November 2021
The three-day SFR Regional 15 & 16 & 17 at Thunderhill Raceway was full of surprises, challenges and championships. The entries numbered nearly 200 cars for the three days. This year the weekend format was a bit different: three days, three different courses. Friday – the 1.9 mile course, usually reserved for the SFR Competition Licensing School, so unknown to many; Saturday the usual 2.9-mile course known as the 3-mile. Sunday the schedule called for the 5-mile course, which incorporates the East and West Course., and requires additional corner workers and E Crew.
Friday started on schedule, after a beautiful sunrise. The weather was sunny and dry all day. Earlier in the week it had rained hard, and the ground was still soft enough that Workers could’t drive to the corners. The majority of the drivers hadn’t raced on the short course, or at least not recently. As this was the first time running this configuration for most, every group set new track records.
Read more about it in this month’s issue of The Wheel!
The three-day SFR Regional 15 & 16 & 17 at Thunderhill Raceway was full of surprises, challenges and championships. The entries numbered nearly 200 cars for the three days. This year the weekend format was a bit different: three days, three different courses. Friday – the 1.9 mile course, usually reserved for the SFR Competition […]
October 2021
SFR was well represented at the 58th running of the SCCA National Runoffs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Eighteen Race Officials and 50 Drivers, plus their crews and families were there, working in many different specialties and racing in 23 of the 26 National classes. Several drivers drove in more than one class, and one driver ran in three classes. A couple of drivers came home as National Champions and two made the podium.
This was the second time for the Runoffs at the Brickyard, but for some SFR drivers it was a first-time experience. Ditto for three of the volunteer Officials.
The weather was mild most of the week, until the weekend when rain was forecast and happened. It affected a few races for our drivers, made for some interesting tire decisions on Pre-Grid, and which brought some interesting races and situations. Sunday afternoon after all was done and mostly said, there appeared a huge double rainbow over the Museum side of the race track.
Read more about in this month’s issue of The Wheel!
SFR was well represented at the 58th running of the SCCA National Runoffs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Eighteen Race Officials and 50 Drivers, plus their crews and families were there, working in many different specialties and racing in 23 of the 26 National classes. Several drivers drove in more than one class, and one driver […]
September 2021
How do you deal with the extreme Central Valley heat? Some people go swimming, some people stay indoors, some people go to the coast. Ask the 79 crazy drivers from the Fresno Chapter and they will tell you, “We go racing.” The Fresno Chapter was back in action on August 21st after a few months off. The 79 anxious drivers were divided into 3 run groups and were ready to shred some tires. The heat would claim its first casualty in the first run group. One driver had a mechanical issue with his car and poured fluid on course during his 4th run. The half hour delay for cleaning the fluid on course gave drivers a quick breather from the morning heat. After a few test runs, the course was considered safe to continue. The rest of the day went smoothly without any incident.
Electric vehicles are slowly taking over the public roads and into the motorsports world. Tyler Bandy just happens to drive one of these electric vehicles of which we speak. His 2020 Tesla Model 3 performance is no stranger to the Fresno Chapter and was able to take TTOD with a 34.399. Second was Yang Moua in his 1989 Honda Civic with a 34.748, third was Brandon Griggs in his 2020 Mazda Miata with a 34.869, fourth was Michael Lella in his 2004 Chevy Corvette Z06, and fifth was Jason Hansen in his 2006 Mitsubishi Evo MR.
Read more about it in the September 2021 issue of The Wheel!
How do you deal with the extreme Central Valley heat? Some people go swimming, some people stay indoors, some people go to the coast. Ask the 79 crazy drivers from the Fresno Chapter and they will tell you, “We go racing.” The Fresno Chapter was back in action on August 21st after a few months […]
August 2021
Well when you have a good thing going you don’t stop it. Again the Sac Chapter SCCA tackled the autocross pad at Thunderhill. Another great event and another great day of racing. There were 71 drivers that raced and 71 people that had a great time.
Starting at the top, Super Street had eight drivers in cars that little boys dream about one day owning. David Borden took third place with a run of 40.467 in the family Porsche GT3. Second place went to Brian Jacobson in a Corvette with a 40.256. Champion for the day was Monty Pack sponsored by Animus Wine Napa Valley in a Porsche GT3 with a run of 39.028. In the ladies class, Susan Fontaine beat out Mary Borden with a run of 41.215 for the win.
