The Pit

We’ve been at it for quite a few years, and what a privilege it’s been. Our club has been a huge fan of the Dodge Viper of course, but also fans of all the SRT products. But in reality, we’re actually the biggest fans of our boys at SRT who design and build these fine machines!

Every year the IL VCA has the honor of maintaining a tradition of competition directly with the SRT executives. We also have the honor of doing the driving on their own Chrysler Proving Grounds! The custom goes back a decade. This year our competition took place on an October 6th morning, and what a day it was! To give a little history, the last two events were drowned in rain and bitter cold. This year, sunny and nearly ninety degrees!! And we liked it hot! This year we brought 19 of our drivers, SRT matching that number. It was going to be a battle to the end…

The weekend began as most club members gathered at fellow member Mark Les’s business (Midwest Car Exchange). It was a good place to meet on the way to Chelsea. Mark also kept a good eye on our cars while we were away. We caravanned in a few cars that included Robert Salus’s SUV, Howie’s coach, and Gary’s BMW. It was a swift trip, no traffic. We checked into our hotel and awaited dinner that night.

Our adventure kicked off with a club hosted dinner for all the attending members. Alex picked a new venue, the Chelsea Grille. We had our own dining room that had more than enough space for everyone, very nice place. We even had special guests as a good handful of our SRT friends joined us! During dinner we shared laughs and of course a little “trash talk”. Toward the end of a really great meal, special commemorative “Fastest of the Fast” shirts were handed out to all competitors (designed by Alex and printed by Howie). With smiles on all our faces, we then retreated to our corners… umm… rooms. The stage was set. We'd be dreaming of what was coming tomorrow!

The morning began at 7:30am. IL VCA members met in the lobby and caravanned to the Chrysler Proving Grounds. After being cleared at the gate, we drove to the “black lake” where we saw 40 acres of concrete and one of the largest autocross courses in history!! Built by the SCCA themselves, this course took 15 minutes JUST TO WALK! Being one of the fastest courses in existence, it still took a minute and a half to drive! This was going to be nuts, none of us saw anything like it.

The lines were drawn. All members would get three chances to lay down their best times. After that, the top 5 drivers would be selected from each team. While the remaining folks still got another three laps, the top 5 only got a 2 lap shootout to determine the winner. There were two things at stake, individual top 10 trophies and the overall crown for the fastest team.

As always, SRT supplies the cars. Folks, we had three beautiful 2008 cars to compete with. What a treat for members! It really leveled the playing field across the board and gave us a chance to really drive these great 600hp machines.

Early on, SRT came out hard, knowing the track a bit. They truly had some skills, with serious autocross experience on their team. The IL gang took it slow as they learned the course. At the halfway mark, team SRT was leading with a decent margin.

The IL club arranged a great lunch under a canopy right next to the track. While the cars cooled, everyone enjoyed a great meal and shared more competitive words with each other. Everyone reveled in the great day we were having. A special banner was also designed to commemorate the event, everyone in attendance signed it for later auction.

The driving was back on. The top 5 drivers from each team were picked. Everyone else would get three laps (that went toward the overall score). The top drivers got only 2 to prove themselves. In the end, there was some hard driving. The IL gang knew they had a lot to overcome, so they went out HARD and took some risks. When the smoke cleared the results were obvious. The overall winners for this year, team SRT!

They did well. The top three fastest times also team SRT. Our brave IL VCA top drivers put in good times (Ron Adee, Alex Ristanovic, Jimmy Walker, Mack Schumann, and Bill Sampognaro) but it just wasn’t good enough against the boys from Detroit.

