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Racing Events:
Afterglow

 

IL VCA vs SRT Executives - Autocross
- Saturday October 4th, 2008 - Chrysler Proving Grounds - Chelsea, MI

The IL VCA has a special relationship with the SRT executives and engineers who build our cars. Our racing heritage and passion is equaled only by their commitment and hardcore attitude toward building the meanest and highest performing vehicles that they can.

Every year we have the joy of being invited to the Chrysler Proving Grounds to race against the SRT gang to see who will take home the championship for the year. Our tradition continued as 20 IL VCA members made the journey to meet the SRT gang on their turf to prove who was the fastest of the fast.

SRT provides the cars we drive, so the playing field was level. This time around they had three 2008 Vipers on hand for all of us to drive. They also setup the track. This time the track was just over a mile long and led to speeds over 80mph!! That’s more than your average autocross, this was one of the fastest our group has ever done with them.

The trip started with a caravan to Chelsea. Most members boarded two coaches so we could travel together. The group traveled to Michigan arriving Friday evening. We checked into the hotel and got ready for the evening.

As is customary, the IL and SRT competitors meet to have a pre-race dinner the evening before. We met at the common grill and shared an evening of laughs and conversation. There was a little talk about the next day, but the time was better spent talking about the Viper. Special event t-shirts were also handed out to all attendees..

Saturday began chilly, but it was to be a perfect day. As the sun rose, the air got warmer and it would lead to blue skies and 65 degrees. We arrived at Chelsea as a group, and the big gates opened up and we drove into “Black Lake”. Acres of perfect concrete were at our disposal and we were greeted with what was the wildest track they built yet. Members walked the track, and then setup of our timing equipment began.

Alex (IL VCA) and Eric (SRT) agreed to have 4 runs in the morning and 3 more in the afternoon. Top 10 trophies would be awarded individually and then scores would be added up to see which team was faster. The winning team, gets an event t-shirt signed by all attendees, to commemorate their win.

The day turned out to be perfect. The course was indeed fast. Lots of smoke, lots of screeching, and lots of blistering laps. The SRT execs came out with some smoking runs that the IL VCA just could not match initially. Though in the afternoon, the SRT group got slower, but many of the IL VCA stepped up their times to meet the challenge.

Most times averaged between 1:21-1:25, some crept even lower! The day raged on, the battle came down to mathematics. And the winner, by a total of only 2 seconds is… SRT! They got us again but by a narrow margin. They brought their “A” Game.

This is an event not just about competition, but about our support of SRT and Chrysler, and their support of us. We are privileged to share this relationship with them, and win or lose, it’s always fun.

The end of the day brought awards and goodbyes until next year. The IL VCA packed up and headed home. A good portion of them traveling together, getting some dinner, and having a really fun drive home. As always we had a good time. Will there be another race against the SRT gang? As always, only time and the future will tell!

There were a total of 35 drivers. Of them, below you’ll find the elite “top 10” drivers setting the most blistering lap times.

Click here for a short web video clip of the event!
Top 10 Drivers

Chris Winkler
Eric H.
Ron Adee
Ray A.
Marco
Mark Schumann
Jeff R.
Alex Ristanovic
Dale Naffziger
Ralph Gilles

76.166
77.257
78.359
79.058
79.362
79.378
79.891
80.071
80.349
80.432

 

 

Rockford Speedway Autocross - 3rd Triple-cross Event
- Saturday September 20th, 2008 - Rockford Speedway - Rockford, IL

Well, we can easily say that our decision to cancel the previously scheduled date for this event was good for two reasons. First, what looked like “rainy weather” initially, ended up becoming more of a deluge. Illinois and other states got record rainfall on that day and surely the only racing we could have done is boat racing. But second, we ended with a truly perfect day.

Only downside was the rather short notice for the rebooked event, we had no choice since it was the only availability for the track (we were in fact lucky) and the weather was to grow colder each week that passed. We had almost 35 people booked for the first time the event was to be held, but ended up a little over 20 by the time the event was rescheduled. After the event, we REALLY felt bad for folks that missed it… It was fun, fun, fun!!

This was our last autocross of the year. And while the purpose of these isn't isn't to compete, we do have a component to award those great drivers that are out there! This was the last autocross in the Triple-cross challenge which would find our next winner of the 2008 autocross series.

