ARIZONA REGION – Talk about drama! An outsider reading our club's Forum during December and January could say that some of us – including myself – were acting like pregnant women. (Hi, honey!) Thoughts put into words can so easily be misread. Couple that with human emotions and it's a recipe for disaster!

There are many club members still around that were literally the founders of our club as we see it today. They know the complete history of the club and have watched it grow. They know what has worked in the past and what has not. Many of them make the point that nothing was broken, so ask "Why all the change?" or even "Why are things suddenly so chaotic?" Well, our first couple of events at PIR have been far less smooth and organized than we're used to. But with each successive event there, we've made more changes to adapt to the new environment.

Perhaps the most noticeable issue has been the increased number of DNF's. Some conclude that this is due to site logistics or course design. While these are contributing factors, the truth is that we are seeing record numbers of novices, and they are making up the majority of the DNF's simply because they do not take or have the time to walk the course before driving it. So they get lost.

Some have made the suggestion that novices not be put in run group A, so that experienced drivers who've competed in group A are available to ride along with those novices who want that. We completely agree! But, there are challenges:

There are set Open classes that rotate each month and some are forced to run in group A. (But, even then, there are many spots open in A.)
People in classes that have run group choice seldom purposely pick group A.
Most people pre-register and, historically, any spots remaining for onsite registration are in group A.
Novices typically register late or onsite, when the only spots left are in group A.
If we do not fill up group A, there are not enough workers for group C to support that group's competition runs.

About the only way to avoid having novices in group A would be for our experienced folks in the Street Tire, Sportsman, and PAXL classes (which all have run group choice) to start choosing group A. Unlikely.

The great news is that the February event was much improved from the previous events at PIR. Unfortunately, PIR will not allow us to use any course lining material and will not allow us to contract a surface cleaning service (sweeper/sucker), at least at this time. But they will continue to allow us to set up the course the day before. So folks who arrive early enough in the morning have nearly 2 hours to walk the course. The mid-day break was also extended in February, to double the course walk time available then. Bottom line: folks that are having a hard time following the course are highly encouraged to arrive early and walk the course at least twice.

The observer/penalty process was also greatly improved in February. The new procedures reduced worker stress and improved response times in comparision with previous events. We will continue to refine our processes and endeavor, with each successive event, to get things to running more smoothly and efficiently.

One area that still needs improvement is worker changeover, which is currently eating nearly 2 hours out of the day. If we could reduce this down to 1 hour, and so be done with group H by 4 pm, we could have "Fun Runs" at the end of the event. Or we could raise the cap on entries (currently set at 240).

We are currently working on upgrading our PA system to allow easier communication with folks across the site (rather than just in a smaller area near the equipment truck). That alone should help facilitate worker sign-in and changeover. The club is also proceeding with the purchase of a new equipment trailer, which will allow more dynamic registration and timing & scoring experiences (as well as improving setup and teardown).

Overall, the club is progressing well. Just take a look back at where we were only 5 years ago:

Mail in registration. (Geee, I wonder if they got mine? I wonder what worker position I'm assigned to?)
No photography or videotaping allowed (on the Exponent Failure Analysis site, at least).
The Pylon Press was 100% hardcopy (no pictures) and – since it reported the results and typically came in the mail 2-3 weeks after the event – you had to wait 2-3 weeks to see where you stood.
No Forum (gasp!), no suggestion box, no convenient way to identify or contact Steering Committee members.

Many of the changes since then happened prior to my term as director and before the current composition of the Steering Committee. The changes were made incrementally and revised as needed, all to address identified problems and improve everyone's autocrossing experience.

I and the rest of the Steering Committee are still very open to your suggestions and criticism. While suggestions are great to discuss in the Forum, we that ask criticism begin with one-on-one discussion, in person or via e-mail.

I can do without all the drama. How about you?

January 2005 Awards Banquet

by Darrell Covert

29 January 2005, CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL – You might think that the wet weather of the season and the lake in the parking lot of the hotel would dampen spirits at the awards banquet. That was not the case, as all enjoyed getting together to share some bench racing stories and a great dinner.

You started an icebreaker poker game contest as you entered the banquet, by drawing a card from a deck and trying to find a winning five-card hand by combining your card with others'. Free time-only entries were given to those in the two winning groups.

After drinks and dinner against a backdrop slideshow of images from various 2004 autocross events, director Tage Evanson began the evening's program. He characterized 2004 as a good year for the Arizona Region, even with the tough beginning with the lost of Arizona Motorsport Park just before our National Tour event in January. He thanked all those who helped during that crisis and throughout the year, presenting embroidered fleece pullovers as appreciation awards to members of the Steering Committee as well as several other volunteers.

