In this issue: Classifieds! • Autocross Returns to Hershey Park! • Rallycross...SOON! • Motorsports, Susquehanna Style • March Regional Meeting Details •
Member Spotlight: Darian Taggart • Touring 4 Shows Diversity • DirtFish Rallycross Contingency Programs for 2017 Announced • Summit Racing Equipment — SCCA Road Racing Sponsor • SCCA Grant Powers Veteran Outreach Program • 2017 Tire Rack National Solo Season Ignites
From the Editor's DeskHi, there — Here are are at the beginning of yet another motorsports season! I don't know about you, but I'm certainly ready! Details on the first autocross and rallycross events are included below along with a couple of articles on member accomplishments from this month and upcoming events in our area, thanks to Tracy Holmes! Note that we've had some changes to rules, at both national and regional levels. This includes some changes from national in classing for autocross. Links to all of those rules can be found at the bottom of this email. Look forward to seeing all of you autocrossers this weekend! Until next time — Kristen Poole
Regional Executive & Editor, The Squeal
Classifieds! We have added a new classifieds section to the Susquehanna SCCA website for cars and car parts. All are welcome to post an ad, which will be featured in this monthly newsletter. Please note that ads must be approved before they are live on the website. Enjoy!
Autocross Returns to Hershey Park!
The Susquehanna Region autocross program makes its return to Hershey Park for a double header weekend this weekend, March 25th and 26th and it's gonna be a good one! The weather is set to be a gorgeous 70 degrees on Saturday. Sunday will be a little chillier with rain showers in the afternoon. A far cry from the worst weather we've seen for our spring Hershey events! Registration closes at 8:00pm tonight (Thursday, March 23), but we are already sold out for Saturday with several people on the waiting list! Heat
Order for both Saturday & Sunday
Run 1, Work 2: BS, DS, ES, GS, HS
Run 2, Work 1: CS, STF, STS, STX, STR, STU
Run 3, Work 4: SS, AS, All SP, SSR, All CAM, BML
Run 4, Work 3: FS, STP, All Prep, All SM, All Mod Also, keep in mind since it's the beginning of the season, it's important to review any changes that SCCA National may have made to classing using the 2017 rule book and that some of our AX Supplemental Rules have changed this year.
Saturday, AX #1, Hershey ParkSaturday is officially sold out!
We have several people on a waiting list to get in. With registration closing tonight (3/23) at 8:00pm, this event is capped out! You can still view event details using the link below.
Sunday, AX #2, Hershey ParkThe Sunday event still has a few spots open! As of the writing of this email, there are 9 spots available for the Sunday event. So if you still haven't registered, now's your chance! You can view details and register using the link below.
Rallycross is less than a month away as well! We'll be holding a Rallycross school on Saturday, April 22 and the first event of the season on Sunday, April 23. Both at the Elmerton Farm Show lot.
Learn How to Rallycross! Always wanted to rallycross or just looking to brush up on your skills for the season? Now's your chance! Only 20 entrants will be accepted for this year's Susquehanna Region rallycross school where you'll get to learn the ins and outs of playing in the dirt. Registration is open and we already have 7 people signed up, so don't wait too long! Sign up today using the link below.
Rallycross #1, Elmerton Lot The first rallycross of the Susquehanna season! Need we say more? Registration is open for the event and we're already seeing sign ups. A maximum of 40 entrants will be accepted, so don't wait too long to sign up! Use the link below to get full event details and register. Remember, we're using Motorsportreg.com this year instead of MyAutoEvents.com!
Motorsports, Susquehanna Style With the motorsport season ready to go full swing, Tracy Holmes is back at it with Member Moments and Puttering Around PA posts on the website. Thanks, Tracy!
Member Moments Check out the link below to see where your fellow members are competing other than with the Susquehanna Region.
Puttering Around PA Want to know what events are happening soon in surrounding regions and clubs? Checkout the link below!
March Regional MeetingTuesday, March 28 • 7:30 p.m.
Our next meeting will be held in the private dining room at Gilligan's Bar and Grill, 987 Eisenhower Boulevard, Harrisburg, PA 17111. All members are encouraged to attend. Come early for dinner (and a drink) with other members. Meeting Agenda- Discussion and vote on adoption of
revised bylaws
— Kristen Poole
- Review and discussion on the first two autocross events — All
- Update on timing trailer progress — Chris Benfer/Geoff Craig
- Update on costs for possible new tow vehicle — Markus Houser
- Update on possible event at Penn State Harrisburg — Doug Austin
- Update on possible new rallycross site — John Roscinski
- Review of sponsorship packages — Kristen Poole
- Discussion surrounding the possibility of giving back to our autocross and rallycross chiefs
Member Spotlight
Name: Darian Taggart
From: East Earl, PA
Runs: Autocross
Drives: 2005 Mazda 3 in STF
Member since: Early 2016
You may have seen Darian around one of the many AX events from last year but you may not know his background. Darian has spent his life living in Lancaster county. He cut his racing teeth on motorcycles. After participating in many motorcycle races, he decided to give 4-wheel racing a try.
