VOL. 57 | OCTOBER 2016 The official publication of the San Francisco Region of the Sports Car Club Of America HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES p. 12 BRIAN MCCARTHY p. 26 ROLEX MONTEREY MOTORSPORTS PRE-REUNION p. 18 OCTOBER 2016 THE WHEEL 1 October 2016 SpecRacer - Sales - Rentals - Arrive & Drive Free test drives for qualified* drivers 9/23 or 10/20 SpecRacers are now 6 Seconds faster than a Spec Miata at ThunderHill Services SpecRacer Gen 3 • SRF Rentals & Arrive & Drive The new GEN 3 was introduced in 2015. These cars are • Cars and Parts Sales everything you could ask for in a spec car. Lightweight and Cover Photo by Laura Stich. Artwork above by Brian Linn • Trackside Support for Your Car fast, the GEN 3 raises the bar in an already exciting class. • Driver Coaching • Maintenance & Repairs 5 Canidate Statements 14 Wheelworks 23 Full Body Contact FEATURES * See details on how to qualify and register on our website. 8 Notes from the Archive 16 Fiberglass Repair 24 Ferndale Concours on Main 2016 10 Corner Workers A Typical Race Day 18 Rolex Monterey Motorsports 26 Brian McCarthy Phone (669) 232-4844 www.AccelRaceTek.com Pre-Reunion & Reunion. 12 Hall of Fame Inductees 28 Thunderhill Report 22 Another Step Up for Pro 13 Letters to The Wheel Racer-Edgar Lau Rentals om IN EVERY ISSUE 4 Calendar 15 Travel Tech 29 List of Advertisers 30 The Garage: Classified Ads Builds .c The views expressed in The Wheel are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of San Francisco Region or the SCCA. SAN FRANCISCO REGION SCCA REGION OFFICE 2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS RENT A RACE CAR! MAILING ADDRESS GARY PITTS Regional Executive Mazda Raceway, Sonoma, Thunderhill, & Buttonwillow PO Box 308, Willows, CA 95988 [email protected] SCCA, NASA, Corporate / Private Events or Track Days. LOCATION ROD SIMMONS Treasurer – Director 5250 Hwy 162, Willows, CA 95988 PUBLISHER: THE WHEEL PUBLICATIONS Arrive and Drive, Track Support, Indoor Storage, Competition Director 530 934 4455 Coaching, Fabrication, Builds & Repairs, [email protected] 530 934 7275 fax Editor BLAKE TATUM [email protected] Parts & Upgrades [email protected] BLAKE TATUM Secretary Art Direction & Design JULIE LEFRANCOIS julielefrancois.com Office: (831) 240-5347 The Wheel is the Official publication of the San Francisco region of the [email protected] Sports Car Club of America located at 5250 Hwy 162, Willows, California CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Blake Tatum, Steve Jaroch, Fax: (831) 422-0500 95988. It is published monthly by Wheel Publications, 6185 Riverbank DAN BURGOON Director Gary Horstkorta, David Vodden, Bruce Richardson, LesherMotorSports.com Circle, Stockton, California 95219. Opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the San Francisco Region, Wheel [email protected] Richard Simonds MiataRental.com Publications, The Wheel, it’s staff or advertisers. Material submitted to The Wheel that is slanderous, libelous, profane, pure inflamatory criti- CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS & ARTISTS CLINT DEWITT Director [email protected] cism offering no constructive alternatives, sexually explicit or material Chuck Koehler, Don Jones, Julie LeFrancois, as directed by The Board, such as competitive series schedules, ads, etc. [email protected] Laura Stich, Brian Linn shall not be published. Permisssion to reprint materials from The Wheel is hereby granted to all R.J. GORDY Director POSTMASTER, Please send address changes to: SCCA regional publications with the agreement that full credit be given [email protected] to the author and The Wheel. The Wheel The Wheel • ISSN 0888-1103 • USPS 0625-160 • is published monthly BARBARA MCCLELLAN Director for $15 per year for the San Francisco Region of the Sports Car Club of P.O. Box 308 America, 5250 Hwy 162, Willows, California 95988. Periodicals Postage [email protected] Willows, CA 95988 paid at Willows, CA and at additional mailing offices. OCTOBER 2016 THE WHEEL 3 SFR SCCA 2016 CALENDAR BOARD ELECTIONS SFR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Saturday, November 19 at 1 pm - location to be announced 2016 SFR ROAD RACING SAC '16 AUTOX SCHEDULE SCHEDULE The "Bill Fleig Memorial" Any changes will be shown on www.sfrscca.org “THUNDER ON THE Enduro Day 1 OCTOBER 3-MILE COURSE” October 15 | San Joaquin Fairgrounds Pirelli World Challenge PDX and TIME TRIALS The "Bill Fleig Memorial" Enduro Day 2 PRO SUPPORT HOSTED BY RENO REGION October 6-9 | Laguna Seca SCCA October 16 | San Joaquin Fairgrounds Season Finale etOctober 23 FRESNO SCHEDULE Double Regional 13 & 14 Time Trial can count toward your compe- October 21-22 | Thunderhill tition license for one of your 3 weekend Event 8 - October 2, races Buttonwillow Kart Track For additional information and to register: CANDIDATE