The Pit

It was bound to happen, the weather caught up to us and we had to cancel the Maywood Autocross. Being such a good venue the decision was tough, but early morning review of the area showed a lot of water on the course and the rain was steady (even thoguh many people were dry at their houses). The low pressure around the area was going to leave rain swirling through the day and given the speed of this venue it wasn't safe to drive in the rain. So the decision was made to call it. And lucky wer

Being the last autocross of the year, this is also the end of this seasons Triple-cross competition. Since the last event was washed out, the Triple-cross would be scored on the other two autocrosses this year. However, only those who registered and let us know they were attending the last autocross were included in the final scoring.

So who is the winner? Well, after all the scores were tabulated across the groupings, your winner of the 2011 Triple-cross Competition is: Dale Naffziger! Congrats Dale!

We hope everyone had a greate driving season. We look forward to 2012!

After having weather scares all year (and the vast majority ended in good days) we ended up with what could have been the most perfect day for racing. It was particularly important since this was our last track day of the year, we needed to go out with a bang!

The day began with a wonderfully blue sky and a forecast of 80 degrees and sunny with low humidity, you don't get any better than that. Almost 30 people turned up for a day of racing and things proceeded on schedule as planned.

The day started at 8:30am. A drivers meeting took place with our friends from Laps Inc. The track went hot shortly thereafter. The day had its mix of typical spinouts but for the Vipers was fairly uneventful. There was however a Ferrari who was joining Laps Inc who met a less than happy outcome... Several of the Vipers set personal best records, good for you! We had some new folks joining us and instructors were on hand to train and provide tips where needed (even to some of our experienced drivers). Coaching always helps, just like a golf swing, someone else's opinion does matter. There was a massive unlimited class of Vipers, so the group was split into A & B. We might as well be known as the ACR club!

We also had our buddies at SRT come out to join us with some very interesting vehicles - including the yet to be released 2012 Jeep SRT! Everyone was able to check out the cars. The plan was to allow folks to drive them however (for reasons we don't know) the plans had to change on that day. But looking and touching was enough.

The day ended on a very high note. Everyone had plenty of track time, set records, and got lots of practice in. What's important is that everyone had a good time, remained safe, and got better at driving their car. We can't stress enough the good that track days like to do for a driver. It doesn't just make you faster on the track, it makes you better ont he street.

And of course this was also the end to our Triple Crown road course challenge and a champion was once again named. Our points scale is based on your lap times at all three of the road course events and is based on how many people you beat in your class and weighted against other classes. It was a VERY close finish between the top two drivers, but in the end our winner of the 2011 Triple Crown is: Chris Klimowicz!! Congrats Chris, this is a repeat for you!

This was an awesome race season and as always our thoughts turn to next year. The format worked well and we'll likely keep the same recipe. Unless you plan on attending the last autocross coming up next month, we'll see you track rats next year!

Unlimited Class
Ben Madey
Aaron Vanassche
Seth Palatnik
Marshall Dickler
Mike Perkins
Tom Shapiro
Dan Spata
John Gastman
Gary Grube
Vince Cannestra
Manoj Mehta
Dave Catalanelo
Randy Mather
Mark Swanson

2:33.481
2:38.096
2:38.538
2:39.923
2:41.215
2:41.648
2:42.584
2:44.255
2:44.405
2:47.332
2:48.177
2:48.187
2:51.991
2:54.703

Super SRT
None

SRT
Chris Klimowicz
Kim Peterson
Steve Anders
Roger Dittrich
Dan Mehmeti
Paul Krant
Robert Jans

2:45.857
2:50.932
2:55.110
2:59.050
3:03.005
3:04.525
3:12.866

Super Stock
Scott Miller
Tony Conforty
Roy Hallman
Bartt Moriani

2:52.249
3:15.098
3:35.818
3:42.530

Women's Class
Tammie Mather
Barb Dickler

3:05.352
3:33.128

Officers
Alex Ristanovic
Mark Schumann

The Longest Day is truly a weekend to indulge for those who like to drive! For many years the IL VCA has hosted this 2-day event which combines more than one driving discipline. This year we had a new and unique combination of venues for everyone to enjoy. It's rare that after a weekend like this that you want more. It's meant to give us a chance, at least once a year, to say that we've truly had a our fill of racing for a weekend - and this weekend might have been one of the best examples!

