01 Jan. 2010 HDJ

The Hero
Driver’s
Journal
January 2010
Dave Furchak lives the dream! Racing on other people’s
money and equipment in the US and Europe!
Page 2
The Hero Driver’s Journal
The Furrin Group, Inc. P.O. Box 1665, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-1665
Jason Porritt
616-453-0704
1118 Parmelee Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Vice President
[email protected]
Nic Boris
616-459-0349
1340 Penn Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505-5265
Treasurer
[email protected]
Blake Forslund II
616-813-6021
12083 24th Ave., Marne, MI 49435-9666
Secretary
[email protected]
Mary Savage
616-364-4563
2308 Plainfield NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505-4251
Membership
[email protected]
Dan Atsma
616-532-8766
3387 Hickory Ridge Ct., Grandville, MI 49418
Member at Large
[email protected]
Dave Vanderschaaf
616-453-0073
541 Collindale Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504-4626
Past President
[email protected]
Blake Forslund III
616-430-2358
11426 Hunters Meadow Dr., Allendale, MI 49401
Resident Agent
[email protected]
Bob Shedd
616-243-2109
1506 Johnston SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49507-2831
Journal/Mailing
[email protected]
Curt Rosenstengel
616-460-9581
4787 W. Goodemoot Rd, Lake Odessa, MI 48849-9733
Points
Somebody! Anybody!!
Rally Committee
[email protected]
Jeff Boris
616-364-9677
320 Eleanor NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505-4077
Nic Boris
616-459-0349
1340 Penn Ave. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505-5265
[email protected]
Speed Committee
[email protected]
[email protected]
Curt Rosenstengel
616-460-9581
4787 W. Goodemoot Dr., Lake Odessa, MI 48849
Dave Vanderschaaf
616-453-0073
541 Collindale Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504-4626
Bill Thomas
616-915-9213
6910 Patterson, Caledonia, MI 49316-8488
Jason Porritt
616-453-0704
1118 Parmalee Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Social Chair
[email protected]
Mary Savage
616-364-4563
2308 Plainfield NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505-4251
Web Committee
Jason Porritt, Curt Rosenstengel, Blake Forslund III
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.furrin.org
President
[email protected]
The Hero
Driver!!
The Hero Driver’s Journal allows its contibutors the fullest latitude in voice of opinion. Therefore, the views
expressed herein may not be aligned with the Furrin Group, Inc. The H.D.J. is published by the Furrin Group,
Inc. of Grand Rapids , MI. No matter how cynical I get, it never seems to be enough.
Editorial Babblings
By Tiger Woodsenstengel
Well, winter has finally set in. The snow is on the ground, the roads are icy, and the local stuff mart has new bathing
suits on the racks (but then again, these are the same marts that were selling Christmas stuff in July. They should stop labeling these areas of their stores ‘Seasonal’. How about ‘Out-of-Seasonal’.) At this time of year, you are probably going
through automotive-competition withdrawal. Well, unless you want to go down to Florida for an autocross (we’ve got at
least one Florida guy who comes up here for the WMAA every year), here are some ideas to chase away the winter automotive blues without the use of tow trucks or the State Police.
About once every 3-5 years, conditions are perfect for ice racing! If you like autocrossing and driving around in the snow
and ice (I do!), you would love this sport. It takes about 6 weeks of below freezing temperatures and less than average
snowfall to have great conditions for ice racing. Our club requires 12 inches of ice on a frozen lake to achieve our comfort
zone. Last year, we ran two events on back-to-back weekends. The lake was perfect on the first week with very solid ice
and just enough snow on top to get some good traction. The second week, was not so perfect. Plenty of ice, but the top
layer melted so much that the faster cars were throwing rooster tails of water on certain sections (the ice was still thick
enough).
Our scheduled plan is to have the first event on January 30/31 at Turk Lake Bar and Restaurant, less than 10 miles north
of Greenville. The food is great and the access to the lake is usually very easy. If you are interested, the best updates will
be on the web and email list. These are ad-hoc events, as weather conditions change in Michigan more often than I change
my underwear. Hopefully we can break the 3-5 year cycle and have some events this year….stay tuned.
Most of the professional racing groups (NASCAR, IRL, F1, etc.) are on hiatus for a short time during this time of year.
