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Mike Krier and I are happy to announce that for 2013 the ZAK Award is shaping up to be the largest yet to date.
We have decided to change the format a little, to both celebrate the 20th year for the award, and also to hopefully generate some additional enthusiasm for it. In the past we have had donors both for cash and merchandise, and this year are hoping to have more strictly cash than in the past, plus the same type merchandise awards that have been presented in the past.
At this time we have either commitments for, or actual donations of 1600.00 dollars in cash for the award for 2013 for the chosen class for this year which is 125CC Runabout. In addition this year we are going to "spread the money around" a little, as the cash part of the award will be paid out to the first three places, instead of just the winner as has been the case in the past for the previous 19 winners. The split will be made 50, 30, and 20 percent of the total cash donated to the award, and which now totals $1600.00 with a target of at least 2000.00 in cash to be available. In addition there will be the usual merchandise awards as there have been in the past from some of the same, and hopefully new, donors as in the past.
This year we also have an unusual donation made by Ed Provini from New York, who is donating the use of a complete 125 motor for use in competing for the award in 2013. For further information about this donation and details of same if you are interested, and do have a boat to compete with but lack an engine, contact Ed at his e-mail which is eprovini@ecprovini.com
As those of you who are not familiar with the ZAK Award and the reason for it, the US Title Series was very fortunate in the first years after its inception, to have Harry Pasturczak available to help keep it going and on the right track at the start of its contribution to PRO racing in the US.
Harry worked tirelessly for the benefit of USTS, pulling the equipment trailer with all the necessary equipment to put on a race including the patrol boat. He did this paying the expense out of his own pocket for a number of years while USTS got on a more sound financial footing. He was always available if the clock needed attention, or any of the other equipment as well, and was also on duty 100% of the time with his regular duty as Inspector for USTS.
In addition to his efforts for USTS, he was instrumental in helping many competitors achieve honors on the race course by either the use of "go fast" parts he made in his basement workshop for the engines of the day. Just a couple of examples were the "cut" rotary valve discs and ZAK Pipes that delivered different and improved power bands to the engines they were designed for. He was also THE crankshaft builder for any model of motor that required the pressing apart and back together again of the components that made up the crankshaft. He would not send a crank out of his shop that was not within 1/10th of a thousandths of an inch within perfect alignment. Along with moly coated pistons, better cylinder heads for the Konigs of the day, one of the first CD ignitions for the Konig using OMC parts, he was well know for other innovations on snowmobile, motocross, and other 2 stroke applications. He made what was probably the first expansion chamber for a model airplane engine for his friend John Winzler, also an alky racer of the time from Chicago.
Even his "slow" machinery such as his riding lawn mower with a 60HP snowmobile engine and expansion chambers was an example of his wizardry with engines.
When the Yamato engines became prominent after their introduction in the mid 70's, much work on improving their performance was done also. One of the most beautiful examples of a "cutaway" model of the Yamato Model 80 so as to show off the internal workmanship and quality of the engine was done by Harry for Jim McKean, a Yamato dealer at the time.
The real reason for the creation of the award after his death though, was simply that some of his close friends could not let his passing go by without recognizing him for his most cherished quality. That quality was his "help anyone, anytime, anywhere" motto that he lived daily. Whether he knew you well or not, whether you were a regular customer of his or not, if he saw you on the lake bank having a problem of any kind that would prevent you from either getting on the course, or keep you from performing at a satisfactory level, he would offer his help. MANY times at the DePue Nationals, he would take an engine, or several, the hour and a half's drive home to E. Moline to solve the problem with an all nite thrash, and have the motors back in time to start testing the next day. I have no idea when he slept, but certainly not during the week of the DePue Nationals.
After Harry's untimely death from a brain tumor and complications from treatment of same in the early 1990's, several of the people who he had blessed with his friendship and knowledge over the years, came together and decided there should be an award in his name. Based on the way he lived his life, "help anyone, anytime, anywhere, any way I can", it was decided that the award that would bear his name would be for the class in the USTS that was down on participation from previous years, and "needed a little help".
It is in that spirit of helping that the ZAK Award will be presented this year, the 20th year for the award, to the 125CC Runabout Class which was down in participation in 2012 from previous years. Based on past experience the class the award has been given for previously has always bounce back in numbers, and we hope this year 125 Runabout will be no different.
As previously mentioned, the cash part of the award will be split three ways, hopefully making it more attractive to a larger number of participants. The merchandise part of the award will go in total to the 1st place winner.
Mike and I would like to thank all those who have contributed to the award in the past, and especially this year with the large increase in the cash portion of the award. A list of all the contributors to the award and what the contribution was will appear later this summer on the USTS website.
Also a big thank you goes to David Tenney, whose promotion of the award in the past few years has been greatly appreciated, and who is greatly responsible for getting some new contributors to it. David's father, Bill Tenney, a many time National Champion racer in the WWII and after time frame, was a close friend and "mid-nite phone buddy" of Harry's, and the two of them had many long late night conversations about two stroke performance and how to improve it. David's contributions the last couple of years, and his ideas and suggestions on how to improve the award are greatly appreciated.
Hope to see a good turnout in April's Florida Speed Week, so all the 125 Runabout competitors can get a great start towards competition for the award in 2013.
