1948–2021 CELEBRATING 73 YEARS VOL. 62 | February 2021 The official publication of the San Francisco Region of the Sports Car Club Of America Autocross vs Rallycross p. 7 2020 Honors & Awards p. 16 SONOMA RACEWAY (800) 708-RACE WWW.WINECOUNTRYMOTORSPORTS.COM ASK ABOUT OUR SCCA SPECIALS! ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEW RULE REQUIRING FORWARD FACING CAMERAS? WE ARE! SPECIALS FOR SCCA! GoPro Hero 7 Silver GoPro Hero 8 Black AIM Smartycam HD $19999 $39999 $999 FREE 32GB SD CARD FREE ROLL BAR MOUNT FREE ROLL BAR MOUNT CALL 800-708-7223 TO ORDER - GET IT SHIPPED TO YOU AT NO EXTRA COST! CAMLOCK 2020 HARNESSES SEASON AUTO RACING SUITS KICKOFF 15% OFF 10-30% OFF Start at $15995 Carveth - Stockton TR250 1962 Above-Michael Gardner topping CAMC both days in his GT350 MAY 2020 6 Wheelworks 12 Motor Sports News 21 Thunderhill Park for Covid 26 Notes From The Archives Vaccinations FEATURES 7 Rallycross vs Autocross 13 Northwest Spec Miata Tour 28 Thunderhill Report 22 Confessions of a Cone Slayer 11 Your Car on a Tee Shirt 16 SFR 2020 Honors & Awards IN EVERY ISSUE 4 Calendar 4 Travel Tech 29 Race Car Rentals 30 The Garage: Classified Ads 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 BOARD OF DIRECTORS MAILING ADDRESS TIM SULLIVAN Regional Executive PO Box 308, Willows, CA 95988 [email protected] LOCATION LINDA ROGASKI Secretary PUBLISHER: THE WHEEL PUBLICATIONS 5250 Hwy 162, Willows, CA 95988 [email protected] 530 934 4455 Editor BLAKE TATUM [email protected] 530 934 7275 fax Director BLAKE TATUM Art Direction & Design CHRIS BECKREST [email protected] [email protected] www.BeckrestDesign.com The Wheel is the Official publication of the San Francisco region of the Sports Car Club of America located at 5250 Hwy R.J. GORDY Director CONTRIBUTING WRITERS • Blake Tatum • Gary Horstkorta • David Vodden 162, Willows, California 95988. It is published monthly by Wheel [email protected] Publications, 6185 Riverbank Circle, Stockton, California 95219. • Rob Krider • Lynne Huntting Opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of the San Francisco Region, Wheel Publications, The Wheel, BEN FRENCH Treasurer CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS & ARTISTS it’s staff or advertisers. Material submitted to The Wheel that is [email protected] • Lynne Huntting • Rob Kirder • Blake Tatum slanderous, libelous, profane, pure inflammatory criticism offering no constructive alternatives, sexually explicit or material as directed by The Board, such as competitive series schedules, ads, etc. shall not BILL BOOTH Director POSTMASTER, Please send address changes to: be published. [email protected] Permission to reprint materials from The Wheel is hereby granted to all SCCA regional publications with the agreement that full credit The Wheel be given to the author and The Wheel. SETH REID Director P.O. Box 308 The Wheel • ISSN 0888-1103 • USPS 0625-160 • is published [email protected] Willows, CA 95988 monthly for $15 per year for the San Francisco Region of the Sports Car Club of America, 5250 Hwy 162, Willows, California 95988. Periodicals Postage paid at Willows, CA and at additional mailing offices. FEBRUARY 2021 | SFRSCCA.ORG | 3 CALENDAR 2021 Schedule May Change depending on each county's COVID 19 regulations. Please refer to the www.sfrscca.org website for more information 2021 FRESNO CHAPTER SOLO SCHEDULE Event 2 - Feb 20 Event 7 - May 2 Event 12 - Nov 14 **Buttonwillow Kart Track www.FresnoSCCA.com Event 3 - Feb 21 Event 8 - June 19 More dates may be added; visit www.Fres- noSCCA.com for an up-to-date calendar Event 4 - March 27 Event 9 - Aug 21 All events held at Fresno Fairgrounds except Event 5 - March 28 Event 10 - TBD Oct** October Event 6 - May 1 Event 11 - Nov 13 SAN FRANCISCO REGION'S 2021 SOLO II CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE Rounds 1,2 - Feb 20 – 21 SCCA National Tour (Round 5) - Rounds 8, 9 - Jun 19 – 20 Rounds 14, 15 - Oct 9 – 10 Apr 30 – May 2 Rounds 3, 4 - Mar 20 – 21 Rounds 10, 11 - Jul 17 – 18 Rounds 16, 17 - Nov 6 – 7 SCCA Pro Solo - Apr 16 – 18 Rounds 6, 7 - May 29 – 30 Rounds 12, 13 - Aug 21 – 22 RENO REGION SCCA SCHEDULE April 17, Sat - 2 Mile West Course June 22, Sat - 2 Mile West Course Sept 11, Sat - 2 Mile West Course GO TO: www.renoscca.motorsportreg.com for additional information and register OR May 22, Sat - 2 Mile West Course July 2, Sat - 23 Mile East Course All events are at Thunderhill Raceway Park Contact: Andy Ross [email protected] Donate to the Friends of Thunderhill! A 501 C-3 Charitable/Tax Deductible Foundation whose mission is to invest in improved safety, industry