October 8, 2019

2019 International Indoor Championships – Report

The 2019 Edition of the Annual International Indoor Championships were held at 702 RC Raceway in Las Vegas, Nevada this past weekend. As usual the event attracted both national and international drivers with this year’s race drawing over 170 entries. In the Modified Touring class it was Alexander Hagberg who would lead the way but 2nd place qualifier Brandon Clements was putting on a formidable challenge. Able to see Hagberg just a few turns ahead of him, Clements threw down excellent and super consistent runs being 4-tenths of each other to score him a solid overall second place. The rest of the pack had assorted finishing positions and times that it had to go to the scoring cards with Drew Ellis emerging as the overall as the overall all third place finisher.

Touring Modified top 5 results:
1. Alexander Hagberg
2. Brandon Clements
3. Drew Ellis
4. Keven Hebert
5. Jacob Cruz

Drew Ellis was the dominating force in the Super Stock 17.5T TC class, but not far behind was Brandon Clements, Sean Guthrie and Broc Champlin within striking distance. The rest of the field would need to have a flawless run if they had any chance of dethroning Ellis. The race quickly became the Ellis and Clements show as they battled it out during both the mains. With spectators picking their favorite and cheering for them, Ellis was able to pull out the win in both finals allowing Clements to claim the number two podium spot. Sean Guthrie would go on to grab the overall third.

Touring Super Stock top 5 results:
1. Drew Ellis
2. Brandon Clements
3. Sean Guthrie
4. Broc Champlin
5. Armand Deforest

The new Hobbywing V10 G3R 21.5 Spec handout motors were locked and loaded in Stock Touring 21.5 class and they were definitely going fast. David Zorn figured something out and he was squeezing all the power possible out of that motor. Turning 19 laps was the magic number and only Zorn and Johnathan Lee were doing it. Question was which of the two could turn the fastest 19-lap run. Zorn struck first scoring the win in the first final. With only a three second advantage in the first final, Lee looked to close the gap and overtake for the win. Unfortunately there is traffic and Lee got caught up in it and would watch his hopes for a win slip away. Zorn took the over all win with Lee finishing second and Cliff Beck finishing out the top three.

Touring Stock top 5 result:
1. David Zorn
2. Johnathan Lee
3. Cliff Beck
4. Ryan Welch
5. David Panter

The Amateur Touring 21.5 class ran the Hobbywing Justock 21.5 hand out motor, which keeps the speeds very similar and leaving plain good ol’ fashion good driving the determining factor for the win. Cliff Beck was the man to beat in this class winning every one of his qualifiers and easily securing the over all top qualifying position. Heads up starts during the mains is a whole different monster and with all the cars aiming for the same turn at the start tone, incidents tend to happen. In the first main, radio problems knocked second qualifier Ryan Welch before the race even started. This opened the door for the rest of the field behind and the rest of the fast runners eventually made it back towards the front with James Oliva scoring the first win. For the A2 main, Welch fixed his radio problems and threw down the fastest run 18-lap run of the finals earning him the over all win.

Amateur Touring top 5 results:
1. Ryan Welch
2. James Oliva
3. Cliff Beck
4. Thao Tran
5. Bob Carlos

There were a lot of ups and downs in the Front Wheel Drive class and all the drivers were on a roller coaster ride during qualifying and the finals. Orlando Sherman was the favorite to win, but with some twist and turns during qulifying put JD Ramsey on point with a well earned TQ. Ramsay struck first as Sherman had bad luck early in the first final that knocked him back deep into the mid pack. Ramsay wouldn’t exactly cruise to the win. David Panter was right on Ramsay’s rear bumper all the way until the end tone finishing a second behind. In the A2 mail, Sherman got the start he wanted, which made it easier to run a quicker 17-lap run than Ramsay giving him the over all win.

Front Wheel Drive top 5 results:
1. Orlando Sherman
2. JD Ramsey
3. David Panter
4. Danny Olivares
5. Billy Stewart

The USGT class had a pretty solid group of front runners and if any of the racers further back in the grid would really have to bring the A-game. JD Ramsay and the rest of the top three would finish in the same order that they started. It would come down to the A2 main to decide the over all winner. Jonathan Lee was only a second behind Ramsay at the finish of the first main, so you knew he was hungry for blood. With no such luck, Ramsay not only stayed head of Lee in the second final, but was able to stretch the gap to seven seconds to take the over all win.

