the pony express

A Publication of the
Upper Midwest Region of
The Shelby American
Automobile Club
December
2015
In this issue
Presidents’ Corner
Club Contact Info
November Meeting
Minutes
Upcoming Events
Wanted for June
Show
Emma Krumbee
Cruise photos
Holiday Party
Mustang Poem
THE PONY
EXPRESS
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
December 2015
Well, here we are again. The toys are put away for the winter and we wait the
roughly 5 months again until we can get them back out. We turn our attention
to the holidays - Thanksgiving will have passed by the time you get this, and
Christmas is quickly approaching. After the turn of the calendar we will again
have our Winter Party for the club. This is always a great event to break up
the winter, so look for that information in this newsletter about when and where
that will be happening.
If you weren’t at the last meeting you should know that I’m passing the
President’s gavel back to Mike Boulka - who I got it from about a year ago.
Mike graciously agreed to take on that position again when we had no takers
step forward to run for it. Thanks Mike, and we look forward to another fun
year.
Chuck
I’m baaaaaaacccckkkk!!!
As Michael Corleone said in the third Godfather movie, “Every time I try to get out, they keep dragging me back”.
All kidding aside, It’s fun to be back on the board again. I have the feeling that 2016 will be another great year for our
group. Many events are currently are in the planning stages right now, so if you have any ideas floating around in your
heads, now is the time to speak up.
We will be starting our events in January with our annual Winter Party, which is free to all members as the club’s way
of saying thank you for all your efforts over the past year. Always great food, and entertainment. Again this year, our
resident “Entertainment Director”, Pam Flaten is working on the details and will have more information at the December
meeting. If you wish to lend a hand, give Pam a call. While she is wonderful at planning and entertaining, she will never
turn down any help she can get.
Both car shows are in good hands, and Kathie and I are planning a couple of fun cruises to some fun locations. The
Spring Overnight will be to La Crosse, WI, with a couple of interesting stops on the way down and back.
We should also look into putting a couple track days with our good friends Jed Clopham and Gary Curtis at BIR.
You’ve Got Mail
Chump Car Article
by BURT LEVY
Where is the Steg?
Want Ads
Speaking of BIR, don’t forget the SCCA Club Races there featuring our own club members, and nearly world famous
drivers, Steve Flaten (Formula Mazda track record holder), and Brian Kennedy in the Vintage Group, driving something
Ford powered that is usually fast and loud! I’ll have more on their schedule as it is released.
You may also want to check into a weekend at Road America in beautiful Elkhart Lake, WI, next summer. The Indy Car
Series returns on June 23-26, and has generated great interest, most hotels within 40 miles were sold out within a
week of the announcement back in August. If you have never been to Road America, you owe it to yourself to get
there, if not for the Indy Cars, then one of the wonderful Vintage Race events, or the NASCAR XFINITY race in
August. It always wise to plan your hotels in advance, as thing do tend to get a little hectic. Great venue, with great
scenery, wonderful restaurants and the drive over is fun as well.
As you can see, there is much to do in 2016. As one of my favorite authors, Burt “Pure BS” Levy (The Last Open
Road series) likes to say, “Come on along, and enjoy the ride”!! Can’t say it any better myself!
Have a wonderful (and SAFE) Holiday Season!!!
Mike Boulka
UPPER MIDWEST REGION, SHELBY AMERICAN AUTO CLUB
P.O. Box 390453
2016 CLUB OFFICERS
CLUB DUES
Dues are $26 for a one-year membership. New members
pay $2.00/month through June 30th then $26 per year.
President:
Mike Boulka
Vice Pres:
Carole Ackerman
Treasurer:
Ericke Rosquist
Secretary:
Brian Farr
(612) 940-4457
All memberships expire every June 30th.
