# Thunder Road Schedule



## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

The schedule for both Oval and Road Course for Thunder Road is set through February. The ARCOR State Race is December 10th; and January will see the best Oval and Road Course races seen in many a moon. Check out the JACO/SMC Snowflake Classic twin races. They are going to be HOT!!! Thanks; Ernie P. 

thunderroadrc.com

December 3: Oval 

December 9: Oval practice 
December 10: ARCOR State Race (Oval) 

December 17: Road Course 

January 1: Oval (Sunday) 

January 6: Oval Practice 
January 7: JACO/SMC Snowflake Oval Classic 
January 8: JACO/SMC Snowflake Oval Classic (if necessary) 

January 14: Oval 

January 15: Road Course (Sunday) 

January 20: Road Course Practice 
January 21: JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic 
January 22: JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic 

January 28: Oval 

February 4: Birthday Bash (Oval) 

February 11: Road Course 

February 18: Oval 

February 25: Oval 

February 26: Road Course (Sunday)


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Road Course*

We'll be running the ARCOR State Race this weekend; but we'll crank up the Road Course on the 17th. Its time to start working up for the JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic race on January 21st. See you there. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## BBSpence (Jul 9, 2002)

Where is this track and do they have a website?


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Thunder Road RC Speedway*

Check out our website at thunderroadrc.com. We're located in Gordonsville, Va; and a map and directions are on the website. We'd love to have you come race with us. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Road Course Saturday*

This Saturday, Thunder Road will be running the Road Course. Only a few more chances to practice before the JACO/SMC Snowflake Classis Road Course Race on January 21/22. That race will be HUGE! Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Harold R (Jul 8, 2005)

I'm not sure if my radio will even turn right but I am going to give it a shot! This is a large track for indoors guys.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Harold is right*

Yep, this is a huge carpet road course. It really is a very nice layout. Come race with us at Thunder Road this Saturday. You'll be glad you did! Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Road Course*

Just a reminder that we're running the Road Course at Thunder Road on Saturday. We have a great Road Course; and hope you will join us for a great day of racing. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Harold R (Jul 8, 2005)

Well had fun at the huge new Thunder Road road course today. I don't think it I will trade in my oval stuff any time soon but it was a fun change. I think it would be safe to say Jeese had things covered in 1/12th scale all day. Charlie’s sedan looked very good and was fun to take around the track for a few laps too. We were running open mod in 1/12 scale. That was a blast the only problem is rubbing a little don't always work out so well. Never seen a 1/12 scale fly like a frisbee until today (sorry Jesse). lol... Thank goodness we didn't break anything. If you are into road racing you should really like this track if you give it a try!


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Thunder Road closed*

Thunder Road is now closed for the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Our next race will be an oval race on New Year's Day; as a warmup for the JACO/SMC Snowflake Oval Classic race on January 7th. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Thunder Road. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*JACO/SMC Snowflake Classic Twin Races*

At Thunder Road RC Speedway, the big news for January will be the twin JACO/SMC Snowflake Classic Twin races. These twin races, one for oval and one for road course, will be the biggest thing shaking on the East Coast; and will run on the below schedule.

If world class competition and a huge new, baby smooth carpet track excite you, make sure to mark the dates. We'll have $1,000.00 in merchandise awards up for grabs in each race; and lots of door prizes. Details for each race will follow. Thanks; Ernie P.  

January 1: Oval (Sunday) 

January 6: Oval Practice 
January 7: JACO/SMC Snowflake Oval Classic 
January 8: JACO/SMC Snowflake Oval Classic (if necessary) 

January 14: Oval 

January 15: Road Course (Sunday) 

January 20: Road Course Practice 
January 21: JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic 
January 22: JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic


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## Jesse Bean (Sep 26, 2004)

the tracks got a nice groove in it and it's fast. can't wait till the big one.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Three weeks to go...*

... until the biggest carpet on road race in this area for a long time; the JACO/SMC Road Course Classic. $1,000.00 in merchandise awards; a nice new carpet; a fast and challenging layout; and some world class competition. This one is going to be *fast*. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic*

Next Sunday will be the last road course race, prior to the big one! If a fast road course, new carpet, a challenging layout and $1,000.00 in merchandise awards sounds like a good way to spend a weekend, head for Thunder Road RC Speedway in Gordonsville, VA. Details and directions at thunderroadrc.com. Thanks; Ernie P.  

