WICHITA REGION WAIL Wichita Region SCCA 118 S. Coach House Rd. Wichita, KS 67235

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1 WICHITA REGION WAIL Wichita Region SCCA 118 S. Coach House Rd. Wichita, KS Page 1 December, 2009 RE RAMBLINGS By Charlene Bettinger Inside this issue: Holiday Dieting Tips 3 Here is an update from the Midwest Division Executive Committee conference call: We voted to allow the Bonus Race to be conducted with other points awarding races during the weekend s race program. We voted to recommend placing American Sedan cars with other cars racing on street tires i.e. T2, T3, SSB, SSC, and SM. (Remember this is only a recommendation.) Race groups can set the schedule they feel is safe. There will be an increase in the National Trophy Fund of $ 2.00 due to the increased cost of leather for the chairs. There will also be an increase in the Mid-Am Trophy Fund of $.50. We have 12 races scheduled for Several of those races are tentative, but should be firmed up within the next couple of weeks. We will have a Double School/Double Regional in St Louis 5/14/15/16. Currently we have two Divisional Solos on the calendar and hoping for a 3 rd. It is quite an experience attending the SCCA National Convention. It will be held in Las Vegas again January Mark your calendars and try to go if possible. You will have a great time, learn a lot about our club, and meet lots of new friends from around the country. Midiv Convention will be in Kansas City again in 2010 at the same motel as last year. We had a good time and it was a good location. Date is February 19, 20, & 21. I will forward a flyer on the convention to the WAIL so you can see there is something there for everyone this year. There is a lot of emphasis on Solo this year. Please plan to attend. I think you will find it very beneficial. We have had our last event for the year We had a rally Average Joe to Beaumont attended by six teams. Again a good time was had by all. We have also held the last solo for There was a good turn out for the event in spite of the cold. You can read more about it in this issue of the WAIL. We will have had election of officers for 2010 by the time you read this. Hope you all answered our survey. Our annual donation to the Wichita Children s Home has been given. Thanks to Duck and Sue Waddle for the auction items provided at the November meeting. They brought in over $ for the Children s Home an amount which will be very much appreciated and used to help a child have a better Christmas. Again this year we will have our annual Christmas gift exchange and snacks at the December 16 th meeting so please attend. This is always a fun way to end the year. We have chosen the date of January 16 th for our Awards Banquet. It will again be held at the Airport Hilton. One more thing to place on your calendars and attend. Registration forms were sent out with the ballot has been a good year for Wichita Region. We have lost a few members and gained a few. We are down a little from 2008, but not down as much as other regions and in this hard economic time, that is good!! We had an excellent Solo Series, a couple of races and a couple of rallies. We also had two Rally Crosses. This is a new event for Wichita Region, and they were well attended. We found a place in Hutchinson that the Divisional people say they would like to get for the Rally Cross Nationals. WAY TO GO WICHITA!! The Wichita Region Board of Directors and its officers wish you and yours very happy holidays and a great new year. The 2009 Runoffs 4 BOD minutes 5 HANS Device information 7 BRRR!!!! Last Club Solo 8/9 Rally to Beaumont 10 Runoff Reflections 11 UPCOMING EVENTS Wednesday, Dec. 16 Christmas Party Player s The fun begins at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 16 Annual Awards Banquet and Celebration Wichita Airport Hilton 6:00 Reception/Cocktail hour 7:00 Dinner and awards

2 2009 Wail Advertising Rates Size Per Month Per Year Small (1/4 page) $15 $150 Medium (1/3 page) $20 $200 Large (1/2 page) $25 $250 Yearly rates are for one calendar year. We typically print 11 issues per year, but not less than 10. Free text-only ads will be printed for club members on a space available basis. Picture ads or guaranteed space will be billed at one half of the above rates for club members. The Witches Wail is the official publication of the Wichita Region SCCA. Contributions are requested and welcome. All manuscripts, drawings, and photographs should be identified as to event, time and place, persons involved and the name of the submitter. Material will be returned only when requested. The editor reserves the right to decline or condense material. All material published may be reprinted provided it is clearly credited to