WASHINGTON D.C. REGION
SPORTS CAR CLUB OF AMERICA
Flagging and Communication
Newsletter
August 2010

BRIDGE LIGHTS
The last two MARRS events we’ve experienced problems with the lights under the bridge, to the point that we were unable to use them at the last MARRS event. We returned the controller and the receiving unit to the manufacturer, who determined that there was a failure in the receiver. The problem has been fixed, and the lights should be fully functional at the next MARRS. Speaking of which……

MARRS 7
MARRS 7 is only a week away! Come join us at Summit Point on August 7th and 8th for another fun-filled round of the Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Series. If you’re near a computer (which you must be, because you are reading this), go to the DLB website and register now! As usual, the DLB website can be accessed from the main page of the Region’s website, www.wdcr-scca.org.
MARRS 7 Schedule:
Saturday Flag Meeting: 7:30 am at the base of the tower
Registration Schedule: Friday – 6:00 – 9:00 pm
Saturday – open 7:00 am for workers
Sunday – open 7:45 am for workers

MARRS 8 at NJMP and the POCONO NATIONAL
The eighth round of the MARRS series will be held August 21-22 at New Jersey Motorsports Park on the Thunderbolt circuit. Come on out and support the MARRS drivers, as well as our New Jersey friends. You can register on the DLB website, the South Jersey Region website (http://www.sjr-scca.org/clubracing.html), or by e-mailing Dan Zane at zaner439@aol.com .
Also don’t forget the Tri-Region National at Pocono, held this year August 13-15. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Tri-Region, and to celebrate the weekend is jam-packed with special events, including a 3-hr Enduro on August 13, National qualifying and a 40 minute vintage race sponsored by Historic Racing Group on August 14, and National Races and a restricted regional for “Miatas and Friends” on August 15. And of course it’s Pocono, so it is practically guaranteed to be perfect weather….. You can register for this event at the NESCCA website (www.nescca.com).

LABOR DAY DOUBLE – RACING, CHARITY, AND A CHANCE TO BE HEARD
It is not too early to start planning for the annual Labor Day Double MARRS, to be held this year September 4 – 6. In addition to a fantastic three days of racing, this will be your chance to be heard, as the annual open competition meeting will be held outside of Chez Summit on Sunday, September 5. Everyone is encouraged to attend and share with the Club Racing Committee what they think is working and what they think might not be working. As for the latter, the BoD’s decision to eliminate the WDCR National race this year was probably the decision that caused the greatest amount of angst amongst the members. You will likely hear at the open competition meeting that the current BoD supports the return of National Racing to the region in 2011, and are actively working to that end.
As usual, the Labor Day Double is also our annual charity fundraising weekend. This year there are two main goals for the fundraising efforts: raise $20,000 for the Middleway Volunteer Fire Department which serves Summit Point Raceway, and donate 500 new books, toys and games to Jackson’s Toy Box which benefits Dr. Bear’s Closet at Children’s National Medical Center.

All fund raising activities will be held on Saturday, September 4, on the Washington Circuit at Summit Point Raceway. There will be transportation from the Summit paddock to the Washington Circuit and parking is also available. Plans are still be formalized but attendees can look forward to Kart Races, casino games and a kids carnival. The hospitality party and dinner will also take place near the Washington Circuit. If you are interested in helping out, please contact Wendy Collins at wcollins@hrconstruction.com. Keep an eye on the region website for additional details as they become available. All participants are encouraged to bring a new book, toy, or game to donate to Jackson’s Toy Box.

WORKER LUNCHES
The following race groups will be providing worker lunches the rest of the year.
Sunday, August 8 – ITB/ITC/ITS (with the Region)
Saturday, September 4 – SM/SSM
Saturday, October 9 – Small Bore/Big Bore
Sunday, October 10 – ITA/IT7/SRX7
Please make sure to thank the drivers of those groups for their hospitality!

BALTIMORE GRAND PRIX
I know that everyone is anxious for news on next year’s IRL race in Baltimore. Rest assured that our Regional Executive, Evanthe Salisbury has been on top of this project from the beginning. She has already had meetings with the organizers and promoters and will be working on a contract for the Region in the not too distant future. Look for updates from Evanthe on the Region’s website.

BoD NOMINEES
The Nominating Committee has approved the following WDCR members to be listed on the ballot for the Board of Directors elections, to be held beginning September 1, 2010 (note the names are in order of member number):

Jack Burrows #80303
Lin Toland #251753_1
Brian Burdette #259989
Eric Kriemelmeyer #276167
Kim Ratcliffe #287515
Marshall Lytle #299596
Gregg Ginsberg #300661
Chris Windsor #330405

Please remember to cast your vote when the voting window opens September 1. Vote early! Vote often! No, wait, forget that last one. But make sure your vote is heard! Candidate bios will be up on the region website soon.

THE STRAIGHTPIPE
Don’t forget that the Washington D.C. Region’s newsletter, The Straightpipe, is now an online-only publication, with its own website www.straightpipemagazine.com. If your inner Chris Economaki (you younger folks can google him) is just begging to be released, consider writing an article for The Straightpipe. The editors are always grateful for submitted articles and pictures, and F&C even has its own section!