January 15: Road Course (Sunday) 

January 20: Road Course Practice 
January 21: JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic 
January 22: JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic*

We'll be running the Oval on Saturday at Thunder Road; but we'll set up the road course for racing on Sunday. The Thunder Road crew is getting ready for the JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic the following weekend; and some big name drivers have indicated they will be there in force. Get the details at thunderroadrc.com. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Big race; big names; big money!*

The racers are signing up; the track is ready; and the money is waiting! This is going to be a barnburner. Don't miss it. Thanks; Ernie P.  

January 15: Road Course (Sunday) 

January 20: Road Course Practice 
January 21: JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic 
January 22: JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic*

Lemieux, John Tag and Brandon Melton have indicated they will be there; and more big names are signing on. It looks like this is going to be a fast one! A huge new carpet road course; a new heating system; plenty of well lighted pit spaces; and some stiff competition. Start making plans to head for Thunder Road in Gordonsville, VA. You don't want to miss this one. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Opening time for Friday*

Thunder Road will be open at 12:00 on Friday, for those racers who have indicated they would like some practice time before the JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic on Saturday. This is shaping up to be a great race. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## jt6 (Feb 16, 2005)

Any pics of the current layout?


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Pics*

Yeah, we have some pics of the new track; but we won't have them up before the race. Sorry. Tell you what... come join us; and we'll put your pic on the website. (-: Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic TODAY!!*

Okay, guys; today's the day. We were at TR until 2:00 AM this morning, with racers practicing for the race. Some very big names were buzzing around; and it looks like a great race shaping up. All we need now is *you*. See you at Thunder Road for the JACO/SMC Snowflake Road Course Classic. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*JACO/SMC Race report*

For those who didn't make it, you missed a great night of racing. For those who were there, I want to thank each and every one of you personally. It's been a long time since I've seen a group of racers having such a good time. Every one of you contributed to a great night of racing. There were no Prima Donna attitudes, no bad tempers, no problems of any kind; just a bunch of nice guys having a good time, joking and kidding around and, incidentally, trying to beat each other's brains out on the track. You're all a credit to the sport; and you're all welcome back, any time, to Thunder Road.

We ran 1:10 Scale Touring Cars; Stock and 19-turn. Several drivers wanted to run 1:12 Scale 19-turn Sports cars, as well; but decided to fill out the thin ranks of Touring Cars instead.

The highlight of the qualifying races had to be round three; between Anthony Saunders and Tony Stewart. We were using IFMAR staggered starts; and for five minutes whichever driver was at the end of a straight piece of carpet was in the lead, usually by less than .1 of a second. There was nothing unusual about watching the timer switch the current leader back and forth several times in a single lap; and the issue wasn't decided until the horn. At the line, Anthony nipped Tony by .01 of a second! What a race!!!

John Tag took top TQ in Stock Class with a 33/5:01.16; a new record. Paul Lemieux took top TQ in 19-turn with a blistering 36/5:06.29.

In the Stock Class A Main, bedlam reigned for the first couple of laps, as the racers jossled aggressively for position. John Tag got into an early shunt and Mark Unrath grabbed the lead. Lap after lap, John closed back in; but after five minutes Mark still had a little less than two seconds in hand, to claim top honors. Arvin Nano was only a bit slower; easing into third. Jeff Parfitt, Charlie Johnson, and Thomas Keiser trailed the leaders home; as John Pritchett and Bryan Frymeyer watched from the sidelines, victims of early shunts.