You people with cable, dish, and 3D televisions can watch anything, anytime. There is always a ‘Classic’ race on somewhere all the time. But those of us who still live in the middle ages (the ‘80s) with our three channel analog televisions with
a HDtv box don’t have that luxury. So I’ve taken it upon myself (cause I’ve got nothing better to do…) to organize (loosely)
a trip to Arena Racing at the Deltaplex. I’ve selected Friday, January 22 at 7:30pm to meet (loosely) at the Deltaplex for
some, as Suzy Beauvais says, ‘Absolutely hilarious’ racing. These cars are half scale NASCAR-looking vehicles on a 1/10th
mile indoor track. These racers are generally younger, but many of the racers are also regulars on other circuits and do this
to be able to race all year round or to hone their skills. With these races, bumping and spinning are common, and so is a
rollover. The little itty-bitty tires on these super-fast go-karts are so sticky, it’s easy for them to catch a tire on the outer wall
and end up on their roof. The goal is always to ‘keep the shiny side up’. The Grand Rapids Arena Racing has also recently
added quarter midgets to their racing. Quarter midgets are usually piloted by drivers around the age of 10! I don’t know if
they will be racing them on the 22nd, the dates for these racers have not been announced as of the writing of this useless
drivel. Cost is $8.50 for adults and $4.00 for children. More information can be found on the web at
www.arenaracingusa.com. Advance tickets can be purchased at ticketmaster.com, but they don’t sell out these events.
They have occasionally run deals for $25 for 4 tickets, hotdogs, and drinks. This could be a fun night out for the all who
want to join me (or I’ll just go by myself….). I hope to have an FG banner with me so you can find us.
The FG Rally committee, Jeff and Nic Boris (thank you for your contributions to the club), are working on a rally for
February 28. These guys have been road rallying longer than I’ve been in the club (I think). Nic has chaired a few rallies in
the last couple of years and they were excellent. I don’t know what he has in mind for this rally, but it will likely be TSD
style. If you like sliding around corners at speed on the ice and snow, then this rally would be for you. I don’t know why I
can’t get you autocross guys out for a rally, but you are missing out on some fun driving excitement.
And since I was on www.myautoevents.com looking for event fodder for this column, I came across and interesting event
in March. On March 20, the North Suburban Sports Car Club and Midwestern Council of Sports Car Clubs is putting on a
FREE Indoor Racing School. The downside is that it’s at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Illinois. This school is designed to show prospective racers what is involved in getting on a road racing course, either as a racer or race worker. There
is no cost or obligation for this school. There will also be guided track touring of the Autobahn course, weather permitting.
If you are considering road racing, this could be an excellent chance to start racing. More information can be found at myautoevents.com and www.nsscc.com or www.mcscc.org.
There are many other automotive events happening in the area if these aren’t for you. Sno*Drift pro-rally on January
29/30 in Atlanta, Michigan is one of the few remaining pro events in the state. Many of our members are either drivers,
workers, or spectators. Also, there are three auto shows in the Midwest between January and February. Starting from now
until the 24th, the North American International Auto Show is in Cobo Center in Detroit. On February 4-7, the Michigan
International Auto Show will be in Grand Rapids. These are the cars that were at Cobo, only less of them. And then the cars
are on to the Chicago Auto Show at the McCormick Place February 12-21. Even though many of us are not in the market to
purchase a car, it’s great to look at them without the dealer pressure.
And if these aren’t enough for you, you could always take your wife golfing at one of those simulators. I’m sure there is
at least one bar in town with a driving simulator next to the golf simulator.
FURRIN GROUP GENERAL MEETING
December 15, 2009
The meeting was called to order by Vice President Jason Porritt at 7:35 PM at the Night Hawk Bar & Grill.
Secretary - Mary Savage reported the minutes of the November meeting were printed in the Dec. HDJ.
accept them as printed.
Treasurer - Blake Forslund II reported a good-sized balance of approximately $9,050.
It was voted to
Dues for 2010 can be paid now.
Membership - John Atsma not present, Curt reported he is working with membership on new badges, see him if you need
one.
Member at Large - Dave Vanderschaaf had no report.
HDJ - Curt Rosenstengel reported the December issue has been mailed. In 2010, non-members running our events will
get the HDJ electronically, if we have their e-mail address.