We have decided to change the format a little, to both celebrate the 20th year for the award, and also to hopefully generate some additional enthusiasm for it. In the past we have had donors both for cash and merchandise, and this year are hoping to have more strictly cash than in the past, plus the same type merchandise awards that have been presented in the past.
At this time we have either commitments for, or actual donations of 1600.00 dollars in cash for the award for 2013 for the chosen class for this year which is 125CC Runabout. In addition this year we are going to "spread the money around" a little, as the cash part of the award will be paid out to the first three places, instead of just the winner as has been the case in the past for the previous 19 winners. The split will be made 50, 30, and 20 percent of the total cash donated to the award, and which now totals $1600.00 with a target of at least 2000.00 in cash to be available. In addition there will be the usual merchandise awards as there have been in the past from some of the same, and hopefully new, donors as in the past.
This year we also have an unusual donation made by Ed Provini from New York, who is donating the use of a complete 125 motor for use in competing for the award in 2013. For further information about this donation and details of same if you are interested, and do have a boat to compete with but lack an engine, contact Ed at his e-mail which is eprovini@ecprovini.com
As those of you who are not familiar with the ZAK Award and the reason for it, the US Title Series was very fortunate in the first years after its inception, to have Harry Pasturczak available to help keep it going and on the right track at the start of its contribution to PRO racing in the US.
Harry worked tirelessly for the benefit of USTS, pulling the equipment trailer with all the necessary equipment to put on a race including the patrol boat. He did this paying the expense out of his own pocket for a number of years while USTS got on a more sound financial footing. He was always available if the clock needed attention, or any of the other equipment as well, and was also on duty 100% of the time with his regular duty as Inspector for USTS.
In addition to his efforts for USTS, he was instrumental in helping many competitors achieve honors on the race course by either the use of "go fast" parts he made in his basement workshop for the engines of the day. Just a couple of examples were the "cut" rotary valve discs and ZAK Pipes that delivered different and improved power bands to the engines they were designed for. He was also THE crankshaft builder for any model of motor that required the pressing apart and back together again of the components that made up the crankshaft. He would not send a crank out of his shop that was not within 1/10th of a thousandths of an inch within perfect alignment. Along with moly coated pistons, better cylinder heads for the Konigs of the day, one of the first CD ignitions for the Konig using OMC parts, he was well know for other innovations on snowmobile, motocross, and other 2 stroke applications. He made what was probably the first expansion chamber for a model airplane engine for his friend John Winzler, also an alky racer of the time from Chicago.
Even his "slow" machinery such as his riding lawn mower with a 60HP snowmobile engine and expansion chambers was an example of his wizardry with engines.
When the Yamato engines became prominent after their introduction in the mid 70's, much work on improving their performance was done also. One of the most beautiful examples of a "cutaway" model of the Yamato Model 80 so as to show off the internal workmanship and quality of the engine was done by Harry for Jim McKean, a Yamato dealer at the time.
The real reason for the creation of the award after his death though, was simply that some of his close friends could not let his passing go by without recognizing him for his most cherished quality. That quality was his "help anyone, anytime, anywhere" motto that he lived daily. Whether he knew you well or not, whether you were a regular customer of his or not, if he saw you on the lake bank having a problem of any kind that would prevent you from either getting on the course, or keep you from performing at a satisfactory level, he would offer his help. MANY times at the DePue Nationals, he would take an engine, or several, the hour and a half's drive home to E. Moline to solve the problem with an all nite thrash, and have the motors back in time to start testing the next day. I have no idea when he slept, but certainly not during the week of the DePue Nationals.
After Harry's untimely death from a brain tumor and complications from treatment of same in the early 1990's, several of the people who he had blessed with his friendship and knowledge over the years, came together and decided there should be an award in his name. Based on the way he lived his life, "help anyone, anytime, anywhere, any way I can", it was decided that the award that would bear his name would be for the class in the USTS that was down on participation from previous years, and "needed a little help".
It is in that spirit of helping that the ZAK Award will be presented this year, the 20th year for the award, to the 125CC Runabout Class which was down in participation in 2012 from previous years. Based on past experience the class the award has been given for previously has always bounce back in numbers, and we hope this year 125 Runabout will be no different.
As previously mentioned, the cash part of the award will be split three ways, hopefully making it more attractive to a larger number of participants. The merchandise part of the award will go in total to the 1st place winner.
Mike and I would like to thank all those who have contributed to the award in the past, and especially this year with the large increase in the cash portion of the award. A list of all the contributors to the award and what the contribution was will appear later this summer on the USTS website.
Also a big thank you goes to David Tenney, whose promotion of the award in the past few years has been greatly appreciated, and who is greatly responsible for getting some new contributors to it. David's father, Bill Tenney, a many time National Champion racer in the WWII and after time frame, was a close friend and "mid-nite phone buddy" of Harry's, and the two of them had many long late night conversations about two stroke performance and how to improve it. David's contributions the last couple of years, and his ideas and suggestions on how to improve the award are greatly appreciated.
Hope to see a good turnout in April's Florida Speed Week, so all the 125 Runabout competitors can get a great start towards competition for the award in 2013.
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