Officers : Inside QT: - The Lone Star Performance Buick Club

Inside QT:
Notes
From the Officers
Redline Drag Race Series
Charity Racing League
Club Members Stories
My Buick Obsession
Buick Indy Pace Cars
Upcoming Events
The LSPBC Bracket Race Series Kicks Off
At Redline Raceway In Style!
We are finally back to racing! We had a good turnout for the first race of
the year. Congratulations to Ron Britton who ran consistent numbers all
night with his GN, to capture the win against Duke McClain in the final.
Officers :
President:
David Newton
Vice President:
Victor Segovia
Duke spent a lot of time working on his T-Type
over the winter and it was paying off. He was running strong. Along with several low 6.40 passes,
he clicked off a best of the evening 6.38 @ 106!
Secretary
Carl Brimer
Treasurer:
Morgan Farrington
Show Director:
Victor Segovia
Race Director:
John Martin
Webmaster:
Carl Brimer
Newsletter:
Rob Downey, David Newton, Carl
Brimer
Although already appearing confident,
Ron had just completed replacing his
fuel pump to run in the event. Even
though Duke experienced severe traction problems, Ron sealed the deal by
running a “dead on the dial” 7.81 on a
7.81 in the final round.
Photography as Noted
Quick Times is the official publication of the Lone Star
Performance Buick Club (Chapter of the GS Club of America).
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or
manner without the express consent of the Lone Star Buick
Chapter GSCA, unless this publication is listed as the source.
Club dues are $30 per year and are payable every January 1st.
Dues entitle the member to a one year subscription to Quick
Times along with other benefits accordingly. The “Buick” name
and all other related Buick model names are registered trademarks of the General Motors Corporation. And are used with
permission by the Lone Star Performance Buick Chapter GSCA
through it’s association with the Buick GS Club of America.
Mike & Tim review time slips and discuss strategy while Dave is on the hunt
with his beautiful WE-4.
A Word From the President
A Word From the Vice-President
Another year is here and it seems the
older I get the faster they go. Oh well, at
least I’m doing it in a Buick! I hope all is
well with you and yours. The current economic conditions have affected everyone
including our organization. More than ever,
we need your support. At this time, LSPBC membership dues are now overdue. Please help by renewing
as soon as possible. You will be receiving this newsletter even if you have not paid your dues, but; this will be
last one. Please don’t let this happen! You may submit
your renewal at any of our club events or by downloading the form available online.
This year, we will be planning for another Hill Country
cruise, maybe a dyno event, the annual picnic and
much more.
We are still currently working on getting some car
shows set up for this year. It is getting late I know; but
we could still get a few shows in for 2010. Stay tuned
were not done yet. Be sure to stay connected online
because if there are any updates, we will post them up
there first. Also, there will be a club meeting in May.
Club t-shirts are still available in limited sizes. For
more information, you may contact me via email at either [email protected] or by cell at 214.629.7429.
See ya at the other end!
It’s hard to believe that the 2010 season
is upon us. The club has made changes
to the race program this year that also
benefits the non-Buick racers. We know
we are suffering from low car count and
we are trying to get more racers to join.
Buick has not made a rear wheel drive
muscle car since the turbo Regal Grand National. It is
apparent that sadly, we are a dying breed. Our cars are
more of a collector’s item now and are not taken out as
much as they were in the past. In order to get the car
count up, we decided to award points to other manufacturer brands as long as they are a paid club member. However, we will still give the upper hand to the
Buick powered cars. After all, it is our Buick club. We
believe that it is a very fair point system that benefits
both parties if you race well. The main purpose remains to have fun while playing with our Buicks. The
shows, on the other hand, don’t look as promising for
the year. We are still trying to find a place to have the
shows. With the economy the way it is, it’s very tough
to find a sponsor. We know that this year presents
challenges ,but; we will make it work and continue to
have fun as always. We have a loyal group of guys
and gals who bleed Buick and understand change is
needed in order to keep the club going. The BIG BAD
BUICKS are still the center of the club; what we do revolves around them. Let’s enjoy 2010 by racing, showing, cruising, and having fun while “Going Fast with
Class”.