The competition awards – embroidered sweatshirts – were given to those who placed in their classes for the four-event 2004 fall season. Those awardees not in attendence got the traditional single clap of applause.

The evening saw the traditional two raffle sessions, as well. The first raffle (for which everyone present had received some free tickets and could purchase more) distributed many useful items: tire gauges, tools, shirts, air tanks, wine, floor jacks, collapsible chairs, a floor creeper, and such. Jim Rohn conducted the second raffle, for the Kumho tire gift certificate supplied by Discount Tire, which was won by Scott Meyers.

It was another memorable celebration from primary organizers Glenda Meyers and Jodie Warren.

A Parade at PIR
The Spring Series, Event 2 of 4

by Mark Johnson

13 February 2005, PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY – The Arizona Region Solo 2 Group welcomed the Chinese New Year by hosting the second round of the Spring Series at Phoenix International Raceway. Some 171 drivers tested their fortunes during the mostly cloudy day. While it did not rain during the event, the first heats had drying track conditions and the later groups had to deal with off-line gravel scatters. Event results have been posted.

Event co-chairs Tage Evanson and Clint Child ran a bracket racing exercise as the event's special feature, allowing each driver to estimate the raw time of his or her last run. Those who came closest to matching their predicted times on their third runs, without breaking through them, won. (If they went faster than they predicted, they were out.) Cones and DNF penalties did not count; only the time displayed on the scoreboard mattered. The six finalists, one from each of the competition heats (groups A through F), progressed to a final round held later in the day.

Dawn Maxwell and her assistants laid out a challenging course in honor of 4702, the Year of the Rooster. Incorporating feng shui principles for optimum placement of the cones, the course flowed smoothly, using many outside walls to channel the positive energy. There was a good balance between the technical and the easy-to-follow; allowing many drivers to achieve a satisfied, peaceful chi feeling amidst the hard sha energy of autocross competition. Dave McCombs completed the ritual course sweeping just before the drivers' meeting began.

The course started in the west lot with a tight lefthand turn some distance ahead of the start lights. A square righthand sweeper led to an off-camber lefthand turn that fed into a deceptive slalom. If entered with the first cone on the driver’s side, the slalom was essentially complete by the third cone and the course powered up to a bend. An offset after the bend led to a tight Chicago box just before the transition to the south lot. Once over the transition, the course offered up a series of walloms (wall slaloms) reminiscient of a big dragon in a Chinese New Year's parade. They could be taken under power, but had a dragon's bite: "Without sagacious braking, Butterfly, easy overshoot of ending left turn." That left turn opened up and then tightened back down to a box, which shot out to the right and over the next transition onto the east lot. There, a couple of offsets led to a moderate lefthand turn and a short chute fed to a fun series of left and right turns. Drivers could dive through the last of those turns and rotate the car into a Zen-like two-cone single-pivot slalom at the finish.

During the middle of the heat C, a small area of surface started breaking down near the boxy right-hander on the west lot. (The asphalt had been laid too thin and is being repaired.) So competition was halted and the course was adjusted slightly. The altered course maintained the same character and apparently the same speed. Based on comments from those who drove it both ways, neither configuration was clearly faster.

A review of results shows a mix of drivers similar to the first round of the Spring Series. About one third classified themselves as novices. The other indexed Arizona classes attracted roughly another third of the drivers, while the remaining third competed in traditional SCCA open classes. Tage Evanson cleaned house and came away with top time of the day on his final run, a 58.629-second effort in his SM Integra. To put this run in perspective, it was over 1.25 seconds faster than any other driver’s runs throughout the day. While Evanson had power to work with, Jim Harnish finessed his FSP Civic to top PAX time on a 60.268 second run, his only clean one.

The largest single class of all is Novice 1, and the competition there is fierce. Richard Duran emerged on top in his ESP Subaru WRX STi with an indexed time of 56.218, only tenth faster than Kelly Olohan’s 56.521 in his GS MINI Cooper S. Elliot Speidell and his RX-8 were in the mix with a 56.612 time. The first through third PAX scores went from Duran’s 869 to Olohan’s 865 to Speidell’s 863. The next tight grouping came between Justin Markiewicz and the Alger dynasty. Markiewicz’s ESP WRX STi was good for an 835 PAX score, while Mark Alger pushed his ASP Viper to an 832 PAX score. Jason Alger took his BS Corvette to 825 PAX. Eric Ware turned in an 818 in his FS Pontiac GTO, just in front of RX-8 pilot David Moy’s 814 PAX score. Brady Campbell’s SM Integra edged out Jayme Black’s SM WRX 812 to 810.

