C4 Goes On a March

The C4 Crew setting up for the days buying, selling, trading and most importantly... Racing!!!

It’s nice to see that spring is in the air, but there is still snow on the ground.  The grip of winter didn’t keep people away from the hot C4 sponsored meet.  The monthly Maryland Die-Cast Trade Show continues to be a hit with people from neighboring states as well as right here in the old line state.  Representatives from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey were in attendance.  The crowd is getting bigger each month and the downhill racing is getting even fiercer!  The C4 Crew discussed opening a second meeting room to accommodate the ever growing vendors and racing events.  We also discussed upcoming events and started taking orders for t-shirts.  Nick Sickle held another raffle for die-cast prizes that excited the crowd between the two racing sessions.  Also, we have a ton of new ideas for the rest of the year and we are looking for volunteers to help us accomplish our goals.  I am personally excited to see how far this group has come and also can’t wait to see where it is going. 

Now to the races… 

No surprise to anyone, Owen Nesslage came prepared to defend his Downhill Racing Hot Wheels Stock Class Title for an unprecedented fourth time.  He has won all three DRHWSC Events since December and it seems like he has an eye for fast stock Hot Wheels.  This month’s competition would put Owen’s entries to the test. The DRHWSC had a full bracket of 32 entries with 7 of the field being Funny Cars.  Bruce Nesslage, Owen’s Father, brought a Porsche 911, a formidable racer, to the event.  The Porsche moved passed Tim Raley’s Preying Menace in the qualifier, then beat Cole Raley’s Rivited in the heats and Jon Izzy’s Mustang GT in the quarter finals in the upper bracket to race against his son’s Ford Probe Funny Car in the semifinals.  Owen’s Ford Probe Funny Car dominated the qualifier beating James Fortenberry’s Subaru WRX, then smashing Bobby Horton’s Sidekick in the heats and pounding Tim Raley’s Ferrari Testarossa into submission in the quarters. The lower bracket saw a new face…Bobby Horton’s Ford Probe Funny Car made its presence known quickly winning in opposition to a Firebird Funny Car of James Goolsbee Jr. in the qualifier.  Bobby’s Funny car cleared the heats and quarters dominating Jon Izzy’s Fast Fish and James Fortenberry’s Ford F-150 only to meet another Thunder Chicken, own by the master of the HWSC races, Owen Nesslage, in the semis.  Owen’s Firebird Funny Car decimated his opponents beating Tim Raley’s Ford Probe Funny Car in the qualifier, then Steve Langenfeld’s Mustang Funny Car in the heats and finally Wayne Heede’s Ferrari 599XX in the quarters.  Three Funny Cars made it to this point with one lone Porsche and that Porsche was tested quickly against the Ford Probe Funny Car of Owen Nesslage.  Owen’s Ford Probe Funny Car blasted passed his dad’s Porsche, even with threats, of having to find a ride home, from his dad.  In similar fashion to the qualifier, Bobby Horton’s Ford Probe Funny Car took out another Firebird Funny Car, this one owned by the three time champ, Owen Nesslage.  The last race was set and it would be a Ford Probe Funny Car Final!!!  Would Bobby be able to dethrone the King…he did have an equal car…but was it enough???  Would they have to go head to head, pedal to pedal, or would the cars settle it on their own with an equal drop? The pins were set, the cars were set… the drop went without an issue, but Bobby would not be able to unseat the kid… the King of the Hot Wheels Stock Class!  Owen went on to win an unprecedented four straight DRHWS Class Events since the month of December.  Would James Fortenberry be able to do the same and set the record for number of wins in the Run Whatcha’ Brung Class???

Congratulations to Owen Nesslage and his Yellow #3 Ford Probe Funny Car, March 2015 Winner of the Downhill Racing Hot Wheels Stock Class and Four Time Winner in a row in this class.