Speed - Curt reported the last event, which was in November, was at US 131 venue. He requested $250 to pay them for
the use of the site. It was moved, seconded and vote passed to send them $250. Curt has the year-end speed event report
ready.
Rally - Jeff Boris reported Nic Boris is doing a winter rally 2/28/2010.
tion to come.
This may also include a party.
More informa-
Social - Mary Savage had no report.
Points - Nic Boris not present. Jeff reported that Nic has lost some paperwork, so it will be a short time before the reports
are up-to-date.
Resident Agent - Bob Shedd had no report.
Webmaster - Jason reported we are still looking for new places to meet.
gestions to it or any board member.
OLD BUSINESS
The 2009 Board was replaced by the 2010 Board.
President:
Jason Porritt
Vice President:
Nic Boris
Treasurer:
Blake Forslund II
Secretary:
Mary Savage
Membership:
Dan Atsma
Member at Large:
Dave VanderSchaaf
Watch the web-site for more.
Send any sug-
NEW BUSINESS
It was moved and seconded that the VP have $500 to spend for Year-End Trophies. Discussion followed, question called.
Motion passed.
Curt Rosenstengel brought up last month’s request of renting our timing equipment to the “Solstice” group in 2010. After
speaking with our insurance co, they suggested the “Solstice” group call K & K about getting their own insurance, and we
would still have our own insurance. Blake II will call the “S” group and the insurance company and get them talking.
Group discussion followed. Curt and Blake will pursue this and report back to us.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CURT IS GOING TO BE A FATHER!!!
They are having puppies.
Jimmy Brandt won “First in Class” at “Tall
Pines” rally.
It was moved, seconded and passed to adjourn
the meeting at 8:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary Ruzicka-Savage, Secretary
Over the next few months, the Furrin Group will be trying out some new meeting locations. The top
vote getters were Main St. Pub in Allendale, Uccello’s Restaurant and Sports Lounge in Grand Rapids
at 28th and Beltline, and Brann’s Restaurant on Division north of 44th Street. Graydon’s Crossing at
Plainfield and Leonard received the second highest amounts of votes, but since they are still closed,
they are on the injured reserved list. We may check them out later.
For January, we will be first checking out Uccello’s Restaurant at 2630 East Beltline SE (North
of 28th street) on January 19 at 7:30pm. (Map on page 11 ). They have a brand new back room
for groups and meetings. Make sure you read your HDJ every month for updates to the meeting location. Come check out the new places. We will pick a permanent location in the Spring.
The countdown of the most Expensive Car wrecks!
(Submitted by Dan “Twisted Weck” Schonberg).
#10. Bugatti EB110—$500,000. This 1992 super-exotic
was being driven by a mechanic as part of its annual
checkup. He claims there was an oil slick on the road
which caused him to lose control and crash into a pole.
The owner of the Bugatti is a famous “feel good” guru
named Emile Ratelband. Not sure how good he was feeling after this wreck.
#9. Pagani Zonda C12S—$650,000. Only 15
Zonda C12S were ever built, but that didn’t stop
this owner from driving it like a mad hatter. He
crashed this beauty in the wee morning hours while
driving in Hong Kong.
#8. Mercedes Benz SL 300—$950,000. The SL
300 Gullwing represents the very finest of Mercedes. The owner thought it would be a good idea
to race this million dollar car on the streets of Mexico, at the annual “La Carrera Panamericana”
race—limited to classic cars produced before 1965.
#6. Ferrari Enzo—$1.3 Million. The most famous
Enzo crash was at Malibu, California in 2005. The
driver, “Fat Steven” Eriksson crashed the car a 196
mph. (Much more info on the web, Google it.)
#4. 1959 Ferrari 250 GT TDF—$1.65 Million. This extremely rare classic car, the 1959 Ferrari 250 GT “Tour de
France”, crashed into a wall at the Shell Ferrari-Maserati
Historic Challenge in 2003.
#7. Jaguar XJ220—$1.1 Million. The XJ220 once
held the record for the highest top speed for a production car, 217mph. Jaguar’s goal was 220, hence the
name.
