FEBRUARY 2020 Table of Contents
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Nuts & Other Loose Things - Wayne Armbrust, Region Executive FEBRUARY 2020 We need to talk. There is a myriad of stories Table of Contents and news to cover. Let’s back up for a second or two and wish you a Happy New Nuts & Other Loose Decade as we roar into the 20s. With the Things 1 start of this new year, we have an obligation to glance in the mirror to see what is behind Summit Point Update 3 us as we head into our first lap. One Team, One The quick glance back fills the mirror; sometimes it is hard to realize what we have Experience 4 been through, accomplished, and changed. There are also things bringing changes into GCR Changes for 2020 5 the new year as part of the continuous process of improvement and development. Program Updates All the while, we move ahead at full speed in Rallycross 6 to the new year, and new decade with our existing programs. Autocross 7 iRacing 10 We can’t do it alone. SCCA is an amazing world being driven by members of a HPDE & TT 12 club with a common thread of passion. Through this uncommon collection of Road Racing 13 talent, passion, and experience is born the organization that opens opportunities Dominion Raceway 14 to take our love of cars and abilities and apply them to their fullest extent. NEDiv MiniCon 15 Beginning in 2020, Dominion Raceway will be a regular venue for Washington DE Features Region’s Track Events Program, as we host a full-fledged HPDE program and a Futile Gesture—Club Time Trials series. With our involvement in Dominion Raceway, we will be looking Racing Retrospective 16 for ways to help develop and improve the track and its facilities in partnership with Helmets Off to Heroes the owners, much as we always have in the past with others. Photos 19 Summit Point is undergoing some considerable changes with transition in Sue Roethel Award management and a few new changes in the way of doing things. Xator tells us Winners: Skip and Carol they are 100% committed to supporting motorsports events and operations. We Reber 21 are working with local management and through Xator Corp. in order to meet conditions to continue our long tenure as the Home Track for our MARRS and Britain on the Green: Road Racing Program long into the future. April 26, 2020 23 Our Track Events Program for the Northern area of the WDC Region at Summit Letters to the Editor 24 Point has a new Director. Lin Toland has stepped up to the bar and taken the hand off from Chuck Edmondson. Our TE and associated TT program is the only stand- Editor’s Note 25 alone SCCA Track Events Program in the nation. That alone is testimony to the commitment our folks have had in putting the WDC Region program on the national map. 1 WDCR Road Racing with its well-known and established MARRS Championship is still rockin’ along. It is rapidly becoming the center piece in the division as we work more closely with our neighboring regions to build MARRS into a true multi region championship series. Bracket Racing is still making waves across the country. Inquiries into format and structure are still coming in as more and more regions look to any means to increase wheel to wheel participation. We are also exploring the opportunity for fine tuning the Bracket Racing Program and offering more space and track time to competitors. Autocross Program is full bloom and going strong. Opportunities are being explored to expand available sites and resources. Enthusiasm is stronger than ever in participation and pursuit of the perfect run. Rallycross is finding its own in participation and venue selection. Doing the Rally thing in the dirt is an experience every one of our members should give a try. It is simply amazing and thrilling to make the runs. Of course, it takes a couple of days’ worth of hot showers to get down to the bottom layers, but it is worth every sliding moment of fun. Road Rally is rolling along with our annual schooling program and early season event. More irons are in the fire, getting ready to spread the brand, stay tuned. We are officially in the ‘20s, let’s make the Roar! They can hear us all the way to Topeka and beyond. Summit Point 50th Anniversary Season Photo Book Now Available As a means to archive our fiftieth year of Road Racing at Summit Point. Sissy Connolly spent the season behind her camera g the gathering our special year spent together. As we celebrate moving into the beginning of the next 50 years this book makes a wonderful mile marker along the way. These books would make wonderful gifts for your special driver in the family. Direct ordering from the Shutterfly.com publisher is available through: https://link.shutterfly.com/e/A2oKUKzlm3 2 Summit Point Raceway is