2023 IMPBA Gas Nats

The results are in! Congratulations to all our winners!

Gas Tunnel
1st: Wendell Barrow
2nd: Buddy Lowe
3rd: Bruce Jacobs
4th: Johnny Adams
5th: Larry Wood

27 Catamaran
1st: Randy Rapedius
2nd: Rolando Ruiz
3rd: David Willett
4th: Josh Carlton
5th: Milo Carlton
6th: Gavin Woolridge

Super Sport Mono
1st: Rolando Ruiz
2nd: Richard Lind
3rd: Phil Thomas
4th: Raul Rodriguez III
5th: Humberto Arencibia
6th: Wendell Barrow

27 Mono
1st: Daniel Kalte
2nd: Brent Byers
3rd: Kain Oddo
4th: Russel Groft
5th: Leighton Henry
6th: Phil Thomas

27 Sport Hydro
1st: Brent Byers
2nd: Randy Rapedius
3rd: Chris Herzog
4th: Mike Unger
5th: Bob Steiner
6th: Ray Hotchkin

27 Rigger
1st: Chris Wittrig
2nd: Kain Oddo
3rd: Steve Rodriguez
4th: Ray Hotchkin
5th: Jesse Carlton
6th: Leighton Henry

Jersey Skiff
1st: Humberto Arencibia
2nd: Steve Rodriguez
3rd: Keenan Pralle
4th: Keith Ray
5th: David Hall
6th: Josh Carlton

Thunderboat
1st: Dan Pralle
2nd: Steve Rodriguez
3rd: Josh Carlton
4th: Keith Ray
5th: Randy Hicks
6th: Kain Oddo

Crackerbox
1st: Randy Rapedius
2nd: Chris Herzog
3rd: Terry Rogers
4th: Steve Rodriguez
5th: Rick Baker
6th: Humberto Arencibia

Gas Scale
1st: Wendel Barrow
2nd: Brent Byers
3rd: Roy Wilson
4th: David Hall

36 Mono
1st: Brent Byers
2nd: Rolando Ruiz
3rd: Steve Rodriguez
4th: Humberto Arencibia
5th: Adam Grim
6th: David Willett

36 Catamaran
1st: Richard Lind
2nd: Rolando Ruiz
3rd: Lance Ledet
4th: Russel Groft
5th: Raul Rodriguez III
6th: Rick Baker

36 Sport Hydro
1st: Brent Byers
2nd: Chris Rupley
3rd: Terry Rogers
4th: Dan Pralle
5th: Randy Hicks
6th: David Willett

36 Rigger
1st: Adam Grim
2nd: Randy Hicks
3rd: Mark Bullard
4th: Bob Londress
5th: Johnny Adams tied with Russel Groft

Twin
1st: Randy Hicks
2nd: Adam Grim
3rd: Johnny Adams
4th: Mark Grim
5th Mark Bullard

Open Offshore
1st: Rolando Ruiz
2nd: Raul Rodriguez III
3rd: Gavin Woolridge
4th: Willie McCauley
5th: Terry Rogers
6th: Steve Rodriguez

Superboat
1st: Richard Lind
2nd: Raul Rodriguez III
3rd: Steve Rodriguez
4th: Humberto Arencibia
5th: Willie McCauley
6th: Terry Rogers

Presidents Cup: Brent Byers
Johnny Ber Award: David Willett
Gas Scale Concourse: Chris Herzog
Thunderboat Concourse: Roy Wilson

Driver’s Meeting Y’all!!

Sun’s up, fun’s up, and soon round 1 heat 2 will be up for the IMPBA Gas Nats will be up!

Early arrivers are setting up for the 2023 IMPBA Gas Nats. If you’re traveling to the event, send us the photos of your journey or 2023 IMPBA Gas Nats so we can all follow along. Safe travels to those attending!

New Affordable Hotel Options Added!

New hotel options have been added for the 2023 IMPBA Gas Nats! A very good rate of $115 per night is available at Four Points Sheraton but a limited quantity remains.

Go to https://app.eventconnect.io/events/24756/hotels to visit the event hotel feed to make your reservations if you are entered in the event. We appreciate your help making these reservations through the platform as it helps us meet our obligations for use of this system.

Please message us here if you have any questions about room reservations.

EventConnect EventConnect

Due to higher than expected demand, an additional heat has been added to select classes and waitlist racers, if any, have been approved into the class. Those classes are:

- LSG 27 Mono
- LSG 36 Mono
- LSG 36 Sport Hydro
- Super Sport Mono
- Crackerbox

If you do not have four class entries you can be added into classes. If you have four classes but would like to swap into one of the above you may. In both cases please contact Rick & Kim Grim by email at [email protected] or by phone at (256) 626-0859.