A Street with a 100% Corvette showing had 6 drivers show up. Third place went to Rory Marin in a silver Corvette with a 41.385. Robert Foster in an orange Corvette crossed the lights with a 41.274. Winner for the day was Michael Lella sponsored by Beneath a Scarlet Sky, a novel, with a pass of 41.222.
Read more about it in the August 2021 issue of The Wheel!
Well when you have a good thing going you don’t stop it. Again the Sac Chapter SCCA tackled the autocross pad at Thunderhill. Another great event and another great day of racing. There were 71 drivers that raced and 71 people that had a great time. Starting at the top, Super Street had eight drivers […]
July 2021
Fifty-six competitors braved the heat to attend Round 8 of the San Francisco Region’s Solo II event at Crows Landing on June 19, 2021. The event was chaired by Ed Runnion, and the course was designed by Jonathan Lugod.
Monty Pack led the S1 group in a 2018 Porsche GT3 (SS.) Brian Jacobson came in second in a ’17 Chevrolet Corvette (SS), while Juven Lat took third in a ’14 Porsche Cayman S (AS.) Justin Bowen, Craig Boyle and Feri Dizon rounded out the rest of S1.
The S2 group was led by Alex Muresan in a ’19 Honda Civic Type R (DS). He was followed by John Rowe, also in a ’19 Civic Type R, with Eric Martin rounding out third in a ’20 Ford Mustang EcoBoost (DS.) The rest of S2 included Lloyd Feaver, Tiberiu Muresan, Gary Fazekas, Fred Campbell, Elijah Kleeman, Van Huynh and Jeff Kleeman.
Read more about it in the July 2021 issue of The Wheel!
Fifty-six competitors braved the heat to attend Round 8 of the San Francisco Region’s Solo II event at Crows Landing on June 19, 2021. The event was chaired by Ed Runnion, and the course was designed by Jonathan Lugod. Monty Pack led the S1 group in a 2018 Porsche GT3 (SS.) Brian Jacobson came in […]
June 2021
The three-day weekend at WeatherTech Raceway for Regionals 7 & 8 with a Friday Test Day run by SFR was a mixed weather bag. Friday was nice, Saturday was not, and Sunday was great.
Friday was a region-sponsored test day with about 100 cars. Everyone was expecting a nice quiet day but it turned out to be busier for some drivers and crews, especially the E Crew. There were lost wheels, broken suspensions, mechanical failures, and gravel racing. No one was hurt, but some cars needed work. One driver tested the Starter … and Stewards, by ignoring ten black flags for sound. It was bright and sunny, but coolish due to the bay breezes.
Read more about it in the June 2021 issue of The Wheel!
The three-day weekend at WeatherTech Raceway for Regionals 7 & 8 with a Friday Test Day run by SFR was a mixed weather bag. Friday was nice, Saturday was not, and Sunday was great. Friday was a region-sponsored test day with about 100 cars. Everyone was expecting a nice quiet day but it turned out […]
May 2021
SFR Regionals 5&6 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca was our first
race of the season at the iconic track. It had two different weather days
and a forecast designed to scare off some drivers and cast a damper
on the two-day weekend, pun intended. Saturday was bright and
sunny once the early morning overcast lifted. The chilly breeze kept
the jackets on. Sunday was overcast, damp at times and downright wet
at others. The forecast of possible rain could have been a factor in a
lower entry than anticipated – 150+. And as the weekend progressed,
so did the early exodus of race cars. Another contributing factor to
the car count could have been the dearth of special groups which
run our races with their series – a race within a race. So no World
Speed Formula Car Series, no Miata Festival, no Pac Northwest drivers
making a road trip, etc. Despite the morning overcasts, the schedule
started on time, both days. Sunday noon Chief Steward Paul Helberg
declared a rain race, which gave drivers option to run slicks or wets/
intermediates, but some drivers chose another option – leave.
Read all about in the May 2021 issue of The Wheel!
SFR Regionals 5&6 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca was our first race of the season at the iconic track. It had two different weather days and a forecast designed to scare off some drivers and cast a damper on the two-day weekend, pun intended. Saturday was bright and sunny once the early morning overcast lifted. […]
April 2021
SFR held its only Majors for the season at Thunderhill Raceway. The weather was sunny and dry all weekend, albeit chilly in the mornings, especially Friday, and breezy on Sunday. The turnout was nice, with more than 250 entries for the eight groups – seven Majors and one restricted regional race open to Novices. There were many out-of-region Drivers. It was Spring in full bloom on the way to the track and all fresh after Thursday’s rain – which dampened the test day, but not the spirits of the 100 Drivers who got pre-registered, making Friday morning’s Registration a veritable breeze.
