Animals Inspire Naming Cars

March 2012
November
2012
The Official Newsletter of the Susquehanna Region of the
Sports Car Club of America, Inc. - Incorporated June 29, 1959
RALLYCROSS
Good weather and loads of excitement
lured 47 competitors to our November 18th
RallyCross at Susquehanna Speedway. Ten
Susquehanna Region members were in a mix
of regular competitors and newcomers alike.
Washington DC Region had a particularly
good showing with several of its seasoned
RallyCross entrants. Accounts of the event can
be found inside this issue.
Eric Helgesen took many photographs
throughout the event, something competitors,
friends and family enjoy. A few of his images
appear in these pages, but a link to his full online album can be found on Page 5. q The RallyCross was a resounding success with
47 entries. Torren Carlson took Top Time of the
Day with his Subaru 2.5 RS — Eric Helgesen photo.
Animals Inspire
Naming Cars
Animals have often been the inspiration for car
names. This supersonic British Bloodhound SSC
is but one example.. — AutoWeek Rendering.
The British SuperSonic Car (SSC) project,
The Bloodhound, is undergoing testing for a
world land speed record attempt of 1,000 mph.
The Bloodhound’s name was taken from a
familiar dog breed. Many vehicles are named
after creatures of all kinds. Charlie Demmy’s
fascination with this naming convention
spawned his digging deeper into the subject
and he discovered quite an assortment of
makes and models bearing names of furry,
scaly and feathery fauna. For more of Charlie’s
discoveries, go to the cover story “Car
Chatter” on Page 4. q From the
Editor’s
Desk
— COME OUT AND VOTE! —
The big news this month is the upcoming
election of Region officers for 2013. While most
positions are expected to remain unopposed
after last month’s nominations, the Regional
Executive post is up for grabs. Chris Paveglio
is challenging incumbent Steve Limbert for
the position. Other nominees include Henry
Brillinger for Assistant RE, Dennis Cipriany
for Secretary, Alan Lesher for Treasurer, and
Geoff Craig for the 3-year Director’s position.
The election will take place during the
membership meeting at Gilligan’s Bar & Grill,
987 Eisenhower Blvd, Harrisburg on Tuesday,
November 27. The meeting begins at 8:00 p.m.,
but come to Gilligan’s early for the food.
RallyCross returned to Susquehanna
Region on November 18th. The pleasantly mild
weather and thorough preparation made for an
enjoyable event. The RallyCross exceeded the
club’s expected number of entrants. We were
shooting for 40 entries and ended up with 47
drivers ready to enjoy the day. A finicky start
line sensor caused a short delay early in the
event, but the crew quickly resolved the issue
and got the event back on track.
We’ve now officially entered the “off
season,” but there’s little time to relax. We
have our Year-end Awards Banquet coming
on January 12th and our first 2013 event is just
a few short months away. Plans are already
under way for next year’s activities. q — John
SCCA
©
SPORTS CAR CLUB OF AMERICA
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Page 2
MARCH
2012 2012
NOVEMBER
The Squeal is a monthly publication of
Susquehanna Region, SCCA
Send editorial, scheduling and advertising to:
The Squeal — John Rudy, Editor
3800 Hillcrest Road, Harrisburg, PA 17109
[email protected]
Susquehanna Region’s membership meets
at 8:00 PM on the fourth Tuesday of each
month, except December, at Gilligan’s Bar &
Grill, 987 Eisenhower Blvd, Harrisburg, PA.
For more information, go to our website at
www.scca-susq.com
REGION OFFICERS
Regional Executive
Steve Limbert — 717-432-4116
Assistant Regional Executive
Henry Brillinger — 717-697-1610
Secretary
Dennis Cipriany — 570-522-9356
Treasurer
Alan Lesher — 717-486-4087
Directors
Dave Walter 3yr — 717-691-9320
Alan Pozner 2yr — 717-343-7708
Geoff Craig 1yr — 717-367-7853
ASCC Representative
Markus Houser — 717-495-6742
AUTOCROSS COMMITTEE
Kate Ritter & Geoff Craig — Co-chairs
Henry Brillinger — Site Aquisition/Relations
Geoff Craig — Course and Grid Design
Chris Paveglio — Pre-registration
Kate Ritter — Registration
Dennis Cipriany — Safety
Ryan Hetrick — Tech Inspection
Anne Demmy — Timing
Charlie Demmy — Starter
Greg Hagan — Novice Program
Dan Woland — EMT Services
Paul Sciukas — Workers
Markus Houser — Results
Page 3
« Meeting Minutes «
The October General
Membership Meeting convened
October 23, 2012 at Gilligan’s,
Harrisburg, at 8:00 p.m.