the author, the Wichita Region SCCA and the Wail. Letters to the editor should be signed. Articles and/or advertisements published in the Wail do not necessarily express the viewpoint of the Wichita Region SCCA or the editor. All articles may be submitted electronically or by mail. Contact the editor for details. Deadline for articles is the 20th day of the preceding month. Regional Executive Charlene Bettinger bbetting@sbcglobal.net (316) Asst. Regional Executive Guy Roberts groberts@kiphs.com (316) Past Regional Executive Keith Pfautz pfautz@embarqmail.com (620) Secretary Warren Meyer whmeyer2@cox.net (316) Treasurer John Houston jchouston@cox.net (316) Activities Director Steve Roepken sroepken@cox.net (316) Junior Kart Steward none Wichita Region Contacts Club Phone (Recording) (316) Board of Directors: Andy Timmons agt3@swbell.net (316) Paul Sherman paul.sherman1@att.net Jason Rogers jmr302@gmail.com (316) Brian Meyer bjm@gearz.org (316) Kevin Anderson silverstoneracer@yahoo.com (316) Greg Laws glaws@cox.net Membership Greg Laws glaws@cox.net (316) Merchandise Steve Roepken sroepken@cox.net (316) Race Competition Chair Scott Bettinger (316) Rally Chair N/A Solo Chair Guy Roberts groberts@kiphs.com (316) Wail Editor Brian Meyer bjm@gearz.org (316) Sherry Huxtable sherryhux@cox.net (316) Webmaster Guy Roberts groberts@kiphs.com (316) Address Changes: National Office Charlene Bettinger bbetting@sbcglobal.net (316) Page 2 Page 2

3 Holiday Dieting Tips I hate this time of year. Not for its crass commercialism and forced frivolity, but because it s the season when the food police come out with their wagging fingers and annual tips on how to get through the holidays without gaining 10 pounds. You can t pick up a magazine without finding a list of holiday eating do s and don ts. You know...eliminate second helpings, high-calorie sauces and cookies made with butter...they say. Fill up on vegetable sticks...they say. Good grief! Is your favorite childhood memory of Christmas a carrot stick? I didn t think so...neither is mine. A carrot was something you left for Rudolph. I have my own list of tips for holiday eating: 1. About those carrot sticks...avoid them. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door where they re serving rum balls. 2. Drink as much eggnog as you can...and quickly. Life fine single-malt scotch, it s rare. You can t find it any other time of year but now, so drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It s a treat...enjoy it. Have one for me, or have two. It s Christmas! 3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That s the whole point of gravy, pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes...fill it with gravy...eat the volcano. Repeat. 4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they are made with skim milk or whole milk. If it s skim, pass. Why bother? It s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission. 5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The entire point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people s food for free...lots of it. Hello? Remember college? 6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year s Day. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you will need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and vat of eggnog. 7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table...like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them...don t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They are like a beautiful pair of shoes. You can t leave them behind and you re never going to see them again! 8. Same for pies. Apple...pumpkin...mincemeat...have a slice of each. Or, if you don t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. The point is, always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day? 9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all costs. I mean, have some standards mates. 10. And one final tip: If you don t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven t been paying attention. So...reread tips. Start over. But hurry. Cookieless January is just around the corner!!! Need a new helmet? By Dave Geis There was an article in the November Safety Belt about the new helmet certifications. In case you're wondering about asking Santa for a new helmet this year... For Solo, Snell has released the specifications for the M2010 helmets. For next year you will need at least: M2000 SA95 K98 For Race, the SA helmet specs will not likely be out until November, So lucky you, that SA2000 helmet will be good for another year. Wichita Region Wail Page 3