The day ended with handshakes and congratulations. Of course in exchange for the “winner” shirt we have them, we always ask to be invited back. Seems like we may have another shot in 2008…

In the end, we went through 22 tires!! Holy cow. This event was a true joy. Many new members to this competition joined us this day and had the fun of driving against SRT. The 2008’s were fantastic!!! We had a ball. Thank you SRT for everything! And yes… we’ll be seeing you next year…

Our driving season started with many “firsts” in 2007... A new competition, several new venues, new members, new records, and a new spirit for performance driving. Now, the Rockford Speedway autocross event marks some “lasts” for 2007… It’s the last leg of the Triple-cross Autocross Challenge and the last IL VCA hosted driving event for this year. What better way than to take a chance and go out with a bang on not only a new venue, but a drastic departure from what we’ve done!

The Rockford Speedway autocross event was a marvelous day! The weather while starting out cold in the early hours (those setting up the course at 6:00am were shivering) ended up being perfect with a clear blue sky and 70 degree temperature! Couldn’t be better as the Vipers began to arrive and heat up the place!

This was our first time at Rockford. It added a nice feeling of formality and pride seeing the steep embankments and grandstands! We had the whole stadium to ourselves! As members arrived and parked their cars in the pits outside the stadium, they would peer into the speedway to see what was to come.

The course was setup to target a 45 second run. Because of the design only one car could run the course at a time. For this reason a total of 9 runs were planned to fit the target end time. The design laid the track out in way that included three slaloms, many twists and turns, and three runs up through the banked track! Wow. We can say that on cold tires people were a bit timid at first, but it wouldn’t take long for tires (and confidence) to warm up to the challenge… Spectating was easy with the wonderful grandstands on both sides of the track, as well as an observation deck right over the starting line. There were plenty of great photo ops for everyone to take.

The club members were set and everyone settled in. It was a huge day for attendance. We had 35 drivers, several new comers, many additional club members who just drove in to watch, family members, and many non-club spectators arriving to watch the fray! How can you lose with support like that! Needless to say even with the crowd, there was plenty of room. Excitement was high.

We started with a drivers meeting at 8:30am and the course went hot by 9:00am. The first cars went out, the track started slow as people learned the layout. It was indeed the first time we’ve seen the IL region members so composed!! They respected the venue and found it challenging. As things heated up and comfort level was established, it wasn’t long before tires started to screech and lap times came down. More than a couple cones were sent flying. As always, the day was filled with laughter as drivers pushed themselves and their cars. Members were definitely having fun, a different energy was abound as so much was different about this event.

You had to see these things. They look like little cars for kids, but given the 1 seat design and proximity to the ground, a full grown man could squeeze himself in for a fun time! These were no toys, they we’re rounding the small oval at 70+ mph. They wore slicks and loud little engines.

The little cars hit the track and started with a few warm up laps. A few minutes into it, they then began a very cool display of bumper to bumper racing. By looking at photos of these cars going around the track, it would look like you’re at a Nascar event. But have an object (like an autocross cone or a person standing next to the car) and you’d get an idea of the scale we’re talking about!

The cars had a great time sliding all over the track and chasing each other down. Members piled into the grandstands to enjoy the break and watch the fun. We watched the race for about 30 minutes, and then the mini cars exited the track.

It was now the afternoon and the track was nice and hot. The IL region vipers hit the pavement and continued with their fun. All the run groups went on to complete another 4 laps before the checkered flag came out for the end of the event.

While we had a handful of members who had to leave in the middle of the day and some who had already packed up their cars in their trailers, the majority of members were in for a treat as a nice photo opp was planned before the award ceremonies.

It’s been a while (perhaps VOI) since we’ve had an interesting venue to serve as a real backdrop. Some quick coordination led to a nice arrangement of cars up all along the embankment. The track doesn’t look too steep because it was taken by someone standing on the embankment themselves, but it was steep! (The official photo was later taken by our club photographer and will be published in our newsletter.) It was an effort getting the cars up on the embankment, it was so steep that some cars were skidding their tires for grip as they climbed. Finally we were ready... click! And another great memory is added intot he record books!

Our exit from the track was fun! With the cones being cleared off already, the oval was completely clear, you know what that means… As we allowed the cars to pull off, we told them they could take a parade lap. Of course for the IL club, this means pedal to the floor. Members had a great time flying through the turns high up on the embankment and feeling the g-forces it creates. Some took their opportunity to sign the track in rubber with burnouts and spins. A quiet exit… it was not.

