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the pylon points to: Dave Rock

by Mike Driscoll

ARIZONA BORDER REGION – Dave Rock grew up in Lexington, KY. He then attended Kent State University (Kent, OH) "studying hard and hardly partying," where he completed a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering.

Dave saw his first autocross at Eastern Kentucky University (Richmond, KY). It looked like fun, but he never got back to participate in an event, since sleeping-in even a little meant he couldn't get over there early enough to register.

It was graduate school at the U of A that brought Dave to Arizona. He earned a master's degree there in 1997, in mechanical engineering with an emphasis on reliability engineering. During his last year of graduate school, he began working for ReliaSoft Corporation, a reliability engineering software company that consisted at that time of a few graduate students working out of a spare room. Hard work and good product have grown the company to a staff of over 40 at its main headquarters (in Tucson), several offices overseas, and worldwide sales. Dave is currently its Vice President and Chief Technical Officer.

That's right, Tucson. Dave is a member of the Arizona Border Region SCCA, not our Arizona Region. Needing something to distract him from work and relieve stress, Dave went out and bought a Celica GTS in 2000, having test driven it on Tucson's Roller Coaster Road. Less than 1600 miles later he competed in his first autocross.

Since then it's been competition runs in Tucson, competitions runs plus time only's in Tucson, events in Phoenix, events in Sierra Vista, occasional events in San Diego, in El Paso, and in Farmington. In the past couple of years, Dave has run 94 local events, 4 National Tours, 3 Pro Solos, 1 Pro Solo Finale, and 2 National Championships. He's placed first at a couple of divisional events, second at a couple of the tours, and 13th out of 53 at this year's National Championship in Topeka.

Dave was the Arizona Border Region's webmaster in 2002 and 2003; their web site took first place in the most recent SCCA design contest for small regions. Dave is Director of the Arizona Border Region for 2004. And, he's been very supportive of our region, as most of you know from personal experience.

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Co-Driving the San Diego Tour

by Kevin Venisnik

6-7 March 2004, QUALCOMM STADIUM, San Diego – For my second National Tour, I co-drove Brian Peters' 1999 Mazda Miata, in C Stock. This arrangement was kind of a last minute deal as I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to go to San Diego due to an upcoming business trip. Brian had asked me if I wanted to co-drive and, when the business trip got postponed a week, I took him up on his offer.

There are a few reasons to co-drive a car. The first is to share expenses; the co-driver usually pays the owner a portion of the cost of running the vehicle. Often this is roughly estimated, based on tire wear (so a Z06 would usually cost more then a Miata). Other times people that live in different parts of the country but have similar cars will trade co-drives. For example, a Miata driver in Phoenix could have swapped a ride at the Phoenix Tour last January with a Miata driver in Seattle, for a ride at the Seattle Tour coming up in July. That way they can just fly out to the far off event, meet up with the local driver, run the event and then catch a plane home.

Another reason to co-drive is that then both drivers have the benefit of warmer tires. Typically, the second driver is the one that gets the most benefit because the time between the first driver’s runs and the second driver’s runs is less than that between the second driver’s runs and first driver’s runs. There are other benefits to co-driving: two people to do the work, somebody to share the highway drive (if driving to a distant event), etc.

I knew going in, from hearing about other peoples’ experiences, that San Diego Tour courses are typically fast. Combined with a new surface and an unfamiliar (though similar) car, I knew that the practice day would be very important to me. Like the Phoenix Tour, the San Diego Tour has a practice course set up on the Friday prior to the event. Due to the last minute co-drive deal, this practice course would only be the second or third time I had driven Brian’s car aggressively. Fortunately, my car is very similar to Brian’s; unfortunately, I can't just jump into a different car and go fast, like some others can. For me it’s a long slow process getting up to speed.

