NJHOSCR Race #9 Henry’s Holiday Bash
Randolph, NJ
Twenty two racers showed up for the annual Holiday Bash at Henry Harnish’s speed plant. Among them were racers from three different states. It’s a gathering that everyone looks forward too. Life gets busy and its hard to attend the races like we used to. This event is a low stress (for most?) and an a great time to rehash stories from the past. There were 5 classes on the card for the day with each running one minute in length per segment, except for the sportsman class which is run in 2 minute segments. The racers were separated into two groups for the first part of the morning to keep things moving along. The T-jet vibrator sprint cars were on one track and the Indy cars to to the other. There were many laughs and cries for some, through out the two races. The next race on the card after that was the magnificently prepared IROC busses from Charlie Clohessey’s collection. The racers made it half way through when lunch arrived. We all dined on NY style pizza and it was delicious.
After the break racing resumed, the busses performed perfectly with the action finishing up quickly. Next up was the Trans Am class on the original Aurora Tub track. The challenging layout was fun for all. Some racers had a little trouble navigating the race course, as others showed why they are always near the top of the finishing order. Lastly the sportsman cars took to the Randolph Speedway for the remaining class of the day. The action was fast and competitive. Several racers felt they outperformed themselves and the results showed. But, you always have a couple who felt slighted. It was a very enjoyable day of racing with friends and family. A huge thank you to Scott Herald who ran the computer for most of the afternoon and gave some of the club members a chance to step back a little and enjoy the day. Thank you to Henry Harnish for your hospitality for allowing us to gather for this event. It was great seeing everyone, I hope all of you enjoyed the day as much as I did. Thank you to the guys who handle the IROC races.
NJHOSCR would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!!! We will see you at the next event after the new year. TK
Indy Car
1-Donny Auriema 105.16 laps
2-Dave Kosch 100.09 laps
3-Greg W. 100.06 laps
4-Randy J. Haydt 100.05 laps
5-Shane Heister 99.05 laps
6-John O’brien 98.16 laps
7-John Ciccone 98.05 laps
8-Charlie Clohessey 97.19 laps
9-Scott Beyer 96.04 laps
10-Joe lupico 94.05 laps
IROC Busses
1-Don Auriema 42.35 laps
2-Randy J Haydt 41.16 laps
3-Dave Kosch 41.15 laps
4-Scott Beyer 40.23 laps
5-Henry Harnish 39.38 laps
6-Sheldon Heister 39.35 laps
7-John O’brien 39.31 laps
8-Greg W. 39.06 laps
9-Mario Pisano 38.08 laps
10-Charlie Clohessey 37.26 laps
Trans Am
1-Dave Kosch 51.07 laps
2-Donny Auriema 51.06 laps
3-Randy J Haydt 49.42 laps
4-Henry Harnish 49.41 laps
5-Scott Beyer 49.06 laps
6-Mot Fitzcharles 48.25 laps
7-JP Ricci 47.46 laps
8-Mario Pisano 47.42 laps
9-Sheldon Heister 45.41 laps
10-John O’brien 45.02 laps
Sportsman
1-Dave Kosch 110.16 laps
2-Henry Harnish 110.15 laps
3-Randy J Haydt 109.21 laps
4-Donny Auriema 108.26 laps
5-Mot Fitzcharles 105.15 laps
6-Mario Pisano 104.14 laps
7-Cahrlie Clohessey 103.21 laps
8-Shane Heister 102.28 laps
9-Greg W. 102.26 laps
9-Sheldon Heister 102.26 laps
NJHOSCR Race #8 Victory Raceways Surprises Galore
Little Falls, NJ.
The 8th round of racing took place at the VNR site in Little Falls. The day would be filled with a lot of familiar faces on the podiums and a few surprises. Making the long treck from Pa. was HO racing stand out and sprint car crew man Dan Wirfel. Also making his first appearence in several seasons was Ron Fletcher from Hawthorne, Nj. Racing began on the Lightning Loops Raceway with the Trans Am class. Talk about close racing.? It was clear from the start that it was going to be a competitive day as each race ended. There were some close battles and smiles during the races, along with a small gas leak that halted the racing for a few moments. Once the air cleared the results began to tally up. Picking up another TA win was Dave Kosch over Mot Fitzcharles by a few track sections. Rounding out the podium was David Singer.
