Morgan Johns

Well it definitely was shaping out to be a great day even before I left my house. Fernando Alonso captured another Formula 1 win! Never thought I could be so cheery at 9:37am however his win put me in the points lead for my Formula 1 Fantasy Team Subleauge www.f1manager.info

However just after the race I had what you all would describe as one of those "I am forgetting Something" moments. I walked around my house aimlessly for a couple minutes poured myself a glass of OJ looked outside and saw that it was bright sunny and warm, so immediately I thought "well this could be race day at FastCats" or wait.... it could!!!!! and it was!!!!!

I never packed up all my stuff so fast and got to the track so far, I couldn’t believe that it was so nice out and I was going to be able to spend such a gorgeous day outside and racing!!!! I got to the track in just over record time 12mins34secs Avg122kph (record time = 9min01secs Avg154kph) I pulled up the rear of the track and opened my door to the sweet sweet smell and aroma of a .12size Nitro Burning, tire eating 1/10th scale RC car ripping down the back straight, ahhhh I was home! I unpacked my entire RC assets in 2 trips, as I was feeling a bit lazy. After I unpacked and put my hump pack and starter box batteries to charge I made my way to the drivers stand saying hi and good mornings to anyone who would acknowledge me. I was quite curious as to the track layout as Pam C was spreading rumors of a track change over LiveRC chat, in which I made the comment “Wow John C changes tracks more then he changes his track clothes” I think Pam liked the comment.

The track was definitely different! Isn’t that the way it always works? Once you finally learn one track BAM another one pops up! But man let me say this track looked awesome!!!! So lets take a lap of the new track!!

Coming down the back straight you begin to really appreciate just how smooth this track is as you can lay down all the power without any hairy moments, off the back straight into the slightly banked Right hand Sweeper holding more G’s then possible or so it seems! Off the back sweeper into a tight chicane, missing the apex to this chicane and your next 3 corners are done for! Through the chicane or should I say “Nitro numbing chicane” and into a hairy off camber left hand sweeper, testing faith, through here it does (GOOO YODA) the sweeper is short lived as you are hit by a short shoot into a 180deg turn followed by another short shoot around another 180deg turn as you launch the car into a chassis tweaking high speed chicane if done right would yield many rewards, and boom back onto the straight!!! What? Sounds Easy? Try it!!!!!

1st Round of Qualifying

1/10th Nitro

Definitely not a qualifying anyone was proud of as most of us were still learning the new track. The new layout definitely made us look like amateurs as we all spent more times against the barriers then on the tarmac. Brenno, Ty and Ross C posted early 52lap paces but by the tiring end everyone was either broken or 50 laps and below, as Brenno held the early TQ.

This was the biggest class with 3 heats, and at the end of the first round of qualifying no one knew who was the top dog as everyone looked to be on the same pace.

1/10th Open Elec

It was clear in the first few laps that Leonard S and Nick I were in a league of there own, don’t discount Bill R or RC Kid (Dawe) as they were both flying as well. Leonard finished the 5 min Q on top with nick close behind.

1/10th 19 Sportsman

Beric last week’s winner was again on pace owning the class!!! Steph C made a special celebrity guest appearance and really pulled out a great Q time of 8 laps!!! She also had the slowest lap of the day with a 1min03sec lap!!! Wow that takes talent!!! Jeff Wheeler was also making a name for himself as he took 2 spot in the overall 1st round of qualifying.

Mini OUTLAW

The spectator favorite like usual put on a great display of aerobatics, Nick I found his set-up and just dominated the field, leaving Phil H, Rob B and Jim W to battle it out for who was 2nd best. Fiona proved the impossible as she actually made faster laps on her roof then with all 4 wheels on the ground.

2nd Round of Qualifying

Again nothing really changed as the week before, not that I am being lazy but really no changes occurred, okay so I am being lazy!

3rd Round of Qualifying

So all the smack talk anyone could handle had been laid down, and now it was time to prove it as 1st and 2nd round qualifying was very random and no real fast guy was prominent, so lets see how it went.