STATEMENTS Event 9 - November 19, www.renoscca.motorsportreg.com CARRERA DE SIERRA Fresno Fairgrounds Contact Dave Deborde: d_ Event 10 Enduro - November 20, 2016-2017 $ [email protected] Fresno Fairgrounds AND GOLDEN WEST The following members have filed their petitions to enter the election for the Overnight parking Friday night 2016-2017 Board of Directors: SATURDAY: TECH 7:30 All events at ROAD RALLIES Regional Executive Fresno Fairgrounds. DRIVER MEETING 8:30 Gary Pitts October 15 - October 16 Hope to see you there! Directors San Francisco Region Sports Car Club of Clint deWitt America (SCCA) and Sacramento Valley Barbara McClellan Region, Porsche Club of America (PCA) Blake Tatum jointly present a Time and Distance Rally Weekend. All these individuals are currently on the Region Board and are willing to The weekend’s events will be held in the return for another term as your representative. Please read their candidate scenic Gold Country and on the west Annual Awards Banquet statements so learn more about them. slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Election Process The events are open to the public and all Voting will open October 20 and close November 15. types of cars are welcome. Entry fees & are $50 per day, or $90 for both days if Hall of Fame Presentation The election will be conducted through online voting on paid in advance. MotorsportReg.com. Once voting is open, you go to: http://sfrscca.motorsportreg.com/ to vote. If you don’t have an Contact Chairman and Rallymaster: account you can quickly set one up. Then go to the “ Richard Wetzel: 530.304.6555 or e-mail 2016 Region Board Election” on the registration page, and vote. [email protected] WILLOWS MEMORIAL HALL If you would like a paper ballot, send your request to the Region OCTOBER 22, 2016 AT 6 PM Office (530-934-4455 or email [email protected]). 4 SFRSCCA.ORG OCTOBER 2016 OCTOBER 2016 THE WHEEL 5 BARBARA MCCLELLAN CANDIDATE STATEMENT clINT DEWITT CANDIDATE STATEMENT For those of you who do not know me, I (without any sponsorship). And for those SCCA members who prefer a My priorities for re-election to the (4) Making sure we have our top Sacramento law firm keeping us clear of am a 48 year member of San Francisco lower-key competitive atmosphere which is less expensive, SFR has a very Region Board include: any legal pitfalls with SFR Solo’s million-dollar investment! Region SCCA. I was Chief, Co-Chief, As- active Solo program. (1) Improving worker and driver (5) Continuing to encourage novice race entries by providing a First Place sistant Chief or Chief of Pro Events for the All of us--workers, drivers, and Board members--have a responsibility to recruitment using social media. Novice Award in each class at every Regional Race. Communications Crew for much of that talk with each other and work together. Board members need to be willing time. I have been a Steward for the past (2) Making sure we get the $400,000 (6) Troubleshooting the contracts with our 3 race tracks, including full to discuss issues with members and be accountable to those who elect 20 years and hold a National Steward and loan promised by SCCA to supplement participant accident insurance coverage at pro events. them. I served on your Region Board from 1999 to 2005 as well as the past National F&C license. As you can see, I am the Solo Site Fund for the Stockton two years. My late husband referred to me as “the go-to person.” I was Solo Site Project. (7) Making sure the Region gets the best deal possible following the Mon- an SCCA worker/official but know that terey County decision on who will manage Laguna Seca. always there and always willing to listen to members about problems, is- to race an event you need workers and to (3) Overseeing the negotiations for sues, and suggestions. I don’t have all the answers, but I make an attempt to (8) Continuing our efforts to find a Travel Fund sponsor so we can rein- work an event you need drivers. We have a long-term lease at the Stockton help solve the problem, give advice, take suggestions, or just be a sounding state a successful PCRRC -- we almost connected last year, but lost out to a symbiotic relationship that is integral to Fairgrounds based on SFR Solo’s board. an IMSA prototype team! our sport. million-dollar investment to turn their 5-acre autocross site into a world- I am a retired senior project manager in the pharmaceutical industry, so I The other relationship that is also integral class 14-acre site. have time to commit to the Board of Directors. I bring professional man- is a good balance between business and agement experience of people and projects to my candidacy for the SFR club culture. Both are extremely impor- Board of Directors. tant. Many workers and drivers do not really care about the running of SFR -- they just want to race or work the races to have a good time.