Thanks,
David Newton - LSPBC President
BIG BAD BUICK T-SHIRTS
These will be available at each of the LSPBC
events and club meetings for $15.00 each. Sizes
are limited so be sure to get yours and not miss
out!
Victor Segovia - LSPBC Vice-President
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!!
Jeff Holland & Sean Olsen
Get Published in Our Newsletter!
We are always looking for folks to help out and
write about either events they attended, or “How
To” and “Did You Know” articles about Buicks. If
you would like to volunteer an for an upcoming issue, please submit the article text in any format
with any available pictures to Rob Downey via
email to [email protected]. Articles can be
submitted at any time for future newsletters. So
come on...GET TO WRITING!!
THANKS TO ALL who have submitted articles in the
past, keep them coming!
April 2010
Sun
4
Mon
Tue
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Sat
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CRL Cruise
26
27
28
29
30
Wed
Thu
Fri
TMCCC
@ Denton
LSPBC
@ Redline
MAY 2010
Sun
Mon
Tue
Sat
Lone Star
Bash
3
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LSPBC
Club Meeting
23/30
24/31
25
26
27
28
29
TMCCC
@ Redline
TMCCC
@ Crandall
Memorial Day
Parade
LSPBC @
Redline
June 2010
Sun
Mon
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TMCCC
@ Kennedale
27
28
29
30
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
LSPBC
@ Redline
July 2010
Sun
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LSPBC
@ Redline
2010 Redline Race Series Rules
$10.00 (paid to LSPBC) to bracket race, you must be a current LSPBC member to enter and your vehicle must be
Buick or Buick powered in order to be eligible for Buick points. Vehicles that are Non Buick or Non Buick powered
will be eligible for Non Buick points (see Points below) Memberships and renewals are available on location.
1. Street cars only*, No delay boxes, and No throttle stops are allowed.
2. Any tire is ok. DO NOT burnout past the starting line. This will result in an automatic disqualification.
3. You may race any brand/model of car you want and win money at the monthly races and be eligible for the point
series.
4. You must be a paid club member to run brackets. Club dues are $30 annually.
5. The monthly payouts are pending car count. Therefore, more cars = a higher payout. Payouts are for 1st, 2nd &
3rd places.
All time trials will be run out of lane 4 with one exception. If you are running street tires and get in line early,
6:30pm, please line up in lane 3 for your first pass. Redline officials like to run cars with slicks for the first 10-15
pairings from lane 4. We do not want to block lane 4 with street tire cars early. All time trials will be out of lane 4 after 7pm for LSPBC racers.
2010 Rule Additions:
1. All LSPBC racers are required to meet in the pits with the race director at 8:30pm to pay their entry fee and
draw for positions. Drawing order will determine your position on the standard "Sportsman Ladder" rather than
your qualifying time. Do not be late or you will be left out!*
2. The ladder will be set up prior to 9:00pm to determine the pairings or bye run if applicable.
3. The higher seeded racer for each pairing will have lane choice.
4. All eliminations will be out of lanes 5 and 6 and start at 9pm sharp.
5. Breaking or not showing will result in an automatic loss and a win for your opponent. You must stage and break
the starting line beams under your vehicle's own power to receive credit.
6. Redline has requested that the racers to be ready to run in 5 minutes from when they call us to the lanes.
Therefore, know who your opponent for the next round is as soon as possible.
Buick or Buick Powered Points:
10 points are earned for each round in which you make a qualified run.
5 bonus points will awarded to the event winner.
Non-Buick or Non-Buick Powered Points:
9 points are earned for each round in which you will make a qualified run.
4 bonus points will be awarded to the event winner.
All points are assigned to the driver:
This will allow a driver to cumulatively earn either Buick or Non Buick points at each event based on the vehicle registered. A driver will not be eligible for both Buick and Non-Buick points at the same race event.