Our event began on Friday at Gingerman Raceway, the road course was our first event. People began to arrive the night before and the group got together for some fun (and of course that famous Sherman's ice cream). Friday morning began very dreary, you know the routine - there's always a threat of showers. Well, this time it was understated because for the first few hours the rain was coming down hard and it seemed to be a wash for the day. A decision had to be made on whether we'd call the event, there didn't seem hope. The group broke for lunch and while it was still raining, it had never dampened our spirits. Watching the radar closely, it seemed the strong showers should come to a sudden end in the future, the question is, how far in the future? It was a gamble on whether to wait it out another 1-2 hours which would leave us only a few hours of racing in the afternoon at best. How could we ever make such a tough decision. The solution? Yes, you guessed it - Sherman's Ice Cream. Yes, the group packed up and headed to Sherman's for some of the best ice cream we know of, the group knew this would clear their minds and make the future clear. And as the group was finishing up their ice cream, as with most miracles we witness often on the track, the sun came out with blue skies! Game on!

The track dried up quickly and went hot. It was getting close to 2pm and we knew we could get 3 solid hours of racing in. We combined groups so that we could fit more rounds in for each driver. This worked like a charm. The day ended up being hot and sunny and the cars were racing full steam. For a relatively short day, folks actually got some good runs in. The last group finished their runs at 5pm and day 1 of the Longest Day was in the books.

One of the fun parts about the Longest Day is the overnight. The evening is part of the fun since the club caravans together from one track to the next and there's always an evening activity. The group reached the South Bend hotel in about an hour. Everyone checked in and freshened up in their rooms. The club arranged for a dinner gathering to blow off some steam at Tippecanoe Place. This was a treat as it was a massive mansion originally owned and built by the Studebakers. This was a wild place with over 40 rooms, 20 fireplaces, and woodwork that blows your mind. It's now a restaurant and a show piece, and the club had its own room assigned for dinner. The meal was served and the wine was most definitely flowing as the group had an absolute killer time. Thank God we had our own room, we weren't the quietest group in the place... After dinner, people are allowed to browse around the mansion and it's 7 floors. It was really something that left folks in awe and a great place to end the day. Everyone headed back to the hotel for some much needed shut eye.

Day 2 began in the early morning with track setup. Our venue was the Tirerack, a place we've visited in the distant past and now a wonderful return with our friends from the IN VCA. The Tirerack facility has a rather large test track. It made setup of the course fairly easy. It already had track patterns, so it only needed to be fitted with a few cones. The asphalt was perfect and the course was FAST, a definite treat for our members.

Cars began to arrive around 8:00am. The forecast looked like trouble but as always we moved ahead. By 9am, the track went hot and cars were hitting the course. The sun was out and we were off to the races. We began with a morning session that gave each driver 6 runs and a parade lap. The group was broken out into sets of 4 drivers who could rotate and continually hit the track for their next session without missing a beat.

The morning session ran so smoothly that as lunch was ordered we moved to the afternoon session and we decided to throw in another 9 runs! The sun was out and it was a perfect day, the group was having the time of their lives. Once again the run groups really moved quickly and before we knew it, we finished the next 9 rounds and it was only just after 1:30pm! The final run was completed and the group headed inside for a little treat. Pizza was paid for by the club but that wasn't the only treat in store. Thanks for our friend from Tirerack - Luke arranged to provide us a very nice tour of the operation. The group really was amazed at this place, it was massive.  The story of Tirerack was also quite intriguing. The group was led on a guided tour through the building and its warehouse and ended up at the front of the building.

Everyone was quite satisfied with the day and we were well ahead of schedule. Everyone began to pack up while the scores for the weekend were being tabulated. Once everyone was packed up, we had a brief awards session and said our goodbyes. It was an absolutely great weekend, people were absolutely fulfilled as is always the case. Ooooh, I bet you're wondering who our overall winner across the whole weekend was. Well, your 2011 winner of the Longest Day Competition is... Aaron Vanassche!!! Congrats Aaron!