Next up were the awards. In a way it was a sad moment for many of us because it’ll be well into next year that we do this again. But the results were great! Awards were handed out for the days driving event. And since this was the last event for the Triple-cross Autocross Challenge, the class winners were announced for the competition. We also had several people beat the President for some additional Club Spirit award points this year (Mark Schumann, John Gastman, Dale, and Ron). Our overall winner was also finally crowned, your winner for the first annual 2007 Triple-cross Autocross Challenge is... Mark Schumann! Congrats to Mark and all the winners! Thanks for a great year everyone!

Unlimited
Mark Schumann (1st)
Dale Naffziger (2nd)
Ron Adee (3rd)
Steve Loudin

43.341
43.420
43.924
44.277

Super SRT
John Gastman (1st)
Jimmy Walker (2nd)
Bill Lamb (3rd)
Tom Shapiro
Cameron Hohn

44.037
44.826
45.804
46.544
46.652

SRT - Group A
Jeremy Walker (1st)
Gary Grube (2nd)
Joe Baessler Jr. (3rd)
Bernie Paul
Roger Massie

44.542
44.767
45.882
47.351
49.645

SRT - Group B
Mark Leszczynski (1st)
Glenn Davis (2nd)
Vince Cannestra (3rd)
Dan Mehmeti
Joe Baessler Sr.
David Catalanello

45.993
46.709
46.968
47.748
48.699
48.971

Super Stock - Group A
Kim Peterson (1st)
Al English (2nd)
Bill Kennedy (3rd)
Robert Salus
Adam Berger

45.850
46.585
47.366
47.498
49.130

Super Stock - Group B
Andy Ferguson (1st)
Jhan Dolphin (2nd)
Steve Hill (3rd)
Scott Storms
Dave Pinder
Scott Heineman

We’ve been doing Viper War for 12 years now and I must say this year was indeed the most unpredictable outcome… I’m not referring to the winners for Viper War or the Triple Crown, I’m talking about the weather!!

The day of the event we were all watching the weather reports. Thunderstorms were likely with heavy thunderstorms expected toward the end of the afternoon. Still, a relatively good number of cars (23) braved the weather and took their chances. The trip there was interesting for many. Many members drove in Thursday night to stay at the hotel. Luckily pretty much everyone made it there early enough, because a flood hit and COMPLETELY shut down eastbound I-80! It was a parking lot on the highway! Some members went down the early morning of the event, I-80 had 2 lanes open, still needing to drive through some tall waters!

It started as it usually does. Viper War a very popular event for Vipers and non-Vipers.  Viper War 12 was initially a sell out event, we had over 35 cars planned to attend. The stage was set… then came the weather. And for those who had forgotten, the days leading up to the event were filled with extreme downpours and 60-80mph winds. Members were in the midst of dealing with power outages, fallen trees, and flooded basements. The worst of the weather happening just the day before the event! Cancellations were made by a dozen members that day. Weather emergencies for members included everything from flooding, to their business burning down from a lightning hit.

First off, a very weird beginning to the morning. At 7:00am, a very overcast sky, but a perfect break in the distant clouds showing a nice sunrise. The power was out, in much of the surrounding area. No power to run equipment, PA system, etc… As always, our club has many tricks up its sleeve. Ben Madey quickly pulled his monster rig up to the control tower and pumped power to the necessary equipment and PA system. Meanwhile, most members at the track were expecting a day of wet track driving. Some of the comp coupes brought rain tires. Most members driving street cars were planning on running the track and learning wet driving skills and have some fun sliding around.

Being a fairly regimented club, we had our usual morning drivers meeting, still awaiting rain… nothing yet. The track went hot at nine, members quickly began running hot and heavy, wanting to set their fastest times early assuming bad weather would shut things down. Those new to the track also relished having such luck as they explored a new experience at Gingerman. Run group after run group the day went on, not a DROP of rain. In fact the threat of rain didn’t even seem too bad, the skies we overcast with some breaks in the clouds all morning. Over time, the skies actually continued to improve, and by lunch, members were wondering why we needed weathermen! We realized by then we were going to have a pretty good day!