1-Dave Kosch 57.29 laps
2-Mot Fitzcharles 57.15 laps
3-David Singer 53.19 laps
4-Charlie Clohessey 52.17 laps
5-Michael Munno 52.08 laps
6-Jeff Crosley 51.40 laps
7-Dan Wirfel 50.19 laps
8-Joe Lupico 48.14 laps
9-Jimmy B. 45.03 laps
10-Ron Fletcher 42.34 laps
11-John Ciccone 39.13 laps
Sportsman
Several racers were looking to rebound from the previous race and grab a top podium spot. Once again the battle for position was close as was marshalling and manning the track call button. Making his first trip to VNR, Pa.’s Dan Wirfel took to the speedway like it was his own. Turning some of the most competitive laps on the day. This would net him a solid 5th place finish in the class. Making another outstanding run was Trenton, Nj. racer Jeff Crosley. With his smooth driving and a few breakes he was able to pick up the 4th position. The top three racers all surpassed the 100 lap mark to secure podium spots. Ogdensburg, Nj.’s standout Charlie Clohessey took home the third podium spot. The top spot was once a gain a barn burnner as bothe Dave Kosch and Mot Fitzcharles both ended up on the same lap. The difference again would be track sections. Mot Fitzcharles out distanced Dave by 20 track sections to pick up the win.
1-Mot Fitzcharles 103.24 laps
2-Dave Kosch 103.04 laps
3-Charlie Clohessey 100.24 laps
4-Jeff Crosley 99.40 laps
5-Dan Wirfel 96.31 laps
6-John Ciccone 96.02 laps
7-David Singer 95.15 laps
8-Michael Munno 94.37 laps
9-Jimmy B. 83.01 laps
10-Joe Lupico 82.34 laps
11-Ron Fletcher 80.21 laps
Victory Speedway Oval
Full Fender Fairgrounds
After a lunch break the action took to the Victory Speedway oval for the first time since last season. Everyone was looking forward to getting back on the oval, as expectations for a good finish were had by all. With lap times in the low 2 second bracket, things happen very fast on the oval. One off can end up costing a racer several laps. This would be the case for several racers. There were definatley some spectacular crashing along with the racing. A few of the drivers were sporting new cars, Jeff Crosley would be one such racer as he would establish the total laps to beat. Racre after racer would complete their run. It was to no avail as Jeff Crosley would hold on to pick up his first win on the oval and season. Mot Fitzcharles gave it his all to try and match Jeff, but fell a few track sections short. Grabbing the final podium spot would be Dave Kosch, driving his new imaculate looking mustang bodied car. He did however have a scary looking crash during qualifing. Dan Wirfel picked up fourth and rounding out the top five would be Joe Lupico.
1-Jeff Crosley 198.20 laps
2-Mot Fitzcharles 198.07 laps
3-Dave Kosch 195.05 laps
4-Dan Wirfel 189.06 laps
5-Joe Lupico 185.07 laps
6-Charlie Clohessey 183.05 laps
7-David Singer 179.16 laps
8-John Ciccone 179.16 laps
9-Ron Fletcher 174.15 laps
10-Jimmy B. 173.21 laps
11-Michael Munno 168.02 laps
12-Jeff Scott 166.08 laps
Outlaw Late Models
This race everyone knew was going to be exciting. I think the most exciting part of the entire day, was after all the laps had been completed and the smoke cleared. One racer picked up his first top 5 of the season and everyone couldn’t have been happier for him. Lafayette, Nj.’s Jimmy B. drove an incredible race to finish a couple laps from grabbing a podium spot. Picking up the win in a dominent performance was Mot Fitzcharles. He drove a smooth and consistant race to pick up the win. Making a nice rebound was John Ciccone who turned up the wick and finished in the runner up spot. Rounding out the podium was Dan Wirfel who just missed out on grabbing second by a few track sections. Thanks to all the racers who came out. It was a very enjoyable day for all. Check our schedule for up coming events. TK
NJHOSCR Race#7
DA Raceways
Stewartsville,NJ
A large field of racers from different states showed up to do battle in 4 classes at the Stewartsville Motorplex. Host Donny Auriema had his three tracks in great condition. With such a large field of racers, they were split into 2 groups to keep the races moving along. The first two classes of the day were an IROC race on the new Thunder loop Raceway and Indy cars on the Raider Raceway. These tracks were run simultaniesly to keep things moving. There was plenty of close racing on both tracks with the results being combined in each class to have an over all winner in each.