Members who attended in all the autocrosses of the season are ranked and we see who our class and overall winners are. Given our scoring system, class winners were based on how well they drove within the class they were in. The overall winner is based across all the groups using a scoring system that calculates how well you did in your class and how many people you beat in your class at each one of the prior events.

The day started off warmer that it usually is at this time of year. Our location was the Rockford Speedway! We remembered good times from last year at a place that just seems so appropriate for our purpose there, a far cry from the usual parking lots where autocrossing usually happens.

Preparations began in the early hours of the morning as a very interesting course was being designed by Alex and Mark (under moonlight!). The course would take us up on both sides of the banked track with a lot of subtle technicalities throughout.

While the Speedway provides us with a  great venue for racing and some nice aspects to add to our courses, it also has constraints since there isn’t much room in the middle of the speedway to create too much of an autocross course.

But a course was dreamed up that would not only be interesting, but very fast and extremely enjoyable to drive! This was actually a pretty technical course requiring smoothness. The added speed and no tight turns made it flow, but it was all about balancing the car and knowing how to modulate the gas pedal.

The plan was to have 5 runs in the morning and six runs in the afternoon. This course only allowed one car to run at a time, but given the number of cars we had we expected to be ok.

This event we were down two people, both Aaron Vanassche and Kristina Ristanovic weren’t there, but Mark Schumann and Angela Berger stepped up to fill their spots magnificently. Gary Grube also stepped up to handle the timekeeping, along with a few volunteers. As always we have a ton of helping hands available. After a drivers meeting in the morning, the course went hot! Usually autocross doesn't get your car dirty, this was an exception... It started off a little dusty, there was a thin layer of dirt on the infield, so as the cars came roaring by, a rooster tail of dust was behind them! But as the dust blew off and the sun heated the pavement with 80+ degree temps, the track was perfect after a couple hours.

It took folks a little time to become accustomed to the banked track and venue. The fastest times ranging in the mid and upper 40’s. We employed a different way of autocrossing at this venue. Instead of having run groups, we planned on preparing 4 cars and allow only those 4 cars to run the track, then move on to the next 4. It kept the cars warm and the track fresh in the drivers minds. It led to a very efficient day and good use of our time.

One curveball thrown to us was that the concessions were closed, not part of our plan. But Glenn Davis and Jo Schumann helped by doing a food fun for everyone and the club picked up the tab on a decent smorgasbord of KFC and Quiznos.

The cars kept roaring on through lunch, it was good entertainment as we ate. The club tents were up, providing some much needed shade for everyone to eat and view the action. The timing and spectator area was right along the track, a very exciting place to view as the cars sped by.

The speedway of course also offers massive stands you can climb to get a birds-eye perspective. As you can see by the picture, one overzealous fan (David Catalanello) enjoyed viewing the action from his own personal VIP section.

The day went on and the times got faster. It wasn’t expected that this event would be as close when it came to the lap times since there was so much you could do right vs wrong. But everyone figured it out very soon and we were really cooking. Tim Waedekin, on his inaugural autocross, ran some extremely impressive times. Scott Storms was on fire throughout the day. The “year of Howie Frank” continues as he did quite well! Our President, Alex Ristanovic, struggling with rim/suspension issues all year on his 08 Viper, borrowed a couple members’ cars and had a blast (maybe too much fun…). And last but not least, our unlimited class winner and the winner of the overall 2008 Triple-cross Championship is… Mark Schumann!!! Congrats Mark!!!

What a day it was. We had our awards segment and said our goodbyes. But before the day was over, members were given a chance to run the track itself and get all the way up on the embankments, it was a thrill.

And before we broke away, there were a few members ready for a new set of tires and little drift competition was held. On the line were Gary Grube, Alex Ristanovic, and Glenn Davis. While we can’t endorse the antics, it was however quite interesting watching cars burning out for over 100+ feet and even TAKING THE ENBANKMENT while the tires were roasting. With high-fives and laughs. the final members of the group gathered their things up and headed home. It was a great day, at a great place, and a very enjoyable course. This was our last formal racing event for 2008, where did the season go? Thoughts of next year were already in discussion. You could tell for many, it’s going to be a LOOOONG winter. If you’ve never tried autocross or road course driving, give it a try… you’ll be hooked!