In the 19-turn A Main, Paul Lemieux followed up his TQ honors with a breathtaking run; erasing his own race record with an astonishing 37/5:07.82 in heavy traffic! Mark Unrath proved his Stock Class win wasn't a fluke; by hauling in second place in 19-turn. Local racer Jesse Bean and Tony Stewart fought each other hard, never far apart; until Tony slipped coming out of the esses; letting Jesse dart past on the inside. That was all the break Jesse needed to claim third place as Tony followed closely in fourth. Bryan Frymyer finally got a clean run; taking fifth from John Pritchett. Anthony Saunders was victim of a first lap shunt; and couldn't follow up on his excellent runs in the heat races.

A win in Stock and a second in 19-turn handed Mark Unrath the lion's share of the $1,000.00 purse. The poor fellow had trouble figuring out how to spend it all! 

Rob Cutman of Customworks and Jack of "JACO" added to the fun and special atmosphere of the event. It was great seeing and chatting with the two of you; and your presence added to the fun for all of us. Special thanks to Lin Vaughan (McLin), who worked his magic on the computer, calling the race all night long; and Betty, who again spoiled us all with her home style cooking. And, of course, special thanks to Jack and Danny, for their sponsorship; and Bryan, who translated that sponsorship into action.

One final note: Prior to this, Tony Stewart had never run on a road course; but he turned in an excellent performance against some very stiff competition. Keep your eye on this guy; I think he has a future in the racing business! Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Jesse Bean (Sep 26, 2004)

*still Amped!*

Man o man what an exciting night we had! can't believe the performance out of my xxx-s. i really wasn't expecting much especially when i heard of the caliber of drivers that were gonna be present. quietly working on my car really paid off. i made some adjustments friday night while running with tony. i really appreciate the people who showed up to help me guage myself in practice. i tried the new 2 stage tires by jaco and that surely made me even faster. the cornering speed is noticeably faster with these new tires. thanks a lot to brian and jack for making sure that we had plenty on hand for the weekend. we had plenty of time for practice before the 3pm start and this benefitted everyone competing for the thousand dollar purse. the second place through fifth place qualifiers were within a second i believe and this made for a real interesting main event. tq paul lemieux, was on a tear all night and set a real good example of pro driving for all to learn from. my sixth place starting position was a little deap in the field and then i had to go a stuff the car in the first turn to make things a little more interesting. then i got in a hurry and thought i could a little better job of rammin the pipe. finally i collected myself enough to start to make up some positions. i think i rubbed every corner for every .10th of a second trying to catch up. i got so determined to catch up i hadn't payed attention to what position i was in and before i knew it i had passed tony stewart for third place. (still wish it was a little cleaner of a pass, sorry tony!) tony bobbled and i gave him a swift shove to the outside lane and then i dove inside to claim third. i got to have my picture taken with the best R/C driver in the U.S. paul lemieux and the reigning nascar champion tony stewart as well as mark unrath who's also one of the smc team drivers. i'm really envious of the people i had the opportunity to drive with this weekend and hope to do it all again next year. thanks to all who made the trip and made this race such a good time! i'm sure that the people who backed out will be kicking themselves in the butt b/c even if you do go to the snowbirds and see these guys you probably won't get to rub fenders with them. good luck @ the birds to everybody/ go get'em at the rolex tony! :thumbsup:


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Road Course Saturday*

After a fun race with our Birthday Bash Oval race, we'll be back running the road course next weekend. Join us on February 11th; and check out the Thunder Road road course. Fast, smooth and challenging! Details, directions, pics and more at thunderroadrc.com. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Road Course this weekend at Thunder Road*

We're running the road course at Thunder Road this weekend. Check out our huge road course track at thunderroadrc.com. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Thunder Road Closed for snow*

Guys; we have a big snow storm headed our way. Thunder Road will be closed tomorrow, February 11th. We'll stick with the schedule as posted on thunderroadrc.com. Sorry about the cancellation; but better to keep every one safe. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Jesse Bean (Sep 26, 2004)

*onroad february 26 2006*

i'll be making the trip to thunder road this weekend for the road coarse race on sunday. c-ya then!