Not to be out done by the power mongers in NV1, the drivers in Novice 2 turned in some excellent PAX scores. Mark Mares drove his BMW 318ti to an indexed time of 53.232. His 918 PAX score was good for the top spot by a wide margin. Jared Kohlman drove his C230 to an 861 PAX, ahead of Dan Gabrys’ Sentra Spec V 854 PAX. Rick Oldani and Dave Bones had quite the competition with Bones in his 330Ci at 835 PAX and Oldani in his Miata at 834 PAX. The fastest newbie of the day was Dave Green in Novice 3. His 52.377 indexed time was good for a 933 PAX in his STS Nissan 240SX. In fact, the STS PAX index takes into account street tires, much like the STX, STS2 and STU indexes do, while the others assume sticky tires. In spite of good classing, Green’s score is impressive. The next best NV3 driver, Ryan Hayles, comes in at an 891 PAX in his Prelude. And he had to work hard to hold off Chad Sherman in his 240SX at 890 PAX. Richard Mazur put his STX BMW M3 up to an 887 PAX score.

Novice Ladies is shaping up to a real series this season. There were seven NVL drivers (not counting Melissa Flint who ran in NV3). Elizabeth Young ran first in heat A working her way down to an indexed time of 65.799 on her third (and driest) run in her ESP Camaro SS. Theresa Dorsey, Vanessa Dashiell, Jennifer Lewis, and Cherrie Windfeldt all ran in heat B. Dorsey and Dashiell found their best times on the second runs, with Dorsey the clear leader at a 58.291 indexed time in her DS WRX. Dashiell got her STS Civic to a 66.086 indexed time before DNFing on her third run. Jennifer Lewis, handicapped with a tough FP PAX factor, spun her RX7 on her opening run going into the first Chicago box. She went faster on each of next runs, ending with an indexed time of 79.307. Windfeldt sought out an instructor to help with course navigation and drove her FS Pontiac GTO quicker each round, ending with a 65.240 indexed time. At the lunch break, it was Dorsey, Windfeldt, Young, Dashiell, and Lewis in that order. Megan Sawyer and Chanda Child ran after lunch in drier conditions. Sawyer never found the course in her S2000 but Child whittled time off every run, working down to a 63.179 indexed time. Dorsey held on for the win, but Child vaulted to second in the mystical STS Wagovan, just ahead of Young.

Notable competition in the Open classes could be found in E Stock, with all three drivers in the 72-second range. Tom Tkacik tied Lee Imler, both with 840 PAX scores, and Greg Hodgdon had a 832 PAX. E Stock ran early in the day while the course was drying, but all the drivers were in the same group, so the drivers do not face an artificially low PAX penalty for this event. In F Stock, Chris Noyes convinced some spectators that his Lincoln could go fast as he slid it around the final corners. The battle rages on in E Street Prepared. Brian Weikert, hoping to bring good luck by borrowing Larry Petrucci’s Fire Chicken, grabbed the top spot. He was the only ESP driver in the 62-second range. Petrucci, Richard Rippy, and Steve Steele were all in the 63-second range. Upon seeing the fortunes of having a fire-breathing Fire Chicken, the Mindi Cross Racin’ team began negotiations to have Petrucci drive for MCR at this year's San Diego National Tour.

The legend of the Wagovan continues to grow in Street Tire S. This humble Honda, piloted by Clint Child, beat up on the STS drivers with a 66.336 second run, translating to a 922 PAX. Brian McCauley’s fireworks-bright yellow GTI turned in a 67.155, good for a 911 PAX score. Kris Castner has been wrenching on his Subaru 2.5 RS and posted a nice 67.893 time, tying the stealthy Infinity G20t of Thomas Winchester, both at 901 PAX. Street Tire X has turned into the land of Nissan. Firecracker Kevin Cote drove his Infiniti G35 coupe to the win in a tight battle with Chad Mizner’s G35 sedan, 64.583 seconds to 64.661 seconds. Their 944 and 943 PAX scores led the class. Dan Martin, driving the everyday Nissan Spec V, pulled down third spot with a 64.831, good for a 940 PAX. Jeremy Galo overcame some difficulties to put down a 933 PAX score in his Honda Prelude.