Click here for a short web video clip of the event!

Unlimited Class
Mark Schumann (1st)
Dale Naffziger (2nd)
Gary Grube (3rd)


45.223
45.562
46.976

Super SRT
Tim Waedekin (1st)
Glenn Davis (2nd)


47.180
48.472

SRT
Howie Frank (1st)
Rob Salus (2nd)
Jeremy Walker (3rd)
David Catalanello
Roger Massie
Adam Frank


47.030
47.893
48.240
48.628
52.290
54.941

Super Stock
Scott Storms (1st)
Andy Ferguson (2nd)
Al English (3rd)
Steve Hill
Bill Kennedy
Kim Peterson
Larry Catcott


47.399
48.126
48.437
48.668
48.826
50.084
56.294

Other
Scott Colburn (1st)
Mike Salins (2nd)


49.402
49.671

Officers
Alex Ristanovic


45.070
2008 Triple-cross Challenge Class Champions
Super Stock
SRT
Super SRT
Unlimited
Andy Ferguson
Howie Frank
Glenn Davis
Mark Schumann

2008 Triple-cross Champion: Mark Schumann

 

 

Viper War XIII - 3rd Triple Crown Event
- Monday August 11th, 2008 - Autobahn Country Club - Joliet, IL

If only every event had weather like this. For once, not only did we have good weather, but in the days preceding, the weathermen were agreeing it was going to be a perfect day. And it was. Under blue skies, 78 degrees, and a cool breeze, you couldn’t have a better setting for one of our biggest racing events of the year. This was Viper War XIII!!

The event was a sell out in the week leading up to the event. Even after our president and race director stepped out of the running to create more room for members, we still were several over our limit. But we managed to get everyone in and what a time we had.

The setting for this Viper War was the famed Autobahn Country Club. Once of the best tracks in the area! Speeds are moderate, the venue is safe, and the asphalt was great. Members arrived at the usual time and checked in. While experienced drivers hit the track, novices attended the class at the very beginning of the day. Two other classes were also offered to anyone interested.

This day we had both the north and south tracks together (as was last year) so there were a total of 21 turns on this massive track! In the early day, most folks were driving around the track not knowing exactly where they were! But by end of the day it began to sink in.

The run groups went on. Those new to racing got faster, their coaches in the car with them providing tips and encouragement. Experienced drivers found their nitch on this relatively new track for us.

The day was absolutely magnificent and without a single incident. There were three run groups total and members had quite a few sessions to run the track. Folks certainly got their fill. The end of the day came around 4:00pm and all the members got together on the second floor under the tents to do the awards and say their goodbyes.

This event was the last in our three event series called the Triple Crown. It was our last track day of the year. So not only were there awards for this day’s driving, but also for the overall season.

For a track that is nearly three minutes long and very new to us, even several seconds difference between drivers is not bad at all! The driving times are listed below.

At the end of the awards gathering we crowned our class winners who received some very nice glass awards. And last but not least, we crowned our newest Triple Crown winner who went home with a large glass award and the coveted traveling winners cup!

You’re 2008 Triple Crown winner is… Howie Frank!!

Congratulations to all of the drivers and thanks for a good track season!

Click here for a short web video clip of the event!

Unlimited Class
Ralph Gilles (1st)
Steve Loudin (2nd)
Seth Palatnik (3rd)
Tom Antonelli
Tom Shapiro
Scott Gerami
Gary Grube
Mark Schumann


2:35.624
2:39.651
2:41.172
2:43.455
2:43.960
2:48.061
2:48.975
Untimed

Super SRT
Jim Walker (1st)
Bill Lamb (2nd)
John Gastman (3rd)
Jeremy Walker
Glenn Davis


2:41.336
2:49.173
2:49.805
2:50.902
2:52.156

SRT
Howie Frank (1st)
Chris Bond (2nd)
Vince Cannestra (3rd)
Bernie Paul
David Catalanello
Mark Les
Roger Dittrich
Roger Massie
Rob Salus
Gus Pablecas


2:50.078
2:55.256
2:59.844
3:05.342
3:05.456
3:07.064
3:15.812
3:16.765
3:17.629
3:22.978

Super Stock
Bill Kennedy (1st)
Kim Peterson (2nd)
William Helwig (3rd)
Larry Catcott