The five time winner, James Fortenberry, brought his battle tested brigade of entries for the Downhill Racing Run Whatcha’ Brung Class Event and the “Blue Flame” Ford F150 absolutely dominated in the top portion of the bracket beating Gavin Sleeth’s Tow Truck in the qualifier, Owen Nesslage’s Firebird Funny Car in the heats and beating his own entry, a Haulin’ Gas, designated “Ugly” in the quarter finals.  A newcomer, Penny Bisk and her Johnny Lightning Ford GT, was also having success in the upper bracket defeating Michael Wyman’s School Busted in the qualifier, Jon Izzy’s Ford Torino in the heats and Steve Langenfeld’s Ford GTX-1 in the quarters.  Unfortunately, for Penny, she ran into the Fortenberry “Blue Flame.”  The Ford GT was torched like so many others by the Fortenberry “Blue Flame.”   In the lower bracket, Jon Izzy’s Johnny Lightning Ford GT was making waves, surfin’ by Dustin Barker’s Ford Probe Funny Car in the qualifier, His own ’88 Pontiac in the heats and Ken Sleeth’s S’cool Bus in the quarters.  “Ugly Too”, another Fortenberry formulation, also scorched the competition routing the GTO of Jon Izzy if he qualifier, then Jon Izzy’s Dodge Viper in the heats and Mark Markham’s Chevy Van in the quarter finals just to face another Jon Izzy entry in the semifinals.  However, this would be a larger test for the “Ugly Too” and the Ford GT would not go away.  The racing went back and forth… the GT won, then the “Ugly Too”, then the GT, then the “Ugly Too.”  The Semifinals for the bottom bracket would come down to a pedal to pedal battle for the right to race the undefeated “Blue Flame.”  Two test sessions were given…then one final instruction for a sudden win race.  The die-casts were staged, the Christmas tree lit up… yellow… yellow… yellow… GREEN…… Jon Izzy had the quicker reaction time and the GT would not be denied a spot in the finals!!!  Nevertheless, Jon would have to face James again, and this time beside the proven winner…the “Blue Flame.”  The final didn’t turn out to be as dramatic as the semi that ran just prior.  The “Blue Flame” won the first, third and forth runs to claim yet another Run Whatcha’ Brung Class Event!  James Fortenberry has asserted himself as a dominating force in this class, and now a six time victor.  Does anyone have what it takes to end his reign?

Congratulations to James Fortenberry and his Ford F-150 Pick-Up "Blue Flame", March 2015 Winner of the Downhill Racing Run Whatcha’ Brung Class and Six Time Winner in this Class.

Congratulations to Owen Nessalge, our C4 Downhill Racing Hot Wheels Stock Class Four Time Champion and James Fortentberry, our C4 Downhill Racing Run Whatcha’ Brung Class Champion.  Come check us out next month and bring your racers… you never know… you could be the one to dethrone the champs!!!     

C4 would also like to give a special thanks to all who donated to the raffle for this event and congrats to all the winners of that raffle.

Not Even the Chill of February Could Slow Down the C4 Crew

The C4 Crew gathered for their February meet on Saturday the 7th with over 40 people in attendance throughout the day with a full room of vendors to purchase or trade with. In addition to the buying, selling and trading during the meet, there were two exciting Downhill Racing Events held. The first races of the day were in the Hot Wheels Stock Class with all 32 slots filled, including entries of Owen Nesslage who won this class the previous two months in a row. The last races of the day were for the Run Whatcha’ Brung Class with entries of James Fortenberry, a four time winner in this class. The Hot Wheels Stock Class winner received the 32nd slot in the DRRWBC races, a race token, a Hot Wheels 5-pack and a $10 gift card to Toys R Us, while the Downhill Racing Run Whatcha’ Brung Class winner took home a race token, two Hot Wheels 5-packs and a $10 gift card to Toys R Us. Along with the racing events of the day, there was a raffle for die-cast prizes and many attendees took home a little something from the meet. Special thanks form the C4 Crew to all that donated items for the raffle.