Watching the cars zip around is always a joy. A tent was setup for spectators right along the main stretch of the track near the starting line. Newer drivers with the club, Roger Massie and David Catalanello, did quite well their first time at this track. And a new rookie driver making his first appearance at an event, Roger Dittrich, hit the track for his first time. He’s never done any performance driving before and he quickly had a grin on his face that just wouldn’t stop! We also had several Motor City Viper Club members come out to join us as well as some SCCA drivers.

The day went on, no rain. In fact the sun was out at times. The tent was setup for rain, now it was used to provide some shade for onlookers. But a little after 3:00pm as drivers were preparing for their last run group, some thick clouds were moving in. It began to drizzle, some members stayed on the track to play while others started to pack up. Shortly thereafter a heavy downpour came down. It only lasted for 10 minutes. Club officers were happy that we at least got most of the day in so there wasn’t any real disappointment. Awards were planned an hour sooner to end the day. Interestingly, in the 30 mins since the rain began, the clouds were breaking up extremely fast and the sun came out! Very wild stuff.

The closing discussions and the awards ceremony took place around 4:00pm. As always some artistic trophies were prepared for the winners. A good mix of folks walked away with some fine awards. David Catalanello pulled out 2nd place in the SRT class. Big congrats to Motor City members Ray and Terry for pulling out wins. And yes some of the other usual suspects hit their marks in their classes. A very rewarding Viper War.

But this day didn’t end there. This was the 3rd and final event for the esteemed Triple Crown Challenge. Four drivers were awarded some beautiful glass plaques and special hats indicating their seasonal victory! Each winner was the higest ranking driver in ther class.

The overall winner received our NEW Triple Crown trophy (previous one lasted 11 years but finally met it's end!) with all the names of all the past winners. Oh, and yes, our overall winner was also named… Your winner... His second time in the 12 years we’ve been doing this… Mr. Jimmy Walker! It takes a lot to win the overall, obviously coming to all events and fending off the competition. Those who have driven with Jimmy know his capabilities (and his driving style - yowwie!). Congrats to all the winners of Viper War XII and to this seasons Triple Crown Challenge overall and class winners!

By the conclusion of awards, again an interesting thing happened that track veterans know all to well... The track dried so quickly it made your head spin! By the time awards were done, the sun was completely out, a nice breeze was blowing, and we had BLUE SKIES! Just unbelievable. Some members went back out to play around, while others packed things up and called it a day. If it had to rain, it couldn’t have gone better, this was truly a lucky day and perhaps a relief fro all teh terrible weatehr that preceeded it!

Unlimited - Race/CC
Steve Loudin (1st)
Ben Madey (2nd)
Scott Gerami (3rd)
Howie Frank

1:30.076
1:32.402
1:34.934
N/A

Unlimited - Street Car
Allen Sweers (1st)
Ray Sweers (2nd)
Rob Morrison (3rd)
Ron Stene

1:35.265
1:35.465
1:37.831
1:40.764

Super SRT
Jimmy Walker (1st)
John Gastman (2nd)
Tom Shapiro (3rd)
Jeremy Walker

1:33.000
1:36.036
1:36.119
1:36.540

SRT
Mark Leszczynski (1st)
David Catalanello (2nd)
Ray Clark (3rd)
Roger Dittrich
Roger Massie

1:38.822
1:42.271
1:45.775
1:46.494
1:50.691

Super Stock
Turin Williams (1st)
Aaron Vanassche
Alex Ristanovic

1:43.995
N/A
N/A

Open Class
Ray Huffmaster (1st)
Rob Huffmaster (2nd)
Rene Zumudio (3rd)

This was the second leg of the Triple-Cross Autocross series. When we first picked this date last year, it wasn’t evident to us that it was the biggest wedding day of the year. As we got closer, we figured many folks would be away on vacation because of the 4th of July or at a wedding themselves. We figured we wouldn’t come near our max of 35 cars, but shockingly just a week after the announcement was made we had 40 cars registering for the event!! (and that was with many members out!)