Alan Lesher gave the
Treasurer’s Report. There was
little income during October, but
a number of expenditures. Alan
said there is a lag between events
and when assessments need
to be paid. The November 18
Rallycross facility rental fee has
been paid.
Henry Brillinger said the
September minutes needed to be
amended. He also suggested that
the Weekend Memberships be
increased from $5 to $10.
Henry Brillinger gave the
Membership Report, which is
down 10 from last month. We’re
currently at 255 members, and
there are 10 people who have not
yet paid dues.
Chris Paveglio gave the
Web Site Report. He said he’d
updated the series points after it
was brought to Kate, Geoff, and
Markus’s attention that some
cars were classed incorrectly.
Jim Snyder made the changes on
the year-end points spreadsheet,
which Chris posted on the web.
John Rudy thanked his
newsletter contributors and
said he’s looking for content for
upcoming issues of The Squeal.
Geoff Craig discussed the
final two series Autocrosses on
October 27th and 28th. Alan Pozner discussed
the Road Tire Classes. RT is
for Stock class vehicles, but
we’ve found people from other
categories entering those classes.
Alan suggested that Kate Ritter
and/or Chris Paveglio discuss
appropriate classing for Road
Tire entries be discussed at each
event’s drivers meeting.
John Roscinski discussed
the upcoming Rallycross at
Susquehanna Speedway. We
have a number of Rallycross
Safety Stewards involved with
the upcoming event. This event
will have two individuals who
have been the major organizers
in DC Region’s Rallycross series.
The Rallycross gates will open
at 7 a.m., and start at 9:30. All
competitors will receive at least
one pace lap.
Alan Lesher said for the
Rallycross, normal Autocross
rules are applicable for helmet,
seat belt, and stock seat.
Chris Paveglio opened a
discussion on the Club Truck.
Alan Lesher read Henry’s report
on the truck, and repairs, not
replacement are the preferred
option. It’ has some suspension,
safety and cosmetic issues to
correct after the season is over.
Chassis work will be done by
Stanley Springs, a glass shop for
the damaged windows, Alan said
he thinks he knows a place that
can repair the seats.
Other issues with the truck are
signage, Alan Lesher will check
out graphics to supplement the
ASCC logo. He will get the costs.
Henry Brillinger introduced
the Nominations for a slate of
2013 Region Officers. John Rudy also nominated Chris Paveglio
for Regional Executive. The
Nominations were closed.
Nominations will reopen just
prior to the elections at the
November 27 meeting.
The Slate of 2013 Region
Officers is as follows:
- Steve Limbert and Chris
Paveglio - Regional Executive
- Henry Brillinger - Assistant Regional Executive
- Alan Lesher - Treasurer
- Dennis Cipriany - Secretary
- Geoff Craig - Director (3yr)
NEW BUSINESS
Geoff Craig recommended
giving complimentary Year-end
Awards Banquet invitations to
our National Solo Champions.
Charlie Demmy suggested
having a cleanup day for the
Club Truck in the Spring.
GOOD AND WELFARE:
Charlie Demmy mentioned he
had some Region shirts for sale.
Motion to adjourn was made
by Dave Walter, 2nd by Alan
Pozner. Meeting adjourned at
9:07 p.m. q
Respectfully submitted,
Dennis Cipriany
Region Secretary
Car Chatter
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— By Charlie Demmy
CATS, SHARKS, SNAKES AND MORE
Part One
After completing my recent article about
the two Tigers, I was curious about how many
other vehicles had animal names attached
to them. The more I researched the crazier it
became. I did not realize how many were used.
