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2. auto racing
3. nascar

March 2012
February
2013
The Official Newsletter of the Susquehanna Region of the
Sports Car Club of America, Inc. - Incorporated June 29, 1959
Danica Patrick
Makes History
Car Chatter - The
Rings Mystery
In a field of 43 drivers, Danica Patrick will
become the first woman in history to start a
NASCAR Cup race from the pole. - Internet photo
In an historically male dominated venue,
a 29 year old, 5’2”, 100 pound young lady will
lead 42 men into Turn 1 at Sunday’s NASCAR
extravaganza, The Daytona 500. Danica Patrick
out-qualified all of her male counterparts in
last Sunday’s Pole Day driving a StewartHaas Racing-owned, GoDaddy-sponsored,
Kendrick-powered Chevrolet.
On Pole Day, where each driver gets
two hot laps with the best lap determining
position, she put down a 196.434 MPH run. In
the cue she was the 8th driver to take the track
and her speed remained untouchable. (See the Cover Story “Danica...” on Page 4)
What do these four German automobile
marques have in common? They were not able
to survive the 1930s on their own, but a 1932
merger brought them together to form what
became one of the most successful marques in
international racing history, Auto Union.
Auto Union is no longer with us, but its
direct descendent is alive and well today
providing some of the most innovative
technological automotive advancements.
Charlie demmy explores the background
and history of the individual companies and
the progression of the marques’ iconic ringed
logo. q (See the Cover Story “Car Chatter” on Page 8)
From the
Editor’s
Desk
The Competition Committee met February
12th at the Demmy home to select autocross
and rallycross dates and to adjust the series
supplemental rules. Our 2013 calendar
is in place. (See Page 14.) The amended
supplemental regulations will once again
appear in the Region calendars, printed
versions of which will be available at the
April 6th & 7th autocrosses that will be held
at the large Hershey lot. The regulations, this
newsletter and much more information will
also be available on the Region’s website at
http://www.scca-susq.com .
The off-season remedial work on the club
truck is now complete with Mike Snyder’s
application of the updated side panel graphics.
Mike met up with Alan Lesher at Alan’s Auto
Seat Cover Company shop to apply them. Alan
has test driven the truck and is happy to report
that the suspension repairs have pleasantly
transformed the truck’s road manners.
I’ve devoted a fair amount of space in this
issue to Danica Patrick. I don’t know if she has
ever been an SCCA member, but she continues
to make auto racing history and has earned
the recognition. She has the pole for Sunday’s
Daytona 500, the first woman ever to claim a
NASCAR Cup race pole position. But as this
issue goes out, we’ll have to wait to see how
she fares in the race.
The Squeal is always in need of editorial
contributions. Submissions are welcome from
any Region member. Deadlines are generally
the third Thursday of each month. Stories can
be about any car or club related experience.
You can send your stories and photos to me at: [email protected] q — John
Page 2
MARCH
2012 2013
FEBRUARY
The Squeal is a monthly publication of
Susquehanna Region, SCCA
Send editorial, scheduling and advertising to:
The Squeal — John Rudy, Editor
3800 Hillcrest Road, Harrisburg, PA 17109
[email protected]
Susquehanna Region’s membership meets
at 8:00 PM on the fourth Tuesday of each
month, except December, at Gilligan’s Bar &
Grill, 987 Eisenhower Blvd, Harrisburg, PA.
For more information, go to our website at
www.scca-susq.com
REGION OFFICERS
Regional Executive
Chris Paveglio — 717-664-5495
Assistant Regional Executive
Henry Brillinger — 717-697-1610
Secretary
Dennis Cipriany — 570-522-9356
Treasurer
Alan Lesher — 717-486-4087
Directors
Geoff Craig 3yr — 717-367-7853
Dave Walter 2yr — 717-691-9320
Alan Pozner 1yr — 717-343-7708
ASCC Representative
Markus Houser — 717-495-6742
AUTOCROSS COMMITTEE
Kate Ritter & Geoff Craig — Co-chairs
Henry Brillinger — Site Aquisition/Relations
Geoff Craig — Course and Grid Design
Chris Paveglio — Pre-registration
Kate Ritter — Registration
Dennis Cipriany — Safety
Ryan Hetrick — Tech Inspection
Anne Demmy — Timing
Charlie Demmy — Starter
Greg Hagan — Novice Program
Dan Woland — EMT Services
Paul Sciukas — Workers
Markus Houser — Results
Page 3
« Meeting Minutes «
The January General
Membership Meeting convened
January 22, 2013 at Gilligan’s,
Harrisburg, at 8:00 p.m. with
Regional Executive Chris Paveglio
presiding.