4 The 2009 Runoffs (or...how I almost got kicked out) By Keith Pfautz I ve got to tell you up front that this is going to be more of a travel log than a racing report. The racing report: It was all pretty much boring. Except FP. For example, the FV winner was 30 SECONDS ahead of second. So the racing was boring. But Road America is a neat track in a very beautiful setting. Bruce Bettinger and I went together. We left Saturday morning at 3 am and got to the motel in Fon-Du-Lac about 2:30 pm. We went on to the track, signed in and started to learn where people and stuff was. There was nothing remarkable about the trip up or dinner Saturday night. Sunday we got up at what would become our usual time (5:30) had breakfast and headed to the track. The highlight of the day was the tour of the track by general manager Carson Wilkinson. Both Bruce and I got the opportunity to learn the track first hand from a native. The Trans Am series had its last race there this year. I worked the Trans Am race from the start stand. The first thing I noticed was the race was 23 laps. Trans Am races are 100 miles and Road America is 4 (4.048 to be exact) miles around. I was told the tires wouldn t make it, so they shortened the race. Sure enough, cars started dropping out due to tire failure. Local boy Cliff Eben won. (He also won the GT1 race at the Runoffs.) We had dinner at a local spot. The manager came out to talk to us to make sure my martini was right. The chicken fell of the bone and the dressing was excellent. I think Bruce had a good steak, as well. Bruce and I separated Monday. I ran around with Chief Starter Larry Kurkowski all day. Before lunch, Larry took me on a tour of the area. Johnsonville (yes, the brats) was 3 miles east of the track (and so is the factory). Johnsonville Brats had a tanker truck at the track doing brats. The tanker truck is a giant grill and they have six of them around the country. On to Elkhart Lake, the town, after that. It s still a resort town with people coming up from Chicago to spend the summer. We had lunch at Culver s ( Butter Burgers there s one as close as Lawrence, I found out) in Plymouth. I also got my second tour of the track this one from my fellow Assistant Chief, Don Sutton. Don has been going to races at Road America for over 25 years and he drove the golf cart places I didn t think a golf cart could go. I got to see the track from just about every vantage point. The opening night party was in Elkhart Lake inside a giant grill and they have six of them around the country. On to Elkhart Lake, the town, after that. It s still a resort town with people coming up from Chicago to spend the summer. We had lunch at Culver s ( Butter Burgers there s one as close as Lawrence, I found out) in Plymouth. I also got my second tour of the track this one from my fellow Assistant Chief, Don Sutton. Don has been going to races at Road America for over 25 years and he drove the golf cart places I didn t think a golf cart could go. I got to see the track from just about every vantage point. The opening night party was in Elkhart Lake inside a giant tent. Spaten Oktoberfest beer on tap and brats, Italian sausage and all the trimmings were for dinner. I met one of the local constabulary for failure to execute a proper stop at a stop sign. I got a warning. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were scheduled for practice and qualifying. There were many interesting parts to the racing. Wednesday night I went to Schwartz s Supper Club with a bunch of SE Division people. The Bombay Sapphire martinis were $5.00 and quite large. I only went back for a second to watch the cleavage mix the drink. The hostesses were dressed much the same as Scotch and Sirloin little black dresses with short skirts and plunging necklines. Considering the T-bone steak I had was $19.99 for 24 ounces of very excellent beef, this was one of the real highlights of the trip. Suffering a slight hangover on Thursday morning, I affected a cure by eating an Egger and RGP Potatoes at the Gear Box concession stand. An Egger is a meat (bacon, sausage or ham), egg and cheese sandwich. RGP Potatoes stand for Real Good Potatoes. They are chunked and cooked potatoes swimming in butter. The grease was an excellent cure. Friday started the actual racing. The only interesting race was F Production. Rick Harris worked hard for his second. Eric Prill was third and the top three were pretty much nose-to-tail. The rest of the day s racing was uneventful in comparison. Lunch was a Philly cheese-steak sandwich and blueberry pie a la mode. The St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Plymouth has a concession stand and the ladies have fresh baked pies. Bruce and I decided not to have the Texas Barbeque for dinner Friday night and we went into Elkhart Lake to Siebken s. I made a wrong turn going to the bar and we found ourselves