Here is what I came up with:
Let’s begin with the big cats. TIGER
(Sunbeam and Goliath), COUGAR, LYNX,
BOBCAT (Pontiac and Mercury), BEARCAT
(Stutz), WILDCAT (Buick), PUMA ( DKW),
CHEETAH ( Lamborghini), PANTHER
(Packard), PANTERA- ITALIAN FOR
PANTHER (Detomaso), and of course
JAGUAR.
Also – MUSTANG, PINTO, BRONCO
(Ford), COLT (Dodge, Plymouth and
Mitsubishi), PONY (Hyundai and a term
used for American muscle cars), IMPALA
(Chevy), STAG (Triumph), GAZELLE (Singer),
KANCIL- a breed of miniature deer native
to Malaysia (Perodua), BULL (Lamborghini
Miura), RAM (Dodge truck division), GOAT
(another name for the Pontiac GTO), PANDA
(Fiat), BISON (Chevy).
Continuing on with canines and other
small critters- COYOTE (A. J. Foyt Indy
One of the most recognizable animal-named
cars ever has to be the Ford Mustang.
The full-size heavyweight Chevy Impala shares
little character with its light and agile African
— John Rudy photos.
Plains namesake.
Car), FOX (Audi), SABLE (Mercury), RABBIT
(VW), BIELKA/SQUIRREL (Skoda), HUSKY
(Hillman), TALBOT HOUND-a large hunting
dog with long shaggy ears (Sunbeam),
BLOODHOUND (a British SuperSonic Car
project), GREYHOUND (bus line), and
BULLDOG (Mack Truck).
Next are members of the fish family.
BARRACUDA (Plymouth), MARLIN
(AMC), STINGRAY, MAKO SHARK (Corvette),
PIRANA (Bertone Concept Car), and finally the
WHALE TAIL CARERRA (Porsche).
OK – Put your thinking caps on – what did I
miss?
Next article – Part Two – Birds, Reptiles, and
Insects. q — Charlie Demmy
British Leyland’s Triumph Stag is a rare sight as
only 2,871 made it to the United States.
Page 5
t
SCCA RallyCross Review
RALLYCROSS
Dan Woland kicks up some dust with his 2001
Subaru Impreza 2.5RS. — Eric Helgesen photo.
November 18th was the first Susquehanna
Region RallyCross in a number of years. Since
the format is very similar to Solo, we had lots
of help and support from the Solo crowd.
The event also had support in the form of
competitors from Washington DC Region.
Entry registration was capped at 40 entries,
and much to my surprise (and a few other
folks), the preregistration maxed out a day
ahead of schedule. Some competitors who
showed up as walk-ons at the day of the event
were unsure if they would be able to race, but
their entries were cheerfully accepted. This
brought us to an unexpected 50 entries! It
seems that interest in RallyCross in the region
is alive and well.
The weather was cool and clear, making
for a good day of racing. However there were
some teething problems. The timing system
had a “hiccup”, likely due to the amount of
dust kicked up by the cars. The course was
technical and quite conservative in the speed
department (very tight as noted by some).
Racers were given two fun runs while the
timing system was attended to, and then
— By John Roscinski
received five timed runs. Times hovered in the
50-second area, with faster drivers dropping
into the 40s.
I believe the event went well, but there
is always room to improve. I would like
to take this opportunity to thank all the
competitors for coming out to play in the
dirt, all the workers who braved the clouds
of dust for lending their skills and talents,
and Susquehanna Speedway for allowing the
region to host a RallyCross. Here’s to more fun
in the dirt!
Congratulations to the Class Winners:
- Dave Blankenship - Stock Front Wheel Drive
- Stephen Nichols - Stock Rear Wheel Drive
- Devon Zangari - Stock All Wheel Drive
- David Hagan - Prepared Front Wheel Drive
- Chris Helgesen - Prepared Rear Wheel Drive
- Torren Carlson - Prepared All Wheel Drive
- Derek Latshaw - Modified Front Wheel Drive
- Shawn Roberts - Modified Rear Wheel Drive
- Adam Kimmett - Modified All Wheel Drive
«Torren Helgesen - Fastest Time of the Day
Full results can be found on our website at:
http://www.scca-susq.com/results.html q
— John Roscinski
Stephen Hyatt hustles his Volkswagen Golf GTi
through the course.
