The Winternats is a competitive on-road gas powered radio controlled car race attended by racers from around the world. It is currently held annually in Arcadia, Florida at Nugget's Ranch R/C Raceway, usually in the month of February."Burch & Greiner win at 2018 Florida Winternats". RC News, Feb 19, 2018, The Winternats is one of the oldest major R/C car racing events.
This event is sanctioned by the Radio Operated Auto Racing, or ROAR of North America and Canada. ROAR rules are followed. On-road gas (nitro) powered classes are 1/8 scale open, 1/8 scale masters and 1/10 scale sedan.
History The first Winternats The first Winternats was held in Miami, Florida in 1972. It was organized and put on by the South Florida R/C Car Club. The club had a temporary track that was striped and sealed on the side of a Levitz Furniture store parking lot. Two of the local hobby shops supported the club. Crown Hobbies paid for the site insurance and Orange Blossom Hobbies furnished the trophies. A few of the members came up with the idea of putting on a "BIG" race. From that idea of a "BIG" race the club started a monthly newsletter that was mailed out nationally. The ‘local’ club became known on a National level. Not knowing when to have this "BIG" race or what to call it, somewhere the idea came up to have a Winternationals. The club decided to capitalize on the great weather and the Annual King Orange Jamboree, a long-standing Miami tradition at that time. The club checked with the King Orange Committee, they had no problems with the club using their name and the "BIG" race was on. January, 1972 the first Annual King Orange Winternationals was to be held in sunny South Florida! The club put this in their Newsletter with the entry applications, and entries poured in from all over the country. This was the "first" R/C Winternationals in the country. The first winner was John Thorpe of Pomona California, driving a belt driven car that he manufactured, called the Thorpe Car. Other attendees were Art Carbonell and the Campbells of Delta and Dick Dobson of Marker. The trophies were silver bowls filled with oranges.
Early years The South Florida R/C Car Club in Miami held the first races from 1972 to 1975. At that time there were no nitro sedans, impacts, or 4WD pivot ball cars. It was all 2WD 1/8 scale pan cars (made by Delta, Associated, Marker Machine) powered by K&B or OPS .21 engines.
In 1976, the event was moved to the parking lot of a Howard Johnson's in Orlando, Florida. This coincided with the starting of the Florida On-Road Gas State Series. In the early 80s, the race took place at the first permanent track in Florida, located at the Orlando airport. Kim Davis was the race director.
The race really started to become well known around the world when top European drivers and IFMAR representatives began to attend.
Fort Myers Bob Rule of Bolink asked Jim Rice, the President of the Fort Myers R/C Car Club, to take over running the race and the race was moved to Fort Myers. In 1988 and 1989 the event took place at a semi-permanent location at the Edison Mall in downtown Ft. Myers. From 1990 to 2022 the race was held at the Lee County Civic Center. The warm Florida weather during the middle of the winter helped to increase the popularity, since most nitro R/C racers couldn't race during the winter months. With drivers from around the world attending and manufacturers competing with their latest innovations, the race used the slogan 'Test Track to the World'
Arcadia
September 2022 Hurricane Ian made landfall on the southwest coast of the Florida Peninsula. Hurricane Ian made impact as a Category 4 storm with 150 mph sustained winds and an onslaught of rain and storm surges that became one of the most powerful and deadly hurricanes in Florida's history. The storm surge put 28" of flood waters inside the buildings that stored all of the Fort Myers R/C Club equipment. The high winds and water destroyed the drivers stand, the pit cover and tables. Jim Rice, the President of the Fort Myers R/C Club made the tough decision that there was no recovery from this damage, with the looming lease with the Lee Civic Center set to end at anytime. He decided to retire and pass the race event on to long time friend and fellow racer, Greg Esser at Nugget's Ranch RC Raceway in Arcadia, Florida. Nugget's Ranch Raceway was established in 2010. On February 9 -12, 2023 Nugget's Ranch RC Raceway held the 47th Annual Florida WinterNats to a sold out event. The Florida Winternats tradition continues.
Race name The race was first called the ‘King Orange Winternationals’. In a few years, the race was promoted as the ‘Winter Nationals’. In the 1980s, the race was briefly known as ‘The Miller’ because of a sponsorship from the Miller Brewing Company. ROAR did not sanction the race in 1988 due to a disagreement over the naming of the race. Private insurance for the race was purchased by the Fort Myers R/C Car Club (FMRC) and a new name, the ‘Southern Gas Championship Race’ was used. Next year (1989) ROAR and FMRC came to an agreement on naming the race the ‘Winternats’. ROAR was again the insurer and sanctioning body. The race was promoted under both the Winternats and Southern Gas Championship Race names. Finally, in recent years the race is known simply as the WinterNats.
