REport
by John Lieberman
Hi, everybody!
Welcome to 2002 and another great year of Red River Region fun. We’re already off to a great start. Our January planning meeting at Podnah’s BBQ was very well attended and we got a lot accomplished. If you weren’t there, let me bring you up to date. If you were, I’ll just refresh your memory.
The massive novice turnout we had for our events last year shows that our club is on the grow. So we’re doing a few things this year, right off the bat, to help our novices and get them more involved in the club. First, we’ve bought two more loaner helmets. That gives us a total of five. Second, Bruce Nock has agreed to be our Novice Chairman for 2002. He’ll be responsible for working with the new folks who show up at our events and pairing them with “mentors”-experienced club members who have also agreed to work with novices to show them the ropes and help them feel like they belong.
Expanding on that novice theme, we’re going to start our season this year with an autocross school. Bruce is heading up the effort. It’s going to be a full weekend of activities beginning with a classroom session at Podhah’s BBQ on Mansfield Road at 6pm, Friday, February 15th. On Saturday, February 16th, the activity shifts from the class room to the driver’s seat and from Podnah’s to the Airline High School stadium parking lot in Bossier City.. Then, on Sunday, February 17th, we’ll start our 2002 autocross season at Red River Raceway. And we’ll go back to Red River on Sunday, March 3rd.
The TLAC (Trans-Louisiana Autocross Challenge) schedule is now set - OK, MOST of it is set - and it looks like this: April 14- Lake Charles; sometime in May - New Orleans; June 30 - Here; and September 22 - Baton Rouge. I certainly hope that all of you will try to make the TLAC series this year. It’s a heck of a lot of fun. And the more people we have participate, the better chance we stand of taking the trophy back from Delta Region!
Now, here’s the biggie! We’re going back to having regular monthly general membership meetings!! They’ll be on the first Monday of each month at 6pm at Podnah’s BBQ on Mansfield Road. Because this is a restaurant, they obviously expect us to eat while we’re there. So come hungry and bring your ideas for making Red River bigger and better.
I’ll wrap this up with something that I’m really excited about. I’ve found us a new autocross site! It’s the Desoto Parish Airport on Highway 171 about 30 minutes south of Shreveport. It consists of two abandoned intersecting runways - giving us an “L-shaped” course that’s about 135 feet wide and about 700 feet long on each leg. However, it’s going to take a lot of work on our part to get it into usable condition. A lot of grass has grown up through the pavement over the years and we’re going to have to spend several weekends killing that grass with Roundup, chopping it down with string trimmers and flat-nosed shovels, sweeping the site with push brooms, and blowing away the rocks and debris with gas-powered blowers. We’re going to need a lot of people with a lot of their own equipment and we’re going to have to spend some big money for Roundup. But, before we organize a work party, I’m going to take my car down there and run a couple of practice laps - grass and rocks and all - to check out the surface and see how abrasive it is on tires. It’s mil-spec asphalt, about a foot thick, and it’s real grippy on the surface. Keep your fingers crossed! I’ll let you know more when I know more. There’s also a remote chance that we might get to run one event this year at Marshall High School. I’ve got a request pending, but I’ve yet to hear anything back from them.
See ya all on the 4th. Now, go do something fun (but legal) in your car.
John
MY VIEW
by Gary Linde
What a way to start the year, a driver’s school. My thanks and I’m sure everyone else’s go out to Bruce Nock for suggesting this and establishing a real Novice program. There is nothing so discouraging as to be a novice with a hot car and go out there and get totally defeated and not know why.. If they no why, then they will most likely come back to improve and if they know the basics, they may not be totally defeated the first time out.
With the amount of novices that have turned out, and the new sites that John, with his hard work, has found, this promises to be an exceptional year for the Red River Region. All we need to do is give John the support he has asked for and surely he deserves, and we all win. John has said that this is his last year as our RE, I would like it to be a banner year, so he can go out with a bang! We have been lucky to have someone like John Lieberman leading this club, especially during the lean years with declining membership, He did more to hold this club together than I ever thought one person could do. To most of us this is a hobby, John treats it as an obligation, as if it were a paying job amoung his many other jobs. I’m only going on like this because I think we owe John the support this club needs. I know John will disagree with me, but it is the way I feel and the way I see things.
Now as we enter this new season remember “Drive fast, no
cones, and have FUN!!!”
