The BOD and Performance Rally leadership have unanimously decided to spin Performance Rally off as a separate not-for-profit corporation.  This is strictly a legal separation to segregate liability; there will be a new BOD for the new organization.  We don't anticipate any significant change from the perspective of the individual members involved with performance rally or the 100 Acre Wood, and St. Louis Region and the new company will continue to cooperate closely and support one another's events just as we always have.

Charlene Lain and Julia Briggen are our 2011 Banquet Chairs.  The banquet will be held on January 21, 2012 at Spazio's in Westport.  Planning is now underway and banquet committee volunteers are needed.  To help, or for questions or suggestions, e-mail stlbanquet@yahoo.com.

Bruce Stephens has agreed to chair the 2012 Tech-o-Rama and is ready to get started with planning.  If you can help him be sure to let him know.  You can reach Bruce at dadsauto@socket.net.  Thanks Bruce for stepping up to spearhead this now annual classic!

Rich Wiese has agreed to chair a new committee that will focus on developing a cohesive long term marketing strategy for the club.  The Region is deliberately seeking people who are slightly outside of our core group of leaders and may have new perspectives to bring to this committee.  Thanks to Rich for tackling this challenge!  

Former Regional Executives Cesare Venegoni and Jan Rick are teaming up to organize another club bowling night on November 19.  Save the date for this fun fall event. 

Paul Gould, who is an accountant with Beth Whitworth's firm, has invited the region to particiipate in the Route 66 Classic Car Cruise on August 13th.   This event runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Crestwood Court (formerly Crestwood Mall) with the cruise portion from 4 to 6 p.m.  Sh-Boom will be on stage from 7-10 p.m.  If you need more information call 314-843-8545 or go online to www.SunsetHillsHS.org and click on the Route 66 Classic Car Cruise logo. 

St. Louis Region embroidered clothing and other merchandize can now be purchased online at http://www.sccagear.com/St-Louis-Region_c_101.html. 

If you have comments or suggestions for the Board they may be reached at BOD@stlscca.org. 

●   The TireRack Teen Driving School is this Saturday August 13 at the Family Arena in St. Charles.

 

 

●   The Solo Series Event #8 is also at the

Family Arena this weekend on Sunday, August 14.

 

 

●  The Region Social and Membership Meeting is Monday, August 15 at Spazio's Westport.  The regular membership meeting is from 7:00-8:00, get the latest updates on club activities and finances, and most importantly tell the BOD what's on your mind!  Come early for a drink or dinner in Spazio's Bistro.

- contributed by the "Gossiping Gearhead"

It's hard lately keeping up with all the news (and/or rumors) tied to several race tracks.  Fortunately not all the news is bad, some of it is good, and then there's the we're making a little headway, but at a snail's pace.

Let's start with the snail's pace.  From DragRacingOnline.com July 28, "On the NHRA front there is a lot of talk about the Gateway Raceway track at St. Louis, formerly owned by Dover Entertainment, re-opening soon. The Agent talked to Rod Wolter, who is helping to facilitate the purchase of the track, who said the purchase is moving along, but slowly.

There are three different owners of land parcels the facility sits on who have to be dealt with and even when that issue is done it will take a considerable amount of time to refurbish and re-open the track.

What is verifiable is that there's a tentative agreement (nothing is signed) with the NHRA and the potential new owners of the facility for an NHRA national event to return to the St. Louis track in October of 2012."

There's a double dose of good news.  Down at what once was Memphis Motorsports Park they have a new name in Memphis International Raceway and they have been approved for a PDX.  The Mid-South Region will hold a PDX there on September 10-11.  Help and entrants would both be appreciated by our good friends in the Mid-South Region.  E-mail racerbud@gamil.com or call 901-377-2849 to volunteer or for more info.  Testing was held on the three-quarter-mile oval track there July 29 by a USAC Silver Crown team.  Drag racing is set to begin around September 1.

The Mid-America Motorplex has been underwater due to the flooding tied to the Missouri River.Thanks to a lot of work by the MiDiv leadership the Double National Club Race that was scheduled for MAM on August 20-21 has been moved to the Motorsports Park Hastings facility.  The Double National, like Memphis for their PDX, will need both volunteers and entrants.

Now for the bad news and while it doesn't directly affect St. Louis Region or our members, it still has connections to two tracks we have frequented.  Dover Motorsports, formerly owned the Memphis track, closing it in 2009 and selling it in 2011.  Then last year Dover closed Gateway.  Now this month comes word that Dover is not seeking any 2012 NASCAR events for their Nashville Superspeedway facility...........which is the fancy way of saying their closing Nashville as well.  This track first opened in 2001 and sits on 1400 acres.  There are some dates on their schedule yet this year that aren't affected by the announcement from Dover. 

-GG 

The Solo Committee reports a change in date on one of the Solo Series events.  The event originally scheduled for September 11 has been moved to October 9.  Be sure to update your calendars with this new date.  The latest Solo news is available at http://www.stlsolo.org/.

The Road Rally Committee hosted the Wilderness Trail and Daniel Boone national rallies last month.  Competitors from all across the continental 48 flew in, drove in, and one spent two days on a bus from the West Coast to attend.  Want additional information on Road Rallies check out http://roadrally.stlscca.org/. 

The RallyCross Program hosted their third event on Sunday in Bonne Terre, MO.  Here's a cool picture of the action.    

Photo Caption Contest:  The person who submits the best photo caption by or at the General Membership meeting on Monday, August 15 will receive a prize package from the prize vault.  E-mail your entry to re@stlscca.org.