3:02.007
3:12.015
3:29.238
3:48.639

Other
Ron Adee (1st)
Steve Antonelli (2nd)
John Martino (3rd)
Alex Paul


2:41.478
3:02.610
3:02.730
3:21.105

Officers
Alex Ristanovic


Untimed
2008 Triple Crown Challenge Class Champions
Super Stock
SRT
Super SRT
Unlimited
Bill Kennedy
Howie Frank
Jeremy Walker
Tom Antonelli

2008 Triple Crown Champion: Howie Frank

 

 

Caterpillar Autocross - 2nd Triple-cross Event
- Saturday July 19th, 2008 - Caterpillar Plant - Pontiac, IL

We’re hoping to say this for the last time, don’t listen to the weatherman!! Every time we have an event that eludes bad weather and we consider ourselves lucky, we end up having another event that somehow tops that one with luck. This event was definitely a come-from-behind success against more than just weather, and it set a record with the club, but not one we expected.

Caterpillar is always a popular autocross with a generally high attendance. In fact in the coming weeks, we were going to really get up there in numbers as we had 80 people and 50 drivers slated for the day! It was looking great, but thanks to mother nature cancellations came as the weather wasn’t looking good days before the event. But as always, we move ahead knowing we’ll have a good contingent of participants who are die hard.

The day started with the very early a.m. with several of the club leadership arriving at 5:00am to begin course setup. There was no rain, ground was dry and a fantastic course was being put together with huge sweeping turns, tire screeching stops, off-camber direction changes, and a lot of fun twists. It was looking great. But things were about to take a turn for the worst…

As the very end of the course was being put in place, dark clouds began to loom. Then suddenly a man on a motorcycle pulls up and says that the State of Illinois had this lot leased to them for the day. Unfortunately our contact at Caterpillar didn’t communicate we were moved to a different lot than we usually use. So all the work we did for hours was going to go to waste. As we came to grips with the fact that everything (including equipment) had to be torn down, it began to drizzle and then a massive rain hit. Not the best way to start a big event, very depressing! As we sat in the rain with all our equipment moved over and dumped at the new lot, we contemplated weather we would call the event given it took hours to setup a course, rain was terrible, and likely many members would not show. It wasn't looking good for anyone.

As we made calls to check on the weather forecast, slowly cars began to arrive. Five, then ten, then fifteen. Cars began to pile up and we decided to move ahead with the event and begin a new course setup immediately since so many were already coming.

Immediately the gang went into action and began setting up a new course. It was decided we would setup a rain course for wet weather driving, this actually wasn’t bad since autocross can indeed be just as fun in the rain. We figured if it dried, we could open it up a bit and easily convert it to a dry course (which would be faster).

Tents were erected, 60 feet of them. As members arrived they setup chairs and hung around the tent comfortably out of the rain. It continued to pour, and our club leadership worked hard and fast to setup a good course. It was the fastest a course was ever setup, in a challenging lot that had a strange shape. But it was coming together nicely. As the course was finishing up, registrations took place and it we were getting close to kicking things off, and we weren’t really too far behind schedule!

By the time the event kicked off, the rain stopped, course looked good, and 35 drivers were ready to hit the pavement. Holy cow! Not bad for weather that even had us questioning our sanity. Hats off to those who came, but they got their reward as the day went on…

Cars began running the course, we didn’t setup timing equipment yet because of the fear of more bad weather. Members began their runs on the wet course, it was relaxed as people used the time to learn the course first.

The rain held off for an hour, then two. Reports from friends with access to the weather said that there were thunderstorms looming but clearing in the late afternoon. We figured we’d give this a try and began setting up timing equipment too, might as well go for broke.

Cars kept running and by 11:00am, we were drying up, timing equipment was getting setup and we were starting to get that feeling we usually get – it may be another IL club miracle today.

For lunch, the club popped for 20 pizzas to be delivered. A great plethora of pizza, watermelon, and sweets were setup under the tents. Things really started looking great. And by the middle of lunch, the sun was coming out, the ground was dry, and we were headed toward a great day.

With the ground dry and thought of perhaps avoiding rain, we decided to open the track up and add a little speed in some areas. As members finished lunch, the ground was chalked and ready for the afternoon runs. By 1:00pm the sun was out, the tents were now serving to keep people out of the sun, and the breeze was helping with the hot day. This was turning out to be one terrific event!