Unlimited Class
Aaron Vanassche
Marshall Dickler
Seth Palatnik
Tom Shapiro
Dan Spata
Gary Grube
John Gastman
Vince Cannestra
Randy Mather
Jim Robertson
Manoj Mehta

1:30.836
1:31.268
1:31.461
1:33.668
1:33.731
1:35.553
1:35.709
1:39.637
1:42.439
1:50.526
N/A

Super SRT
None

SRT
Chris Klimowicz
Kim Peterson
Dave Catalanelo
Paul Krant
Roger Dittrich

1:35.933
1:39.155
1:39.664
1:46.740
1:47.828

Super Stock
None

Women's Class
Barb Dickler

2:11.348

Officers
Alex Ristanovic
Mark Schumann

Unlimited Class
Aaron Vanassche
Gary Grube
Dan Spata
John Gastman
Vince Cannestra
Marshall Dickler
Jim Robertson
Randy Mather

45.124
45.184
45.531
45.777
46.291
47.159
48.709
48.746

Super SRT
None

SRT
Chris Klimowicz
Roger Dittrich
Dave Catalanelo
Paul Krant
Kim Peterson
Steve Anders
Rob Buckman

47.170
47.708
47.963
48.184
48.352
48.413
48.746

Super Stock
Nate Barnhill

49.046

Women's Class
Kristina Ristanovic
Jamie Buckman
Tammie Mather
Barb Dickler

47.783
49.860
50.947
56.482

Officers
Alex Ristanovic
Mark Schumann

As seems to be the norm, we luck out with weather and again have an absolutely spectacular day! Our location was Rockford Speedway and the group had quite a unique autocross setup for them as they arrived. With almost 30 drivers, we had a full group and the day moved along perfectly.

Rockford is unusual because of the use of its embankments which are worked into the course design. It's also different because of its criss-crosses and long straight-aways which are also used as part of the course. And in the end, this particular course was fast-fast-fast with lots of throttle use!

The day began promptly at 9am. There was a brief drivers meeting and we were off to the races. The autocross was run in groups of 4 cars. Things moved along swiftly as we had one complete pass of drivers  doing a parade lap and then 6 timed laps.

Around 11:00am, the concession stand opened (was actually great food), however we continued running through lunch to try to get people maximum laps and still beat out any chance of rain. Everyone was given another wave of laps for the afternoon. Cars again began to line up for the next wave of runs. The track had warmed up and the tire were screeching loudly (and engines were roaring!)

Despite thunderstorm warnings, there wasn't a drop of rain and the clouds even helped provide some cover from the sun (and also helped generate some wind!). There wasn't a single incident and everyone seemed to have a great time. The driving was excellent, as evidenced by close times. A few different battles ensued as the timing came down to hundredths of a second in several cases! Wow!

This autocross couldn't have gone smoother. We have to say particularly to all those men (and ladies) who helped with everything from setup to corner-working. You guys are amazing, it make the day run smoothly. It doesn't go any better!

Unlimited Class
Dale Naffziger
John Gastman
Gary Grube
Dan Spata
Vince Cannestra

46.210
46.215
46.713
47.170
47.175

Super SRT
Randy Mather
Jay Joshi

48.813
50.835

SRT
Kim Peterson
Roger Dittrich
Paul Krant
Dave Catalanelo
Chris Bond
Steve Anders
Rob Buckman

47.395
48.386
48.438
48.964
49.103
50.201
50.323

Super Stock
Andy Ferguson
Shane Cichy
Jim Cichy
Bill Kennedy
Nathan Barnhill
Ken Paul
Larry Bond
Roy Hallman

46.881
46.952
48.236
49.315
49.453
56.838
59.169
59.462

Women's Class
Kristina Ristanovic
Jamie Buckman
Tammie Mather

47.154
50.752
52.369

Officers
Alex Ristanovic
Mark Schumann

How many times have we said don't trust the weather man?? Reading all of our past afterglows fort track and autocross days it's hard to remember how many times we actually got rain that interfered with us - but it's easy to recall the vast number of events that we had bad forecasts that ended up just fine. This was a great example!

Threat of rain (and even hail) plagued forecasts for this event. While we do share the track (in different run groups) with Laps Inc, many of their people didn't show. However, our Viper gang came out with 20+ drivers even though things weren't looking good. The morning looked dismal as the clouds loomed. The rain came down and track was wet in the early morning. Members checked in and the first few run groups were wet, but it was still good for practice.

However, around 10:00am the rain was done and track was drying. And by 11am the clouds were breaking for sun and the Vipers were already running full force. No one could believe the perfect day - and the temps were excellent. And with so many of the Laps cars not showing up, the Vipers had this entire track pretty much to itself all day (a track that can usually take 80+ cars in an event).