While he is a newcomer to the autocross scene, he certainly jumped in with both feet, making an impression at his first event with his enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge. He has really shown a willingness not only to learn, but to participate in every aspect of the club. You can normally find Darian working in any number of assignments and actively assisting other members in any way possible. We look forward to seeing the heights this new member will achieve.
Touring 4 Shows Diversity
Photo: Oscar Jackson taking Touring 4 win at Runoffs, courtesy of SCCA.
by Alan Lesher
The Touring category is set aside for real cars; no tube frames, no slicks, no racing engines. That does not mean the cars are slow, nor does it mean they are boring or cheap. Class 4 is where the former Showroom Stock cars landed, plus a bunch of new cars. I sometimes drive a former SSC Neon in regional T4 with some success, but it is no longer competitive at the national lever. So, if I wanted to replace the Neon, what car looks like a winner? Here is an analysis of the cars that competed in the 2016 Majors and Runoffs in T4. There were 188 Majors entries nationwide in T4 in 2016. By far, the most popular car was the Miata with about 120 entries. The RX8 and Mustang V6 were tied for second. These 3 cars
made up the bulk of the fields with a few of the Acura RSX, Pontiac Solstice, Cobalt SS, Camaro V6 , BMW Z4, Honda Civic SI, Scion FRS, Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla mixed in. Not too surprising, there were 18 wins by Miata. The RX8 came alive on the west coast with 15 wins, many by Tom Wickersham. The Mustang scored 5 wins. Acura showed 3, BMW 2, Scion 1. Honda, Pontiac, Chevy and Toyota did not show any Majors T4 wins in 2016. The expectation going into the Runoffs was that Wickersham was the driver to beat. Oscar Jackson, Jr. had other plans. He finished preparing a Scion FRS just a few weeks before
the big race and took the pole and the win in September. The moral? The popular car is not always the best choice. It helps to have talent and drive (and a father who operates a tuning shop). Congratulations to Oscar and Scion. For 2017, don't be surprised to see more FRS/BRZ/GT86 on track in Touring 4. 2017 News Flash! After 6 races (4 in the southeast & 2 in the west) Mustang V6 has 2 wins and the RX8 has 4 wins (all 4 by long time racer Don Knowles). There are some FRS on track, but no wins to date. Oh yes! No Neons!
DirtFish RallyCross Contingency Programs for 2017 Announced March 14, 2017 — Five significant partners, covering the car, tire and brake categories, have committed support to competitors in the full 2017 DirtFish SCCA RallyCross National Challenge and National Championship program.
SCCA Grant Powers Veteran Outreach Program February 24, 2017 — Through a grant from the SCCA Foundation, SCCA has launched an outreach program to help reduce the suicide rate among injured veterans by engaging them in transformative motorsports experiences.
Summit Racing Equipment — SCCA Road Racing Sponsor March 7, 2017 — Summit Racing Equipment has been named sponsor of the SCCA® Road Racing program. With this agreement, SCCA’s amateur road racing activities now fall within the Summit Racing Equipment SCCA Road Racing program.
2017 Tire Rack National Solo Season Ignites in San Diego March 9, 2017 — The 2017 Tire Rack National Solo® season kick-off at the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California provided drivers with a chance to shake off the dust and get back into the swing of National Solo competition.
2017 Event Schedule3/25/17: AX 1, Hershey Park
3/26/17: AX 2, Hershey Park
4/22/17: RX School, Elmerton Lot
4/23/17: RX 1, Elmerton Lot
5/28/17: AX 3, Farm Show, AM
5/28/17: AX 4, Farm Show, PM
6/11/17: AX 5, Farm Show, AM - TENTATIVE
6/11/17: AX 6, Farm Show, PM - TENTATIVE
6/24/17: RX 2, Elmerton Lot
7/2/17: AX 7, Farm Show, AM
7/2/17: AX 8, Farm Show, PM
7/15/17: RX 3, Elmerton Lot
7/23/17: AX 9, Farm Show, AM
7/23/17: AX 10, Farm Show, PM
8/19/17: RX 4, Elmerton Lot
9/10/17: AX 11, Farm Show, AM
9/10/17: AX 12, Farm Show, PM
10/28/17: AX 13, Hershey Park
10/29/17: AX 14, Hershey Park
2017 OfficersRegional Exec: Kristen Poole
Assistant RE: Doug Austin
Treasurer: Alan Lesher
Secretary: Brian Holmes
Director 3 Yr: Bryan Roper
Director 2 Yr: Geoff Craig
Director 1 Yr: Markus Houser
2017 Meeting Schedule 03/28/17: Regional Meeting, Gilligans
04/25/17: Regional Meeting, Gilligans
05/23/17: Regional Meeting, Gilligans
06/27/17: Regional Meeting, Gilligans
07/25/17: Regional Meeting, Gilligans
08/22/17: Regional Meeting, Gilligans
09/26/17: Regional Meeting, Gilligans
10/24/17: Regional Meeting, Gilligans
11/28/17: Regional Meeting, Gilligans
Contributions:Have suggestions for the type of articles or info you'd like to see in The Squeal? Feel free to email me with questions or content suggestions.
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