The Loss of One of Our Own

If you’re on Facebook, you likely saw the news of the passing of one of our members, Matthew Stahl. Matthew was just 21 years old when he was involved in a head-on collision on Wednesday, November 7th, and he tragically lost his life as a result of the crash. The crash also claimed the life of the 17 year old driver in the car that collided with Matthew’s.

Some of you may remember Matthew. He drove the red 1990 Mazda Miata, #120 in SSM. He's been a Susquehanna Region SCCA member since June of 2017 and attended about 10 events with us since then. His girlfriend Brielle was also in the car at the time of the crash, but is thankfully out of the hospital and recovering.  

A procession of 12 #teamsusquatch cars made their way to Matthew’s funeral last weekend and, at Matthew’s mother’s request, Rich Thomas did one hell of a burn out in his Mustang in Matthew’s honor on our way out of town.

It’s always difficult to lose one of our own, but particularly difficult in this instance given the circumstances and Matthew’s age. Please keep Matthew and Brielle’s families and all affected in your thoughts and prayers.

From the Editor's Desk

Hi There  - 

November has been a busy month, a bittersweet month, and has given me a lot to be thankful for.

The beginning of the month started out amazingly, with our first Tire Rack Street Survival event on November 3rd, I couldn't have asked for a more successful and fulfilling event had I tried.  The amazing feeling wore off very quickly when only 4 days after TRSS, we lost one of our own members.  Given the circumstances of the accident, the other person killed in the accident could (and should) have attended our teen driving school - it's all a lot to take in within less than a week's time.

So, as I reflect back on these last few weeks, I am thankful for many things, including all of you!  Life is short, and tomorrow is not guaranteed, so we all need to make sure we live our best lives as our best selves.  And on that sappy note, that's all from me -  I hope you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Keep it Classy Susquehanna - Melissa Mauro
Editor, The Squeal

Note from the RE

Ladies & gentlemen, we find ourselves at the end of yet another motorsports season. It’s a little bittersweet for me because, as many of you know, my season didn’t go as planned with my dad in ill health. BUT, for us here in Susquehanna Region, I’d call it a success! Although our autocross series was plagued with wet weather, I saw a record number of smiles out there to go along with the rooster tails of water spun up by tires. The rallycross program saw another stellar year with solid numbers and are confidently branching out to find new venues. 2018 saw the return of Road Rally to the region, which proved to be a ton of fun. We saw our first Cars & Coffee event put on with a great turnout. And last, but certainly not least, we had our first Tire Rack Street Survival and helped almost 30 teens become better, more confident drivers. None of this would have been possible without those who stood up to lead — Melissa Mauro, Chris Brown, Rob Springer, John Roscinski, Bryan Roper and Lisa Leathery have been absolutely instrumental in the success, growth and creation of our programs this year. Hats of to all of you, and to everyone else who played a role (no matter how small) in making this year a success.

Now, while we’re technically in the “slow” season, things have not really calmed down behind the scenes. Both autocross and rallycross programs are working on securing new venues. We’re knee-deep in banquet preparations including designing new trophies and getting ready for one heck of a party. Three Susquehanna Region members — Bryan Roper, Melissa Mauro and I — have been asked to speak at the SCCA National Convention in January, and the region is also hosting the NEDiv Mini-Convention in February. So, still LOTS to be done.

In any case, here’s to one hell of a 2018 season. We all have quite a bit to be thankful for as we enter the holiday season. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

HAVE YOU VOTED YET?

This meeting will include the election of the 2019 Regional Officers and Board of Directors. Voting will remain open online, via the button below, until Wednesday, November 28th. All Susquehanna SCCA Members are entitled to a vote, either online or in person at the November meeting, held on the 29th. Find more meeting details later in this newsletter.

The following board and officer positions are uncontested for 2018 and, therefore, will not appear as choices in this election survey.

• Regional Executive: Kristen Poole
• Secretary: Brian Holmes
• Treasurer: Alan Lesher

Assistant Regional Executive and one Director (3 year) position are contested board positions this year, with two candidates nominated for each:

Assistant Regional Executive: Doug Austin (incumbent) and Melissa Mauro
Director: Rob Springer and Nick Landis

It's (Almost) Party Time!

by Kristen Poole
Our 2018 season has come to a (soggy) end! It’s about time to look forward to the end-of-year banquet where we get together, have some drinks and good food and celebrate the past season.

Come out and help us celebrate the success of our 2018 Triton Automotive Autocross and RallyCross Series at the Sheraton Harrisburg Hershey on January 12, 2019. We’ll present our region recognition awards as well as our series of competition awards (and a few new special ones) while enjoying complimentary beer and soda, a great buffet dinner and, of course, great door prizes!

Registration is NOW OPEN. We have a current cap of 140 people, so don't wait to RSVP!

SCCA members pay a discounted rate or $20 per person, with one non-member guest at the same price. Non-members and additional guests are also welcome to join us for $50 per person.

Rallycross Finds a Second Venue

by John Roscinski
The Susquehanna SCCA RallyCross program would like to make the following announcement: We have a new venue!

We're working on contracts with a new venue to hold RallyCross events on this 30 acre mud-run field. This new venue will challenge drivers with longer, faster courses while still keeping with the elevation changes you have come to know and love!

Look for the 2019 RallyCross schedule to include dates for both our new venue and Farm Show lots!

Our First Street Survival Was a HUGE Success

by Melissa Mauro

With our first event in the books, we can mark this as a huge success!  The day went off without a hitch, and we had many happy teens, parents, and staff.  I couldn't have asked for a better day.

I'd like to thank our coaches who took a day out to help teach the students. This event couldn't have been possible, or such a success without you!

Kenny Adam, Russ Addie, TJ Brillhart, Mike Chilcote, Wayne Dobson, Nils Hagen-Frederiksen, Stephen Hyatt, Steven Ibanez, Lisa Leathery, Alan Lesher, Jared Mark, Justin Peachey, Jack Raymond, David Rittenhouse, William Sangrey, Michael Thomas, Rich Thomas, Blair Warner and Nick Young.

I'd also like to thank Rob Springer for helping to design the exercises for the site, and spent the entire day out shagging cones and making the course safe...along with Chris Brown, and Bryan Roper. Thanks to Kristen Poole for the help during the event inside and on the course, and Tom Hamm for taking some great photos!

It takes a village to run this event, and I couldn't be more grateful for the group of amazing people I had with me this weekend in my village.

I'm looking forward to continuing this program in 2019!

If you're interested in helping me with the program next year, or have any questions about TRSS, don't hesitate to email me, or reach out via Facebook.

November Regional Meeting

Thursday, November 29th • 7:30 p.m.

Our next meeting will be held on the second floor at Appalachian Brewing Company, 50 N. Cameron Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101. All members are encouraged to attend. Come an hour early for dinner (and a drink) with other members.

Region Merchandise Available!

Have you been looking for region specific apparel and gear? SCCA Gear added a new section for region merchandise and we've made sure that the Susquehanna region is a part of it.

News from SCCA

2018 Rules