Alan Lesher gave the
Treasurer’s Report and said we
had bills for the trophies, truck,
and banquet. Over the past year,
the Region reasury has grown
a bit, due to taking over the
Autocross series.
The club truck deficiencies
have been corrected, and we’re
now waiting on the truck graphics
to be completed. This will involve:
1) Retaining the ASCC logo;
2) Adding the Region logo; &
3) Putting the web address on
the sides. This work should be
completed before the February
meeting.
At the banquet, Charlie
Demmy paid for the door prizes
and was reimbursed by Treasurer
Alan Lesher.
Steve Limbert, membership
chair stated the membership is
now at 254.
Chris Paveglio, regional
executive said the website report
has not changed since the last
meeting.
John Rudy made his monthly
appeal for articles for The Squeal
newsletter.
Henry Brillinger, assistant RE,
said there will be three rallycross
events this season. The location
will be Trailways Speedway in
Hanover.
A discussion was held about
the B.R.A.K.E.S. program held
at the Manheim Auto Auction,
with the next event April 6th &
7th, with an instructor class at
Lancaster County Public Services
Training Center. This conflicts with
our Region’s first two autocrosses,
April 6th & 7th at Hershey’s large
lot.
NEW BUSINESS
Henry made arrangements
for the Region Banquet, to be held
January 18th, 2014 at the Holiday
Inn, Grantville.
Henry made the following
motion: The Executive Board
hereby authorizes our Regional
Executive to incur the expenses
and execute such contracts
and other instruments that are
necessary in order to routinely
operate our Autocross and
RallyCross events. The Executive
Board reserves the right to review
for approval or disapproval such
proposed expenditures that are
defined by The Board as not
routine.
Henry made the motion, Alan
Lesher 2nd the motion passed.
Henry has sent out the
required annual renewal
documents to SCCA.
Chris moved on to the
autocross information, with an
autocross meeting at the Demmy’s
on February 12th.
Geoff Craig, autocross chair,
said he’d like to see the events run
as two heats, with the possibility
of three or four heats as needed.
This will have to be changed for
the Supplemental Regulations.
Henry said the Supplementals
will have to be changed to be
consistent with SCCA’s 2013 Solo
Rules.
John Rudy mentioned that
the Novice class has diluted
the attendance in classes and
recommended that the Novice
Class be eliminated, but not
the novice-style treatment of
newcomers. Separate novice
walk-throughs, individual
instruction, and ride-alongs can
continue.
Alan Lesher briefly talked
about class consolidation/class
elimination.
Geoff suggested that
registration be kept open later.
Geoff also said the timing
equipment and computers
should be replaced. He said,
“We need better hardware than
we have.” He gave the costs for
upgrading the timer, start finish
line, and cables.
Dave Walter made the
motion to upgrade the timing
equipment, Geoff Craig 2nd.
This passed unamiously.
Geoff suggested
creating a board position of
“Quartermaster”, a person
responsible for the truck and
equipment. There was a good bit
of discussion, but no resolution.
GOOD AND WELFARE:
Dave Walter made the
motion to adjourn, Henry
Brillinger 2nd. Meeting
adjourned at 9:32 p.m. q
Respectfully submitted,
Dennis Cipriany
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Danica Patrick Makes History
Page 4
— By John Rudy
Danica Patrick will make racing history
the Daytona 500 from the front row. Then on the
when she starts Sunday’s 55th running of the
Thursday before the race, twin Duel qualifying
Daytona 500 from the pole position. Patrick is
races determine the rest of the field’s starting
the first woman ever to qualify on the pole of a
positiions. These two 150-mile races set the final
NASCAR Sprint race. She bested the previous
starting lineup for the Daytona 500.
mark held by Janet Guthrie who qualified ninth Drivers that qualified in odd-numbered
twice in 1977.
spots on Pole Day run the first race, Duel 1, to
Patrick outran all of her male counterparts
set the lineup for the odd-numbered (inside
in last Sunday’s Pole Day qualifying and posted line) starting positions and drivers from the Pole
the fastest lap speed of 196.434 MPH. She was
Day even-numbered spots run the second race,
also fastest in the previous day’s practice. Jeff
Duel 2, to set the lineup for the even-numbered
Gordon qualified second and will start Sunday’s (outside line) starting positions.