There were nearly 20 Novices entered at the beginning of the weekend…
Read more about it in the April 2021 issue of The Wheel!
SFR held its only Majors for the season at Thunderhill Raceway. The weather was sunny and dry all weekend, albeit chilly in the mornings, especially Friday, and breezy on Sunday. The turnout was nice, with more than 250 entries for the eight groups – seven Majors and one restricted regional race open to Novices. There […]
March 2021
On the morning of Sunday February 21st, the Fresno Chapter started the 2021 season with 79 eager drivers. All drivers were divided into three groups with five runs each. Before the competition started, an award ceremony was held and trophies were given out to the 2020 winners. Many novice and hopeful competitors got a glance at what the future holds for them. Run Group 1 started off with morning temperatures in the mid40’s. As the temperatures got warmer throughout the day, the times got quicker.
Read more about it in the March 2021 issue of The Wheel!
On the morning of Sunday February 21st, the Fresno Chapter started the 2021 season with 79 eager drivers. All drivers were divided into three groups with five runs each. Before the competition started, an award ceremony was held and trophies were given out to the 2020 winners. Many novice and hopeful competitors got a glance […]
February 2021
One of the great things about both the sport of autocross and rallycross is the extremely low barrier to entry. To compete in either sport, you don’t need a racing license or a caged racing car. All that is required to compete is possession of almost any basic road-going vehicle, a helmet, forty bucks, and the willingness to go have some fun with cars. It is this simple inexpensive formula that has made both autocross and rallycross extremely popular. Driving a car as fast as you can around a timed, coned race course spikes adrenaline and it allows people to find the limits of their car in a safe and legal space. Both sports are immensely safe for drivers, and the wear and tear on cars is very minimal. For autocross you might find that the tires you thought you were going to get 20,000 miles out of may only last 15,000 miles after some aggressive driving at events. For rallycross you are going to find dirt in places on your car you never thought possible. Good news: dirt washes right off. In both sports cones line the track, so if you lose control the worst thing that can happen to your car is you hit a floppy cone. There will be no damage to your car; of course, the cone may not fare as well. The Sports Car Club of America doesn’t care, they have thousands of cones. They won’t even charge you if you destroy one.
Read more about it in the February 2021 issue of The Wheel!
One of the great things about both the sport of autocross and rallycross is the extremely low barrier to entry. To compete in either sport, you don’t need a racing license or a caged racing car. All that is required to compete is possession of almost any basic road-going vehicle, a helmet, forty bucks, and […]
January 2021
It is that time of the year again. The 2021 San Francisco Region Competition Licensing School will be held on February 12th – 14th. Each year this event provides driving enthusiasts the opportunity to develop their skills and become a full-fledged club racer. The San Francisco Region school is the only club run school in California that features three full days of track time with three race events to conclude the school. There are many good driver schools; however, the SFR school sets itself apart from the rest by teaching its students not just how to drive fast, but real racecraft.
Read more about it in the January 2021 issue of The Wheel!
It is that time of the year again. The 2021 San Francisco Region Competition Licensing School will be held on February 12th – 14th. Each year this event provides driving enthusiasts the opportunity to develop their skills and become a full-fledged club racer. The San Francisco Region school is the only club run school in […]
December 2020
I have said it more times than I can remember the best way to make autocrossing more fun is by making it longer. Every year SCCA Sacramento hosts its annual Enduro autocross. The format for the weekend consists of Saturday being a practice day. Each driver gets three tries at a two lap course. Clocks are running, but scores are not tallied. Sunday every driver gets to run the same course, but it’s one shot, five lap winner take all run . If you DNF, hit a cone, get lost, etc well enjoy the rest of your laps because you’re done. Trophies are awarded to the first place winners only. Every year Doug Hubbard has his normal autocross speech about cones and safety, but at the enduro he always reminds drivers that you have to remember to breathe. You won’t be able to hold your breath for the five laps. It has to be one of the funnest autocrosses all year. Car count was healthy at 93 drivers for the event. The event was held at Thunderhill Park.
Read more in the December 2020 issue of the Wheel
I have said it more times than I can remember the best way to make autocrossing more fun is by making it longer. Every year SCCA Sacramento hosts its annual Enduro autocross. The format for the weekend consists of Saturday being a practice day. Each driver gets three tries at a two lap course. Clocks […]