(651) 365-0840
(612) 886-2085
(952) 472-7975
CLUB REPRESENTATIVES
Dan Mattila
(763) 784-8668
CLUB PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ericke Rosquist
Sandy Beck
Edina, MN 55439
(612) 886-2085
(651) 707-4547
MEMBER DATA CHANGES
Please send any directory changes to:
Chuck Anderson email: [email protected]
CLUB LOGO ITEMS
~See Want Ads for items and Special Order options ~
Merchandise Managers:
Brian Bothwell
(612) 710-6427
Tom Stark
(763) 497-7574
FOR DISCOUNTS ON PARTS
Apple Valley Ford -15% Off Motorsports
Ask for Chad at (952) 431-5900
WEBMASTER
CLUB COMMITTEES
CLUB WEBSITE ADDRESS
WWW.MIDWESTSHELBYCLUB.COM
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Dave Smith
Scott Sokol
Chuck Anderson: [email protected]
(952) 914-9260
(952) 368-7262
FACEBOOK
Upper Midwest Region SAAC – Ford Mustang
NON-SHOW EVENTS COMMITTEE
Steve and Pam Flaten
Mike Boulka
CLUB EMAIL
(952) 890-0080
(612) 940-4457
CHARITABLE GIVING COMMITTEE
Carole Ackerman
Bill Cochrane
Jeff Condon
Dan Mattila
Larry Meyer
Scott Sokol
Dan Bye
[email protected]
NEWSLETTERS - WANT ADS
Kathie Boulka: [email protected]
Deadline for next issue:
December 18th
Please send any submissions to newsletter email address
above. Sending through other contacts may cause a delay in
delivery and publication.
PLEASE review Club Info above, as well as Membership Directory.
send any corrections, including current vehicles, to
[email protected] for club info
or [email protected] for membership directory.
UMRSAAC monthly meeting minutes
November 2, 2015
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm. by President Chuck Anderson at the
Golden Valley American Legion.
New members and guests: None.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Officer’s reports:
VP: Carole Ackerman, No report
Treasurer: Maury VandenBurg, gave financial report.
Secretary: Brian Farr, no report
Merchandise managers: See Tom Stark or Brian Bothwell for club merchandise.
Committee Reports:
Non-Show Events Committee: Mike Boulka, fall cruise to Emma Krumbees in Belle
Plaine was well attended, had good time. Planning Spring cruise to LaCrosse
Charitable Donations Committee: Next meeting will be in November. Send any ideas,
about charities to support next year, to any member of the committee.
Old Business:
•
Officer elections. New officers for 2016 are: Mike Boulka (President), Carole Ackerman
(Vice President), Eric Rosquist (Treasurer) and Brian Farr (Secretary). Thank you to Chuck
Anderson and Maury VandenBurg for serving the past year.
•
•
•
•
New Business:
50/50 Drawing was won by Brian Bothwell in the amount of $29.
“Where’s the Steg” contest for November. Everyone was stumped for the second time
in a row. Answer was: Keller Park, Dennis Bardwell guessed correctly.
Trivia: Hosted by Greg Fritz, theme was 2005.
Pam Flaten is organizing the winter party. Planning for a date in January at the Lost
Spur.
Upcoming Events: [** Designates UMR SAAC event/activity]
**11/14: Monthly Breakfast South@ Stark’s Restaurant in Eagan (7:30am)
**11/28: Monthly Breakfast North@ Original Pancake House in Maple Grove (7:30am)
**12/07: Monthly meeting at American Legion-Golden Valley.
**12/12: Monthly Breakfast South@ Stark’s Restaurant in Eagan (7:30am)
**12/26: Monthly Breakfast North@ Original Pancake House in Maple Grove (7:30am)
Secretary, Brian Farr
California Specials for “Feature Car” front display (not entered in show).
Contact Roger Stolley at 507-649-1592
Emma Krumbee’s Cruise
The Schmidts
Chuck Anderson
The Meyers
The Lindbergs
The Stolleys
Dean Mathias & Sandy Beck
Thanks to photo contributors:
Sandy Beck
Mitzi Meyer
Sue Lindberg
The Germundsons
The Flatens
The Boulkas
Everyone did
“their own thing”
until lunch
in the
restaurant.
Grandkids enjoyed
and were enjoyed!
Go to
website to
see
newsletters
and photos
in color.
http://www.midwestshelbyclub.com/Newsletters.html
A walk across the road from Emma Krumbee’s
HOLIDAY PARTY
Saturday, January 16th
5:30 Cocktails/
6:30 Dinner
Entertainment 8PM
Lost Spur Golf Club
2700 Sibley Memorial Hwy
(Hwy 13)
Eagan, MN
RSVP by January 11th
To Pam Flaten at
[email protected]
Mustang poem (Author Unknown)
His round little mouth, all tied up like a bow,
Turned into a smile and he said, "Hey! Let's go!!“
So as not to disturb, all the neighbors' retreat,
We pushed the Mustang, quietly out to the street.
Then taking our places, to drift down the hill,
I turned on the key, and I let the clutch spill.
The sound that erupted, took him by surprise,
But he liked it a lot, by the look in his eyes.
With the tires a' cryin', and exhaust pipes aglow,
We headed out where, rear wheelers go.