IROC
1-Donny Auriema 48.06 laps
2-Randy J Haydt 46.19 laps
3-Hiram Durrant 46.04 laps
4-Victory Quinones 45.08 laps
5-Kye Eck 45.11 laps
6-Joe Lupico 44.19 laps
6-Dave Kosch 44.19 laps
8-Bob W. 43.21 laps
8-Sheldon Heister 43.21 laps
10-Charlie Clohessey 43.17 laps
11-Jeff Crosley 43.12 laps
12-Ed Shultz 43.08 laps
13-JP Ricci 43.04 laps
14-Michael Munno 42.14 laps
15-Stefan G. 42.11 Laps
16-Andy Rims 41.24 laps
17-Dave F. 41.22 laps
18-Shane Heister 41.21 laps
19-David Singer 41.18 laps
20-John Ciccone 40.17 laps
21-Jimmy B. 40.05 laps
Indy Car
1-Donny Auriema 61.27 laps
2-Ed Shultz 59.28 laps
3-Victor Quinones 59.18 laps
4-Randy J Haydt 59.17 laps
5-Hiram Durant 59.06 laps
6-Dave Kosch 59.05 laps
7-Jeff Crosley 58.16 laps
8-Mot Fitzcharles 57.31 laps
9-Charlie Clohessey 56.18 laps
10-Kyle Eck 56.07 laps
11-JP Ricci 56.02 laps
12-Shane Heister 55.09 laps
13-Sheldon Heister 55.06 laps
14-John Ciccone 54.27 laps
15-Stefan G. 53.28 laps
16-David Singer 53.03 laps
17-Michael Munno 52.16 laps
18-Dave F. 50.23 laps
19-Jimmy B. 49.28 laps
20-Bob W. 49.15 laps
21-Joe Lupico 47.20 laps
22-Andy Rims 46.12 laps
After a delicious pasta lunch the racers were separated again into 2 groups. This time the racers would see action on the Thunder loop Raceway for the Sportsman cars and the Trans Am class would run on the original Aurora tub track.
The action was hot on both raceways as the final numbers would show many ties in laps in each class. Looking to continue his hot streak Donny Auriema paced the field with a fine total in the Trans Am class Folled by Hiram Durant and Victor Qunones. The Sportsman class saw the same type of close racing as the totals came in it was going to be a tight race for the yop podium spots. Hiram Durant outpaced everyone and grabbed the top spot. Taking second was Pa.’s Kyle Eck with an outstanding drive. Rounding out the podium was Donny Auriema. Big thanks to Donny and his wife for hosting the days racing events. Be sure to check our schedule for more upcoming events. TK
Trans Am
1-Donny Auriema 74.18 laps
2-Hiram Durant 71.31 laps
3-Donny Auriema 71.05 laps
4-Mot Fitzcharles 70.32 laps
5-Dave Kosch 69.13 laps
6-Randy J Haydt 68.30 laps
7-JP Ricci 68.18 laps
8-Jeff Crosley 68.18 laps
9-Charlie Clohessey 67.09 laps
10-Ed Shultz 66.20 laps
11-Kyle Eck 65.39 laps
12-Sheldon Heister 64.29 laps
13-David Singer 63.25 laps
14-Michael Munno 63.18 laps
15-John Ciccone 61.18 laps
16-Jimmy B. 59.11 laps
17-Dave F. 58.18 laps
18-Stefan G. 58.06 laps
19-Shane Heister 57.29 laps
20-Bob W. 57.16 laps
21-Andy Rims 51.38 laps
Sportsman
1-Hiram Durant 101.07 laps
2-Kyle Eck 99.06 laps
3-Donny Auriema 96.33 laps
4-Dave Kosch 95.25 laps
5-Ed Shultz 95.04 laps
6-Sheldon Heister 91.29 laps
7-JP Ricci 91.25 laps
8-Mot Fitzcharles 91.09 laps
9-Randy J Haydt 91.05 laps
10-Jeff Crosley 90.18 laps
11-John Ciccone 89.29 laps
12-Charlie Clohessey 88.30 laps
13-Victor Quinones 88.18 laps
14-Michael Munno 85.18 laps
15-David Singer 84.15 laps
16-Shane Heister 83.31 laps
17-Andy Rims 82.24 laps
18-Bob W. 82.06 laps
19-Dave F. 79.10 laps
20-Jimmy B. 78.30 laps
21-Stefan G. 76.00 laps
22- Joe Lupico 73.29 laps
TK
NJHOSCR Race #6
Great Falls Raceway
Elmwood Park,NJ
What an exciting day of racing. A good field of racers showed up to do battle on the tricky roval. As has been the story most of the season, the battle for the podium spots has been great. This day would be know different, as each racer gave it their all to try and pick up a spot atop the class. Trans Am hot shoe Dave “I’m going to be a little late” Kosch showed his versatility by driving his Trans Am car like it was a sportsman as he was on rails in the class. It seems as Dave has become the racer to beat in the class, as he has been the fastest all season long.