Gary
TREASURER’S REPORT
Connie Booker
Balance Forward November
24, 2001 $3,375.08
INCOME: EXPENSES:
Membership dues $48.00 Insurance/ Sanction
Event 10/28 $108.00
Event 11/04 123.00
Donation: Car Museum
250.00
New helmets (2) 106.00
SWDiv membership
26.00
Newsletters 51.96
Metrocall (2 months) 14.64
----------
$689.50
Total Account Balance as of
December 21, 2001 $2733,58
Minus
equipment fund -755.00
------------
Active account balance $1978.58
Red River Region, SCCA
Planning Meeting
Podnah’s BBQ, Mansfield Rd.
January 13, 2002
Connie Booker Secretary
Officer’s Present: John
Lieberman, RE; Rick Bagnard, Asst.
RE; Connie Booker, Secretary; Gary Linde, Membership/Newsletter; Brian Stelly, Publicity
Awards Presentation:
John Lieberman
was presented with a trophy by Harold Rodgers for winning the H.D. Rodgers
Memorial Club Championship for the third year running.
Bruce Nock received the goofy award for the most
cones taken out on one run (he was not present for the end of year party).
Changes for the 2002
season:
Insurance/Sanction fees- Insurance fees are now $3
per entrant, sanction fees remain $2. This means $5 per entrant is collected to
cover the SCCA insurance and sanction fees. Price change is effective January
1, 2002.
Waiver and insurance guidelines- To be discussed at
the National Convention. A yearly tech and Waiver program is being considered.
Club Equipment:
2002
rulebooks are on order
Armbands
(proff of having signed waiver) we are looking at using the official SCCA bands
for every event this year.
Storage
space needed- the club has equipment being stored with a former member who
would like his shed back. Items include a Christmas tree and stanchions. Anyone
who would be willing to store these items please contact John.
Loaner Helmets- two more have been purchased for club
use, giving us a total of five.
Trailer Party- We will look to have a get together in
order to overhaul our equipment trailer. Clean-up, re-rivet, caulk, and
possibly add an axle.
General Membership Meetings- Planned for the first
Monday of each month at Podnah’s on Mansfield Rd. to cover club business and
interests.
2002 Season Challenge- Recruitment and Membership[
Red River membership hovers around 60 members. CENLA
has increased to over 100. What can we do to help ourselves grow?
-Motion- Institute a mentor program for novices.
List
mentors by car qualities and pair with novice in similar car.
Create
a Novice Chairman to coordinate mentors and keep novice file to contact and work
with novices.
-Motion approved- Bruce Nock offered to serve as
chairman.
Playgrounds-
As always we
are seeking new places to set up an autocross. If you know of a place that
might be useable please let us know.
A list of possibilities: Former AT&T: - Property for sale, some possibility later in
year
Desoto Parish Airport: - Interested in
having us; depends on inspection of site.
Marshall High School; - Need to contact
school board.
Century Tell Center: - Phone tag.
LA Downs: - In process of selling property: maybe new owners?
LSUS: - Phone tag.
South Park Mall: - Site conditions not
favorable.
Car Club Council - Get more involved- Possibly coordinate with events
such as Cruising for Kids and the Santa Fun Run. Rallies to involve the other clubs- Challenge to other clubs.-
Entering or assisting in shows sponsored by other clubs.
2002 PAX Index out- Copies available
SCCA Membership cards- Have a new look starting in
2002.
TLAC 2002- Meeting to set schedule will be next
weekend, January 20th.
Timing Equipment:
The fund started in 2001 is now at $755. John has been pricing different
systems, as well as what hardware/software we would need to get the system
operational.
Final Motion: - Car Identification: No longer allow
shoe polish for marking class and number; too hard to read and no way to
determine which driver is running in a two driver car.
-Motion approved- registration will offer masking
tape, large size paper, and markers. Also anyone who has old magnetics can
donate them for use.
2002 Event Schedule - Provisional schedule through July 2002 set. TLAC
dates have not been set.
Meeting adjorned.