race beside Patrick on
The top fifteen
the front row, Patrick on
drivers from each Duel,
the inside and Gordon
other than the drivers
on the outside. that have already
“I think it’s great to
clinched the front row
be a part of history with
spots, will then qualify
Danica being on the
for the Daytona 500
pole,” Gordon said. “I
in rows two through
think we all know how
eighteen.
popular she is and what
Patrick’s pole
this will do for our
winning speed of
sport. Congratulations
196.434 MPH was the
Danica Patrick will set yet another milestone
to her. Proud to be on
fourth fastest since
when
she
starts
the
55th
running
of
the
Daytona
there with her.”
restrictor plates were
500 from the pole position. - Internet photo
For the uninitiated,
introduced in 1988. Ken
Daytona 500 qualifying is different than other
Schrader tops the list with runs of 196.996 MPH
races on NASCAR’s schedule. Only Patrick’s
in 1989 and 196.515 MPH in 1990, and Dale
and Gordon’s starting positions are locked in on Jarrett’s 196.498 MPH run in 1995.
Pole Day. To set the rest of the starting lineup,
Being the polesitter at this year’s
the drivers must also compete in two “Duel”
Daytona 500 isn’t Patrick’s first major racing
races.
accomplishment. She has posted other “firsts”.
Here is an explanation of how qualifying
She began racing in the IndyCar series in 2005
for the Daytona 500 works. First, the front row
and was the first woman ever to lead a lap at the
is locked in based on qualifying times on Pole
2005 Indianapolis 500 and ultimately finished in
Day, the Sunday before the race. Each driver
fourth place. In 2008 she was the first woman to
gets two laps alone on the track to post their
win an IndyCar race, the Japan 300 in Motegi,
best speed. The top two drivers from that
Japan, where she beat Helio Castroneves by five
(Continued on Page 5 - See “Danica...”)
qualifying session are locked in and will start
seconds!
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Page 5
Danica Patrick Makes History
(Continued from Page 4)
Patrick has a substantial racing resume, but
she is a relative newcomer to her current venue.
She acknowledges her lack of Cup racing
experience and that Sunday’s side-by-side
racing will be quite different than the single car
qualifying, but she remains confident that she
can run head’s up with the pack.
Here’s Wikipedia’s take on her:
“Danica Sue Patrick (born March 25, 1982)
is an American auto racing driver, model and
advertising spokeswoman. She is the most
successful woman in the history of American
open-wheel racing—she is the only woman to
win a race in the IndyCar Series and holds the
highest finish (third place) by a woman at the
Indianapolis 500. She competed in the series
from 2005 to 2011. In 2012 she competed in the
NASCAR Nationwide Series and occasionally
in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. For the
2013 season, Danica is driving full-time in
the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevy for StewartHaas Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, and a
limited Nationwide Series schedule for Turner
Motorsports.
“Starting in kart racing, she later raced
Formula Ford in England before moving back to
the United States and moving up to IndyCars.
Patrick was named the Rookie of the Year for
both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005
IndyCar Series season. With her win in the
2008 Indy Japan 300, Patrick became the first
woman to win an Indy car race. She placed
third in the 2009 Indianapolis 500, which was
both a personal best for her at the track, and
the highest finish by a woman in the event’s
history. Patrick holds the IRL record for most
consecutive races running at the finish. As
of October 2, 2011, she had completed 50
consecutive races in the running (the next
Patrick is a relative newcomer to Cup racing and
will have to run well with the big boys. - Internet photo
highest total in the record book is 32).
During her time in IndyCar, Patrick drove
for Rahal-Letterman Racing from 2005–2006,
and Andretti Autosport from 2007-2011.
“In 2010, Patrick began racing in the
NASCAR Nationwide Series, driving the
#7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet Impala for JR
Motorsports part-time. She had her best career
finish of 4th in series on March 5, 2011, at Las
Vegas Motor Speedway— so far, the best finish
by a woman in a NASCAR top-circuit. On
February 17th, 2013 she became the first woman
to win the pole position for the Daytona 500.”
Patrick told the Associated Press, “I was
brought up to be the fastest driver, not the
fastest girl, That was instilled in me from very
young, from the beginning. I also feel like I’ve
been lucky in my career to be with good teams
and have good people around me. I don’t think
any of it would have been possible without that.
For those reasons, I’ve been lucky enough to
make history, be the first woman to do many
things. I just hope that I don’t stop doing that.
We have a lot more history to make.”
(Continued on Page 6 - See “Danica...”)