The top three season points leaders will be awarded at the year end LSPBC Christmas party. ($$$ TBD)
The following event dates are subject to revision as a result of a rainout or unforeseen circumstances:
1. April 10, 2010 - Completed
2. May 8, 2010
3. June 12, 2010
4. July 10, 2010
5. August 14, 2010
6. September 11, 2010
7. October 9, 2010
John Martin - LSPBC Race Director
Club Meeting
nd
May 22
Club Treasury Report
As of March 31st the club has a balance of $1002.90
Morgan Farrington - LSPBC Treasurer
@ 6:00pm
Papasitos
10433 Lombardy Ln.
Dallas, TX 75220
214-350-1976
(Next to Papa’s BBQ)
LSPBC Race Series
Want to Advertise with Us?
Race results after one of seven races.
If you or someone you know wants to advertise in Quick Times or on our website,
here’s how:
Car #
Name
Points
Payout
B106
Ron Britton
45
60
B148
Duke McClain
40
30
B152
David Newton
27
20
B209
Geoff Newton
20
0
B326
Tim Thompson
20
0
B331
Levi Taylor
18
0
B227
Tony Rossi
10
0
B214
David Ellis
10
0
B120
Kyle Faulkner
9
0
B144
John Martin
9
0
B324
Mike Mahalik
0
0
Rates for 1 Year (4 Qtrs):
$50.00 for a business card size
$75.00 for 25% page
$150.00 for 50% page + a website link
$300.00 for 100% page + a website link
Mail payment payable to LSPBC and a copy of
your advertisement to:
David Newton
1901 Northwest Hwy, Suite #106
Garland, Texas 75041
An electronic copy of your advertisement can
be sent to: [email protected]
If you are needing a service or product offered by one of our advertisers, please do
them a favor for supporting our club and
help support them too!
Thank You for Your Support!
Join the LSPBC Yahoo Email
Distribution List
Find out what’s going on currently! Maybe, some
members are going to the track or a car show?
Maybe, you have a question on a problem with
your car? Post up some parts for sale, or see if
other members are offering parts exclusively to
the LSPBC at discounted prices! Sign up now if
you are not already part of the LSPBC club email
forum.
To join you may go to:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/lspbc/
Then select “Join this Group!”
There is also a hot link available within our
home page at: www.lspbc.org
Mac’s Performance
www.macs-power.com
Specializing In Diesel Service & Performance
Toll Free: 800-850-3828
14851 Hwy 377 South, Fort Worth, TX 76126
Charity Racing League Spring Car Show Hosted by the LSPBC
The Charity Racing League’s Spring Car Show was a huge success! If you missed out, there is always next year!
100% of all the proceeds went to charity. The show was hosted by the LSPBC, with several club members in attendance. Thanks to Colter’s BBQ for giving up there parking lot and Jim Fritts at Awards to Go for donating the very
nice awards. You can check out the CRL at: www.dfwcharityracing.com
Charity Racing League Spring Cruise
TMCCC
“Welcome to the Texas Muscle Car Club Challenge web site. The TMCCC is the largest club against club
racing series in the country and possibly the world. It was founded by a group of muscle car owners that
liked to race their cars but didn't want to race in a weekly bracket series. Soon after the first few events,
more clubs in the area started showing interest and before you knew it, the series had grown into 9
events covering most of north Texas and Oklahoma. With car counts exceeding 200 at many of the
races, we have proven that muscle cars are here to stay.”
“Every club races for points to see who are the true champions in the muscle car world and a driver reward program tracks individual drivers points to see who is the best in each class. Each year there is a
rewards banquet where the top clubs and drivers are honored and presented with very nice trophies and
prizes. The overall points champion also receives free entry to all of the next years races.“
Come on out and race for Team K! After the first race at Ennis, team K earned 6 points. On two different occasions, the Kennedale event was canceled due to bad weather. It has since been rescheduled
for Saturday June 26th. The Denton race was held on Sunday April 11th, the day after our first Redline
race. The results for that event are not available at this time. Check out www.tmccc.org for updates on
the current points.