F&C NEWSLETTER

In addition to the e-mailed copy and to help you keep in touch the newsletter is also posted on the WDCR web site each month and available through:

http://www.wdcr-scca.org/ClubRacing/FC/FCNewsletter/tabid/1575/Default.aspx

CONTACT INFO
There is a common e-mail address for the WDCR FM staff; FandC@wdcr-scca.org automatically sends a note to each of the WDC Flag Marshals.
If you would like to contact us individually (please note new e-mail addresses for Dale and Cheryl):
Greg McDermott: gjmcdermott@cox.net
Wayne Armbrust: sccaflag@visuallink.com
Dale Ferril: dale.ferril@gmail.com or 301 322 3240 (M~F 8am to 5pm)
Cheryl Hasychak: hasy1977@gmail.com

Please note: This e-mail message was sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming e-mail. Please do not reply to this message.

Please support WDCR’s sponsors!

Apple Ford (http://www.appleford.com)

Apple Ford Lincoln Mercury in Columbia, MD is one of the premier dealerships, and offers one of the most comprehensive parts and service department in the automotive industry. Their website is a convenient place to get all the information you’re looking for about them, and their extensive selection of vehicles.

OG Racing (http://www.ogracing.com/pages/Home)

OG Racing’s full line of Sparco racing suits to their custom built Porsche roll cages are “Making Racers Safer”.

Radial Tire (http://www.radialtire.com/)

Since 1976, Radial Tire Company has been providing the Washington D.C. Area with quality tires and the finest service. They have earned a reputation as the premier specialist in hard to find performance tire and wheel applications. They stock tires from all of the top manufacturers, for whatever you drive, from small economy cars, to SUVs and trucks. Their mission is to assist you in getting the most out of your tires and car.

Summit Point Kart (http://www.summitpointkart.com/)

Summit Point Kart is bringing “arrive and drive” karting to the region’s favorite race facility, Summit Point Motorsports Park.

By Pat Griffith

Should the Shelby Mustang drivers in F Stock start looking for new rides?  Although he has committed to driving his new 5.0-liter 2011 Mustang GT for the rest of the year, Sam Strano thinks the power (advantage: new car) and handling (advantage: old car) differences between the two cars will still make for interesting competition.

Despite the electrical gremlins that have hampered the car early on, Sam thinks those problems are behind them, and he Mike Snyder will compete in the car at the Solo Nationals in Lincoln, Neb. 

“We plan on only bringing one car with us to Lincoln,” Sam said.  “I don’t want to leave the new car home.  Even if it’s the same speed as the Shelbys, I’ll drive it.”

Sam picked up the car from Apple Ford the weekend of the D.C. Pro Solo, and two weeks later, it was in competition trim at the SCCA National Tour in Peru, Ind., with Konis and Magnaflow mufflers.  During the Friday test day, Sam and Mike did some tweaking, including adding an adjustable front sway bar, and Mike also brought out his Shelby Mustang for comparison testing.  They decided to go with the new Mustang for competition, but a mysterious electrical issue crept up where the car would cut down on power.  They went back to Mike’s Shelby for the second day of competition.

At the Toledo Pro Solo, Sam drove his new Mustang while Mike drove his Shelby.  While Sam ended up losing to Jason Burns in his Mustang Shelby (by less than two tenths of a second), he felt encouraged because a Ford engineer was on hand data logging the car and likely found the source of the power loss – an intake cam sensor issue that wasn’t even triggering a check-engine light.

“I got in contact with a Ford engineer last year who lurks on some message forums and saw me post about the Shelby and my old blue Mustang GT,” Sam said.  “When all this started in Peru, he sent me an e-mail asking if I needed some help.  He contacted another engineer who did a lot of work on the development of the car, and he came out to Toledo to datalog the car under race conditions.”

The fault lasted just 32 milliseconds, but they finally had the problem nailed down.

“The Ford guys were concerned, and they wanted it fixed,” Sam said.  As the engineer said to him, “You can sell more cars than I ever will.”  Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.

The biggest difference between the two cars lies underneath the hood where the new 5.0L has the upper hand over the 4.6L Shelby with 93 more horsepower and 110 more foot-lbs of torque.  However, the car isn’t as stiffly sprung as the Shelby, but Sam did note the rear has bigger sway bar and stiffer springs than the previous generation Mustang GT.

Mike’s initial driving impression:  “The 5.0 has more grunt, but the car is a little softer.  You have to lead it a little more into the turns, but it will point and shoot off its nose better.  It’s a little bit harder to drive, but that doesn’t mean it’s slower.  It’s a little bit less predictable – that’s why you have to lead it more.  But it’s very fast when you hit the right pedal.”

“A lot of people won’t like it,” Sam added.  “It’s not a pseudo-ESP car — it moves around a lot.”

At Toledo, the new Mustang weighed 3,519 with about 1/3 of a tank of gas.  On the scales at the Peru Tour, Mike’s Shelby weighed 3,417.