Tentative 2002 Schedule
2002 SoloII/Rally Schedule
|
DATE |
PLACE |
EVENT |
HOST |
|
Feb 15th |
Podnah’s,
Mansfield Road 6PM |
Classroom
Driver’s school |
Red River
Region |
|
Feb 16th |
Airline
H.S. Stadium |
Autocross
driver’s school |
Red River
Region |
|
Feb 17th |
Red River
Raceway |
Regional autocross |
Red River
Region |
|
Mar 3 |
Red River
Raceway |
Regional autocross |
Red River
Region |
|
Mar 17 |
Lee
Hedges Stadium (Caddo Parish) |
Regional
autocross |
Red River
Region |
|
Apr 6
& 7 |
Red River
Raceway |
Drags
(work) |
|
|
April 14th |
Lake
Charles |
TLAC I |
SOWELA
Region |
|
Apr 20-21 |
Houston,
TX Greyhound Park |
National
Tour Solo |
Houston
Region |
|
Apr 28th |
TBA |
Regional
autocross or TLAC |
TBA |
|
May
3,4,&5 |
Red River
Raceway |
Drags
(work) |
|
|
TBA |
New
Orleans |
TLAC II |
DELTA
Region |
|
May 19 |
Lee
Hodges Stadium (Caddo Parish) |
Regional
autocross |
Red River
Region |
|
Jun 8,9,
& 10 |
TBA |
Divisionals |
TBA |
|
Jun 22 |
Red River
Raceway |
Drags (work) |
|
|
Jun 23 |
Lee
Hodges Stadium (Caddo Parish) |
Regional
autocross |
Red River
Region |
|
Jun 13
& 14 |
TBA |
Divisionals |
TBA |
|
Jun 30th |
Red River
Raceway |
TLAC III |
Red River
Region |
|
Jul 21 |
Red River
Raceway |
Regional
autocross |
Red River
Region |
|
Sep 7
thru 13 |
Topeka,
Kansas |
Solo II
National Championships |
|
|
Sep 22nd |
Baton
Rouge |
TLAC IV |
CENLA
Region |
|
Nov 23 |
Paris, TX |
“Paris by
Night” Club Rally |
Texas
Region |
Solo II Driver’s Meeting @
10:30 AM. First car out 11:00 AM. Helmets must be Snell 90 or better. Loaner helmets are available.
Please check Hot Line
318-677-3773 prior to event for any changes.
2002 ROAD RACING SCHEDULE
|
DATE |
LOCATION |
EVENT |
HOST |
|
Feb 15
thru 17th |
Texas
World Speedway |
Nationals |
Texas
Region |
|
Mar 9
& 10 |
Texas
World Speedway |
Nationals/Regional |
Houston
Region |
|
Apr 20
& 21 |
Cabaniss |
Nationals/Regional |
S. Texas
Border Region |
|
May 25
& 26 |
Texas
World Speedway |
Nationals/Regional |
Lone Star
Region |
|
Jul 27
& 28 |
Texas
World Speedway |
Nationals/Regional |
Houston
Region |
|
Aug 24
& 25 |
Texas
World Speedway |
Regional |
Texas
Region |
|
Sep 16th
thru 22nd |
Mid-Ohio,
Lexington, Ohio |
Valvolone
Run Offs |
|
|
Nov 23
&24 |
Texas
World Speedway |
Nationals/Regional |
Houston
Region |
|
Dec 7
& 8 |
Cabaniss |
Regional |
S. Texas
Border Region |
CLASSIFIEDS
For Sale: 1986 Honda CRX.
ITA or Solo II legal. Has clean title if you want to make it street
legal. Asking $2500. Will throw in 13 X 7 Revolution wheels with Kumho race
tires for $300. Contact Brian Stelly at 318-868-5216 or email sirstelly@msn.com
For Sale: VW-based
kit car. Porsche look-a-like. Chassis is a 1968 VW Beetle. Engine replaced in
1989 with 1600cc. Light blue/black interior- Recaro seat (which need to be
welded into car again.) No A/C but has heat. AM/FM cassette. Needs some engine
work, has set up in garage since 1993, leaking oil. Asking $4000. Call Cherry
Langley 972-492-5436 or email clan4026@aol.com
Wanted: 455 Pontiac block. Prefer short block, but will consider
long block if price is right. Willing to drive a reasonable distance to pick it
up. Call Ken Dunn 318-752-3034(H) or 318-470-1525(Cell) or email KRD76TA@aol.com
For Sale: Design your own
package deal!
1998 Hallmark 24’ trailer - wired for 110v & 12v,
cabinets, tire racks, fuel jug (4) rack, door pit caddy, $6500.00.
1998 Chevy CK1500 Silverado-extended cab, LineX bed
liner, Snugto bed cover, all set up to tow trailer above.$22,675.
1998 Formula Mazda- All up dates, super light weight
(all AN hardware) radio system, 3 extra set of wheels, tons of spares &
equipment. $35,500.
Call Dave 253-846-1688 or email MVRacing@aol.com