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## jt6 (Feb 16, 2005)

What time does the track open on Sunday and what time does the racing start?


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Opening time*

The doors will open at 9:00 AM; racing starts at 2:00 PM. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Thunder Road schedule*

Here is the schedule of oval and road course racing at Thunder Road through the end of March. We look forward to seeing you at Thunder Road, no matter which way you turn. Thanks; Ernie P.  

February 25: Oval 

February 26: Road Course (Sunday) 

March 4th: Oval 

March 11th: ARCOR Race for the Green (Oval) 

March 18th: Road Course 

March 25th: Oval 

March 26th: Road Course (Sunday)


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## Jesse Bean (Sep 26, 2004)

handin out butt kickens totally free on sunday. any takers?


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Pride goeth before a fall...*

Our Jesse is definitely feeling his oats, after running with the big dogs last month. (-: Any one planning on reminding him from whence he came? Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Well, he done it!*

I guess Jesse had good cause to be confident. He really put it to every one Sunday! Race report below. Thanks; Ernie P.  

Splitting the Oval racing and Road Course action between Saturday and Sunday definitely split the available racer pool as well; but we picked up some new road course racers and had a lot of walk in interest as well. Both programs are growing; and both will have a place in Thunder Road's future. 

The oval action on Saturday featured Spec, Stock and 19-Turn modifieds. In teh Spec Class, Robbie Bingler easily won every heat; but Jesse Bean worked all evenng, looking for the handle on his NasTruck entry. When the time came for the Main, Jesse was all over the back of Robbie's truck for lap after lap. Jesse finally slipped past with a slight rub, coming out of turn two and was never headed again. The slight slip was all it took to drop Robbie to the rear of the tightly bunched field, and he was never able to again challenge for the lead. Steve Walker had run strongly in the heats, but dropped from the Main on the 21st lap. The rest of the field stayed tightly bunched until the end; as Jesse Bean lead Steve Herndon, John Foster and Robbie Bingler to the line. At the end, less than four seconds separated first from fourth. 

In the Novice Class, an improving Mike Ruckle gave your's truly a run; beating me in every heat. The Main was a different story, as I got a jump at the start and managed to stay in front. 

Harold Ruckle was uncharacteristically nowhere in the Stock heats; but got things sorted for the Main. Harold bested Jeff Duck, Dennis Strauss and a non-starting Buddy Hartmann, in an easy win. Jeff Duck had looked very strong in the heats; but seemed to lose the handle in the Main. 

Harold Ruckle had also looked lost in the 19-Turn Class heats, letting Lin Vaughn dominate the action. Steve Herndon battled an evil handling car all evening; and seemed to find a bit of his lost package toward the end of the third heat. His car seemed to take a few laps to settle down, before he could run strongly. But, when the Main came along teh situation reversed quickly. Harold jumped into the lead, with Lin running close behind. After nine laps, the battle for the front position was settled, as Lin Vaughn headed to the pits with a broken car. Steve Herndon's car looked stronger with each passing lap, and he was running excellent times at the end; but he was never able to make up for the time lost in the first few laps. 

The Road Course action on Sunday was a simple pattern. Jesse Bean had his brand new X-Ray T2 running on rails; and set a blisterng pace all night long. Jesse ran very near the existing record; but was never able to gain the very few seconds he needed to put his name on the board. Jesse easily dominated the field; and was followed home by Charlie Johnson, Clint Withrow and Ben Storrs. 

The Novice Class was... interesting. I easily won the first two heats; got taken out in the third; and promptly took myself out in the main. Westley Love also crashed out; leaving Matt Glenn to collect his first win. 