'Twas the night before Christmas, and out in the garage,
There wasn't a trace of a Nissan, Chevy, or Dodge.
And Santa's grin widened, approaching his ears,
With every shift up, as I went through the gears.
The presents were wrapped, and the lights were all lit,
So I figured I'd mess, with the Stang for a bit.
Then Santa yelled, "I've never felt so alive!"
So I backed off the gas, and said "you wanna drive?"
I popped the release, and I lifted the hood,
When a deep voice behind me said, "looks pretty good."
Ol Santa was stunned, when I gave him the keys,
When he walked past the headlights, he shook at the knees!
Well as you can imagine, I turned mighty quick,
And there by the workbench, stood good ol Saint Nick!
The big block exploded, with dual exhaust sound!
Santa let out the clutch and the tires shook the ground!
We stood there a bit, not too sure what to say,
Then he said "don't suppose that you'd trade for my sleigh?"
Power shift into second, again into third!
I sat there just watching, a loss for a word.
I said "no way Santa", and started to grin,
"But if you've got the time, we could go for a spin!”
Then I heard him exclaim, as we blasted from sight,
“Merry Christmas to all...........have a hell of a night!!!“
“You’ve Got Mail”
From: Mike Boulka
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: I GET CHUMPED!!!!
Burt;
I am a current member of the Upper Midwest Region of the Shelby American Club, and my wife is our current editor of our newsletter.
I have REALLY enjoyed reading all of your books, and look forward to reading your most recent effort soon.
My wife is always looking for articles to fill out the paper on occasion. I sent her your most recent blast, and like me, she really enjoyed your recap of your Chump Car
experience at Road America. She wanted me to ask you if it would be okay (for you personally and legally) if she were to reprint that article for our newsletter sometime in
a future edition of the newsletter?
Our newsletters are published monthly, and mailed out to our club members about 2 weeks prior to our monthly meetings. If you wish to see some the past editions, you
may see them on our web site, www.midwestshelbyclub.com
Looking forward to hearing from you when you have time.
Thank you,
MIKE BOULKA
From: Burt Levy [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Friday, October 30, 2015 8:29 AM
To: Mike Boulka
Subject: RE: I GET CHUMPED!!!!
Absolutely. Can give you better images if you like. Just credit me
& plug the living crap out of the books!
Burt
www.lastopenroad.com
BURT GETS CHUMPED AT ROAD AMERICA!
[Ed. Note: Some photos deleted due to space limitations.]
OK, so a lot of my savvy and experienced racer friends have been telling me for years that I need to try Chumpcar Racing.
But, to be honest, I was a little leery. Basically, Chumpcar runs real, live races on real, live racetracks with, well, let's just say "inexpensive" (and occasionally
somewhat unlikely or outrageous) racing cars. Fact is, the cars are dirt cheap compared to most other common road racing machinery.
Now local stock-car ovals have been doing this sort of thing for decades with their "hobby stock" classes, and some SCCA Regional, Midwestern Council,
EMRA, etc. "sports cars" and "GTs" have likewise been built on financially-embarrassed, frayed-shoestring budgets. But the idea in Chumpcar is that they
don't want ANYBODY showing up with a bucks-up, super-overdog racecar and spoiling everybody's fun. Which means that the rules are extremely restrictive
regarding hop-up and handling parts and, to be perfectly open and honest about it, some of the Chumpcars I saw at Road America were genuine crapcans.
But some were not, in spite of their humble budgets and/or origins. And all the safety stuff (roll cages, fire systems, belts, seats, brakes, etc.) is up to current,
state-of-the-sport standards. Now some of the cars are pretty well turned out (if a little tatty around the edges) and there's also a lot of oddball stuff to keep
your attention from wandering.
Chumpcar racing is governed by an extremely funny, savvy, track-wise and easy-to-read set of rules (CLICK HERE to peruse them online) and the basic
premise is simply: "this is fun, low-buck racing and we intend to keep it that way. And we've been around long enough to know when people are trying to
spend or sneak or tweak their way into an Unfair Advantage. So don't mess with us and we won't mess with you. Oh, and have a good time out there..."
Most Chumpcar races run on extended enduro formats, and the car turnout for this one was pretty damn amazing, as no less than 70 (!!!) entries lined up
against the pit wall under blustery fall skies (but surrounded by some beautiful fall colors), ready to take on 16 solid hours of flat-out racing (along with a bit of
fixing, of course!) around Road America's storied 4 miles. Big Fun, trust me!