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Page 6
Danica Patrick Makes History
(Continued from Page 5)
She has endured continual scrutiny in her
racing career for not being more successful, but
that is not fair. As a newcomer to the venues
she enters, she is criticized for not being able
to match the performances of seasoned drivers
with much more experience. She has been
fortunate to find acceptance from team owners
who recognize her potential and are willing to
give her time to “settle in”.
Danica Patrick is composed and in high spirits for
the monumental challenge she will be facing in
Sunday’s competition.
- Internet photo
Patrick’s qualifying on the pole is one thing;
winning the race is another. She has many
critics and will have to show that has the right
stuff to get the job done. And so many things
can happen during a 500-mile race, she’s
facing extreme odds. She’s keenly aware of her
competitors’ talents and that her performance
is under a perpetual microscope, yet she is
composed and appears prepared to take it all in
stride.
Donald Wood said in the Bleacher Report,
“Danica Patrick already has a head start on
the season with her pole win for the Daytona
500—the first by a woman in the history of the
sport—but the second-year Sprint Cup Series
driver is trying to turn that qualifying success
into on-track results.
“Not only does Patrick need a solid finish to
start the season off right in the standings,” Wood
said, “she needs to race well all day and stay out
of trouble to prove to the doubters that she is
just as talented as any of the other drivers on the
track.
“Patrick finished in 38th place in last year’s
Daytona 500, her first career Sprint Cup Series
start, but a year of experience came through
during her qualifying run. The mainstream
star is ready to prove she has what it takes
to perform at a high level on the grandest of
stages,” Wood said.
One other item worth mentioning: Patrick
will be competing against her love interest,
Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. who will start the race in
28th position They are already clashing over
music. According to SportingNews NASCAR,
“He’s a little bit country and she’s a little bit rock
‘n roll, but Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse
Jr. are no Donnie and Marie. But Patrick, whose
budding romance with Stenhouse is taking
center stage as the 2013 NASCAR season heats
up, admits that she’s had to change her musical
tastes a bit since she and Stenhouse began
dating.” Pole Day must surely make for even
more interesting conversations.
I wish her the very best on Sunday.
Personally, I’d love to see her silence the skeptics
by knocking all those yokels down a peg and
taking the win. As I said, I’m not a big NASCAR
fan, but I’ll be rooting for the #10 GoDaddy
Chevy this weekend.
No matter how she finishes the Daytona
500 on Sunday, Danica Patrick’s “firsts” will
rightfully remain firmly embedded in auto
racing history. q — John Rudy
Page 7
Starting Lineup For Daytona 500
THE GRID
Danica Patrick and Jeff Gordon will lead
the field to the green flag for the 55th Daytona
500 on Sunday. Patrick and Gordon secured
their front-row starting spots through Pole
Day qualifying on February 17.
Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch then earned
the Row 2 starting spots by winning their
respective Budweiser Duel qualifying races on
Thursday. The rest of the 43-car field was set
through the Duel qualifying races and based
on qualifying speed and provisionals.
Here is the starting lineup for Sunday’s
Daytona 500. Odd number drivers srart on the
inside and even dumber drivers on the outside
of their two-wide rows:
1. Danica Patrick, No. 10 Chevrolet
2. Jeff Gordon, No. 24 Chevrolet
3. Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Chevrolet
4. Kyle Busch, No. 18 Toyota
5. Greg Biffle, No. 16 Ford
6. Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Chevrolet
7. Juan Pablo Montoya, No. 42 Chevrolet
8. Austin Dillon, No. 33 Chevrolet
9. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Chevrolet
10. Clint Bowyer, No. 15 Toyota
11. Kurt Busch, No. 78 Chevrolet
12. Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Toyota
13. Tony Stewart, No. 14 Chevrolet
14. Mark Martin, No. 55 Toyota
15. Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Ford
16. Paul Menard, No. 27 Chevrolet
17. Casey Mears, No. 13 Ford
18. Jeff Burton, No. 31 Chevrolet
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 Chevrolet
21. Joey Logano, No. 22 Ford
22. David Ragan, No. 34 Ford
23. Bobby Labonte, No. 47 Toyota
24. Marcos Ambrose, No. 9 Ford
— By John Rudy
25. David Gilliland, No. 38 Ford
26. Aric Almirola, No. 43 Ford
27. Joe Nemechek, No. 87 Toyota
28. Ricky Stenhouse, No. 17 Ford
29. Michael Waltrip, No. 26 Soyota
30. Dave Blaney, No. 7 Chevrolet
31. Scott Speed, No. 95 Ford
32. Josh Wise, No. 35 Ford
33. Trevor Bayne, No. 21 Ford
34. Ryan Newman, No. 39 Chevrolet
35. Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Toyota
36. Carl Edwards, No. 99 Ford
37. Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 Toyota
38. Michael McDowell, No. 98 Ford
39. Terry Labonte, No. 32 Ford
40. Regan Smith, No. 51 Chevrolet
41. J.J. Yeley, No. 36 Chevrolet
42. David Reutimann, No. 83 Toyota
43. Travis Kvapil, No. 93 Toyota
Failed to qualify: Brian Keselowski
Failed to qualify: Mike Bliss
Handicappers optimistically changed
Danica Patrick’s odds of winning the Daytona
500 from 125-to-one to 20-to-one after she
took the top spot on Pole Day. But after all the
praise heaped upon her following her Pole Day
qualifying, the media now express doubt that
she has what it takes to pull off a win or even
take a top-ten finish. They are speculating that
she will not be able to keep pace with her more
seasoned fellow competitors.