Now, in the morning, everyone got 5 runs of the course. We planned on doing another 5 in the afternoon, but this is where we set a new record. With dry roads and a back to business attitude, we began our timed runs. The venues convenient layout, smooth running event, and very attentive participants made things run very smoothly. So smoothly in fact that by the time the 5 afternoon runs were up, we weren’t even at 2:00pm yet! We cast a quick vote and we had a unanimous decision to move ahead and add yet another 3 runs to the day. So in total we had 13 runs on the track with two parade laps. Can’t remember a time we had 15 runs on an autocross (especially with two track setups and rain) in one day!

The parking lot we had wasn’t tar coated, it had a perfect surface, seemingly perfectly free of rocks and made of a composite that gave a grip to the tires that was amazing (probably the best we’ve ever had). Throughout the afternoon, tires were screeching and the familiar smell of rubber was in the air! The sky had strong sun and lots of blue. Yep, we did it again. The car Gods were smiling on us.

By the end of the day, we couldn’t help but reflect on again how ridiculously amazing things turned out. It was comfortable, filled with action, and despite of all the set backs, was still a very smooth event. Glad to have several rookies and new members joining us for the first time! And thanks to the many that made this a fully attended event! All that work didn’t go to waste and you got to experience a great day of autocross. Hats off to everyone for taking this from an adverse day to one that was truly beyond our expectations!

Click here for a short web video clip of the event!
Click here for a short web video clip of the event!
Click here for a short web video clip of the event!
 

Unlimited Class
Mark Schumann (1st)
Dale Naffziger (2nd)
Scott Miller (3rd)
Gary Grube
Spencer Schuman


43.897
44.575
45.886
46.038
46.203

Super SRT
John Gastman (1st)
Glenn Davis (2nd)
Bill Lamb (3rd)
Roger Dittrich


45.213
45.909
46.754
49.266

SRT
Tom Shapiro (1st)
Brian Striggow (2nd)
Vince Cannestra (3rd)
Jeremy Walker
David Catalenello
Rob Salus
Chris Bond
Howie Frank
Rob Drawer


45.708
45.796
45.817
45.973
46.621
46.627
46.756
46.789
50.271

Super Stock
Andy Ferguson (1st)
Al English (2nd)
Steve Hill (3rd)
Bill Kennedy
Kim Peterson
Adam Berger
Scott Brady
Larry Catcott


45.678
46.064
46.373
46.514
48.295
48.434
57.421
51.976

Other
Ron Adee (1st)
Alex Walker (2nd)
Paul Walker (3rd)
Kurt Walker
Jim Walker
Cam Hahn
Mario Delgado


44.518
45.115
46.980
47.169
49.050
50.864
51.498

Officers
Alex Ristanovic


44.153

 

 

The Longest Day
- Friday June 6th, 2008 - Putnam Park - Greencastle, IN
- Saturday June 7th, 2008 - US41 Dragway - Morocco, IN

We’ve learned over the years that despite what the weather man says, the weather for our events almost always works out in our favor. This was probably the best example of that in recent years. The weather report looked tragic, we were prepared for the worst as the days approached. The two day event began with most members arriving the day before to get comfortable. The forecast at that time called for scattered strong thunderstorms and high winds. The weather on Thursday even included a small tornado. But we pressed on…

Friday morning came, the first day of our event was road racing at Putnam Park. The day started off warm with a cool breeze and light clouds. The weather report looked better but we were still plagued by possibilities of rain, especially later into the day.

After a brief drivers meeting, we eased into the day and the course went hot. There was a good mix of members with different levels of driving skills. There were 4 run groups with 6-7 drivers per group, plenty of space on a track this large. A driving clinic was held as the first groups went out, new drivers benefitted from some class instruction before hitting the track. Veterans were up to their usual games enjoying the day.

The weather cleared and somehow we ended up with a bright day, temps nearing 90 degrees, and a cool breeze.  We broke for lunch, members congregated under the pavilion for a great lunch before continuing their day.

Cars ran hard, and of course there was the usual cat and mouse fun every once in a while. It can be as fun to watch as it is to drive at times. A few of the experienced drivers borrowed a couple of the 2008’s to see how they ran, the grins spoke for themselves.