Ready. Are You? C.W. Armbrust Are you ready? All the pieces are now in place to have a fabulous season of performance driving, racing, rally runs, and gathering with friends. Washington DC Region has completed the agreement process with Summit Point Raceway (A subsidiary of Xator Corporation) to secure event operations through 2021. Working together, the Agreements are similar to previous years of cooperative support and promotion. There are some changes in the behind the scene operations, but the racing and driving programs will not see most of that process. There will be some changes in the long-term camping area management and those with long term camping arrangements in the “Worker Camping” area. Summit Point Operations may re-introduce an entry admission for the general public, however SCCA members and their guests will have no charge access to our events. Welcome to the decade of the twenties. Let’s make them roar! 3 One Team, One Experience 2020 SCCA National Convention: Thursday, January 16th, 2020, through Sunday, January 19th, 2020 Building on the success of our 75th Anniversary year, the SCCA 2020 Convention provided great opportunities for Members, Region Leaders and Event Leadership to continue our collective Mission of delivering a safe, fun and exciting motorsports experience for enthusiasts. In short, we will fuel future SCCA growth by delivering excellence as one team in pursuit of delivering a more unified enthusiast experience. 1. This is where it all begins, where voices are heard and decisions made. Leaders from across the country. Spent time learning to identify and encourage talent and potential within our Regions to build stronger leadership and a better future. 2. Better communication, understanding, and teamwork to build trust and a better Member experience. In all, there were over 90 classroom presentations and discussion panels offered in program development and knowledge sharing opportunities. Literally every facet of the Club’s operations was presented and discussed. At last count, 500 people attended, making this Convention one of the largest in the history of the gathering. Through the professional staff that organized the Convention, they built the event that gave all of our membership the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge freely offered by the experienced members willing to share and teach. We are beginning to see growth again within the club membership and activities. We are still the leaders in amateur automotive sports by a long shot. A little peek into the inside workings of SCCA: it takes a lot of people, giving their time and delivering results. It doesn’t all come together by accident. Passion for action brings us all together. The Straightpipe, an award-winning publication of Washington DC Region SCCA, is always looking for content from those involved in the club. The deadline for the next issue is April 1. Not sure if your story is ready for publication? Reach out to the editor and he can advise. [email protected] 4 GCR Changes for 2020 New information for all of our Road Racing Competitors and Friends: GCR 2020 9.3.32. LIGHTS A. BRAKE LIGHTS All non-Formula cars shall have two operating red brake lights. B. RAIN LIGHTS All cars shall be equipped with rain light(s) clearly visible from the rear. 1. Non-Formula and Sports Racing cars shall utilize red tail lights, the rain light described in 9.3.32.B.2, or both. 2. All Formula (open wheel) and Sports Racing cars shall be equipped with a red taillight of at least the equivalent illumination power of a 15-watt bulb. This light shall be mounted as high as possible on the centerline of the car. Light assemblies shall be considered one light for the purposes of this rule, irrespective of the number of individual lamps the assembly may contain. 3. Light assemblies may perform both rain and brake light functions provided they have two distinct illumination levels. Lights that function as strobe lights are not permitted except in Formula and Sports Racer classes. The taillight may strobe when directed to be used as a rain light. ______________ As we move into a new decade, there will be a fifth year series of approved helmets that will be available on the market later this year. Until the GCR is revised with when the 2020 series helmets come out (probably late 2020 or early 2021) we will still use 2010 cutoff for helmet certification. GCR 2020 9.3.79 DRIVER’S SAFETY EQUIPMENT C. Required Equipment 1. Crash helmets approved by the Snell Foundation with Snell sticker 2010 or later Special Application SA2010/SAH2010, or SA2015/SAH2015, or by the SFI with a SFI Sticker SFI 31.1, or by the FIA standard 8860-2004 or later, or British Standards Institute BS6658-85 type A/FR.