Several spectators stopped by to observe the road course action; and we hope to have some new competition very soon. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Road Course!*

After we finish with the ARCOR Race for the Green Oval race this weekend, we'll be switching back to the Road Course on March 18th. Join us on our large, sweeping and FAST road course. Details, pics and directions are at thunderroadrc.com. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Race for the Green results*

We'll be switching back to the Road Course next weekend. Please join us for some road course action on our fast and sweeping carpet track. Details, directions and pics at thunderroadrc.com. Thanks; Ernie P.  

The ARCOR Race for the Green at Thunder Road RC Speedway was run on 03/11/06. A strong field of ARCOR SPEC NasTrucks and Stock Class cars showed up; and the racing was intense. The heats pointed toward a fireball showdown; and the Mains lived up to the promise.

Kenny Fisher and Jesse Bean had dominated their respective SPEC NasTruck heats; but Steve Downs, Steve Kritikakos (the big, lovable and fast guy we call Kriter), Steve Walker (yet another Steve, this one called Beach) and Charlie Johnson (finally… some one NOT named Steve) had looked like likely contenders.

In Stock Class, Steve Downs had easily handled his heat races; as did Kenny Fisher, in his first visit to Thunder Road. The always dangerous Clayton Anderson (Big Clay, for obvious reasons) and Harold Ruckle had run fast enough to avoid being counted out, but couldn’t match Down’s pace. Jesse Bean, in a borrowed car; and Steve Nelson in his first run in a long time; were fighting handling problems; but still couldn’t be discounted when the Mains rolled around.

The Spec A-Main was run first. Practice times, including a new lap record, had indicated Jesse bean was going to dominate; and he immediately used his pole position start to assume the lead. Steve Downs edged under him going into turn two on the second lap, but Jesse was all over Downs’ rear bumper; jinking back and forth, looking for an opening. After only four or five laps, a tangle with a spun car in the middle of turns three and four put a quick end to the challenge, however. Jesse got back under way quickly, but not before Kriter had inserted his truck between Jesse and the flying Downs.

For the next three minutes and change, Jesse was all over Kriter; but could never quite get past. The two trucks bumped several times without bad effect; but Kriter refused to yield the line and never slipped enough to give Jesse an opportunity to get past. With Jesse all over him, Kriter had to drive with the mirrors; and couldn’t concentrate on moving in on Downs. A great display of driving and good sportsmanship by both drivers, and a masterful job of handling pressure by Kriter; but the result was that neither of them could mount a challenge to Downs. Downs won handily; and Kriter got to the line .1 seconds ahead of Jesse. Steve Walker was less than two seconds behind the second place battle for most of the race; waiting in vain for what seemed an inevitable crash that would have handed him second. Derek Law, CJ (the racer formerly known as Charlie Johnson) Kenny Fisher and Brad Kennett had their own dustups and highlights, but the race was between four trucks and every one knew it. Cheers from the spectators and drivers alike marked the conclusion of a great race.

The Stock A-Main was going to belong to Steve Downs. He had dominated the heats; he holds the current lap record; he set TQ; he had just won the SPEC race; and he hadn’t been beaten at Thunder Road in forever. Every one knew he was going to win Stock. Every one that is, except Clayton Anderson. Despite Downs’ pole position start, Clayton jumped into the lead on the first corner. Downs made his bid to regain the lead on the third lap; moving under Big Clay exiting turn four. The car touched ever so slightly. Downs got squirrelly; Clayton grabbed ten car lengths; and that was the race. Downs chased hard; and seemed to be pulling in on Clay at the two minute mark. He pulled to within a couple of car lengths; but then Clay, in a great display of nerves and perfect lines through the corners, slowly extended his lead. At the line, Big Clay has a clear second over Downs. Harold Ruckle ran third; but never looked like challenging the top two. Kenny Fisher, Steve Nelson and Adam Light completed the field. Jesse Bean failed to start.