Track features at The FORT - Fort Myers, Florida.
Track dimensions 150 feet × 90 feet Driving line 635 feet Surface Asphalt Timing system AMBrc Scoring program LiveTime
Practice
Practice days are on Monday through Wednesday from 8:00 AM till 5:00 PM. In the middle of the day, practice sessions are sorted into 1/8 and sedan classes. No fuel bottles or refueling is allowed inside the fenced-in track area to allow all drivers the chance to get practice. Severe penalties from the officials for breaking this rule include reprimands, loss of fuel bottle or being sent home.
Qualifying
Takes place from Thursday through Friday. Qualifiers are four minutes long using the IFMAR start with up to ten drivers racing on their own clock. A maximum of five qualifiers are run over a two-day period. Practice is allowed in the mornings from 8:00 AM till 9:00 AM and in the evenings from the end of qualifying till 5:00 PM. Drivers are required to turn marshal after their qualifier or they will be docked one lap from their best qualifier.
Mains
The mains are run over a two-day period. The lower mains are run on Saturday. The upper mains are run on Sunday. Mains are run from the lowest to the highest (A-main). The winner and runner-up of all mains below the A-main, are allowed the option to bump-up to the next main. Trophies are awarded to all A-main participants and the top three places in all mains. Bump-up drivers give up their trophy for the chance to race in the next main.
Winners 1/8 scale 4wd Year Date Driver Chassis Top Qualifier2026Feb. 2-8 Joachim BruneauCapricorn Teemu Leino 2025Feb. 3-9 Andrea CatanzaniSerpent Andrea Catanzani2024Feb. 5-11 Jilles GroskampInfinity Jilles Groskamp2023Feb. 6-12 Eric DennettCapricorn Diego Morganti2022Feb. 17-20 Paolo MorgantiCapricorn C804 Paolo Morganti2021Feb. 16-20 Paolo MorgantiCapricorn Paolo Morganti 2020 Feb. 19-23 Eduardo Cabal Serpent Ralph Burch Jr. 2019 Feb. 14-17 DJ Apolaro Capricorn Paolo Morganti 2018 Feb. 14-17 Ralph Burch Jr. Serpent 988 Ralph Burch Jr. 2017 Feb. 15-18 Roniel Regalado Capricorn C803 DJ Apolaro 2016 Feb. 9-13 Paolo Morganti Serpent 977 DJ Apolaro 2015 Mar. 17-21 Ralp Burch Jr. XRAY RX8 Paolo Morganti 2014 Feb. 11-15 Dario Balestri Capricorn Mike Swauger 2013 Feb. 12-16 Paolo Morganti Serpent Mike Swauger 2012 Feb. 14-18 Ralp Burch Jr. XRAY RX8 Ralph Burch Jr. 2011 Feb. 1-6 Mike Swauger XRAY RX8 Mike Swauger 2010 Feb. 7-13 Mike Swauger Mugen MRX-4X Mike Swauger 2009 Feb. 8-14 Paolo Morganti Serpent 966 Mike Swauger 2008 Feb. 11-16 Mike Swauger Mugen MRX-4X Mike Swauger 2007 Feb 11-17 Chris Tosolini Kyosho Evolva Josh Cyrul 2006 Feb. 12-18 Mike Swauger Mugen MRX-4R Mike Swauger 2005 Feb. 6-12 Mike Swauger Mugen MRX-4 Mike Swauger 20042004 race results by Mike Myers Feb. 8-14 Mike Swauger Mugen MRX-3 Ralph Burch Jr. 20032003 race results by Mike Myers Feb. 9-15 Michael Salven Serpent Michael Salven 20022002 race results by Mike Myers Feb. 11-16 Kenji Osaka Mugen Kenji Osaka 20012001 race results by Mike Myers Feb. 12-17 Michael Salven Serpent Ralph Burch Jr. 20002000 race results by Mike Myers Mar. 13-18 Ralph Burch Jr. Serpent Ralph Burch Jr. 19991999 race results by Mike Myers Feb 22-27 Michael Salven