Wheelspin - St. Louis Region SCCA
| January 30, 2011
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Dear friends,
We had a great time at the annual banquet, celebrating our accomplishments, and taking a look back at our region's history. If you didn't make it this year, we missed you, and I hope you'll plan to be there next year, it really is a lot of fun.
Now it's time to move our focus toward the future. It may still cold outside, but the season will be in full swing before we know it, so time to shake off the winter doldrums and get to work! This is your club and it should be what you want it to - get involved with the programs that interest you, and stretch yourself to try something new. Come to the membership meetings and tell the BOD what you're looking for. Make new friends, strengthen existing ties, and above all have fun doing it!
Speaking as editor, I want to thank to Eileen Waters and Julia Briggen for their contributions this month! I'm having a lot of fun with the Wheelspin but I can't do it alone, send me your articles and letters. One thing I think would be fun is a "tech tips" column, so if you have something clever or interesting you'd like to share send it in! The Wheelspin deadline is the third Monday of the month.
Sincerely,
Steven Burkett,
Regional Executive
and Acting Wheelspin Editor
<--- sadly, that's not me!
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News from the BOD
| It may be the off-season, but it's a busy time of year for the BOD. The budgeting process is underway and of course the loss of Gateway poses new challenges. But even with a significant increase in Solo lot expense and the temporary uncertainty with Club Racing and PDX, we are on track for a financially sound 2011.
Several members of your board will be at the SCCA National Convention in February. If there are questions you want us to ask, or issues you want us raise, please send them to the BOD by Wed. Feb. 11th.
At the national convention, the regions are asked to donate to the SCCA Foundation, and several members of your board have pledged to donate personally. If you'd like to help us add to that amount, please contact Secretary Lynn Wilson no later than Feb. 6. It's a great cause and a great way to demonstrate how much the St. Louis region cares.
The BOD is looking for input into the region banquet. Having a high quality banquet and awards are a significant expense to the region, but are also crucial to our continued success as a club. Please let us know how you feel about the banquet, ticket prices, quality of the awards and venue. Should we spend more? Less? Ticket prices okay? We cut costs and raised prices this year, but the region still subsidized about $1100 for the banquet, not counting the trophies. E-mail your thoughts or suggestions to the BOD, or come to the membership meeting and tell us in person.
For meeting minutes, complete contact information and all the latest news please visit the region website.
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| Coming Events |
● The next Region Social is Monday February 21 at Spazio's Westport. The regular membership meeting is from 7:00-8:00, get the latest updates on club activities, plus a report from the SCCA national convention, and most importantly tell the BOD what's on your mind! Come early for a drink or dinner in Spazio's Bistro.
● The Rally in the 100 Acre Wood is just around the corner! Come on down to Salem Missouri this February 25-26 for all the excitement. Spectators are free and it's not too late to be a part of the action - volunteers are still needed. For all the details head over to www.100aw.org. Don't miss this great event!
● It's convention season again! February 10-12 brings the SCCA National Convention to Las Vegas, visit SCCA.org for more info. Closer to home, the MiDiv Convention in Springfield, MO is March 4-6. Register online at motorsportreg.com, or see the event flyer for more info.
● There will be another Solo Town Hall at Spazio's Westport on March 1st at 6:00. Come hear the latest for the 2011 season and let the Solo Advisory Committee know your thoughts.
Remember to check the region calendar for the latest on upcoming events. If you use Google Calendar you can even add the region calendar to your own and never miss a beat - just follow this link!
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Program Notes
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The 2011 Solo Schedule is now set, and you can start your planning now, the dates are posted on the Solo website.
Rallycross is still looking for a place to play. If you know someone who might be able to let us plow their field in exchange for a small fee, please contact Curt Faigle. They tell me all they need is twenty acres, there wasn't even any mention of a mule. As a reminder, Curt is interim chair and we still need someone willing to chair this committee permanently - contact Curt or the BOD if you're interested!
