the rod knock north suburban sports car club’s official...

The Rod Knock North Suburban Sports Car Club’s Official Newsletter August-September 2017

Rod Knock Club & Racing News August-September 2017

When was the last time we had an all-HSAX weekend? Some track junkies consider aspects of AX to be more challenging than W2W—standing start, cold tires, one time ‘round, the impartial clock is the judge. Only perfection rules the day. So NSSCC is doing the gauntlet thing. Be your best. Be the best. Points? Dollars? Consistent time? Best time? The cream will rise to the top and Council will be cheering. It will be a “normal” Saturday but Sunday will narrow the scope of accomplishment. Two-day entries will take center stage for new honors and prizes. Of course, Council’s points battles will be contested both days, but bring your best game because there are other rewards waiting. Race both days and be eligible for the McCarter Cup—Running for the fastest time will be determined by one last drumroll at the end of Day 2. It’s bragging rights.

Simply the fastest. Con-sistency cash for those smoothest, most skillful, dedicated to excellence and repeated precision. It will really fix that smile on your face permanently!

And Now, For Something Completely Different October 7th & 8th, 2017

October 7th & 8th “Council Cash

Finals” @ Blackhawk Farms Win Class Honors & Cold, Hard Cash

Win the McCarter Cup Two HSAX events and

special National Championship

Ain’t never seen this before

Yeah Baby


Aug - Sept 2017 — In This Issue: Pg1 “Council HSAX Cash Finals” by NSSCC Pg2 The schedule for Council Cash Finals Pg2 MCSCC 2017 Season Schedule Pg2 Our Sport’s Terminology Explained Pg3 Event Coverage: Double Dose Challenge Pg3 Chocolate Milk from Brown Cows? Pg4 Event Coverage: Milwaukee Mile Pg4 MoreTrack Photos from Mitch Pg5 Oops I did it Again (Britany Spears, not) Pg6 Rod Knock Tech Tip: Action Photography Pg6 Mentor Support Available Pg7 Just So You Know Newsclips Pg7 Club Officers and e-mails Pg7 Sponsor Logos Pg7 One Last Thing: Shower at the Track Pg8 For Sale: Gary Cooper’s Formula Indy Pg8 Next Event: Road America - Register soon Pg9 Look-Ahead to October

MCSCC 2017 Season Schedule Jan 21, 2017 MCSCC Banquet, NSSCC hosting The Ridge Resort, Lake Geneva, WI

Feb 25,26 Race & Perf. Expo Booth, Schaumburg

March 18 NSSCC Indoor Racing School BHF

April 29-30 Drivers School & W2W Blackhawk

May 27,28,29 HPDE /HSAX & W2W BHF (NSSCC)

June 16,17,18 Staff VSCDA Blackhawk

July 1,2,3 HPDE/HSAX & W2W Blackhawk

July 29-30 Drivers School & W2W Blackhawk

Aug 26-27 HPDE/HSAX & W2W Milw. Mile

Sept 23-24 W2W/W2W/Porsche Road America

Oct 7-8 HSAX & HSAX Blackhawk (NSSCC) A uniquely new schedule dedicated to Autocross

Oct 28-29 W2W & W2W Blackhawk

Dec 2 2017 Banquet, Old Towne Hall, Crystal Lake

NSSCC Monthly Meetings held on 3rd Thursday of the month, 7:30 pm in the private room, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ, Higgins Rd (Rte 72), Elk Grove Village (Board meeting = 7:00pm)

We’ll try to make the unfamiliar familiar with this feature. Often newbies of any endeavor are buried in the terminology of the new thing they’re trying to conquer. That can only offer barriers to progress. So, in an effort to encourage faster and deeper understanding of the way we “seasoned veterans” talk, each issue will offer explanations of a couple of terms you may hear us throw around. Horsepower: - It’s the sheer strength, speed & power from the engine. The more horsepower, the faster the car can move through the air. Usually what car nuts brag about at races and car shows. It’s technically a unit of measurement of “work” in the engineering world. Great sounds, too. The muscle in muscle car.

Torque: - The measure of “twist” the motor offers to all the go parts behind the motor that gets the car going, squeals tires, makes black marks and delivers most of the horsepower to the ground. Chassis and suspension designs help make good use of the engine’s torque, which is another of the dark sci-ences racers get really smart about in order to win at this game.

