2020 Wrap up and hints of 2021

Rob Thull at the 2020 Season opener

A great finale for A Year to Remember

As we all packed up to go home after the season opener at Laguna, it would have been an easy bet, that given how things looked, that would have been the end of the season. That same weekend Formula 1 packed up and left Melbourne unraced and toilet paper became a tradeable commodity. But in the face of cancellations, lock downs, and more… somehow, 2020 provided not just a full race season, but perhaps as gripping a championship as we have ever seen. Thanks to the F4 group, The CSRG board, the team at Sonoma Raceway, Jim Cody, and the amazing support of folks like Cynthia Torp, Ethan Shippert, The Ivey Family, Martin, and Ed Lauber, Roger Kraus, Henk Buverhuis, Lyndsay Patton, Veronica Oshea, Dave Zurlinden, Art Hebert and the Motorsports Market Team, Jay Streets, and many more, the racing experience was as good as ever.

Art Hebert wins the season finale in HF and P1 overall

The Season Finale

33 cars gathered for the final race of the Crossflow Season. From all over Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, drivers made comebacks (Neil Porter in his lovely Crossle 16, Dave Sandlin in his Titan) and came from afar (Mike Keller, Ron Bonham, Russ Werner) or raced with us for the first time (Jack Bitton, Alex Dodd).

Danny Baker and Bob Lesnett went into the last race of the season, just 4 points apart in Historic Ford. Ultimately only a win would settle the question about the top two steps, and for Ed and Martin Lauber and Steve Romak, the math was the same… a P3 for any of them, meant a P3 for the season. Scorekeeper Jim Cody prepped the math in case of ties… but the obvious outcome was not how it all played out. At the start, pole sitter Danny Baker, grabbed the lead from Bob Lesnett and held it through the first lap. Going into turn 11, Bob slid past Danny under braking and kept a small, but controlling lead for another 2 laps… then going into turn 7, Danny got halfway past Bob under braking and spun.

Art Hebert, Steve Romak, Nic Colyvas, and Joe Hopkins all flashed past as Danny got back underway. Within half a lap, Danny was within sight of Club Ford leader Joe Hopkins, with his hopes not entirely dead, but certainly, challenged. At the front, Bob Lesnett stretched his lead to 3 car lengths and in a nice rythm, was starting to consider, that just maybe, maybe he could end a sterling season as hoped. And then… Steve Romak lost his engine, leaving him stranded. A full course yellow, while Steve’s stricken Titan was collected, meant 2 laps behind the pace car, bunching up the grid and eliminating Bob’s cushion, with Art Hebert in P2, a resurgent Nic Colyvas in P3, Joe Hopkins leading club Ford, and Danny Baker now P4 in class. Right behind him was an epic battle between a much improved Kris Matheson, Jay Streets, and Neil Porter.

As the grid circulated on the safety car laps, in P2, Art Hebert’s mind worked hard on what if any opportunity the restart might present. But calling on his years of experience, Bob Lesnett timed the restart perfectly and drove away into an immediate 2 car lead, that disappeared halfway up the hill to turn 2. A fuel pump died, as did Bob’s hopes for the top step. A completely gutted Bob Lesnett coasted to a stop, ending a brilliant 2020 campaign. Art Hebert, Nic Colyvas, Joe Hopkins and Danny Baker swept by and the order remained as it was, with Art in P1, Nic Colyvas in his comeback race in P2, new HF Crossflow Champion Danny Baker in P3. In Club Ford a very rapid Joe Hopkins won with ironman Jeff Roth in P2 and Jim Lynn in his revived Crossle a very happy P3.

Danny Baker’s video of the race here.

NEVER give up.

Jim Lynn, season finale P3 in Club Ford

The Awards

This year, it was incredibly hard to pick recipients. Every race was full of great performances, driver Athletes at every level improved, worked hard, and contributed. From the happiest man on the Grid, George Jewett, and Kelly Heil’s sparkling debut season to the incredible consistency of Rob Thull to the massive improvements of Ed Lauber and Jay Streets. The 38 regulars who showed up all year long, all contributed to an epic season.

Series MVP - Ed Van Tassel would have been forgiven for quitting the sport a long time ago. But from adversity and challenge, and with the support of his family and Ethan Shippert, he rose up to become the fast consistent driver he is today. Ed and his spouse and crew chief Dana are wondeful people to hang out with and there for any competitor that needs help.

Best Formula Ford - Chris Heil. When Kelly Heil entered his car for the first race, it was breathtaking. His secret weapon was his mechanic/fabricator brother, Chris. The car is beautiful and prepped to as high a standard as is possible. Chris’s focus and dedication are evident in everything about it.

Most improved Formula Ford - Michael Wirrick’s car was always nice. But over the last year, he decided to dig in and bring it to the highest level he could. The result is as pretty a Lola T 204 as exists, and all done in Michael’s garage at home. The massive amount of work and effort are clear for all to see.

Rookie of The Year - Oliver Ramleth has been quietly developing into a fine driver. Lap times tell a big part of the story, but consistency, superb reviews by the drivers around him, and a mistake-free year add up to the rookie performance of the season.

The John Streets Garagiste Award - Chris Schoap received $1000 in cash, being the self-supporting drivers with the most laps this season. In honor of Super-Garagiste John Streets, the Streets family created this award to recognize the dedication, hard work, and on-track performance of the drivers that do it all on their own.

A well deserved Crossflow Cup by Ivey engines award winner, Jay Streets presented by Colin Ivey

The Crossflow Cup - Jay Streets is another in a series of drivers that make this community as great as it is. From his willingness to help, fantastic on-track performance and sportsmanship, Jay is emblematic of what makes this sport, this community such a joy. Massive congrats to Jay and as always a huge thanks to the Ivey Family for crafting a beutiful trophy.

The Champions

2020 Historic Ford Crossflow Champion, Danny Baker

2020 Club Ford Champion Jeff Rothman

Club Ford Championship - Proof again, that showing up is 99% of the game, a rapid and consistent Jeff Rothman emerged as the 2020 Club Ford Champion, joined on the end of season podium by Russ Werner in P2 and still making the podium in spite of DNF’s and a season limited injury, is Kelly Heil in P3

P3 in Masters, Jonathan Kitchen

Masters - Probably the most inspirational championship, is the Masters Podium. This is a group of fast, tough competitors that set the standard for driver/athletes over 60 we should all aspire to. Bob Lesnett is the 2020 Masters Champion, joined by Chris Schoap in P2 and Jonathan Kitchen in P3.

Historic Ford - For the second year in a row, Danny scores the overall win, with a measured, intelligent campaign, followed by Bob Lesnett in P2. A really interesting part of this story is Martin Lauber in P3. Martin has been on the Championship Podium 3 out of 4 years.

Bob Lesnett Masters Champion and P2 in Historic Ford

Looking Ahead

2021 will be a very busy, very cool year in Formula Ford. It will also be a year of transition for the Crossflow Cup. We are working on new leadership and ways of running the program that maintain the integrity (legality, sportsmanship), high-quality standards, and support of the group, but that also open new venues (support pro races, enter exciting new events and formats). So stay tuned, there will be more to come in 2021. In the meantime, below are the 2021 provisional dates for group. Pencil the dates in, we will confirm everything shortly.

March 13-14 Laguna Seca (unconfirmed)

April 9-11 at Sonoma Raceway

May 15-16 Laguna Seca (unconfirmed)

June 4-6 Laguna Seca (unconfirmed)

July 9-11 Portland (unconfirmed)

October 1-3 Sonoma Raceway

P2 in Club Ford Championship Russ Werner

2020 Series MVP Ed Van Tassel

Super-volunteer, Lyndsay Patton made sure we had lots of great parties

Garagiste Award Winner, Chris Schoap

Club Ford season finale winner, Joe Hopkins

Most Improved Formula Ford builder, Michael Wirrick

Master Mechanic Chris Heil, winner Best Formula Ford

Parting Shot

Martin Lauber P3 in the HF Championship

Final Details for race 4, Sonoma.

Final details, but first an important thought

As we head into the final race of the Crossflow seasons, keep in mind why this series exists and why it succeeds. 

We are a band of crazy brothers and sisters who love these little race cars and actually like each other. We are about friendship, great stories, fun, and the occasional beer. We are this above all else.  And at a time when members of our community have been evacuated from their homes, some for the second time in less than a year, some have lost homes (Mark Blayze and others), and many need to think about their health in ways that feel tiring and unnatural... this weekend is an escape.  It's about putting some fun back into a year that has been difficult for so mamy. So if there was ever a time to put that crazy pass, that red mist, that need to win,  aside, just a bit, to keep the real point of this alive and well... its a weekend where the race track, surrounded by smoke and fire as it will be, is a refuge... not a battlefield.

Details

The Awards ceremony is at 5:15, Saturday after the track goes cold up at Ethan Shippert's shop (map below).  Please show up on time, bring your crew and friends.  Every driver will get a Garagiste Cap, and a Series Medal, and we will crown 3 podiums and award 6 special trophies for MVP's, Rookies and more and the John Streets Garagiste Award ($1000) and the Crossflow cup.

Jay Ivey is dealing with some health issues in his family, so he will not be there, but Colin will fly the flag for the Ivey family and will be in the paddock helping our motors run better.

Load-in for the formula ford grid is at 1pm on Thursday, we have front row space according to Geoff Pitts.

The scales will be in the main garages and will be self serve from about noon on Friday on... weigh your car early, and often. We will staff the scales immediately after qualifying and the race.  Do not make us go looking for you to get you to come back and weigh after qualy or a race.