The day wore on and it was nothing but sun. Given the extensive time people had to play on the track, many people set all-time personal records. We also had some of our VCA brothers from other regions also join us (some from great distances) and it ended up being a great experience for them.

In the end, this was actually one of the best days we've ever had racing at Autobahn given the temps and lack of non-Vipers on the track. Everyone got lots of runs in and got a chance to play on the course. It just goes to show you, you can't trust the weatherman. Trust the car Gods, they always keep us happy on race day!

Unlimited Class
Aaron Vanassche
Gary Grube
Tom Shapiro
Mike Perkins
Vince Cannestra
Dave Catalanello
John Gastman
Randy Mather
Bernie Paul

2:39.079
2:41.388
2:43.561
2:44.397
2:49.482
2:49.647
2:50.927
2:51.277
2:59.439

Super SRT
None

SRT
Chris Klimowicz
Kim Peterson
Alex Paul
Roger Dittrich
Steve Anders
Paul Krant
Frank Palazzo
Robert Jans

2:46.588
2:54.425
3:00.301
3:02.084
3:02.911
3:10.111
3:30.498
4:52.226

Super Stock
Jack Klimowicz
Tammie Mather
Roy Hallman

3:03.190
3:04.000
3:25.807

Officers
Alex Ristanovic
Mark Schumann

Our first official autocross of the year kicked off in grand style. Our location was one of our favorite places – Maywood Park in Melrose Park, Illinois. The weather was cooperating, and after that scorching Women’s Day event, we ended up having another beautiful blue skied day – but with 70 degree tempts (a stiff wind which made it feel even cooler). We were blessed again. But then there was the course – this was no blessing for those expecting an easy drive! First off, the course was setup an entirely different way. The start is where the finish used to be, and much better use was made of the space. This may have one of our more technical courses in some time (and a long one to boot!). It had some high speed runs, some tight turns, some extensive transitions, and some large sweeping turns.

It had everything, but most of all, it required a memory! The course was no quickie and would separate the men from the boys as it was well over a minute long.

The day started on time and with a lot of drivers! The day was well attended with nearly 40 individual drivers. The ladies came out strong as we had a ladies class as well. We also had many rookies come out for their first autocross (apologies for it being one of the tougher ones we did!). We expected to give everyone a parade lap to start and do 10 additional runs (this is a lot – especially on a large/long course). And for the first time we cranked up some music in the background – something we’ve always been dying to do. The stage was set.

People were broken up into groups of four. They would take their parade lap and then their first 6 runs. As the first group went out, two things were clear – you needed to memorize the course first and simply expect to hit a few cones! Everyone was leery upon their first few initial runs as they learned the layout of the course. There were some sneaky cones setup to challenge people at particular times – so it would prove to be a cone punisher of an event!

The day wore on and as people got comfortable and had the course burned into their heads, the tires began to squeal. The course got fast as people began to pin the throttles in many places. There were also many tests of strong braking and quick cornering. And yes there were those particular cones laid in places knowing that a car sliding a bit too far would need to tap it – over and over again. This might have been a good thing since so many are afraid to push their cars because of cones, sometimes it helps just getting it out of the way and knocking a few over (or in some cases, punt a few across the field!).

The day almost wore on without a hitch, until a wind gust blew over our big timing display and also our speaker/PA system. Luckily quality equipment endured and things continued without too many other problems. By the end of the way cars were sliding sideways, smoking tires, and roaring. It was a good day of performance driving for everyone, it taught you something even though you weren’t in the mood to learn. The course really tested EVERYONE… Our best drivers walked away with bruised and battered egos. It’s all about car control!

Big thanks to all the usual folks who help tremendously during the event. There are so many people who help with setup, run the grid, run the equipment, etc.. And then thanks to all of the rest of you who corner work, pick up cones, and help chalk. Can’t wait until the next event. We’ll be back in Maywood at the end of the year. We have something nearly opposite in mind for the next Maywood autocross – stay tuned…!