Big Clay was still being congratulated when the cars got to tech. Isn’t it amazing how two tenths of an ounce can make such a big difference? Big Clay’s car was disqualified; Downs was declared the winner; and life goes on just as before. Big Clay, in one of the best displays of sportsmanship seen in a long time, simply looked at the scales and said “Yep. You’re right”. But a later remark by the unflappable Mr. Anderson may have been the best one-liner of the night. Big Clay looked at your humble author and erstwhile track owner and remarked “You need to go over to Downs and take that four leaf clover out of his pocket”.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Road Course this weekend!*

We'll be running the road course this weekend at Thunder Road. There were some fast cars buzzing around last night; so it looks good for a fast race. Come join us! Details, directions and maps at thunderroadrc.com. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Jesse Bean (Sep 26, 2004)

*we gotta have another large event to get pauly back for round 2!*

Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2006 8:10 pm Post subject: 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ernie's gotta factory team conversion kit for the tc4 coming in for the weekend of the 24th. if anybody wants one let me know so i can get it in on the order. the conversion kit will be $155.99. i brought ernie's tc4 home with me to get ready for this weekend. first run using barry bakers snowbirds setup was seemingly faster than my old car. it showed a lot of potential during practice last night. i guess i'll be adding a conversion kit to it here soon. I let walker drive the car while he was in and the jive turkey still knows how to turn right. steve was pickin up time everylap. steve did a great job until he broke an arm. it was minor and i had it out for a spin shortly after. great car but then i took mine around for a spin. The T2's such a fast car. i was messin with it a lil and got it to the point where i barely have to roll off the throttle through the whole course. corner speeds are just ballistic on that thing. If anyone has contacts to some more people that race tc's. then give'em a call. our turnout is improving every weekend and we're still missing some of the local regulars. where's john pritchett. dude you're missing a lot of action. 
I'll see you guys this weekend! layta, Jesse :wave:


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Road Racing at Thunder Road*

A good field of Stock Class Touring Cars turned out for our road course race on the 18th. Thanks to all the guys who hauled in from Richmond and Roanoke to run with us. We hope you had a good time; and will return for our next road course race on Sunday, March 26th. We'll be running the oval on Saturday the 25th; but the road course will be ready on Sunday.

Jesse Bean and Eddel dominated their respective heats; with Scott Gregory, Leighton Fuller, Steve Simmons and Mack looking good at times, but unable to match the pace of Eddel and Jesse. Charlie Johnson, normally a strong runner, was having an off night; and was't able to complete a full run without something going awry. Jesse Bean's times were well under Eddels; and he looked to have an easy time in the A Main.

The B Main featured a fight from the start, all the way to the finish. Ben Storrs dropped early; but Mack, Charlie Johnson and Clint Withrow swapped the lead repeatedly. Charlie seemed to have the race in hand at one point, but spun and let both Mack and Clint get past. At the finish, all three were on the same lap; within four seconds from first to third. Mack won by just over two seconds from Clint Withrow; with Charlie Johnson just over a second further back, in third. Any one of the three could easily have won this one.

Jesse Bean lined up on the pole for the A Main; knowing he could run laps at least a half second faster that Eddel, his nearest competitor. In the first three or four laps, Jesse threatened to simply disappear in the distance; pulling a quick half lap lead. And, just as quickly, he was parked on the side. Jesse's receiver had partially broken loose, and a looped wire somehow snagged on the "on-off" switch; leaving in in the "OFF" position. By the time he figured out the problem, Jesse was fifteen laps off the pace.

Eddel assumed the lead when Jesse parked his ride; and never looked threatened. In fact, the only excitement occured when Jesse rejoined and starting unlapping himself at an astonishing pace. Jesse pulled off several laps in the 8.8 range; while Eddel's fastest was in the 9.2 area. Still, Jesse was too far back to threaten for the lead; and when his receiver problem re-occured, he parked his T2.