Still, my first run raw time on Saturday was good enough to lead the class until second drivers ran, but there was a cone called on my run. I didn’t remember hitting the cone, so I went to where they post results during the event and checked through all the sheets there (Timing Sheets, Worker Station Logs, Radio Logs, etc) and was able to figure out where I hit the cone. At National Tours, the officials try to keep very detailed records and even individually number all the cones in case there are any disputes. It can be important to check these sheets, since what the announcer says is not the official result. After your class finishes running, the results are shown to everyone before the cars are released from impound. This is pretty much your last chance to question the results, so make sure you look them over then.

As the day went on, other drivers in my class improved and second drivers got their runs, but I also managed to improve my times and get some clean runs. So at the end of day one I was in fourth place and in trophy territory, with a lead of 0.7 seconds over fifth place and 0.9 seconds over sixth. So I was pretty stoked! I did notice though that the 11-th place driver had 3 DNF’s, so I was concerned he might not run the second day. (This worry was lessened by the fact that he was co-driving a car and I was sure the other driver of that vehicle would want warmed tires the second day.) Checking my rule book later, I determined that even with just 10 cars in class there would still be four trophies.

My second day started with what I thought was a pretty good first run, and then I improved on it by half a second in my second run. So I was starting to feel a lot more comfortable, both with the car and with the higher-speed course. My third run was not quite as fast, and after I pulled into grid Brian informed me that I had also hit a cone, so I would have to stand on my second run. At that point I was still in fourth place, but the previous day's fifth and sixth place drivers still had their last runs. That fifth place driver had dirty runs on his first two attempts, so I was pretty nervous that if he got a clean run in he could still pass me. In the end, neither of them improved enough to get past me, so I had won my first National Tour trophy!

I was pretty excited about this. I knew the trophy was going to be a plaque that had a place for me to put my own picture, so Brian – he had placed second in C stock – decided to go ahead and splurge, purchasing the CD of photos from the professional photographer that was there covering the event. The CD cost $100, which seems kind of expensive until you consider that you get all the pictures he took and each co-driver gets an 8 x 10 print of the photo of his choice. Also, the photographer has a pretty big investment in gear (professional quality digital camera, a trailer with high quality printers, including a large scale one for poster size prints, and networked computers allowing entrants to view all the photos before purchasing the CD). It’s also a better deal for two driver cars, since the cost for a CD with all the pictures and a single print of a one-driver car is $75. So I guess that is the last reason to co-drive, you can cut down the expense of buying the photos!

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How I Found an Autocross Site

by Mark Shaw

ARIZONA REGION – Many autocrossers who attended the first Signal Peak Autocross on March 14 were excited to find this track tucked away on the Signal Peak campus of Central Arizona College (CAC), near Casa Grande. The track is like a mini road course, but tight enough to make for good autocrossing, and the surface is new and fairly grippy.

People have wondered how we found this place. Well, any dedicated autocrosser is always on the lookout for possible sites, as they are not plentiful any more. Most parking lots that might otherwise be used have been landscaped and sprinkled with curbs and barriers. Not to mention that most lot owners shy away from the liability risks of using their property for a motorsport. Possible new sites are usually investigated by our Site Liasion, Jim Rohn; but in this instance things transpired differently.

The story begins in early 2003 when my girl friend, who works at CAC, mentioned that there was a new track built there as part of a large project to develop a Law Enforcement Training Area, the CAC LETA. She told me who to contact and I made initial inquiries about what was there. I got a layout of the master plan, which included the present "pursuit course" and indicated future expansion – as yet unrealized – with two skid pads (300 x 800 and 300 x 300), all connected with a maze of roads. Plans also call for a gun range and other facilities. At the time it looked interesting, but we were all focused then on our move to AMP as the premier autocross facility. So, I just filed the information away.