True, she doesn’t have the experience of her
compatriots, but she has just as much spirit and
composure as any of them. I’d like to see her
prove them wrong, and while I have to admit
the odds are indeed heavily against her, I’ll still
be in her corner on race day. I for one would
like to see her pull it off. q — John Rudy
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Page 8
Car Chatter — The History Of Audi’s
Symbolic Rings — By Charlie Demmy
This familiar four ring symbol has a very long
and storied past, but few know its origin.
Have you been curious about how those
four interlocking Olympic looking rings became
the corporate symbol of Audi? To find out
we need to step back into the 1930s, where
auto manufacturers Audi, DKW, Horch, and
Wanderer all produced distinctly different types
of vehicles in the Saxony Region of Germany.
From Horch, founded by August Horch,
came luxury limousines and featured the first
series-produced eight cylinder car in the world.
Audi and Wanderer produced mid-sized
vehicles and DKW built small front wheel drive
economy cars. But none were able to survive
independently, so the four companies merged
in 1932 to form Auto Union. They were united
under a single corporate banner taking the form
of a chain of four identical circles.
Adolf Hitler chose the company to develop
what he hoped would be Germany’s unbeatable
entry on the international Grand Prix circuit.
The new car was based on a design by Austrian
engineer Ferdinand Porsche. They competed as
Auto Unions and were very successful all the
while wearing the four ring badge prominently.
By 1936 Auto Union race cars won all
possible titles in European and German road
racing as well as German hill climbing. They
also won the Vanderbilt Cup Race held near
New York City in 1937. The badge’s similarity
to the symbol for the Olympic Games could
surely have been no coincidence.
After World War II only the economical
DKWs were being built and some of those
were sold as Auto Unions. The company was
purchased by Mercedes Benz in 1958 and then
by Volkswagen in 1965. At that time the Audi
name was revived to replace DKW, and where
the DKWs had carried the Auto Union symbol
Audis now did the honors.
The four ring badge has been a chrome
fixture on every Audi since 1965.
It received new status in 1980 with the
introduction of the Audi four wheel drive
Quattro. Throughout the Quattro’s eleven year
run between 1980 and 1991 the sporty coupe
carried a large four-ring, highly graphic decal
on its lower door panels to promote the four
wheel drive system. It was the Quattro that is
given credit for Audi becoming a performance
brand.
Since then, Audi has maintained its image
as a fountain of high-performance technical
engineering, winning championships with
the RS 4 and RS 6 sedans, the TT-R sports
cars and the LeMans prototypes R 8 and R 10.
Today Audi is recognized as one of the most
innovative and respected automotive brands
coming out of Europe.
Question: What is the Latin translation for
Audi?
Answer: “Hear this”. q — Charlie Demmy
Page 9
BRAKES — An Important Driving
— By Chris Paveglio, R.E.
Program For Teens
At the last Region meeting, Nick Young, the
initiator of the BRAKES program for Manheim
came and spoke to us. Nick decided that after
too many teens in the area had lost their lives to
auto accidents, he had to do something about
it. He contacted the BRAKES program, based in
South Carolina, and also worked with the local
community to get businesses and donations to
fund the program.
In 2012 there were two BRAKES events, one
in Spring and one in Fall. For 2013, Nick and the
Lions club are looking to again put on at least
two weekends of schools, and more if possible.
BRAKES is a non-profit group and it takes
money to fly in and house instructors from
their South Carolina headquarters area. And
as a non-profit program, that is increasingly
difficult. Nick is asking for SCCA members to
be involved with the program to cut down the
number of out-of-state instructors needed.
