WRTC USA: Two New Leaders As K5ZD, N2IC Jump; W9RE, K7RL Remain Tops in Other Regions

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted October 18, 2008

With three new contest results added to WRTC qualifying numbers for the US, two of the four regional leaders stayed on top, while some very familiar calls now lead NA #1 and NA #3.

In the largest US qualifying region, the East Coast NA #1 battle now has Randy Thompson K5ZD in the lead, thanks to his double regional wins in last year's CQ WW DX Contests. That gives him three 950's from CQ WW.

Jumping into second place is another WRTC vet Andy Blank N2NT, who also used a 950 from last year's CQ WW CW test. He trails by just over 300 points.

Three team leader slots are available from NA #1, and for now that is owned by past leader Rich DiDonna NN3W, who is 74 points behind Blank.

Several other operators in NA #1 still have a chance to bust their way into the top three, like Dan Street K1TO (now in fourth), Krassy Petkov K1LZ (in sixth) and John Crovelli W2GD (in seventh.)

Further back, but certainly not out of this race are Doug Grant K1DG in 12th and Jeff Briggs K1ZM in 19th, who had a run of strong finishes in the US earlier this year that will certainly move him up the ladder.

Here are the top five as of October 2008:

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

• K5ZD 6,003 - (8 scores)

• N2NT 5,690 - (8 scores)

• NN3W 5,626 - (8 scores)

• K1TO 5,547 - (8 scores)

• K4ZW 5,207 - (8 scores)

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

While the top slots changed hands again in NA #1, it's the same story once again in this latest update in NA #2.

Leader Mike Wetzel W9RE churned out his third 950 WRTC score from the 2007 CQ WW SSB contest, strengthening his hold on first place.

Two team leader slots are at stake in NA #2, and that battle continues to be between Mike Tessmer K9NW and Jerry Rosalius WB9Z. Tessmer got the best of his rival in this latest update, as K9NW made it back to second by 66 points.

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

• W9RE 6,360 - (8 scores)

• K9NW 5,336 - (8 scores)

• WB9Z 5,270 - (8 scores)

• W9IU 4,202 - (8 scores)

• K8GL 4,194 - (8 scores)

Check out the full results spreadsheet for NA #2

In NA #3, the lead changed hands with this latest update, as another pair of strong finishes in last year's CQ WW DX Contests has given Steve London N2IC the lead in this WRTC region.

London now has three 950 WRTC scores, plus a 900, as West Coast interloper Dan Craig N6MJ's performance at K5TR in CQ WW SSB last year kept N2IC from a 950 sweep.

Two team leader slots are up for grabs and right now the battle for the second slot is between Central Texas friends, as Richard King K5NA leads Jim George N3BB by 242 points.

Their multi-single operation last year in CQ WW CW earned them another 855 points and kept them in the hunt overall. Here are the top five in NA #3:

NA #3 is W5 and W0.

• N2IC 6,316 - (8 scores)

• K5NA 5,551 - (8 scores)

• N3BB 5,309 - (8 scores)

• KU1CW 4,946 - (8 scores)

• K5PI 4,584 - (8 scores)

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

The top two stayed the same again in the west of the US, as Mitch Mason K7RL added to his advantage by claiming a 950 WRTC top score in the 2007 CQ WW SSB contest, adding over 300 points to his leading total.

Still in second, but a bit closer is Bob Wolbert K6XX, who had a 916 WRTC score from the 2007 CQ WW CW test. That helped K6XX stay ahead of Dan Craig N6MJ, who spun a 950 as well.

For now though, Craig is on the outside looking in, as NA #4 has only two team leader slots available.

Two well known calls are back in fourth and fifth, those of Ken Widelitz K6LA and John Barcroft ZF2AM.

Here are the top five in NA #4, which comprises W6, W7 and KL7.

• K7RL 6,141 - (8 scores)

• K6XX 5,903 - (8 scores)

• N6MJ 5,641 - (8 scores)

• K6LA 5,288 - (8 scores)

• K6AM 4,919 - (8 scores)

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

There are two qualifying events left for stations in the US and Canada, but results must also still come in from seven contests that were held earlier this year (Russian DX, WPX CW, WPX SSB, IARU, WAE CW, WAE SSB and the September NA SSB Sprint.)

The unofficial results produced here by radio-sport.net include the final published results of the 2006 and 2007 IARU, the 2006 and 2007 WAE CW and WAE SSB, 2006 and 2007 CQ WW CW and SSB contests, 2007 and 2008 ARRL DX SSB & CW, 2007 Russian DX, 2007 CQ WPX SSB and CW contests, 2007 November Sweepstakes, the 2007 NA Sprints and three of the four NA Sprints in 2008.