Our Sport’s Language:

vo-’kab-yu-,ler-ee \ n

Next Rod Knock Issue: Last of the season’s events &

our year-end celebrations

Real Estate Laws that suck: Parents may appreciate a dec-ades-old law in Minnesota that bars kids under the age of 12 from using a home phone without adult supervision. Smiley face?

Finally $$$! Sunday October 8th

“Council Cash Finals” @ Blackhawk

Shorter Superb HPDE / HSAX event

Full Council Championship Points awarded

Consistency Run: 1st-5th Place

$750, $500, $300, $200, $100

Dash for the Cash: Win the McCarter Cup

One Winner, $1,000

Points Battle Saturday October 7th


Usually Superb HPDE / HSAX event

Full Council Championship Points awarded

Same challenging, well-run COUNCIL fun

Big Weekend Coming. Be Prepared!

Full Details available at

MotorsportReg.com Register soon ……..

Mitch Lelito Photos


EVENT RESULTS:

NSSCC members fin-ish in top 3 spots

July 30th:

NSSCC Podium Winners “Double Dose Challenge” Blackhawk Farms Raceway

1st Place: Bob Mitchell AGS; Charles Fritz Jr. CFI; Jim Shanel EP; Robert Hall FF;

2nd Place: Jeff Feldman CSR; Martin Zimmerman ITGT

3rd Place: Thomas Derken CFF; Lynn Serra FA; Richard Charles FV; Martin Schmidt ITGT; Kenneth Billimack SP

MCSCC 2017 Drivers School #2 - July 29th: Congratulations to all the NSSCC members who successfully completed last week-end's MCSCC Drivers School: Scott Fritag HSAX, Don Atkin-son CW 97, Kenneth Billimack CW 65, Thomas Derken OW 71 Exhausted, drained but smiling, they re-enter their combat vehicles. Pep talk fresh in their heads, they as-sault the tarmack one more time. All smiles.

Lynn Serra Photos

R U Fastest? October 7th & 8th


Win Class Honors & Cold, Hard Cash Win the McCarter Cup

Two HSAX events & National Championship Consider the Challenge!

Chocolate Milk. From Brown Cows….. Really?

Yeah, Really. According to the Washington Post, 7% of all American adults believe that chocolate milk comes from brown cows. That’s from a national online survey commis-sioned by the Innovation Center of U.S.Dairy. If you’re a math whiz, that means 16.4 million “misinformed, milk-drinking people”. I’m not a popula-tion expert, but that number may exceed the population of some of these United States. They don’t know that chocolate milk is a result of adding cocoa & sugar to nor-mal milk…. Which usually does, in fact, come from cows. That’s not all. In the early 90’s, a Dept. of Agriculture study discovered that 1 in 5 people did not know ham-burgers came from beef. C’mon, really? Other studies claim that 4 in 10 California high schoolers didn’t know hamburgers came from cows or pickles were cucumbers or onions & lettuce were vegetables. City kids. But that’s why Council offers Drivers Schools. We all

learn that racing skills are not necessarily natural to the novice, and that there are good and bad behaviors to prac-tice and perfect for safe and satisfying outcomes. But they often need to be pointed out to you first. Many Americans experience food as a finished industrial product that really doesn’t look much like its raw plant or animal origins. The USDA says “orange juice” is the most popular fruit in America. “Chips” are one of the most popu-lar vegetables. The first time on a real track with real racing intent is of-ten a bit of a reality bite. It can always be made better, more confident & safer. Next year. Try it. You’ll like it.


NSSCC Podium Winners “Road Racing Challenge”

Milwaukee Mile

1st Place: Kurt Williams CFI; Martin Zimmerman ITGT; Chuck Peter-son ITS; David DeFreece EP; Walt Kelley SP; Walt Kelley V/H

2nd Place: Jim Fogerty EP; Lynn Serra FA; James Griffith ST2; Bob Boyce V/H

3rd Place: John Davis, Sr. ST2

Enduro: James Griffith, FIRST in ST2 & SECOND Overall

HSAX 1st Place: John Qualich [AS], Daniel Speer [XM]

HSAX 2nd Place: Rob Roderick [AM], Edwin Smith [DS], John Da-vis Sr. [YM], John Davis Sr. [SU], Eric Barnes [YS]

HSAX 3rd Place: John Tennant [YS]

EVENT RESULTS:

NSSCC members finish in top 3 spots

August 26th, 27th:

The track through Mitch Lelito’s lens


Prologue and excuses: They say we learn from mistakes. They say we get smarter with age. They also say buy low, sell high. My brain appears to be incorrectly hard-wired. I’ve come to the conclusion that I am not trainable. Over the years I have attacked many projects, both in the garage and in the home. I have often (read that, “usually”) looked for the shortcut to avoid a longer path, only to discover that a “short” cut is an illusion. Some-times I catch myself in time before ca-tastrophe, but often not. I need to confess. I am not an inven-tor. I am not a fabricator. I am barely qualified to do body work. I am only a mechanic in my own delusions. I own good tools. Unfortunately, I should be frequently barred from picking them up. I give myself more credit than I deserve. But I try. I have good intentions. I commit after research and planning. It all sounds right and good, but some-thing always impedes smooth imple-mentation. Achievement is always one obstacle away. I can do this. I think I can. I think I can. But fatigue sets in and procrastination takes over. After all, I’m retired, so I can always do it tomorrow. But this is a pattern for which I need professional help. Examples are proof: One: Picture a pretty nice 1972 Monte Carlo in 1974 on a used car lot. Buy it. Drive it year ‘round for a few years and watch rust appear in strange places. Sand and prime, so far, so good. Take

Dupli-Color can and do a reasona-ble job of coating, only to have can spit droplets on smooth paint ru-

ining repair. Get mad and throw can at wall, dribbling pooled paint in can top all over hood ruining whole day. Two: Obtain 1974 Vega GT parts car to effect repairs on 1972 Vega. Take best of both cars to make cool ‘72, but shortcut motor rebuild. Runs great for 3 months, then sold to friend. Motor seizes because silicone/aluminum cyl-inders not honed properly. Ex-friend expresses displeasure. Three: Become proficient in rust re-pair without metal welded-in patches. Use of ample aluminum siding pieces married to jagged rocker panel and floorboard holes with rivets and Bondo always worked for me. Wonder where those cars are now? Four: A number of decades ago I came into ownership of a very rare hand built Italian 2-seater. A coupe so small it fit into a 4x9 rented open stake trailer. I used some boat cushions to pad the sides so it wouldn't be jostled too much from the highway trip. Though in sad shape mechanically and aesthetically, I felt I was suited to the myriad of tasks ahead. Pride goeth before the fall. Long story short, it may be noted by the court that pieces that would later be needed as patterns or proof of originali-ty may have been carelessly cast aside. Perhaps the correct flare for the replace-ment brake lines

was not carefully observed. Holes for added bits were shamelessly drilled in 1954 Italian hand-beaten aluminum panels. (Never ever throw away old parts.) Turns out Dupli-Color makes a great “red” for Italian cars. The resurrected car was really fun at AX events, and a great conversation piece. I sold it to another Moretti fan in Florida because it was not the right car for my desired W2W action. The Last Drive around the neighborhood was sad, but the semi driver said I looked cool as he loaded it for transport. For some reason, the car never start-ed once delivered. No one ever fig-ured out why. Still don’t know. Finally: Rusty tank issues plague a project. More storage promises more deterioration. Hmmm. Anti-freeze keeps engine blocks from corroding, right? Inventing new ways to solve old problems is creative and smart. Let’s store the car with antifreeze in the gas tank. What could go wrong?

How Much? October 7th & 8th


Win Class Honors & Cold, Hard Cash

Win the McCarter Cup

Two HSAX events and


$1000? $500? 250? $50?

Oops I Did It Again. (or, When Will I ever Learn?) …..Ed


As your equipment al-lows, make use of his most basic action settings tip: 1/500 or 1/750 is most reliable to com-municate action while panning a moving sub-ject. It keeps the car/cycle in focus with a

slightly blurred background. TECHNIQUES: His most basic technique tip: Practice. Seek the best combination of shutter speed, f-stop, focus and panning motions to produce most consistent results. Photographers take dozens of pho-tos from which to get the perfect pose. So many variables are in-volved that affect good/bad lighting, shadows, background, distracting details and the like. Panning is itself a practiced art. Many times the photographer may try to rely on the motor drive or rap-id “sport” exposure features to cap-ture the best images while panning. But you can train your eye and shut-ter finger with practice to capture the image you want. Sometimes the auto feature is a nanosecond too soon or too late. In addition, an important habit is to pan through the curve or sweep of the subject, even after the optimum snap, to avoid a damaged image by pulling the camera down or away too soon. Lighting is critical for a flat-tering and focused image. Cloudy or overcast days are poor because the temperature of light is bluish, and the reduc-tion in light intensity makes the camera choose wider lens open-ings that reduce depth of field. Bright noon skies are causes of dark, sullen shadows. Light directly from behind the camera may be too harsh, producing flared hot spots to imbalance the image. The best lighting is the low-angle, clear, dry even-ing or morning that bathes the subject in warm hues and al-lows good contrast for accurate focus. Pro photogs call these the “golden hours”, so there must be something to it.