Our scorekeeper the talented Jim Cody will be watching from his perch up in Tahoe, and our Steward for the race will be Kelly Heill.

Below is a shot of the upper garages (past the Kart Track)  the Party will be where the X is.

Any questions or needs, let us know.

Race 2 at Sonoma, quick recap

Bob Lesnett and crew

Formula Car Festival of Speed

First off, this event happened in record time and only because of the support and enthusiasm of Brent Morgan, of Exclusive Racing, Telo Stewart of World Speed, Art Hebert of Motorsports Market, Scott Smith of NASA, the team at Sonoma Raceway and the inspiration and support of Brian Garzelli of CTC, Ethan Shippert of Shippert Racing Services and Jordan Slater of Indie Motorsports.  We put together a crew on the ground of grid and tech, led by Henk Buverhuis, Dan Wise and Greg Hoff.. and Cynthia Torp functioned as everything from overall event coordinator, to roving reg and tech. We even pulled together a fantastic social thanks to the amazing Lyndsey Patton, Bob Lesnett, and the lovely Champagne gifts, courtesy of Veronica Oshea, and Dave Zurlinden. We owe everyone on this list a huge thanks.

It was clear, there was a lot of pent up desire to get out there and race.  The weekend offered a lot of track time and almost without exception, every driver did almost 3 hours of driving over 2 and a half days.  The racing on Saturday and Sunday afternoon were breathtaking.  Below is some video to give you all a sense of the weekend.

Danny Baker
Kelly Heil
Steve Romak and Part 2 

The event was also documented by Alvin Lumanlan

The weekend was marked by remarkable improvements in the mid-field and the very successful debut of Brian Swanson in his Van Diemen Club ford.  A very long list of drivers set PB's including Steve Romak , Ed Lauber, Jeff Rothman, Jay Streets Rob Thull, George Jewett, Jonathan Kitchen and Chris Schoap. 

The fast charger was a smooth and consistent Ed Van Tassel and the drive of the day, was Art Hebert.  He set pole and pulled out a 3-second overall lead until overheating sidelined him, leaving the battle at the front to sort itself out between Historic Ford winner Bob Lesnett, Martin Lauber in P2 and Danny Baker in a very close P3.  In Club Ford, Brian Swanson came home P1 in his first, and somewhat challenging (mechanically) Crossflow event, followed by Russ Werner in P2 and Jeff Rothman in P3.

While the battle up front was amazing (Sunday's probably a classic) some of the best fun was had by Oliver Ramleth, Jonathan Kitchen and Rob Thull, shaded by Chris Schoap who drove a beautifully consistent race.  Bob McCormack was sidelined with mechanical issues, but came back and put in a strong drive on Sunday.  Similarly, Will Jackson chased gremlins all weekend but achieved redemption on Sunday with a great running car and a massive improvement in his speed on Sunday.

We did have some incidents which came as a reminder, that this is a sport of great rewards, and consequences when things go wrong.  But the rewards this weekend were also great, and best of all, it was great to back!

Here is to safe Race 3.

June 27-28, Formula Car Festival Race weekend schedule and other details

The race weekend provisional schedule is up on the Exclusive Racing site... you can find it here.

Exclusive Racing, our host club's Covid Protocols are here

I cannot emphasize how important it is to adhere to this.  We need to fill the county and the track with confidence that events like this work fine.  If we nail it, we can come back in July and maybe get a spot at Laguna.. crazier things have happened.

Note the sessions are 30 minutes long.  I will ask to shorten the race by 5 min so we don't run out of gas. In the warmup and qualifying, have your crew keep track and bring you in if needed, we don't want to scatter dead cars all of the track because of fuel issues.

Notice the driver meeting in the schedule at 8:00  am sharp.

There will be a Sonoma Raceway test day on Friday June 26 (and for those really feeling the need on Monday the 29th as well).  The link to the track's process for testing is here.   The track's Covid procedures are here.

We heard today that Roger Kraus will be at the track... so there will be tire service.  Let's try to make it worth his while.

We will need grid workers... 1 for the warm-up and qualy sessions.  3 to help grid the race session.  We have two so far, we need one more.  

Okay, that's enough for now.  Look for the next email to include our virtual driver meeting and other details.

Race, like it's your last one ever...Laguna Seca, 2020

Little did we know

There were 34 drivers entered, 29 veterans of many Crossflow races and 5 new drivers. New to the series are Kelly Heil in his spectacular Crossle restoration (courtesy of his brother Chris), Mark Leonard, in a beautiful Merlyn MK 20, returning to competition after 5 years out of a race car and 25 out of a formula Ford. And Jim Lynn (Crossle 35) and Dave Sandlin (Titan Mk 6) both veterans of the class returning after many years away. And finally Kris Matheson, another of our class of father-son teams joining in the family Titan Mk 6. Everyone did a fantastic job of getting through their “trial by fire”.

Race 1 of the 2020 Crossflow season really started the week before, with 34 drivers and crews obsessively staring at weather apps and worrying or praying for rain. Contingency plans were made, setups discussed, hands wrung, but ultimately, thanks to Cris Vandagriff’s special relationship with the forces of heaven and nature, it was a mostly dry weekend. It was also epic on every level, from “Spin and Win” stories by Danny Sullivan (not to be missed if you EVER have the chance to hear him) at the amazing Revival Road party to incredible racing on both days, the Laguna weekend was a classic.

Whether a premonition or just the way it is with this group, the weekend produced enough memories and stories to last for a while. Give how the world changed in a few short weeks, we would all need it.

(photos by Vince Puleo, Alan Dezanni, Dan Wise)

Qualifying

Combining the first on-track session of the season, in spotty rain, with qualifying, is always a challenge. For some like Kelly Heil and Jim Lynn, it was qualifying and a shakedown for a brand new car. It was a clean qualifying session, marred only by a spectator in a bright yellow jacket at the cork-screw causing what was clearly a very awake group of drivers to brake hard and put their hands up thinking it was a flag. But the final outcome was a tight, well-organized grid with Martin Lauber on pole, Bob Lesnett on his right, followed by Dan Cowdrey, Danny Baker, Steve Romak, Ed Lauber, Andrew Wait, Jay Streets, and a very rapid Brian Andrews. As is typical the next 11 cars were separated by just over a second, all part of an increasingly strong midfield. There were numerous personal best performances by Jeff Rothman, Mike Wirrick and a quickly improving Oliver Ramleth. In total the next group were over a second a lap faster, in more challenging circumstances, than their best back in August…. Paul Kitchen wore a much bigger smile than usual as did Rob Thull, Mike Mcdermott just a tenth back, and Chris Schoap. But the tightest racing in qualifying and this proved to be the case in the race itself came from a group headed by Jim Cody, George Jewett, Ed Van Tassel, and a returning Mitch Roth, and separated by less than a tenth were Andy Warburton, Tomas La Costa (trying and entirely new set up). Jonathan Kitchen was relegated to the back due to transponder problems but would add to the fun come the race.

The Race

Under the watchful eye of group steward, Dr Nic Colyvas, the field rolled out behind the pace car driven by Formula Ford pro, Courtney Crone. The exception was Michael Edick who had a mechanical and barely made the start, taking the green flag at the back of the grid. The start was reasonably well organized and by turn 6 Steve Romak, Ed Lauber, Dan Cowdrey had fallen back behind Andrew Wait, and the lead pack of Martin Lauber, Danny Baker and Bob Lesnett went into a furious dice with all of them trading places twice by the exit of turn 2. By the end of lap 2, Danny settled into a disciplined rhythm and capitalized on the sliding Titans of Bob and Martin to take the lead on lap 4.

Further back Steve Romak, Ed Lauber and Dan Cowdrey recover to catch and pass Andrew Wait on lap 5 and then give chase to the front three. Jay Streets (P9) turning his best ever laps at Laguna held off determined pressure from Mark Leonard, Brian Andrews, Bob Morrison, Mike Wirrick, all of whom circulated trading laps within a tenth of each other. A very tense, fight headed by Rob Thull found him going into turn 11, lap after lap, with Oliver Ramleth, Chris Schoap, Mike McDermott, Ed Van Tassell, Jonathan Kitchen, Michael Maros, Tom La Costa, George Jewett, Jim Roth and Jim Cody, all within inches of each other, with their exhausts all firing on the overrun like a firefight… thrilling stuff. Bushwhacking his way through all of this was hard charger Michael Edick, who gained 20+ places and Jonathan Kitchen who gained 12, and had a huge grin to show for it afterward

So just as things were settling down and looking predictable by lap 8, two things happened. First Martin Lauber went off the outside of turn 9, losing 6 places, but got back on right behind brother Ed Lauber, and the two worked a brief but furious paceline, ultimately with Martin back up to spectacular P3. And on lap 10, a rain shower sent cars scattering all over the exit of turn 6, allowing Andrew Wait to get past Ed Lauber and Dan Cowdrey a second time for P5.

In the end, an imperious drive by Danny Baker earned him P1 in Historic Ford, Bob Lesnett P2, Martin Lauber P3 and Steve Romak his best result so far, P4. Steve is extremely quick in a Formula 1 car, and a driver who does not lack for skill or courage found himself finally enjoying his Titan Formula Ford and bringing the fight to the fast guys. In club Ford Russ Werner got a well-deserved P1. He ran as high as P5 overall, and followed by Jeff Rothman in P2 and Jim Lynn in P3. Kelly Heil’s transponder did not fire for the points race, but he ran in the 1:39’s on Sunday, a phenomenal performance in a new car after a long time away from Formula Fords

The Shippert Racing Services Drive of the day went to Ed Lauber. A dramatic drive, recovering from a mistake at the start but bringing his game fully to the front of the grid.