Club member and GN owner Steve Allen pulling
the wheels in his sweeeet big block Chevelle.
Former Buick club member Jeff Kmosko is tearing
it up in his Z28
Charity Racing League Spring car Show Cont.
“Hey you wan’na shut that
thing off? I’m talking here!”
Memorial Day Parade
It’s time to get ready for the 16th Annual….
Spring Creek
Memorial Day Parade
Line-up at Spring Creek Elementary
7667 Roundrock Road., Dallas, 75248
Please make plans to join us this year!
Mark your calendars for Monday, May 31, 2009
Line-up starts at 9:00am and step-off right at 10:00am
Instructions for parade staging will be provided in weeks prior to parade.
Please let us know ASAP that you are going to join us!
Contact Brandee Schmidt
[email protected] or [email protected]
for parade day contact, use cell phone 972-839-3540
If you would like to enter your Buick or any other vehicle please contact Brandee at the address above. I
will be taking the Saturn Sky and throwing out some business cards and candy for the kids.
David Newton - LSPBC President
Advertisers Index
Accounting / CPA Services:
1. Brimer, Perry and Associates
03/10
2. Morgan Farrington & Company Inc. 03/10
Automotive:
1. Mac’ Performance
2. Budget Rental
3. Auto Rehab/Crosslink South
03/10
04/10
04/11
Recap of Upcoming Events:
1. April 25th: Charity Racing League Cruise Event
2. May 1st: Lone Star Bash @ Lone Star Motorsports Park - Sealy, Texas
3. May 2nd: TMCCC @ Redline Raceway - Caddo Mills, Texas
4. May 8th: LSPBC @ Redline Raceway - Caddo Mills, Texas
5. May 22nd 6:00pm: LSPBC meeting at Papasitos Cantina
6. May 23rd: TMCCC @ Dallas Raceway - Crandall, Texas
7. May 31st: Memorial Day Parade
8. June 12th: LSPBC @ Redline Raceway - Caddo Mills, Texas
9. June 26th: TMCCC @ Texas Raceway - Kennedale, Texas
10. July 10th: LSPBC @ Redline Raceway - Caddo Mills, Texas
Hector’s Buick Obsession - By Victor Segovia
In this issue of our newsletter, I would like to recognize fellow member Hector Cervantes. A diehard fan of
the club, he is not afraid of showing it by having our club name on the bottom kick panel of his beautiful
car. He has been a member for a few years now and participates in many of our events. He owns a 1987
Grand National that has been painted with the 1982 GN paint scheme. He added his own touch by having that famous turbo 6 logo on there as well. His Buick is a fine example of a master piece. Hector is a
great example of one of the guys I mentioned earlier that bleeds Buick through thick and thin. I would say,
he fits right in!!! Here is a picture of him showing off his pride and joy.
Victor Segovia - LSPBC Vice-President
My Buick Obsession - By Tim Thompson
Let me just start by saying my obsession with cars didn't begin with Buicks, that would come later. My obsession with cars, especially performance cars started as a kid. One day in '67 I was riding in the back of
my dad's car when a new Corvette zoomed by. I asked my older brother "Wow, what kind of car was
that?". He said it was a Corvette, it was fast and it costs more money than dad's new station wagon. It
was like an instant addiction, I was 9 years old. The Buick bug wouldn't bite for another 20 years but the
ground work was laid.
When I turned 16 my dad suggested I buy my brother's '66 Mustang coupe, which had a 200ci 6 cylinder.
I said no, I wanted to buy a big block Camaro or Firebird that I could afford. Well that didn't fly with old dad
to well, so I ended up getting stuck with his '67 Ford Falcon as my first car. It was a 4 door, 6 cyl. It had 3
options: automatic trans, am radio & hub caps. I had the original window sticker for it, that was it for options! I had that car for 8 1/2 years, paid dad $350 for it and eventually sold it for $175.