In 2012 there were a number of instructors
from Lancaster County Corvette Club and
the Susquehanna SCCA Region. We had Mike
Snyder, Mike Louie, Scott Brenneman, Jim
Roberts, and myself, as well as at least six other
guys whom I can’t recall off the top of my
head, instructing along side the South Carolina
BRAKES instructors.
Instructing for BRAKES is relatively
easy, and is a great way to give back to the
community with the skills many of us have
developed in autocrossing or road racing. We
are looking for drivers who have a number
of years experience driving/racing, who can
instruct and describe driving techniques to
teenagers, seasoned drivers who can watch the
teens driving and give useful corrections, or
even tell anecdotes to make a point about how a
certain technique worked for them in a sticky
situation. It’s not nearly as hard as teaching
advanced racing techniques. But on the flip
side, most teens have only a few months to
two years driving experience, so few of them
will understand terms like “understeer”
without some additional description.
I am asking all of you to please consider
lending a weekend or two a year to help
instruct at the BRAKES program. It’s a great
service to help young drivers get experience
that might take them years to gain on the
street, and it’s making them and us safer.
Our autocrossing and racing are loads of
fun for ourselves, but I feel giving practical,
real world driving skills to teens is a way to
put our skills to truly beneficial use for our
entire community.
Please contact Nick Young at 717-278-4020
or [email protected] , or myself if you’d
like to volunteer or talk about what it’s like.
The first BRAKES weekend in Manheim is
scheduled for the same weekend as our first
Autocross at HersheyPark, April 6-7. q — Chris Paveglio
I agree with Chris that this is an important
program. We all know there’s no substitute for
experience, and the earlier teens are exposed to
proper driving technique the better. I’d suggest
that after the BRAKES program, the teens be
encouraged to extend their car control skills
by participating in area autocrosses where
speeds coincide with those they will encounter
in daily driving. The experience they gain will
make them more attentive, more proficient and
safer drivers on the street. q — John Rudy
Page 10
Rebirth
— By Alan Lesher
built and rebuilt several engines, went through a
few fenders and upgraded the suspension.
By the late ‘90s, I had moved on to Neon
racing and all the joy and heartbreak that goes
along with that. The Shelby saw limited duty for
the next 15 or so years, mostly as an autocross
car.
Alan’s Dodge Shelby Charger before its recent
reconditioning saw duty on the autocross course
and the road course. — John Rudy photo
My first “real” race car was a 1983½ Dodge
Shelby Charger which I acquired in 1987. It
was set up to run in the SCCA Showroom
Stock B class. At the time, Showroom
Stock did really mean stock. The cars were
required to have original, unmodified engines,
transmissions, brakes, exhaust, etc. No speed
parts allowed! The entire interior had to
be retained, except for minor alterations
allowed in order to install the required safety
equipment. A six-point, bolt-in only roll cage,
a window net, competition belts and a fire
extinguisher were required.
The drivers seat could not be changed.
The serious cars were “equipped” with radio
and A/C delete. The cars were allowed to be
entered in national races for three years and in
regionals for two more years. That was it, after
five years they were no longer eligible to race
in SCCA unless converted to another class.
The eligibility feature was a big reason behind
the Improved Touring class, but that is another
story.
For the 1990 season, I converted the Shelby
to Improved Touring A. The interior was
gutted, a racing seat added, a header and
better exhaust were added. Over the years, I
Its dinged and dented body panels once again
straight and smooth, the Shelby is primed and
ready for paint.
— S. Neff Enterprise photo
I was looking at it last fall just sitting there
in the garage collecting dust and spiders. The
body was all beat up and the mechanicals and
Fresh from the paint booth with its new front air
dam and ground effects in place, the Shelby
once again glistens. — S. Neff Enterprise photo
plumbing were leaking at several places. Just like
the owner. I decided to look into the feasibility
of restoring the car back to its original 1983½
appearance.
(Continued on Page 11 - See “Rebirth”)
Page 11
Rebirth
(Continued from Page 10)
The engine had been losing oil pressure
when hot. It needed a new crankshaft. The oil
pump, rods and main bores were OK. So, a
new crank, bearings and gaskets were installed
in December. The car went from the engine
shop to the body shop in late December for a
more or less complete external restoration.