For the exhaust, Sam went with a Magnaflow system that saves about 16 pounds over the stock exhaust.  It’s possible to save even more weight but he wanted the Magnaflow mufflers for the sake of having a relatively quiet sound while on the road — he still wants to drive his new Mustang on the street (Sam’s ESP Camaro still had air conditioning and a stereo, so he doesn’t mind sacrificing creature comforts for a few pounds of weight).  Also with sound restrictions being implemented at various sites, including Lincoln Airpark, he wanted a quieter exhaust to ensure the noise remained below the limit.

The Konis are off-the-shelf adjustables, but Sam has a set of monotube AST dampers to go on the car.

For wheels, Sam got a custom set of Forgelines that along with the Hoosiers saves about 10 pounds per corner.  Since the car has 19-inch wheels, they don’t have any choice for rain tires except the Pirellis that came on the car, but Sam and Mike said the stock tires are really good in the wet anyway.

The rear differential hasn’t been touched — it can be shimmed tighter (and legally on the Mustangs, even the previous generation, in Stock), and it’s something that Mike and Sam are going to address before Nationals.

As for stock options, Sam chose the Brembo brake package with the 19X9-inch wheels – non-Brembo cars have options for 19X8.5” and 18X8 wheels.  He also got a car with 3.31 gears – other possibilities include 3.55s and 3.73s, but Sam figures with the 6,800 RPM limit (“and it starts to lose steam up high”), the lower gears are better for Stock.  Second gear should be good for about 70mph.

So far, the comparison between the new 5.0L Mustang and the 4.6L Shelby reminds me of when the later third generation F-Bodies were in the class with the fourth generation F-Bodies.  On paper, the LT1 cars and then the LS1 cars looked like they were easily the F-Body to have, but people like Paul and Lynne Kozlak kept showing that their dinosaur IROC Camaro wasn’t extinct yet.  The older car didn’t have the horsepower, but it had plenty of low-end torque, not to mention handling that made it easier to drive fast out of the box.

“I think the car can get it done, but it won’t crush everybody,” Sam said.

The Washington D.C. Region SCCA Time Trials program held its second event of 2010 on July 17th and 18th, 2010. Drivers took to the beautiful and tricky Shenandoah Circuit at Summit Point Motorsports Park for a weekend full high temperatures, clear skies, record times and clear track for all groups.

The PDX event Saturday started off the weekend with driver education programs on track, in the classroom as well as on the wet skid pad in the Shenandoah Circuit paddock area. All levels of track driver were welcomed with clear track, as each group had plenty of space on the 2.2 mile circuit. Advanced drivers enjoyed track time with the instructors group with passing anywhere on track with a point by. Adding a new level of enjoyment and the next level of on track education for our most experienced drivers.

By the time last car rolled in, the PDX Ladies Auxiliary had rolled out a spread for everyone. A good time was had by all, even though Matt left the coconut bra and grass skirt at home. A special thanks to Jo Anne Edmondson and Janet Toland for making the Saturday PDX parties such a treat. Later the paddock became the campground, several parties and a number of four legged friends decided to make camp over night at the track.

Sunday came early for the PDX and Club Trials participants, a new day with new challenges. Several new competitors had come out seeking to set a new lap record for Region Club Trials. The record was reset by Fred Kelley after a valiant effort in second place by Scot Knott and his awesome Lotus Elise, and third place Joe Rausa in his Cheeta Sr-1. Kelley dropped his lap record time around the Shenandoah Circuit to a blistering fast 1:36.221 in his FFR Cobra. Kelley set the lap record in the Regions first ever Club Trial on the Shenandoah Circuit and has reset the fast time in every subsequent event, never having surrendered the record to another driver in two years of competition.

We caught up with several participants in the event and asked them a few questions after the event:

Prashanth Dayanand
First Track Day

Ed: Tell me about yourself briefly, driving experiences, the cars you’ve driven, and the car you drove in the PDX?

I am an avid auto enthusiast and always appreciate anyone who takes care of theier cars even if it’s a Civic, Corolla, etc. I have been following all the top motorsports like F1, motoGP and WRC for several years now and its become an addiction for me. Currently own a 2006 Subaru STI and 2003 Subaru Forester. Also driven Honda Civic Si, BMW 330Ci and M3, Audi A4, VW GTI and R32, WRX. I have done a lot of road trips in my Subaru STI along with my friends and family. Never had the chance to really get to know the limits of myself and the car. I was looking for a track in and around Maryland where I can take my car on the track and found WDCR SCCA club which organized HPDE events at Summit Point racing. I took my STI for HPDE event along with my brother in his 2005 Subaru Legacy GT and my cousin in his 2004 Subaru WRX.

Ed: You visited a PDX event and went on a lunch time parade lap on the Shenandoah Circuit. Was that the first time you have ever been on a racing circuit in a car, and what was it like for you?

That was my first experience on track and that too in my own car. It was an awesome feeling and decided right at that time to register for the next event. There was no way that I could miss it.

