The 40th Annual U.S. Indoor Champs were held in Cleveland, Ohio this past weekend, attracting nearly 400 entries. The Modified Touring class was lighting the track on fire with ballistic fast laps and it was shaping up to be a battle of the local boys vs. the international drivers. The local boys would strike first with Sam Isaacs securing the TQ spot. Second qualifier and current 1/12th Scale World Champion, Alexander Hagberg was poised to not let Issacs run away with the win. With things getting off to clean start, two laps into the race Hagberg would unfortunately clip a curb sending him off the track. A couple of turns later, the field would bunch up allowing Isaacs to build up a huge lead with the rest jockeying for position. Before the end tone, local Drew Ellis worked his way up to the second spot and Canadian Keven Hebert rounded out the top three.
Touring Modified top 5 results:
1. Sam Isaacs
2. Drew Ellis
3. Keven Hebert
4. Alexander Hagberg
5. Paul Lemieux
The action was almost as fast as Modified TC in the Super Stock Touring class and Kemp Anderson was the man everyone wanted to beat. Second qualifier Robbie Dodge and third qualifier Drew Ellis both had cars on pace to put on a serious challenge for the win. Things were pretty even during the first half of the race when Ellis got spun out. This only left Dodge to take down Anderson. The gap between the two got bigger, smaller and vice versa and by the sound of the end tone, Anderson would hold his ground and take the win. Dodge would settle for second and fourth qualifier Matt Lyons would finish in the third position.
Touring Super Stock top 5 results:
1. Kemp Anderson
2. Robbie Dodge
3. Matt Lyons
4. Mike Gee
5. Drew Ellis
When you work hard during four rounds of qualifying, especially in the Stock Touring class with your qualifying position determined by way of rocket round; it doesn’t come easy by any means. But by any means necessary, you will try and keep your position or improve it by the end of the race. This wouldn’t be the case with TQ Dave Johnson and second qualifier Clayton Young as two laps into the final they would take each other out. Sometimes being in the third spot is the best place to be and it was all smiles for Bill Sydor as he said thank you very much bringing along 4th qualifier Alex Fournier. Johnson was making up ground and fast, but unfortunately there wasn’t enough time and would settle for third. Sydor and Fournier would finish one and two congratulating each other on the great run.
Touring Stock top 5 results:
1. Bill Sydor
2. Alex Fournier
3. Dave Johnson
4. Clayton Young
5. Bobby Rorison
New to the US Indoor Champs was the Front Wheel Drive class and while this class has become extremely popular internationally, it’s still new in the States. With that said, Max Buca was the USIC’s first FWD TQ and he was ready to throw down. With Ollie Payne sitting as second qualifier, Buca though unfazed had his work cut out for him. Although Buca had the faster car, running too close of a line and making small mistakes first allowed Ollie to get by and later allowed him to build up his lead. Ollie had no choice but to advantage of the situation and take the win. Justin Lyons would round out the top three.
Touring FWD top 5 results:
1. Ollie Payne
2. Max Buca
3. Justin Lyons
4. Brent Klingforth
5. Eric Epp
The sleek looking cars in the USGT class were fast and smooth on the track, but don’t let that fool you. When it comes down to it, the drivers will do anything to get to the front including trading paint and rubbing fenders. This was immediately the case when two laps in, second qualifier John Dickson pulled off a super clean pass to get past TQ Wayne Gerber. No no said Gerber as a few laps later he would rub fenders and stick out his elbows to once again take over the lead. As he would not give Dickson another chance, Gerber put on the after burners and check out to a commanding lead, one that would earn him the W. Dickson would finish second and Justin Lyons third.
USGT top 5 results:
1. Wayne Gerber
2. John Dickson
3. Justin Lyons
4. Andrew Mowery
5. Jared Mowery
The Vintage Trans Am is by far the coolest looking class on the track. Sure, the bodies used may not be the most aerodynamic in the world, but what you sacrifice in drag coefficient numbers, you make up more than make up in coolness points. 25.5-turn motors keep things to a moderate slower speed, but this doesn’t mean the competition is any less. The two front runners were like magnets and stayed together for all 5-minutes of the race. It was TQ James Thompson vs. Bryon Ehlert and the battle was shaping up to be epic. The two swapped positions numerous times before the end of the race. After the dust had settled, it would be James Thompson coming out victorious. Ehlert would finish second with Paul Doyle rounding out the top three.