It took some time to remove several layers
of original, re-spray and touch up paint. The
body work was minimal except for the left
rear quarter which had been crunched several
times. The underside of the hood needed to
be de-rusted. There were dings and scrapes
all over the doors and fenders. Many of the
factory tabs for the front air dam, extensions
and side ground-effects panels were broken
or missing and had to be made, and both tail
lights were in bad shape. So, I went shopping
on Ebay and was able to locate them at
reasonable prices. I also found a supplier for
the side tape stripes and decals. The results
were well worth it, even stunning by my
standards. I am convinced the car looks better
now than when it was new.
Future plans? The car is old enough to be a
genuine Antique Automobile Club of America
restored race car. I will soon start the paperwork
required by the AACA to get the car certified. It
is also eligible to autocross in F/SP. It could be
raced in Improved Touring and may be eligible
for vintage racing; however, I have no plans to
race this one fender-to-fender. Too many krazy
kats on track for that.
While the outside is very correct, the interior
is “as raced” and could use some attention to
detail. That will be the next step. q —Alan Lesher
Finished and ready to roll. Alan says he has
no plans to put the Shelby back into fender-tofender competition. — S. Neff Enterprise photo
AACA Celebrates A
10th Aniversary
The Hershey Region of the Antique
Automobile Club of American is celebrating
its Museum’s 10th Anniversary this year; it
opened in 2003. The Hershey Region itself
was chartered in 1955. Attendance has grown at
events held inside and on the Museum grounds
in Hershey. A full schedule of events is planned
throughout this landmark year.
In addition to their extensive permanent
collection, the current featured exhibit “Porsche
Style & Design” will run through April 28th.
To explore the many facets of AACA’s Hershey
Region and their event schedule, go to:
http://www.hersheyaaca.org/. q — John Rudy
Page 12
Become A Safety Steward
— By Dennis Cipriany
A seminar is being offered at the April 23rd meeting, 6:30-7:30pm at Gilligan’s, Harrisburg
Why become a Solo Safety Steward?
A Safety Steward is a person who accepts
responsibility from the SCCA to:
- Help plan and oversee the safety of
spectators, workers, and drivers of an
Autocross/Solo event;
- Know and execute the regulations from
SCCA’s Solo Rules;
- Show good judgment in handling real world
situations;
- Hold sufficient authority to shut down or
cancel events that are in non-compliance.
The Solo Safety Steward Program has
been in effect since 1976. Nationwide, there
are 1,500 to 2,000 events a year. Since the
inception of the Solo Safety Steward Program,
there have been some 50,000 events. With the
due diligence and oversight of the Solo Safety
Steward Program, there have been just four
fatalities. Our goal throughout time has been
no fatalities/serious accidents.
IT’S NOT A DODGE. IT’S IMPORTANT.
Why become a Safety Steward?
- A Solo event can’t run without one.
- Drivers, workers, and spectators all depend
on you.
-People can and do get hurt in Solo.
- Our entry fees are affected by our insurance
rates, the Solo Safety Program is in place to
help keep those rates low.
To become a Safety Steward, you:
- Must be a member of the SCCA (temporary,
or permanent).
- Attend a training seminar. We have one
coming up April 23rd at 6:30-7:30, just prior
to the start of the Susquehanna Region’s April
membership meeting at Gilligan’s, Harrisburg.
- Act as a Deputy Solo Safety Steward at two
Solo events.
- Fill out the application and submit to the
Northeast Division Solo Safety Steward, who
will review the application and submit it to the
SCCA National Office.
Responsibilities of a Solo Safety Steward:
- Spectator, worker, driver, crew and guest
safety. You are responsible for everyone.
- Stay Alert that proper safety precautions are
being observed.
- Review the entire safety situation with the
event chairperson(s) before starting the event.
- Read and understand the SCCA Solo rulebook,
and any regional supplemental regulations.
Review the Solo Safety Steward Guidebook.
(Appendix E of SCCA Solo Rules)
- Course design review.
Do you think you’ve got what it takes to be
a Solo Safety Steward? Come to the Training
Session before the April Region Meeting.
Contact Dennis Cipriany, Solo Safety
Steward Instructor, at [email protected] to
announce your attendance. q — Dennis Cipriany
2013 NEDiv
Roundtable
The Northeast Division Roundtable will be
held at Pocono Manor Friday through Sunday,
March 15-17.
Numerous seminars take place covering the
most up-to-date Sports Car Club of America
regulations and practices. The seminars cover
everything from safety and scheduling to road
racing, and more in line with our region’s
interests, Solo, RallyCross and Schools.
The registration cutoff date is March 8th.