You may recognize the author’s name from previous pieces I referenced heavily in this tech space. I know him from my Motorcycle Con-sumer News subscription. Often techy bits cross over motorsports boundaries. I think you’ll agree this is a perfect case…..Ed Motorsports in action is poetry, and the ability to capture it is more than just luck. What follows is a distilled version of suggestions from a pro on how to photograph. Use of “pro” in this case is not an acci-dent. Dave Searle has been actively involved in and employed by this in-dustry that encompasses motorsports, photography, engineering, racing, mag-azine writing & editing, teaching and being an expert in all of them. MCN’s February & March 2017 issues contained a 2 part series on action pho-tography, and it was just too good of a start to ignore for these club newsletter pages. I’ll do my best to deliver the sa-lient points. EQUIPMENT: Naturally, his discussion of cameras and feature usage is aimed at high-end stuff. Pro camera bodies alone can hit the $6000 mark, and that doesn’t in-clude multiple lenses, filters, etc. How-ever, even adherence to some basic principles can improve your results. His February piece described digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras as the ideal, which tout predictive auto-focus, shutter speed priority, f-stop control, lenses with multi-telephoto and image stabilization gyroscopes. By the way, he suggests checking out web-sites like KEH Camera (KEH.com) and local outlets for used equipment to ob-tain the best for less outlay. His March article addresses tech-niques - which will benefit all of us shutterbugs as we seek to get that just right shot at the track or stage our pride & joy for a coffee table book-like pose.

Often folks attempt to make use of a flash to supplement shadowy circum-stances. This is hit or miss at best be-cause only very strong (expensive) flash equipment works well for action photography at these elevated shutter speeds. Besides, you don’t want to blind or startle your favorite driver, right? Here’s a new one for you to consider. The rule is to fill the frame as much as possible to make full use of the pixel density for clear, focused images. And, it also helps when you edit the photo later to retain the highest reso-lution for the finished product. Wanna experiment? Try composing the frame by tilting the camera a bit, using the frame space diagonally. Two things happen. The image fills out more and the sensation of speed is enhanced. Add this trick to success-fully practiced panning skills & there’s a magazine cover ahead for you. Shooting images early in the day or early in a race will get cleaner subjects because they’ll accumulate less dirt or other schmutz. Don’t stop shooting, of course, so you can pick the best of the day based on results. Sometimes dirty racecars are the perfect subject matter. And, safety first. Make sure you have ample view at a corner or other spot to capture as much action moving away from you as coming toward you. And, again for safety, ensure you have an escape route if things get hairy. Make sure you’re not the distraction that may cause goose bumps.

1. cap: a friend of Odysseus entrusted with the education of Odysseus’ son Telema-chus 2. a: a trusted counselor or guide b: TUTOR, COACH—men-tor-ship \-,ship\ n 3. a: colloquial v NSSCC usage—i.e., [to mentor] of or pertaining to darn valuable

insight and assistance of mind, body, and vehicle to promote safe, fast, fun racing b: a strong breath mint n

[email protected] can connect you with an experienced club member that can answer, obfuscate, and open horizons.

NSSCC Mentor available: \’men-to(e)r, ‘ment-er \ n [L,fr.Gk Mentor]

Rod Knock Tech Tip: Action Photography Basics From Dave Searle, MCN

Recycled Wisdom: Life is like a box of chocolates: full of nuts. (That’s not what Forest Gump said)

Points Battle October 7th & 8th


Win Class Honors & Cold, Hard Cash

Win the McCarter Cup

Two HSAX events and


mailto:[email protected]�


President, Michael Palmer [email protected]

Vice President, John Saccameno

[email protected] Treasurer, Scott Durbin

[email protected] Secretary, Mitch Lelito

[email protected] Competition Dir./Club Steward, John Saccameno [email protected]

HSAX Competition Director, Eric Barnes [email protected]

V/H Competition Director,

Jason Ostrowski [email protected]

Membership Chairperson Jim Kane [email protected] Rod Knock Editor Larry Noble [email protected]

2017 NSSCC Board

“The Rod Knock” is the official news publication of The North Suburban Sports Car Club. The publication is provided to North Suburban Sports Car Club members as part of the annual membership deliverable and commitment from the Club. material published herein may be reprinted provided that usage is credited to the author, and North Suburban Sports Car Club. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Board of Directors of North Suburban Sports Car Club, the Midwestern Council of Sports Car Clubs, or it’s Bod.