The competition for Downhill Racing Hot Wheels Stock Class was brutal. Many veteran challengers were eliminated in the qualifying round, while some newcomers saw early success. The upper bracket was tough, but Owen Nesslage, December & January DRHWSC Winner, proved that he has an eye for picking the best stock racers. His black #1 Firebird Funny Car beat the Team Sleeth Mega Grafix Ford Probe Funny Car in the qualifier, defeated the Fortenberry GT90 in the heats and left the Mid Drift with FTEs of Mark Markham in the dust during the quarters. Owens’ Dad had similar fortune with his Porsche 911 breezing by Mark Starr’s ’70 Superbird in the qualifier, subdued a Monte Carlo entry of Mike Rybar in the heats and upset Cole Raley’s Mustang with FTEs in the quarters. Owen would have to beat his dad to make it to the finals again. Owen wasn’t deterred by threats from his dad of having to walk home or find a ride there. His Firechicken torched the Porsche which was forced to call 911 after two quick race defeats. In the lower bracket, Tim Raley’s Turbolence beat Team Sleeth’s Symbolic in the qualifier, dismantled Ryan Zubalic’s Mustang Funny Car in the heats and squeaked by his son Cole’s Blue Hot Wheels Team Firebird Funny Car in the quarters only to meet another Funny Car in the semis… of James Goolsbee Jr. LJ’s (Little James) T-Rex Firebird Funny Car dominated races through to the semis, laying waste to Nick Sicle’s 1980 Corvette in the qualifier, Owen Nesslage’s Speedway Spray Ford Probe Funny Car in the heats and Nathan Zubalic’s Dodge Charger in the quarters. Tim’s Turbulence didn’t have enough to beat the T-Rex decaled Funny Carand his run had ended. The Final was set for the DRHWSC and it would be a Funny Car Final! Owen Nesslage and his Blue #1 Team Hot Wheels Firebird Funny Car versus James Goolsbee Jr. and his Silver T-Rex Firebird Funny Car for all the marbles… The races were close, but the Blue Team Hot Wheels Funny Car would give Owen his third DRHWSC win in three straight months as well as the DRHWSC Prize Pack.

Congratulations to Owen Nesslage and his Blue #1 Team Hot Wheels Firebird Funny Car, February 2015 Winner of the Downhill Racing Hot Wheels Stock Class and Three Time Winner in a row in this class.

Almost a full field of die-casts, 32 in all, took the stage for the last race event of the day. Mark Markham out of Virginia brought a Johnny Lightning Boogie Van to the show and the van boogied through the competition sliding past opponents to the semis… The Cameron Daly Hippie Van was the first victim losing to the Boogie Van in the qualifier. Then the Team Raley Hershey Ford Probe Funny car lost to it in the heats and Wayne Heede’s Ford Pick-up proved no match for it in the quarters. Jon Issac from Southern Maryland had similar fortune To Mark with his Johnny Lightning Fort GT, also dominating races all the way through to the semis. The Ford GT defeated Cole Raley’s ’77 Corvette in the qualifier, James Fortenberry’s SuperVan in the heats and finally the Penny Bisk Ford Focus in the quarter to get into the semis. The Ford GT seemed to be the class of the field and that didn’t change beating the Boogie Van in the semis marking its place to do battle with an opponent from the lower bracket. The lower bracket saw Cameron Daly’s second bullet, a Chevy Van, speed through to the semis with a bye in the qualifier, a win against Michael Wyman’s VW Bus in the heats and a win versus a Team Raley Hershey’s Ford Probe Funny Car in the quarters. Unfortunately, for him, Mr. Daly would run into some heavy competition in the semifinals running against the winningest Run Whatcha’ Brung Mod Beast Builder…James Fortenberry, out of Pennsylvania. The Fortenberry Haulin’ Gas Beast blew by his opposition without much ado; it snacked on LJ’s WH Modded Mini Cooper in the Qualifier, chewed through Owen Nesslage’s January DRHWSC winning Firebird Funny Car and devoured Owen’s February DRHWSC winning Firebird Funny Car. Cameron Daly’s Chevy van was just another meal for the JF Haulin’ Gas Beast on its way to the finals where it would meet the Ford GT of Jon Issac. Sadly for Jon, James know what it takes to make his mods fast and the Haulin’ Gas Beast overwhelmed the Ford GT.

Congratulations to James Fortenberry and his Haulin’ Gas Beast, February 2015 Winner of the Downhill Racing Run Whatcha’ Brung Class and Five Time Winner in this Class.

Also, thank you to all of the competitor who tried their luck.