You'll notice that the cars run the absolute gamut from Mazda Miatas and Dodge/Plymouth Neons (and lots of clapped-out-looking but F-A-S-T BMW coupes)
to Honda, Nissan, Toyota and VW econoboxes to V8 Mustangs and Camaros. There are five different classes based generally on engine displacement and
prep level, and creativity and ingenuity are encouraged. Along with levity. One team showed up with an indecently rapid (126mph on the radar gun through
the speed trap heading into Turn 5!) Nissan 240SX with a big Lexus V8 stuffed under the hood. Less serious was the low-rider-looking Pontiac Grand Prix
and the comfortable (if past-its-sell-by-date) Lexus EC300 luxo-coupe. Not to mention the exotic but problematic and semi-worthless Maserati Biturbo
featured front-and-center above.
Thanks to my racing pal Denny Morgan, I'd scored a ride in the only other Italian car in the field: Iowa fireman John Rockensies' not-quite gorgeous but
extremely willing 1978 Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce (I used to sell those things back when I worked at Loeber Motors in Chicago). It was a little heavy and a
wee bit weak on the power thanks to its SPICA-injected, 1962cc Alfa 4-banger, but it surely made about the prettiest noise of any car in the field. Or I thought
so, anyway.
Continued…
We had five drivers (new friends John, Steve, Mike, Brynn and me) and you could pick up the slightly tongue-in-cheek attitude of the proceedings by simply
reading through the team names. We were "Quadrifoolio" Racing, and we were surround by teams with names like "Crank Yankers," "Ludicrous Speed,"
"Wasted Wages" and "James Bondo" on the much raced-and-even-much-more-sadly-abused TR7 shown below...note the TLOR and Finzio's Sinclair decals
amongst the other trash and bric-a-brac:
There was good fun with some of the paint jobs as well (see Mustang below)
although that particular car was the first to drop out when one of the brakes locked or failed or whatever on the 2nd lap and put it rather emphatically into the
Turn 5 wall. Nobody was hurt, but the car was pretty well bent on the RF corner. And it was hardly the only car to suffer crash damage or mechanical
meltdowns & malfunctions as the hours and laps accumulated.
As you can see above, there's a lot of variety in Chumpcar racing, and it's hard to miss that many of the entries look like they came directly off the back row of
one of those "GOOD CREDIT? BAD CREDIT? WE DON'T CARE!" used-car lots you see in some of the, ahem, "less affluent" sections of town. But don't let
the rough edges fool you...some of those shitboxes are pretty damn good racecars.
And some of them are, indeed, shitboxes....
Which made our Alfetta one of the classier entries (or I thought so, anyway) and you can see it "leading"--hah!--in the shots below. Also notice the abundance
of beautiful Wisconsin fall foliage.
(excellent Alfa pix thanks to shooter extraordinaire Jason Massey. See more of his work at: http://www.jpmmedia.com/)
The Chumpcar Enduro race was pretty much split in two, with 9 hours of racing on Saturday and another 7 hours on Sunday, so everybody could get a
decent night's sleep. Or stay at the track to work on the car as necessary, as we did since we had to swap transmissions and fix the Watts Linkage on the
DeDion Tube (bonus points if you know what the heck those things are) so the rear axle didn't wander all over the place like a slimy eel.
Bottom line is that John's Alfa ran like Alfas normally do (they flat love to race, and that's the truth) but we were seriously down on top speed compared to
most of the other entries (we were struggling to see 108mph through the speed trap while other cars in our class were seeing 112-115 pretty regularly) and
we had the usual enduro dramas, glitches and maladies. Like the first time I ever got in the damn thing on a pitstop and found it sputtering and banging and
missing before I even got to the end of pit lane. "It'll clear up once you get it out on track," I told myself (rather than stopping to see what was wrong like I
should have). Sure enough, it sputtered and popped all the way through Turn One, then cut out completely. Which left me coasting silently and helplessly
down towards Turn Three with no fire in the boiler at all. Wouldn't re-start, either. Plus my radio wasn't working. So the safety crew flat-towed me in, and it
turned out a damn spade-connector had fallen off the damn coil! John had it fixed in about ten seconds flat. Although we'd lost 18 minutes or so in the
process. But in an enduro, you just have to put it behind you and get back to churning out the laps. It's all you can do.
It was nice racing an Alfa again. We had GREAT brakes (Alfa Milano vented rotors & calipers!) and really nice handling (until the Watts Linkage started
pulling loose from the chassis late in the day on Saturday, anyway, but we fixed it overnite) and the other "guest" drivers were having all sorts of issues with
the gearbox. But I was used to the rear transaxle setup and wonky linkage on these cars, and I managed to find most of the gears more often than not. Which
isn't really saying much, is it?