USGT top 5 results:
1. JD Ramsey
2. Jonathan Lee
3. David Zorn
4. Eddie Shaffer
5. Jeff Flassig

What the Euro Truck class lacks in speed, makes up for it in fun and then some. Something is always done for fun during the Euro Truck mains. This time Scotty reversed the grid for the A1 main and the qualified front runners really had their work cut out for them. This of course gave a new found hope and a chance for the lower qualified racers to score a podium spot. When the smoke cleared, it would be seventh qualifier, Gus G taking the A1 win! For the A2 final, everyone gridded up in their qualifying order, but up against the inside board of the back straight for a Le Mans style start. This time TQ Julian Campbell got the start he wanted and would quickly build up a big lead and cruise in for the over all win.

Euro Truck top 5 results:
1. Julian Campbell
2. Gus G
3. Biboy Angeles
4. Michael Strasser
5. Richard Kelsey

You can almost hear the Hybrid V6’s running laps when the Formula cars took to the track. The driving talent ran deep in this class with anyone having a chance to take the win. Clean starts are crucial in an open wheel class where its easy to tangle with your competitor. Jody Flipse sat on pole and a bit over eager broke the wheels loose at the sound of the tone of the, which cost him a couple of positions. A few turns later it was carnage with almost a full field pile up. This changed everything as everyone scrambled for position. Second qualifier, Oscar Spratley would go on to take the first win. A cleaner start began the A2 main and cleaner racing combined with strategic over takes brought third qualifier Nick Skinner the win. Fortunate for Spratley though, his run was faster which delivered him the over all win.

Formula top 5 results:
1. Oscar Spratley
2. Nick Skinner
3. Jody Flipse
4. Boris Tsenov
5. Miguel Gomez

It was the two teammates Alexander Hagberg and Keven Hebert battling it out all weekend in the 1/12th Modified class for position with each bettering each other. In the A1 main, the two led the group into the long 8-minute run. Walter Henderson was third qualifier and was running his best run during the first main, unfortunately an racing incident knocked him out of contention and out of the race in lap 9. Hagberg would take the first win on the verge of a 40-lap run. What Alexander didn’t do in the first main, he did in the second. Laying down a world championship run, Hagberg would be the only one of the weekend to run 40-laps and would go on to get the over all win.

1/12th Modified top 5 results:
1. Alexander Hagberg
2. Keven Hebert
3. Magnus Hedlund
4. Johnee Fenimore
5. Elias Schablowski

John Wilta also runs in the 1/12th Super Stock 13.5 and yes, he is also fast in this class and was able to also secure the TQ. At the start of the A1 main Wilta was able to get a clean start with a couple of the top runners getting knocked out of the main. Walt Henderson got out in lap 3 getting tangled in traffic and second qualifier Paul Smith suffered a DNS. Wilta got the first with with the rest of field left with much to be desired in the second main. Wilta again got away in the A2 main with Henderson making the charge right behind him. The two would keep their same distance from each other lap after lap. With time running out, Wilta would finish the final a mere 3-seconds ahead of Walter earning him the over all win.

1/12th Super Stock 13.5 top 5 results:
1. John Wiita
2. Walter Henderson
3. Magnus Hedlund
4. Paul Smith
5. Patrick Perkins

John Whlta is a fixture at the IIC and has always been one of the main players in the 1/12th Stock 17.5 class and hard to beat. Once again showing his speed, he scored the top spot in qualifying with Walter Henderson starting in the second position with Brandon Skewes rounding out the top three qualifiers. The top three qualifiers would finish top three in the mains all throwing down runs within seconds of their first runs. John Wilta would go on to take the overall win.

1/12th Stock 17.5 top 5 results
1. John Wiita
2. Walter Henderson
3. Brandon Skewes
4. Ron Schuur
5. Patrick Perkins

Source: International Indoor Championships [intchamps.com]



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