Perennial Nats competitor Bill Bischoff (Garland, TX) always comes well prepared with his fleet of race models.
By Paul Gibeault
Welcome, control line race fans, to the 100th AMA Nats! This event will be ably run by the National Control Line Racing Association (NCLRA) president, Bill Bischoff, from Garland, Texas, with support from other members as needed. As always, the AMA Nats provides an excellent opportunity to see old friends and make new ones.
For the uninitiated, AMA control line racing events all follow the same basic goal. The idea being to fly the required (lap) distance in the shortest possible time. All race heats involve one or more refueling pit stops, which add excitement to the race. Races are conducted with up to three pilots flying in the same circle. Racing rules allow for a structured method of flying that (usually) avoids line tangles. The teams with the three best heat times fly in a final race to determine the winner. Podium winners are those who possess both good top speed and fast pit stops. With race engines often revving well over 20,000 RPM, ear plugs or ear defenders are highly recommended.
Anybody interested in helping us with lap counting or time keeping will be most welcome at the CL racing circle. As a benefit, you'll have the best seat in the house! See you all soon!
This year's championship four day race schedule is as follows:
Monday, July 6 will feature Class I Mouse racing in the morning, followed by Class B Team racing in the afternoon.
Tuesday, July 7 will feature AMA Slow Rat, and AMA Goodyear (scale racing) classes, followed by Super Sport Goodyear.
Wednesday, July 8 will feature Texas Quickie Rat racing, followed by Dallas Model Aircraft Association (DMAA) Sport Goodyear racing. There will be three classifications of racing: Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Hence, there will be three 160-lap (three pit stops) finals flown.
Thursday, July 9 will feature PDQ Flying Clown racing, followed by AMA Super Slow Rat racing. There will be the annual NCLRA awards presentation & dinner following.