— Eric Helgesen photo.
ps: Eric Helgesen has a full RallyCross photo
album available at: http://www.flickr.com/
photos/dirt3_monster/sets/72157632049593451/
Page 6
The Region’s RallyCross
The first RallyCross held by the Region
in seven years received a strong response.
While we were anticipating possibly 25
entries, we received 40 pre-entries plus 7
onsite registrations. John Roscinski and Adam
Moore, both long time competitors and event
leaders with the DC Region’s RallyCross
series, provided the management team for the
operation of the event. Susquehanna Region’s
regular registration, timing and tech inspection
personnel assumed responsibility for those
areas of the November 18th event.
However two unanticipated circumstances
arose and confronted John and Adam. First, our
day was cut shorter than was planned it to be.
Our initial plan was to start running at 10:00 am
and finish by 4:00 pm and we publicized our
schedule accordingly. Shortly before the day of
the event, the property owner explained that he
would have to leave to meet another obligation
and that we would have to be finished and be
off the property so he could lock the gates by
3:30. That meant we would have to be finished
by about 2:30 in order to be packed up and
Start line view from the timing truck.
— Eric Helgesen Photos and Panorama
— By Henry Brillinger
everyone gone by 3:30. That would have been
doable if everything went well and we were
careful about the number of runs that we gave.
But another problem arose.
When we were just about ready to start the
Group A runs, the timing system failed. After
the timing technicians had invested some time
in repair attempts, John and Adam made the
wise decision to give the competitors untimed
familiarization runs at speed until the system
became operable. After two sets of untimed
runs the timers became operable again. Many
of the competitors actually seemed to enjoy the
opportunity to take two runs and experiment
with the course without the clock running.
The first of five timed runs for Group A
began at 10:55 and were completed by 12:00.
The two sets of untimed runs and the five sets of
timed runs for Group B began at 12:30 and were
completed by 2:05. So, while we advertised that
we would provide competitors with six runs, we
can only hope that two untimed runs and five
timed runs equals at least six runs by some sort
of math. q —Henry Brillinger
John Roscinski herding his 1999
Subaru Impreza around the cones.
Jeremy Utterback trying to keep his
2012 Kia Forte reasonably clean.
Page 7
The 2012 PHA Series Awards Banquet
— Story and photos by Dave Walter
The Pennsylvania Hillclimb
Association held its yearend awards banquet
Saturday, October 10 at the Holiday Inn
in Grantville. Nearly 100 people attended,
including several Susquehanna Region
member competitors and their guests.
The PHA was formed in 1963 to regulate
hillclimbing in Pennsylvania.
Several Susquehanna Region members attended
the PHA awards banquet. — Dave Walter photo.
In 2012 there were eight hillclimb time trials
and two road course time trials. Hillclimbs
were Weatherly in June and September,
Pagoda in June, Giants Despair in July, Polish
Mountain and Duryea in August. The two road
course time trials were run on the Jefferson
Circuit at Sumit Point in May and September.
2012 PHA Special Award Winners:
George Bowland - PHA Overall Champion
Tim Murphy - PHA Mileage Award
Ray Kochin - Lloyd Geib Award
2012 PHA Class Winners:
Brian Halecki - American Sedan
Steve DeTurck - Improved Touring B
Mark Aubele - Super Street Prepared
Michael Phillips - C Street Prepared
Mike Ancas - F Street Prepared
Grace Huntzinger - GT-3
Tim Williams - E Production
Robert Oswald Sr - Super Production U
Howard Balbach - C Sports Racer
John Pittman and Joe Katarsky - Formula Vee
Nigel Cass - Solo Vee
*Tony Preston - Formula Ford
George Bowland - Special 1
Jeffrey Rossi Jr - Special 3
Sue Salsburg - Vintage 2
David Arron - Showroom Stock C
Jason Ackerman - Improved Touring S
Kendrick Giambattista - B Street Prepared
Ray Kochin - E Street Prepared
Daniel Reed - Super Street Mod
*Donald McLaughlin - GT-Lite
Glenn Hoffman - H Production
Andrew Mull - Super Touring U
Bob Gardner - D Sports Racer
*Rod Holtzapple - Inex Mod
Tim Murphy - Formula S
Steve Marsh - Special 2
Peter McCarthy - Vintage 1
Richard Good - Historic 2
* Denotes Susquehanna Region member. q — Dave Walter
PHA award winners Tony Preston, Rod Holtzapple
and George Bowland.
