Greater Washington Section
June 12, 2005 at Millbrook High School
On Sunday, June 12, GWS held its annual Defensive Driving School and Mercedes Benz-Only Autocross. Defensive driving and autocross may not seem to go together, but in reality, autocross is the motor sport with the most direct application to daily driving safety. It has been an integral part of Greater Washington Section's Driver Education Program for years. It is not a high-speed event, as the courses driven have virtually no straight portions. The participants navigate through a rapid succession of every imaginable type of turn. To do this quickly and under control without disturbing the cones marking the course sharpens the skills needed to survive everyday driving situations such as the Beltway.
Unlike many things that are good for you, like eating roughage and doing sit-ups, autocross is fun. It's very fun. And after a series of car control and safety exercises with instructors in the morning the real fun began.
| Driver | Car | Best Time | Honors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dersin, Denise | 86 190E 16V | 58.890 | LFTD |
| Beveridge, Carl | 02 C32 AMG | 59.187 | FTD |
| Joseph, Ted | 86 190E 16V | 59.451 | Shared his car the most |
| Wallick, Gary | 86 190E 16V | 60.197 | Came the longest distance |
| Krahulec, John | 04 E55 AMG | 60.224 | Fastest really big car |
| Gochman, Pete | 02 WRX | 60.322 | Weirdest looking Mercedes-Benz |
| Reeves, Julian | 03 C320 | 61.903 | Got out of the heat first |
| Repass, Bill | 93 400E | 62.814 | Brought the hardest worker |
| Hopper, Bill | 97 C280 | 63.108 | Most thorough instructor |
| Beveridge, Lynn | 02 C32 AMG | 63.124 | Fastest first time autocrosser |
| Glenn, Jim | 03 E55 AMG | 64.748 | Most relaxed driver |
| West-Eversly, Camille | 03 C230 | 65.807 | Quicker than her husband |
| Eversly, Conroy Dean | 03 C230 | 66.397 | Best hair & attitude |
| Novick, Peter | 90 SL500 | 66.413 | Tied for most evenly matched |
| Cleland, John | 96 SL500 | 66.957 | Tied for most evenly matched |
| Alexander, Philip | 01 E320 | 69.653 | Fastest wagon |
| Collier, Linda | 01 E320 | 72.599 | Missed her car the most |
| Lollar, George | 70 280SL | 75.800 | Fastest Classic & Best Kid |
| Stratton, Robert | 05 E320 CDI | 76.095 | Fastest diesel |
Most of the instructors took part in the autocross and a good number of AMG models attended the event, so it's no surprise the upper rankings were heavily populated with instructors, AMGs, or instructors driving AMGs. But this time the fastest time of the day wasn't posted by an instructor or an AMG. Denise Dersin, in an '86 190E 2.3 16V, took 1st place. The leader most of the day was Carl Beveridge in a super quick C32 AMG. Clawing my way to 3rd, I very nearly suffered the indignity of two people beating me with my own car. Gary Wallick had a wheel problem with his C32 AMG and accepted my invitation to drive the 190E 16V. Gary proved to be a natural 16V pilot turning in a blistering time in a car he'd never driven. John Krahulec has become a force to be reckoned with as he hones his skills with his E55 AMG. In 6th the guy who had more Fastest Times of the Day last year than anyone, Pete Gochman, was struggling. Pete, who usually stirs his own gears, found driving his wife Barrie's automatic to be a little like driving by committee. A contest to very end, Denise leapfrogged from 4th to 1st, on the final run of the day, with only 1.4 seconds separating 1st from 6th place.
The rivalries and spirited driving weren't confined to the experienced drivers. Newcomer Lynn Beveridge came within 12/1000s of a second of catching an instructor. The SL500s fought it out with Peter Novick edging out John Cleland in a bout worthy of a rematch. Couples are a time tested entertainment formula at autocrosses, and Camille and Dean Eversley carried on this tradition. In a display of finesse over power, Camille showed Dean the fast way around the course. Dean, I feel your pain.