Scott Gregory, Leighton Fuller and Steve Simmons were swapping second place repeatedly, but none of them looked to threaten Eddel's lead. Bruce Lancaster was out early after a crash; and Jesse departed as previously noted. Eddel simply kept cruising; trying to stay out of trouble and easing his way to the finish line. The five minutes expired just after Eddel had crossed the line; and all he had to do was coast around for the final lap. He drove carefully around the track; and headed into the last corner. And, right in the middle of the very last corner, his motor blew. Eddel coasted to a stop in the middle of the front straight, less than 15 feet from the finish line; and he could only watch helplessly as Scott Gregory blew past to take the win. Eddel still finished second, as Leighton Fuller and Steve Simmons were over a lap down in third and fourth respectively. Less than a second separated Leighton and Steve; and the two of them had repeatedly passed and re-passed throughout the race.

A hard way for Jesse Bean to lose a race that had seemed in the bag; and an even tougher way for Eddel to lose what had seemed to be an insurmountable lead. Scott Gregory offered his sympathy to Eddel after the race; but we all noticed he kept the money for first place.

A good crowd; nice people; some fast racing; a surprise winner; and a lot of fun. We hope you join us next week, on Sunday the 26th; for our next road course event. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Double Header Weekend at Thunder Road*

At Thunder Road RC Speedway in Gordonsville, VA, we'll be running the oval on Saturday, and the road course on Sunday. Whichever you prefer, we'll be running it this weekend; so come join us. In the oval classes, we've had a good turnout of SPEC Nastrucks and Stock Class cars lately. Stock Class Touring Cars dominate the road course cars; but there are some 1:12 Scale Sports Cars that want to run, as well. Details, directions, maps and more, at thunderroadrc.com. Come join us at Thunder Road this weekend! Thanks; Enrie P.


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## jt6 (Feb 16, 2005)

Do you have the Jaco 2 stage touring tires in stock at the track?


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*jt6*

We have the JACO wraps in stock for TC's; double pink and double pink orange. That's what seems to work best on our Ozite. I hope you're planning on coming to race with us. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## jt6 (Feb 16, 2005)

should be there this Sunday - Thanks


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Msg to jt6*

We'll look forward to seeing you Sunday. Don't forget this is a Double Header weekend; Oval on Saturday and Road Course on Sunday. And, to celebrate, we're having some very special prices on some nice items. Check out the website at thunderroadrc.com. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## jt6 (Feb 16, 2005)

Well, sorry it looks as if I cannot make it now. Guess I will have to plan on next carpet season. Local track here starts the outdoor season next week and I am switching the cars over to asphalt.


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Double Header Weekend at Thunder Road*

The second half of our Double Header weekend could easily be summed up in two words: "Jesse Bean". Throughout the heats, and again in the Main, Jesse lead from the first lap to the last; and it was only a question of how many times he would lap second place.

In the heat races, Leighton Fuller, Clint Withrow and John Pritchett had all looked fast at times; but they were all fighting various woes, and couldn't string together the laps to challenge Jesse. Leighton couldn't seem to run a full race without blowing either a front or rear diff. Clint could run fast laps; but kept losing the handle on his Losi. Inconsistent handling also gave John Pritchett trouble throughout the evening. All three seemed to spend a lot of time working on their cars between races; but couldn't find the right combination.

During the qualifying heats, Jesse had been knocking on the door of MArk Unrath's lap record of 33 laps in 5:00 and change; set two months ago in the JACO/SMC Snowflake Classic Race. When the Stock TC A Main rolled around, Jesse pulled out all the stops. His new X-Ray T2 had been on rails all night. He bolted in his best, brand new, Eric Anderson CO27 Stock Motor, and taped down a new set of SMC 3800's. He slipped on a pair of the new JACO wraps, and dragged out his newest trick; a CRAZY RC Motor Freezer. With the latest in RC racing technology at his disposal, every one was expecting a fast pace; and Jesse didn't disappoint.

When the flag dropped, Jesse simply disappeared into the distance. Leighton, Clint and John had all done some hard work on their cars; but it simply didn't seem to matter. John parked with a broken car after 11 laps. Clint could run some fast times; but couldn't seemed to put more than two laps together before the looseness of his Losi caught up with him, putting him off line and off the pace. Leighton had finally gotten two diffs that would hang together, but he simply couldn't match Jesse's pace. When the flag dropped, all of Jesse's new tricks resulted in a blazing new record of 35 laps in 5:09:14!