— Dave Walter photos.
Page 8
Elections on Tuesday – Our Nominees
We will be choosing Susquehanna Region’s
leadership for 2013 at the Tuesday, November 27th
Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s. The meeting
begins at 8:00 p.m. All Region members are
encouraged to come out and cast your ballot.
Nominations will open once again at the
November meeting. The elections will take place
immediately following the close of nominations.
For the first time in several years, there is
competition for the Region’s top spot. Chris
Paveglio has challenged incumbent Steve Limbert
for the Regional Executive position.
The Slate of Nominees:
Regional Executive:
Steve Limbert
Chris Paveglio
Assistant Regional Executive:
Henry Brillinger
Treasurer:
Alan Lesher
Region Secretary:
Dennis Cipriany
3-year Director:
Geoff Craig
Spinning In The Wet... Teaching Teens
At B.R.A.K.E.S. - Part 2 — By Chris Paveglio
A few weekends ago I had my second
weekend of teen driving education at the
B.R.A.K.E.S. driving school. The second time
around we were well organized, but short a
few instructors on a cold but dry November
weekend.
I was assigned to the skidpad for all four
classes. It’s a good thing I don’t get car sick
easily. The kids spun out ten times more in one
weekend than I have my entire life driving and
at all autocross events combined.
Like at any autocross school or regular
event, it’s all about seat time. The primary focus
this day was the skidpad. We wanted the kids
to be able to recover from a skid or spin. More
importantly it was to simply allow them to
experience it and not panic. After their second
runs, the kids got noticeably less apprehensive
about it. Some of the older or more experienced
kids were reacting quite well and recovering
from their spins. Others surely could have used
a lot more time simply driving in general. But
hey, by the end of their weekend I think they all
had a lot better skills than when they walked in,
and that’s what B.R.A.K.E.S. is all about.
If you know any friends who have teenagers
starting to drive or getting a learner’s permit
now or soon, please check out the B.R.A.K.E.S.
program and get them signed up for the next
events in 2013!
I wish I had this kind of training available
when I was 17. I did a number on my first car
when I let it oversteer around a corner and hit
a parked car. I would have loved to have been
through B.R.A.K.E.S. to help me learn to correct
out of that. It would have saved my car, and
worse, my pride, when I had to tell my dad
what just happened.
---- On a different topic, I’d like to ask everyone
coming to the Region meeting on November 27
to vote for me for the 2013 Regional Executive
position. I’d like to work with everyone to make
our excellent Autocross series even better. q — Chris Paveglio
Page 9
Vettel And Red Bull
Sweep Three In A
— By John Rudy
Row
Club Truck To Get
Some Needed
Repairs — By Alan Lesher
Vettel and the Red Bull Racing Team
continued their stratospheric climb into
the record books today. Vettel claimed his
third straight Formula One World Driver’s
Championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix,
beating Fernando Alonso for the title in
a nail-biter that came down to just three
points. Vettel’s Red Bull-Renault Team also
clinched three straight FIA Constructor’s
Championships with the win.
The season’s 20th and final race was run at
Interlagos Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in Sao
Paolo, Brazil. At 2.6 miles it’s one of the shortest
tracks on the circuit, second only to Monaco.
Vettel finished a conservative 6th at Brazil
after starting 4th on the grid and enduring an
early race collision and spin. He went into this
race with a 13 point lead. Alonso closed the
points gap with a 2nd place finish, but Vettel’s
6th kept him close enough to hold the points
championship advantage.
There was solid race action at the front, too.
On the podium were winners Jenson Button,
McLaren; Fernando Alonso, Ferrari in second,
and Felipe Massa, Ferrari in third.
The race was intensified with rain showers
and tire changes. The rain grew in intensity
just past half-way and finally a crash by ForceIndia’s Paul di Resta with two laps to go forced
the race to end behind the safety car. It was the
most exciting F1 race I’ve seen in years.