This was a great day! The weather was absolutely perfect, thanks mother nature. The temps were 90 degrees and sunny. Our location was the Caterpillar plant, who have been nice enough to offer their grounds to us in the past.

It’s a fairly large parking lot with pretty good asphalt. The autocross course was setup early in the morning. The plan, as it’s been this year, was to create a flowing track with one heck of an exit… this was a prime example. Given all the space we had, we sure used it! The track was setup with a lot of large turns, decent speeds, and one heck of an exit. Perfect for Vipers. Also sixty feet of tents were erected along side of the autocross on the grassy to allow for some great front row seats. Nearly 40 cars were in attendannce even with the absence of some of the usual suspects. The stage was set.

Cars were grouped in the usual run groups. Due to the huge turn out, we split the Super Stock Stock class and we also created an open group for non-Vipers driven by family members and friends of the club. By the time this event took place, we also completed a purchase of 50 more cones (compliments of Dave Pinder!) so the course was easy to follow and laid out pretty well. Members were in for a treat.

The course went hot a little after 9:00am (and so did the sun). All drivers got 2 parade laps to learn the track and then 10 additional timed runs! We split the runs for each group so we could run 5 and then take a break to prepare for the final 5.

The groups began their runs, as always starting a bit conservative, and turning into a free-for-all by the end of the day. In typical fashion, while one group was running, the other groups were either resting or working the course. The sun was rough, but umbrellas were available for those working the fields. Some folks caught some comfort out of the sun lounging under the trees or tents. It was one of those days when it was fun to drive or just sit and watch!

We had a healthy mix of drivers from all over Illinois. Cars were noticeably getting faster and the smoke from the tires was becoming more predominant. It’s always a joy watching folks enjoy their cars, autocross is such a great way to do it safely but still push the car to see what it can do. Watching cars exit this course was the high point of the day, there wasn’t a car that didn’t exit sideways! Lots of smoke, lots of noise, and lots of poster shots!

Our day went perfectly on schedule. Even with the large number of cars we managed to get all of our runs in, break for lunch, and finish the day at 3:00pm. We did our calculations and ended the day with awards around 3:30pm.

Funny story, while our drivers and cars fared well, the course didn’t. Seems like Vipers can be used to tear up pavement, as that’s what happened in the “burnout zone” on the course exit. The heat and spinning of the tires actually pulled up the tar they used to patch the cracks. Needless to say, when the day is over, a unanimous slap on the forehead occurred when we took a look at the lot. Wow, looks like a disaster zone. Of course, at the same time, a smirk crossed the face of the drivers… oh yeah, we did that! But in classic style, a bunch of members got out there and picked up some of the tar to make things look a bit better. But we’ll have a call into the Caterpillar folks later this week to make sure things are ok. We hope to be back!

All jokes aside, a great day. Thanks to all those members who helped out, the list is too long to name. This event was truly an example of what our club is about! Your results are below. See you at the next event!

Unlimited Class
Dale Naffziger (1st)
Steve Loudin (2nd)
Mark Schumann (3rd)
Jon Azevedo
Alex Ristanovic (excluded)

43.44
43.48
45.18
47.93
44.83

Super SRT
Jim Walker (1st)
John Gastman (2nd)
Kurt Billhartz (3rd)
Bill Lamb
Tom Shapiro
Heather Billhartz

44.85
45.26
45.51
45.73
46.27
52.18

SRT
Jeremy Walker (1st)
David Catalanello (2nd)
Mark Les (3rd)
Roger Massie

46.37
47.84
48.52
48.71

Super Stock - Group A
Brian Strego (1st)
Bill Kennedy (2nd)
Kim Peterson (3rd)
Robert Salus
Tracy Sampognaro
Doug Sampognaro
Dave Pinder
Aaron Vanassche (excluded)

