An Awesome Day!

[CrashBrown]

I tip my hat to all those who pulled this dusty day off. The AX Team, awesome! The Safety Team, ditto! Reg & Timing, you be awesome too! I couldn't believe how good this day actually turned out. The track really came alive after the dust storm settled and timed runs commenced. Quite a few intense class battles to keep one entertained as well. Keep up the great work one and all and we'll see you in April! (Although I'm really starting to dislike that Bumpus fellow).

[Mmagus]

I have to agree Mr. Brown. It was fantastic.

I want to thank eveyone who came out today.

Yes, as just one of the many, many people who worked to make this day happen, I can say that helping put together one of these events it is tough and time consuming. But none of what we do would be complete without the partcipation of each person who smiled and enjoyed themselves today. Thanks for coming and making all of it worth every effort.

Mark

[ttweed]

I think the corner workers and drivers should have been issued dust masks for the first few sessions. I have never seen a dirtier surface at the Q. The stadium authority couldn't get a street cleaner in after the floods? C'mon! I know the city's broke, but it seems like they could redirect one of the machines from their usual street cleaning to make a pass or two around the lot. Plus they took away a quarter of the north side area we usually use for the car sale, and let them put a boom truck up for an advertising sign raised up to freeway ramp level on our side of the lot? We should get about a 30% refund on our rental fee.

Other than those futile gripes, I think we made the most of the situation. The line cleaned up over the course of the sessions, although blowing dust still settled on the track all day, and I never felt like I had maximum grip at any time. The first sessions were total "rally-cross," and even in timed runs if you made a mistake and got off the clean line, the result was pretty disastrous. With the conditions and the proximity of obstacles (the k-rail, posts and dumpsters, etc.), I think it's a tribute to the level-headed and sensible driving that took place that there were no incidents. I have seen worse happen under better conditions, to be sure.

As far as the results go, I think it was nice of a certain youngster who shall remain nameless to stay home and let a more "mature" driver like Mike Avitt win the double play--TTOD and FIRST on BRI too! Nice driving, Mike! And what about Angela? She "chicked" every guy in the event except her hubby! And she wants her Ladies class back? I don't think so!

I missed the Top Ten by .02 seconds, and I am blaming it on a bad shift on my third run and Don Middleton, for bringing his son Peter out. This was the kid's first autox and he gets 6th TTOD??? Either Don is a very good instructor, the kid has loads of natural talent, or there's some kart racing experience in his background somewhere, or something! Novices are not supposed to be in the top-10 on their first try! I couldn't even find the course in my first autox. Great rookie drive, Peter! The car is looking and sounding great, Don.

George Taylor's car is looking tough and going faster with the new RSR widebody conversion. 4th TTOD and 7th on the BRI is a new best result for him, I think, especially considering he is running an HI car in II class for the tougher competition.

All in all, it was a pretty good day--cold as heck in the morning and then really hot in the afternoon--pretty nice for February! Thanks to all the fast guys who stayed away and let some new folks rise to the top of the charts. Wish I could have won the magnaflow system for my wife's car, but who deserves it more than Jackie? Congrats, girrrrl!

TT

[Don Middleton]

...I missed the Top Ten by .02 seconds, and I am blaming it on a bad shift on my third run and Don Middleton, for bringing his son Peter out. This was the kid's first autox and he gets 6th TTOD??? Either Don is a very good instructor, the kid has loads of natural talent, or there's some kart racing experience in his background somewhere, or something! Novices are not supposed to be in the top-10 on their first try! I couldn't even find the course in my first autox. Great rookie drive, Peter! The car is looking and sounding great, Don...........TT

Tom, thanks for the kind words. I'll be sure to pass them along to Peter and his instructor.

[Mmagus]

I know the city's broke, but it seems like they could redirect one of the machines from their usual street cleaning to make a pass or two around the lot. Plus they took away a quarter of the north side area we usually use for the car sale, and let them put a boom truck up for an advertising sign raised up to freeway ramp level on our side of the lot? We should get about a 30% refund on our rental fee.

I really agree Tom, it was their mess and should have been cleaned, on their dime and time. Had we wanted it they would ahve been "happy" to do so....for a substantial extra fee. GRRRRRR

[martinreinhardt]

It was a fun track for being on the east lot, but it was dirty. I know it costs money, but I still think that the club should organize a sweeper next time. Some of the corner workers didn't pick up the broken asphalt, causing some damage to my car and I bet to others as well. It felt like driving at Chuckwalla with Sand and Rocks on the track.

[ttweed]

It felt like driving at Chuckwalla with Sand and Rocks on the track.

Martin-
You never had the pleasure (?) of driving at the Holtville Aerodrome outside of El Centro before it was closed down, I don't think. It was an old WWII airfield that had a portion converted to a racetrack after the war, hosting SCCA national and regional races until the 1990s while still functioning as an airport. Lots of famous Porsche racers ran there back in the '70s, like Steve McQueen and Richie Ginther. We used to have a couple of PCA-SDR time trials a year out there, and I remember in the late '90s watching cars dodging football-sized chunks of concrete being pulled up and strewn around the track by sticky race tires. There was major carnage at the last event I went to there. Andy Galecke had an outer wheel barrel bent in about 4 inches towards the hub, and Mark Wichman ran over a chunk that tore a 4" gash in his body pan and then ping-ponged back against his exhaust headers hard enough to crush the tubing. The surface conditions earned the place the name "Joltville" and there were many SCCA work parties to try to repair and patch the deteriorating concrete before the city council decided to shut down racing there. I don't think many people even miss it much, now that it's gone, except it was the closest, cheapest venue at the time.

Yesterday I did hit some potholes pretty hard and heard some rocks pinging off the pan, but it was a walk in the park in comparison to Joltville.

TT

[martinreinhardt]

Tom,

Yes I've heard some stories from Holtville and pavement going thru the floor pans . Dave Turner used to organize events out there too. I drove there once for about 10 laps with my Boxster when it was new. Then I left, because besides loose pavement flying around my car there were also trees/brushes growing thru the concrete runway, which we actually had to cut down after the back chicane before we could drive.

It's too bad that nobody was interested in maintaining and keeping Holtville around.

[ttweed]

It's too bad that nobody was interested in maintaining and keeping Holtville around.

The last time i talked to Dave Turner about it, he was still very interested in running events there, and had organized repair crews, etc., but the management of the airport had changed and they were not permitting motorsports events any more--perhaps for liability reasons? It's too bad, in some ways, because the place had some history. It's nice that you got to run it before it was closed down. With other venues like Fontana, Pomona and Chuckwalla becoming available, there is less motivation to fight to maintain Holtville, I think.

TT