Vettel now joins rare company. Only two
others drivers have won three World Driving
Championships in a row, Juan Manuel Fangio
and Michael Schumacher. That’s pretty heady
company for a 25-year-old. q — John Rudy
Now that the competition season is over,
the Mighty Region Truck will be going under
the knife for some much needed minor
surgery. It will be out of service for a while,
but it will be time and money well spent.
As soon a we can arrange it, Marcus and
I will take the truck from its storage space
in Hershey to Auto Seat Cover Company in
Harrisburg where it will be cared for during
repairs and maintenance.
The suspension will be checked out and
the ailing springs replaced at Stanley Springs. Scott “glass man”, and King will replace the
broken and frosted windows. An oil and filter
change and lube are due and the battery will
be replaced. The leaky roof will be sealed up.
And, “someone” will repair and recover the
seats. Region logos will be added; however,
the ASCC logos will be retained.
In the spring we’ll be hosting a Club Truck
Rub & Scrub to get ‘er in top shape before the
2013 season gets underway.
Get well cards can be sent to:
“Truck” c/o Auto Seat Cover Company,
Harrisburg, Pa. q — Alan Lesher
The club truck is overdue for the repair of a few
niggling problems. — John Rudy rendering.
Page 10
Back To The Future With RT – Street
Tires On Stock Class Cars — By John Rudy
Back when tires were skinny and drivers
were fat, all Stock class Solo cars competed
on street-type tires, so the Road Tire category
is not really new, but a rehash of the past.
Actually, it wasn’t all that long ago for some of
us, a little more than two decades to be exact.
This article may seem strange to the
majority of today’s competitors who weren’t
around to remember a time when Stock class
cars were not running Hoosiers or Kumhos.
True R-type tires were not permitted in Stock
class competition until 1995. Through 1994,
SCCA’s Stock class rule’s “exceptions” clause
banned certain D.O.T approved tires from
Stock class competition.
I can’t go all the way back to 1973 and
SCCA’s first foray into Solo, but I can take you
back some 35 years or so to 1978. That’s as far
back as I could wrangle rulebooks. (Thank you
Dennis Cipriany and Don DeHart.)
Those of us who began autocrossing before
the mid-1990s can no doubt recall the SCCA
Solo Rulebook’s “Stock Tire Exceptions List”
that prohibited several make and model tires
from Stock class competition. Over the years
the exceptions list included the following:
1978 - “The use of the following D.O.T.
approved tire will place the car in a Prepared
Category - Pirelli Cinturato P7.
It should be noted that at the time, SCCA’s
Solo program was comprised of only three
categories and just 17 classes; A-H Stock, A-E
Prepared and A-D Modified. There were also
five Ladies classes A-E. There was no Street
Prepared, no Street Touring, no Road Tire, or
other categories. Those came later.
1979 - Two more tires were added to the
Stock exceptions list along with the Pirelli
Cinturato P7. The use of Hoosier Street TD and
Commanche would also move the car from
Stock to Prepared category.
1980-1982 - M&H Racemaster joined the
other three listed tires that if used would place
the car in Prepared category. There still were
only Stock, Prepared and Modified classes.
1983- The exceptions clause was
inadvertently omitted from the rulebook,
but returned the following year. The newly
introduced Street Prepared category made its
debut in 1983.
1994 - The Stock class exceptions list was
restored and it listed, Hoosier (All), M&H (All).
Using the listed tires would now move Stock
cars into the new Street Prepared category.
Changes in allowable tread depth also
appeared from time to time. Through 1987 the
rules required that all Stock class tires have
at lease 1/16” of tread throughout the event.
In 1988 the 1/16” minimum was removed and
the tread depth requirement changed to read
that the tire must have “measurable” tread
180-degrees apart around its circumference
and within 1” of the centerline of the tire. In
1993 it was further refined to change the 1” of
centerline reading to within 1/2 of the tread
surface. Today’s regulation on tread depth says
that tires must have non-zero measurable tread
depth (i.e., points where it is possible to obtain
positive measurement values).
The Stock Tire Exception still appears in the
current rulebook, but no tires have been listed
since 1994. In 1995 it first stated that, “No tire
models are currently listed”, which is still the
current reference for Stock class.
Radials have provided a tremendous
(Continued on Page 11 - See “Back To The Future...”)