45.68
46.96
47.52
47.82
48.13
48.72
49.65
46.59

Super Stock - Group B
Mike Linko (1st)
Bill Sampognaro (2nd)
Steve Hill (3rd)
Andy Ferguson
Scott Heineman
Butch Williams
Stephanie Strego

45.47
45.91
46.31
46.63
48.57
49.37
49.44

Open Class
Alex Walker (1st)
Paul Walker (2nd)
Kurt Walker (3rd)
Steve Nolte
Tony Sampognaro

This event combined the three major driving disciplines into one weekend (Autocross, drag, and road course). They don’t call it the longest day for nothing! We knew we were in for a wild ride and it was no disappointment. This was the only two day performance driving event of the season and with it came a unique opportunity to get your fill of racing fun and spend a few evenings with fellow club members.

We began to converge on Greencastle, Indiana Thursday evening. Most club members arrive early to beat the traffic and ease into a fun weekend by grabbing a bite and getting to bed early. Friday morning begin their first race day of the weekend. Putnam Park, as usual, was in excellent condition, although the weather was questionable with clouds looming overhead and some possibility of rain. As members arrived and registered, they headed to their cars and the track went hot.

We made it through a few sets of run groups until the drops began to fall. The clouds opened up and a healthy downpour ensued.  Many members continued running the track to have a good time and also use the wet course to practice their driving techniques since much of what your car does at low speeds on water is similar to the dynamic when you drive at the limits on dry pavement. Other members took the time to lounge under trailer awnings and spend some quality time with each other.

The rest of the day was clear, warm, and sunny. As driving ensued, so did our usual driving classes for those who wished to get some instruction. The day continued without incident as things began to wind down. The final run of the day was a hilarious spectacle of bumper-to-bumper cat and mouse among many of the veteran members (Tom Antonelli, Jimmy Walker, Tom Shapiro, Mark Les, Jeremy Walker, and Aaron Vanassche). While some of those drivers may have spent more time off the track than on it, for those watching the frey, it was entertaining and a great end to a wonderful day!

One of the neat things about our club, is the camaraderie that almost seems mandatory within our culture. Everyone from the veterans to the new members packed their cars up and the entire group caravanned down the highway to a restaurant in Lafayette. We laughed the evening away as we grabbed a great meal and some music. After dinner, the group descended on Morocco, Indiana to get to the hotel for some much needed shut-eye.

The second day of the competition had perfect weather in store (in fact very hot and sunny). Members began to arrive at US 41 where we planned to begin with the autocross competition first. The track was laid out in the parking lot of the dragway. It had an interesting feel, the first half of the track was free flowing and swift, the second half was an assault on the steering wheel! Limited space for the second half of the track made things tight creating a challenge for our drivers. And as always, the course ended with plenty of room for a hard throttle finish!

Autocross tends to be almost as fun to watch as it is to drive, mistakes can sometimes turn into a smoke show! There were numerous spin outs, wild exits, and great times. Members really got to run the course to the extreme and to their fill. Driving lasted until just after 1:00pm, shortly thereafter members got a bite to eat and the course was broken down. We now set our sites on the drag strip looming just behind us…

The drag event was a classic Viper club style race. It began with a drag racing discussion led by fellow Viper Club member (Motor City Region) John Swango. Next, members spent the first hour taking as many drag runs as they wished. This was a good time to experiment with the track, see how fast you could go, and test your launch styles and shift points.

Members then selected the dial-in times that they felt was a good average of what they would typically run. Then everyone hit the track for a final three runs, the two best would be used against their dial-in to see who was the most consistent and quickest on the throttle. The drag strip shook as the thundering V10’s barreled down the ¼ mile strip. After drivers laid down their final three, they returned to camp to begin pack up and await awards.

