04/01/2025
First off, I’d like to congratulate Dirk, Drew and the entire Clash Crew for what looked like an amazing event. I’ve told Dirk privately that I’m beyond proud of the event he put together and that he has managed to succeed where I had failed for 17 years. Bottom line, the Clash looked amazing!
So with that, some bad news. In light of the wild success of the Vintage Clash Of Champions, an entirely new level of vintage event has been created and one that we will not likely be able to replicate. So it is with a heavy heart that I feel it’s time to hang up the transmitter and cancel this years VONATS. Over the 17 years it’s been we’ve had a lot of fun, I’ve met a ton of friends and had an amazing time with each and every one of you. I created this event back in 07 as a way for a small handful of us from the RC10talk message board to get together and finally meet face to face. Our little get together then evolved into “hey we could probably build some runners out of all these parts donars we have laying around” which then evolved into we could rent a track for the day, and then into let’s race, we could get a pro to come hang out…and on and on until I found myself calling Jay Halsey with the craziest idea I’d had to date. He was the first invited pro to our race but had a scheduling conflict with his full size racing. The next year we extended the invite but work got in the way, and then year after year after year…17 times to be exact, Jay just never seemed to make it to my little hair brained idea. Then I thought of Mark Pavidis…”does this make ME vintage?” He asked as he explained he couldn’t come. Matt Francis, Masami, Gil Jr. we invited them all over the years with only a smattering of luck when Brian Kinwald came, bookended by visits from Cliff Lett! But sadly beyond that, we just never managed to get anyone that was interested. Jason Ruona always told me i needed to make it more of an event..:but how could i without any of these guys? I thought about having another race out west…a VONATS Lite… I couldn’t get track owners to bite. A series was tossed around but I couldn’t get Jimmy Babcock to commit to a date for even one event in his busy schedule. Even after last years race that Dirk and Drew put together, Drew was going to bring Brian Dunbar to 2024 VONATS but neither could make it last minute. Some things, as they say, are just not meant to be. So then this year as I saw all of these pros come together. People I’d invited over the years, people I’d worked along side, people I call friends and colleagues, come out in force…and I felt a little more like the self proclaimed “black sheep of RC”…me and JQ down by the school yard. What was it about this new race that lured not one or two of them but ALL of them? Even Josh Cyrul!? I just csnt help but feel like they conspired togeyher against me somehow I now realize my place in RC and while I may have started the ball rolling, it’s time to pass the torch on and there’s no one I’d rather do that to than Dirk.
So if you’ve read this far, and if you know me…like at all, you know I have about the darkest sense of humor on this green and blue marble and that I would NEVER stop having my beloved VONATS! I am extremely proud of Dirk and his team and all they’ve accomplished but he would be the first person to tell you that WE are part of a bigger team that works in unison and that I would never feel theatened by another race coming along; not even one bigger and shinier than I’ve ever managed to pull off. Where I see theirs as a star studded race focused around a group of pros (and friends that I would never think poorly of…as if they’d cut me out haha), I like to think of my race as for the people. ALL OF YOU are the showcase and why I put on VONATS each year and why I will continue to do so! Our race is a hang, a reason to see your friends and if we race, cool. And if we never get to that part, you bet your sweet ass we still had one hell of a weekend no matter what we did! APRIL FOOLS!!! I’ll see you all in Sept!
Love,
The Management