Serpent Michael Salven 19981998 race results by Mike Myers Feb 8-14 Michael Salven Serpent Michael Salven 1997 Feb Chris Tosolini BMT 1996 Feb 1995 Feb Ralph Burch Jr. BMT 1994 Feb Michael Salven Serpent Excel Michael Salven 1993 Feb 1992 Feb Ralph Burch Jr. Picco 1991 Feb Michael Salven Serpent 1990 Feb 1989 Feb 1988 Feb 1987 Feb 1986 Feb Ralph Burch Jr. Associated 1985 Feb Art Carbonell Delta 1984 Feb Richard Lee Associated 1983 Feb Ralph Burch Jr. Associated 1982 Feb Ralph Burch Jr. Associated 1981 Feb 1980 Feb 1979 Feb Rick Davis Delta 1978 Feb Art Carbonell Delta 1977 Feb Art Carbonell Delta 1976 Feb
1/10 Scale Sedan
Year Driver Chassis Top Qualifier2026 DJ ApolaroInfinity Michael Palazzola2025 Michael PalazzolaMugen Michael Palazzola2024 Jose AlmonteSerpent Bryce Butterfield2023 Bryce ButterfieldSerpent Bryce Butterfield2022 Chris LefebvreX Ray Chris Lefebvre2021 DJ ApolaroInfinity DJ Apolaro 2020 Jeremiah Ward Serpent 750 Ralph Burch Jr. 2019 DJ Apolaro Capricorn DJ Apolaro 2018 Dominic Greiner Serpent Dominic Greiner 2017 DJ Apolaro Capricorn DJ Apolaro 2016 Paolo Morganti Serpent 747 Paolo Morganti 2015 Paolo Morganti Serpent 747 DJ Apolaro 2014 DJ Apolaro Capricorn DJ Apolaro 2013 DJ Apolaro Capricorn Ralph Burch Jr. 2012 Paul Lemieux XRAY NT1 Ralph Burch Jr. 2011 Ralph Burch Jr. XRAY NT1 Ralph Burch Jr. 2010 Chris Tosolini Serpent 720 Chris Tosolini 2009 DJ Apolaro Serpent 720 Paulo Morganti 2008 Ralph Burch Jr. Xray NT1 Paulo Morganti 2007 Paulo Morganti Serpent 720 Paulo Morganti 2006 Paulo Morganti Serpent 710 Paulo Morganti 2005 Scotty Gray Serpent Michael Salven 2004 Mike Swauger Mugen MTX Michael Salven 2003 Barry Baker Associated Kenji Osaka
1/8 Scale Masters
Year Driver Chassis Top Qualifier2026 Arie MantenInfinity John Leaners2025 George MartinezCapricorn Brad Toffelmire2024 Billy BowermanMugen George Martinez2023 Sal DifazioCapricorn Sal Difazio2022 Peter BretonShepherd Velox Peter Breton2021 Peter BretonShepherd Velox George Martinez 2020 Peter Breton Shepherd Velox Joaquin Desoto 2019 George Martinez Capricorn George Martinez 2018 Don Jones Mugen Chuck Moon 2017 Skip Starkey Xray Rx8 Joaquin Desoto 2016 Joaquin Desoto Serpent Viper 977 Joaquin Desoto 2015 Joaquin Desoto Serpent Viper 977 Joaquin Desoto 2014 Skip Starkey Xray Rx8 Joaquin Desoto 2013 Chuck Moon XRAY RX8 2012 Joaquin Desoto XRAY RX8 Joaquin Desoto 2011 Skip Starkey Mugen MRX-4X Skip Starkey 2010 Randy Colvin Mugen MRX-4X Joaquin Desoto 2009 Maxy Velazco Serpent 966 Maxy Velazco 2008 Jim Sowa Mugen MRX-4X Eli Ezrow 2007 Jim Sowa Mugen MRX-4R Don Jones 2006 Lucas Garneau Mugen MRX-4 Don Jones
1/8 Scale GT
Year Driver Chassis Top Qualifier2026 Jose AlmonteSerpent Carlie Lopez2025 Andrea CatanzaniSerpent Andrea Catanzani2024 Paolo MorgantiIgt8 Paolo Morganti 2023 Jose AlmonteSerpent Carlie Lopez2022 Hector MontanerSworkz Diego Morganti2021 Paolo MorgantiIGT8 2021 Paolo Morganti 2020 Martin Johnson Serpent Cobra GT Dave Larry 2019 Rino Lino IGT8 Rino Lino 2018 Rino Lino IGT8 Rino Lino 2017 Joaquin Desoto Serpent Cobra GT Paolo Morganti 2016 Joaquin Desoto Serpent 811 Rino Lino 2015 Rino Lino IGT8 Joaquin Desoto 2014 Bart Collins Serpent Joaquin Desoto
1/8 Scale GT Electric