Our overnite transaxle change helped a LOT, and all five drivers were a couple seconds quicker on Sunday. It was a gorgeous day, too, what with bright sun,
brisk fall weather and beautiful fall colors all around us. And we had folks to race with, too. I mean ALL THE TIME. You were either catching somebody or
being caught by somebody or racing wheel-to-wheel with somebody or briefly and blissfully all by yourself for a few serene, fleeting laps. And then, inevitably,
you were back in the scrum again.
Like I said, what FUN!
We each got something like one-and-a-half hours in the car each day, and that's both a lot of track time and racing for the money and also a lovely sort of
stint to do. Plus there's always a little side competition on any enduro team about who's going to wind up as the quickest driver of the bunch. And, while I was
close, I must admit it wasn't me. But I always figure it's more important to be the driver who's not only quick, but strings together the most consistent laps. And
I must admit I did pretty well on that score. Not that I'm bragging or anything....
Better yet, that raggedy old Alfetta kept running and running and running. And we didn't screw up our pit stops too badly, either. Bottom line is that we came
home a welcome and well-deserved 3rd in class (the supposedly second-slowest class, BTW) and 21st overall out of 70 starters. Covered something over a
thousand racing miles in the process, and nobody with a slower lap time finished ahead of us (always the way I judge an endure finish), while we finished
ahead of something like 31 ostensibly "faster" cars. And that felt pretty damn good. Plus John's Alfetta was still running strong and making those lovely,
operatic Alfa noises all the way into the trailer!
What a wonderfully good time!!!
I can't wait to do it again!
WHERE’S THE STEG?
Identify where ‘The Steg’ is in the monthly
photos. The more precise the better. The
first person to name the exact location,
such as address, each month will win a
prize to be awarded at the following
meeting.
If you are not present at the meeting,
you must contact Mike to arrange
delivery. If Mike is not contacted within
three months, prize will be “reshelved.”
Please send your guess via e-mail to: Mike
Boulka <[email protected]>. For
those of you who do not do e-mail, or are
as technologically challenged as Mike, call
his cell phone, 612-940-4457. Leave your
guess on his voicemail if he is unavailable.
Be specific!
The winning guess will be based on the
most accurate location named
(geographic location, landmark, etc.),
as well as by the date and time it was
received, whether by voicemail or
email.
NEW RULE: Winners must wait three
months before entering again.
“Some say he’s a gift,
But others say he’s just ornamental….
All we know is, he's called the Steg.”
Last month…
Stumped again, but with hints, Dennis Bardwell
closely guessed and received a coffee mug.
Answer was Keller Regional Park in Maplewood.
“An expansive park featuring a lake, picturesque
bridges & picnic shelters, in a tree-filled setting.”
Want Ads - Buy and Sell
Send your ads, changes or renewals to Kathie Boulka [email protected].
Deadline for next issue: December 18th, 2015 No charge!. Ads will be dated and run for 6
issues unless notified to renew/cancel. Non-member ads will be run for 1 issue.
FOR SALE
See Merchandise Managers
Brian Bothwell and
Tom Stark.
CLUB LOGO ITEMS
Club polo shirts $20,
T-shirts $10, Caps $10,
Patches $6
Choose your own item with a special order through
Advanced Sportswear.
SPECIAL ORDERS
www.Advancedsportswear.net
Corporate and Casual apparel
Choose from catalogs (We have used Alpha and
Tri-Mountain in the past)
Then call Advanced Sportswear (651-459-5002) to
place order/pay
Our Logo is under SAAC for embroidery
FOR SALE!!! 2006 Saleen 281SC Mustang Coupe. #06-1507. 583 were produced in 2006. Black clearcoat w/dark charcoal leather
interior. 5 speed manual. 3.55:1 diff. Saleen series VI supercharger. 435HP, 4225 ft. lbs. torque. Orig. owner. 10,500 miles. Never raced.
No winters. Kept in heated garage. Saleen wheel & tire upgrade package. Saleen HD headlamps. Many billet trim accessories. Chicane
strut tower brace. Canton coolant & pwr. steering tanks. Oil separators. All take off parts included. $57,555 new. Sell $39,900. Contact
Duane Tvenge 612-386-8107
6/15
Upper Midwest Region SAAC
P.O.Box 390453
Edina, Minnesota 55439