It’s to be noted, that while the Longest day is a spirited competition in which all events are scored together to see who wins within their class as well as overall, each individual event brought about some very interesting outcomes. Veterans were definitely given a run for their money, newer drivers came out in FORCE! A perfect example was in the drag, the driver earning the most points in this event was a rookie, Bernie Paul! His dial-in and ET’s were the most consistent across all groups! What a job! Another notable was in the autocross, two new drivers to the club both took first place in the SRT classes, AND they were father and son! Joe Baessler Sr and Joe Jr. both had the best times in their classes! More proof that genetics play such a large role in life!

After the smoke cleared and the final tabulations were done, the announcements came down… The results were absolutely amazing. Among the winners were an incredible mix of veteran drivers and rookies! New drivers walked away with 5 of the 16 trophies! And in the end, the overall winner across all categories and classes… you’re 2007 Longest Day champion is… Ron Adee! Congratulation Ron!

The day ended with awards, a thank you to our sponsors, and an applause for all those involved. It was a truly great weekend of driving that put a lot of smiles on peoples faces! 

The best times for each driver are below (all classes - in no particular order):

Mark Les
Glen Davis
John Swango
Jeremy Walker
Steve Loudin
Robert Salus
Roger Massie
David Catalanello
Gary Grube
Scott Heineman
John Gastman
Tom Shapiro
Dave Pinder
Tom Antonelli
Jim Walker
Mark Schumann
Ron Adee
Aaron Vanassche (excluded)

Unlimited Class
Ron Adee
Mark Schumann
Steve Loudin

1st
2nd
3rd

Super SRT
Jimmy Walker
John Gastman
Jeremy Walker

1st
2nd
3rd

SRT - Group A
Gary Grube
Scott Heineman
Bernie Paul

1st
2nd
3rd

SRT - Group B
Mark Les
Roger Massie
David Catalenello

1st
2nd
3rd

Super Stock
Dave Pinder
Glenn Davis
Robert Salus

1st
2nd
3rd

This was a day of several firsts! This was our first Triple Crown event for the season, we had a lot of first time rookies joining us, and it was our first time going to Autobahn for a road course event! And yes it met expectations!

The day was perfect. Lots of sun, eighty degrees, and no rain the days before! This event was a sell out, in fact some of the officers gave up their spots to allow more members to register. Many rookies as well as our highly experienced veterans we’re in attendance.

This was new for our officers to arrange, new venue and new process. There was plenty of room to setup at Autobahn, it was a beautiful and well manicured facility. Our plan for that day was to run the entire course (20+ turns!). This was accomplished by grouping with another car club, which also allowed us to dovetail our training with them (and of course make this affordable to members)!

The training session began with classroom instruction, though it ran long and our first rookie run group was compromised. But since we ran 6 times, at 30 minute sessions…. 3 hours is more than enough time to drive a car at its limits!! The training covered everything from general car control to usage of the track. After that, instructors were on hand and worked with new drivers on learning the right driving habits… and learn they did!

The track was huge, it took a while to memorize the turns even after a few runs. Lap times started to drop as people became familiar with the track. The facility was fairly safe, no dangerous turns or transitions, and plenty of space for mistakes. There were many smiles on people’s faces, it was new for both veterans and rookies. The camaraderie was fantastic.

We ended our driving at 5:00pm and awards shortly thereafter. There was an incredible mix of folks receiving honors, including first time drivers as well as those coming back to the club for some fun. A wonderful day and a great way to start off the Triple Crown Race! We’ll definitely be back to this venue!