Fast forward to 1986, I'm cruising through the Dallas auto show. I stop dead in my tracks when I see an
'86 Grand National. I thought, well next year I'd have my '79 Trans Am paid off plus I was already planning to sell my '72 Mustang convertible.
Next year 1987, I'm cruising through the Dallas auto show again. I instantly gravitate to an '87 Grand National with T-Tops. The salesman comes over as I'm sitting in it. He asks me if I wanted this actual car,
he'd make me a deal on it and I could pick it up right after the show. Dudes and dudettes let me tell
you, the pressure was on! However I was also looking at buying a '69 Shelby GT500 at the same time.
Well the Shelby won out, my obsession then soon became big block '69-'70 Shelbys and Mach I's. Still no
Buick in my stable, but some day......
I got my first ride in a Grand National in '91. I was showing my '69 Cobra Jet Mach I, when an older gentlemen parked next to me in an ultra low mileage '79 Silver Anniversary Trans Am. Come to find out he
also had a very low mileage '86 Grand National. He said he had a bunch of Kenne Belle upgrades on it.
He said come on up to Roanoke and he'd give me a ride, said it would do 12.9 in the quarter with the AC
on. Heck my Cobra Jet didn't run in the 12's and it sure didn't have AC. Well I did, we ended up doing a
burnout in front of Terry Bradshaw's Ranch. Hey Terry, how cool was that!
The years just rolled by with multiple '69-'70 Shelbys, '69 Mach I, '67 RS SS 427 Camaro (clone), '70 4406 Barrel 'Cuda (clone), '70 440-6 Pack Challenger, another '79 Trans AM. Then when I got married I hit
the brakes, eventually sold everything except one Shelby & the Challenger. Funny how that happens.
I went 12 whole years without buying a single muscle car. My mother was so proud of me, she's not a car
person by the way. Four years ago my wife passed away so life, as a single dad, just continued on.
Eventually I became interested in getting either a Z06 Corvette or Dodge Viper GTS. Then the Buick light
bulb came on again. I've always wanted to buy a Grand National and they're a whole lot cheaper then a
Vette or a Viper. So by golly I did, then another one and so on.
My current, road worthy Buick posse consists of all 1987 Turbo Regals. Each are basically stock, at least
for now. They include the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
GN Hardtop with 30K miles
White Turbo 'T' AstroRoof with chrome package and 96K miles
GN T-Top with 42K miles
Dark Metallic Blue Limited Turbo 'T' Hardtop with 59K miles
GN AstroRoof with 34K miles
The Obsession Continues...
I've got some really nice Buicks now, a full stable of them actually. They're everything I've always admired
in a muscle car, in one sweet package. They have that classic look, modern handling and ride, spirited
crisp performance. These cars are just so cool to own and drive.
It appears I have a full plate currently but I've got a long ways to go if I'm ever going to catch Richard
Clark or Jay Leno. That's ok I'm happy with every Buick I own and have a good group of people with
whom to enjoy them with, that's what counts. One of our club members, John Martin, told me once he
thought I had a GNX too. I answered him "No, not yet" then I just grinned. Come to think of it I don't have
a GSX either. Hhhmmm.....
Tim Thompson
Tim’s 1987 Grand National
Anyone know where I can find a TR?
Double T-Riffic!
The Full Buick Stable
Buick’s Official Pace Cars of the Indianapolis 500
- By Carl Brimer
The first Indianapolis 500 event began 99 years ago on Memorial Day, May 30, 1911. During it’s long history a few Buicks have had the honor of serving as the official pace car in these events. Although the
1989 Turbo Trans Am is not a Buick, its famed Buick LC2 power plant that took it there is enough to be
considered as part of this list. Not to mention, it is perhaps one of the most memorable official pace cars
in history. Here is a review of the other Buick pace cars that you may not remember as well.
