RRDC MEMBER NEWS – March 27, 2015
RRDC Evening with Bobby Unser Presented by Firestone – April 16
Seats are still available to one of the highlights of auto racing’s social calendar at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. The RRDC Evening with Bobby Unser will be held on Thursday, April 16, at the Hilton Hotel, 701 West Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, Calif., with cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $175 for RRDC members ($200 for non-members). Please contact Jeremy Shaw at rrdc2@cox.net.
Honda Extends SAFE Is FAST Partnership through 2018
Honda has generously committed to be the SafeIsFast.com presenter for three additional years, helping make amateur drivers safer by advancing their racing competence. As RRDC president Bobby Rahal put it, “Honda is a performance-oriented company, and they extended their sponsorship because SafeIsFast.com exceeded their highest expectations.”• Nearly 300,000 unique site visitors from 184 countries in 71 languages
• More than 55 tutorials online taught by over 90 champion drivers and industry experts
• Over one million videos viewedSAFE Is FAST’s 2015/2016 Ambassador will be announced at the RRDC Long Beach dinner on April 16. It’s not too late to reserve a place. Bobby Rahal will interview 2015 honoree Bobby Unser, stories will be told, insider secrets will be shared. See News and Events at RRDC.org.
Members’ New Books:
SAM POSEY: The versatile racer/writer/raconteur has a new book out, published by David Bull Publishing. “Where The Writer Meets The Road” collects the best of Sam’s writing for print and television. His commentaries on Formula One and the Indy 500 and his stories in Road & Track are now compiled in a remarkable mix of short and long pieces. The subjects range from racing at LeMans to test driving the propeller-driven Wind Wagon created by his uncle Teddy. Sam also offers in-depth accounts of drivers he knew and races in which he competed, along with an insider’s look back at the original Can-Am and Trans-Am championships. It starts with a foreword by David Hobbs, with whom Sam’s enjoyed a friendly, funny and spirited rivalry for four decades.This is a must-have for your book shelf. For more information and images from “Where The Writer Meets The Road,” visit the New Books section at www.bullpublishing.com. You can place an order online, or by calling 602-852-9500, or toll-free at (800) 831-1758.
HOWDEN GANLEY: Howden Ganley, who raced cars at the highest level internationally in the 1960s and ’70s, including Formula One, has published his autobiography, “The Road to Monaco – My Life in Motor Racing.” It is described as a “high-octane ride through the precincts of the sport, from mechanics’ bay to test track, from drawing board to pattern shop, from start line to chequered flag.” He grew up in New Zealand, but is now a resident of Danville, Calif.
“Not only is it immensely enjoyable, it’s also packed with marvellous anecdotes from all points in Howden’s racing career while, historically, the book runs the gamut from early days skidding around on grass tracks in mum’s Morris Minor to competing at the highest level in Formula One,” said Allan Walton in his review for Automobilia.
It is available at bookstore@blackhawkmuseum.org.
PETE LYONS: The prolific author/photojournalist also has a new book out. It’s simply called “Riverside International Raceway – a photographic tour of the historic track, its legendary races, and unforgettable drivers.” It includes a foreword by iconic American driver Dan Gurney and includes 500 photos (many never before published), and “Pete Lyons’ engaging writing…,” said Doug Stokes.
It’s available at www.autobooks-aerobooks.com.
MICHAEL KEYSER: Under the banner of Autosports Marketing Associates, Ltd., Michael Keyser has been publishing terrific books about the sport, since he produced the popular documentary, “The Speed Merchants,” in 1972, which he also turned into a book in 2010.
His latest entry in the world of books you must have on your coffee table is “1970/1971 Eighty Four Hours of Endurance – Daytona/Sebring/Watkins Glen.”
It captures memories of the Porsche vs. Ferrari duel in sports-car racing from 1970 through 1971 in a richly illustrated book that bundles together the six American rounds of the FIA World Championship for Makes in 1970 and ’71. It features 520 photographs and is supplemented by detailed race reports, results and maps. “It takes you back to the grid, onto the track, into the pits, around the paddock and behind the scenes for a memorable ride through time.”
It’s available at http://www.autosportsltd.com/shop/books/1970-1971-eighty-four-hours-of-endurance/.