Ed: What did you do to prepare for the PDX event?

For my first PDX event, I did a lot of reading on the forums (IWSTI and NASIOC) on what basic things are needed for a track event. Everybody suggested to get some kind of track brake pads and high temperature brake fluid. I got the Hawk DTC 30′s all round for my 06 STI and Motul RBF600 brake fluid.
Suspension upgrade (TEIN Flex coliovers, TEIN Strut front and rear bars, Whiteline front and rear Sway bars 24mm) and car was Stage 2 protuned at IAG Performance long before the event.

Ed: How would you rate the classroom and in car instruction that you received?

I was very happy with the classroom sessions and also the in car instructions. Presentation was nice and Class room instructions covered the basics of event, the different flags on the track and most important was tips on improving driving skills. Also covered the basic upgrades for the car required for a HPDE event.
Real time instructions during the track session helped improve my cornering skills and also guaging the braking point. I also got to ride with the instructor (Tyler) in his BMW which really helped me push my car in the right way during my third session.

Ed: How quickly were you able to find the line on track with your instructor, and was there an “Ahh Ha!” moment for you on track or in the classroom?

Orientation ride with the instructor gave me an idea as to how to go about the track. I spent the first session getting to know the track, racing line, brking points. Second session was improvising on taking the corners quicker. Practiced braking before the turn, hitting the apex properly in the corner so as to get a better exit speed. “Ahh Ha!” moment I can think of is when I braked late during the second session coming down the back straight, took the corner a bit fast. Car’s tail started to come out and I had to counter steer to correct it. That was a great moment for me and was pretty happy on how I handled that curve.

Ed: Do you feel that attending the PDX event has helped your driving ability?

Yes. It’s just not about speeding. I have gotten to know that car can do a lot more than what a normal person can handle. I feel more confident in my car since I know my limits and also the car and how to take evasive action in case of emergency. Skid pad was a good experience and also to learn the limit of your car during slippery conditions. It was difficult to induce oversteer in my AWD Subaru. I was able to get to oversteer once, but was not able to hold on to it.

Ed: After returning home from such an extremely hot weekend on track, I mean it was brutal out there, are you excited to attend another PDX event?

Of course yes. I am excited to attend another PDX event which will be on a high speed circuit.

Ed: You came to the PDX with a group of friends, it seemed like everyone had a good time. Would you suggest this as a great activity for a group of friends to do together?

I would definitely suggest this to all my friends who are into cars. My freinds were very happy that I suggested this event and they are looking forward to the next event.

Peter Kimball
Advanced Group Driver

Ed: Tell me about yourself briefly, driving experiences, the cars you’ve driven, and the car you drove in the PDX and Club Trials?

I grew up in Connecticut in a family of Camry drivers and somehow ended up the car nut in the family. Started out autocrossing and doing PDX events, and attended the Skip Barber School this spring. The only cars I’ve really driven in anger are Miata’s, with the exception of Mike Snyder’s FSP Fiesta. FSP Fiesta, wow. At the PDX/Club Trial I rented a Spec Miata from Darrell Wheeler. I had a lot of fun in that on Saturday, but someone blew the engine in that car, so I drove a King Rat Spec Miata in the Sunday event.

Ed: You’ve participated with our PDX program and other HPD programs. What do you prefer about our program?

I come down for the people. I’ve tried other events, NJMP, Lime Rock, and there is just something about the DC Region that’s a lot of fun. I’m still in touch with the Chesapeake Roadsters, the DC Miata Club, they’re a bunch of fun folk and they have a real strong presence at these events. They make it fun to come down and I also know a lot of the volunteers at the PDX events. Chuck Edmondson still gets a kick out of telling the class how I managed to get my instructor covered in mud. It was an artful move, it took a whole bunch of talent to get his side of the car to go into the mud puddle first. Its a good group, and you know I’ve been black flagged before, and it was not so bad being sent to the skid pad. Its just a whole bunch of fun people to hang out with. Another plus is there is just so much on track time, compared to other more closer events. The safety level at DC events is much better, and the Pork BBQ sandwich is so good.

Ed: You live outside the DC Area in New York City. Explain how you go about attending our events these days?

This qualifies me as insane. I take an Amtrack train from Penn Station in New York to BWI, walk to the rental car center, pick up a car and drive to a Winchester hotel, and drive into Summit Point in the morning. Last time the trip took 7 hours, and if Amtrack is on time I could save an hour. It sounds crazy, but its worth it.

Ed: How did you like participating in the Club Trial competition?

It was amazingly fun. I can’t believe how much time we got to be out on track, and every lap was a hot lap without traffic. It was really on us as drivers to make every lap good. When there is no one in front of you there no reason that you should be messing up that corner: every corner should be perfect. That’s a lot of responsibility and fun. Knowing that the clock is ticking and fighting that red mist, its competition and thats always fun.

Ed: Since the Spec Miata is good for Track Trial competition, will you join us for the Fall events on the main circuit?

I would love too. I have Powerball tickets, and am on the lookout for overturned armored trucks. So I’m just waiting for a large bundle of money to hit me so I can rent another Spec Miata and come down to run with the Washington DC Region SCCA.