Driving observations, Perseverance, a great Party and Thanks

For the first time in the history of the series, there were no major driving observations. Things at the front got a little hot, but a steward’s review of video and chatting with drivers suggested it was just that, tough racing. Rain showers and some oil on the track caused some real excitement, but everyone did an amazing job of avoiding problems. There will be follow up on some minor issues and there is some momentum behind the idea of requiring cameras in 2021, but on the whole, it was a clean, sporting weekend.

Throughout the weekend, Jim Lynn suffered the usual teething problems of a fresh restoration. Broken clutch arms, pedal pressure issues, and more. David Sandin also struggled with gremlins, but both persevered and finished the weekend’s Sunday races in style. And after doubling down on his beautiful Titan, Will Jackson, made it through a weekend with no issues and steady improvement from the driver!

A crowd of 70+ took in some great stories by Danny Sullivan

Saturday evening’s party and storytime by Danny Sullivan was a treat. Many thanks to Danny, the team at Car Week Concierge, Revival Road and Martin Lauber for putting on an amazing evening. Also a huge thanks to Dan Wise for manning the scales, Nic Colyvas for keeping the peace, Jim Cody for keeping score, and Jordan Slater for IndieMotorsports for wrangling and storing the scales. And not least, Cris Vandagriff and the HMSA crew for the beautiful trophies, a great event, and good weather.

And our sponsors… the beer, food, parties, medals, trophies, the fun, would not be possible without them. Please patronize, support and promote everyone that helps the series.

Ivey Engines, Car Week Concierge, Vehicles for Charity, Roger Kraus, Shippert Racing Services

So what is next?

As of this writing, the David Love Races have been pushed to May 29-31. The Thunderhill event is still on the calendar, but may not be far enough in the future given how things are in the world right now. We will keep you posted, and as soon as we can be back, we will be. In the meantime, we have great memories of a wonderful weekend to tide us over.

The $1000 John Streets Garagiste Prize

"Garagiste!  Assembliatore! " 

John Streets, Garagiste, vintage racing legend and Jay and Skip’s dad

In the early 60's, Enzo Ferrari coined what he thought of, as a derogatory term for the little "shed in the back" upstart British Teams, who massively challenged him and the rest of the Formula 1 establishment. 

In our world, the term is now a point of pride for someone who does it on their own, through grit, hard work, consistency, and efficient use of resources. 

One of our very own Garagistes, Jay Streets, is enjoying his time in the Crossflow Program and decided to add to the fun, by creating The John Streets Garagiste Award... inspired by and named after his dad, John Streets.  Jay sees in the massive, and sometimes un-recognized commitment his fellow Garagistes make to the sport, much of what his dad taught and inspired him about life, hard work, commitment, generosity. 

So, huge thanks to Jay and his family, this kind of thinking is what makes this program and this community so special. 

The award is a $1000 cash prize and trophy that will go to the self-supporting Crossflow Driver that completes the most laps (Friday if there is a timed test session, Saturday and Sunday) in the 2020 season.  To be eligible drivers need to be, self-supporting at the races, need to enter 4 out of 5 races, can't have any black flags, contact or other issues.  In the event of a tie, the prize will be divided.  

The award will be presented by Jay and the man himself, his dad John, at the 2020 Charity Challenge Podium Party.  

About John Streets in his Son's words….

"John Streets emigrated from The UK to the United State in April of 1959 bringing with him his new bride, my mother Maggie, and a Norton Manx powered 1953 Staride Formula 3 car. He raced with SCCA on all the west coast tracks and airfields. In 1962 after my younger brother was born, he put the car in the rafters of our garage and that is where it stayed as we were growing up.  In 1974. When Steve Earl announced the 1st Monterey Historics, The car came down from the rafters and was refreshed for the event. My father became very active in West Coast vintage racing on many different levels. He bought, sold and raced many many cars over his years with vintage racing. He always drove, prepped and transported his cars to and from the tack and he often prepped cars for his friends. I grew up coming to the track with my father and he taught me not only how to prep race cars but how to be a good racer, on and off the track. He was always there to help any other driver with anything he could, be it a spare part, a cold drink, and a sandwich or mechanical know-how. Often we would leave the track late because my father was working on not his but a friend's car. When I think of what vintage racing is about for me, it is prepping your car to the best of your ability, showing up to all the races, helping everyone you can any way you can, eating well, enjoying yourself  and staying to the end."

Let's get the year off to a great start.

It has been a long winter.... 

35 cars will be taking the green for the first points race of the year, and we want to start off with a hugely fun weekend, with no bent cars, bans, hurt or hard feelings... just a great, positive weekend.  If you are not in the right frame of mind, talk to the steward or to myself.  This is a challenging sport and you need to be at your best... if, in doubt, we're here to help.

Unless you have been karting or testing all winter, your muscle memory of Laguna, is of a warm August day, not a cold, early spring day, with tires that feel like rocks.  So keep the following in mind and let's avoid/eliminate the main causes of contact, stress, and aggravation.

Important things to keep in mind

High Driving Standards - This group thrives because everyone focuses on becoming a better driver/athlete primarily, beating your friends in a fair fight, is a secondary focus.  So we are here to learn, develop, share and have fun.  That means you need to drive so that people are excited to see you at the party, so you can look every athlete/driver in the eye and feel good about your performance.

See the steward - We will have group steward this weekend.  Dr. Nic Colyvas.  He will sort out disagreements, answer competition and driving questions, he will monitor the start, car weigh-ins and will be generally watching for behavior or technique that needs improving.  He has 100% discretion on points and other series penalties.  If you need a refresher on our rules, see them here.

Take care of the new drivers - We have at least 4 people stepping into a race car for the first time in a very long time, help and support them, that's how we keep the party fun and growing.

Fast guys have no extra rights -  Just because you are fast, does not entitle you to anything, in fact, it puts the burden of care for the majority of the grid who run at more moderate speeds, on you.  

Avoid spins - This is a largish grid, so losing it in front of a bunch of cars can really suck. So  brake with the steering straight, ease the throttle on once your hands have opened back up.  And keep your vision up, and hit your marks... at Laguna early apexes plus power on a cold morning leads to instability.

Passing - Keeping his/her momentum up, is the obsessive focus of every formula ford driver.  This however, can lead to The ill-judged pass... the leading cause of angst and damage.  Basically, if you are not next to the car in front, prior to the turn-in zone (and you should know where that is), you're not going to make it cleanly.  Amateurs (and pros sometimes) commit to their passes from way too far back or expect to be seen, even if that means the driver in front has to dislocate his/her neck to look back.

Passing in an ill-judged spot -  The inside of turn 6, the inside of turn 9, these are NOT good places to attempt a pass, and if its a late pass, it will have consequences.  The outside of 6 tight has room, but most drivers don't perceive it, so stress is high, and the outside of 9 is covered in marbles and is off-camber.  You need to be next to the car head, by the turn-in point to be cool here.

Splitting backmarkers - Two or more cars passing a slower car on both sides, is to be avoided at all costs.  Drivers being passed can generally only focus on one side, so the natural tendency to move over will create a moment for the other passing car.  If there is a group of cars being passed, follow the leading car around them.

Squeezing - Pressuring the car next to you, by leaving no room or only poor choices... is NOT okay in this series. If the car next to you only has the choice of backing out of the throttle or, hitting the wall or going off track, you are not in the right zone.   In particular on the main straight, in the draft, leave room to the left between you and the wall at all times.  And if you go into a corner side by side and you are on the outside,  the guy on the inside is more loaded up and less able to predict grip... so leave 12-14 inches, you might both need the room.

Being passed -  If you are slower than the car behind, hold your line, or if you adjust it, or lift, do so only a little and mostly to communicate your intentions and relieve a bit of stress.  

Communicate properly - If you see a yellow, put your hand up and wave the "Figure 8" so everyone around you is aware.

No Racing during qualifying - We want a clean grid, so during qualifying do not impede or compete with each other.  It is not allowed in F1, or Indy, so we frown on it here as well.  The goal of qualifying is to do your best and let everyone's true speed set the grid.

Messy racing - Jumped starts, excessively fast starts, missed flags.... all lead to cars getting lapped too early in the event and the group looking bad (some of you may remember that special driver's meeting last year... let's not do that again)

So yes, that is all a lot to keep in mind, but its racing, you love it because of the challenges and all the different facets of the sport, so get stuck in and do your best.

Resources 

If you need a visual guide to what we mean by starting a pass too far back, here is an example of getting it wrong.

Example of getting it right and wrong

If you have not been to laguna in a while, here is a video to help you visualize.

If you want help, our series coaching service can turn around a coaching video overnight... contact Racers360 for help... here is an example of the single lap analysis

Reminders

The Party is at 5:45 Saturday night at Revival Road, 160 Calle Del Oaks Place, Monterey, California 93940 you must be present to win prizes.

And again, thanks to Car Week Concierge for the celebration!

More soon and best to all!

Cash Prizes and Cheaper tires... Laguna is next

Laguna is next... details

Registration for the March 7-8 event with HMSA is open, you can use the link here to register.  Note that you can just put a car number in the member number box, just anything will be fine.

