C4 Ramps Up the Racing with Fall Around the Corner

Downhill Racing is a big part of what Charm City Collector’s Club is all about.  A family fun atmosphere… So, with fall looming around the bend, the C4 Crew revved up the racing with two Downhill Racing Classes on September 6^th.  The Hot Wheels Stock Class had 19 entries and the Run Whatcha’ Brung Class had 16.

The DRHWSC included a mix of die-casts from all metal funny cars to the all plastic Clear Speeder.  Nick Sickle’s Ford Transit saw early success in the heat round against Cole Raley’s Time Tracker and then again in the quarter finals when he thrashed the favored Ferrari 365 of James Goolsbee Jr.  However the Ford Transit’s luck would run out in the Semi final round by another Ferrari, but this one, an F-40, owned by James Sr. The F-40 pounded Gavin Sleeth’s ’71 Mustang Funny Car that seemed to have a wheel issue, obliterated James Fortenberry’s Ford F-150 entry in the Heats, and eliminated the Firebird Funny Car of Mike Rybar in the Semis. Tim Raley dominated the upper part of the bracket with a GT Racer and a Firebird Funny Car.  Tim’s GT Racer moved past Dustin Barker’s VW Bug in the Heats, James Sr’s Clear Speeder in the Quarters to face his own Firebird Funny Car in the Semis.  The Firebird cruised through the Heats beating a Side Kick entered by Mike Rybar and then didn’t even give the Fortenberry Probe Funny Car a chance in the Quarter. Only one of Tim’s entries would move on to the Finals and it would have to be quicker than the Ferrari F-40 from the lower bracket portion.  The Firebird Funny Car put the GT Racer to rest with two straight wins, but wouldn’t have as easy of a time with the Ferrari.  The Funny Car beat the Ferrari in the first race but lost the second only to batter the Ferrari for the third and forth races to win the Downhill Racing Hot Wheels Stock Class Trophy and get an automatic berth in the Run Whatcha’ Brung Races.

Team Raley, Tim & Cole, entered a team of Four Hershey Ford Probe Funny Cars for the DRRWBC as well as the Firebird Funny Car that won the DRHWSC earlier, but only one of those Hershey mobiles would make it to the semifinals.  It quickly dispensed with the HWSC winner in the qualifier, devastated the Mod Ride entered by James Goolsbee Sr. in the heats, beat one of it’s clones in the quarterfinals, only to be shocked in the semis by the Fortenberry Ford F-150..  Now, just like the DRHWSC had a dominating force in the upper portion of the bracket, so did the RWBC.  A pair of James would have their monster mod creations dispatched the competition like paper to a buzz saw.  Fortenberry’s Haulin’ Gas trampled two Hershey clones, one in the Heats and the other in the quarters, while the Goolsbee’s Ford Galaxy crushed a modified Trim Trak out of the Raley Team Stable in the heats and then slipped by another Goolsbee entry, the Way 2 Slow, in the quarters.  The Way 2 Slow would be no match for the Haulin’ Gas, so the final was set. The Fortenberry beasts in both semifinal rounds prevailed and would face off in the finals…  The Haulin’ Gas and the Old Blue Ford F-150 fought through three races only to witness the F-150 triumph races two and three to seize the Run Whatcha’ Brung Class Top Prize!!!

October 4^th will be the next stop in the year for these two classes… who know what die-casts will dominate…  there’s only one way to find out…  bring your best and see if you can hoist the trophy… or fall to the beasts of Downhill Racing!!!     

Get ready for racing in December… not one, not two, not three, but four classes… mail-in are welcome… HWSC, RWBC, HWSTHCC and the new Death Race!!!  Stay tuned!!!