Northwest Sports Car News Official Membership Magazine of Northwest Region SCCA August 2014 Northwest Sports Car News The official membership magazine of Northwest Region, Sports Car Club of America. Editor: Jeff Zurschmeide [email protected] Publisher: Falstaff Publications 5857 Carman Drive Lake Oswego, OR 97035 Northwest Sports Car News is pub- lished on the first day of each month by Falstaff Publications under contract for Northwest Region Sports Car Club of America. All contents copyright © 2014 by Falstaff Publications and Northwest Region Sports Car Club of America. Content and Advertisements are due on the 20th of each month. Display ads must be submitted as On The Cover TIFF or JPG at 300dpi. Ad rates: Michael Manning leads the Formula Continental field at Full page $1000/year or $100/month Pacific Raceways during the Memorial Day Majors event. 1/2 page $500/year or $50/month 1/4 page $250/year or $25/month Photo by Doug Berger www.dbpics.com 1/8 page $200/year or $20/month Articles and photographs may be Northwest Region Contacts submitted by e-mail or in any digital format. Other formats accepted by arrangement with the Editor. Copyrighted materials may not be Regional Executive John Taylor [email protected] printed without prior permission. Asst. RE Race Chuck Huffington [email protected] All materials submitted become prop- Asst. RE Solo Dick Willy [email protected] erty of Northwest Region and Falstaff Publications. Writers and photogra- Membership John Forespring [email protected] phers retain original copyright to their work. Materials are printed according Time Trials David Conover [email protected] to the discretion of the Editor and Re- Webmaster Joe Goeke [email protected] gional Executive. Street Survival Sherri Masterson [email protected] Editor Jeff Zurschmeide [email protected] 2 Northwest Sports Car News Welcome Back to Northwest Region By John Taylor, Regional Executive region. That coupled with articles that Thanks for checking out the NWSCN. we can relate to, will give us something Drop us a line and let us know if you to enjoy. would like to see something added or a different way of laying things out. Our membership is on the rise and elcome to the re-launch of we are looking into fun activities that Thank you to all the advertisers that are Northwest Sports Car News! everyone can join in on. Stay tuned to supporting us through the magazine. W for future announcements. Be sure to let them know that you read It’s with great joy that we are able to re- their ad in the NWSCN. start our on-line magazine. Big thanks We will have elections in the near to Jeff for helping get this going again. future, and are looking for a few people Hope to see at the next event soon. to help out. Most positions only require We hope you enjoy the articles. As we an evening once a month. Think about John Taylor move forward we would appreciate your taking an active role in helping the club Northwest Region R.E. contributions in the form of pictures move forward. and articles. Let one of the board members know if The goal is that you help us put out a you’re interested or feel free to call or magazine that is informative and con- email me. I will be sending out an email tains information about events in our with a list if positions up for election. Tired of spending big money on the car and not going any faster? Why not invest in yourself? Our photo-realistic world class racing simulator allows you to practice and test before the race weekend at a fraction of the cost of test days. So you arrive prepared to win! www.mhrsols.com 503-267-4226 Authorized Dealer for Spec Racer Ford 503-970-9871 [email protected] 3 Northwest Sports Car News SCCA Pro Racing Executive Changes Announced Tom Campbell to Retire, Robert Clarke Named President TOPEKA, Kan. (July 9, 2014) – SCCA Pro Racing Ltd. President and CEO Tom Campbell has announced his intention to retire later this year, and the company has named former Honda Performance Development chief Robert Clarke its new president. Clarke joins SCCA Pro Racing after leading Honda Performance Develop- ment (HPD) for 15 years, from 1993- 2008. Clarke began at Honda in 1981, before starting HPD as a ground-up operation, establishing organization, facilities, policies, procedures and developmental goals. As its president and CEO, Clarke developed HPD into a world-class motorsports research and development business, also winning six manufacturer championships, eight driver championships and 123 wins in top domestic open-wheel series