1/10th Nitro

Brenno, Ty, Ross and Myself were on pace finally Brenno posting an early TQ pace of 52laps and the rest of us in the 51-50’s. My car was really weird as it seamed I had no left rear suspension or something was jammed in my suspension arms as my car just could not handle laying down power or taking fast right hand corners. Brenno kept pace through the entire race only dropping down to 51laps after 10mins and Ty and I were close behind. Ross had a few bobbles and struggled a bit as Dave Lyons with very little track experience was up in the thick of it (a testament of skill). John was shouting out the lap times and paces but it really didn’t matter as I think all us rivers knew we were in for a great A main!!! Turn out in pre-warm-up a popped my rear suspension off the lower ball cup and it lodged itself in the upper suspension not bottoming out my chassis, WOW! Was I ever lucky it stayed lodged there for the full 10min Q!!!!!!

1/10th Open Elec

Again Leonard owned the track, however Nick I was definitely not off the pace as traffic and a few minor brain farts kept him from challenging the TQ spot. Bill R, Mike D, and Glenn G were all battling out for 3rd overall.

1/10th 19t Sportsman

Again Beric threw down the time to beat, but Steph C our celebrity driver of the day was not going to let him win easy, as Beric was posting faster and faster laps Steph began doing the unthinkable and rapidly making each lap longer and longer, I think someone forgot to tell her this was not golf whereas the lowest laps count! Jeff W posted a great 2nd overall time and pace, As Marc and Jason struggled to find their set-ups.

Mini OUTLAW!!!!!

Again Nick I dominated TQ by over a lap, which in mini this spells or means eternity. Phil, Rob, Jim and yes John C fought it out for 2nd best. Fiona again amazed us all by showing that the mini doesn’t need a track to run on as she off roaded(not a real word….I know…its made up…bite me) half the qualifier.

Final Qualifying Standings

1/10th Nitro C Main

George Triffiletti 39/10:25.510
Ron Dziuban 37/10:12.971
Henry Rogers 31/10:09.952
Adam Jacob 13/7:47.267


1/10th Nitro B Main

Jimmy Crawford 44/10:13.038
Roger Cobbs 42/10:00.270
Fred Cobbs 41/10:05.701
Danny Burgic 40/10:00.235
Dustin Scheinder 40/10:01.403
Anthony Giannace 40/10:04.015


1/10th Nitro A Main

Brenno Crosara 51/10:11.836
Ty Grant 50/10:00.407
Morgan Johns 50/10:09.114
Dave Lyons 48/10:05.373
Ross Chiramonte 48/10:09.394
Bill Rae 45/10:01.590

1/10th Open Elec

Leonard Schinzano 26/5:09.947
Nick Imineo 25/5:13.495
Bill Rae 22/5:03.495
Mike Dawe 22/5:04.884
Glen Garbutt 22/5:09.500

1/10th 19t Sportsman

Beric Leung 22/5:12.218
Glen Garbutt 21/5:03.615
Jeff Wheeler 21/5:10.016
Marc Sinclair 20/5:06.244
Jason Kraemer 20/5:19.468
Curtis Joy 16/5:10.557
Steph Catricala 11/5:45.999

MINI OUTLAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!

Nick Imineo 19/5:12.863
Phil Harris 18/5:17.560
Rob Brandow 17/5:15.798
John Catricala 17/5:16.401
Jim Wheeler 16/5:08.009
Jason Kraemer 15/5:10.559
Fiona Kraemer 10/5:23.961
Andrew Seath 4/1:49.043


The Mains!!!!

Sunday Sunday Sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(shouted in Dave Lyons voice not mine…..OF COURSE not mine I think Ty would punch me if I shouted that)

So I will only recap the A mains as really I was not watching the others as I thought the C,B and A mains were in sequential order and was working on my car to get it ready for my main, however John C decided to put the A Main Nitro last and trick all of us…sorry Jimmy wudda pitted for ya!

1/10th Open Elec

It was clear from the start this race was between Leonard and Nick, however a few bobbles off the start and Mike Dawe found himself with the lead!!!! These Dawes I tell ya there getting fast!!!! However Mike’s lead was short lived as both Leonard and Nick soon re-gained the lead and began to battle it out, they were within a few seconds of each other for the majority of the race but a few bobbles by Nick lead Leonard to a commandable lead, and eventual victory!!

