Marotta Molds Majestic First MARC Win; Catfish Sr. Pulls Away From Powerful Field on Home Track by Porfirio Panoz Catfish International Speedway opened its doors to the Miniature Auto Racing Club’s third championship date of the 1999-2000 season on November 6. A new steam boiler, as well as new lighting and tables, had been installed in the circa-1890 Cambridge cellar, in preparation for the big day. Thanks to Gretchen Adams, Henry Hayes, Inga Frick, and Martha Ziegler for all their help. On raceday we were happy to have Paul Hoffman, reporter for the Cambridge TAB newspaper, who brought his notebook and photographer Kate ??? to capture the HO action for the Nov. 12 issue. Thanks! With us were several other visitors, including George Fisher, former Willy Goodwin confidant and Aurora Tub Track owner, in to give the latest cars a look-see. Also on hand to sample the world-famous Lori-Ann donuts were Brian Winters, former HO and RC racer, and current model maker at Hasbro, and Catfish International webmaster Doug Roerden. Check his work at www.bedrockbarn.com Club Director Mike "Motorhead" Martyn had his daughter’s birthday to preside over, and drove all the way from the middle of Connecticut just to deliver the club briefcase, then head home. That’s dedication. We salute you, Mike. The Production program saw an even eight contestants. In the B Semi, The Southern Connecticut Boys did some impressive work on the unloved red lane, in their first time on the track. This vaulted Erik Eckhardt into the Main, and running mate Peter M. not into the Main, having big trouble on yellow. Benny Leyro and Brian Skidmore split the two CT guys, a mere lap apart. And that little lap would put Benny into the feature, and Brian’s car back on the trailer. After some reed-switch related problems were behind us, the A Semi saw a masterful display of car preparation and focus by Paul Marotta. Paul covered fellow Catfish regular Jeb Bowron, himself putting in a strong performance, by nine laps. Bringing up the rear were the rarely seen Bill Craven, who never quite got comfortable with the car, and 6-year-old track namesake Henry Catfish Hayes, whose Ferrari spent a lot of time hurtling off the table. In the Main, it was more of the same from Paul, who got five laps in hand in the very first segment, and never looked back, obliterating John Schoenfeld’s Production Main record of 125 laps with a mighty 157; his first MARC win! Erik Eckhardt was second, 11 behind, and Jeb (in his first MARC main) eight back of Erik. Benny didn’t have quite the car the others did, but did very well to stick it in the feature on his first time at Catfish. In fact, all four of these guys broke the old record. Racing improves the breed! Following a delightful repast from the world-famous Harvard House of Pizza, on to the Modified program. Fourteen noble souls stepped up to qualify and take aim at track owner Rob Hayes’ class record of 2.883 on the 66-foot MaxTrax. Several looked fast during practice, but it was Hayes again who reduced the record, by a pair of thousandths, TQ’ing with a new record of 2.881. That’s an average of almost 23 feet per second, for those of you who are counting. Through the semis, Erik, Tom, Peter, Paul and Jeb had various degrees of trouble, and fell off the pace. Brian Skidmore ran a manly 186, Dan ran a slightly-more-manly 187.13, and John Stezelecki ran an even-more-manly 187.18, pipping Dan for the final spot into the Main by a mere nine feet. John Pileggi ran a magnificent four lanes to win his Semi, and Bruce Beaulieu was his usual fast self to take his Semi by ten over Brian. Le Main. Rob Hayes, also known as Catfish Sr., had top lane choice (red), followed by John Pileggi, Bruce, and the rarely-seen-but-always-delightful John Stez. Stez was in about hour no. 36 on his feet, as the four combatants stepped to the drivers’ panel for the Terrible Twenty. And Bruce had been up all night as well. Ho de ho, another Main, another record. Rob started on red, ripped off an 84, and moved to yellow, where he took the lead from John Pileggi. There continued to be some very good racing, but the die was cast, as Rob pulled away from John, and John away from Bruce. John Stez didn’t have the necessary ponies for this contest, and so concentrated mainly on keeping his eyes open. When the polycarbonate and silicone had settled, Rob had crushed Todd Duda’s record by 10, finishing with 360 laps, an average of 3.33 sec/lap. We were fortunate, and grateful, to have race prizes on the day from Scale Auto Distributing, Rothwell Authentic Body Shells, and John Warren’s Magnet Service. We appreciate their generosity, and hope you will support them in return. The day’s grand prize, awarded at random, was a gorgeous Bud Moore Mustang painted, detailed and mounted on a prime Super G+ chassis by our own airbrushmeister, Bruce Beaulieu. Production Main winner Paul Marotta was the lucky guy taking it home. Many thanks to everyone for a thoroughly enjoyable day at Catfish International Speedway. We hope to see you all on December 4 for our next MARC (Super Stock) date at Benny Leyro’s "dragstrip" in Yonkers, New York. Until then, may the schwartz be with you.

Click any image for a full screen view
"A powerful wind out of the West brought with it the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse..." Not really. From left, the Modified Main Guyz, in order of finish: Rob Hayes, John Pileggi, Bruce Beaulieu, and John Stezelecki.		1960 Ford Punt Pass and Kick winner John Stezelecki had a pretty good time at CIS. This could be you!
"Gee, I don't know why it keeps coming off, Bruce. This is Gary B's controller and everything." Brian Skidmore mulls the injustice of the universe, as Bruce Beaulieu and Bill Craven take turns with the paper bag.		Track namesake Henry Catfish Mann Hayes (right) presents the new track record and Ist place Modified ribbons to his happy Da. Special thanks go to BSRT and Scale Auto for their support of this race.