and sports car racing. Clarke’s motorsports roots started with SCCA Pro Racing President Robert Clarke SCCA, attending his first race with his father in 1959, establishing a base that time, with a focus of bringing stability In addition to serving as SCCA Pro would drive his racing passion, both in Racing President, Clarke will also business and as a participant, for the to the organization. work closely with the parent company, next 55 years. SCCA, Inc., in business development. “The business of professional racing is a challenging one, and I am happy to “I am very excited to work with SCCA, “Robert brings a tremendous back- as it is an opportunity for me to give say that SCCA Pro Racing is on sound footing and primed to begin a success- ground and new perspective to our back to the sport where my passion overall business,” SCCA, Inc. President for racing started,” Clarke said. “I look ful next chapter,” Campbell said. “It was never my intention to have a long ten- and CEO Lisa Noble said. “SCCA, Inc. forward to use the skills, expertise and and SCCA Pro Racing, will greatly experience I gained at Honda and to ure with SCCA Pro Racing, but rather to position it for future growth. Robert benefit from his contributions. We look help SCCA, as a whole, venture into forward to working with Robert and some new directions to become more brings the professional motorsports industry experience and skill set we the opportunities his involvement will contemporary and relevant for today’s bring to both companies.” society and automotive enthusiast.” need to realize our full potential. I look forward to working closely with Robert Campbell, a former Chairman of the over the coming months.” Board of Directors of both Sports Car Club of America, Inc. and its subsid- Campbell will remain with SCCA iary, SCCA Pro Racing, was named Pro Racing as Chief Executive Officer interim President and CEO of SCCA throughout the transition, with Clarke Pro Racing in January 2011. Campbell starting as the new president immedi- agreed to remain in the position full- ately. 4 Northwest Sports Car News BMW’s New i8 Supercar is Mean and Green By Jeff Zurschmeide, Northwest Sports Car News Editor he conventional wisdom is that T“green” cars are slow, practical, and not very exciting. And while that is not always true, the whole notion has been turned upside down with the new BMW i8 super car. The BMW i8 is substantially smarter than you, and it has two engines, and The i8 is technically a hybrid vehicle, it’s crazy stupid fast and great handling. And it costs $136,000 to own one. and BMW classed it in a new “i” sub- Got a problem with that? brand, along with their new four-door i3 electric car. These are, for the mo- flow wind around the tires help reduce built for speed, not for comfort. ment, the only cars BMW has put in the drag, along with a central vent in the i class. But the i8 is an entirely new kind forward hood to keep the electric motor The i8 fuel economy rating is an of hybrid, with a design unlike any- cool. interesting story. The EPA has not yet thing else on the road. released official fuel economy num- The doors on the i8 open up and out bers, but the i8 has been rated at up The difference with the i8 is that it has over tall and wide sills. This makes to 94 MPG in Europe. However, in a two engines – or more accurately, a it a challenge for taller, larger, or less day-long drive through the mountains, three-cylinder 1.5-liter turbocharged flexible people to get in and out of the we saw an average of 25.4 MPG. The gasoline engine in the back to drive the i8. The interior is comfortable, though, lesson here is that if you drive the i8 rear wheels and an electric motor in the and the dashboard layout and controls like a sports car, you’ll get sports car front to drive the front wheels. The two are every bit as high-tech as the rest of fuel economy. If you drive more gently, power plants are coordinated by the the car. You also sacrifice cargo space you’ll get better economy. car’s on-board computer. So the i8 can - there’s just a tiny trunk in the rear of be a front-wheel-drive electric vehicle the car, and it gets really hot. You will The bottom line is that the BMW i8 is one moment, then an all-wheel-drive end up using the back seat to carry any an entirely new kind of car. The i8 is hybrid or a rear-wheel-drive sports car, luggage you might have, because the priced at $136,600, including destina- as determined by driving conditions rear seat is way too small to transport tion fees.