This Buick Roadmaster 80 was driven by Charles
Chayne in 1939. Chayne had been serving as
Buick’s chief engineer since 1936. While working
with GM’s first design director Harley Earl, he was
already recognized as a genius in the car industry. It
was their collaborative vision that made the Buicks a
rival to Cadillac’s luxury cars within the General Motors corporation. Many considered the Buicks superior at the time. This model was powered by the
Buick 320 CID straight inline eight cylinder engine.
This Buick Electra 225 was driven by Sam Hanks in
1959. Hanks won many different events during his
racing career. However, it was not until his 13th start
at the Indy 500 did he finally win the coveted trophy.
Announced his retirement from racing while still in the
victory circle was surprising. Hanks was honored six
times (more than any other driver) as the official pace
car driver from 1958 to 1963. This was the debut
year for the Electra. It featured the iconic large
rocket fins of the period and a 401 CID Nailhead V8
engine.
Buick’s Official Pace Cars of the Indianapolis 500
- By Carl Brimer
It was not until 1975 did another Buick lead the pace
at the Indy 500. This Buick Century Custom called
“Free Spirit” was driven by James Garner. Garner
was a popular star on both movie and televisions
screens alike. Some of his more notable roles were
starring in “Maverick”, “The Rockford Files”, and “The
Great Escape” just to name a few. Although this
model was equipped with a Buick 350 V8, 1975 also
marked the birth year of Buick’s 231 CID V6 engine.
As America was on the verge of celebrating its 300th
birthday, “Free Spirit” was born as fuel shortages
were beginning to grip the economy. The 455 was
now an option only available for the Century Wagon.
In 1976 the next “Free Spirit” Buick Century was
driven by Marty Robbins. Robbins is most remembered as a famous country western singer and songwriter with many hits to his name. However, he was
also an avid racecar driver having competed in 35
NASCAR events with six top ten finishes. His last
race was in a 1982 Buick Regal only one month before his death. This year’s pace car boldly made
known the power and capability of Buick’s 231 V6 engine. This was also the first year that a V6 powered
vehicle had the honor to set the pace.
In 1981 this customized Buick Regal was driven by
Duke Nalon. Nalon was an accomplished midget &
sprint car series driver. Even though he had two pole
position starts in ten of his Indy 500 appearances, he
was only able to finish three of them. His best finish
in 1948 was third. Nalon was inducted to the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1987 and
also the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1991.
This special edition Regal was modified by the American Sunroof Company which later became famous
for their work on the GNX models. Recaro seats, an
80’s icon, were among the many interior items customized and added by ASC. Incredible for its day, its
4.1 turbo charged V6 engine was rated at 281 hp and
262 lb/ft of torque!
Buick’s Official Pace Cars of the Indianapolis 500
- By Carl Brimer
In 1983 Duke Nalon was once again selected to drive
the pace car start while using this classy Buick Riviera convertible. Other than its “Great Gatsby” beige
and cream paint finish, very little was modified for its
track appearance. It has been reported that during
wind tunnel testing, it registered the highest coefficient of drag of any vehicle at the time. Driving fast
with class did not likely include keeping the occupant’s hair nice & neat that day. Possibly because of
it’s low key appearance and politics, this would be the
last Buick production vehicle to pace the Indy 500 to
this date.
After the obvious snubbing of the 1987 GNX, the
1989 20th Anniversary Trans Am pace car edition
was selected to pace the field. Bobby Unser, an Indy
driver legend, accepted the driving honors. Unser is
one of seven drivers to have won the Indianapolis
500 three times. He is also only one of two drivers to
have won the event in three different decades. What
makes this Pontiac so special is the fact that it is
powered by a Buick intercooled 231 CID turbocharged V6. It is very similar to those found in the
infamous Grand Nationals that GM axed only a few
years earlier. That is why this half breed monster is
considered to be “all in the family” with the Buick
fans.
Could this be the next Buick to lead the pace at
the Indy 500? Will perhaps the later models
come with a GSX or GNX option? One can only
hope so!
Geoff gets in race mode with his quick late
model Buick GS.
Duke checks his tires for
the right pressure.
Levi gets ready to earn points
with the new 2010 rules.