HOTEL UPDATE: Our EventConnect partner is finalizing negotiations with the hotels who have submitted proposals. Though you may not have the option to select a hotel during your registration process, you'll be able to come back when we announce the hotels are available and secure your room. The rooms will be the lowest non Government rate available and can expect that other add-ons like parking fees will be waived for our group.

Time is winding down to entries opening for the 2023 IMPBA Gas Nats. Entries open at 7p ET Saturday February 18th by going to https://app.eventconnect.io/events/24756/registration-type/create?nav=hidden.

Huntsville Model Boat Association, 12-time host of IMPBA National Events including its 2nd Gas Nationals, and the City of Huntsville proudly present the 2023 IMPBA Gas Nationals to be held June 1st through 4th, 2023, at Brahan Spring Park in Rocket City (Huntsville) Alabama.

Brahan Spring Park is the preeminent multi-discipline RC boating site in all of racing providing an unmatched facility built and maintained in a partnership between the City of Huntsville and Huntsville Model Boat Association. The facility features a large covered concrete driver’s stand, concrete hot pits, and an abundance of grass area capable of housing a pit area for the largest events.

The race banquet that’s included with each contestant’s entry will be held at the Bullet and Barrel. We will also be awarding the 2023 Johnny Ber Sportsmanship Award, President’s Cup for highest points in two classes, Classic Thunder boat Concourse Award, Gas Scale Concourse Award and handing out all raffle items at the banquet. Additional banquet tickets available for $20 per person.

The Gas Nationals will follow all rules and regulations per the IMPBA rule book offering all LSG classes. There must be six boats entered to make a class. Super Boat will run on Course B and LSG Offshore on Course C. This event will have a 250-boat entry limit and will be limited to only 4 boat entries per driver. Entries will be limited in each class. Driver meetings held each day at 7:00am with heat racing starting immediately after. If required, a break in racing due to afternoon sun glare on the course will be implemented for safety concerns. Shootout heat racing format will be used with only the first round predetermined by computer. Total points will determine the next heat orders. Only the top 6 boats of each class will compete in the 5th round with cumulative points for all 5 rounds of racing to determine a national champion for each class. Awards will be given for 1st thru 5th place. Any previous 2022 IMPBA National Champions are guaranteed entry to defend their championship regardless of total boat entries.

Race entries taken on February 18th at 7:00pm ET and will close on March 11th at 7:00 pm ET. No early entries will be taken. Due to the shoot out format it is highly recommended you register with DSM radios. Entries will be taken only on EventConnect at this link: https://app.eventconnect.io/events/24756. NOTE that entries will not be available on RCRacingEvents.com.

Event Location: Just West of 2111 Drake Avenue SW, Huntsville, AL 35805 for mapping applications. The entry road is on the south side of Drake Avenue on the East side of the park.

Registration fee: $40 (includes 1 banquet ticket)

$10 for each boat entered.

All entries fees MUST be paid at time of entry

No refunds after March 12, 2023

Event T-Shirts will be offered

Racing Itinerary:

Open Water: Tuesday May 30th and Wednesday May 31st

Thursday June 1st - All classes compete.

Friday June 2nd - All Classes compete. (BANQUET)

Saturday June 3rd - All classes compete.

Sunday June 4th- Available if needed for any inclement weather

Lodging:

Lodging is available during or after your registration process on EventConnect. The listed hotels all have negotiated rates and terms for our event. Vacation rental options such as Airbnb and Vrbo are also available in EventConnect.

By city ordnance there is NO overnight RV parking in the park. For years racers have pulled out and stayed at the large lot behind the Cracker Barrel or gone to the Space and Rocket Center RV Center
Space & Rocket Center RV Lodging, One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL (256) 830-4987.
(For Veterans Only) Redstone RV Park, (256) 876-6854

Raffle Prize Sponsorship Opportunities for the 2023 IMPBA Gas Nationals

With the world as it is today and several large races each year looking for financial assistance, it has become harder for small RC Boat companies to meet the requests to donate to these races. The City of Huntsville has agreed to sponsor the 2023 IMPBA Gas Nationals. This has allowed us to reduce the per boat entry fees and provide trophies to 5th place.

Racers have shared what they like to have in a raffle with Futaba radios, Zenoah engines, gas props and gas hulls being the featured items. To make that happen we are requesting donations as sponsorship and will put your name on that prize your sponsorship has contributed to just as we have the trophies in the past. The amount collected from donations will determine the number of items we will be able to purchase as raffle prizes. All items donated will go to the racers!

Please send Raffle Prize Sponsorship payments via PayPal to [email protected] or by check to Rick Grim and indicate what name you’d like to have mentioned for that sponsorship

Raffle Donations can be sent to:
Rick Grim
508 Harvest Rd
Harvest, AL 35749

For questions email Rick at [email protected]