Auto-Cross Fund Drive

[SmokinViperGTS]

In an effort to promote more driving and driver-education events, to a broader group within our club, some of us have begun to focus on sponsoring some auto-cross events in 2010.

The really great part of this is that auto-cross is a relatively low risk event that provides a lot of fun, and a great learning environment, for anyone interested in gaining more confidence with their Viper. Anyone can participate and benefit, from the spouse that rarely drives the car, to the hard-core track rat, and everyone has a good time! Spin out? Eat a rubber cone? So-what! No harm, no foul.

Unfortunately, to get started, it does require some equipment, and that takes money. So, in the spirit of "Let's Do This!", I formally announced our Fund Drive to support auto-cross at our Holiday Party, last week.

Kicking off our drive was Paul Ronald, with a $500 donation for the "Yellow is Fastest!" team, and a challenge to all the Black cars out there to "Beat this!". Taking up the challenge for the Black team was Darth O'Neill, with $500, and AB and Elizabeth Butcher standing up for "Viper Red is Best" with another $500! Larry Schmidt got the "Silver Lining" team on the grid with another $100!

With a goal of $2500 to get started, and $5000 to fully fund Auto-Cross, we're off to a flying start! So, get out your checkbook, and send in a donation to "WAVCA" to help us get across the starting line, and put your car's team in first place! ALL donations of every size are welcomed. Send me PM or e-mail, and I'll send you my address for the check.

And a huge THANK-YOU! to the Ronalds, Butchers, and Schmidts for dropping the green flag on this fund drive!

LET'S DO THIS!!!

Current Standings:

First Place - Tie! Yellow is Fastest, Viper Red is Best, and Black is Fastest - $500
Second Place - Silver Lining - $100
Not on the Starting Grid Yet - Blue, White, Green, Purple, Sapphire, Copper, Grey

 

[snnseatl]

I see that we are trying to win by the color of our cars...is there a benefit for the winning color? A discount on the auto cross event maybe?

 

[Y2K10 SRT#39]

Steve- I'll donate the 30 cones I just bagged this afternoon from the Oly Fred Meyer parking lot. I'll get them to you as soon as I get the printing off of the cones...seems somebody wrote on them!!!

Everyone should start being "cone natzi's" and grabbing them when they are just sitting lonely alongside the road or in the parking lots. This could save us LOTS of money!

Let me point out this is all in fun...I did not bag any cones today....

Let's see- there are some other colors out there!!!! What's happening with the BLUE cars???

PBR
You all KNOW it is!!!!

 

[snnseatl]

We are more stealth than the other colors...we will come in secretly at the end and win it all!

 

[SmokinViperGTS]

I see that we are trying to win by the color of our cars...is there a benefit for the winning color? A discount on the auto cross event maybe?

Oh, the bragging rights are gonna be HUGE for the winners!
....and they might even get a surprise, come the first event!
But that's a secret.

In order to figure out how much money we need, we built budgets for start up expenses and per-event costs, including guesses for sign up fees, track fees, etc. But none of that is fixed yet. We've already contacted two track facilities, gotten equipment quotes, and are working angles to reduce our cone costs (not quite as Paul suggested ).

If we can get to our Start Up Target of $2500 before the end of the year, then we'll step on the gas, sign up for schedule days at the tracks, get the event insurance in place, and order the timing gear. Cones are the biggest hurdle, so we'll keep working that.

 

[sdwpve]

Steve,

Send me your address and I will send you a $600.00 donation for the "Red Team"

I assume we will using Bremerton for these events?

Steve W

 

[cobrapilot]

I'm in for the Yellow, Red, and Voilet super team! send me the address and I will send $601. That makes me high bidder right????

Did this go out in a mass email to the members? I missed this. The only way I knew about this was I ran into Paul Ronald picking up cans on the side of the road and he told me about it. Now we need to move the funds toward Ron's bail for the grand cone theft

 

[SmokinViperGTS]

Steve,

Send me your address and I will send you a $600.00 donation for the "Red Team"

I assume we will using Bremerton for these events?

Steve W

Steve - THANK YOU for your generous donation! I've sent you a PM with my address.

Yes, we have already corresponded with BMS and Shelton Airport, and are planning to use their facilities, pending getting on their calendars. We would like to get a third facility somewhere farther north as well, and we're working on that.

I'm in for the Yellow, Red, and Voilet super team! send me the address and I will send $601. That makes me high bidder right????

Did this go out in a mass email to the members? I missed this. The only way I knew about this was I ran into Paul Ronald picking up cans on the side of the road and he told me about it. Now we need to move the funds toward Ron's bail for the grand cone theft

Wow! That's fantastic! You are now officially the high bidder. You've given me a wonderful problem to solve - if we allocate $200 to Red, $200 to Yellow, and $200 to Violet, who gets the extra buck? I've sent you a PM with my address.