1-Dave Kosch 93.01 laps
2-Mot Fitzcharles 91.19 laps
3-Anthony Zampelli 86.07 laps
4-Charlie Clohessey 83.15 laps
5-David Singer 81.04 laps
6-John Ciccone 80.27 laps
7-John O’brien 79.10 laps
8-Joe Lupico 77.12 laps
9-Jeff Scott 74.07 laps
10-Jimmy B. 71.09 laps
Full Fender Fairgrounds
The racers have really gotten into the FFF class. One racer inparticular David Singer has shown some great skills in transforming regular cars into fairgrounds racers. David has also been climbing the ladder as he is consistantly placing in the top half of the field. There were plenty of close battles throughout the race as these cars can really get around the Great Falls Raceway.
1-Mot Fitzcharles 98.01 laps
2-Dave Kosch 95.11 laps
3-Anthony Zampelli 94.05 laps
4-David Singer 91.10 laps
5-John O’brien 90.08 laps
6-John Ciccone 89.21 laps
7-Joe Lupico 89.08 laps
8-Charlie Clohessey 83.25 laps
9-Micheal Munno 82.22 laps
10-Jimmy B. 78.18 laps
11-Jeff Scott 74.22 laps
IROC Vintage F1
The IROC class was compliments of David Singer and his beautifully prepared F1 cars. These cars were a blast to watch ripping around the track. looking like they just came out of a time capsule. Everyone thought it would be Mr. IROC Dave Kosch that would clean up in the class. With these cars a little more difficult to drive it kept the field close. Charlie Clohessey has really been coming on strong in the IROC races as of late. today would be know different. John O’brien who usually struggles with the IROC classes did surprisingly well and picked up one of the podium spots. The winner of the class wasn’t Mr. IROC he was a close fourth place finish. Mot Fitzcharles was looking to be the first to win with the new cars, did just that. He seemed to adapt pretty quickly to the cars as he went on for the top podium spot.
1-Mot Fitzcharles 94.32 laps
2-Charlie Clohessey 92.20 laps
3-John O’brien 91.14 laps
4-Dave Kosch 91.09 laps
5-Joe Lupico 91.09 laps
6-Anthony Zampelli 89.20 laps
7-David Singer 88.09 laps
8-Jeff Scott 87.22 laps
9-John Ciccone 85.24 laps
10-Jimmy B. 82.22 laps
11-Micheal Munno 80.06 laps
12-Dave Hockett 73.25 laps
Sportsman
You want to talk about a barn burner of a race? This was it. Dave Kosch and Mot Fitzcharles put on one hell of a race. The two ran door to door for almost the entire race, with know one giving an inch. As the laps wound down the two racers clashed one last time and Dave went on to pick up the popular win. Finishing second was Mot Fitzcharles who was a little upset after the race as he felt like the computer somehow missed a lap on him. He was very happy however to see that the car he had just rebuilt for Dave was such a strong car, congratulating Dave on an exciting race. Rounding out the podium was Anthony Zampelli with a fine third place finish.
1-Dave Kosch 178.19 laps
2-Mot Fitzcharles 176.30 laps
3-Anthony Zampelli 170.09 laps
4-Charlie Clohessey 163.24 laps
5-John O’brien 156.22 laps
6-David Singer 155.03 laps
7-Jeff Scott 153.07 laps
8-John Ciccone 149.19 laps
9-Micheal Munno 139.04 laps
10-Dave Hockett 138.14 laps
11-Joe Lupico 136.11 laps
12-Jimmy B. 135.10 laps
It was a great day of racing. Thanks to Great Falls Raceway for hosting.Check our schedule for our next event. TK
NJHOSCR Race 5 Eighty Eighty Raceway
Fairlawn, NJ
Eighty Eighty Raceway hosted event #5 on the season. Everyone was looking forward to the first stop there, as it has become a favorite amongst the racers. Johnny O. had the track in great shape as the competitors took to the raceway. Trans Am saw action first on the raceway as close battles were the norm amongst the racers. It would be the Kosch brother’s that would take the top two podium spots, followed closely by Johnny O’brien.