Thank you as always to the volunteers.

Fred Kelley
Advanced Group Driver, Shenandoah Circuit Lap Record Holder

Ed: Can you tell me about yourself briefly, driving experiences, the cars
you’ve driven, and the car you drove in the Club Trial?

I’ve always known I’d end up racing cars, it just took a while. I grew up in New England, I started ski racing when I was 5 or 6. We had a place right on the trails at Stratton Mountain, our coaches were all Austrian Olympic medalists and I skied every weekend, tough childhood!
 
I saved every penny from a summer job as a laborer and bought my first car in ’73, an MGB GT, I loved that thing. I went of to College in Maine, I’d get together with a group that included a Datsun B2000, a couple of 2002′s, one was a tii, and we’d go to an abandoned missle site, set up a course and trash our cars. We also did a lot of really crazy back road racing. After my sophomore year their was only one car left…my MG, everything else was wrecked. Whenever it snowed I went driving, always.
 
I got into Bicycle racing after college within a year I was building my own frames, quit my job and spent a few years on the road racing. BTW, bike racing involves standing in line at registration, nasty porta-johns, standing around all day, some racing, and lot’s of BS about why you didn’t win, sounds familiar. I raced until ’05.
 
My first real track experience was at a BMW event at Pocono. They were introducing the new M5 and had a two day event for BMW employees. They wanted to create some excitement about the new cars, and brought a handful of well prepped M5′s and what they considered their competition.
 
My instructors were Jeremy Dale and David Hobbs! It was one of the more memorable events of my life. When they had us ride with the instructors/pros is was unbelievable, to this day and still can’t believe how those guys drove..in was 1989. I was sure I’d race cars someday.
 
In the fall of ’05 I was lying in bed after my um-teenth back surgery, my doc said the bike racing days were over. I’d seen those factory five ads in the back of the mags, hmmm. Two day later I ordered a kit with the plan to make a track day car. My daughter and I drove up to Mass. in February to pick the kit up. The first one I’d ever seen was the car in their showroom. I got right to work.
 
I was almost done by the end of summer and had heard about the Capitol Area Cobra Club. They autocrossed at the Cumberland airport. Wade Chamberlain was there in his supercharged monster, holy crap! He was crazy! I knew I was in trouble, and was about to get into autocross.

I enjoy the mix of autocross, track, Cobra, Miata. I even did the BMW kart series a couple of winters ago, it was a blast, very competitive, and you even get to see some 50 year olds act 10. Autocross and karting definitely help improve your track skills, learning to control the car at or beyond the limits makes the track seem tame. It always takes me a few runs at autocross to get aggressive enough to be fast after doing a track event. I love going back to the same track over and over trying to find more speed, autocross is hit and run.

Ed: You’ve been trying all year to get out in Ben Lambiotte’s Blue/
White FFR Type 65 Coupe, what advantages does that car have over your Roadster?

Bens Coupe? I had a great time building his Coupe over the ’08/’09 winter. I had missed the buiding part since finishing mine. Ben had always wanted a Coupe, and he wanted the ultimate track Coupe. We’ve been trying to get it out to the club trials for a while, but between our schedules and some very annoying little problems it hasn’t worked…yet. I’ve got a total of 8 laps in it, and that’s with no power steering fluid.
 
The Coupe was built with one goal in mind, to be the fastest track Coupe ever. It may not be that, but it will be a fast one. Compared to my Cobra the Coupe is much more aero (imagine that), has about 150 more HP , 1000 more RPM, huge six piston Wilwoods, Koni DA race shocks, much more rubbber front and rear, a full cage, and whatever else Ben could think of. Hopefully we’ll get to see what it can do at an upcoming TT. He was talking about doing some hillclimbs, but I think he’s grown fond of the shape of the body and wants to keep it in one piece.
 
I was planning to get into wheel to wheel racing a while ago, I still am, but I’m a Realtor, so for now I’m going to keep having fun doing what I’ve been doing. I’ve met a lot of great people these past few years and really enjoy being a part of the SCCA.
 
Thanks for all the good times.

We thank Carrol Little for posting this video of laps in his Legacy Spec B.

And here is a group shot of Subaru friends after the event.

More images available at the WDCR Photography group on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/wdcrphoto/pool/

Even though the Labor Day Charity Event details are still in the planning stages, it will be held on Saturday, September 4th, on the Washington Circuit at Summit Point Raceway, featuring Featherweight and Heavyweight Kart Races, an evening of Casino games, and a Kids Carnival. Start your Kart training regiment now… Will you qualify for the Featherweight (Small Bore) or Heavyweight (Big Bore) race?

The event will benefit two charities:
Jackson’s Toy Box to benefit Dr. Bear’s Closet at Children’s National Medical Center
The Middleway Volunteer Fire Department

We ask that attendees bring a new toy, game, or book to donate to Jackson’s Toy Box and all money raised will benefit the Middleway Volunteer Fire Department.