Page 11
Back To The Future With RT – Street
Tires On Stock Class Cars
(Continued from Page 10)
advance in tire performance over bias ply
tires. From the early radial days of Semperit,
Michelin, Continental, Dunlop, Vredestein
and Phoenix, they all had their day in the sun,
tire development doesn’t stand still either.
Nevertheless, continuous improvement has
led radial tire technology to today’s ultra high
performance levels.
What am I getting at? That just as the
Street Touring classes have done, the Road
Tire classes introduced earlier this year are
poised to take full advantage of the advances
in street tire technology. The big plus for RT
competitors is lower costs for tires that won’t
outlive their usefulness every few events.
RT car preparation follows the Stock class
rules except for a change from R-compound
tires to street tire compounds. RT must
compete on tires with a treadwear rating of
140 or higher, as opposed to the even softer,
super-sticky tires permitted in Stock classes.
Truth is that the gap between Ultra High
Performance street tires and R-compound tires
is narrowing more every year. The top tires
being used in Street Touring are impressive.
So where is SCCA going with all of this? Is adding Road Tire classes a necessity or an
exercise? It could be deemed more reasonable
by SCCA to scrap the RT classes and reinstitute
the exceptions list banning R-compound
tires from Stock class competition. An uproar
would surely ensue, but in the long run it
could prove beneficial for competitors and for
local club events as well.
SCCA doesn’t seem to have a great deal
of concern about the overall effect of adding
classes. Alan Pozner noted in last month’s
issue that the introduction of the RT classes
adds little to an event’s overall attendance and
increases the dilution of current stock class
participation.
At a National Championship event with over
1,000 entrants, a large number of classes doesn’t
present a problem, but here at the local level
there aren’t enough classes to go around.
Our own event results tell a tale about the
impact of RT this season. There were 169 Stock
class entries and 108 in RT. Had RT not existed,
an average of 9 more entries would have
competed in Stock, which would have promoted
healthier competition among the Stock classes.
Alan was right, RT is diluting Stock class
competition. Furthermore, it doesn’t sound like
Solo needs any more classes. As I mentioned
earlier in this article, in 1978 there were just 3
categories encompassing 22 classes; 17 open and
5 ladies. Today, there are officially 7 categories
composed of 43 classes, plus another 43 parallel
ladies classes. If the RT category’s 3 classes and
its matching ladies classes are made official,
another category and 6 more classes to the mix.
In case you haven’t been counting, adding RT
can result in a whopping 92 classes in 8 different
categories! That might be viewed by some as
progress, but is it good for the Solo program?
So, will SCCA keep or, heaven forbid,
expand the RT classes? Will they scrap the RT
program and put Stock class back on street
tires? Or will they drop the whole RT idea?
Hoosier A6 tires are practically the spec tire
for serious Stock class competition. While that
may not be representative of the entire Solo
program, it shows how ingrained that one tire
model is. Taking Hoosiers away from Stock
competitors souldn’t be an easy thing to do. q
-- John Rudy
Page 12
Car Classing And Protests
This cooler assembly violated the rules and the
driver was disqualified. Such creativity often
results in disqualification. — Dennis Cipriany Photo
To a seasoned veteran or to a first time
Autocrosser, one of the most difficult and often
incorrectly executed activity at an Autocross is
entering your vehicle in the correct class.
As most of you realize, there’s a linany of
classes from which to choose. You’ve got Super
Stock, A through H Stock; Street Touring FWD,
Street Touring Compact, Street Touring Sport,
Street Touring Extreme, and Street Touring
Ultra, and Street Touring Roadster; Super
Street Prepared, A through F Street Prepared;
Super Street Modified, Street Modified, and
Street Modified FWD; X Prepared, C through
G Prepared; A Modified through F Modified; Road Tire FWD, Road Tire AWD; and Road Tire
RWD. Oh, and for regions that have them, Kart
Modified, and Junior Karts. Lot of classes, and
lots of rules to go by.
But, there’s an easy out for most of us: The
Solo Rule Book. For those of you who don’t
have it, here’s the link to it. http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/assets/2012_
Solo_Rules_February_reduced.pdf
Although a lot of Region Members
understand and know the classes for vehicles,
the ultimate responsibility rests with the
competitor.