I'm not surprised to hear that Mr. Ronald was picking up "cans" (more likely cones!) on the roadside - he'll do anything for fun! Was he wearing one of those funny striped suits?

Yes, I sent out an e-mail to everyone on the current club mailing list on Nov 23rd. It went to your business e-mail. Please let me know if you didn't get it, so I can find and fix any problem we might have.

THANK YOU for helping to make this happen!

Steve

 

[Y2K10 SRT#39]

Please stop making fun of my striped suits. I get many compliments on them you know! With the lack of corrections funding here in Thurston county, there is no worry about bail $$. They let me out right away!

Anyway- the roads and parking lots are much cleaner around here...I'm de-coning them!!

PBR

 

[cobrapilot]

So Paul this story is for you. About 12 years ago or so when I was racing hydroplanes one of my crew members worked for what was then Bell telephone co. We always worked on the Hydroplane after work at my shop at the airport and he always drove his work truck over. Well, he had that post on the front bumber that held about 10 cones for the truck. We were looking for a way to keep our cargo hooks dry while we were flying and harvesting the christmas trees with the helicopters in the rain and I came up with the idea to use a cone. The water ran off it just like a hat. my great friend said he was going to look the other way and if his cones vanished, he would have to get more from the phone shop the next morning. Well, they did just that some how. They vanished! A few days later I got a call from King 5 news and they came down to do a story on the helicopter/christmas tree operation. Well, I forgot the camera man was running around under the helicopter. He was filming that CONE! I did'nt know it until I was home that night watching the news. It only had the "Bell" logo on side but wouldnt you know it, just as the camera made a close up the whole cone swung around and there it was, some great advertising for Bell telephone. Less than 2 minutes later my phone rings. It my friend, he says "It would be good if you guys at least painted over the logo of the stolen cones".

 

[Y2K10 SRT#39]

So now you understand why I try to find the ones with no logo's on them....
Sometimes they are difficult to remove....

I would have never thought you would have taken cones off a Bell Truck...
But then again....Thanks for the idea!!!
PBR

 

[SmokinViperGTS]

So, you're saying that when we buy some, we need to get them engraved?

You guys are hilarious!

 

[Irid]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_VGeRhTS1Y[/media]

 

[SmokinViperGTS]

Cool video Irid! Can you tell us more about the event?

I'm a total newbie to A-X, but hooked already! Here's a link to my 2nd A-X ever:

autocross

When you land on the page, click on the low-res link unless you've got a super-fast download and PC. My first time taking video, also, so it's really shaky, but I'm working on that too!

 

[Y2K10 SRT#39]

Irid- where was that? It sure looked like Bremerton!!

PBR

 

[Irid]

Yeah it's Bremerton. One of the SCCA events from this past year. Car won its class this year (SSM) which is always nice. It's my street car, so aside from the Hoosiers it's exactly as it's driven on the street daily. It's always a little askew as it goes around the course which everyone seems to like ;-)

 

[Y2K10 SRT#39]

Please let us know the dates for this year!!
Steve needs to get some pactice!

PBR

 

[SmokinViperGTS]

Please let us know the dates for this year!!
Steve needs to get some pactice!

PBR

Boy, do I! I need LOTS of practice!

I'm hoping to schedule 3 events next year. I've got an inquiry out to Bremerton about dates, and I'm waiting until January to contact Shelton again. If anyone has any leads on another facility, please let me know!

 

[Green Viper]

Hey Steve - What are the updated totals?

James

 

[SmokinViperGTS]

Hey Steve - What are the updated totals?

James

The latest count has us at $2801 pledged, and $2201 banked!

And a HUGE THANK-YOU! to the Ronalds, Butchers, and Schmidts for dropping the green flag on this fund drive, and to the Reynolds and Woods for stepping on the throttle!

Viper Red is now waaay out in front!
Yellow is Fastest is second.
Shockingly, Black is Fastest is way back in third place! C'mon guys! Where are ya?
And the Blue cars are still in the garage!

LET'S DO THIS!!!

Current Standings:

First Place – Viper Red is Best - $1300
Second Place – Yellow is Fastest - $701
Third Place – Black is Fastest - $500
Fourth Place – Violet Never Shrinks - $200
Fifth Place – Silver Lining - $100

Not on the Starting Grid Yet - Blue, White, Green, Sapphire, Copper, Grey

 

[cobrapilot]

Hey PBR;
Did you get a hold of that guy at the Chehalis Airport? They got room. Thats where the cops go all the time. you can see it from I-5.