As the events of 2003 unfolded and we lost AMP as a site in January 2004, the search for alternate sites began anew. Since I knew several folks at CAC by this time, I thought I might as well dig deeper and actually go check the site out. The staff at CAC was more than receptive to the idea of our autocrossing there, since it would be good use of a facility that's inactive on weekends. My first look at the site was with Sam Weiss, the director of the Central Arizona Law Officiers Training Academy, known familiarly as CARLOTA. He let me drive the course at speed in my 1979 Scirocco, to check it out. Not only was it tricky and fun, but it flowed nicely and had a great surface. So we began working on details.

Since this is a track and not a parking lot, there are some atypical issues. Such a facility needs to be approved by the SCCA Divisional Solo Safety Steward before an event sanction will be issued. I spent a day down at CAC measuring and taking pictures and coming up with a plan to limit the risks of the ditch on the north side and some bad erosion to the east. I submitted both clockwise and counter-clockwise course plans, both of which ended up being approved. We used the clockwise plan for the March 14 introductory event.

After working through insurance details and use agreements with CAC, we were go. The only real hitch at this site is the lack of large amounts of paved parking near the track. The college was quite concerned about parking in the dirt, so that made us devise a shuffle plan, using the small paved lot near the track as pre-grid and gridding run groups on the widest part of the track itself. CAC also has a heavy equipment training program and they offered to grade the eroded areas to reduce the risks there. And they would arrange to have port-o-potties set up for us. The last details were the scheduling of the security guard to open the track and arranging for food service. Sodexho, which has contracted for all of CAC's food services, set up an open-air concession stand near the track, so that entrants didn't have to go to the CAC cafeteria on the main part of campus.

Come the day of the event, I was really nervous about all the details coming together, especially knowing how some of the commerical tracks in the Phoenix area have occasionally dropped the ball on such details. Much to our delight the CAC staff came through with stunning service! The gates were open on time, the food service was ready to go with good selections at fair prices. And the heavy equipment students not only fixed the erosion problems, but also prepped the entire perimeter on both sides of the track. This was truly professional service, for which I've sent a letter of gratitude to the college president's office.

Thanks to those that came out for this first event at CAC and provided positive feedback and suggestions for the future use of this site. Watch the Forum as we develop plans for future Signal Peak events!

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Signal Peak Autocross

by Scott Meyers

14 March 2004, CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE (Signal Peak Campus, Coolidge) – Hey, let’s hold an autocross halfway to Tucson. OK? Well … we did. Due to local site problems, Mark Shaw went hunting and found this “jewel in the desert” about thirty minutes south of Firebird International Raceway. It’s a police training site on the Signal Peak campus of Central Arizona College, close to Casa Grande, and it offered us a chance to try our skills on a “mini road course.”

This event was an extra one, run for fun, not as part of our Spring 2004 series. Using such a site required special approvals, due to possible off-course excursions onto dirt, something not possible at a fully paved site. Special rules were imposed too; “two wheels off” was scored as a DNF, and “four wheels off” meant you'd just had your last run for the day. Also, no novice drivers were allowed at this event, while safety aspects of course surface and design were under assessment. Furthermore, a strategically placed slalom interrupted a long straightaway, so that maximum speeds were no higher than in a typical local event.

For a variety of reasons – no novice drivers, no connection to the spring series, distance from Phoenix – the number of entrants was down (just 87), so event chairperson Mark Shaw planned 90 minutes of run time for each of four run groups. This allowed entrants six or seven runs each. What a blast! And special classing was used: only two Open classes (PRO and Sportsman), PAX Ladies, and the usual four Street Tire classes (1, 2, 3, and Ladies). Many an entrant tried out a different class at this special event, with varied results.

The PAX Ladies class had seven entries, and some interesting results ensued. Sharon Roberts, driving her S2000 for the first time on old used R Kumhos, took the win with a 58.554 raw time and a PAX score of 954. It's interesting to note that this score would have placed her fifth in the PRO class and fourth in Sportsman. Deb Eymann and Mindi Cross were second and third, but also moving up this event was Jessica Jackson, who eked out fourth place by eighteen hundredths of a second over Glenda Meyers. Lindsay Maxfield would have placed higher than she did, but alas, the “Pylon Plague” destroyed her best times.

