Most Competitive Event

[twan]

What has been the most competitive event in racing history? By "most competitive" I mean which event has seen the narrowest time differential between first and fifth place. Technically, the closest five teams could finish is a 5-way tie for first. (Or, if there are no ties, 5 hundredths of a second would be the closest possible separation for the top 5.)

It appears that .04 is the narrowest span between first and fifth place. Based on the records that are available we have been able to find one time when this has happened.

1976 State Drill @ Watertown: 3 Man Ladder: First Place Central Islip 6.59, tie for 4th & 5th 6.63 West Sayville & Ilion

A span of .05 has happened twice:
1980 State Drill @ Hempstead: 3 Man Ladder: First Place (tie) Hempstead YH & East Meadow 6.32, 5th Place Central Islip 6.37
1992 South Shore Drill @ Lindenhurst: B-Hose: First place Lindenhurst 8.15, 5th Place Patchogue 8.20.

For access to these scorecards, please visit www.fdarchive.com.

Of course, records from the 40's - 70's are incomplete, so it's very possible that .04 has been beaten. However, as of today, this is the most accurate information we have. Please continue to check the archives to see if there are more .04 & .05 spans out there. Or, better yet, to see if there has been an event in which teams finished faster than .04 between 1st - 5th.


Disclaimer: This thread was originally made in 2007. After years of research, I have updated this first post to include the most up-to-date information. The replies that you'll read below happened as the research was being done.

[twan]

Found a few more... Guess I'll answer my own question for now...

1992 Farmingville Invite: B-Ladder: .10 between 1st-5th: 5.19-5.29

1992 CI Invite: B-Ladder: .09 between 1st-5th: 5.07-5.16

1995 State @ Clayton: B-Ladder: .09 between 1st-5th. 5.10-5.19

1997 CI Invite: B-Ladder: .11 between 1st-5th. 5.13-5.24

[twan]

I think I found the winner:

1992 South Shore Drill at Lindenhurst 8/1/92. B-Hose: .05 between 1st-5th. 8.15-8.20.

[F-Man]

That South Shore Drill might have been one of the closest drills ever:

3-Man Ladder: .20 between 1st-5th: 6.26-6.46
B-Ladder: .12 between 1st-5th: 5.05-5.17
C-Ladder: .36 between 1st-5th: 9.01-9.37
C-Hose: .65 between 1st-5th: 12.96-13.61
B-Hose: .05 between 1st-5th: 8.15-8.20
Efficiency: .33 between 1st-5th: 9.49-9.82
Motor Pump: .56 between 1st-5th: 6.17-6.73
Buckets: 1.76 between 1st-5th: 21.37-23.13

[Dan Laverty]

Very interesting facts Twan. So true, so true.

[minic95]

N.Y. State 1980

3 man ladder
first place tie of 6.32
fifth place 6.37

now i swear to god twan get off the shed!

[twan]

Found one faster than .05...

1976 State Drill @ Watertown. 3 man ladder

1st: CI 6.59.... Tie for 4th/5th: WSay & Ilion 6.63

.04 span 1st-5th.

[PPS1]

That's current NYP&DTCA President Kevin Wheelock's Illion Road Runners team. I believe the last Northern team to place in a state drill?

[Historian]

Thanks Twan, putting the full court press on the Historian!!

No record in the Archive, but I recall the B-ladder contest in the 1985 Riverhead Invitational being very, very close. Everyone with .07.... Unusual for that contest.

Any scorecards? Recollection? Bueller? Bueller?

[scando1000]

nose trivia question . when was the last time a northern team placed in the top 5 of a motorized drill with Nassau and Suffolk teams there???

[chompers]

2006 Deerfield invite all areas placed in the top 5

[twan]

Aug 6, 2014 18:59:06 GMT -5 Historian said:

Thanks Twan, putting the full court press on the Historian!!

No record in the Archive, but I recall the B-ladder contest in the 1985 Riverhead Invitational being very, very close. Everyone with .07.... Unusual for that contest.

Any scorecards? Recollection? Bueller? Bueller?

Unfortunately the 1985 Riverhead Drill is not available on fdarchive.com. So, someone will have to dig up an old scorecard to verify that one. I'd love to see it.

[TOM]

I could not find anything from 1985 Riverhead in b ladder. Riverhead held an old fashion tourney that year. In 1989 in Riverhead first place in b ladder was a 5:12, then 5:19, 5:20, 5:23 and a 5:25. Maybe this was it. Tom, Stat

[Riverhead]

That has to be it Tom. Riverhead began hosting motorized drills in 1988.

[Historian]

Yup...that must be it. Thanks Tom Stats... (That shall ever be your name...)

Can you tell us who ran those times?