We have set a goal to raise $20,000 for the Middleway Volunteer Fire Department and to donate more than 500 toys, books, and games to Jackson’s Toy Box for Dr. Bear’s Closet. As we plan the MARRS Labor Day Charity Event, we hope that we can count on your support to help make it a big success!

Corporate Sponsorship
Over the next month, we will be searching for Corporate and Individual sponsors for the MARRS Labor Day event. There are a wide variety of sponsorships available, including Platinum Signature Sponsors to Casino Night Black- Jack/Roulette Table Sponsors. If you or your company are interested in donating and receiving exposure to the over 2000 members of the Washington DC Region, plus the attendees of the MARRS Labor Day event, please contact Wendy Collins, chair of the Labor Day Charity Event.

Want to help or would like more information?
Please contact Wendy Collins via email or by phone at (301) 996-1401 if you would like to support the Labor Day Charity Event or if you would like to receive more information.

Jackson’s Toy Box

Jackson’s Toy Box was created to benefit Dr. Bear’s Closet at Children’s National Medical Center in memory of Jackson “Jake” McCarthy Collins, son of Wendy and Michael Collins. At the age of 4 months, Jake was first diagnosed with being developmentally delayed and was referred to Children’s National Medical Center. Over the next twelve months, Jake remained in the care of the doctors at Children’s National Medical Center while they searched for the cause of his illness. Throughout those twelve months, Jake developed seizures, lost his eyesight and eventually was tube fed. Even though he could not sit up, walk or talk, he maintained a happy disposition through his numerous doctor’s visits, tests, and daily therapies. At thirteen months old, Jake was finally diagnosed with a mitochondria disorder. At fourteen months old, when the disease became too much for Jake’s weakened body, he passed away.

The doctors and nurses at Children’s National Medical Center were a constant source of support and love for both Jake and his parents. In an effort to return the support and love to others, Jackson’s Toy Box was created to collect new toys, books, and crafts for Dr. Bear’s Closet. Often times a deck of cards, a doll or even a stuffed animal can put a smile on the face of a child who hasn’t smiled in quite some time. Dr. Bear’s Toy closet is a room full of donated toys, games, books and other items which really help boost the spirits of patients of all ages. A well stocked Dr. Bear’s Toy Closet is essential to ensure that every patient has a gift for the holidays, their birthdays, and most importantly as a little something to serve as a reward for their courage in fighting an illness. The Closet provides toys to thousands of patients in Children’s Inpatient Units, the Emergency Room and Outpatient Treatment Centers. Toys from the closet are also used to stock playrooms on each clinical unit. Play, which is so important to all children, is even more essential when a child is undergoing difficult treatment or procedures due to illness. Providing a new game or toy and watching a smile light up a child’s face is a special moment for families, staff and volunteers. We look forward to collecting an amazing amount of toys, games, and books to Jackson’s Toy Box.

Middleway Volunteer Fire Department

Middleway Volunteer Fire Department is one of the Fire Departments that serves Summit Point Raceway. They are a dedicated group of emergency trained individuals that respond to our emergency calls at Summit Point Raceway. Middleway has a deep need to replace expiring Fire and Rescue equipment including Self Contained Breathing Apparatus’ and Fireman’s gear. It costs $2,000 to replace a full set of Fireman’s gear and it is $5,000 for one Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus.

By Pat Griffith

Now is the time of year autocrossers around the country start thinking about going to the Solo National Championships at Forbes Field Heartland Park Nebraska’s Lincoln Airpark.  For many, it has become a can’t-miss annual ritual to attend the world’s largest amateur motorsports event.

This year’s event will return again to Lincoln Airpark Labor Day week, Sept. 7 to 10.

If you have never been but are curious about attending, I caught up with a few of the locals who have made the trek for six minutes of seat time in the middle of the country.

Danny at last year's Solo Nationals

Danny Kao
Danny admits he doesn’t really have a shot at a National Championship, but that hasn’t stopped him from making the trip to the heartland for the past three years.

“If you go thinking you’re going to win, you’re crazy,” he said.  “The people there are so much faster.”

The advantage for Danny comes when he returns home to compete in local events.

“I enjoy the local event a lot more, because I’m no longer tense to try and finish first or second or third,” he said.  “I know there are just much bigger fish out there. You just concentrate on improving, and that’s all I do.  As long as I drive faster than expected, that’s all I care about.”

It’s hard to believe, but Danny was the introverted kid on his first day of kindergarten the first year he went out with Mike Neary to drive Danny’s Mitsubishi Evo in STU. 

“I didn’t know anybody, so I tagged along with Neary the whole time,” he recalled.  “The second year, I started knowing everybody.  Now the complexion changes – it becomes a big party.”

Adding, “It’s the funnest time ever.  You see a whole bunch of people you haven’t seen in months.”

Danny is going to drive F125 this year in Lincoln.

Josh at last year's Solo Nationals

Josh Luster
Josh’s first Solo Nationals was last year when he drove his Subaru Impreza in Street Touring Unlimted (STU).