The track held up pretty well in the heat. Members drove all the run groups up through the last one. By the end of the day, we realized we got more than lucky with the weather and had a truly fantastic track day. Members packed up and headed out to have dinner together, though that was when the excitement began…

A terrible thunderstorm was coming from the west with some wild winds. A very defined wall of water approached the groups as they traveled north. And when it swept over us, it felt like being in the middle of a hurricane! Those pulling trailers had a wild ride as the winds were more than dangerous. There were even semi-trucks turned over and trees toppled! It was among the worse storms most of us had driven through. The groups finally made their way to the restaurants and hotels without incident. Of course all of our performance driving experience probably had a lot to do with it! Thoughts turned to tomorrow as the forecast had much the same in store for much of Indiana the next day.

Saturday morning was cloudy and once again warm with a cool breeze. Officers went to the track early to prepare the track as members arrived later to check in. The 2nd day was held at the US41 dragstrip. We planned to have drag racing in the morning and autocross in the afternoon. Though around 9:00am, a light drizzle began and members had some down time as they waited for it to subside. It drizzled only for 15 minutes or so, and the winds made quick work of drying out the drag strip. And after the short delay we were back on track. Cars tore up the drag strip for the morning. Members practiced for 40 minutes before our final runs. Each driver was then given a final three runs on which they would be scored (both ET against their dial-in and their reaction time is used to calculate their score). Drivers laid down their best and then we broke for a quick lunch.

The rain continued to hold off all morning and into the afternoon. We even had some sun and bright light for the afternoon! Scary clouds passed in the distance, but we remained unhindered. Cars were lined up for the start of the autocross and we began the afternoon.

The course layout was large for the most part, plenty of room for wiggle. There were a few tight corners, many areas to upset the car, and even a figure eight to challenge drivers. The course averaged just under a minute long. The weather did scare away some drivers, so we were able to consolidate groups and get a full 10 runs in with a practice lap. As always, plenty of smoke shows and smiles as we rounded out the day. As the last cars crossed the line, we were right on our projected end time even with the initial delay!

Members began to pack up as the scores for the three events were tallied. A new scoring system for the Longest Day was devised, mainly consisting of points for the position you place, coupled with additional points for the number of drivers you beat within your class. Members congregated and we had our announcements and awards. Trophy plaques were given for the first three best drivers in each class. We also crowned our overall champion for the event, congratulations to the 2008 Longest Day champion… Tom Shapiro!!!!! What a driver, a great example of good technique, consistency, and experience!

Ahhh, but all was not over. Howie Frank planned a little fun at the end of the hot day. In the motor home was hiding a cool treat for everyone to cap things off. Ice cream was served!! Yes we enjoyed several different kinds of ice cream before heading home, it was a great thought and a good reward for a long weekend. We hung around and said our goodbyes. The event was pretty much unaffected by weather, in fact it kept the sun from burning while giving that cool breeze to keep us going. How lucky we got. And big thank you’s go out to all those that helped, too many to name. But in particular, to members like Bill Sampognaro and Steve Loudin who didn’t even drive, but just came to help out. That’s what it’s all about! Our new slogan should be “Come for the car, stay for the people, and dodge the bad weather!”.

Click here for a short web video clip of the event!
 
Road Course
Autocross
Drag (Dial-in's)

Bill Lamb
Glenn Davis
Jeremy Walker
Bill Kennedy
Mark Schumann
Tom Antonelli
Kerry Brand
Pat Bonfils
Marshall Dickler
Jim Walker
Alex Ristanovic
Seth Palatnik
Steve Antonelli
Barbara Dickler
Leslie McLaughlin
Gary Grube
Chris Bond
David Catalanello
Roger Massie
Mark Les
Robert Salus
Tom Shapiro
Howie Frank

1:20.5
1:26.5
1:21.5
1:29.1
1:19.0
1:16.9
?
?
1:17.8
1:16.1
?
1:24.2
1:32.4
1:58.6
1:24.2
1:38.0
1:26.8
1:26.5
1:32.0
1:24.2
1:25.7
1:21.6
1:20.8