1-Dave Kosch 48.51 laps
2-Mot Fitzcharles 47.11 laps
3-John O’brien 46.00 laps
4-David Singer 45.28 laps
5-John Teevan 45.18 laps
6-Jeff Crosley 43.04 laps (tie settled by fast lap)
7-John Ciccone 43.04 laps
8-Joe Lupico 42.34 laps
9-Charlie Clohessey 39.09 laps
TFX
Once again it would be the Kosch brothers battling it out for the top spot with younger brother besting his older brother by one lap. Making the long trek up from North Carolina was John Teevan who had never seen the raceway until today. He made the best of it as he would grab the last podium spot.
1-Dave Kosch 53.13 laps
2-Mot Fitzcharles 52.33 laps
3-John Teevan 51.16 laps
4-John O’brien 49.52 laps
5-Jeff Crosley 49.52 laps
6-David Singer 49.03 laps
7-Charlie Clohessey 46.64 laps
8-John Ciccone 45.56 laps
9-Micheal Munno 44.68 laps
10-Joe Lupico 44.23 laps
Outlaw Late Models
The OLM took their first laps around the raceway and everyone knew it was going to be interesting. The late models really ate up the long straights of Eighty Eighty Raceway. When the dust settled it would be OLM hot shoe Mot Fitzcharles picking up the win over John O’brien and Dave Kosch would grab the final podium spot.
1-Mot Fitzcharles 53.04 laps
2-John O’brien 52.05 laps
3-Dave Kosch 51.54 laps
4-John Ciccone 51.38 laps
5-Charlie Clohessey 51.15 laps
6-David Singer 50.53 laps
7-Jeff Crosley 47.01 laps
9-Jeff Scott 42.70 laps
Sportsman
The sportsman class cars really get to open up on the Eighty Eighty raceway, the long straight’s and challenging corners make it the perfect track for the class. North Carolina’s John Teevan was looking to move up the podium even though he hadn’t run on the track before. John turned in a stellar run only to come up a few sections short of the top spot. Mot Fitzcharles was out hunting as each lap recorded was faster than the previous one. you could tell he was on a mission, with only one deslot the entire race he would end up atop of the field. Rounding out the podium would be Ogdensburg, Nj racer Charlie Clohessey who after started the day slowing, worked his way up.
1-Mot Fitzcharles 87.70 laps
2-John Teevan 87.43 laps
3-Charlie Clohessey 85.15 laps
4-Dave Kosch 85.15 laps
5-John O’brien 84.44 laps
6-David Singer 83.24 laps
7-John Ciccone 82.03 laps
8-Micheal Munno 79.34 laps
9-Joe Lupico 78.17 laps
10-Jeff Scott 75.09 laps
11-Jeff Crosley 08.08 laps
Thanks to all who attended. check our schedule for upcoming events. TK
NJHOSCR Race #4 Lafayette Raceway
October 5, 2025
Lafayette, NJ
A beautiful autumn day for slot car racing. Jimmy B. hosted race #4 at his ultra fast raceway. The track conditions were perfect for some door to door racing. The finish couldn’t be closer as 4 of the top five racers were only separated by track sections. Looking to change his luck, Charlie Clohessey could say this is his home track as he has more laps on it than anyone else. Charlie took full advantage of his experience and set the bar to beat. Anthony Zampelli and Mot Fitzcharles had other ideas as they charged around the high speed track looking to grab a podium spot. Anthony came up one section short of tying Charlie for second place and settled for third. David Singer also had a stellar race and finished one track section behind Anthony. But that wasn’t the end of tied number of laps as track host Jimmy B. also matched the same laps as the previous 3 drivers for his best finish of the season to date.