Don't forget to check their website http://www.stlrallyx.org/ for all the results once they are available.   

Several volunteers and Club Racers will make the journey to Motorsports Park Hastings for the Double National August 20-21.  If you're planning on attending be sure to check your route before you go.  Interstate 29 is closed in Northern Missouri and will probably still be closed by that weekend.  The easiest detour to Hastings from here appears to be to take Interstate 70 to Salina, KS, then go north on US-81, then west on US-6.  Thanks to Bryon Prokopf for the directions.

by Dave Jones  

Dave Haworth created www.dirtyconesandcheckpoints.com for those in the RallyCross and Road Rally communities to share their stories and information.  He wants to read and learn more about these two disciplines and hopes you do as well.  Spread the word and don't forget to share some photos and event coverage from the events you attend.

Have you heard of the St. Louis group Questionable Pursuits?  They host live and free trivia contests.  They are hosting their first trivia road rally.  If you're interested check out http://questionablepursuits.com/league/roadrally/.

If you're interested in volunteering for the 2011 National Championship Runoffs registration is open.  Just follow this link http://scca.org/eventitems.aspx?item=361&event=17207&hub=1 to sign up and lend a hand.   

Don't forget that St. Louis region now has a Facebook page!  Come become a fan and share the page with all your sports car enthusiast friends. 

The membership drive continues and there are incentives both to the new member and referring member when you refer a new member. Membership application is now available for download from the club web site. Remember even if enrolling online at the SCCA web site the new member must provide referral information (Referral Name & Member Number) so that all incentives are applied.

First Gear memberships (for those under 24 years of age) are $45 and with a referral ($15) and two weekend membership credits it's technically FREE!  This is a great opportunity for you to download a membership app from our website, fill in your member number and bring a "newbie" to a Solo or RallyCross event to experience the thrill and excitement the SCCA offers.

Submitted by Steve Burkett

The other day I passed a ten year old pickup on the way to work. I did a double take at the sight of a wheel well eaten away by rust. What a rarity these days, a vehicle only a decade old already losing its battle with the elements! Many of us remember the days when ticking over 100,000 on the odometer was noteworthy, and all but the most meticulously maintained of vehicles were liable to succumb to death by oxidation. That rusty truck got me thinking about how far automotive technology has progressed, and ultimately about how that relates to our service to the club, and even to our daily life.

John Delorean set out to revolutionize the automobile back in the 80's and defeating rust was one of his goals. We all know the beautiful but eccentric outcome, his eponymous stainless steel sports car. So obsessed was Delorean that the entire exhaust was stainless, and an epoxy clad steel frame was accepted only reluctantly as a concession to cost. Yet 30 years later steel bodies remain the norm. Today's long-lived coachwork is not the result of a single radically new idea, but rather a series of small improvements in metallurgy, fabrication, coatings and fitment. Rust has been vanquished not by revolution, but by evolution.

And so it is for all the major vehicle systems. It's no exaggeration to say that today's sport compact offers up performance comparable to the supercars of the mid 1980's.   Compare road tests of the 2012 Civic Si and the '84 Ferrari 308 GTSi published recently in Edmunds' "Inside Line". The Honda out accelerates and out brakes the Ferrari by a considerable margin. The grocery getter only gives up a little on skid pad and slalom, and that's to a Ferrari shod in modern rubber. Spec for spec, one would expect nearly identical lap times from these two very different vehicles.   (Incidentally, the Ferrari is currently classed for Solo in C-Stock where it is likely hopelessly outclassed by the current Mazda MX-5).

So, what many of us recall as the supercar performance of our youth is now the norm on every dealer lot today. But just as with corrosion resistance, it has been incremental improvements in engineering and manufacturing that have brought us so far. There is no watershed moment to point to, just the slow and steady march of progress. Which brings me at last to my broader point. As we think about what we want our club to be, and where we want to take it, we need to remember that the small steps we take are just as important as the big ones. Every one of you contributes to the club in some way and each of your contributions matters, never underestimate that!

That is not to say we shouldn't think big, take risks, and set ambitious goals, "anything possible" remains the standard we strive toward. But what it does mean is that if you're holding back because you don't feel like you can make a big difference, then step right up and make a small one! Even if its something as simple as hanging around for a little while to help pack up after an event, posting some pictures to facebook or the forums, or inviting a friend to the membership meeting, take that small extra step to help make our club inviting and fun. Every little bit we do adds up, and small contributions and perseverence, accumulating over time, will take us to great heights as surely as any revolutionary feat.

-compiled by Dave Jones 

Just cut and paste onto your fridge - or use a magnet, if you prefer... 

August   

13 (Sat.) - TireRack Teen Driving School

14 (Sun.) - Solo Series Event #8

15 (Mon.) - 6 p.m., Social and Membership Meeting - Spazios 

September   

12 (Mon.) - 6:30 p.m., Board of Directors Meeting - Spazios

18 (Sun.) - Solo Series Event #9

19 (Mon.) - 6 p.m., Social and Membership Meeting - Spazios

Other important dates to mark on your calendar

October 9 (Sun.) - Solo Series Event #10  

October 15 (Sat.) - TireRack Teen Driving School

October 30 (Sun.) - RallyCross Series Event #4 - Perryville, MO

November 21 (Mon.) - 6 p.m., Social, Annual Meeting, Elections - Spazios

January 21, 2012 (Sat.) - St. Louis Region Awards Banquet 

Details available at www.stlscca.org or email BOD@stlscca.org