Chris Bond
David Catalanello
Roger Massie
Robert Salus
Tom Shapiro
Howie Frank
Bill Kennedy
Al English
Larry Catcott
Bill Lamb
Glenn Davis
Jeremy Walker
Alex Ristanovic
Jim Walker
Mark Schumann
Gary Grube
60.028
58.336
63.121
58.562
57.581
59.410
58.575
57.739
65.035
58.213
59.839
57.934
56.636
57.108
55.380
64.026
Mark Schumann
Gary Grube
Jim Walker
Bill Lamb
Howie Frank
Roger Massie
Tom Shapiro
Robert Salus
Chris Bond
Jeremy Walker
Glenn Davis
Larry Catcott
David Catalanello
Bill Bertram
Bill Kennedy
Alex Ristanovic
12.10
13.35
13.35
14.12
12.50
12.80
12.80
12.95
13.10
13.35
12.50
13.40
13.80
10.95
12.65
12.40
You’re Overall Class Winners Are Below:

Unlimited Class
Mark Schumann
Jim Walker
Tom Antonelli


1st
2nd
3rd

Super SRT
Jeremy Walker
Bill Lamb
Glenn Davis


1st
2nd
3rd

SRT
Tom Shapiro
Howie Frank
Robert Salus


1st
2nd
3rd

Super Stock
Bill Kennedy
Larry Catcott
Al English


1st
2nd
3rd

Other
Gary Grube
Seth Palatnik
Leslie McLaughlin



1st
2nd
3rd

 

2008 Longest Day Champion: Tom Shapiro

 

 

Gingerman Road Course - 1st Triple Crown Event
- Friday May 23rd, 2008 - Gingerman Raceway - South Haven, MI

Our first road course event for 2008 is in the books! We had 27 drivers flock to Gingerman Raceway in South Haven, Michigan. The day began with a wonderful blue sky and a cool breeze. As the sun rose it slowly got warmer and by the time the cars hit the track at 9:00am we had good temperatures.

Set up and check-in went smoothly and we had a very relaxed beginning to our day. We had many veterans and a good number of first timers join us for the event. Folks warmed up to the track after eight months of not driving on a road course, we were indeed knocking off the cobwebs. The drivers were divided into four run groups with each getting a minimum of 5 sessions (and more if they wished).

This was a special day because we had Skip Thomas join our club for the event. He held several beginner and advanced driving classes for the members. As one of our sponsors, he’s been supportive in more ways than one, we were happy he came such a long distance to see us. We were also pleased to have our good friend of the club, Ralph Gilles, join us. He brought his very new (and very own) black ACR. This thing was a beauty. With the belanger exhaust it sounded great, but the performance was the trump card. It was the fastest car of the day, and being only the first time he’s had it out on a track, he was still being somewhat conservative. This car is beastly!

The day progressed, it went about as smooth as an event can go on all levels. Folks were very laid back as they tested their limits safely and without even the slightest incident. All the run groups ran on time and members even got extra time if they wanted to go out for additional sessions.

We had a good number of first time drivers and newbies, the instructors did a good job keeping up with them. Scott Miller in particular, bringing his new 2008 out for the very first time and never having driven on a road course, accomplished a lot in his first day. All the rookies were admirable and all seemed hooked. It was a good day for them and a great place to learn.

As we got closer to the end of the afternoon, the run groups thinned out and we called it a day around 3:30. Members packed up their cars and we had a quick awards session and parting thoughts before we headed back home. For the first road course event of the year we couldn’t have asked for more. We had great weather, everything went very smooth, everyone ran as many laps as they wished, and we hit the road early. It’ll only be weeks until we hit our next venue, let’s stick to the same game plan!

Click here for a short web video clip of the event!
 