Some typical questions about classing:
— By Dennis Cipriany
“I’ve got a street car with wider wheels and
coilovers and an exhaust header. Will my car
be in Stock?”
In a word, NO. Why? Wheels must be
the same dimensions as stock; ie, standard
diameter and width, with wheel offset no
greater than ¼” from stock. The coilovers and
the exhaust header, as well as the wheels,
would place the car in Street Touring at least,
and possibly into Street Prepared.
Another example: A car with a different
camshaft than stock, different pistons, and
an upgraded fuel injection system would be
classed in the Prepared or Modified category.
When you talk to a seasoned autocrosser
about car classing, a bit of the best advice
you’ll hear is: Follow what is written in the
Rule Book, and don’t try to get creative by
“interpreting” the rules. Simply put, if the rules
don’t say you can do something, you can’t.
However, sometimes competitors will
take their vehicle to the extreme. They need to
understand that it’s their fellow competitors
who police the car classing.
An example: A Street Prepared competitor
wasn’t competitive. He had the cylinder head
shaved to maximum it could take, the block
shaved as well as having a camshaft put in the
car. The car still wasn’t competitive. He sold
the car to another competitor, who had success
with it when it was moved down a class. Is the
second competitor still using the obviously
blatantly illegal car? With his domination of
the class, it would appear so. At local events,
competitors police competitors and in this case
it would appear they haven’t done so.
But at National level events like a
National Tour, Pro Solo, or National Solo
Championships, there’s a Protest Committee.
(Continued on Page 13 - See “Car Classing...”)
Page 13
Car Classing...
(Continued from Page 12)
As a member of three National Solo
Championship Protest Committees, I’ve seen
some rather creative interpretations of the
rules, and some blatant ones.
An example of a blatant departure from
the rules: At the Nationals, two competitors
driving an Acura Integra Type R in Stock
class had the emissions vacuum tubing not
in place. At the Protest Shed, the committee
ruled that the competitors would be given the
slowest time in the class plus 2 seconds and
told to have the car legal for the next day or be
disqualified.
One Protest proved quite interesting. It
involved a Street Prepared car, turbocharged,
but without an intercooler. The competitor had
a rather innovative cooling setup. Cold water
was piped from a cooler behind the seats into
a tube that ran through a double-walled intake
duct. Creative, but it violated the rules. The
car was deemed illegal and the competitor
was disqualified. The following year, the rules
were changed to be more specific.
Whether your car is prepared to Stock
level, Street Prepared, Prepared, Modified,
Street Touring or Road Tire, each Solo
category has specific limits of car preparation.
It’s perfectly fine to take your vehicle to the
maximum permitted by your particular
category’s rules. In fact, it’s encouraged!
But regardless of the level of preparedness,
classing your car in the appropriate category is
important. q —Dennis Cipriany
2012 Region
Event Schedule
January
11Executive Board Meeting at Gilligan’s
14Year End Banquet at Grantville Holiday
24Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
February
14Executive Board Meeting at Gilligan’s
28Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
March
27Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
31Autocross #1 at Giant Center, Hershey
April
1Autocross #2 at Giant Center, Hershey
24Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
May
18-20 Carlisle Autocross (not a series event)
22Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
June
17Double Header Autocrosses #3 & #4
26Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
July
8Autocross #5 at Giant Center, Hershey
22Autocross #6 at Giant Center, Hershey
24Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
August
19Double Header Autocrosses #7 & #8
26Double Header Autocrosses #9 & #10
28Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
September
25Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
October
23Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
27Autocross #11 at Giant Center, Hershey
28Autocross #12 at Giant Center, Hershey
November
18RallyCross at Susquehanna Speedway
27Membership Meeting at Gilligan’s
December
—NO Membership Meeting this month
January 2013
12Year End Banquet at Grantville holiday
Graphics by Chris Paveglio
Page 14
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Diagnose & Repair Chargintg Systems
Diagnose & Repair Driveline
Repair Overheating / Temperature Issues
Wheels & Suspension:
Mounting Tires up to 20”
Dynamic Spin Balancing
Computerized Wheel Alignment
Suspension and Front End Service
Weighting of Race Cars
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Custom Suspension Work
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