on the 1950 road course with the signs out in the countryside. Made the trip to the bar even better. The memorabilia at this place was incredible and I felt like I had stepped back in time. Saturday and Sunday were more of the same. The only interesting race was the one I started - E Production the last race of the event. It started raining as the cars went out and some had rain tires and some had dry. Jesse Prather pitted on the second lap for rain tires and then made an magnificent drive to sixth. He would have gotten his fourth title in a row had he had on rain tires to start with. Bruce and I left almost immediately after that race and drove home through the night. I had more fun than I thought I would and I d like to go back next year. Wichita Region Wail Volume 09, Issue 9

5 Wichita Region SCCA Board of Directors Minutes (Unapproved) November 11, 2009 Meeting was called to order by RE Charlene Bettinger at 7:02 PM BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: RE Charlene Bettinger, Andy Timmons, Guy Roberts, Brian Meyer, Paul Sherman, Greg Laws, Jason Rogers, Kevin Anderson, and Keith Pfautz. BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: None MEMBERS PRESENT: John Houston, Bruce Bettinger, Matt Miller, Sherry Huxtable, Tom Huxtable, Judy Pfautz, Steven Roepken, Paul Donlin, and Warren Meyer. SECRETARY REPORT: Minutes for the Wichita Region SCCA October 14 th, 2009, Board Meeting were read. Motion to approve the minutes was made by Paul Sherman, seconded by Keith Pfautz, and passed by unanimous vote. NEW BUSINESS: Budget for Ballots and Survey John Huston presented the Budget for preparing and mailing the Ballot for 2010 Officers and the Survey on Publication of the Wail. Motion to approve the Budget was made by Paul Sherman, seconded by Guy Roberts, and passed by Unanimous vote. Budget for Awards Banquet Dinner Steve Roepken presented the Budget for the Annual Awards Banquet Dinner. Motion to approve the Budget was made by Paul Sherman, seconded by Guy Roberts, and passed by unanimous vote. A motion to add a Banquet Dinner publicity flyer to the Ballot and Survey Mailing was made by Brian Meyer and seconded by Paul Sherman. A discussion of the motion was followed by a unanimous vote of approval. Greg Laws resignation from the Board effective 1/1/10 A motion to express the Board s appreciation and gratitude for Greg s contributions to the Region as a Board Member was made by Brian Meyer, seconded by Keith Pfautz, and passed by unanimous vote. Count December Board Meeting RE Charlene Bettinger reminded the Board of the need to count the 2010 Officer Election Ballots following the conclusion of the December 9, 2009, Board Meeting. Fund Raiser for Camp Hiawatha Sherry Huxtable reported she had received an inquiry if the Region would conduct a Tricycle Autocross in conjunction with an Auto Show being held on Saturday, July 17, The event is a fund raiser for the Salvation Army s Camp Hiawatha. Sherry will act as a liaison and obtain additional information. Member to Wichita Region Officers The Wichita Region Officers discussed an received from a member who offered comments on the upcoming member survey on publication of the WAIL. The also contained some comments related to the Region ByLaws. RE Charlene Bettinger will provide the Board of Directors response to the member. OLD BUSINESS No Old Business. BUDGETS & REPORTS Website Guy Roberts The Website has been updated. RE Charlene Bettinger requested a printed copy of the bill for Internet Provider Services. WAIL Sherry Huxtable The combined October and November 2010 edition of The Wail is posted on the Region s Website and is at the printer for mail distribution. Membership Greg Laws The Wichita Region had 229 members as of October 31 st, SOLO Guy Roberts The final SOLO Event of the year will be held at the Yoder II site on November 15 th. Tom Bontrager is the Event Chair and Jim French is the Event Safety Steward. The laptop computer is now functioning properly and does not need to be replaced at this time. The problems encountered during the October 11 th SOLO Event were an anomaly due to the cold operating environment. Merchandise Steve Roepken The Region still has some merchandise for sale. Guy Roberts has the Anniversary T-shirts and continues to make them available for sale at all SOLO and Rally Cross Events. Activities Steve Roepken Steve asked everyone to remember to bring a toy gift for Wichita Children s Home to the November 24 th, 2009, Wichita Region Wail Page 5