Vintage Trans Am top 5 results:
1. James Thompson
2. Bryon Ehlert
3. Paul Doyle
4. David Hart
5. Evan Banta
Pan cars with rubber tires topped off with GT bodies are the World GT-R class and they are more than capable of throwing down some hot laps. Fast guy Max Buca was starting out front and would get a huge break two laps into the race as cars behind him bunched up and tangled giving him an immediate 3-second lead. This was unrecoverable by the rest of the field and would be left with fighting for the rest of the podium positions. As things shuffled up a bit, Wayne Gerber and Brian Wynn battled for the second spot with some back marker traffic thrown into the mix. As the two got past the last cars before the tone, it would come down to the last lap with Gerber edging out Wynn. Buca was on a Sunday drive and cruised in for the win.
World GT-R top 5 results:
1. Max Buca
2. Wayne Gerber
3. Brian Wynn
4. Brent Klingforth
5. Steve Boice
When the awesome looking Formula cars took to the track, most in the pits stopped what they were doing to come watch the main. Sporting 25.5-turn motors, these class looked true to speed when running on the track. The battle between TQ John Barron and 2nd qualifier Jeff Dayger goes way back which started during qualifying. The two went back and forth since the first race was ran this weekend and would continue into the main. When the fighting got down and dirty, Jeff Dayger would come out on top to build a two second lead and over all win. Barron would settle for the 2nd spot with Tom Firsching rounding out the top three.
Formula top 5 results:
1. Jeff Dayger
2. John Barron
3. Tom Firsching
4. Jim Piersol
5. Nathan Lyday
With the 1/12th Scale Worlds coming up in 2020, all the talent stacked in the 1/12th Modified triple A-Main, it felt like a Worlds Warm-up race, American style. Brit, Ollie Payne sat on pole, which he snatched away from the best in the world. With every intention of using the front spot to its full potential, Ollie had a great start in the Saturday late night A1 main to immediately take the lead. With the rest of the field literally with in a couple car lengths behind, Ollie was able to keep them in his rear view to take the first win. Things mixed up a bit on Sunday Finals day where a few racing incidents up front thrusted local Sam Issacs into the lead. With phenomenal pace and plenty of power on tap, Issacs build up his lead, but with Ollie chipping away at the lead, it came down to a drag race to the line with Issacs holding on for the win by less than 1-hundredths of a second, wow! It would all come down to the A3 main where once again Ollie would jump out to the lead. Unfortunately a racing incident between Ollie and Alexander Hagberg gave way to Keven Herbert to take over the lead and eventually the win. When it went down to the scorecards, Ollie Payne would come out on the top spot with Hebert taking second and Alexander Hagberg rounding out the top three.
1/12th Modified top 5 results:
1. Ollie Payne
2. Keven Hebert
3. Alexander Hagberg
4. Sam Isaacs
5. Andrew Knapp
The man to beat in the 1/12th Scale Super Stock division was Andrew Knapp and he clearly made his stamp on the field during qualifying when he claimed the TQ position. It was clean running at the sound of the A1 Final tone. The entire field held their positions throughout a majority of the race with some fierce battles going on in the back of the field. This was perfect for Knapp as he enjoyed his lead while the drivers behind fell farther behind allowing him to strike first taking the A1 win. The stage was set for Knapp to take the over all win as the A2 final was starting to play out like the first. Third qualifier Raymond Darroch attempted to make a late charge at the end of the A2 main, but with so much ground to make up and very little time, Knapp took the second win and over all victory. He would sit out in the A3 main.
1/12th Super Stock top 5 results:
1. Andrew Knapp
2. Raymond Darroch
3. Joe Trandell
4. Jeff Dayger
5. Robbie Dodge
The night was late and the electricity in the air was exciting just coming off a long Saturday of qualifying. First up was the 1/12th Stock class kicking off the first of the Triple A-Mains and it was Brian Wynn leading the charge. Maybe it was the nerves or maybe it was the over eagerness when Wynn and Joe Trandell tangled two laps into the A1 main allowing Jeff Dayger to sail on by. Clean driving combined with clear traffic scored Dayger the top spot, which he would sail all the way to the end tone to take the first win. One lap wasn’t in the books in the books yet in the A2 main when once again Wynn and Joe Trandell tangled letting third qualifier Jeff Dayger slip through by the narrowest of margins. Christmas came early for Dayger and he wouldn’t let this present go to waste. Showing off what he’s got, Dayger built his lead and would take the win by more than two seconds over 2nd. This would mean Jeff Dayger would take the over all win and opted to sit out the A3 main.
1/12th Stock top 5 results:
1. Jeff Dayger
2. Joe Trandell
3. Brian Wynn
4. Kevin Van Ert
5. Jared Bardin
Source: U.S. Indoor Champs [indoorchamps.com]
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