For more go to: http://www.nediv.com/nedivinfo/102-2013-round-table q
Page 13
Club Truck Gets Finishing Touches
— By John Rudy
Mike Snyder strips off the old graphics in
preparation of the new artwork. — John Rudy photo
The off-season revitalization of
Susquehanna Region’s club truck is now
complete. Last month, the glass had been
replaced, the roof sealed, upholstery renewed,
mechanical repairs made, and service
completed. This month on February 8th,
Mike Snyder left his SSC Graphics shop in
Elizabethtown to get together with Alan
Lesher at Alan’s Harrisburg operation, Auto
Seat Cover Company, to perform the cosmetic
makeover — new graphics.
There really isn’t a whole lot you can do to
spruce up the appearance of a 45-year-old step
van, but the glass, upholstery and graphics
help a lot.
The finishing touch will be a planned Rub
& Scrub to ready the truck for all the Oohs
and Aahs expected at it’s public debut, the first
series autocross in Hershey on April 6th. q — John Rudy
Alan Lesher gives Mike Snyder a hand test fitting the club truck’s new side panel graphics. This is the
final step in the truck’s off-season mechanical and appearance updates. — John Rudy photo
Page 14
Grays Honored In
N.C. — By Dian & Earnie Dingle
Susquehanna Region members get around.
Joe and Sandy Gray, long time Flagging &
Communications workers, were recently
honored by North Carolina Region for their
contributions to the workforce at NCR’s
Virginia International Raceway events.
The Grays were presented the “Flagging &
Communications Workers of the Year” award
at NCR’s awards banquet, which was held
January 5th at Caffé Luna in Raleigh.
The award was presented by NCR’s
Communications Chief, Eric Danielsen,
who said, “Yes, they come all the way from
Pennsylvania for every event! They are
members of our extended family at VIR and
come all that way just to help us out.”
Dian Dingle noted, “Joe and Sandy Gray
are also regular F&C workers at Summit Point. The Grays, like my husband and I, have
been members of Susquehanna Region since
the 1970’s. We choose the road racing end of
SCCA so we seldom cross paths with other
Susquehanna Region members. q
— Dian & Earnie Dingle
Get Ready, Get
Set...
Susquehanna Region’s Autocross #1 is on
Saturday, April 6 — just six weeks away! If you
have any remaining preparations for the 2013
season, now is the time to finish them up.
That’s a big weekend. The next day, Sunday,
April 7, Series Autocross #2 will be held. That’s
a great way to get a jump in the series points.
Both events that weekend will take place on
the large lot between HersheyPark and Giant
Center in Hershey. Be there!. q
2013 Region
Event Schedule
Jan. 22Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
Feb. 14Executive Board Meeting at Gilligan’s
26Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
Mar. 26Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
Apr. 6Autocross #1 at Large Lot, Hershey
7Autocross #2 at Large Lot, Hershey
23Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
May 5RallyCross #1 at Trail-Way Speedway,
Hanover
18-19 Carlisle Autocross (not a series event)
28Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
June
2 Double Header Autocrosses #3 & #4
at Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg
25Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
30Autocross #5 at Giant Center, Hershey
July
7Double Header Autocrosses #6 & #7
at Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg
21Autocross #8 at Giant Center, Hershey
23Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
28RallyCross #2 at Trail-Way Speedway,
Hanover
Aug. 18Double Header Autocrosses #9 & #10
at Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg
27Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
Sept. 24Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
29RallyCross #3 at Trail-Way Speedway,
Hanover
Oct. 22Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
26Autocross #11 at Large Lot, Hershey
27Autocross #12 at Large Lot, Hershey
Nov. 26Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
Dec. —NO Membership Meeting this month
Jan. 18Year End Banquet, Grantville Holiday
Graphics by Chris Paveglio
Page 15
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Camp Hill, PA 17011
Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:30pm
Maintenance:
Pennsylvania State Inspection
Certified Pennsylvania Emissions
Regularly Scheduled Factory Maintenance
Complete Tune-ups
Automatic Transmission Flushes
Fuel Injection Cleaning
Cooling System Services
Replace Windshield Wipers
Coolant System Flushes
Diagnostic & Repair:
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Expert Brake Service and Repairs
Air Conditioning Svcs & Repairs
Diagnose & Repair Chargintg Systems
Diagnose & Repair Driveline
Repair Overheating / Temperature Issues
Wheels & Suspension:
Mounting Tires up to 20”
Dynamic Spin Balancing
Computerized Wheel Alignment
Suspension and Front End Service
Weighting of Race Cars
Custom Alignments tailored for Racing
Custom Suspension Work
Tell them
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phone 717-545-9630 v [email protected]
Sponsor Space Available — If you’d like to join our sponsorship ranks,
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