While the search for a racetrack continues, PDX chair Jose Hernandez together with Bob Mondschein and the PDX committee are working on putting together a new type of event for 2011 based on Solo but geared toward more seat time and higher speeds. Watch for more information to come on this exciting new activity.
The Road Rally program is still looking for committee help, contact Dave Jones or Ron Ferris if you want to get involved in revitalizing this program!
Performance Rally continues to prepare for the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood. The Sno Drift Rally in Michigan this past weekend had a strong turnout which bodes well for 100AW. The payouts for the new Honey Jar Challenge have been set, and VW competitors will share a prize fund of $1500 paying through fifth place
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 2010 Awards Banquet
- by Eileen Waters
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The St. Louis Region hosted their annual banquet celebrating the 2010 season January 15th at Spazio's in Westport. If you weren't there you missed an evening full of fun, trivia, family, and celebration.
In Club Racing the Rookie-of-the-Year was a young Sean Maloney who began his racing at our Driver's School and by August had won his first race. The Driver of the Year award went to a gentleman who raced 24 times this year and won 18 events plus 3 titles. The highlight for the winner Chris Albin had to be his daughter Andrea Albin presenting him the award.
 | The banquet committee, Cesare Venegoni, Julia Briggen, Eileen Waters vonHatten and Dave Jones, aka the Fantastic Four. Thanks for all your hard work, you put on a great show! - Ed.
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The Performance Rally Driver of the Year went not to the competitor who holds the steering wheel, but the co-driver in the passenger seat who calls the shots, John Huebbe. He and his brother Mark Huebbe finished on the podium 4 times in 9 regional rallies this season intheir VW Beetle Bug.
The RallyCross Driver of the Year finished first overall this year and helped put on the event. Congratulations to Phil Cline and thanks for making the rallycross possible.
The Road Rally Driver of the Year, Ron Ferris earned his second national title winning the 2010 SCCA National Tour Grand Master Championship, driving almost coast-to-coast and border-to-border in rallies this year.
The Solo Rookie-of-the-Year was also the Novice Champion, J.J. Mallrich. The Solo Most Improved Driver, Ancel Henry, moved up 13 spots on the Takata Index challenge this year to 8th and drove his F Stock car to a first place in the E Street Prepared Class at the Blytheville National Tour. The Driver of the Year had an amazing season, winning the Takata Index Challenge and picking up a trophy at the Solo Nationals. Congratulations to Dave Montgomery.
The R.E.'s Award presented by Diane Prokopf went to Carol Cohn. Carol has been involved in St. Louis Region since 1955, with a tremendous list of accomplishments to her name.
The Mechanic of the year Award was presented by an incredibly smart and charming 8 year old Samantha Whitworth who surprised her entire family when she stood up at the podium to honor her dad, Dave Whitworth.
TheWorker of the Year award went to a competitor who not only competes in 3 of the 6 forms of motorsports the Region offers, but he also staffs them as well. This year you could find Curt Faigle helping to put away the equipment at the race track after he raced, organizing the rallycross, and annually coordinating the 400 plus volunteers who staff the 100 Acre Wood Rally. And if he were writing this he'd tell you to go 100aw.org and sign up to help.
The Event of the Year went to a first-of-its-kind event, the Tech-o-Rama spearheaded by Dave Jones and Julia Briggen. The event proved hugely popular and they are looking to host another one this year. Dave graciously shared the honor with all the people who made the event happen.
The Spirit of St. Louis Region award was presented to Julia Briggen, a remarkable lady who showed up at last year's banquet and said she wanted to get more involved. And boy did she ever, helping organize the Tech-o-Rama, serving as a Race Day Chairman, and stepping up at the last minute to chair the banquet.
[This is an abridged version. Eileen's full report includes more details on the proceedings and lots of fun and interesting facts about the award winners, to read and comment on it, visit the region forums - Ed.]
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Ghost of Wheelspins Past
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Thanks again to Dan Landiss for scanning and hosting the January 1975 Wheelspin.