We will be sharing more as the event draws closer, but for now, put the following on your list. The awards party and dinner will be held Saturday evening, starting at 6pm sharp at Revival Road, about 5 min drive from the track.  Thanks to Martin Lauber, Revival Road and series supporters.

Friday night, there is the traditional, informal get together at Abalonetti's on Fisherman's wharf.  The management asks that you pair up  (2's or 4's) to keep the bill from being crazy difficult to figure out.  We will book a reservation for about 40 or so, they can handle more if needed.

If you are bringing kids down, let us know if you want babysitting help.  We can arrange for a couple of cool teenagers to wrangle little hikes adventures and entertainment if you need a break.

Masters, register if you are 60 or over on or before Friday, let us know and I will register you with Jim Cody our scorekeeper.

Given how big and intense/expensive last year was, we expect this year to be a bit more moderate in terms of attendance.  That said, we still expect around 30 cars, so bring your best pack racing self to the event!

2020 Awards, cash and more

The end of season awards list is getting a little longer, and as usual there will be Historic, Club, Masters, Series MVP, Rookie of the Year, Best Formula Ford and Most Improved car awards.  There will be an additional driving award to be announced at Laguna.

The other big news, and more details to follow.. is the Ironman/Ironwoman Award.  One of our drivers is sponsoring a $1000 cash prize to the driver(s) that complete the most laps throughout the season.  So this rewards grit, consistency, great car prep, and super clean driving and it will take running every event, no DNFs and running every available session.  More on this soon.

Cheaper Tires

Roger Kraus has negotiated a small price drop on the Avons.  So all in, the tires will be about 6% less this year than last, and he will again giving us 3 sets of tires to give away during the season.  So in a world where everything gets more expensive, this is a small but nice bit of good news.

T-Shirts

Several of you did not get the large or extra large T-shirt at the Charity Challenge. It has been a nightmare re-ordering, long story, but I hope to have your shirts at Laguna.

And finally... modern Fords and Swifts

Reminder to all of you who have a modern Formula Ford/Swift.  You can run them on treaded tires at the Thunderhill CSRG event in May and the Sonoma SCCA event in June. There will be a special Modern Fords award at each of those events if we get over 5 cars... any questions, let us know.

Epic end to Season 3, The CSRG Charity Challenge

Danny Baker gets a good start

After such a long season, with some drivers doing upwards of 10 race weekends, it was a slightly battle-weary, broke, but hardcore group of 35 formula ford drivers and crews that gathered to contest the final race of the championship at Sonoma Raceway. There was the usual very strong local contingent, but guys like Bob Morrison, Michael Maros, Don Stern, and Bob Posner made the trek down from the Northwest to join the fun. Over the course of the season, over 120 drivers participated with an average of 45 cars per event, and 32 drivers competing in every race of the championship. We got through the whole thing with one car to car incident with damage, a testament to the depth of the grid, both in sporting and driving terms but also to the work we still need to do. An incident-free series is still the goal.

David Stone and his immaculate Crossle

Qualifying

If we kept track records, which we don’t, but if we did, Danny Baker held the Historic Ford track record throughout Friday practice, at a 1:46.6. But by Saturday morning, Art Hebert had moved that down to a breathtaking 1:45.5. A knowledgeable observer said “every molecule in that car was being urged forward”. Behind him in P2 was Andrew Wait, Bob Lesnett, Danny Baker and an ever-faster Steve Romak and Joe Hopkins (engineered by Neil Porter and on the Club Ford pole) filled out the first three rows. The next group of 11 cars, were separated by less than a second. Heading that group was Tom Duncan and 10 cars down the grid, just .9 seconds later was hugely improving Jay Streets. Personal bests in qualy were posted by several drivers including Robert Posner, David Stone, Mike McDermott and Dwight Matheson. In only his second race, Gunnar Hebert led a third, very tight group with Russ Werner (recovering quickly from a broken upright) Rob Thull, Greg Vroman and a returning Dan Zide. The rookie of the race Preben Ramleth, did a superb job in his first outing, driving the prize-winning family Lotus 51. David Stone journeyed all the way from Australia and on only his second outing at Sonoma, managed a time 2 seconds quicker than his last outing.

Joe Hopkins and race engineer and Formula Ford legend, Neil Porter

The Race

A late green and a very jumpy grid meant the first 4 rows went 3-4 wide into turn 2. Bob Lesnett and Danny Baker surged past a slow starting Andrew Wait, with Joe Hopkins, Steve Romak, and Tom Duncan three-wide into two. Former SCCA National Competitor Brian Forster, in his third comeback race, Dwight Matheson, and a hard-charging Russ Werner (who ultimately gained 8 spots) led the more orderly part of the grid up the hill. It took about 3 laps for the race to settle into a rhythm, with Art Hebert stretching what would ultimately be a 5-second lead over the fighting trio of Baker, Wait and Lesnett. Great dices played out with Steve Hoogs, Rob Thull, and Chris Schoap. Jim Cody found himself as always, battling Jack Wilson, Don Stern and Andy Warburton. On lap six the race-long dice between Bob Lesnett, Danny Baker and Andrew Wait, ended with Bob’s fuel pump dying. Ultimately Art Hebert crossed the line first in a super drive, battling not just the grid, but an overheating engine, followed by Danny Baker, and Andrew Wait in Historic Ford, Joe Hopkins, Tom Duncan and Brian Forster making up the club Ford Podium.

Chris Schoap brought down his trick formula car carrying bus/camper

The Awards

The Crossflow Cup, by Ivey Engines - The 2019 Crossflow cup winner, is Chris Porritt. He not only built and races his own car but brought two wonderful drivers into the sport and gave them huge help. He functions at a very high level in our community, from dispensing advice and support, to digging up the parts Mike Wirrick needed to get back on track on Sunday. Chris is also an incredibly talented driver, with a long resume of everything from Formula Ford, pro GT racing, two Liter FIA cars, and Formula Atlantic.

Colin Ivey, Chris Porritt, Jay Ivey

Series MVP - The 2019 series MVP is Ed Lauber. This award goes to a driver that is both impeccable on track and a committed supporter of the series and a wonderful sportsman. Ed finished 4th in the championship, a huge improvement over last year, and was an enormous source of support for the series. Whether chilling beers, or helping unload cars, Ed was in the thick of it.

Ed Lauber, Series MVP

Rookie of the year - In his first year in the series, David Dupuis impressed. His car is beautifully prepared, he quickly developed into a smooth consistent driver and his dices with Carl Moore were massively entertaining. And to top it off, he finished P2 in the Club Ford Championship. We look forward to seeing David build on the great momentum he developed in 2019.

Most Improved Formula Ford - Car prep matters a lot in this sport. And amazingly, through sheer hard work, the grid is looking better and better every year. Sometimes improvement is discretionary, sometimes, cruel fortune forces it on you. At an SCCA race earlier in the year, the suspension broke and put Michael Edick into the wall, close to destroying his already very nice Lotus 61. Through massive effort, Michael rebuilt his car, and it is beautiful… a well-deserved award.

Best Formula Ford - Every year we honor a car, that is just so beautiful, is causes not just admiration, but lust. Chris Locke’s Merlyn Mk 11, is tasteful, nuanced, and crafted to an incredibly high level… well done Chris.

Chris Locke’s exquisite Merlyn

David Dupuis, Rookie of the Year

Chris Locke, keeper of the best car of 2019

Michael Edick, Most improved Formula Ford

Michael Edick’s Lotus 61

The Champions

Historic Ford - Danny Baker drove a stunning campaign. He was fast, made every event, and made no mistakes. Every drive was amazing, but Thunderhill, in particular, was inspired. Danny fended off serious challenges from Laurent Parmantier, Bob Lesnett, Art Hebert, Chris Porritt and more with consistent, controlled performance. P2 in Historic Ford was Andrew Wait and Art Hebert, the 2018 Champion in P3.

Club Ford - Tom Duncan is as fast as ever, and wiser and more strategic than ever. His was a lean, focused campaign, with great results and no mistakes. P2 was David Dupuis and in P3, the most decorated athlete in Crossflow history, Dan Wise.

Masters - The Masters category has passion, strength, and speed that inspires all of us. Also winning Masters, was Tom Duncan. P2 was a very consistent and rapid Dave Zurlinden and P3 was the lightning-quick Bob Lesnett.

Danny Baker, Historic Ford Champion

Art Hebert, P3 in Historic Ford

Dan Wise, P3 in Club Ford

Club Ford and Masters Champ Tom Duncan

Bob Lesnett, P3 in Masters with his better half, Lyndsey Patton

Dave Zurlinden, P2 in Masters

It’s not possible without…

Jim Cody, our scorekeeper, and series Lawyer and chief provider of moral support. Ed and Martin Lauber, whose sponsorship and support keeps the beer free and the fun factor high. The Secret Champagne Guy, thanks and a huge hug. Jordan Slater of Independent Motorsports, keeper and installer of the scales. John Anderson, Jay Ivey, Roger Krause, Ethan Shippert, and Dave Bean Engineering, without your support, it’s just not going to happen. And to the CSRG and HMSA teams… these are amazing clubs, we are proud to belong to and run with. And to Alvin Lumanlan, we do look that good, but Alvin’s incredible talent doesn’t hurt.

To get your 2019 photos, visit Alvin’s site here.

Stay tuned, can’t wait for 2020

Over the winter we will share news of the 2020 schedule and rule changes. In the meantime, rest up, catch up on deferred family and car maintenance, and we will see you all next year.

Final Sonoma details

David Dupuis… with his rare and very cool Gemini

Sonoma Details.

