formula motor racing [Updated August 2001]

FMR   Trial Beginners Mult Ent Sing Elim Scheduled 
  Demo 13  Rnd1 Heat1 14 Rnd1 Heat2 17
  Rnd1 Heat3 9  Round 2 21 Round 3 Final 23
  

  Rnd1 Heat1 Derby Rnd1 Heat2 Garden Rnd1 Heat3 Maryland 3 Round 2 Round 3 Maryland 4

Steve Cameron, PA

2001 Champion

2nd: Chris Janiec, PA

3rd: Mike Coomes, OH

4th: Steve May, MD

5th: Jeff Mullet, OH

6th: Greg Mayer, MO
Event History
1991    None      -
1992    None      -
1993    None      -
1994    None      -
1995    None      -
1996    None      -
1997    None      -
1998    None      -
1999    None     -
2000    None     -
2001    Steve Cameron     31

AREA Ratings:

GM: Andy Maly

Varooom ......

31 owners submitted teams for the Formula Motor Racing tournament. The three heats drew 12 players each. Actually two heats drew 13, but the GM bowed out of those to have more balanced 6-player games, with each table playing six races. Sound like a long and daunting format? Hardly. The longest time for one table was about 75 minutes, the average about one-hour. Of course, the master gamesman, Bruce Reiff, guided a table to completion in 51 minutes under the flying green flag provided by Nascar buff Maly - thus allowing his fun bunch to head off to a 6PM start at another tournament.

The first heat featured two tight tables. The difference between qualifying for the semi-finals and fourth place was 1 and 2 points. Debbie Otto pointed in five of six races, while Andrew Markevich achieved 29 points with a single car to grab second and a spot in the playoffs. At the other table both Chris Hancock (31) and Greg Mayer (30) showed that consistency is important, pointing in all six races to advance.

Heat two featured the speed demons of Bruce Reiff, Debbie Garver, Ken Gutermuth, Jeff Mullet, Bud Sauer, and Greg Mayer back for more action. In play that can only be described as blindingly fast, there was no way to keep both Bruce and Ken denied. The table breathed a sigh of relief, when Jeff and Ken were the ones to advance. Bruce wouldn't be getting easy wood this time, as mechanical problems limited his Jaguar team to 5th place. At the second table Paul Bean and Steve Cameron advanced, Steve learning the limits of his Buzzin' Hornets cars redlining a car from last to first in one race with a Charge card. William Cooper fired his mechanics after the heat, suffering six Not-Classified results in as many races.

Heat three advanced the McLaren team of Michael Coomes and the Jordan team of Steve May from one table. At the other table Dan Dolan was only the third contestant to point in every race, but he came up short to a dominant performance by Chris Janiec and Forrest Speck. Dan McGowan showed his dedication, being the only player to compete in all three preliminary heats.

The semi-finals had ten of the 12 eligible qualifiers show. The standard three-race game was run to cut the field to six for the finals. Chris Janiec (Arrows), Greg Mayer (Williams), Mike Coomes (McLaren), Steve May (Jaguar), Steve Cameron (Jordan), and Jeff Mullet (Ferrari) formed the final table.

Heading into Indianapolis, the Arrows team held a three-point advantage over the Jordan team. Separation between first and sixth was nine points, so the constructor's championship was still open with two races left. Indianapolis proved lethal for the Jaguar team, which suffered two Not-Classified results. Arrows took the race to extend their lead to five, but the Jordan team hung tough with a second and fifth place result. The Williams team, eleven out, seemed the only other competitor with a reasonable chance of taking the lead.

A perfect day for racing at Suzuka produced the wildest race of the entire event. The Williams team suffered two Not-Classified results, knocking them out of contention. Problems on the Ferrari team game them one Not-Classified, and set them up as spoilers. The biggest blow was to the Arrows team with two Not-Classified results. Arrows would have to be content with its 32 points. The Jaguar team managed to put themselves into contention, but problems late in the race kept them from being a factor. The white flag flew and the McClaren team in first and third seemed poised for the championship. The day of the Buzzin' Hornets seemed all but over with the sixth Not-Classified of the race and its surviving car in fifth place. Over the team radio, the owner gave the order to Charge to the front. The Jordan driver responded, making three of the needed die-rolls. The car's engine was red-lined, the crowd cheering, and scant meters from the finish line the Jordan blew past the lead Williams to claim the Constructor's Championship! The final results -

Jordan - 37

Arrows - 32

McLaren - 30

Jaguar - 22

Ferrari - 18

Williams - 17

Details of the tournament are available at: http://members.home.com/formulamotorracing/


The Junior events got off to a roaring start with Formula Motor Racing. Ten contestants entered the event, and quickly learned the trade of owning a Formula 1 racing team. Two games of five were assembled.

The kids ran through two races for the first round. Three volunteers stepped forward as track stewards, three moms, to whom I am forever grateful, which made the two separate heats run smoothly. The wonderful thing about a juniors tournament is that they take not advancing a lot better than some of their older competitors. Sure, they're disappointed but they bounce back. When the field basically decided to pare itself down to six players, it was smooth sailing.

Chrissy Fratalli won the first of the two final games, vaulting her into the lead, but also marking her Jaguar team as a target. Racers were blocking lines and throwing every move in the book at Chrissy, who wound up losing one of her cars to the Crash card. Late in the race, one of the Alex Henning's McLaren cars decided to make a charge for the front, but her day went up in smoke as the car lost its engine. Coming into the final lap, one of the Ferrari's of Jessica Finkeldey made a daring move to grab the lead, and with it, the championship.

The only thing faster than the game action was Jessica running to tell her dad she had won - and thus continuing a time-honored tradition of kids bringing home more wood than their dad.

Rounding out the finalists were Alex Henning in 2nd, John Miklos third, Chrissy Frattali fourth, Beth Bahr 5th, and Tim DeMarco 6th.

Moms to the Pits as Ass't GMs hover close by to act as track stewards.

 GM      Andy Maly  [1st Year]   NA 
    NA   NA

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