were more than a half a second per lap faster than the limited cars. The guys really did a great job of selecting components and tuning their rides. Earlier in the day, I noticed Billy working on a brand new 917. The race would be the 917s maiden voyage. I noticed him taking some practice laps during the afternoon and the car was awesome.
I set up my pit, limited as it was, next to Vince Puleo. He just could not decide which of three cars to run. They were all within a whisker of each other. In the end he decided on a Gulf Wyer 917. Then, he was kind enough to lend his gold GT40 to Mike Davis who easily won the first of the three Modified races.
Again, Billy did a great job of seeding participants. The races were both exciting and fun to watch. The last race of the evening featured the top seeds in the Modified Classics category. It was mostly a “Strange event†with Billy (917), Ryland (Ferrari 312P) and Jan (Mark IV). However, the Red, White and Green Italian flag was carried by Vince Puleo (Wyer 917).
Vince drove the wheels off of the 917, running a very fast but consistent race. His Wyer 917 won amassing 36 points. Ryland’s youthful exuberance and quick hands led him to run with the leaders consistently but he had a few “offs†relegating him to second place with 19 points. Billy’s new 917 was very fast and he could dice it out with Vince, but as with any new ride there are always kinks to straighten out. A few “offs†put him out of contention for the top step of the podium and only a single point down from Ryland to finish in third spot. Look for Billy and this car to be at the top of the heap next time. Jan did a good job piloting her Mark IV, challenging others who made the mistake of over-driving their rides.
Thanks again Sidewinder for a fun day!!
Appendix
On my first visit to Sidewinder a few years ago, I was impressed with the facility, management, inventory and overall racing experience. I have written extensively about Sidewinder Raceway and posted articles on the Electron Raceway group site in the files section (Link to homepage https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Ele ... ceway/info) and in Slot Car Illustrated. I continue to believe that the untraditional Sidewinder business model has an excellent chance for long term success. Below in summary form are my observations:
o Product knowledge and customer service are exemplary.
o The two wood, custom build tracks are characterized by changes in elevation and relatively tight corners. The scenery, “undulating terrain†and custom wall hangings all add to the ambiance of the facility and create excitement and enthusiasm. The nature of the layouts with tight corners emphasizes driving skill.
o The smaller tracks allow for a relatively small facility (2,400 square feet) resulting in relatively low lease payments and manageable utility expenses.
o The focus is on scale, ready to run (RTR) 1/32nd scale racing with relatively few modifications. As a result novice racers can get up to speed quickly at a modest cost. Races are held weekly and classes of cars rotate week to week.
o Racers are a great bunch of guys and gals