#5. Bugatti Veyron—$1.6 Million. The Veyron is the
most expensive production car in history. Only 300
are expected to be produced, and already two have
crashed. Above is the first one. The driver thought it
was okay to speed at 100mph in the rain. He only had
the car a week.
#3. Ferrari 250 GT Spyder—$10.9 Million. The record
price for a 1961 250 GT California Spyder at auction
was set on May 18, 2008 when a black one was sold for
$10,894,900. So what is one doing buried in the sand?
The unlucky owner had it stored near the beach when a
hurricane hit.
Upcoming FG events
All dates and locations are tentative. Please check with the
chairperson or the website/email list for up to date information.
January 19—General Meeting at Uccello’s Restaurant see info on other page and on the website.
January 22—Social event to Arena Racing at the Deltaplex. 7:30pm. Purchase tickets online at Ticketmaster or at the Deltaplex.
Look for a Furrin Group banner or a bunch of rowdy car people! More info on the web.
January 29/30—Sno*Drift Pro-Rally, Atlanta, Michigan.
January 30/31—Tentative Ice Racing at Turk Lake, weather permitting.
February 6/7—Tentative Ice Racing at Turk Lake, weather permitting.
For Ice Racing information, watch the website and email list
or contact Curt Rosenstengel at [email protected] or 616-460-9581.
February 28—Tentative road rally. Contact Nic Boris at [email protected].
April 29/30, May1/2—VSCDA at Gingerman Raceway
May 8/9—Autocross date.
June 12—Solstice/Sky National Meet, Canton, OH
June 18-20—VSCDA at Blackhawk Farms Raceway
June 27—Autocross date.
July 3/4—Autocross date.
July 24/25—VSCDA at Autobahn Country Club.
August 14—Autocross date.
August 20-22—VSCDA at Grattan Raceway
September 10-12—VSCDA at Road America
September 18—Autocross date.
And the #1 most expensive
car wreck ever ——->>>
(turn the page….duh!)
#2. Ferrari 250 GTO—$28.5 Million. The 1962-64 250 GTO became the
most valuable car in the world. In 2008 an anonymous English buyer bought
a 250 GTO at auction for a record $28.5 Million. This crash represents a car
worth more than the combined value of all 14 Enzos (see #6) involved in accidents. After a track event involving historic cars, the owner rammed into
the back of another car after traffic slowed down.
The Dunlop Driver’s Cup Experience
By David Furchak
(Part 1 of many)
For a short time in 2006 and 2007 I got to live the dream of so many amateur racers: I was privileged and honored to have a racing ride provided by the Dunlop Tire Company. Early in 2006 I saw an ad in AutoWeek for the
Dunlop Drivers Cup and decided to enter. After doing a little research I found that the Dunlop Drivers Cup (DDC)
is a multistage event put on for amateur racers to see who the best is over a wide range of racing types. Selected
competitors receive an all expense paid trip to the national qualifying event and top finishers at the national qualifier an all expense paid trip to the World Finals event. All of the countries involved hold at least one round of
qualifying and send their best to compete against other top qualifiers and Dunlop ultimately crowns a DDC World
Champion. This event was also a showcase for the wide variety of high performance and competition tires that are
produced by Dunlop. This sounded like something that was too good to be true; after all, who wins these types of
things anyway? I submitted my entry which consisted of a competition resume, a short personal biography and a
photo then promptly forgot about the whole thing.
Fast forward to July 2006 when I got an email from the DDC selection committee letting me know that I was a
semi-finalist for the national event and verifying that I was still interested and able to attend. I quickly called to
verify that this was the real deal and they weren’t asking for my social security number or credit card number, and
then excitedly let them know I would be happy to attend! Several phone calls and emails later I found myself selected to compete at the USA qualifying event that would be held in September of 2006 at Virginia International
Raceway.
I joined 11 other aspiring amateurs and countless media representatives and tire industry professionals at VIR
for 5 days of motorsports bliss. For those of you who have not been to VIR it is truly a world class facility. Our
competition included karts, off-road precision driving, motocross on dirt bikes, a cross country style ATV race,
auto cross and an on-track time trial. VIR is expansive enough to host all of these events on site! Dunlop flew all
of us to VIR, provided all equipment (from racing suits to vehicles) and then threw a huge party for us at the end of
the week. This is the stuff dreams are made of.