Koveleski and Tullius Inducted into SCCA Hall of Fame:
The SCCA inducted Oscar Koveleski and Bob Tullius, along with Ron Sharp, Roger H. Johnson and Dr. George Snively, into the 11th SCCA Hall of Fame class.The SCCA National Hall of Fame was created in 2004 and honors those men and women who have made a significant impact on the development of SCCA. http://www.scca.com/news/?cid=52228
Gorsline Scholarship:
John Gorsline presented the 21st Gorsline Scholarship to 19-year-old Madison Snow at this year’s Sebring 12-Hour race. The other candidates for the award included sons of members: Dylan Murry, 14, (son of David Murry) and Skylar Robinson, 18 (son of Chip Robinson). Snow will work with Dr. Jacques Dallaire, Director of Performance Prime, to create an individually-designed performance-enhancement program, and will benefit from a unique season-long training program at Jim Leo‘s PitFit Training, courtesy of Gorsline Company. www.gorsline.comMember Pit Notes:
* SCCA President and CEO Lisa Noble was awarded the 2014 Women’s Sports Foundation Project Podium Leadership Award by Lyn St. James, at the Race Track Business Conference last December, hosted by the National Speedway Directory at the PRI Show in Indianapolis. http://www.scca.com/rallycross/news.cfm?cid=52229* Oscar Koveleski will be speaking to model-car hobbyists at the IMRRC in Watkins Glen, N.Y., on March 28. http://racingarchives.org/news_events.php#OscarKoveleski
* On Sept. 12, at the IMRRC in Watkins Glen, Author/photojournalist Pete Lyons and Jack Deren headline a day-long program celebrating Can-Am racing. Deren was chief mechanic on Oscar Koveleski’s Team Auto World McLaren.
* Hans Stuck was Grand Marshal of the 63rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida last week. Stuck was part of the 1975 BMW contingent that claimed BMW’s first major USA triumph with co-drivers Sam Posey, Brian Redman and Allan Moffat. http://www.imsa.com/articles/hans-stuck-grand-marshal-63rd-mobil-1-twelve-hours-sebring. The 1975 BMW driving team of Posey, Stuck and Redman reunited at Amelia Island Concours this year.
* Boris Said, NASCAR road-course ringer and veteran sports-car racer, is Grand Marshal of the 2015 Speedfest at the Classic Motorsports Mitty presented by Hagerty and sanctioned by HSR. It will be held on April 24-26 at Road Atlanta. http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/196572/2a96c33033/483003555/83c393630a/
* Stirling Moss was honored at the Amelia Island 2015 Concours D’Elegance. Stirling was the original honoree at Amelia Island in 1996, the year the Amelia Island Concours was founded by Bill Warner.
* Thanks to Tom Cotter, RACER.com is featuring new articles by members of the RRDC recounting their early days when they became members of the RRDC. Other subjects will be covered throughout the season, written by members; the first is by president Bobby Rahal. http://www.racer.com/north-american-racing/item/114568-president-bobby-rahal-on-the-road-racing-drivers-club
* Tommy Kendall was presented the Justice Brothers-Shav Glick Award during the pre-race ceremonies for the NASCAR race at Auto Club Raceway in Fontana, Calif., last week. It’s presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to motorsports in California. http://www.racer.com/north-american-racing/item/114688-tommy-kendall-presented-with-2015-justice-brothers-shav-glick-award
* David Hobbs will make a portion of his motorsports collection (including uniforms, racing jackets, programs, books, etc.) available on eBay. The collection will be released in increments over the next several months, with the initial batch available soon. A portion of the profits of the David Hobbs Collection will be donated to the Sojourner Family Peace Center of Milwaukee, Wis., which provides education, advocacy and resources to keep families safe from domestic violence. www.familypeacecenter.org/
* Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates claimed its sixth overall victory (in 12 attempts) at the Rolex 24 At Daytona this year, with drivers Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson. CGRFS now holds the record for most Rolex 24 At Daytona wins in the 53-year history of the race (2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015) – recently tied with Brumos Racing. http://www.chipganassiracing.com/News/2015/1/Chip-Ganassi-Racing-with-Felix-Sabates-Wins-Record-Sixth-Rolex-24-At-Daytona.aspx#.VRQUsCj9FD0
* Christian Fittipaldi, Joao Barbosa and Sebastien Bourdais teamed up in the Action Express Racing Corvette DP to win the 63rd Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring overall. http://www.imsa.com/articles/action-express-gives-chevrolet-first-mobil-1-twelve-hours-sebring-victory-50-years
* Brian Till was named the Pirelli World Challenge Chief Driver Steward for 2015. He will continue to work on IMSA’s TV broadcasts as a reporter and host.
* Will Power was named to the 2014 Open Wheel All-America Team by the Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association. Joao Barbosa and co-driver Christian Fittipaldi were the top vote-getters in the Road Racing category.
Help Wanted…and Needed
The RRDC is looking for a member who would volunteer his/her time to help update, edit, post and occasionally create stories and news on the RRDC web site. We’ve revamped the site and are attempting to keep it up to date, but we need help from a qualified journalist/publicist/writer to accomplish our goals. The editing program is WordPress and is easy to use. And this is certainly not a full-time job; it’s a once-in-a-while job, when it’s convenient. We know how busy RRDC members are. If you’re interested in contributing your time and expertise, please contact Judy Stropus at jstropus@earthlink.net.***