“If you haven’t been out before, you have to go and get it over with,” he said.  “Quite honestly, it’s a lot to take in.  If you want to go in the future, you need to go to learn to get used to everything going on.”

For Josh, he went “to see how I compared against the best.  I thought I had a chance to compete.”

Unfortunately, he finished 23^rd out of 46 drivers and was disappointed with the result and left with a feeling that the whole experience had overwhelmed him to a point that it affected his driving.

“I think what happens is that when you go out there, being such a big event, you have the tendency to put too much pressure on yourself,” he said.  “Really, it would have been better just to go out and have fun.”

Even if you don’t think you are going to compete for a trophy, it’s worth it, Josh said.

“It’s one of the most fun times I’ve ever had,” he said.  “Yeah it’s a long trip, it’s a long drive, but you know what?  If you love autocrossing on the weekends, where can you go to autocross with twelve hundred of your closest friends?  Especially if you stay the whole four days.  There’s so much entertainment to watch, there’s so much to be involved in.  It’s an absolute blast.”

Josh is going to compete in Lincoln again this year in STU.

Eric getting ready to hit the test and tune course at last year's Solo Nationals

Eric Kriemelmeyer
Eric first attended the Solo Nationals in 1999 when people encouraged him after seeing him drive in his G Stock Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS. 

“People told me I should go because I was fast around here, and I should go out there and see how I compare to everybody.  I wasn’t dead last, but I was pretty far back.”

That first trip opened his eyes to not only the level of competition but how much people put into their cars to maximize the rules, and he was in awe of how much people were into it.

“Everything was at a level I had never seen before,” he recalled.  “People take things to the next level, and out there, there were people a dozen or maybe 15 levels beyond where I was.  Bob Endicott won G Stock that year, and he was getting ready to go run World Challenge races.  I was like, ‘I just started this in May!’”

Since then, he has been every year but two, but those lessons from the first year still ring true.

“That’s when I first realized you had to have the right tire, and you can’t get by doing a couple things,” he said.  “You have to do everything you can to win a National Championship.  Any modification you can make, you have to make, and of course you have to drive really well, too.”

But like Danny and Josh said, there’s more to the Solo Nationals experience than just competition.

“It’s a race, but it is also a social time where you meet friends from all over the country that you don’t see too often,” he said.  “If you’re new, you make new bonds.  If you run midpack in the D.C. Region against good competition, that’s about where you can expect to finish at Nationals.  You shouldn’t have to feel like you got to go out there only if you have a shot to win.”

The courses are also very different than what’s seen at FedEx Field or Blue Crabs Stadium where the WDCR and Autocrossers, Inc., holds events.  The site at Lincoln Airpark is concrete, so it has more grip than the asphalt lots around here, and it is flat with no elevation changes at all.

“It’s a different surface, it’s a different feel,” Eric said.

Eric is going again this year to drive his Solstice in B Stock.

Steve and Evanthe Salisbury
The Steaks have only been to one Solo Nationals, 2006 the first year at Heartland Park in Topeka, Kan., competing in A Stock and AS Ladies, but would have attended more if not for the birth of their two children.  Still, the decision to make that first trip was an easy one.

“All of our friends were going.  A large contingency of WDCR and Autocrossers, Inc., was going to be out there,” she said.  “We were going to be surrounded by family.”

They were in awe at the level of preparation of the cars, such as real Modified and Prepared cars.

“The line of F Mod cars!” Evanthe said.  “There were lines and lines of cars, exotic and fully prepped.  It was cool to see all the different kinds of truly prepared cars.”

Even the level of competition in A Stock was impressive.

“Somebody showed up with two S2000s, the first generation and the second generation to see which would be better on the surface,” Steve said.

They ran their Subaru WRX STi then, and after surviving each other for 20 hours in the car, Evanthe barely survived her first day.  She heard a “clunk” on her first run, and overdrove and/or underdrove and was DFL (an acronym that we can’t spell out here) after the three runs. 

“The disappointment was suffocating. I broke down into a sobbing mess,” Evanthe wrote on her blog then. “Eventually I dried my tears, but I was silently inconsolable because I was going to be DFL of the class no matter what happened during the next day’s runs.”

It turned out a bolt on one of the front swaybar end links broke, but they didn’t discover it until changing back to street tires after competition was over.  Evanthe somehow managed to overcome this and drive within a second of the leaders on the second day.

“If you have the time and the disposable income and even the slightest inclination, you should go,” Evanthe said.  “It really is fun, and the fact of the matter is, you’re out there with people who are so experienced, there’s no way you can’t have a good time.  If you even think you might want to go, you need to go at least once.  Unlike the Runoffs and Club Racing, you can go!  You don’t have to qualify.”

When both of the kids are old enough for Formula Junior, which was added to the Solo Nationals three years ago, they might be there again.  Steve has already figured the date at 2016.

What now?

So now you’re convinced to head out to Lincoln and give it a try, so what’s next?  First you need to figure out what you are going to drive.  Of course you can drive your car.  If you’re worried about its competiveness, as others said here, the first trip to Nationals might not be just about being competitive.  Get the first one out of the way then worry about taking home trophies.