It may be the Year of the Rooster, but the chicks in the PAX Ladies class are ruffling a few feathers! Deb Eymann and Jodie Warren were running in heat C when the competition stopped and the course adjustment was made. Eymann, who DNFed her first run, went fastest on her second run with an indexed time of 56.527 in her SS Z06. Eymann got a little squirrelly on the third run, perhaps less grip than expected as her tires cooled during the break. She stood on her second run. Warren, on the other hand, was clean on every run and went faster after the course adjustment. Her third run in her CS Miata was an indexed 56.483, putting her in the lead by just .044 seconds. Dawn Maxwell and Mindi Cross ran in the next heat. Maxwell started fast and kept getting quicker in her HS MINI. By her third run, she was taking shortcuts over cones, so she stood on her 50.416 second run. Cross was driving a borrowed CS Miata and not entirely comfortable in it. She managed a 55.573 indexed time on her last run, putting her in second behind Maxwell. Going into the lunch break it was Maxwell, Cross, Warren, and Eymann. Tammy Roland, Teresa Clement and Jessica Jackson were on deck for heat E. Clement nailed a good run in her DSP Integra, her indexed time of 56.213 putting her just behind Cross. Jackson found a 56.884 indexed time, trailing Eymann but faster than her SO in the same AS S2000! Rolland hit a cone on her first run, DNFed her second run, but recorded a clean 62.959 in her AS Corvette on her third run. Sarah Peters was the last PAXL competitor to drive, running in heat F. She looked a little tentative in her new CSP Miata as she headed out on course. By her third run, she seemed more comfortable in the car, posting a 55.728 indexed run. When the dust settled, it was Maxwell, Cross, Peters, and Clement in top four spots.

Stepping into the PRO class is like going from ping-pong to table tennis. These drivers are seriously fast. The fastest of all was Jim Harnish, with his silky smooth driving style, at 1000 PAX. But that was after a DNF and cone hit on his first two runs. Dave Webb, fighting for the job of lead driver on the Mindi Cross Racin’ team, continues to put in excellent performances. His 970 PAX in the MCR sponsored H Stock Focus was good for second place in class, beating out the Corvettes of Dave McCombs and Steve Ryan, at 968 and 964 PAX respectively. Ted Lewis would have split the Corvettes in a borrowed Miata, but for a cone on his fastest run. Instead, Steve Ashcraft and Dan Maloney claimed the next spots with 951 and 932 PAX scores.

The Sportsman class had to kowtow to Tage Evanson as he unleashed the fury of the SM Integra on his 990 PAX run. Brian Peters, no spring chicken, continues to develop his CSP Miata into a TTOD contender, climbing the ladder to second in class at 974 PAX. Right on his heels was Steve Eymann in the family Z06 with a 971 PAX. Mark Johnson followed up with a 963 PAX. Dave Young found some sticky tires for his SM BMW M3, much to the relief of the ST1 drivers. Likewise, David Rock made the jump to DSP and sticky tires on his Celica. Needless to say, sticky tires did not slow these guys down one bit – 959 and 955 respectively. Ron Huber broke the 950 barrier on real street tires with his Impreza.

With the Dave Young factor out of the ST1 equation, the WRX STi’s are coming into their own in Street Tire 1. This time, it was James Frink and his ESP STi who tigered into the lead. His 932 PAX score reflects a 0.4 second faster run than Jay Balducci’s 918 PAX score in another ESP STi. Right behind the Subarus was Roger Brendecke in a Camaro at 894 PAX. Todd Houser, Steve Mott and Dolf Strom followed up. Brad "B-Rad" Owen continues to perform at a high level in Street Tire 2. He recently hired on at Mindi Cross Racin’ and based on his latest performance, it was a savvy move for MCR. He put his GS Sentra in the top spot with a 932 PAX. Chasing Owen were Matthew Jensen in a GS MINI Cooper and Christopher Lachlan in a DS WRX. Jensen and Lachlan came in very close, with 905 and 904 PAX scores, respectively. Klayton Albers in the DS 330Ci and Mark Shaw in the Beetle Turbo S were dueling for the fourth spot and Albers 897 PAX just edged out Shaw’s 896. The tight pairings continued throughout the ST2 class, as Jim Rohn posted an 888 PAX in his new GS Mustang, just one point in front of Mike Driscoll and his DS Audi TT.

When the competition runs were compete and before the time only's, the bracket racing finalists from heats A through F were invited to a one-run shootout. There were two restaurant gift certificates as prizes – sort like traditional lai-see gifts except not in red envelopes. Representing heat A was Brian Wofford. Tom Dukerich came closest in heat B, while Kevin Gleaton had the best guess in heat C. Two consistent drivers represented heats D and E: Dawn Maxwell and Jim Harnish, respectively. Richard Vela had just parked his car after heat F and scrambled to get ready. It was a challenge for drivers from the early heats to declare times, because course conditions had changed noticeably. Harnish came within tenths of his predicted time, and claimed the top prize. After all, Honda’s cannot hold too many sandbags! Miatas do not have a lot trunk space either as Tom Dukerich demonstrated with his second place estimate.

Year of the Rooster. The Arizona Region can crow a bit, having yet again produced an enjoyable, competitive event. Although the the first car was out a bit late (9:20 am instead of 9:00), the parade of more than 500 autocross runs was completed and the site was cleaned up well before dark. The specialty teams (especially timing & scoring) continue to hone their skills to this larger facility, resulting in a smoother experience for everyone. Interesting times indeed!