Unlimited Class
Ralph Gilles (1st)
Ray Sweers (2nd)
Tom Antonelli (3rd)
Marshall Dickler
Alan Sweers
Mark Schumann
Robert Salus


1:27.796
1:30.372
1:30.415
1:32.972
1:32.973
1:34.079
1:36.289

Super SRT
John Gastman (1st)
Jeremy Walker (2nd)
Glenn Davis (3rd)



1:34.636
1:36.806
1:41.049

SRT
Tom Shapiro (1st)
Ron Adee (2nd)
Howie Frank (3rd)
Bernie Paul
Mark Les
Gary Grube
David Catalenello
Scott Miller
Roger Massie


1:35.326
1:36.234
1:37.298
1:38.695
1:39.530
1:40.382
1:40.872
1:42.588
1:52.559

Super Stock
Bill Kennedy (1st)
Kim Peterson (2nd)
Adam Berger (3rd)


1:41.625
1:44.384
1:56.920

Other
Steve Loudin (1st)
Steve Antonelli (2nd)
Justin Hernandez (3rd)
Barb Dickler
Seth Palatnik


1:45.212
1:49.XXX
1:50.393
1:57.388
Untimed

Officers
Alex Ristanovic


Untimed

 

 

Maywood Autocross - 1st Triple-cross Event
- Saturday May 10th, 2008 - Maywood Park - Melrose Park, IL

The first performance driving event for 2008 is in the books! It was a great success and we had great weather for it! The event was again a packed house, 33 drivers total!

The location was a favorite place for many of the group given its size, it was Maywood Park. The course was setup in the very early morning hours. A very dramatic sprawling course was planned, maintaining good speeds throughout. It was a technical course with many transitions, slaloms, weepers, switchbacks, hard turns, and a loop. It averaged about a minute and 10 seconds, large by autocross standards (if you got the space – use it!). It was a course that wasn’t terribly frustrating, but challenging to do well. When a course has that type of balance, everyone has a great time!

Drivers checked in at around 8:00am, with a drivers meeting at 8:45am. The course went hot on-time at 9:00am. Away we went.

There were three run groups, each run group received 2 drive around laps so they could learn the course. After that each driver would get an additional 10 runs. That is a day packed with driving!

As the day progressed, of course so did the lap times. And as confidence grew, so did the number of mistakes. Of course the one thing that never changes are the smoke shows that ensue from excited drivers pushing their cars! Club members for a front row seat of the action under the club tents setup along the course. We also drew many spectators from the neighborhood as cars began to park and watch the excitement.

We had several first time autocrossers on hand: Gus Pablecas, Scott Colburn, and Larry Catcott. They were all given the basics on autocross and applied them well. As always learning the course is step one and it takes many laps to get it in your head. Once they did, they were off with the rest of the group.

The day had some great drivers and awesome runs. There were many consistent 70-80 second runs from people as evidenced below. For a course this long, the times tend to spread out farther. We ran until 3:00pm, each group having the 10 runs we planned. Smiles were on everyones faces, regardless of the time you ran, you had fun.

Our driving events are focused mainly on fun, safety, skill improvement, and camaraderie. But we do also have awards for the outstanding drivers of the day. This was also the first autocross in the Triple-cross series, concluding in September. We finished the day with awards and the group headed home. The day was a great success and it knocked the cobwebs off our equipment and pumped everyone up for a good race year!
Click here for a short web video clip of the event!
   

Unlimited Class
Dale Naffziger (1st)
Mark Schumann (2nd)
Pat Youngs (3rd)


1:08.040
1:09.045
1:11:860

Super SRT
John Gastman (1st)
Glenn Davis (2nd)



1:10.762
1:14.215

SRT
Ron Adee (1st)
Howie Frank (2nd)
Tom Shapiro (3rd)
Gary Grube
Bernie Paul
David Catalanello
Robert Salus
Roger Massie
Gus Pablecas


1:08.401
1:11.590
1:12.194
1:12.418
1:12.424
1:12.759
1:12.833
1:19.613
1:20.617

Super Stock
Scott Colburn (1st)
Steve Hill (2nd)
Scott Storms (3rd)
Al English
Andy Ferguson
Kim Peterson
Bill Kennedy
Rick Manfredonia
Chris Bond
Larry Catcott


1:11.302
1:11.779
1:12.245
1:12.330
1:13.830
1:13.859
1:13.924
1:21.234
1:24.640
1:28.116

Other
Chris Swan (1st)
Cam Hahn (2nd)
Mike Swan (3rd)
Michael Pierga
Alex Paul
Michael Kinder


1:13.511
1:14.322
1:15.650
1:15.669
1:18.174
1:18.392

Officers
Alex Ristanovic
Aaron Vanassche


1:07.986
1:11.688

 

Want to browse the Performance Driving Afterglow for past years? Just click the year below:

2006 2007 2008 2009 Present

 

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