education and community outreach all designed to improve the experience of all who engage in recreational motorsports. Support the Teen Driver Car Clinics. Provide scholarships to high school students moving on in automotive technologies, facilitate vehicle safety improvements and engage in community activities that support the mission of Thunderhill Park and its long-tern future in the County of Glenn and Northern California. Donations can be made in kind and/or Funds to Friends of Thunderhill P O Box 966 Willows, Ca, 95988 Take advantage of your 2020 Tax Write Offs by donating before the end of the year. TELEPHONE HOURS: RATES TRAVEL TECH 6 pm–9 pm Mon. through Fri., and 10 am to 6 pm Sat. & Sun. • 1 car/$10.00 + mileage Travel Tech is a volunteer, in shop/ • 2 cars/$9.00 each + 1/2 Morris Hamm Jason Hohmann mileage at home tech inspection service for Marin/ Sonoma/ Napa/ Patterson - Central Valley • 3 cars/$8.00 each + 1/3 pre-race and purchase inspection of Infineon 209-620-0559 mileage 707-738-8860 race cars, including newly built cars. Phil Munoz • Logbook for new car or re-issuing a Logbook is Travel Tech Scrutineers are: Santa Cruz Area, 831-297-2457 $30 plus mileage. 4 | SFRSCCA.ORG | FEBRUARY 2021 CALENDAR 2021 2021 SFR/SCCA RACE SCHEDULE AND PRO SUPPORT SCHEDULE FEBRUARY 12-14 JULY 23-25 DRIVERS SCHOOL – (3 DAYS) THUNDERHILL REGIONAL 11&12 FRIDAY TEST (3 DAYS)- WEATHERTECH FEBRUARY 26 LAGUNA TEST DAY (RUN BY HOD) -SONOMA RACEWAY AUGUST 7-8* FEBRUARY 27-28 PRE REUNION (2 DAYS)- WEATHERTECH LAGUNA REGIONAL 1&2 (2 DAYS)-SONOMA RACEWAY AUGUST 12-15* MARCH 19-21 REUNION (4 DAYS)- WEATHERTECH LAGUNA MAJOR / RESTRICTED REGIONAL (3 DAYS) – THUNDERHILL AUGUST 28-29 APRIL 24-25 REGIONAL 13&14 (2 DAYS) - WEATHERTECH LAGUNA REGIONAL 5&6 (2 DAYS) - WEATHERTECH LAGUNA SEPTEMBER 9-12* MAY 28-30 IMSA (4 DAYS) - WEATHERTECH LAGUNA REGIONAL 7&8 FRIDAY TEST (3 DAYS) -WEATHERTECH SEPTEMBER 16-19* LAGUNA INDYCAR (4 DAYS) - WEATHERTECH LAGUNA JUNE 18 OCTOBER 29-31 TEST DAY (RUN BY HOD) -SONOMA RACEWAY REGIONAL 15,16 & 17 (3 DAYS) - THUNDERHILL JUNE 19-20 *Pro Race Support for Volunteers REGIONAL 9&10 (2 DAYS) - SONOMA RACEWAY FEBRUARY 2021 | SFRSCCA.ORG | 5 2020 SFR/SCCA RACE SCHEDULE AND PRO SUPPORT SCHEDULE Wheelworks PEA GRAVEL BY BLAKE TATUM After years of going through the motions, I decided that my racing fiberglass that looked fine had cracks or chunks missing. The wiring program needed a new approach. Instead of bringing the same old was coated with so much oil it was acting as an insulator for shorts. beat-up race car to the track, it was time to go completely through it. Literally every part of the car came under scrutiny. I have to say crashing the car into the tire wall at Laguna had as much Now here I am working towards a deadline, because racing is all about to do with the overhaul as my desire to make it pristine again. But just the deadline. The Super Tour race at Button Willow is approaching. like the pitcher who has Tommy John surgery and comes back better, This is one of the best events of the year, plus it usually has good sometimes a set back ends up being a step forward. competition. I have been working every spare minute in the garage. I It all started out at the beginning of the year - January 1, 2021. We're come in sometimes at 2:00 AM fingertips numb. My hands are once all tired of the bad news 2020 brought. We are all tired of the political again an accumulation of small cuts and small pieces of metal or turmoil in our country. We are all tired of six feet apart and social fiberglass slivers. I consider my hands clean when I can clearly see the distancing. So when you are dealt lemons, you make lemonade. I set black outline of my fingertips, but when I grab something, it does not about the repairing of the race car. At first, it was going to be cut off leave a smudge. When I go to bed, the smell of the garage hovers over the bad pieces, weld in the new straight ones, and get the rattle can of my presence. My hair is so long that my wife has offered to cut it, which spray paint out. Call it good. she has never done before. As I started working on this project, my little car kept telling me that it Speaking of my wife, she does not complain. She tells me she married needed more. The signs were all there; the self-contained Dzus buttons into this. However, her birthday is the weekend before the Super Tour, that are not self containing anymore; the pop rivets that have lost all of and no amount of marrying into racing trumps being with her on her their pop and now just rattle around in a hole in the frame; the belly pan birthday.