Unlimited Class
Dale Naffziger
Dan Spata
John Gastman
Tom Shapiro
Gary Grube
Vince Cannestra
Randy Mather
Pat Youngs

1:08.863
1:11.970
1:12.342
1:12.766
1:13.238
1:13.859
1:14.917
1:15.851

Super SRT
Jay Joshi
Jim Hampton
Rick Manfredonia

1:16.446
1:17.036
1:18.106

SRT
Paul Krant
Howie Frank
Kim Peterson
Roger Dittrich
David Catalanello
Matt Delawder
Steve Anders
Rob Buckman

1:11.661
1:12.393
1:13.179
1:13.878
1:14.587
1:16.642
1:17.212
1:17.601

Super Stock
Shane Cichy
Jeff Siegrist
Clark Krieger
Andy Ferguson
Jim Cichy
Scott Miller
Bill Kennedy
Steve Hill
Nathan Barnhill
Jeremy Riviera
Roy Hallman

1:11.131
1:12.474
1:12.545
1:12.577
1:13.042
1:14.126
1:14.150
1:14.265
1:14.476
1:14.528
1:33.309

Women's Class
Kristina Ristanovic
Jamie Buckman
Tammie Mather
Toni Manfredonia
Ingrid Hampton

1:13.845
1:16.521
1:17.673
1:28.886
1:30.232

Officers
Alex Ristanovic
Mark Schumann

This might have been one of the best and most gratifying Women's Day Performance Driving events in our clubs history. The weather the perfect, there were many participants, it was held at the Chrysler Assembly plant, and we were also lucky enough to get a treat included in our day - thanks to our friends at Chrysler. It was a blast! The Women's Day event is focused only on the ladies and created to help get the girls acclimated to driving Vipers. It's here that a girl can learn to drive stick and get taught the basics of car control. The girls are always amazed that by the end of the day they're pushing these cars like the guys. And best of all, everything is free to everyone, the club subsidizes all costs! And the girls came out in force!

The day began in the early morning with the setup for the event. Members began to arrive at 7:30am and began to congregate at the club tent. By 9am all the pieces were in place and we were ready to go.

Initially the girls are paired up with instructors to help teach them how to drive stick. Those simply needing a refresher are also offered instructors.

A large Chrysler lot served as the perfect place for these sessions, but the fun was only beginning. As girls were practicing their basic skills on driving a manual trans, the performance driving was also slated to begin.

As is typical, three obstacle courses are setup to teach particular driving skills. First up was a slalom, it teaches transitions, smoothness, and car control at speed. Second was a skid pad, it was a 80 foot large circle that allowed the ladies to get a feel for the Vipers grip and learn it's limits of adhesion. Lastly was a mini autocross course, this taught acceleration, braking, and cornering. The girls would each get 2 minutes at each station. Accompanied by instructors, they were led through the obstacle courses, mastering each discipline along the way. It was an unbelievable morning. The girls were pumped and attacked the obstacles after getting their confidence - tires were screeching. This went on all morning so the girls could get a real feel for handling the car.

At 11:30, there was a special treat in store. The IL VCA and Chrysler arranged a tour of their plant (which was recently rehabbed)! This was a big deal, as we got to go behind the walls of this now very sophisticated plant. It was amazing. No pictures were allowed to be taken, but everyone was truly taken back by the high level of technology and quality. Half of our group was taken on the 30 minute tour (the other half would take it at 12:15). What an eye opener this was for many, and everyone was truly thankful for this unique opportunity.

Another treat arrived at 12:00 - pizza for everyone. The club popped for Rosati's pizza and it was a great midday treat, meant to create a break not only for participants, but also so the VCA leadership could make a significant change for the afternoon... As we've done before, the obstacles were all linked up during lunch to create one massive autocross course! The course is every bit as large, fast, and difficult as the ones the guys do. And the girls had no fear because they had the proper building blocks.

The afternoon continued with the full blown race so that the girls could truly get the feel of the combined challenge. Simultaneously, the next tour was arranged and the rest of the members got a chance to tour the plant. The afternoon wore on, and the weather was just as wonderful - with unbelievable blue skies, 80 degrees, a nice breeze, and no humidity in the air. The girls were UNBELIEVALBE. The autocross was timed to give the ladies the full experience. It was unreal as 85% of the girls fell a mere 6-7 seconds apart from each other (we think the men may need a day like this!). It was truly a joy to participate, but watching the girls chat about technique, clap for each other as they crossed the finish line, and support each other was amazing. The guys also deserve a hats off for helping with instruction, corner working, setup, and more. But how could we not let them try it just a little, they deserved it. So the last part of the day was reserved for them. The guys lined up, and it was the usual tire screecher. The guys truly had a ball. We managed to get the guys through the course many times - everyone pretty much had 6+ runs (with the ladies totaling 9 plus all the individual obstacle runs they had). A lot was accomplished!