1-Mot Fitzcharles 64.04 laps
2-Charlie Clohessey 59.41 laps
3-Anthony Zampelli 59.40 laps
4-David Singer 59.39 laps
5-Jimmy B. 59.19 laps
6-Johnny O’brien 58.41 laps
7-El Tacano Grande 56.41 laps
With the Trans Am class complete it was time for something new. The Outlaw Late Models were making their first appearance on the fast track. Everyone thought it was going to be a marshal’s nightmare, Surprisingly there were very few crashes during all the rounds of racing. The Late Models were turning in some blistering lap times with each lap scored. This was going to be a nail biter for sure. With second and third place decided by one track section. Not to the surprise of everyone It was Anthony Zampelli driving his new Frank Cozze Late model that would grab the top spot. Mot Fitzcharles and Charlie Clohessey each pushed their cars to try and catch Anthony to no avail, as he easily pulled away from the field. Johnny O’brien drove a steady race to grab fourth spot. Jimmy B. having another great run would pick up his second top five of the day.
1-Anthony Zampelli 72.04 laps
2-Mot Fitzcharles 70.14 laps
3-Charlie Clohessey 70.13 laps
4-Johnny O’brien 69.15 laps
5-Jimmy B. 67.16 laps
6-David Singer 65.21 laps
7-El Tacano Grande 62.41 laps
It was now time for the headline class of the day. The Sportsman cars really get around the Lafayette Raceway. Running 3 minute heats on the fast track takes its toll on some racers. the fast lap times and door to door action make it very unnerving. Looking to move up in the standings was David Singer driving his beautiful Ferrari car. He and Johnny O’brien would have a heated battle as the duo ran side by side for several laps. Each driver not giving an inch. In the end Davis would edge Johnny by track sections. Both Charlie Clohessey and Anthony Zampelli each picked up two of the three podium spots. Mot Fitzcharles would rebound from his second place finish in the Late Models to pick up the win going away.
1-Mot Fitzcharles 123.31 laps
2-Anthony Zampelli 118.44 laps
3-Charlie Clohessey 116.41 laps
4-David Singer 115.44 laps
5-Johnny O’brien 115.14 laps
6-Jimmy B. 106.05 laps
7- El Tacano Grande 104.43 laps
The finale of the day was an IROC race. With evenly matched cars it was everyone’s last chance to pick up a podium spot. Not wanting to get the golden sombrero El Tacano Grande looked to improve on his previous finishes on the day. He would do so in grabbing the second podium spot. It was some great close action as the finishing order was separated by a few laps.
1-Mot Fitzcharles 57.09 laps
2-El Tacano Grande 56.21 laps
3-Johnny O’brien 56.12 laps
4-David Singer 55.09 laps
5-Charlie Clohessey 55.05 laps
6-Jimmy B. 53.14 laps
Be sure to check our schedule for the next race event at Eighty Eighty Raceway in Fairlawn, NJ. T.K.
NJHOSCR Race #3 - Full Circle Raceway - Saddle Brook, NJ - Sep. 28
Getting to Full Circle Raceway, from anywhere in America, is pretty easy. All you gotta do is take Rt. 80 East until you get almost all the way to the end. Just before you drive into the Hudson River, take the exit for the Garden State Parkway, then do the exits thing. Take the Parkway exit, then, before you get off the exit, you gotta exit the exit into another exit. Before you've finished taking the exit from the first exit, you gotta exit the exit from the second exit...until, finally exiting all the previous exits and making a left onto Pehle Avenue. A couple of lefts and rights later, and IF your left front tire didn't explode from the Saddle Brook infinity exit, you'll be at John Ciccone's gorgeous home, ready to race. Welcome to North Jersey.
Last Sunday we dropped the green at John's track for the first time in this new season. The usual suspects returned of course. Anthony Zampeli stopping in for the first time this year was a pretty cool bonus. As well, John Paul Ricci and Stefan Goetzinger were making their first ever start on John's difficult road course.
Trans Am Camaros and Mustangs hit the pavement first. Skinny tires and wobbly bodied cars are a tough way to start the day for drivers new to FCR, so, naturally, the experienced Trans-Am drivers made quick work of the field in their 2-minute heats. Dave K. was the first to rotate in. Dave's familiar blue #37 Camaro has turned as many laps on FCR as just about anyone else and it showed when his 8 minutes were up. He pitched consistent high lap numbers due mostly to pressure from hard charging JP Ricci, who gave no quarter when they were on track together. Mot Fitzcharles hooked in two rotations later and, as usual, scraped together a huge bucket of crabs to thrust himself into podium contention. John O'Brien also showed veteran toughness after starting the race in the green (last station) gutter lane, then cooling off for twelve rotations, then reconnecting after 30 minutes to lay down three terrific scores with his amazing looking Fruit Stripe Gum Camaro. That effort thrust him into a 3rd place tie with his brother, David Singer, and Jeff Crosley. Lastly, and just as impressive as Johnny O's cool off/reheat performance, JP plugged in for one final time into the red gutter lane and somehow bowled his best T/a frame to pull him into a now 4-way tie for 3rd! This is the kind of parity we hoped the shorter time format would produce. A fabulous start to the day.