There is a lot to cover, so please look this over and if you have any questions, please let us know or bring them to the driver's meeting.

Podium Party -  It will be at 5pm, in the John Anderson paddock spot, opposite the garages.  Please get there on time, given we have a lot to get through and we will be celebrating along with our brothers and sisters from group 4, so bring all your friends and family.  We will be raffling off a very cool prize courtesy of Shippert Racing Services, as well as awarding 5 awards (including the Ivey Engines Crossflow Cup), 5 honorable mentions, and the 9 championship trophies!  

More goodies - We also have participation medals for everyone AND a Series T-shirt for every entered driver and several guests and VIPs.  Details on how to get your T-Shirts to follow.

The Right Spirit - As usual, remember, we are here to have fun, and to race for each other, not at each other.  You are here to make friends and race hard, in that order. 

Starts - We have a really nice grid of 35 cars, which includes some very new drivers.  So a tight start, form up by turn 9 at the latest.  Roll up to the start at the usual 3500 RPM in first gear. Doing this will make for a great looking start and help avoid lots of lapped cars. At the green flag it will be a normal start, but please, please avoid anything more than 2 wide into turn 2.

Fairness and Room -  Do not split backmarkers. We have not had any backmarker issues this year, because of this rule.. let's keep it that way.  And give each other room.  If you are next to a newbie, or someone you don't know, give them lots of extra room.  

Qualifying - We are going to self-seed the grid for Saturday morning qualifying.  So if you run sub 1:49, grid at the front, 1:50-1:52, grid in the middle, over 1:53, grid a bit further back.  This will keep frustration low and clean laps high.

Danger Zones - Passing at the entrance to turns 8, 8A and especially 10, is to be avoided. Fast guys neutralize your race if you have a bunch of slower cars at these turns.  Passing exiting 8A is fine, but pick a side please (faster cars to the outside tends to work a bit better)

Visibility - Sit in your car, and note the cones of visibility in your mirrors. If you are not in that cone for the car in front of you, they can't see you.  If you are not next to, and by that I mean, abeam the driver, going into a corner, you are unlikely to be seen at the turn-in point.  Newer drivers, in particular, can't look in their mirrors and focus on the turn-in point simultaneously. So if you are not clearly next to them, they might not see you when the turn-in point rushes up and they will turn into you.  This is particularly true at turn 3A, 4, 7, 8, 10 and 11.  If you sense a car next to you or a bit behind you, take a sec at these corners to glance inside.  If there is a car there, give them room.

Flags - We did kind of a crap job of this in the Sunday morning race at Monterey.  So take time during Friday practice to look for the flag stations.  It is VERY easy to miss the flags at the entrance of turn 2 (outside), 3 (left side), 7, and 8 and 10 (opening in the wall, right opposite the apex!).  In all those cases the turn is cresting, or the flag station is well to right or left of the turn-in point.  Watch the pace lap on this video as see if you can spot all 13 flag stations (it's not easy).  See how easy it is to miss the flagging station on the left of turn two or the one just under the bridge, going up the hill to turn 2.

Friday Practice - Will be a mixed open wheel group, with Atlantic, Formula B etc. cars.  Just exercise extra caution, please.

Okay, in terms of the nagging, that should cover it. One last note... 

Sending a young American to Italy

William Ferguson is one of the fastest young Karting Champs the US has produced.  And as is so often the challenge for our athletes on this side of the pond, getting onto the world stage is expensive and beyond their reach financially.  So read William's message below and if you can help a bit, click on the go-fund-me link and let's give him a hand.

"Dear Charity Challenge drivers...  my name is William Ferguson. Though I am only 15 years old, I have developed a very deep passion for racing.  I have been karting for several years now, and thus far I have one national championship, two regional championships and many race wins under my belt. I aspire to one day become a professional racing driver.  I started out hauling my first kart around in a homemade trailer behind the family Prius but, in 2017, after a lot of hard work and success, I was signed as a driver under the team SpeedSense Motorsports under team boss Austin Elliott.  In April, due in large part to the awesome support of SpeedSense, I secured my first national level championship at Challenge of the Americas. Because of this, I have earned the amazing opportunity to compete in Garda Italy at the Rok Cup Super Final in October. This will be the most intense race of my career thus far and I am proud to be representing Northern California racing internationally.  My team and I have strategized a plan to make competing at this level a success. We will be arriving in Milan, Italy October 2nd, and will spend eight full days at the track for practice, fine-tuning our strategy to optimum driving, chassis setup, and engine tuning, etc. We will be pitting with a highly respected international team, WARD Racing, using a proven race-winning chassis brand as well as being supplied a proven race engine that has the capability to run in the front of the pack. The race will be held at Lonato del Garda on Oct 10-12. This solid plan gives me the best chance in winning this race, however the cost as you can imagine is quite high.  We have raised some of the money by arranging a fundraiser golf tournament, but to make it across the finish line, I am keenly interested in partnering with racing enthusiasts like me but who have happened to achieve success in business and who wish to give back to this awesome sport. 

If you are up for supporting me, you can visit my gofundme page at https://www.gofundme.com/f/ferguson-rok-italy. 

Thanks, and best of luck to all you at the Charity Challenge. Go fast and stay safe -William"

Sonoma Crossflow Series finale... is next

Thunderhill seems a long time ago

To say it has been an epic year for Formula Ford, would be a massive understatement Since the Baker, Parmantier, and Duncan Masterclass last May at Thunderhill (plus the hay gathering of Porritt, Wait and Streets) there has been a year’s worth of action. From the unprecedented appearance of 56 Formula Fords at The Rolex Reunion and Pre-Reunion to the mass gathering at Elkhart lake, we come to the back end of a year to remember. With the Sonoma series finale at the Charity Challenge and the casual fun of the Season Finale at Thunderhill, many Crossflow regulars will have posted an astronomic 11-12 race weekends in 2019. But all that said, there is a championship to conclude, 12 awards to handout and the handmade Crossflow cup to present.

Given the smaller group at the Charity Challenge (we expect about 35 cars), we will run one, not two groups, so it is even more important than ever to give a new crop of rookies (there will be at least 3 drivers posting their first start) a positive start to their careers. The plan, for now, is to run a normal start and the usual race weekend format … with qualifying, Saturday morning, Points race Saturday afternoon and one more big party and champagne spray Saturday later afternoon sponsored by Vehicles For Charity. Sunday will be the normal non-points CSRG club event and as always, take it easy… Sunday is when the weird stuff happens.

As always, the second group plan may be an option, depending on both the final size of the group and the wishes of drivers running multiple cars.

Series Finale Awards

As a reminder, you need to be present, contact and black flag free to receive an award.

The Crossflow Cup - To the driver who is emblematic of the sport, and has made a meaningful contribution to the community

Series MVP - Has run every event, been a consistent improver, and someone who is central to the fun we’re having

Rookie of the year - A first-year rookie, who has made all the right moves and impressed the awards committee

Most improved Formula Ford - From barn find to show winner. The car that with the most improvement in the season

Best Formula Ford - The car that produces unrequited lust in anyone that sees it

Championship Trophies - The pointy end of the gird in Historic, Club and Masters

Championship Standings going into the Charity Challenge

In Historic Ford, Danny Baker leads the Historic points, and only a DNF will keep him from getting the big trophy. Danny has run a remarkable season, with both consistency and great form. Overall the class had 58 points scoring drivers this year, with an amazing 45 cars scoring at every event season to date.

In Club Ford, once again the podium has ironmen Dan Wise and David Dupuis, and the leader, a very rapid Tom Duncan who not even a DNF will keep from the big trophy. The total number of scoring cars this year in the class is up 100%, with 20 cars appearing for scoring in 2019.

In Masters, Tom Duncan leads an impressive and inspiring group of drivers who do not appear to be slowing down in terms of their level of commitment and passion for the sport. Even more impressive, over 50% are Super Masters (over 65), and we expect all of them back next year.

And finally

If we can scramble to do it, we will try to have a series T-shirt done in time for the Charity Challenge. If you are entered in the Charity Challenge only, please click on this link to let us know your T-Shirt size or copy and paste https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DWR9KNZ to get the survey.

Any questions or help, please let us know.

Wins come in all shapes and sizes

Two groups of 30+ cars

In spite of weird transponder quirks and a lot of oil on the track… it was a great weekend. It was a wonderful combination of perfect weather, emerald green on the Sonoma hills, and a lot of incredibly close racing.

When drivers snap a run of bad luck, or find a new level in their driving, a weekend like the David Love Memorial can be as big a win as any. There were many such stories at the David love… here are three.

Jay Streets ended last season tangled up in a shunt, not of his making, and began this year with big hopes not only for a clean season but anxious to gain a bit more pace, comfortably. Jay performed flawlessly, his pace up 3 seconds a lap, from his PB last October and a series of laps in the points race.. all within a tenth of two. Beautiful, consistent lines and laps showed Jay at his best this weekend.

If you hang out in the garages with the hard boiled mechanics of the various shops, there is a rare moment when a little smile appears on someone like John Anderson’s face, followed by some knowing looks that say, “hey, look at that, someone found their groove”… and that someone is Jim Cody. When a driver like Jim and a car like his pretty Crossle, really meld, turn 11 becomes a way to express how much fun they’re having, and how cool it is to be a racing driver… and even the wise ones in the garage can tell.

Jim and his beautiful racing car

And then there is your first race weekend. 17 year old Gunnar Hebert ran a flawless, perfectly judged weekend, his first at Sonoma, his first in a Formula Ford and his first race after a stellar performance at the SCCA driver’s school. The high point of the weekend, was being surrounded by his proud mom and dad and his little sister bursting into tears, declaring “I am so proud of him!”

