Topic: OSCAR Race at Tom's World in Bend Oregon on Oct. 19, 2019
For years I've been wanting to race on Tom's track in Bend. I was told it is bid and very challenging. Well it is every bit of that, plus fast and exciting! The OSCAR race on Saturday October 19th was for the Super Stock Class. Basically the class is open to 1958 through 1979 American made sedans or coupes on scratchbuilt chassis. What I was to learn was, these cars are very fast, and they don't handle nearly as well a a late model NASCAR!
The race itself for exciting and for me quite challenging. Tom's track is a combination of very fast sections and tight technical turns. We raced each of the four lanes for 4 minutes to complete one round of racing. The entire race consisted of 4 rounds, or 74 total minutes of track time for each racer! You definitely get your money's worth in track time, not to mention a free lunch!
Highlights of the race included some spectacular crashes (the worst I've ever seen), one setting a new record for distance travelled by a body separated from the chassis, and an altitude record for a de-slotted slot car flying above the track at some four feet plus! The local racers were very good drivers and competitors, but were also very friendly and made me feel welcomed before the first heat race was even over.
I'd like to thank Tom and the Bend racers for their hospitality and generosity in loaning me both a car and a controller. And a big thanks to John Gill for driving us to Bend at 5:00 in the morning so we could race! Thank you all, I had an awesome time!