Through a series of podium finishes in various competitions during the week, I was among the top 4 competitors in the consumer class (the aforementioned aspiring amateurs), earning the privilege to represent the United
States at the DDC World Finals in Europe. Skip forward through the longest winter of my life as I trained daily to
make sure that I was ready to take on the best from Germany, France, The Netherlands, Austria and others all the
way to April 2007. Team USA came from all over the United States and converged on Frankfurt, Germany to
meet our competition.
Next Month it’s on to Europe!! Stay tuned…..
It’s not a penalty until it’s knocked
over. This would be a great picture
for a caption contest. How about
“Damn, I dropped my gum” or “Pull
over, I think I’m gonna be sick” or
“If my head is out of the car, does it
still count as weight?”
Here are some more pictures of Dave at VIR
doing stuff. At least I’m assuming these
are pictures of Dave. Put on a helmet and a
driver suit and for all I know this is Michael
Andretti.
Okay, one more page. But you were going to read
it anyway. And the #1 most expensive car wreck
ever ——->>>
(turn the page….duh!)
Sherman Williams
Memorial Ad
#1. Tiger Wood’s Cadillac Escalade—$55 Million and rising. Final
estimate to be determined by Elin Nordegren!
Furrin Group General Meetings are held the third Tuesday
of every month at 7:30pm. This month the meeting will be
held at Uccello’s Sports bar and Pizzeria, between the malls on
E. Beltline, north of 28th Street in Grand Rapids. Your
attendance is welcome and appreciated.
2010 Membership Rates:
Single Membership
New $17.00 (Renew $12.00)
Family Membership
New $27.00 (Renew $17.00)
(Renewals must be received by March 31st, 2010)
(Membership rates are reduced 50% after 10/1/2010)
2010 Hero Driver’s Journal Advertising Rates
for one year
2”x3.5” = 30.00
Half Page = $60.00
The Comedy Traffic Circle
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Note: No trees were harmed in the making of the content of this column, except for the virgin hardwoods
used in the making of the pages of this newsletter….all 12 of them…..or should that be 15….
Did you hear that Phil Mickelson called Elin Nordegren? He asked her for some tips on beating Tiger.
The police asked Tiger’s wife how many times she
hit him. “I can’t remember,” Elin said, “just put me
down for a 5.”
Ping has a new set of irons called Elins. They’re
clubs you can beat Tiger with.
Tiger’s other women aren’t mistresses, they’re provisional's.
Tiger crashed between a fire hydrant and a tree. He
couldn’t decide between a wood and an iron.
What’s the difference between a car and a golf ball?
Tiger can drive a golf ball 400 yards.
Tiger Woods is so rich that he owns lots of expensive
cars. Now he has a hole-in-one.
Tiger has a new movie coming out. It’s called
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Hydrant.
Conan O’Brien said, “One of the women who claims
she slept with Tiger Woods says they never talked
about golf while having sex. However, contractually, Tiger was obligated to talk about Nike, Gatorade, and American Express.”
Woods cancelled three meetings with police and took
almost a week to post an apology on his website.
Which is odd, normally it doesn’t take Tiger that
long to figure out how to play a bad lie.
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I heard Tiger Woods was looking for a support
group. But he couldn’t find one for men “who
cheat on their hot blond Swedish wives.”
Now we know what Tiger and his wife do at 2:30
in the morning. Clubbing!
Geico has replaced the gecko with Tiger Woods.
Claims so easy you won’t have to speak to the
police.
Tiger is sure to be named Player of the Year in
2010, even though he won’t play golf. The nomination won’t come from the PGA though, but
from Playboy magazine.
Tiger Woods’ wife is renegotiating her prenuptial
agreement. The rumor is she could get 80 million
dollars. Which is ironic because the only person
that makes that kind of money for swinging a golf
club is Tiger Woods.
On Sunday, golfer Jim Furyk made 2 clutch putts
to win the Tiger Woods Chevron World Challenge. As the winner of Tiger’s tournament, the
golfer gets $1 million and 3 phone numbers.
Tiger Woods drove an Escalade into a tree. Pro
golfers generally treat caddies better than that.
Curtis Rosenstengel, Editor
The Furrin Group
4787 W. Goodemoot Rd.
Lake Odessa, MI 48849-9733
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