If you’re worried about driving by yourself halfway across the country, find somebody to co-drive with you and share expenses for the trip out, possibly sharing a hotel room as well.  Or ask around to see who’s already going and if they want a co-driver.

Learic Cramer and Clyde Caplan share a ride on the return trip from Lincoln last year

Many people who have arranged to drive another car also fly out if they can’t work a 20-hour drive into their schedule.  Lincoln Airpark is an active airport, and Omaha’s airport is about an hour up the road.  Rent a car for the week or find somebody to pick you up.

The SCCA has also posted which classes run on which days so you can figure out when you will be driving.  The courses are set up for walking that Monday, so keep that in mind if you are driving Tuesday-Wednesday.  Even if you’re driving later in the week, you might consider showing up early to take in the whole Nationals experience.

Once you figure out what you’re driving, you have to register on the SCCA’s Web site.  The cost is $150 until 4 p.m. Aug. 11, then that rate will go up to $300, so needless to say, it’s a good idea to figure out your plans early.

Also, there will be a short test course set up starting on Friday Sept. 3 and running until Wednesday.  The cost is $45 for an hour session and you can register on the SCCA’s Web site as well.  The Evolution Performance Driving School will also be running on the same course from noon to 2 p.m. from Sunday to Wednesday for $50 per session, and registration is available on the school’s Web site.  Evolution School instructors will be on hand to give tips and ride along to get you ready for the big show. 

Other activities scheduled include a welcome party at the Museum of American Speed Monday night (which I didn’t go to last year and immediately regretted the next morning after hearing everybody rave about the museum), and awards ceremonies Wednesday and Friday nights after competition.

Don’t forget a hotel room and what you want to do for food and drink for the week.  Right by the entrance to event site was a grocery store and a couple of restaurants.

The Steaks’ tips for surviving Solo Nationals:

• Find out your work assignment and what it entails.  Although the job title might be the same as what you might find in the DC Region, duties might be slightly different.
• Don’t drive straight through after work.
• Find a hotel room.

Also, check out Heyward Wagner’s “8 Tried and True Tips for a $500 Nationals Budget” from the SCCA’s Solo Matters newsletter.

For a taste of last year’s Solo Nationals, check out the WDCR’s (very unofficial) blog.

The WDCR crew at last year's Solo Nationals

By Pat Griffith

Several WDCR members made the trek to Peru, Ind., Independence Day weekend for the SCCA National Tour at the former alert facility at Grissom Air Reserve Base, and leading the way were Sam Strano and Carrie Snyder, who won in F Stock (FS) and Street Touring Sport (STS) Ladies, respectively.  Ian Baker took home a trophy for his second-place finish in STS.

In FS, the big news was going to be the debut of Sam’s new 5.0-liter 2011 Mustang GT.  Mike Snyder brought his familiar black Mustang GT, and after back-to-back testing and a little tweaking on Friday’s test course, Sam and Mike decided to go with the new car.

Also competing in FS was Lee Piccione, who was on the “arrive and drive” program co-driving with Ohio Valley Region’s Jim Zeisler in his blue 2008 Shelby Mustang.

On Saturday, Lee set the pace with a best of 49.609 that came on his second run.  Sam and Mike were having problems with the new Mustang mysteriously cutting out power in one section of the course.  Sam, who recently switched membership to the WDCR, could only muster a best of 50.009 with Mike about four tenths in back of that.

On Sunday, Sam and Mike switched back to the more reliable Shelby.  Sam’s first run turned out to be his best, a 49.324, which gave him the overall lead.  Unfortunately for Lee, his 49.902 on his first run turned out to be his fastest time.  He coned a 49.5 on his second run that would have given him the win, but Sam finished at the top by less than two tenths.  Lee did end up in second in the only other trophy spot in FS.  Mike held on to finish third overall and complete the WDCR podium sweep in the class.

In STSL, Carrie found herself in second place after Saturday by just under two tenths of a second.  Carrie was driving her 1988 Honda CRX Si and couldn’t match Central Kentucky Region’s Cindy Duncan in a 1991 Mazda Miata.

But Sunday was a different story.  Carrie came out on fire and took the overall lead on her first run.  She knocked off another nine tenths on her second run with a 50.770.  She slowed down on her last run, but Cindy’s best of 51.6 on her last run wasn’t enough to regain the overall lead, and Carrie took home the win by 0.649.

In the CRX-Miata battle in STS, the Miata had the upper hand there.  Ian, driving Carrie’s CRX, had the early lead Saturday, but Indianapolis Region’s Geoff Chambers ripped off a 49.843 to Ian’s best of 50.192.  On Sunday, Geoff and his Miata were again too much as he again set fastest time in class to take the overall win by 0.677 over Ian.

Other WDCR members competing included:

Learic Cramer, 2006 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, fifth, ASP
Andrew Baker, 2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V, fifth, GS
Holly Schwedler, 1988 Honda CRX Si (Carrie’s, not Ian’s, car) fifth, STSL
Me, 1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R, fifth, FSP