 

[Y2K10 SRT#39]

Hey PBR;
Did you get a hold of that guy at the Chehalis Airport? They got room. Thats where the cops go all the time. you can see it from I-5.

Brian- No I did not contact them yet. I was waiting to see if the idea floated first. Seems like it did-
I'll check into them soon. Do you have contact info perhaps?

PBR

 

[SmokinViperGTS]

Brian- No I did not contact them yet. I was waiting to see if the idea floated first. Seems like it did-
I'll check into them soon. Do you have contact info perhaps?

PBR

Paul,

I was waiting to pass the $2500 mark before we book anything, and it seems that we are there!

I don't know anything about the Chehalis Airport site. We've already started some thinking about another site between Olympia and Portland (Packwood), but it's an hour drive from I-5, which makes it less attractive.

I've already contacted BMP and we're pursuing dates there.

And then there's Shelton Airport - I was waiting until closer to January there for another reason as well.

I still have the contact info for Terra Dittmer, the contact at PoS. In an e-mail from 6 weeks ago, Terra said "We have not yet set the use rate for 2010, likely to be around 300/event for exclusive use of the asphalt area. ", and "I feel that I should inform you that the Commission, in the near future, will be creating and adopting a policy for non aviation use/event of the airport, when this occurs there may be changes to our current procedures."

I guess it's time to contact Terra again, and see if the changes are settled down enough to book dates. I'll contact Terra at PoS, and update with the results.

Can you or Brian make contact with Chehalis?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[cobrapilot]

The manager at the Chehalis Airport is Allyn Roe and I know him personally, he needs something from me for his airshow next year, I can contact him. What exactly am I asking for??

 

[SmokinViperGTS]

Brian,

Here are some questions that would be very helpful:

1. What are their club rates (weekend, week day) for 2010?
2. What dates are available? Do they have a published schedule for 2010?
3. Do they have this information available to download off the internet? At what URL?
4. What additional requirements do they have for club events (e.g. insurance requirements, safety requirements, sponsorship requirements, site/facilities/cleanup requirements)?
5. Who is the designated contact (name/phone/address) to submit our application to?
6. When is payment required?
7. Hours of operation for events?
8. Where do we get the application form?
9. Anything else we should know?

Thanks! I really appreciate the help.

Steve

 

[Green Viper]

I would like to pledge $202 for the "Black is fastest" team to get us back into second place.... where we can strike at the lead when the time arises.

 

[SmokinViperGTS]

I would like to pledge $202 for the "Black is fastest" team to get us back into second place.... where we can strike at the lead when the time arises.

Awesome! Thanks James! I'll be looking forward to that continuing rally from Black is Fastest (and a response from Yellow is Fastest).

Current Standings:
The latest count has us at $3003 pledged, and $2201 banked!

And a HUGE THANK-YOU! to the Ronalds, Butchers, and Schmidts for dropping the green flag on this fund drive, and to the Reynolds and Woods for stepping on the throttle, and to the Retychs for keeping us going!

Viper Red is still waaay out in front!
Black is Fastest squeaks into second by $1!
Yellow is Fastest slips to third.

And the Blue cars are still in the garage!

LET'S DO THIS!!!

Current Standings:

First Place – Viper Red is Best - $1300
Second Place – Black is Fastest - $702
Third Place – Yellow is Fastest - $701
Fourth Place – Violet Never Shrinks - $200
Fifth Place – Silver Lining - $100

Not on the Starting Grid Yet - Blue, White, Green, Sapphire, Copper, Grey

 

[SmokinViperGTS]

Those donations continue to roll in! A great big THANK YOU! to the Wyrschs for the latest donation (to the Red is Best team!).

Current Standings:
The latest count has us at $3253 pledged, and $2653 banked!

And a HUGE THANK-YOU! to the Ronalds, Butchers, and Schmidts for dropping the green flag on this fund drive, and to the Reynolds and Woods for stepping on the throttle, and to the Retychs and Wyrschs for keeping us going!

Viper Red is extending their lead!
Black is Fastest hanging onto second by $1!
Yellow is Fastest firmly in third.

And the Blue cars are still in the garage!

LET'S DO THIS!!!

Current Standings:

First Place – Viper Red is Best - $1550
Second Place – Black is Fastest - $702
Third Place – Yellow is Fastest - $701
Fourth Place – Violet Never Shrinks - $200
Fifth Place – Silver Lining - $100

Not on the Starting Grid Yet - Blue, White, Green, Sapphire, Copper, Grey

 

[C-Note]

Throw Copperheadin up the pack... in for $300.

 

[JonB]

Throw Copperheadin up the pack... in for $300.

Copperhead STRIKES ?