New England Region

Friday – Rally Against Leukemia

For me the weekend started when my company sales meeting in Boston ended around 1:30. I had planned on taking the day off, but the announced meeting forced me to load everything up Thursday night. Tires, tools, coolers, sleeping bag, and kayaking gear pretty much loaded the car to capacity. A less than quick jaunt up Route 93 gets me to the Shell station on 106 around 3:30. Just as I am finished filling up, Wiley comes in with the NER truck, good timing.

Wiley and I quickly set up our tent (it was the McMansion tent at the exit of NASCAR 2) then get a good portion of the Saturday Solo course set-up before we register for the TSD Rally. Despite the disbelief among certain elements of the Solo crowd, it really did only take 20 minutes to set up.

The rally is 5 stages and with Wiley navigating, very easy for me to drive. All I had to do was keep us on the road (which, ahem, has been an issue among myself and other Soloists in the rally in years past) and at the right speed. Unlike most years, the rally was mostly on paved roads . I am told that this was because of all the rain we have had and the possibility of more turning the roads into mud bogs. There were some dirt elements though, with the best section a 90 degree left at CAS 30 that then went to CAS 25. Load the suspension, pitch the car to the left, countersteer right, and we are right at 25. Thankfully it was dark so I couldn’t see the trees.

The final stages (not scored) were a couple of laps of the road course in the dark at CAS 35. Well, maybe one lap at 35 and one where, let’s just say my navigator chose to hang on instead of holding the paperwork. Unfortunately, or maybe thankfully, the results of the second lap are lost forever as the person at the finish did not get the times when cars came across the finish. Wiley and I had debated stopping by our campsite and throwing on the Hoosier R6’s before we got to the road course portion, but chose to skip it. Probably a wise decision.

After trophies (Wiley and I took first in Novice and probably would have been second in the factored experienced class), we head back to the campsite for some more beverages then turn in. I Iook forward to sleeping in a bit and not being woken by a 4 year old at 6:30.

Saturday

Sadly, it was not to be. My internal clock wakes me up at 6AM wondering if Nicole has gone potty yet. Then I realize where I am and head down to the Lot M to finish up the Solo course. Once the safety steward has approved it, it’s back to the infield where Stacey Strout and I load up my kayak on her van. A morning of kayaking on a quiet local pond (we saw one rowboat and one motorboat) and we are back for the Jeff Gordon Challenge.

I’ve elected not to run this year as running the rally, running in the JGC, participating in the Saturday ‘festivities’, and autocrossing on Sunday can be exhausting. Instead I’ve volunteered to announce in the timing vehicle. I enjoy announcing and the fast paced challenge rounds are even more enjoyable.

16 drivers are whittled down to 4 after three rounds. Brian Levesque and Chang Kim (the top two seeds in that order) beat out Mike Shields and P.J. Corrales. As Chang and Brian line up, it seems as though the crowd (or at least one person with-in yelling range of the timing vehicle) are on Brian’s side as I hear “come on Brian, Chang’s won it enough times already!” Indeed, it was Brian with the better time at the end. Congratulations to Brian for his first Jeff Gordon Challenge win.

After the Solo portion of the DoubleX, it was time for track tours. I’ve decided it might be fun to be the black flagger at Station 5 of the road course and was not wrong. After getting a ride out there by the safety truck, I discover that I don’t quite know how to work the headset/microphone combo. In the middle of trying to figure it out, I get a cell call from Chris Franson. What the heck does he want, doesn’t he know that I’m on top of the hill? I ignore the call. Turns out he was in the tower and was calling to help out. Sorry Chris.

The safety truck comes back to straighten me out and I check in with Kathy Barnes in control. Soon, the pace car is out followed by Alan Parker in the CRX. Soon afterwards I see a certain red RX-7 coming out of the pits.

“Black Flag to Control”

“Go ahead Black Flag”

“Should I just Black Flag Dan Cernese now?”

“No, but you should black flag…”

We already have our first passing incident and the first lap isn’t complete. Time goes on. I get a few more black flag calls for passing and one for driving too slow and then I am told to black flag the pace car to bring everyone into the pits.

I show the flag to the pace car, and then see the red RX-7. Pointing the flag at Dan, I vigorously wave it. Dan looks shocked and gives me a two hands in the air “what did I do?” look. Once in the pits, Wiley stops Dan.

“Do you know why you were black flagged?”

“No, WHY?!?!?” Dan is really confused.

“Because track tours are over.”

After flagging the pace car and those following, there are two more cars, a silver Boxter and a Ford Focus following. Just to make sure they know to come in I am told to show them the black flag. Again, a point and a vigorous wave. Bob Introne smiles and waves back, clearly having fun with it.

Safety comes and picks me up and I head back in, having had more fun that I thought I would. After all, how many people can say that they threw a black flag at a director of the SCCA? Once in I headed to the garage for some dinner and back to the campsite for some socializing.

But that really is a story for a different article.