Still fun, but without Joe it's just not the same
The weather cooperated (well, sort of) and, with 38 drivers, turnout was back to near normal levels.
Steve Spector did a great job with tech. Despite the best efforts of Brad Blase, Mike Wirt, Bill Hopper, and others, things got off to a slow start and it was close to 9:30 before we were ready to start practice sessions.
Mike Wirt had designed a more complex course, and the times reflected that, with many practice runs well over 70 seconds. The first couple practice sessions ran fairly long, and after a brief consultation, we deemed it safe to start a second car as soon as the first was past the skid pad and headed for the stop garage. This helped cut the time it took for each run group.
As with autocross #1, the course had to be modified a bit to deal with a problem - in this case, part of the paved surface was crumbling so a couple gates had to be moved to prevent further surface damage. That took a few minutes but things got back on pace farily quickly.
For the first time this year we had a veteran class – the O'Malleys (Greta and Hans) brought out their 1972 300SEL 4.5 and put on a good show (until it ran out of gas). Again there was only one 16 valve – Fratzi, driven by Denise Dersin and Ted Joseph. Denise once again showed her trophy-winning ways with a very nice run of 70.023 seconds that was also good enough for overall LFTD. At 70.968 seconds, Ted was not far behind Denise. Ben Weber was back with the "Red Baron" and took top honors in the six-cylinder group, with GWS Pres Bill Hopper finishing second. The Harrells brought out their (very nice) 1990 560SEC to compete in the eight-cylinder group. As usual, Henry took top honors, with (a much improved) JD Harriman not far behind. Faithful scribe Laurie Harrell put in a solid run and finished third. GWS Member of the Year, Steve Spector loaned his SLK350 to Brad Blase who, because he's taken over Joe's trailer and cone duties, hasn't been able to bring his car. Brad drove Steve's car to a best time of 68.940 – good enough for Mercedes-Benz Men's FTD. Steve finished a respectable second, followed by Greg Knoll (2001 SLK320) and newcomer (and autocross novice) Wallace Cairns who finished fourth. John Heflin brought his C36 AMG and took top points in the AMG group, followed by Jim Glenn (E55 AMG). Autocross novice Teresa Manning (driving John's C36 AMG) had a final timed run that, despite a cone, was almost 30 seconds faster than she was in practice – a very respectable result for a complete novice who's also a fairly new driver.
In the “Other Marques” Barrie Gochman took OM-LFTD with a very nice run in her 2006 Subaru WRX STi. Mike Wirt took overall FTD with a blazingly fast run of 66.887 seconds. That was also just fast enough to edge out Marty Gallagher for top points. The Kallam's were back out and managed to take third (Michael Sr.) and fourth (Michael Jr.) – maybe it was the fresh oil change or maybe it's their PAX index, but third and fourth is a fantastic finish, and more proof that you don't need a really hot car to do well at autocross. Newcomer Richard Alvarez brough his 2010 Mitsubishi Evo out, and surprised everyone with a fifh place finish – an excellent result when you consider that he's never done an autocross before. Another newcomer, Juan (who didn't give a last name) drove his 2006 Honda S2000 to a sixth place finish. Patrick Pereira (2003 Acura NSX), Howard Leiken (2005 Corvette), amd Matthew Solomond (2008 Honda S2000) rounded out the top scorers group. The Sorrentos, father Angelo and son Vincent, were back out with a new car – a 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STi. We were also happy to see Richard Lipsky and Larry Rittinger back out with the 1958 Morgan – always an entertaining entry, the Morgan had a minor problem (not like that's unusual with a vintage British sports car) so Larry wasn't able to run in the afternoon. Other familiar names out for this event were Richie Crim, who brought out a very clean 1971 Datsun 240Z, Matt Zint (his very nice 1976 Porsche 914), Steve Squires (1999 BMW M Coupe), and Gonzalo Puig (2001 Mazda MX5). Newcomers Ricky (no last name) driving a 1990 Mazda Miata, and Daniel Myers (2007 Mini Cooper S) rounded out the field.
With a near-normal turnout we were back to four run groups and only three runs for both practice and score. We were able to speed thing up a bit, and a staggered lunch break allowed us to press on without a break in the action. As a result, we were finished by about 3:30.
We thank all the folks who came out, helped with setup, breakdown, and who took turns at a corner or other course position. A special thanks to the folks who did cone recovery – that was quite a workout, with some cones dragged for what seemed like miles. Without you, none of us could be out there having fun. To join in the fun, be sure to come to James Wood High School on May 30 for our autocross achool. Not sure you want to drive? Come out and watch. And, if you get the itch, many of our drivers are willing to give rides during the practice sessions so you can get a feel for what it's like to autocross.