Trans-Am Results
1. Dave Kosch (68 laps)
2. Mot Garlits (67)
3. John O'Brien (61 laps, 32 sections)
4. David Singer (61/15)
5. Jeff Crosley (61/12)
6. JP Ricci (61/9)
7. John Ciccone (59/42)
8. Anthony Zampeli (59/28)
9. Joe Lupico (57)
10. Jimmy Bee (55)
11. Charlie Clohessey (54)
12. Stefan Goetzinger (53)
The even more difficult to drive Indy Car class lined up next. These little bastards, with their limited power specs, crappy handling and Lego brick shaped bodies, usually produce the smallest number of laps and highest number of marshalling seizures; kind of what you'd expect on John's serpent shaped track sections. This season we hoped the shorter race format would work as sort of a laxative and provide a better, even race flow. It did just that, with ties up and down the finish order, a fast race finish and very few track calls. It also helped that Full Circle Raceway was in great condition throughout the day. I don't think we wiped down the track at all If I remember correctly. Kudos to John for working through all those track preparation aches.
In the end, Dave K. came out on top with his Yoohoo inspired, blue and yellow #5; a few sections ahead of Mot Fitzcharles. John O'Brien earned his second consecutive 3rd place finish after a close tie-breaker over JP Ricci. John Ciccone had a great race in his bright white "Caspar" Indy Car to round out the Indy Car top 5.
Indy Car Results
1. Dave Kosch
2. Mot Fitzcharles
3. John O'Brien
4. JP Ricci
5. John Ciccone
6. Anthony Zampeli
7. Dave Singer
8. Stefan Goetzinger
9. Charlie Clohessey
10. Joe Lupico
11. Jeff Crosley
12. Jimmy Bee
Before getting underway with TFX class, we enjoyed our customary pizza break, otherwise known as the Jimmy Bee 30-minute comedy hour. TFX would be quite a contrast to the Indy Cars we had run earlier, performance-wise. Lap counts were sure to balloon. Anthony Z. rotated in first and set the bar highest for himself, dialing up a strong 66. Two rotations later, Dave K. would take the lead, churning out 73 laps in a ride borrowed from his brother. Not one to be outdone by his own backup car, Mot then put his foot through the floorboard and yeeted out three more laps than his brother, giving him the lead for good. Two rotations later, Jeff Crosley chalked up his best finish on the day with a solid 68 lap total, good enough to earn 3rd. Anthony Z. drove his pants off to finish 4th and Charlie C. rounded out the top 5.
TFX Class Results
1. Mot Fitzcharles
2. Dave Kosch
3. Jeff Crosley
4. Anthony Zampeli
5. Charlie Clohessey
6. John O'Brien
7. JP Ricci
8. David Singer
9. John Ciccone
10. Stefan Goetzinger
11. Jeff Scott
12. Joe Lupico
13. Jimmy Bee
Our standard show closer, the Sportsman class cars, rolled under the gantry next. Final race length was dialed up to 3 minutes and all drivers prepped to run way more laps than previous. Tire cleaning stops might need to be a thing.
As mentioned earlier, the FCR track surface held up perfectly, despite the extended heat race length and drivers went through without much drama. Mot laid waste to the Sportsman field yet again, finishing with about 4 million laps, to no one's surprise. However, for the second week in a row, we had a new podium finisher climbing up to the 2nd step. At our last race Jeff Scott drove his new Turbo Dan Sportsman right up to Mot's front door to bring home a 2nd place check. This time, JP Ricci drove his Veyron bodied Sportsman car damn near all the way home, earning a well deserved 2nd place finish. Dave K., Anthony Zampeli and Charlie Clohessey rounded out the Sportsman top 5.
Sportsman Class Results
1. Mot Fitzgnarls
2. JP Ricci
3. Dave Kosch
4. Anthony Zampeli
5. Charlie Clohessey
6. John O'Brien
7. Jeff Crosley
8. Jeff Scott
9. John Ciccone
10. David Singer
11. Joe Lupica
12. Stefan Goetzinger
13. Jimmy Bee
Congrats to all drivers. Huge props to John Ciccone for providing a fabulous, full day of racing and the use of his lovely home. Next Race (Sunday, Oct. 5) at Jimmy Bee's super fast Maxx Trax in historic Lafayette, NJ for NJHO Race #4. We hope to see you there.