PRO class had ten entries, and Ted Lewis’ Lotus claimed the top spot with the coveted double: FTD raw time of 54.386 time as well as the top PAX score, 1000. I observed his fast run and he was on the hairy edge of control around every corner. I think he was surprised he made it! Steve Eymann and his SS yellow Vette was second (55.871/987), and the Tage Evanson SM Integra was third, just one tiny PAX point behind at 55.789/986. Brian Peters introduced his recently purchased D Stock IS300 Lexus, and mustered fourth at 59.797/971. Rumor has it that he scraped his elbow on the pavement on one tight right-hand corner. Arms inside the car and some stiffer shocks in his future, maybe? Maybe, but he's also re-attached the front sway bar since that run.

The Sportsman class was the largest, with twenty-nine entrants, and also offered some great battles. Top sportsperson of this day was Richard Rippy with his ’98 ESP Camaro, scoring 57.229 raw and 978 PAX. Only ten PAX points behind in second was Larry Petrucci’s ESP Firebird at 57.841/968. Making Sportsman a clean sweep for ESP was Wiggy Gracean’s ESP “Super Chicken” in third spot (58.375, 959). Fourth through sixth spots all had the same 949 PAX scores, so we had to go to the actual PAX times to break the deadlock! Ron Huber (STS Subaru) took fourth, Brandon Smith (STX 240SX) fifth, and Brady Dohrmann (STX 240SX) sixth.

Street Tire 1 had twenty contestants battling, and Dave Young’s SM M3 took top spot with 57.502 and 957. This would have put him fourth in Sportsman, and on street tires yet! I think the other ST1 guys will be glad when Kumho or Hoosier make a competitive R tire in Dave's size. Kim Kemper’s SS Vette took second (59.828/922); third went to James Frink in his A Stock WRX STI with 60.837/916.

Street Tire 2 had seventeen folks vying for top spot, but Frank Bertola’s GS Mini Cooper squeaked a close one from the DS WRX of Jay Balducci, 63.947/923 to 63.004/922. A close third was another debut appearance, Chad Mizner’s new D Stock ’03 Infiniti G35 Sedan at 63.563/914. Way to break it in right, Chad! The next four cars were all within 6 PAX points for some very close competition. Brad Owen tied Mark Shaw at 895 points (all you need are R tires, Brad, to challenge in G Stock Open!), and Nathan Kendall’s 92 240SX also tied Lee Short’s (new?) ’90 Miata at 893.

Street Tire 3 was a small class, but the fun was large as Brian Kozan’s DSP Nissan Altima bested Rick Davis’ Fiero, 64.368/845 to 63.461/868. Lorena Porter won Street Tire Ladies, driving the ’00 BMW M Roadster; not her fault that no other ladies entered. A raw time of 67.965 and PAX points of 822 are decent scores as she learns this sport.

Despite the numerous corners and tight turns on this course, cars with ample horsepower were the top dogs at this event. Overall winners were: PAX/L – BS S2000, PRO – ASP Lotus, Sportsman – ESP Camaro, ST1 – SM BMW M3, … you get the picture. Connecting the many corners with bursts of brisk acceleration seemed to be the ticket. The top four PAX times were ASP, SS, SM and ESP, so again, big horsepressure seemed to help. I suspect that, if we are able to schedule additional events here (the Solo 2 message forum is currently discussing the possibility of a summer series at Signal Peak), then some of the better handling lower horsepower cars will move up as their drivers learn the better lines through the more challenging corners. I know I never took the correct line through the early set of tight sweepers.

So, that’s it from the Signal Peak Autocross. A very successful event with a fun course, a good surface, lots of runs, and only a few drivers putting any wheels off course. Eighty-seven drivers had an absolute blast. Kudos to Mark Shaw and crew for a great experience! Let’s do it again!!

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