6 Race Keith Pfautz Nothing new to report. Rally Bruce Bettinger deferred to Keith Pfautz. Keith reported an Average Joe Rally will be held on Saturday, November 21, The rally will start at the Best Western North and end at the Beaumont Hotel in Beaumont, KS. The route will be determined at the starting point and there will be three self-reporting checkpoints. Street Survivor School Keith Pfautz, Steve Roepken, Dave Gird, Guy Roberts, Greg McGehee Still a work in process, nothing new to report. Rally Cross Matt Miller Matt is developing an on-line survey to determine the level of Region Member interest in participating in Rally Cross Events. RiverFest Bruce Bettinger Still a work in progress, the RiverFest Committee has been notified of our preference to conduct the SOLO Event on the parking lot behind the Broadview Hotel. The Water Department parking lot is an alternate. Treasurer - John Houston John reviewed the Financial Report. A motion to approve the Financial Report was made by Paul Sherman, seconded by Jason Rogers, and passed by unanimous vote. ADJOURNMENT A motion to adjourn was made by Kevin Anderson, seconded by Greg Laws, and passed by unanimous vote. Wichita Region Wail Volume 09, Issue 9

7 HANS Device Troubled By Counterfeit Parts The following information was submitted by Frank Diringer A court-ordered discovery has shown that counterfeit HANS Device post anchors in IMPACT RACING Products helmets is a more far-reaching issue than first thought. HANS Performance Products is continuing its free anchor replacement program both direct and through its authorized dealer network. Racing Radios has been servicing the NASCAR teams and leading support in NHRA comes from Simpson Performance Products. Simpson CEO Chuck Davies said, Like the people at HANS, we take safety very seriously. Racers trust our products and we re proud our trackside services are able to help racers. HANS CEO Mark Stiles added, We didn t create this situation but it is vitally important that racers have full confidence in their HANS device. We have always been impressed with Simpson Performance Products commitment to safety and service. They have helped tremendously to minimize any concerns our customers may have. HANS is encouraging all racers to make a special effort when they inspect their gear. Details of the replacement program, other information and program updates are available at hansdevice.com, by calling HANS direct at HANS-999, or by contacting an authorized North American HANS factory trained dealer. KENNETH R. HIPP Insurance Agency Auto - Home - Lif e - Comm ercial 240 N. Rock Rd., Ste 210 Wichita, KS Business: (316) Residence: (316) Fax: (316) Wichita Region Wail Page 7

8 BRRR!!! Last Club Solo of 2009 By Tom Bontrager Sunday, November 15, 2009 at approximately 7 a.m. I was between Haven and Yoder on Highway 96 heading for the Yoder Solo site in the Miata. It was cold and raining. It is hard enough to drive 96 Highway in Reno County in dry weather let alone the rain. I was driving 60 mph on a bald four-year old set of Yokohama tired that I was truing to stretch through one more autocross before I put on the snow tires. (Beware Bruce and Nick, I will have new tires next spring.) A car pulled in front of me from a side road and I moved to the left hand lane to overtake them. They accelerated to 70 mps. Too fast for me. I started to move back to the right hand lane, when I felt the car lift and start to rotate counterclockwise. I tried to correct, but there was no response. I was hydroplaning. Funny how time seems to slow down in a spin. Seems like I had enough time to check traffic, look for posts, culverts and to set the car so I didn t hit the grass in the median sideways. Sliding backwards into the median, I started the first of three spins. It was at this time I realized I wasn t going to die. My life did not pass before me. However, the previous week did. This was my first time as event chair. Since I am an older neophyte in this club I was completely lost. I must thank Guy Roberts for the outlining my responsibilities and the reassurance that everything would be OK. Many thanks to Doug Lamoureaux, who took time throughout the previous week, including Friday night and Saturday, to help me design and lay out the course. This included altering the original layout on Saturday to avoid the Sinister Islands of the Northeast and the treacherous Middle Eastern part of the site. (Please note: The Yoder course site is 325 feet by 1400 feet. This does not include staging and grid areas. Doug did a very creative 400 foot stretch on Saturday.)