Back to the Blast and a New Season Goes Green. Two race posts for the price of none.
Race #1 The Blast – Sunday, Aug. 31st
After a long offseason, the 2025-26 North Jersey H.O. racing season officially roared back to life two weekends ago at Henry Harnish's stately Randolph Raceway manor. It was The Blast’s 22nd reprisal and as always, lived up to its name. Drivers from several states trekked back to Schoolhouse Road to run with some of this area’s best slot racers. One of Jersey’s finest took the first round of action on Henry’s rugged, unpaved since 1964, tub track. The second round fell to a quasi-invader, with dual Jersey/Carolina citizenship, who made the best of his globetrotting experience to dial up a well-earned Sportsman Class victory.
We started with the Trans-Am class, running 2-minute heats, on the bright orange tub track. There are other molded Aurora table tracks like it; Henry’s, however, has attitude. I’d go so far as to say it’s angrier than ANY other track in the northeast. The non-routed, unloved track pieces reject your car’s magnets, pickups and skinny tires. Racing on the Randolph tub is more like a rally stage than a road race. If completing a round on the tub wasn’t tough enough, marshalling the tub, immediately after you've finished 6 grueling heats, is just as difficult. De-slots here can ruin a marriage. Winning the T/a class at The Blast requires a strong roll cage; figuratively (if you catch my drift) and literally.
John Teevan was the first driver to go through all six lanes, with a few solid 17 lap finishes in the middle lanes. Punching up a 96-lap total to lead out of the gate. Two ‘less than optimal’ gutter lane drives (14’s) would be his undoing, however. As soon as Johnny T. disconnected from the green lane to start his marshalling round, Don Auriema clipped in and started firing arrows into John T's general direction. Donny bowled a 16 in the first gutter (red lane), then two 17’s, then three 18’s...one of them, incredibly, in the final lane gutter. Probably one of the best 2-minute heat results we’ve ever seen on the tub. Tub racing veteran Randy Jay Haydt (98 total) and host Henry Harnish (102) both muscled their way to strong finishes, but neither would be able to elbow past Donny. When the dust, guide pins and window posts finally settled, the rest of the field lay in a smoldering pile of Camaro and Mustang bodies in Donny’s wake. Congrats on yet another Blast win for the Warren County wonder, Mr. Donny Auriema. Mot Fitzcharles (97) and John Teevan (96) rounded out the top five. Also of note; excellent finishes for twin brothers David Singer and John O'Brien (6th and 7th respectively), both with 96 lap totals as well.
The second round of racing on Henry's super smooth Randolph road course, naturally, went quite opposite of the earlier Mickey Thompson stadium stage. Most Blast drivers brought cars that they’d been fine-tuning for months. Robin Schroy, Dave Lockwood, Randy Haydt, Tommy K, “Chief” Mario Pisano and, of course, the inimitable race host, Henry Harnish all had cars that were turning laps near 6 seconds flat, consistently. The baby raptor Sportsman cars that John Teevan had incubating in his home lab since the last time he raced H.O., in 2024, were a little hungrier though. Eating laps often at sub-6-second clips. Still, there were many close on-track battles throughout the race. I recall being glued to Jeff Crosley’s gas tank for a couple of very long stretches and that was probably the highlight of my raceday. Kudos to Jeff on a great run and a solid 9th place finish.
In the end, John Teevan came out on top with 3 laps more than the 2nd place driver, “The Champ” Henry Harnish (168), and 5 more than 3rd place finisher Dave Lockwood. Congrats, J.T., Champ and Mr. Lockwood on well-earned finishes. Randy Haydt and “Chief” Mario Pisano rounded out the top 5. Many many thanks to our gracious friend, Henry Harnish, for allowing us to bring so many crazy people into his home and park on his lawn. We are truly blessed to have such a generous host.
The day ended on a very positive note as Charlie Clohessey rescued Stephane and his family from a minor car battery mishap...courtesy of Mrs. Stephane. That Clohessey positivity was sure to carry over into race #2 at Mot’s new Lightning Loops track. Last Sunday's race was, in fact, a tremendous success.
NJHOSCR 2025/2026
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