Gunnar Hebert, Ace Rookie

Qualifying

The two group format meant that most drivers got clean laps and were able to establish a rhythm right away.

The B group went out first and Carl Moore put it on pole, followed by David Dupuis is his lovely and very rare Gemini, closely followed by Jeff Rothman, Brian Andrews and Chris Schoap. The next group all covered by less than a second, included Ron Bonham, Rob Thull (setting a new PB) and Lauren Ridge. The tightest group ran less than a second apart had Andy Warburton, Jack Wilson and George Jewett.

Group A qualifying saw Danny Baker grab pole and the fastest lap of the weekend, a friday practice 1:46.7. By the end of a very clean qualifying session, the first five cars were covered by about .158 seconds. The group included a returning Nic Colyvas, an ever more rapid Bob Lesnett and Laurent Parmantier, just .077 seconds behind Danny. A following group with Bob Posner, Quinn Posner, Jay Streets, Tom Duncan and Joseph Hopkins were just .65 sec apart.

The weekend was not without its challenges. Ross Lindell spent the weekend fighting an evil handling car, Nic Hunziker likewise chasing something in the front end that was just not working, Alan Dezzani with a brake bias problem and Art Hebert trying to sort a new car full of gremlins. Joseph Hopkins showed great pace all weekend, but struggled with ignition and brake gremlins in his Crossle. Dave Alvarado had an A arm break, but his crew turned him around in a flash. The good news is that no-one’s troubles were so bad, that for the second time, no heart ache awards were handed out.

The Race

Without question, the weekend’s races were a fantastic show. Tight grids, very high driving standards, and clean, fun driving

Group B put on an incredible race with Carl Moore, David Dupuis, Jeff Rothman and Brian Andrews all pressuring Carl and David. They managed to cross the finish line just .18 seconds ahead, in spite of at least 3 lead changes in the last four laps. Chris Schoap survived the constant pressure from a charging Ron Bonham to finish in P5. Rob Thull squeaked out his best ever P7, just .056 seconds ahead of Lauren Ridge who was ahead of Dave Alvardo by another tiny .05 seconds (thats about a 3 foot distance). Gunnar Hebert and Jonathan Kitchen diced hard for the entire race, Jonathan giving no quarter to his young competitor, and Gunnar holding up well under the pressure. An amazing show was put on by Jack Wilson, Andy Warburton, and George Jewett, all crossing about a tenth of a second apart. Bob Hancock won the hard charger bottle of wine with another great drive.

Group A took the green flag in a very tight pack, whose order was immediately shuffled on lap one. As the field ran down into turn four, the top four cars compressed really hard, and a shocked Bob Lesnett had no choice but to half spin to avoid contact, causing Nic Colyvas to take evasive action. Ed Lauber, Tom Duncan and Quinn Posner made the most of the opportunity and remained organized in the draft, creating a big gap to the next group of Dwight Matheson (hard charger award winner) Jay Streets, Austin Newman and Ed Van Tassel. Tony Garmey improved massively on his qualy drive, in his newly restored Caldwell, followed by the Merlyns of Steve Hoogs and Adom Moutafian. Ultimately Andrew Wait achieved his first P1 from Chris Porritt by .058 seconds after a race long battle with Danny Baker, and Laurent Parmantier. Chris managed his tires to perfection, building pace as the race progressed and not only chasing down the leading trio, but pulling within 36 inches of the win.

A happy Paul Kitchen, excellent trouble free weekend.

Final results

Group B Historic Ford Podium - Carl Moore P1, Brian Andrews P2, Chris Schoap P3

Group B Club Ford Podium - David Dupuis P1, Jeff Rothman P2, Lauren Ridge, P3

Group A Historic Podium - Andrew Wait P1, Chis Porritt P2, Danny Baker P3

Group A Club Ford Podium - Quinn Posner P1, Tom Duncan P2, Steve Egger P3

Driving Notes

All in, it was a very strong weekend. There were issues with transponders, a mildly jumped Group A start, and a lot of oil dry but on the whole a good weekend. A couple of observations and comments from our note takers

1. It is best to arrive at the apex of turn 10 at Sonoma with some power on. This shifts weight to the back of the car, so you arrive stable and then really press the back down as you add power. So that means get all of your slowing done early, and then add power to set the car as you approach the apex. Brian Forster noted several tank slappers past the apex, all avoidable if the back end is more loaded up.

2. If you make a passing move VERY wide, note you need to be extra cautious. You are out of view of your competitors mirrors, and they will be entirely focused on their turn in, if they can’t sense you in the mirrors. A wide pass is fine, if you are well forward of the other driver’s sight line at turn-in.

3. The bad things tend to happen on Sunday. If you are tired, had a bad Saturday, or whatever, be careful on Sunday. Something about that last club Feature brings out the bad luck.

4. If you felt uncomfortable, or have questions about Sonoma, review the Racers360 track breakdown, even better, send your video in an get a lap analysis before your next visit.

Final thoughts and Reminders

A new set of beautiful shots is now available from Alvin Lumanlan. To visit the gallery go to, Final Sonoma photos to download your photos, use the password, EveryDayIsYourBirthday

If you don’t have a portrait yet, see Alvin at Thunderhill, please.

The next event is Thunderhill. With a smaller group of 30 cars, we will run as one group, but will still have group A and B awards.

Parting Shot

Final Sonoma Details

Final Details

With lovely weather and a healthy grid, it is shaping up to be another great weekend. 

The success of the two-group format means we will have, thanks to the CSRG board, an A Main and a B main format again (and yes 12 medals, 6 bottles of wine, and just for fun, 14 bottles of Champagne).  You will be seeded either into Group 6 or Group 5, with Group 6 being 30 cars, and Group 5,  20 cars, based on the same lap time and race position formula we used at Laguna.  The groups will be adjusted up or down based on Saturday Morning qualifying.

Front row qualifiers in both groups, remember, if the pace car is too fast, and you are not 100% sure the group is formed up tight by the exit of turn 9, slow down, and control the grid.  We do not want another loose A main start as we had at Laguna. If the pace car wants to set a lap record, fine, let it do that, but control and tighten the group.  A beautiful, well-organized start is safer and puts on a great show.

VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE - Group 5 will be split start with a very small group of Formula Juniors and Formula V's...  I will personally pace the group to assure a least a 60-second gap, which means, barring a mechanical the two groups should never see each other.  That said, extreme respect and care passing, and as we do for each other, and no backmarker splitting are the order of the day.

Formula Fords should paddock together on the row in front of the garages, or the row behind as close to the John Anderson row as possible. 

The scales will be in the garages as was the case last October.

We have several newbies running with us for the first time, so keep an eye out for them in BOTH groups.

New Series

There two very cool new series, 100% inspired by your success, the USRRC Tribute Series (group 4) and the John Morton Trophy  (group 8) both kick off with their first races this weekend.  Both groups have great inaugural grids of 21 and 18 cars each.  So lets all please get out on to pre-grid with them, and encourage the drivers.  I know we tend to spend all day locked up in our own paddock spots, polishing and worrying more speed out of our cars, but let's make an effort to show real support for these groups as they are poised to launch their new programs.

See you at the races.

Of Hard Chargers and Heart Aches

The 2019 Laguna Season opener, was a..

Classic and will go down, on the whole as one of the best weekends of racing in a long time. 56 cars entered and were seeded into two groups an “A main” and “B main”. This had the effect of both doubling the number of trophies and bottles of champagne that were give out but also produced two beautiful races where no one got lapped and everyone had a dance partner.

Huge thanks to Martin and Ed Lauber for their party at the Revival Road Company , a jewel box of a facility where both incredible cars get built and great parties take place too. We also want to give huge thanks to Alvin Lumanlan, who took some of the most compelling photos we have seen in a very long, time. And thanks to Jay Ivey, who paced the paddock fixing and tuning all weekend long.. and of course to Cris Vandagriff and the HMSA team who put on a lovely event.

Joining the event was great group of cars and drivers from the RMVR, all of them on a grand tour of Laguna, Willow Springs, Sonoma, Thunderhill and then races up in the northwest. The Letterly boys, Matt Ammer, Becky Creighton, Bob Hancock and Pete Christensen are on an epic tour of all the big events on the west, and were a great addition to the group.

Qualifying

Group 3 qualifying resulted in a very rapid Austin Newman and Dan Wise, being promoted to the A main, along with Bob Lesnett whose confidence is increasing with every lap. Crafty management of traffic resulted in Tom LaCosta and Jonathan Kitchen on the front row of a very tight pack with Adom Moutafian, Jeff Rothman, Norm Cowdrey, Greg Vroman, Chris Schoap, Joe Bunton, Brian Andrews and a returning Carl Moore all separate by less than a second.

Group 2 qualifying saw Art Hebert on the historic and overall pole, .2 sec head of John Hill, followed by Andrew Wait, Martin Lauber, Chris Porritt, Dave Zurlinden, Todd Strong, Danny Baker, Ed Lauber, Laurent Parmantier all separated by less than a second. Another qualifying stand out was Nic Hunziker who pushed his Lotus 51 beyond its design limits up to a very strong P11, followed very closely by Ed Van Tassel and Thomas Parmantier.

