The Official Newsletter of the Susquehanna Region of the. Sports Car Club of America, Inc. - Incorporated June 29, 1959

Transcription

1 February March 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 Stewart- Haas 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 MPH run. In the cue she was the 8th driver to take the track and her speed remained untouchable. 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 Danica... on Page 4) (See the Cover Story Car Chatter on Page 8)

2 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 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: mail@johnrudy.com q John MARCH 2012 Page 2 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 mail@johnrudy.com 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 REGION OFFICERS Regional Executive Chris Paveglio Assistant Regional Executive Henry Brillinger Secretary Dennis Cipriany Treasurer Alan Lesher Directors Geoff Craig 3yr Dave Walter 2yr Alan Pozner 1yr ASCC Representative Markus Houser AUTOCROSS COMMITTEE FEBRUARY 2013 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

3 Page 3 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 «Meeting Minutes «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

4 Page 4 Danica Patrick Makes History By John Rudy Danica Patrick will make racing history when she starts Sunday s 55th running of the Daytona 500 from the pole position. Patrick is the first woman ever to qualify on the pole of a NASCAR Sprint race. She bested the previous mark held by Janet Guthrie who qualified ninth twice in Patrick outran all of her male counterparts in last Sunday s Pole Day qualifying and posted the fastest lap speed of MPH. She was also fastest in the previous day s practice. Jeff Gordon qualified second and will start Sunday s race beside Patrick on the front row, Patrick on the inside and Gordon on the outside. I think it s great to be a part of history with Danica being on the pole, Gordon said. I think we all know how popular she is and what this will do for our sport. Congratulations to her. Proud to be on there with her. For the uninitiated, Daytona 500 qualifying is different than other races on NASCAR s schedule. Only Patrick s and Gordon s starting positions are locked in on Pole Day. To set the rest of the starting lineup, the drivers must also compete in two Duel races. Here is an explanation of how qualifying for the Daytona 500 works. First, the front row is locked in based on qualifying times on Pole Day, the Sunday before the race. Each driver gets two laps alone on the track to post their best speed. The top two drivers from that qualifying session are locked in and will start Danica Patrick will set yet another milestone when she starts the 55th running of the Daytona 500 from the pole position. - Internet photo Cover Story the Daytona 500 from the front row. Then on the Thursday before the race, twin Duel qualifying races determine the rest of the field s starting positiions. These two 150-mile races set the final starting lineup for the Daytona 500. Drivers that qualified in odd-numbered spots on Pole Day run the first race, Duel 1, to set the lineup for the odd-numbered (inside line) starting positions and drivers from the Pole Day even-numbered spots run the second race, Duel 2, to set the lineup for the even-numbered (outside line) starting positions. The top fifteen drivers from each Duel, other than the drivers that have already clinched the front row spots, will then qualify for the Daytona 500 in rows two through eighteen. Patrick s pole winning speed of MPH was the fourth fastest since restrictor plates were introduced in Ken Schrader tops the list with runs of MPH in 1989 and MPH in 1990, and Dale Jarrett s MPH run in Being the polesitter at this year s Daytona 500 isn t Patrick s first major racing accomplishment. She has posted other firsts. She began racing in the IndyCar series in 2005 and was the first woman ever to lead a lap at the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and ultimately finished in fourth place. In 2008 she was the first woman to win an IndyCar race, the Japan 300 in Motegi, Japan, where she beat Helio Castroneves by five seconds! (Continued on Page 5 - See Danica... )

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 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 Stewart- Haas 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 Cover Story Page 5 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 , and Andretti Autosport from 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... )

6 Cover Story 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 Page 6 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

7 Page 7 Starting Lineup For Daytona 500 THE GRID By John Rudy 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 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

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. Cover Story Page 8 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 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 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 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

9 BRAKES An Important Driving 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 By Chris Paveglio, R.E. Page 9 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 or dakracer@hotmail.com, 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

10 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 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 )

11 Page 11 Rebirth (Continued from Page 10) 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 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. Finished and ready to roll. Alan says he has no plans to put the Shelby back into fender-tofender competition. S. Neff Enterprise photo The Hershey Region of the Antique Automobile Club of American is celebrating its Museum s 10th Anniversary this year; it opened in The Hershey Region itself AACA Celebrates A 10th Aniversary was chartered in 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: q John Rudy

12 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 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 dennycip@uplink.net to announce your attendance. q Dennis Cipriany 2013 NEDiv Roundtable The Northeast Division Roundtable will be held at Pocono Manor Friday through Sunday, March 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: q

13 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

14 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. 22 Membership Meeting at Gilligan s Feb. 14 Executive Board Meeting at Gilligan s 26 Membership Meeting at Gilligan s Mar. 26 Membership Meeting at Gilligan s Apr. 6 Autocross #1 at Large Lot, Hershey 7 Autocross #2 at Large Lot, Hershey 23 Membership Meeting at Gilligan s May 5 RallyCross #1 at Trail-Way Speedway, Hanover Carlisle Autocross (not a series event) 28 Membership Meeting at Gilligan s June 2 Double Header Autocrosses #3 & #4 at Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg 25 Membership Meeting at Gilligan s 30 Autocross #5 at Giant Center, Hershey July 7 Double Header Autocrosses #6 & #7 at Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg 21 Autocross #8 at Giant Center, Hershey 23 Membership Meeting at Gilligan s 28 RallyCross #2 at Trail-Way Speedway, Hanover Aug. 18 Double Header Autocrosses #9 & #10 at Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg 27 Membership Meeting at Gilligan s Sept. 24 Membership Meeting at Gilligan s 29 RallyCross #3 at Trail-Way Speedway, Hanover Oct. 22 Membership Meeting at Gilligan s 26 Autocross #11 at Large Lot, Hershey 27 Autocross #12 at Large Lot, Hershey Nov. 26 Membership Meeting at Gilligan s Dec. NO Membership Meeting this month Jan. 18 Year End Banquet, Grantville Holiday

15 Graphics by Chris Paveglio Page Hartzdale Drive Camp Hill, PA 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: Computer Diagnostic Service Expert Brake Service and Repairs Air Conditioning Svcs & Repairs Diagnose & Repair Chargintg Systems Diagnose & Repair Driveline Repair Overheating / Temperature Issues (717) 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 you saw the ad in SUSQ SCCA s Squeal Newsletter UTO SEAT COVER CO. Accessories - Restyling 1500 Paxton St., Harrisburg, PA (717) Auto Air Conditioners Auto Tops Cruise Controls Upholstering Sun Roofs Power Windows Power Door Locks Security Systems Old Mountain Road Wellsville, PA (717) Race Car Fabrication, restoration and preparation Parts, fuel cells, safety equipment, and trailers, specializing in Porsche. SCCA Tech Inspections and Novice Permits PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BUSINESS Executive Portraiture Digital Photography for Marketing and Corporate Communication JOHN RUDY PHOTOGRAPHY 3800 HILLCREST ROAD, HARRISBURG, PA phone v mail@johnrudy.com Sponsor Space Available If you d like to join our sponsorship ranks, we ll make room for you. Contact me at mail@johnrudy.com for details.