In the novice class, Wayne Fuller ran hard, but inconsistent handling put him into the rails often enough to let Ernie Padgette slip past for the win.

Thanks to the boys from Richmond for making this a fun weekend. Several new faces showed up; some new racers purchased cars; and things look promising for a big road course race toward the end of April. Thanks; Ernie P.


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## Jesse Bean (Sep 26, 2004)

*T2's are beast!*

what an awesome weekend. Thanks to ernie for pouring all the energy into thunder road. the works paying off with new faces everyweekend and more competition every race. gotta thank all the racers this weekend for the great driving. I didn't have a single mishap with anyone in the main and really wasn't delayed by any of the lap cars. you guys did a great job all day. can't wait till the next road race as usual. thanks to everyone who came out! Jesse


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Thunder Road April/May schedule*

Okay guys; here's the schedule for April and May. Thanks; Ernie P.  

Saturday, April 1st: Oval (Don't forget the dance afterwards!!)
Sunday, April 2nd: CLOSED

Saturday, April 8th: Oval
Sunday, April 9th: Road Course

Saturday, April 15th: CLOSED
Sunday, April 16th: Road Course

Saturday, April 22nd: CLOSED: Coopers Dave Fenwick Memorial Race
Sunday, April 23rd: CLOSED: Coopers Dave Fenwick Memorial Race

Saturday, April 29th: Oval
Sunday, April 30th: Road Course

Saturday, May 6th: Oval
Sunday, May 7th: Spring Smoke Road Course Race (Big race)

Saturday, May 13th: CLOSED: Coopers Gascar Race
Sunday, May 14th: CLOSED: Coopers GASCAR Race

Saturday, May 20th: Oval
Sunday, May 21st: Closed

Saturday, May 27th: Oval
Sunday, May 28th: Road Course


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## Jesse Bean (Sep 26, 2004)

awesome. more road course practice for everyone. everyone needs to check out the exclusive deal on Xray and Hudy kits and truers on thunderroadrc.com in the general discussion labeled Xrays for all. ernie's got a the best deal around as a first come first serve limited supply order for T2 kits and hudy truers as well as anything else available from rcamerica. check it out, please. you won't find a better deal, i promise!


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## Jesse Bean (Sep 26, 2004)

upttt


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## Go4iT (Jan 20, 2003)

Hey Jesse,

Got my new T2 together. Used a lot of spacers here and there, like you said. I have a question for you... are the tires suppose to protrude outside the body? I think I have too many spacers deployed  LOL


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

uh, check that setup sheet b/c i didn't have any problems fitting in the alfa romeo. the shims are listed by mm. make sure ur hexes are tight against the hub and not just moving. i think i had a 2mm shim on the rearward rear hinge pin carrier. well get it straight when u get to the track next time. have fun on ur vacation CJ. Layta, Jesse


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

hey CJ! one more thing i think u may wanna do is soak those belts in wd-40 or something. that way you'll be able to run them really lose without having them crack or strip. i soaked mine overnight. and haven't had any problems. the first set was so stiff they cracked imediately. Layta, Jesse


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## Go4iT (Jan 20, 2003)

Well, I'm off to the wild blue sky tomorrow. Thanks for the belt tip, will have to try it. Have fun, be safe... later.

-CJ


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## Jesse Bean (Sep 26, 2004)

ok have a good time and be ready when u get back. Layta, Jesse


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## Jesse Bean (Sep 26, 2004)

CJ, u gonna be back for this weekend's road race. I'm almost finished converting ur old tc4 to a FT. and so far i haven't seen any parts missing like it was reported. Layta, Jesse


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## Ernie P. (Aug 30, 2003)

*Ft Tc4*

Jesse; is that my conversion? I'm looking forward to trying the FT conversion on my TC4. With the new mod, I should be able to hit the wall a lot harder! Thanks; Ernie P.


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