Danny Baker, ready to race

The Races

The Group 3 race was huge fun to watch, with the exception of a two DNF’s the entire group finished on the lead lap. This is a first in the history of the series and it produce tight, flowing racing and passing the entire time. The order was mixed up immediately with Carl Moore and Adom Moutafian surging into the lead within 2 laps and Greg Vroman, Jim Cody, Chris Schoap, Brian Andrews, Tom Minnich and Pete Christensen using an organized draft to go way up the order . George Jewett likewise worked with Pete Christensen and Alan Dezzani to surge up to Rob Thull, chased hard by Mike McDermott, Andy Warburton and Jack Wilson both new to Laguna, but rapidly getting more comfortable. The dice up front between Carl Moore and Adom ultimately opened the door for a patient Norm Cowdrey to sweep past into the lead overall and P1 in Club Ford, followed by Jeff Rothman P2 in Club Ford. P1 in Historic Ford was captured by smooth consistent Tom La Costa, followed by hard charger Joe Bunton, then Carl Moore P3 in historic Ford. Stand out performances by the quiet men, Greg Vroman and Chris Schoap, and another hard charger, Jay Streets who intelligently managed the draft and the turn 2 braking zone and pushed up 7 places.

The Group 2 Race got off to an interesting start with Andrew Wait running into the back of Dave Zurlinden.. both half spun and continued. For the most part the rest of the field flowed around them with the exception Geir Ramleth who pitted with a bent front A arm. Martin Lauber managed traffic superbly and earned an impressive P1 overall and in Historic Ford, .7 seconds ahead of John Hill. Art Hebert came in a strong P2 in Historic Ford, followed by Danny Baker in his constantly improving Lotus 61. Second in Club Ford was Tom Duncan, part of a very tight pack with hard charger Ed Lauber, Laurent Parmantier and Bob Lesnett. A nice recovery drive by Dave Zurlinden saw him come in just ahead of a brake-less Todd Strong, and another tight pack led my Michael Edick in his Lotus, Dan Wise and another big improver, Dwight Matheson.

Sheriff Zurlinden did not like being spun at the start

Heart Aches

The highs that racing produces sometimes have corresponding lows. And we were very sorry to see Matt Ammer withdraw with suspension failure, and Becky Creighton tapped the wall on the exit of 11. In his usual style Matt loaded up and is planning on getting his and Becky’s Grand Tour back on schedule as soon as he can. Our series engineer Michael Edick took a look at the failure and shared some sound advice on both how to repair but also strengthen the part that failed. Paul Kitchen’s sparkling new body got caught by a berm and damaged and Greg Edenholm had the engine seize in his immaculate Elden PH10. They will all be back as soon as they can, but all have bottles of Twisting Turns Cabernet to help them ease the frustration.

Ed Van Tassel, personifying the weekend, huge smile, fast car, perfect weather

Driving Observations

Other than Group 2 start melee caused by yours truly, there are two areas for everyone to think about.

1. You get one move, and one move only down a straight. Anything more is considered blocking and at best its not the in the spirit of what we do, at worst, its dangerous. If someone is legitimately faster than you, hold your line, give them room they will get by. If you are faster, you will stay ahead. A defensive line is fine, but excessive defensive driving and “door closing” is no fun and has and will cause a problem if taken to an extreme.

2. Yellow flags. Two cars passed under a waving yellow at the turn 11 incident. Both drivers have been spoken with, and its clear were a bit too focused on the car in front. We are all friends and care for each other, under positive and trying circumstances is key to this program… a yellow flag is fundamental to that care.

Yearbook Photos

Alvin Lumanlan will be shooting portraits of you and your car all season long. He is an incredible family and personal narrative photographer, you can see his work here . The first batch of year book photos are available now from Alvin. You can download them for free here the password to download the digital files is EveryDayIsYourBirthday feel free to share them, print them, enjoy them, but please credit Alvin when you post them online. If you don’t see yourself, we will get to you at subsequent events, so please find him, get your portrait done.

Next Event

The David Love Memorial registration is open, there are already 46 cars, so we will be splitting up into two groups again. If you have any questions or need anything in advance of the next event, please let us know.

Parting Shot… Stubborn Corks

Sometimes the best moment of the weekend has nothing to do with racing at all…

Paddock info for the Laguna weekend.

Paddock info and other reminders

You can load in starting at 11:00 AM.  The Formula Ford group can pit together in the area outlined in the yellow box above.  Basically group together on the row behind the garages, near John Anderson Racing.  It's not an exclusive thing, so if someone is there, don't worry, there will be a ton of paddock space, but it makes it easier to help out if we are all clustered in the same area.

If you see someone lost or alone, invite them to paddock with you... this is key, we don't want anyone having a lonely weekend. 

Remember to sign the series release Saturday morning, we will help you with that.

We might have the podium ceremony at the Revival Road party on Saturday night, so please organize your schedule so you can make that.  Reminder of time and place below

6-9 pm, Saturday March 16

Revival Road Co. 
160 Calle Del Oaks Place,
Monterey, California 93940
(Just four miles from Laguna Seca in the industrial park behind Starbucks off HWY 68). 

Super casual attire. Dress warmly. All are welcome.  Plenty of parking. 

Attitude

Review the rules, the competition section is at the end of this email.

There are a ton of cars that have been worked on lovingly all winter, most of us are rusty, most of us are over-excited.  So ease into this weekend, visualize giving people room, driving smoothly and adding speed progressively, and most of all, focus on a beautiful race, played out well within your limits.

See you all tomorrow.

A
 

Competition Rules and Format - Because the racing in Formula Fords tends to be more intense than in other vintage classes, we are also emphasizing the basics to keep us all safe

1.  Each host club's rules are in force for each event.  Be sure to review them carefully.

2.  Any black flags, contact, illegal cars or unsportsmanlike/unfriendly behavior means you will be excluded from the series.  Any exclusion by any VMC club, or host club, means exclusion from the series.

3. Front row drivers will maintain a moderate "pace car" speed (1rst gear, 3500 rpm) until the green flag waves.  If the front row jumps to race pace too soon, there will be wave offs.

4. No splitting backmarkers. It is nearly impossible to focus on both mirrors, especially if you are racing someone.   We will talk more about this, but caring for your friends who are developing their skills or happy to race their buddies wherever they happen to be, is a core value of this program and of the Clubs we all support.

6. Saturday afternoon is the series attendance points race, followed by the podium party. You must be present to win prizes at the Saturday Podium Party

8.  Remember the race you are in... if you are an HF driver, with a fast CF behind you, move over, this is not your fight.

9. These are big fields (40+) cars, so pack racing rules and etiquette are in effect... that means leave room

Final Details for the Laguna Opener March 16-17

Important details…

Heat groups - We have completely exceeded the maximum run group size Laguna will allow at this event (44 cars) so rather than turn people away, we will run two heats... an A main and B main.  The final line ups for the Saturday afternoon points race will be set by times during Saturday morning qualy.  So you will be seeded into qualifying groups and then will move up or down from the A to the B group depending on your time.  There will be podium Trophies, hard charger, best dice awards, Champagne spraying and more for BOTH groups... yes that means 12 bottles of champagne.    This is a great opportunity to destress the first race of the year and go old school.

This does, however, make the weekend a bit more complicated to manage, so please make 100% sure you come to the drivers meeting.

Register today - The weather looks great (forecast below) so those of you who are waiting to see how it looks, you can probably still register if you contact Cris ASAP.   I will be reaching out to those of you on the bubble to let you know we have increased event capacity for Formula Fords so register by EOD tomorrow... there are no longer any foreseeable event size restrictions. https://www.hmsausa.com/laguna-seca-spring-event/ 

Saturday night party 6-9 pm -   The Crossflow group and its sponsors are hosting the entire event to a taco, beer and wine party.  So please make sure you and your crew make it.  Details below. 

Revival Road Co. 
160 Calle Del Oaks Place, Monterey, California 93940 (Just four miles from Laguna Seca in the industrial park behind Starbucks off HWY 68). 

Super casual attire. Dress warmly. All are welcome.  Plenty of parking. 

6-9 pm.

Load-in and Registration - We will be allowed into the paddock at 11:00 AM Friday March 15th. 

• Registration on Friday March 15th, will be located at the gas pumps starting at 3:00 P.M.  Registration on Saturday will be starting at 8:00 A.M. Tech will be starting on Friday at 3:30 P.M. and be open until dark.         

• Race gas is available at the track.

• Roger Kraus Racing will be at the track starting on Friday afternoon. Please contact Roger in advance if you would like him to bring tires to the track for you. Roger can be reached at; 510-582-5031 or email: roger@rogerkrausracing.com

Year Book - We will be photo-documenting the event on and off track for a 2019 yearbook.  Leica wielding pro Alvin Lumanlan will be doing the off-track shots... https://www.everydayisyourbirthday.com

Important Reminders -

The 50th Anniversary event at Willow the following Friday is a 3X points event.  If you run it, please let me or scorekeeper Jim Cody know. You can learn about the event here.

And finally... The Masters Championship

All drivers 60 or over on the Friday of the Laguna event, are eligible for the Masters Championship.  Please let Jim Cody, or myself know asap so we can score you properly.

As always, any questions let us know.  

The CF Team.

Its looking nice!

Laguna Registration and other info

Laguna Registration

To register for the first race of the season, go to https://www.hmsausa.com/laguna-seca-spring-event/  .

A couple of things to know.

1. If you have run the event or with HMSA before, you can use the web registration form.  If you are new to this event, print out the PDF , fill it out and mail it into HMSA (address at the bottom of the form)

2. You do not need to be an HMSA member to run this event.  Just put a number in the membership box and the form will work fine. If you run more than one HMSA event this year, membership is a good idea.