1/10th 19T Sportsman

Beric again owned the class but Jeff wheeler was hot on his toes, and Steph C was making it around the track aswell!!!! Jason and Marc were definitely trading comparable laps and battling it out for 3rd, however battery problems and attrition found the best of them as Beric went on to win with Jeff close behind.

Mini OUTLAW!!!!!

Nick I squealed off the line and left his rubber dust on the windshields of everyone else, Nick was definitely the man to beat as he wanted the new title of the king of mini trying to take the crown from John C, I mean seriously whoever thought the fight to be king of the slowest class would be so hair raising. Think about it for a sec….Hey guys I am the slowest fast guy!!!!…WOOOT!

Nick lead from the begging and never looked back however the action between Phil, John, Rob and Jim was awesome as each traded paint for the entire 5minutes!! Great fun!!!!

1/10th Nitro

So who was going to win?? No one knew not even the drivers, finally during warm-up no casualties happened leaving all the contenders in the field. Throughout warm-up it looked like everyone had finally got there cars settled and hooked. We all came in with 20secs to go and refueled.

Steph C the celebrity flag girl dropped the flag and all cars were lowered, the flag was raised and RRRRWWWAHHHHHHH all of us were off. Another great and clean start for 90% of us as Ross C found himself at the back of the field by an early bobble. Brenno, Ty and myself just took off with vigor and played it cool as we knew it was a long race, Ty began to take an increasing lead so I began to make a push, Brenno let me by to catch back up as Brenno was conserving his car. I began to catch up to Ty and Brenno was keeping pace, Dave L and Ross C soon joined the hunt and the top 5 were all within 5 seconds of each other going into the first round of pit stops.

At 5mins Myself, Brenno, Dave L and Ross came in to re-fuel as Ty decided to sty out for an extra lap, this pit decision really hurt as he flamed out at the end of the right sweeper coming off the straight allowing 2nd, 3rd and 4th to pass and all jump up a spot. The racing stayed close again for the next 5minutes as again the top 4 now were all within 4 seconds of each other. John C called out the 10minute mark and we all came in for pits, Brenno leap frogged me by his uber fast pit dad and I was back into 2nd with Dave L and Ross C close behind. The racing stayed close and drivers began to stop breathing, Brenno had a bobble that let me past to re-gain the top spot which I kept until of course pit time, and by no means was my pit guy slow Jim Wheeler was amazing and super fast, but Brenno’s dad is just way way to fast!!!! I came in for my final pit and shot back out, by this time Brenno and I had made some distance on 3rd and 4th, 4th was now comprised by Ty who made up an entire lap!!!!

As I came out of the pits Brenno was in the lead staying out another lap, as we came around Brenno again jumped in front of me, and had a commandable 4sec lead over me, at the pace we were both running I knew I could not catch up, however unfortunately Brenno’s dad had not lifted his car off the track for the final pit and was given a 2sec stop and go penalty. WHAT!!!! I know!!! That’s what I thought I glimpse of hope!!! However rules are rules and they have to be followed.

Brenno came in for the stop and go and by the time he accelerated I way I was close on his tail, the last 2 minutes were going to be close!!!! Brenno bobble in the first chicane and I slipped through, however I wouldn’t consider it a lead as Brenno was no more then a 100th of my butt.

We stayed neck and neck into the final minute and the nerves were building up, and building up fast, John announced that we had just 6 seconds to go as we were on the back straight, I was trying to keep it clean as I knew that’s all I had to do but nerves got the better of me as I bobbled every corner…yes! Every corner. Brenno going into the short shoot past the drivers stand made a last ditch effort and tried to take me on the outside. We came out of the last corner in a drag race and only separated by a few car lengths.

We both passed the line and waited for John to announce who won, I heard my name and almost fainted as I don’t think I had a breath of air for the last 3minutes of the race. But wow what a race after 20mins to be so close!!!

1. Morgan Johns Serpent 710R / Mega
2. Brenno Crosara Mugen MTX4 / JP
3. Ty Grant Mugen MTX4 /Nova

So what will next week bring???????????

Guess you will all have to come out to see and race!!!!!!!

Thanks again to you Catricala family..can’t you guys ever do something wrong, I mean, please I need something to complain about I am getting old!!!

Morgan