In this issue - notice in the letter from RE George Licis that non other than Dorsey Schroeder signed on as chief instructor for the driver's school, and check out Mark Weber's guide to navigating the club racing license bureaucracy.
Wheelspin, January 1975 Edition.
Last month we asked who could identify the folks pictured at the right (from the December 74 issue). Clockwise they are: Mike Young, Mark Weber, and John and Loie Riehl. The pinewood racer pictured is John's miniature version of his national champion HP car.
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New Region Members
| Welcome to our newest members!
Brian Cobb 11/12/2010 Jan Lutz 11/16/2010
Our membership now stands at 575. We're down a little bit with the off season, but still 33 more than last year at this time. If you've expired - send in that membership now and avoid the spring rush!
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Letters to the Editor
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[Editor's note - Julia Briggen passed along a wonderful description of her experiences putting on the 2010 banquet, an excerpt is included below. You can read the full letter on the website, it's well worth reading and really speaks to what it means to be part of the St. Louis Region.] WOW! What an experience!! After the elections I was talking with Ellen Jones and she mentioned something about how much of a help I had been for Dave and that he knew he could count on me if something came up. Never did I expect the next day I would get a phone call from him asking if I would take over the banquet! I had never tackled an event like that before... I was soon surrounded by some great people; Eileen Waters vonHatten and Cesare Venegoni. Of course I was not going to let Dave off the hook... After a lot of work and late nights on everyone's part the banquet arrived quickly and we were ready to go. All our work paid off the moment people started arriving... I have experienced so many new things as a member of the club this year but this banquet was filled with a lot of firsts and tonight I would experience another couple and it would be a very personal emotional night. I had never done any public speaking, never got up front of a group of any size for any reason to speak and I would be the first one to talk... This club has some very special people in it. As I said I have been around some of you for many years and I want to thank all the people who have supported me in different ways over the last couple of years as I struggled to accept the loss of my son and the changes in my life. A huge thank you to a very special person for being there when I did not know which way to turn and an enormous thank you to all those that have encouraged me to do new things and helped make this year so special for me. It is a year I will always remember! There is not one person in this club that did not make an impact on me this year. A shared story calmed my fears, a word of encouragement lifted my spirits . . . you are all important to someone and this year you were very important to me. THANK YOU! I highly recommend everyone especially those that are new to the club to volunteer for a couple of events. The time you donate is nothing compared to the dividends it will pay out! Julia Briggen, Banquet Chair PS. If you have any patches or other items you would like to donate please contact me at jbriggen@yahoo.com. We would love to build more history of the club. Also look for a list of missing Wheelspins soon. Exciting events are in the making and "Have a Great 2011"!!
Make your voice heard! E-mail your thoughts to the wheelspin editor, subject "Wheelspin".
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Random Nonsense
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The 1911 Fiat S76 boasted the largest displacement automobile engine of all time - a 28.3 Liter (1,727 cubic inch) monster. Each of its four cylinders swept as much volume as an entire LS7 'Vette engine. No word on how much horsepower it produced, but from the look of those skinny tires and chain drive, I think I'd opt for the garage full of Z06's.
The smallest displacement in what can be reasonably considered a "car" goes to the '56 Berkeley SA322, powered by a minuscule 322 cc two-stroke.
Have some motor sports trivia, a joke or some other random nonsense to contribute? Send it in. We'll publish it here and give you full credit. It's a sure way to impress your friends and awe your competition!
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Wheelspin is sent on behalf of the Board of Directors of the St. Louis Region Sports Car Club of America. You are receiving this because you are a member of the region, or have expressed an interest in the region and SCCA. If you don't wish to receive e-mail from the region in the future, please follow the unsubscribe link below. Past issues of Wheelspin can be viewed by visiting www.stlscca.org.
Thank you for reading, and our thanks to each of you for your support of the St. Louis Region SCCA!
Sincerely,
2010 BoD
St. Louis Region SCCA |
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