Two New US WRTC Leaders As K1TO, K5NA Join W9RE, K7RL At Top of Qualifying Battle

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted May 19, 2008

The results of the 2007 WPX CW and 2007 November Sweepstakes SSB contests led to a shakeup in two of the four US qualifying sections for the 2010 World Radiosport Team Championships in Russia, as WRTC vets K1TO and K5NA jumped into the lead in their respective regions.

In the latest WRTC results produced by radio-sport.net, Dan Street K1TO used his 2007 WPX CW top score to add 740 points, as he surged into the lead in NA #1 with 5,035.

WPX CW was a meaningful test in that East Coast region, as the top four operators all scored well, moving them up in the rankings.

Behind Street are three PVRC members, Mark Bailey KD4D, Howie Hoyt N4AF and Rich DiDonna NN3W now occupy second, third and fourth place.

April leader Randy Thompson K5ZD is now back in fifth place, but his top finishes last winter seem certain to move him back up in the standings in coming months.

Just over 300 points separates the top seven ops in NA #1, as they compete for three WRTC team leader slots. Here are the top five as of May 2008:

NA #1 includes W1, W2, W3 and part of W4.

• K1TO 5,035 - (8 scores)

• KD4D 4,893 - (8 scores)

• N4AF 4,786 - (8 scores)

• NN3W 4,756 - (8 scores)

• K5ZD 4,722 - (8 scores)

Check out the radio-sport.net results spreadsheet for NA #1

In NA #2, Mike Wetzel W9RE continues to hold his lead despite minimal efforts in the Sweepstakes SSB and WPX CW contests, as W9RE and K9NW continue to hold the edge for the two qualifying slots from this US region.

Making some rumblings in third place though is Jerry Rosalius WB9Z, who used a regional win in SS SSB to add 700 points and pull with 450 points of second place.

Here are the top five ops from NA #2: NA #2 has some of W4 along with W8 and W9.

• W9RE 5,641 - (8 scores)

• K9NW 5,155 - (8 scores)

• WB9Z 4,703 - (7 scores)

• W9IU 4,128 - (8 scores)

• K8MR 3,719 - (8 scores)

Check out the full results spreadsheet for NA #2

Over in NA #3, there was a bit of shakeup in the standings, as Richard King K5NA used top points in both SS SSB and WPX CW to leap over Steve London N2IC and into first place.

K5NA and N2IC have a comfortable edge over Jim George N3BB, who dropped from first to third after not posting a score in the WPX SSB last year.

Here are the top five in NA #3, where two team leader slots are available for WRTC 2010:

NA #3 is W5 and W0.

• K5NA 4,561 - (7 scores)

• N2IC 4,466 - (6 scores)

• N3BB 4,008 - (8 scores)

• K5PI 3,740 - (8 scores)

• W5WMU 3,627- (8 scores)

Check the radio-sport.net results spreadsheet for NA #3 2008.

In NA #4, the story is the rise of WRTC vet Dan Craig N6MJ, who chalked up top scores in both the SS SSB and WPX CW from 2007, and is now only 181 points out of second place, behind Bob Wolbert K6XX and leader Mitch Mason K7RL.

Also hot on the heels of the top three is Ken Widelitz K6LA, who is 400 points behind N6MJ. Widelitz had the top score in NA #5 in WPX CW from his outpost at VY2TT and will try to repeat that in 2008.

Only two team leader slots are available from NA #4 in what is sure to be a competitive run through the 2009 Russian DX Contest.

NA #4 is W6, W7 and KL7.

• K7RL 5,605 - (8 scores)

• K6XX 5,442 - (8 scores)

• N6MJ 5,261 - (6 scores)

• K6LA 4,863 - (8 scores)

• K6AM 4,265 - (8 scores)

Review the radio-sport.net results spreadsheet for NA #4