..I finished my three spins through the grass median. The car came to a rest facing west, with the driver side tires resting on the eastbound pavement of 96 Highway. Flashers on. A quick check of the car...excess grass removed. Back through the median to the westbound lanes and on to the Yoder site. (Later that day Matt Miller noticed all the grass down the sides of my car and asked if I had been rallycrossing.) When Lu and Dave Geis arrived at the site they found a Wandering Neophyte driving around the course swapping out cones. (Yes Doug, I was out swapping dark colored gate cones with some bright orange ones.) The site was very wet and I was worried. I have to thank the safety stewards, Jim French and Dave Geis, for adjusting the course for wet weather. I would also like to thank Lu and Dave and Jim for coming just to work. They did not drive, only worked. I would like to apologize to all the drivers for missing the drivers meeting. The course was laid out with elements from an event that I participated in on the city streets in Tulsa in I wanted to explain there were some single cones that were left or right optional and point out where they were. I hope that it did not confuse anyone. Thirty participants were registered and we ran two heats. Each driver was given four runs. This was for the corner workers since it was very cold. I must thank all the corner workers and their friends who did not drive but worked corners for this event. The most interesting event within the event of the day was the D Stock Challenge. Kyle Auchterlonie (1996 BMW 328is), Robert Phillips (2008 MazdaSpeed 3, and Guy Roberts (2009 Subaru WRX) drove each others cars. First place went to Guy driving Robert s Mazda with time of (also fastest time of day.) Second place was Kyle driving Robert s Mazda with time of (Kyle actually had a time of cone, and the cone he took out was the second cone after the starting gate.) Robert was third with a time of in his own car. Robert was heard later to comment that he felt like his girlfriend had been cheating on him with two other guys! I was surprised when Greg Laws told me he had never participated in an event that had a single cone which was optional. He has been autocrossing for a long time. He also said he would like to drive this course again in dry weather. If I am allowed, I would like to do this course again (with some changes.) I hope everyone had fun! Great People Great Club Thanks to All of You (Editor s note: Tom, bet you won t have any problem at all being allowed to do this again. Just ask ) Page 8 Page 8

9 BRRR!!! Results Street Open' - Total Entries: 7 Trophies: 3 Total 1T 4 Robert Clapp 1981 Chevy Camaro Z T 1 William Gentry 2006 Acura RSX Type S T 69 Alex Herndon 1988 VW Golf GTi Aaron Dunne 2003 Nissan Sentra dnf Thomas Henning 1988 VW GTi dnf Tuan Le 2001 Lexus IS dnf Jeff Garrelts 1987 Nissan 300ZX dnf 'A Stock' - Total Entries: 3 Trophies: 1 1T 5 Mark Hill 2001 Honda S dnf James Hodges 2008 Mitsubishi Evo Glen Alvis 1985 Chevy Corvette 'D Stock' - Total Entries: 5 Trophies: 2 1T 39 Guy Roberts 2009 Subaru WRX T 44 Kyle Auchterlonie 1996 BMW 328is dnf Robert Phillips 2008 MazdaSpeed Nick Deneault 2009 Subaru WRX TJ Evans 2001 Audi TT dnf 'E Stock' - Total Entries: 2 Trophies: 1 1T 15 Bruce Bettinger 1996 Mazda Miata Thomas Bontrager 1997 Mazda Miata 'F Stock' - Total Entries: 1 1T 25 Anthony Bowe 1997 Mitsubishi 3000GT dnf 'H Stock' - Total Entries: 2 Trophies: 1 1T 37 Tyler Potter 1986 VW Cabriolet dnf Paul Donlin 1997 Subaru Legacy dnf 'C Street Prepared' - Total Entries: 1 Trophies: 1 1T 18 Kevin Griswold 1970 Datsun 240Z 'E Street Prepared' - Total Entries: 1 Trophies: 1 1T 44 Greg McGehee 1986 Chevy Camaro 'F Street Prepared' - Total Entries: 2 Trophies: 1 1T 19 Paul Sherman 1998 Dodge Neon Greg Laws 1998 Dodge Neon 'E Modified' - Total Entries: 2 Trophies: 1 1T 24 Doug Griswold 1970 Datsun 240Z 'Street Touring' - Total Entries: 2 Trophies: 1 1T 46 Greg Frechette 2000 Ford Escort dnf David Lapello 2007 Pontiac Solstice GXP 'Street Touring Xtreme' - Total Entries: 1 Trophies: 1 1T 16 Bill Dayton 2009 Chevy Cobalt SS 'Street Modified' - Total Entries: 1 Trophies: 1 1T 23 Matt Miller 2002 Urabus WRX Michael Manning 1999 Mitsubishi Eclipse GST Wichita Region Wail Page 9

10 Rally to Beaumont (or...how to win by being Rally Master) By Keith Pfautz Wichita Region held its second Average Joe rally on November 21 with a rally to the Beaumont Hotel. Six cars showed up (numbers are increasing) for the 97 mile rally. Keith Pfautz determined the route by manipulating Google maps and printed a copy of instructions and map for the event. Everyone found the final destination and scoring was interesting with a long middle leg. The following were finishing places and scores: First Keith Pfautz/Judi Pfautz 5 Second (tie) Bruce Bettinger/Charlene Bettinger 8 Warren Meyer/Stan Smith 8 Steve Roepken/Don Rogus 8 Third Will Huxtable/Kelley Huxtable 15 Fourth Ken Vice/Lindsay Vice 18 (Editor s note: Hmmmmm ) BG-44K Panasport Bilstein H&R Springs Corbeau Borla Car Covers 1713 E 1st Street Wichita, Kansas (316) Hours: M-F 9:00-6:00 SCCA Supporter for Over 30 Years! XADO Redline Oil Recaro Eibach Optima Battery Flowmaster K&N Filters Page 10 Page 10