If you have any problems or issues, let me or Cris Vandagriff know.

Reminders!!

This man has the right mental preparation!

• We have a new tire rule, that allows the option of running the A25 Avon in addition to the A29, Hoosier FF and Dunlop.  To refresh your sense of the rules visit www.norwestff.com

• We are adding a new award this year, to be given out at the Charity Challenge.  The Most Improved Car trophy, will recognize the huge amount of work going into cars over this off-season. If you show up with your formerly tatty looking car looking amazing, you may walk away with a beautiful trophy.

• There will be several Crossflow competitors testing (weather permitting) Monday March 1 at Sonoma.  Coaching and lead follow will be available if you are interested.

• Start you mental preparation now.  Most of us will be returning to competition after a very long layoff, so remember the first-weekend mantra... "I will brake in a straighline, I will add throttle only at the apex"

• Start recruiting your Modern FF driver pals to come to the May Thunderhill event May 3-5.  We need at least 15 to make a run group, so let's start chatting with them now.

• 
  More to come soon...

Pre-Registration for the Rolex Reunion and the 50th Anniversary are open

Pre-register for two Iconic Formula Ford events

2019 is a banner year for Formula Ford competitors.  In addition to the Crossflow Cup races, your club races, two Formula Ford Festivals and the anniversary of the FIRST EVER Formula Ford race at Willow Springs, there is the unprecedented inclusion of Formula Ford at the Rolex Reunion in Monterey for club and historic fords, and the 50th Anniversary National Race at Elkhart Lake open to all Kent and Cortina Powered cars of all eras.

Four things to understand... 

1. These are not Crossflow events (HMSA and VSDCA are the host clubs), so support, questions answered etc. are not provided by the Crossflow Team.  We will try to be helpful, and we will have a party,  but we are not promoting these events.

2. One is an invitational (Rolex) the second (Elkhart Lake) is limited to 200 cars and they already have 150 signed up.

3. The Rolex has a warm-up event called the Pre-Reunion that comes the week before the Rolex Reunion.  You are welcome to enter both the Pre and The Reunion, or just one of the events. The pre-reunion has more track time and is lower key, so if you want more Laguna time, the Pre is cool.

4. Team up... rent AirBnb's together, organize towing and transport together, and plan to paddock together. We will help, but start grouping up now.

So go for it... these events are not perfect (spectator oriented etc.) but they are an incredible opportunity to promote our class, put on a hell of a show and have a great time.  If you are even slightly interested do not delay your entry.
 

The Rolex Motorsports Reunion pre-registration is open

To register for an invitation to the Reunion, please click on the link below

Entry Request
 

50th Anniversary of Formula Ford at Elkhart Lake

To register for an invitation to the Anniversary  please click on the link below

Pre-registration

For more information on the Rolex and the 50th click on the link below

Rolex Motorsports Reunion

Formula Ford 50th
 

2018 Season Wrap Up

An epic ending to a great season

47 cars made it to the grid for the 5th and final race of the 2018 Crossflow Cup.  By season's end, over 100 drivers had run in the series, 15 drivers made every race, and 28 drivers made 4 races.   While not without heartache and challenge, it is now a group that knows each other and have reached a point where they can race close and hard, but with the respect friends afford each other.   And it culminated in a season finale that saw no incidents and 99% green flag racing.   

To see all the weekend's action, check out and share our wrap-up film.

The Charity Challenge, a film by Lucy Snow

2018 produced great friendships, racing and worthy award winners and champions.

Kim Madrid, 2018 Crossflow Cup Recipient

The Crossflow Cup is made each year by Jay Ivey, and goes to the driver our selection committee feels is both a great representative of the sport and a huge contributor to it.   Kim Madrid is the founder for the FF Driver's Challenge and between her efforts on and off track is without question one of the great leaders and voices of the sport.  

Masters podium presented by Lynn St. James. Champ Dave Zurlinden (far right) Tom Duncan (far left) and Dan Wise (Center)

The Master's Championship is for drivers 60 and over.  These guys are fast, and a real inspiration to all athletes... never slow down!  Dave Zurlinden was the 2018 Champion, followed by Tom Duncan and Dan Wise.

Series MVP Chris Schoap

The Series MVP trophy is awarded to the driver that runs every race, never puts a foot wrong, improves materially throughout the year, and that competitors can trust and rely on for impeccable sportsmanship, and help when things get tough.  Chris is quiet, fast, very accomplished and a great guy to hang out with

The Historic Formula Ford Championship podium was headed by Series Champion Art Hebert, followed by Martin Lauber and Andrew Wait (presented by racing Legend Lynn St James)

Club Ford Championship Podium, Todd Strong, Dan Wise and Jeff Rothman presented by Lynn St. James.

The growing Club Ford Championship was won by Todd Strong, followed by iron men (ran every event) Dan Wise and Jeff Rothman. 

Rookie of the year Will Jackson

Series Rookie of the year went to Will Jackson.  Running a John Anderson prepared Titan, Will did a great job at this first race, and we look forward to big things from him in 2019.  Will won a new HJC helmed, presented by Mike Summers

Best Formula Ford winner, Laurent Parmantier, presented by John Anderson.

Every year the car prep committee picks out a car that is exceptional.  It is prepared to a high standard and has the right level of coolness to it.  This year Laurent Parmantier won the best Formula Ford trophy for his immaculate Crossle 16/20.

2019 will be amazing

The Monterey Historics, the 50th anniversary, Formula Ford Festivals, and the Crossflow points races will make 2019 another epic year. For now, we want to say thank you to our sponsors, host clubs, Jim Cody our score keeper and everyone who came out to compete.  Have a great winter, recharge your batteries and stay tuned for more news and info about next year.

 

Early, very provisional 2019 Calendar

Major 2019 Dates

We are working on the season wrap-up newsletter and video, which will follow shortly as well as some other big announcements.  But wanted to get everyone at least an early version of the Crossflow/West Coast calendar for next year.  If you thought 2018 was a good year for Formula Ford, 2019 promise to be even bigger. That is great news, but poses challenges as well.

In 2019, between the FF Drivers Challenge, CSRG, HMSA, SVRA, SCRAMP and SOVREN, there will be almost 20 west coast events for Formula Ford Drivers, plus national events like the 50th Anniversary, The Rolex Reunion (yes Club and Formula Fords will be running at the Rolex) and the Lime Rock Historics.  Most of the clubs have yet to set their dates, so the list below is only Crossflow points, Triple Crossflow appearance points and major Formula Ford events dates we are aware of now.  This calendar will evolve and as soon as all of the CSRG, SOVREN and FF Driver's Club dates are available, we will publish them on the web site. We will be doing a survey shortly to see what you all want to do, but save the dates below if you can. 

We are very much aware of the huge hole in the schedule in June and July, so if there is interest, we may see if the SCCA would host us at Laguna or Sonoma during those months.

You will be receiving a survey shortly, that we hope helps us finalize the Crossflow schedule in a way that does not break the bank, assures big grids and makes room for your interest in the big events. The timing between certain events it tight, so it is very important for us to know if you want to prioritize the Elkhart 50th anniversary event, or the west coast races.  There are currently only 3 Crossflow events scheduled, we would like 4 minimum, but need to time those in a way that accommodates your interest in the extraordinary opportunity to run at the Rolex Reunion, the 50th anniversary and even the Lime Rock Historics.

Please note that Crossflow Points races are full crossflow championship events (medals, free beer, etc.)  Crossflow Triple appearance points races are not championship events, but anyone that attends, gets 6 appearance points added to their Crossflow points total.   The goal is to support our host clubs and give competitors who miss or DNF a chance to add to their total.

More news to follow and when you get the survey, PLEASE fill it out. Also if you have a friend that wants to join the party, send them here to sign up for the newsletter.

Provisional Calendar

January (TBD)  FF Driver's Challenge at Fontana.  This will be open to Modern, Club and Historic cars. Triple Crossflow appearance points race,  www.ffdriversclub.com

March 16-17 Crossflow Cup points race with HMSA at Laguna Seca. This will be the season opener for the Historic and Club Fords

April 12-14  Crossflow Cup points race with CSRG at the David Love, Sonoma Raceway

May 3-5  Possible first annual Formula Ford Festival (open to all Formula Ford and Formula F cars) with CSRG at Thunderhill. If we get a big enough group, this would allow two groups, heats, Masters, Club, Historic, Modern trophies and more. This will likely be a Triple Crossflow appearance points race. 

May 17-19  SVRA Historic Motorsports Festival at Laguna Seca.  As of now there is no Formula Ford-only group, but this may change if you all want one.  SVRA allows Modern, Club and Historic cars.

July 5-7 (provisional)  Pacific Northwest Historics at Pacific Raceway.  This may be a Crossflow points race or a Triple Crossflow Points race, final decision TBD.  

August 10-11 Rolex Pre-Reunion at Laguna Seca.  This is a warm-up for the Reunion.

August 15-18 Rolex Motorsports Reunion (the Monterey Historics) at Laguna Seca.  This is an invitational open to Historic Fords and Club Fords.

September 6-8 (provisional) Columbia River Classic with SOVREN at Portland International Raceway.  TBD if this is a Crossflow points or triple appearance points race.

September 11-18  50th Anniversary Formula Ford Festival at Elkhart Lake Road America.  https://stevebeeler.com/ff50th/

October 4-6 (provisional) Crossflow Club points race and season finale at the CSRG Charity Challenge at Sonoma Raceway.