Unlimited Class
Steve Loudin (1st)
Ralph Gilles (2nd)
Scott Gerami (3rd)
Gene Quirni
Dan Spata
Mark Schumann
Aaron Vanassche

2:41.049
2:43.591
2:45.022
2:48.785
2:54.027
2:55.216
2:59.326

Super SRT
Jimmy Walker (1st)
Bill Lamb (2nd)
Tom Antonelli (3rd)
John Gastman
Jeremy Walker
Tom Shapiro
Pat Youngs

2:44.766
2:48.921
2:50.280
2:55.345
2:55.482
2:58.972
3:06.396

SRT - Group A
Scott Heineman (1st)
Mark Les (2nd)
Steve Stocklen (3rd)
Dan Mehmeti
Roger Massie
Gus Pablecas

2:50.887
3:02.174
3:14.461
3:16.046
3:16.982
3:51.432

SRT - Group B
Gary Grube (1st)
David Catalanello (2nd)
Matt Pablecas (3rd)
Bernie Paul
Vince Cannestra

2:56.691
3:12.299
3:15.136
3:16.778
3:17.305

Super Stock
Bill Kennedy (1st)
Dave Pinder (2nd)
Andrea Fernal (3rd)
Glen Davis
Kim Peterson
Robert Salus
Andy Ferguson

3:01.123
3:02.793
3:13.631
3:16.514
3:16.970
3:17.789
N/A

This was the first driving event of the season and the first leg of the Triple-cross Autocross Challenge. A better day we couldn’t have had! The day began with the threat of rain for both the day before and the day of the event. In the end, not a drop of rain on either day! The cloud cover actually made things very comfortable and later we ended the event in sunshine. Actually a perfect day for autocrossing.

For the first driving event of the season, we had a sell out crowd and a lot of energy in the air. We were however notified just days before the event that the race track needed usage of the parking lots for an event no later than 2:30pm. The club pushed up the event start time from the preplanned 8:00am, to an earlier 7:00am. The event was also creatively planned to allow time for lunch, but not break for an hour lunch as a group. This kept cars moving through their run groups. It worked like a charm, and might be a tactic we employ on future events. The extra hour we gained was invaluable, it helped make the event more laid back and relaxed.

Over 30 people running the course. Many club veterans were in attendance along with a large number of new members (nearly all of them trying autocross for the first time in their lives). Everyone was learning the joy you can have when the venue is safe and you’re given the green light to have some fun with the toy you paid all that money for!

The day was action packed. All cars were able to comfortably do 10 runs! Many rookies reached a comfort zone quickly. Many veterans were up to their old tricks. The track was laid out to be big, rhythmic, and leave people some room for a photo finish. There were plenty of spin outs, smoke shows, and good times. In the end, the scores were impressive.

New to the club, is the Presidents challenge where the club members are put up against the President. Any member(s) who beat the President’s time, get 5 points added to their season score toward the club spirit award. Alex laid down a blistering 51.877, locking in a marginal gap against the club members. But it was the end of the day that veteran driver Jimmy Walker actually laid down an IDENTICAL time (we’re talking about thousandths of a second!). An unprecedented occurrence! Though the President wasn’t defeated, Jimmy got his hard earned 5 points in an exciting time trial. What will happen next time…

The day ended in high sprits. Awards were given to those who had the best times in their classes. The rookies came out in force, winning not one, not two, but three of the awards!! An amazing day for all, we ended on time and bid each other farewell until our next event at Autobahn Country Club!

Unlimited Class
Mark Schumann (1st)
Steve Loudin (2nd)
Dan Spata (3rd)

52.050
52.937
55.305

Super SRT
Jimmy Walker (1st)
Pat Youngs (2nd)
John Gastman (3rd)
Tom Shapiro

51.877
53.907
53.970
55.642

SRT - Group A
Gary Grube (1st)
Joe Baessler Sr. (2nd)
Scott Heineman (3rd)
Bernie Paul
Dan Mehmeti

55.522
55.952
56.164
57.338
58.021

SRT - Group B
Jeremy Walker (1st)
Joe Baessler Jr. (2nd)
David Catalanello (3rd)
Roger Massie

54.320
55.011
58.415
63.887

Super Stock
Mike Linko (1st)
Al English (2nd)
Steve Hill (3rd)
Kim Peterson
Bill Kennedy
Glenn Davis
Robert Salus
Dave Pinder
Marshal Dickler

52.794
54.101
55.444
56.794
56.000
56.833
61.768
63.225
57.152