11 RUNOFF REFLECTIONS (A Different Perspective) by Bruce (Lost in Kansas) Bettinger Charlene asked me to write an article about this year s RunOffs. Those of you who have heard me ramble on telling some story, or who have been unfortunate enough to have read some of my other attempts at articles know that was a stupid request. Add to this that I had a job in timing & scoring that kept me from seeing much of the race. I sat in the fourth row against the wall where all I could see was cars popping up the front straight hill from under the bridge and disappearing at about the start finish line. This is one of the fastest spots on the course, if not the fastest. Also the screen I was to watch and maintain was using a software program called Monitor and I have never used it before consequently it told me very little. So I hoped Keith, who had more free time than me and while working had a better view of the track would write his story and save you from mine. He hadn t yet at the last Board meeting so Charlene started harping again. What to do? I will now bore you with some thoughts on RunOffs. When I joined the Club in 1973 it was to go racing. Soon learned I couldn t afford that, but could work races and solo while I waited (30 some years). I also soon learned about the Mecca of road racing The Runoffs. A week of racing held at some mystical track someplace else that I had never been. So the Holy Grail was before me. How to get there was the question. In the fall of 1974 the company I worked for moved it s data processing center to Birmingham, AL. Now that s within driving distance to Road Atlanta, then the home of the RunOffs. Had to go, simply had to go. Didn t go. My accountant convinced me it was really dumb and she wouldn t write the check. Ok, ok, next year, what the heck I would be in Birmingham for a long time. Nope, next year I changed jobs and was back in Kansas working in Kansas City. The dream was still alive, but the chances were much slimmer do to the distance. Time passed. I moved back to Wichita. The RunOffs moved to Mid-Ohio. Still too far, but still hoped for. Then the RunOffs moved to Topeka. Just two hours up the turnpike. There should be nothing to stop me now. There was something to stop me. I don t remember what it was but I didn t go. The next year my son, Scott, (who had not paid his dues and who had gotten to start racing before I did) qualified our Mustang in American Sedan. This was a car that David Guinn and I owned and Scott maintained and, ungrateful pup that he is, wouldn t even let me sit in this car. I drove the two hours up the pike with him and Charlene joined us later in the week. Had a great time, but the trip was better than being there. Finally at the RunOffs, but it was at Topeka. You need to understand, Topeka is our backyard, not the exotic local the RunOffs is supposed to be. But it was great (or almost great). Scott got what was due any ungrateful pup and blew up before the race. Got to go again the next year, again with Scott who didn t have a ride, but was working for several crews. Charlene joined us later in the week and, again we had a good time. Now The RunOffs. Gotta go. Can t go. Too far since they have moved the RunOffs to Elkhart Lake, WI and the famed Road America track. Charlene can t get time off so it looks like the Grail has slipped from my grasp once again. Enter Keith to save the day. He s going and we can share a ride and a room (either in a tent, a van, a popup or whatever.) I drove to his house Friday and grabbed a few hours sleep as we were to leave around 3:00 in the morning. We had an uneventful trip, swapping the driving back and forth. Arrived late afternoon in time to watch some of the Trans-Am practice and then the race on Sunday. Monday was an open practice day and a chance to wring out all the bugs in timing & scoring. On to days of qualifying and then some great racing. Got to see a lot of old friends, missed finding some others (the paddock is a nightmare to find someone) and made some new friends. Saw a bunch of the countryside including part of the old original road course while lost looking for a bar in Elkhart Lake (Keith was driving). So the Holy Grail of the RunOffs was found. Next year? Well maybe. Wichita Region Wail Page 11

12 Wichita Region SCCA 118 S. Coach House Rd. Wichita, KS PRSRT STD US Postage Paid Wichita, KS Permit No. 337 AUTOPARTS& MACHINE SHOP 140S.Laura Engine Rebuilding& Balancing Precision Block& Head Milling Aluminum Head Straightening Ring, Pin& Bearing Service Reboring& Pin Fitting Crankshaft Grinding Glass Shot Peening Complete Auto Machine Service Grant Ring Distributors