Article submission is encouraged and accepted in MS Word format via email. When submitting photos or artwork, please request the material to be returned if that is de-sired. Electronic copies of photos should be sent as attachments. Questions and comments should be directed to the Rod Knock Editor: [email protected].

Source: Auto Trivia, The Daily Herald, Sunday, November 6, 2016: > For the 1965 model year, Chevrolet sold more than 1 million Impalas, setting a sales record for a specific model that still stands.

> In 1938, the Chinese city of Peking (now Beijing) levied the death penalty as the sentence for anyone caught exceeding the speed limit. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Source: Auto Trivia, The Daily Herald, Sunday, May 7, 2017: > William Lear, creator of the Lear Jet, is also credited with inventing the 8-track tape player. Ford was the first automaker to offer the device as an option on all models for 1966.

> The first vehicles that used tracks instead of wheels were built in 1902 for the Czar of Russia so he and his family could travel by motor car in winter. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Source: Auto Trivia, The Daily Herald, Sunday, May 20, 2017: > From 1963 to 1999 Volvo vehicles destined for the North American market were assembled in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.

> It takes one person one working day to make a Rolls Royce radiator, followed by five hours spent polishing it. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Source: Auto Trivia, the Daily Herald, Sunday, May 27, 2017:

> In 1896 there were four automobiles registered in the United States. That year, two of them were involved in a collision in St. Louis.

> Porsche’s shield emblem contains the silhouette of a galloping horse on a yellow background. Coincidently, Ferrari uses a similar galloping horse emblem on a yellow background. (Hmmmm. Do you see the makings of competition here? …….Ed) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

And Finally: Headline August 17, 2016 PARIS - A Tesla electric car caught fire during a promotional tour in southwest France. Those aboard escaped unharmed. The driver said he saw smoke, and the three people within got out before seeing it catch fire. (During a promotional tour? Ooops…….Ed)

Just So You Know…..

Council contingency programs:

Also part of the technology is an LCD display for water tem-perature for your convenience - or warning, as the case may be. I think you have to bring

your own shower curtain if you’re at all bashful. Just $300 and some tie wraps.

Oh Yeah,

One Last Thing Need a shower at the track? Or camp-ing? Check out www.roadshower.com. The Road Shower 2 has 5 gallons of stored water held in a 57 inch long tube attached to your roof rack that can be pressurized to 18 lbs/sq in. A 55 inch hose & nozzle is the “shower” used to release contents when needed.












Rod Knock Classifieds

“Rod’s List”

So far, most of the “for sale” items listed this year have been offered by your Rod Knock editor Larry Noble, Rolling Meadows. 847-253-7381. [email protected]. Our intent was to start a footprint in the newsletter for your selling needs. A cleaner garage. Fewer parts to step over in the basement. Clear out the last project’s leftovers.

Here’s where you come in. Have any items you’d like to list in our Club’s newsletter? Just e-mail description, price, photo(s) and contact info to [email protected] at your convenience. Use Larry’s contact information above if you prefer. Hey, this has a better chance for money than winning the lottery.

2001 Predator (Formula Indy style) with a Yamaha 1000 cc engine. Chassis rebuilt when Yamaha engine added in 2011. Never raced since rebuild due to health issues. New aluminum rear axle and wheels, bu on shi , extra front wings, and some extra miscellaneous items.

2005 Wells Cargo 14 foot single axle enclosed trailer. Tire rack, wench, two tool chests, built‐in loading ramps, and front storage contain‐er. All for $8,000.00. Contact Gary Cooper at (847) 726‐9082 EXT 11 in Woodstock, Illinois.

What’s Next? What could be nicer than spend-ing a Fall weekend in the Kettle Morraine Region of Wisconsin? Is that a rhetorical question? No. Add the enticement of a fea-tured appearance of the racing Porsche crowd, and we have a winner. Hurry up and get your hotel reserved after you register on-line at MotorsportReg.com. And feel that grin taking over your face.


And, of course, make your plans for October now

October 7, 8—Two Days of HSAX Competition, Council Points, Cash Prizes, Speed Records

Mitch Lelito Photos

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